Vacation in the kitchen?

I am going through withdrawls. Usually by know we have a March vacation booked and I have 2 or 3 countdown calandars. But, we are finishing up a kitchen renovation. Oak cabinets and granite counters may replace palm trees and the drink of the day. It will be nice and maybe... just maybe, we can get a last minute deal on something after the holidays.

If not... come March I'm filling the cooler with Corona and putting a deck chair in the kitchen.

Moon Palace Resort, Cancun July 2010

Moon Palace Resort, Cancun Mexico
7/4/10 to 7/11/10


Day 1, Sunday, 4 Jul 2010

Off to Mexico. An early rise, but not as early as on some vacation departure days. Thanks to Jason for a 5:30 am drop off at the airport. Our 7 am Delta flight to Atlanta left on time. We met up with Heather, Rich and kids at terminal E for our connection to Cancun. Delta had overbooked our 10:55 am flight and offered us seats on a 9:40 am flight if we wanted to go early (we could have gone on the original flight). They said they would try and get our bags switched if we took it. They were smiling when they made their baggage-switch statement. They probably had their fingers crossed behind their back too.

We scurried off to the other gate. The flight from Atlanta to Cancun was only about 2 hours. We went through immigration then to baggage claim. ‘Surprisingly’, our bags did not make the early flight. We waited in baggage claim an hour for our bags to come in on the original flight. They did. Oh well, we tried.

Cleared customs then got or shuttle van to the resort. Moon Palace is only about 7 miles from the airport. Again, we had an all inclusive package. Food and all drinks including the alcoholic kind were included. The van was just our family. Patti and I were dropped of at the southern most part of the resort the Grand section. Heather and Rich were at the northern most section ‘Sunrise’. Patti and I had an ocean view room. Check in was nice. After stepping off the van were given icy chilled wash clothes to cool off with. Nice. Checking in with the Concierge- they gave Patti a flower and both of us a Pina Colada. Nice. The resort is huge and they have shuttle buses that make the rounds every few minutes. The longest we waited was 15 minutes. Average wait was about 5 minutes.

Our room was nice. The AC was definitely doing the job. The room had a great view of the ocean. We were on the second floor about 80 feet from the water’s edge. Love the sound of the waves. There was an in room Jacuzzi that had a view of the ocean. The balcony was only large enough for 2 chairs and a small table. But I guess if that is my only complaint I should shut up.

After unpacking we ordered room service for lunch. It took about 35minues. Not bad for a resort this size. After lunch Patti and I walked down to the beach then checked out the pool area in or section.

Later that evening we took the shuttle bus over to the Sunrise section and dinner with the family at a buffet there.




Day 2, Monday July 5th

Got up at 7:30 (8:30 Ohio time). We had coffee on the balcony and watched the beach sweeper work it’s way down the beach scooping up seaweed. It looked like a corn harvester. It would scoop it up in the front and shake out the strained sand in the back.

Room service for breakfast. Steak and eggs was an unusual option for a room service menu but was ok with me. At about 9:00 am we headed out to the closest pool. The bar looked like it was open. It was. Banana Daiquiris with a little extra Appleton Jamaican rum drizzled on top. We met our newest favorite bartender Vincente. He took good care of us. Heather, Rich and kids showed up there about 11:30. They liked our pool area better than theirs.

Vincente asked us our names. We told him that at the last resort we were at they called us ‘Party’ (Patti) and ‘Julio’ (Dan) because they could not get our real names right. He had no trouble pronouncing our real names but he called us Party and Julio anyway. Patti and Alysa had their pictures taken with a spider monkey. There were several iguanas hanging out around the pool. They probably were there on a vacation package plan too.

Back to the room around 2 pm and ordered room service for lunch (getting spoiled). Patti took a nap and I did some reading on the balcony. The weather so far has been sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. Temps in the 90s.

We took the shuttle to the Nizuc (middle section) for dinner. It started to rain. We meet the family there and went to the Brazilian restaurant. The theme here was meat. Meat served tableside on metal skewers sliced onto you plate. How could you go wrong with meat on a stick? The meat courses were:

1. Sausage (linguisa)
2. Flank steak
3. Pork Loin
4. Top Sirloin
5. Lamb
6. Veal
7. Roast Turkey breast
8. Bacon slab

After a slice of each I was stuffed. We sat at the lobby for a bit then called it a night.

Day 3, Tuesday July 6th.

FOX TV- Weather news: A tropical depression forms right over the Yucatan peninsula (Cancun).

Well that sucks.

A rainy day mostly. At least it formed on us and was moving away. Patti and I went to the breakfast buffet in our section. The food was resort average I guess. They did have a cook to order omelets. The fresh fruit was good. Waiter service was outstanding they anticipate your every need. If they see you with cereal a spoon is placed next to you before you even realize you need it. If you get up from the table for something they swoop in, position your chair and refold your napkin. I am not exaggerating.

After breakfast I was standing outside the door waiting for Patti while she used the ladies room. One of the waiters came outside. He thought I was looking for the men’s room which was on the other side of the restaurant. He was going to lead me to it. They do not point or tell you how to get somewhere- they take you to it. This place is all about superior service.

Since it was raining (damn tropical depression) Patti and I headed back to the room for the time being. The family showed up about noon. It had temporarily stopped raining. We headed down to the pool area. Vincente told us he would be at the larger pool area. Unknown to us, we had been at the smaller of the 2 pool areas in our section the day before. The Olympic area had 3 pools, including a swim up bar. Wade ups allowed. There was a BBQ hut for lunch time food. Almost as soon as we got to the pool area the rain started back up. We sat under the bar Palapa with our newest bestest buddy Vincente the bartender. I asked what time the BBQ hut opened for lunch. Instead of answering, they got me a menu and brought the food to us there. (again, the service).

Even though it was raining mostly, we made the best of it. Rich, the kids and I played bocce ball and then I played a game of chess with Rich. The game board was actually 20 foot square section of the pool area. The chess pieces were each about 2 feet tall. I did win. Sweet revenge for all the times Rich has beat my butt at pool.

While I was playing chess with Rich Patti was talking with Vincente and during the conversation and mentioned what a fan I was of Corona beer and showed him my hat (bottle opener built into the bill… cool I know), and my Corona t-shirt. Unknown to me, he told her he would have a surprise for me the next day.

Dinner was at the Mexican restaurant in the Nizac section. It was an hour wait, but drinking Blue Hawaiians in the lobby lounge made the time pass easily. The food was good- 5 courses outstanding soup. We could not make it to dessert and had to surrender. Back to the room and we watched a late movie. Got our fingers crossed for better weather for tomorrow.


Day 4, Wednesday, July 7th

I woke up early at about 6 am. I peeked outside- no rain! I ended up getting out of bed at 6:45 and read on the balcony. The sun was peeking out. Watching the sun rise over the palm tree next to the building was not a bad way to start the day. Patti woke up at 7:30 and we had coffee and enjoyed our ocean. It was ours, at least for a week.

We went to the Buffett again for breakfast again. I liked their Caribbean style spicy sausage but did not care for the Mexican style. The Mexican sausage was too much like a hot dog. I don’t want hot dogs with my eggs.

After eating Patti said we need to stop over at the restaurant bar area because that’s where Vincente was working today. When he saw us he smiled and turned to the bar fridge and removed a 6 pack of Corona. He had purchased it off the resort at his own expense as a gift for me. The beer on the resort was Dos Equis (Which is pretty good) but they did not have Corona. I was very touched by his gesture. I am sure my tip covered his cost. But I honestly don’t think that’s why he did it. Service. This is what he was talking to Patti about the day before when I was playing chess in the rain with Rich.

After breakfast we went to our pool area. Minutes later the family showed up. Our pool side waiter was Louis and he was almost as good as Vincente. Our glasses rarely got bellow half full. The sun played hid and seek for a bit then it was sunny for the rest of the day.

Late afternoon we went back to the room. We watched an Adam Sandler movie on TV. The company that was handling our airport transfers called. They want to meet with you on the day you get there under the premise that you need to immediately schedule your return trip to the airport on your departure day. What they really want to do is sell you some side trips. I always ignore that request. But it was now midweek so I went and scheduled. He said, “Did you forget to come see me?” “No, I decided I would come and see you when I was ready.”

We had dinner at the La Traotti Italian restaurant at the golf course. This restaurant also had just under an hour wait and was a little difficult to get to because of the shuttle system. We hoped it would be worth it. It was, It really was. I had a salmon tartar appetizer, a spicy penne for the pasta course and Patti and I both had Filet Mignon for the main course. The filet was exception, probably the nest I have ever had. We chose cream brule for dessert. It fell short of what a real cream brule should have been (really, it was more of a flan) but it did not take away from an overall fantastic meal.

On the shuttle ride to the restaurant our shuttle driver told us the ghost story. It seems that workers sometimes see the ghost of a Mayan Princess who was executed by a Mayan priest- so the story goes. We did not see the ghost. On the shuttle ride back from the restaurant the driver was just supposed to take us to the shuttle bus stop. He ended up driving us all the way to our room. Again with the service (and of course he got a nice tip). On the way he told us the story and showed us where the Producer from the TV show survivor dumped his wife’s body after killing her. It was in the same section Patti and I were staying. I guess he bought his way out of Mexican prison- too bad.



Day 5, Thursday, July 8th

Heather and family were going zip lining and boating today so Patti and I were on our own. We got room service for breakfast. Patti had waffles and I had eggs rancheros- fried eggs on tortillas with black beans. The weather today partly cloudy but with the usual 90 degree temps.

Went to the pool. Louis or pool waiter again did well. At lunch I asked for Nachos. He did not bring me the regular plate. He had them add grilled chicken breast and jalapenos. Can I take these guys home with me?

A relaxing day not too much to write about. Room service for dinner.



Day 6 Friday, July 9th

I woke up early again at 6:15… I am not sleeping away vacation I guess. I think my body clock is still set on Ohio time. But the older I get the earlier I usually get up. I vaguely remember those 20 something years- sleeping till noon on a Saturday. Anyway, back to the vacation.

The sun was rising over the ocean and the reflections danced and twinkled. There was no breeze and the resort was quiet. It was nice just to enjoy the moment. Soon though, the golf carts carrying resort workers were zooming along.

We went to the buffet for breakfast then back to the room to change for the pool. Patti and I had some fold up pool floats we had packed. We started the day by just lazily floating and working on the tans. Heather and crew showed up about 11:30 am.

Patti and I ordered Turkey sandwiches for lunch. We loved the convenience of the pool side grill. It was nice not having to change out of swimsuits. That afternoon Patti and I tried out our in room Jacuzzi. It faced the windows and had a nice view of the ocean. I did not realize until I was standing naked opening the curtains, that it also slightly faced our neighbor’s balcony. When I opened the curtains the neighbors who were on the balcony looked over. Their scenic view was now included me. They were only there one night. I may have scared them off. Maybe I should have smiled and waved,

We went with the family to an Asian restaurant for dinner that night. This yet another of the 14 different restaurants we could choose from. They had a really good spring roll appetizer. The entrees were ok- the desserts were fantastic. They had a fried tempura banana that made your tongue do back flips.


Heather and rich showed us their rooms on the Sunrise section. Oddly there was a bit of an ocean smell that hung over their area that we did not have in the Grand section. After the tour of their rooms we visited and listened to music in the sunrise lobby.


Day 7, Saturday, July 10th

Probably the best day so far weather-wise. Only a few wispy mare’s tails for clouds. We were both wanted only a light breakfast so we had cereal and fruit at the buffet.

Off to ‘our’ pool. Patti and I usually stared our pool days by walking the length of the pools. The pools were large. The family showed up at their usual time of about 11:30. Our last day turned out to not be much of a drinking day. Mostly just read and ‘chill-axed’ in the pool chairs. Patti and I both had nice tans.

We got up to head back to the room about 3 pm. Louis say us getting ready to leave and hurried over. He wanted to make sure he had our real names (not just Julio and Party). He said that when we return on a future vacation he would make us a special dinner. I think he meant it.

On our walk pack to the room Patti and I stopped at our VIP beach area. It had cabanas to sit in. Patti sat down and I decided to jump into the ocean for a minute. It ended up being about 20 seconds. The water was warm but I received a sting from a jelly fish as soon as I stepped in. I had some fast reflexes for an old chubby go and pulled back quick. It only stung for about 10 minutes. Patti say that the beach was red flagged. She said, “I bet that is for jelly fish.” It was. Jelly fish in the VIP area? It was probably a VIP jelly fish.

As part of that VIP package Patti and I did get a candlelight dinner. We waited till the last night to use it. The dinner was on a 2nd floor terrace overlooking the ocean great view. Champaign and appetizers to start then a minor roadblock when they brought the menu. The selections were seafood. Patti is not a seafood person so we decided we would enjoy the view and a glass or two of the Champaign and hit a different restaurant. When the manager found out were trying to leave (we had thanked them, it was not their fault) he would not have it. He had a steak and baked potato brought up from the restaurant downstairs. What can you say expect again with the service. The bartender working the terrace that evening was our buddy Vincente. After the meal he made Patti and I a couple of special after dinner aperitifs. They contained about 4 liquors layered in an oversized shot glass. You down it. The last layer to hit your throat is chocolate…tasty. We had our picture taken with Vincente behind the bar. I think we were all a little misty eyed as we said our good byes.


Day 8, Sunday July 11

Checked out with the concierge at 8:00 am. They cut off our wrist bands. How final is that? Had some coffee and fruit in the lounge and waited for our shuttle. We went to the Sunrise side and picked up Heather, Rich, and kids and then off to the Airport. Check in at security went ok.

Took off at 10:00 am. It was a little under 2 hours to Atlanta. We said our goodbyes to the family on the airport train. Patti and I had lunch at Chilies then caught our 1 hour flight to Dayton at 5 pm. Josh and Ashley picked us up at the Airport… home sweet home. But it does not take long to be ready to go again.

Wildwood Inn- themed suites

Patti and I went to the Wildwood Inn Themes suites in Florence, KY for the weekend (5/14-5/16/10)

Very dissapointing. The room was in bad shape. Torn furniture etc. It must have been many years since any money has been spent on upkeep. We tried to make the best of it. Our suite was a "champagne" suite. It had a room spa tub that looked like a giant champagne glass.

The sofa was torn, room was musty, and dim. The railings by the adult pool were rusty and dangerous. I am open mnded when it comes to reviews, but this place sucked. The staff was friendly and responsive, the dome pool was ok, but other than that not worth the pricy charge.

My review on Tripadvisor was not flattering.

Better late than never- Sandos resort Playa Del Carmen March 2007

Sandos Resort
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (South of Cancun)
24 March-31 March 2007

Note: The journal this was original written on was ‘lost’ for about three years and not transcribed until April of 2010. The chances of it being made into a TV movie of the week, or getting me that dream job of resort/vacation critic, however, still remain slim.

- The resort name is Sandos- not Sandals. This was not a typo by me, probably a marketing ploy by the resort.


Day 1, Saturday, 24 March

An early flight, we got up at 3am. We had a 6:15 flight on United to Dulles with a connection to Cancun. It was raining as we left the house. Grabbed some breakfast between fights at Dulles,

The onboard movie was ‘Night at the Museum’. We landed in Cancun about 10:30 am local. The airport was very busy we had to wait about 30 minutes for a gate. (This was before the new runway was built at Cancun). The usual long lines at immigration got our bags and cleared customs.

Once we found our shuttle to the resort we were on our way. The Sandos resort is in a gated resort area about 30 miles south of Cancun. The drive took about an hour. This all inclusive resort was gorgeous. We had asked for a beach front room. This meant we were ‘gold’ status. We could care less about the gold status- we just wanted beach front (ok, the other perks were nice- a private lounge and beach area).

We went to the room. A big ‘wow factor’. Once we opened the door we could see all the way through the marble tiled floor to the ocean. We had a nice balcony that overlooked the beach and palapas. After lunch we went down to the beach and sat in the shade. Then a little pre-dinner nap.

Dinner was a special surprise from Heather and Rich. The had arranged for us to have a private dinner on the beach as an anniversary present. Patti had steak and I had lobster. It was a private decorated patio lit with soft lights with our own personal waiter. A nice romantic dinner watching the cruise ships sail by. After dinner we walked around the resort and went to the lobby. The lobby is nicely decorated huge thatched dome about the size of a small airplane hanger. We checked out the ‘Gold” member’s only lounge. There was a help yourself bar. So we helped ourselves.

We watched about 20 minutes of a show then back to the room. Went to bed about 10:30 we had been up for about 22 hours. A long day, but a great start to the trip.

Day 2, Sunday, 25 March

Slept in till 6:50 (8:50 Ohio time). We had coffee on the balcony then went to the buffet for breakfast. They had very good fresh fruit. After breakfast we went to the beach. It was warm and sunny, but a little windy today. We stretched out in some hammocks and read and relaxed. Afterwards we went to the adults only pool.

Laid out in the pool chairs till the sun got to hat then we moved to the shade. Had a few tropical drinks, chatted with a couple from Chicago, had a few more tropical drinks… you see the pattern here. We were drinking Mai Ties. We had about 4 and they never looked the same. I think the bartenders just poured stuff into a glass and passed it out. Well, they all went down easy.

I did see a 3 foot iguana walking next to the pool. Yes, he was real (not a figment of my tropical drinks). After about an hour and a half we went back to the room.

We had a buffet lunch on a veranda. The birds are colorful and quit precocious. If you left your table unattended and had fruit, you could kiss it goodbye… a high-speed jet like bird strike and the fruit was up up and away.



Day 3, Monday, 26 March

Another ‘boring’ start to the day, coffee on the balcony watching the waves and the palm trees sway. After breakfast we headed to our beach palapas in the shade for a morning of intense relaxation.

Later a buffet lunch and we tried out the family pool. Too crowded and too many kids so we went to the adult pool.

We made dinner reservations at the Mexican restaurant the ‘Aztec’. The food was ok. Patti had chicken fajitas and I had tequila grilled shrimp. The dessert was very good it was ice cream in a sugary tortilla drizzled with a strawberry sauce. After dinner we went to the Gold lounge and watched some TV.

After that, we sat in the courtyard and listened to a mariachi band.

Day 4, Tuesday, 27 March

After breakfast we went to our favorite spot on the beach. Patti got a Swedish massage by a Mexican lady. It was an hour long massage and she got worked over pretty good. 70 dollars and it got rid of some arm pain she had been having.

After lunch we went to the lunge for a couple of drinks and a little TV. We chatted with a guy from Canada for a bit then back to the room for a vacation nap. We had a late dinner reservation at the Italian restaurant (9pm). The Italian restaurant was very good. We started with a pre-dinner drink of Champagne with a lime sherbet ball in it- tasty. Actually we had about three each. I could go on and on about the food. The entrees were fantastic only to be topped by desert. Patti had a chocolate cake she said was very good and I had one of my best deserts ever. It was a chocolate covered pear with a pistachio sauce. (Transcribing this down 3 years later… my mouth still waters). Patti and I joked we would come back the next night if just for champagne and dessert.

The show that night was ‘Macho Mexican’ night. They had guests dressed like Mexican bandits. I am sure this would have been deemed racist if done in the States.

Day 5, Wednesday 28 March

We had room service for breakfast. It showed up 15 minutes late. But I guess we are on vacation time. We had cereal, fruit, and sweet rolls. After breakfast we went for a walk up the beach. Sandos is the southern most resort in the gated area of play Del Carmen. We enjoyed the unspoiled beach as we walked along and took some pics.

After the beach walk we though we would jump into the pool just for a second to cool off. Three hours and 4 strawberry daiquiris later we were still there. After a while I started asking for extra shots of Jamaican Appleton rum in the drinks. Drinking doubles and feeling good.

Disclaimer: To any of our Grandkids who may eventually read this- Your Grandmother and I do not endorse any over indulgence in vacation drinking. (unless of course you are over 21, not driving, and buying a round for Grandpa and Grandma too.)

At about 5 pm the beach starts to clear out as it becomes totally shaded. Patti saw a critter she thought was a giant rat. I think it was a Coati. But close enough to a rat for Patti. Hung out in the court yard before dinner and watched a few downpours of rain. steak and peel and eat shrimp that night in the buffet. They probably lost money on me that night.


Day 6, Thursday, 29 March

We spent most of the day on the beach reading, relaxing, having a drink now and then. Every once in a while I went down and jumped into the ocean for a few minutes to cool off.

We went to our spot in the plaza and sat in the shade for a while before heading back to the room. We had dinner at the buffet and checked out the pics in the photo shop. Earlier that week Patti and I had our picture taken holding a couple of parrots named Chocolate and Elmo. We liked the picture and bought it.

Day 7 Friday, 30 March

Our last full day. Always a sad thing.

Unfortunately Patti was sick and we hung out in the room. You should have seen me asking for Imodium from a gift shop clerk. It must have looked like that Pepto Bismol commercial-- hands on stomach, hands on…


Day 8 Saturday, 31 March

Going home. Fortunately Patti’s 24 hour bug had eased up. We checked out of the hotel reluctantly letting them remove our gold arm bands. Patti and I where sharing a shuttle ride with a young guy from NY City. We had barely cleared the resort when our driver got in an accident. He had been playing bumper cars with another taxi. They had literally been side swiping each other. Yes, trading paint and mirrors too. Finally we were pulling over. We were not real happy. It was a stupid thing to do and we had flights to catch.

The driver said he had called for another car. About 15 minutes later a white stretch limo pulled up. It was for Patti, me and our new adopted son from NY City. It was a nice ride. Full bar, lounge. He pulled up to the arrival area at the airport and jumped out to open the door. We were being stared at. I told one tourist who was gawking that (the kid with us) was just back from American Idol. I think she may have believed me.

Long lines to check in. We had lost our ‘son’ for a while. When he returned the lines were even longer and he was heading for the back of the line. Patti saw him and called out, “Son we are over here.” and had him cut into line with us.

Our flight to Dulles was delayed. We got to Dulles late and missed the last flight to Dayton. I assumed US Air would put us in a hotel. I assumed wrong. The best they would do was to get us a discounted rate. We were booked onto a flight for the next morning. Got to the hotel, ordered a pizza then got some sleep.

Day 9, Sunday, 1 April

Were we supposed to be home yesterday? April fools…

Landed in Dayton Sunday morning and picked up the car. Instead of driving home, we drove to my place of work about 45 miles north of Dayton. Patti helped me clean out my office. I emailed a letter of resignation to my boss and the plant manager. This was not an April fools joke. I had already accepted a new job only 2 miles from home. More money, less driving, and a better career opportunity. If I had given notice they would have terminated me, so I terminated them instead.

Later that morning- finally home!

Carnival Victory Cruise 7-14 March 2010

Carnival Victory
7-14 March 2010

Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.


Day 1
3/7/10. Sunday. Traveling to the ship: San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We left the house at 3:45 for an early flight out of Dayton. Flew AirTran to Atlanta (thanks Jason for the ride). We were offered a cheap upgrade to business class which included no charge for baggage. We enjoyed the extra leg room and free drinks. In Atlanta we had a 2 hour layover, grabbed some breakfast and then connected for the flight to San Juan. No business class for the 3 hour flight. Sigh.

We arrived in San Juan about 20 minutes early at 1:40 pm. It had been raining, but at least it wasn’t snow. Got our bags and looked for a porter. I had read a tip online that a porter will take you to the front of the taxi line. This is true. He walked us to a cab ahead of about 50 people who were already waiting. I felt guilty for about 3 minutes. Ok, maybe 2. Best 5 dollar tip I ever gave. The taxi ride was $19 plus a dollar a bag. It is priced by zones so no price issues with the drivers.

We were dropped off at the end of the pier. I turned our bags over to another porter with a 3 dollar tip and the bags showed up in our Cabin 2 hours later. Easy enough. We checked in at the VIP lounge. Thanks to a call from the cheap up-sell fairy we were able to get a Cat 12 Grand Suite (formerly called Penthouse) for a really, really, really inexpensive price. It should have cost 1200 for the upgrade but we got it for only 400 more than what we had originally booked. I am sure we will be back to our regular Cat 8 balcony next cruise. But for this cruise we got to try it out.

It only took about 10 minutes to check in and then with sail and sign cards in hand we were on the ship. This was our second time on the Victory. Our very first cruise had been on this ship. We went to check out the room and we were pleased with the upgrade. Comparing this room (cabin 7306) with a regular balcony room: About double the square footage of both the suite and balcony. A sitting area, bar, vanity, dressing room, extra storage closet, a larger bathroom (full size with a spa tub).

A knock at the door- Ron and Nang had got on board a few minutes before us. They had an interior room across the hall. We toured each others room then we all went up to Lido for some lunch. Ron took Nang back to the room then toured the ship on his own. Patti and I activated our Sail and Sign card with a few drinks at the Atrium bar. This turned out to be one of our favorite spots to hang out. There was a guy playing guitar and singing Country music. The drinks were far from being weak! Canadian Club and Sprite, but mostly Canadian Club!

Back to the room. Patti read all the room info and figured out all the electronic stuff. I like to unpack. I know that sounds sick but to me it kind of makes the vacation official. It is the realization, “Hey, we are here!.”

We all went to dinner in the Atlantic dining room. The 4 of us were assigned to table 155 but for tonight it was open seating. At the end of dinner they started the muster station drill. Note: I had to gobble down the last 2 bites of my crème brulee. I’m going down with the ship before I miss this desert.

Up to the top deck for sail away. It was still lightly drizzling. Back to the room for some sleep. We had been up since 3am. We are on our way!


Day 2
3/8/10 Monday. St. Thomas.

Woke up docked at the pier in St. Thomas. We had a nice view of the bay from our balcony. We had coffee and it drizzled for a few minute. That was the end of any rain for the rest of the trip. I had ran into Ron and Nang on Lido deck when I went for coffee. About 30 minutes later they showed up with breakfast. Room service!! A very nice thing to do. I did offer to tip.

After breakfast we decided to walk to the shops in the port area. Ron ended up with a cowboy-ish hat with shells. His new vacation hat he called it. I bought Jamaican style hat with the fake dreadlocks. I had to have it. A few more shirts- Patti got a nice shirt that said “Screw the cracker- Polly wants a cocktail.” Yeah, mon.

Patti and I went to the butterfly farm next to the ship. Not really worth the money. Back to the boat . Cheeseburgers for lunch Aft on Lido deck. Pattie impressed one of the college guys on the ship. He offered her his cabin number. To the best of my knowledge she did not use it. Hung out and hot tubbed some, back to the room at 6pm.

We had our first dinner at our assigned table. The food was good, always lots of choices. Patti tried the Chocolate melting cake for desert. I had to sneak a bite. Good, but rich.

Day 3
3/9/10 Tuesday. Dominica

Woke up to blue skies, warm and humid. Had breakfast on the balcony as we sailed along the coast of Dominica to the port. Ron and Nang sat with us as we watched the mad dash for those wanting to get off the ship first. We all reviewed shore excursions and booked a few for later in the week. We used the remote and did it on our room TV. I have never understood why people stand in line at the excursion desk. The tickets were delivered to our room later that night.

We walked off the ship and hit some vendor stands. We did not take any tours but if you want an island tour the taxi drivers will do a custom tour for you at 20 dollars a person for 2 hours. Not bad in my opinion. I tried a local beer which was very good and Patti had an icy locally made fruit soda, also very good.

Back to the ship for lunch at the Mediterranean buffet. Patti and I went to the aft pool- the water felt great. As I write this I am reading on the balcony as Patti takes a nap. There is a guy down on the pier playing steel drums. I am sometimes asked what my favorite thing about cruising are. My answer- doing nothing. Sitting and reading or watching the islands/ocean. The port here in Dominica is typical of the Caribbean- multicolored buildings. One building is painted a combination of fuchsia, orange, lime green and pink, and red. The people here are very polite, not overly pushy. We even had several vendors thank us for visiting their island.

Tonight is formal night. Ron and I wore Tuxs. Patti wore a red dress she had custom made in China. It arrived just days in time for the cruise. Nang wore a Thai style dress. We all looked pretty snappy. We had pics taken then played slots before dinner. At dinner I did explain to Ron that he need not not be shy about asking for 2 lobster tails.

Day 4
3/10/10 Barbados

Breakfast on the balcony then off to the photo department to check on our pictures taken so far. We found a few we really like but we will save our final selections for later in the week.

Our Timini Catamaran Turtle excursion left at noon. We took a 3 minute shuttle ride to the dock. The trip was 4 hours long and lots of fun. They raise the sails after leaving the port and we were under way. For now, we were sipping nonalcoholic punch. We sailed along the coast to a cove frequented by sea turtles. One crew member was in the water with fish to hand feed the turtles. It really brought them in. We put on vests, masks, and snorkels and went in too. There were about 15 turtles in our area. Very close, bumped my foot even. I had an underwater camera and took some pics. They did not come out great but they are ok. It was cool being that close to them.

After the turtle swim the bar was open. Rum punch! As we had the punch we went to another cove to use the beach. This was the location where Tiger Woods got married. The boat Captain said, “This is where Tigers troubles all began.” The rooms there went for $7,000 a night, 2 week minimum. We did not spend the night. They were supposed to beach the boat and let us walk off, but they did not. They stopped in 12 feet of water. Patti does not swim so this meant that she would not be able to get to the beach.

We were going to stay on board but she decided to give it a try with my help and a life vest. Brave lady. As we were getting into the water the crew saw me trying to help her. They had one of the crew use a flotation device to tow her in. She was able to hold on to the handles. (This got them a good tip). We walked up the beach a bit and sat in the sand. Meanwhile the crew had brought some punch off the boat. Ron and Nang were parting in the water with crew and fellow tourists. They gave Patti a tow back to the boat and we were heading back to the Victory.

This was a leisurely trip back- rum punch, a little more rum punch… etc. By the time we got back and close to the ship we were doing a conga line around the catamaran. The party was in full force. A little more rum punch then, sigh, we were back to the deck. It was a fun excursion and I highly recommend it.

A few cheeseburgers for a late lunch then we just chilled for the rest of the day. Chilling and relaxing being 2 of my favorite vacation things to do.

Day 5
3/11/10 St. Lucia

Another beautiful day. We had room service set for 7:30 am. We had booked a tour through the internet for an island tour of St. Lucia. I had read about Cosol Tours on the Cruise Critic web site. It was 65 dollars a person for a 7 hour tour. Far cheaper, and with more to see than anything offered through the ship. The boat docked at 8am and we did have to fight the lines this morning getting off the ship. No big deal, it is expected for early tours. Our tour was leaving at 8:30 am. We met Cosol at the pier and our group of about 50 divided up into 6 tour vans. Ours had a total of 9, a family of 5 plus Ron, Nang, Patti and me.

One of the vans carried a few coolers with an assortment of drinks. Yes, beer and rum punch too. Note: the local beer ‘Piton’ was quite good. We left the port in the town of Casteraries and headed out. We stopped at a banana plantation for a talk on how bananas are grown. For you trivia experts- bananas do not grow on trees they are actually considered plants. The bananas we were given to eat were much sweeter than any I have had in the States. Bananas are the island's only commercial crop and a ship load leaves for England every week.

After that, on to a breakfast stop. About 6 tables were set up with local foods. Ron and Nang missed most of it because of long lines at the bathrooms. The only item that I did not care for was the fish puff. Still drinking the local beer ‘Piton’. We came to a scenic overlook of the Piton mountains. Note: The beer was named after the mountains, the mountains were not named after the beer (although…).

On to a drive-in Volcano. It was an active caldera with sulfur fumes. It is advertised as the world’s only drive in volcano. Well, Yellowstone is a caldera and we drove into it years ago. But anyway…

Back to the beach and we took water taxis (boats) to a beach between the Pitons. The beach was small with an expensive resort behind it. We were told this is where Oprah comes for vacations. We waved towards the hotel. She did not wave back. Ron and I snorkeled for about 30 minutes than Patti and I walked out into the water. We were supposed to be there an hour but it was 90 minutes before we got back.

The vans loaded up on the beach and then it was a stop at a waterfall. Patti liked it a lot and wished we had more time there. She walked out into the waterfall and I got a few pics of her. After our 10 minute stop there, the driver stopped at a restaurant for some local cheese. A few minutes later he stopped at a local village and picked up some hot bread- fresh out of the oven. So we had fresh bread and cheese for lunch.

We saw the bay where the Eddy Murphy ‘Dr. Doolittle” movie was filmed. Back to the boat and we were done. This was an all day excursion getting us back to the boat about 30 minutes before sail away.

Tonight was the 2nd formal night. They had baked Alaska for desert which we have not had on a cruise since out first cruise (also on the Victory 8 years ago.)

Day 6
3/12/10 St. Kitts

We had booked a scenic railway tour through the ship. It did not leave till 10 am so we went to the Pacific dining room for a sit down breakfast. Service and food were very slow. It took almost 40 minutes to get our food. We ate what we could in 5 minutes and then left for our tour. We were flying to get off that boat. We managed to go the length of the ship and down the pier to the van in about 10 minutes. We did make it on time.

We had about 12 in our van as we did a 45 minute scenic and narrated drive up the coast. We were meeting the train at the end and taking it back. Patti and I sat top side for most of the trip and Ron and Nang were down below. When it started to rain Patti and I went below and Ron was on top. He always was backwards!!

The St Kitts Scenic Railway is a narrow gauge train with an engine, support car, and 4 passenger cars. We were in the last car. The top area was covered by an awning. As we clackity clacked our way along it was nice to sit back and take in the view. We went through several villages. The tracks boarded a few schools. As the train went by the kids would all run to the windows and wave. We saw many remnants of old sugar mills. The stone chimneys and windmill bases were still there- mostly.

The Atlantic side of the island had lots of waves and breakers as well as a few black sand volcanic beaches. The train ride was an unusual way to see the island and we enjoyed it. The frozen drinks were not bad either.

Back to the ship for lunch . We spent the rest of the day back on the boat.




Day 7
3/13/10 St Maarten

The last day- so sad. Patti and I had been to St. Maarten before so we made this a ship day. We spent the morning visiting with Ron and Nang. Later Ron and Nang went ashore and did some shopping. Patti and I hung out on the pool deck. Reading, using the pool and a dink special of the day. That was activity enough. We went back to the room. Patti took a nap and I met Ron to try out the waterslide. We went down about 3 times and Nang took some pics.

Patti and I stood on the balcony for our final sail away as we left St. Kitts. We then went to check out our pictures and made our final decisions. The last dinner in the dinning room was nice. Our waiters sang to us changing to words… “Your bags are packed your ready to go…”

Sadly, the bags were packed and in the hall by 11 pm for the porters.


Day 8
3/14/10 San Juan and home

The worse part of any cruise is the ‘leaving’ part. Since we had a VIP suite we could have been the first ones off the ship but there was no reason since we had a 4pm flight. We did not see Ron and Nang because they had an early debarkation. Patti and I went to the buffet for breakfast and then hung out till 11 am.

Got a taxi to the Airport and worked our way through the USDA and check in lines. Many people complain about this but it should be expected at any vacation airport on a travel day. It was no worse than Cancun or Montego Bay.

Had lunch at a fast food taco place then went to the gate. We still had 2 ½ hours to go. We finally boarded and were on our way to Atlanta. After landing we called the kids to see how the families were doing. We landed in Dayton about 11:45 PM. Josh and Ashley met us at the Airport for the ride home. THANKS!

Good times, a fun trip. We experienced none, as in zero of the complaints that were a theme in Cruise Critic reviews for a while. No long lines at the buffets, no rude fellow cruisers, no abundance of kids running down the halls- in fact we rarely saw kids. No fights for elevators. This cruise was just as good as all past cruises we have sailed on.

Photos:  My photobucket account has pics of the cabin, ship, and excursions.
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn149/snakedoctor57/

Travel...

"Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience. "

- Francis Bacon Essays (1625) 'Of Travel'