Monday, April 21, 2008

We're Back!










Actually, we've been back for a couple of days now, but I've been so busy playing catch-up that I haven't had much time for blogging.

I've added in a few pics from our trip, but if you want to view the entire album you can find it Here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=xjdtieh.kvqnyqx&x=0&y=-3oqrhg&localeid=en_US


We began the cruise last Monday, and spent the first day wandering around the ship gawking at everything. And drinking...of course...LOL. It was a little cold so we were bundled up on deck. We spent about 8 hours cruising down the Mississippi River toward the bay, so by the time we went to bed Monday night we still had not seen the ocean.




We woke up Tuesday to see the sea on all sides...no land in sight! This is a little scary at first, but then it becomes kinda cool, to be the only vessel visible in nothing but water as far as the eye can see. We ate breakfast and then changed into our swim suits and spent most of the day on deck soaking up the sun. The first part of the day was mostly cloudy so we got burned pretty quickly since you can't really tell how much sun you're getting. Tuesday night was formal night for the Captain's Dinner. They had many photo shoots set up all over the ship so hubby and I dressed up and went to each one for pictures. We hardly ever get dressed up so this was a treat for us. After tiring of making photos we went to dinner and i've gotta tell you it was some of the best food I've ever eaten! I had lobster and shrimp followed by come kind of chocolate melted cake served with ice cream. Hubby almost had to roll me away from the table...LOL!





Wednesday we arrived in Progreso at around 8 am so we were up early. We signed up for a shore excursion riding dune buggies on the beach. It was a lot of fun, but I've gotta say that the beach in Progreso is one of the dirtiest beaches I've ever seen. Not really trashy, just a lot of weeds and debri that isn't cleaned up. This is a relatively new tourist town, so I'm sure that in a few more years when more money comes in, it will be built up quite a bit. The people there are very friendly and helpful. The pier is also one of the longest piers in the world, at almost 8 miles long. The water is too shallow for incoming ships, so to increase imports, exports, and tourism, the pier was built into deeper water. There were several shops set up on the dock, but we had to take a bus inland for most of the shops and excursions. This is where we got our taste of the culture of the area, and our tour guide, Wendy, kept us all captivated. When 4 pm arrived and it was time to return to the ship, we were sorry to say goodbye. If you ever get a chance to visit Progreso Yucatan, be sure to stop by the Buggy Beach Break and visit Wendy. She's a nut and will keep you entertained while showing you around town!


When we returned to the ship hubby was a bit ill from too little sleep and too much sun, so after threatening to toss him overboard a few times I finally talked him into going to the stateroom for a nap before supper. While he slept, I grabbed a book and went up on deck. While we were near land I grabbed the cell and called the girls. At this point I was really missing them! I couldn't talk long because it was costing me almost $4 per minute, but it was great to hear their voices.




On Thursday we woke up in Cozumel, and I've gotta tell you this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been! There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the water was so clear and blue you could see the bottom, even where the ships were docked! We had to dock about 5 miles outside of town and take a taxi downtown. We didn't book any excursions here, just spent the day shopping. We had to get souvenirs for everyone, and hubby ended up buying a 3 LITER bottle of Bacardi...LOL. Here's a pic I snapped of him after we got home, I just couldn't resist!





On Friday we were at sea all day, so we soaked up as much sun as possible before the end of the cruise. They had deck parties all day and evening, and since everyone who had purchased Cuban cigars in Mexico couldn't take them back into the states, every man you saw was puffing away. Hubby ended up leaving a few for our room steward because we knew we'd never get them through customs, but he says it was worth it since they provided woderful service during our stay.


I was so glad to see the kids when we returned home! I'm rarely away from them this long, so it was indeed a tearful reunion. We had talked about taking the kids to Disney World on vacation this summer, but after seeing our pictures and hearing about the fun we had, all 3 of them want to go on a cruise instead. So we may be booking another one for early summer. Brooke is taking Spanish in school and plans to go into linguistics working as an interpreter in criminal justice, so this would be a great experience for her. I'll keep you posted on this one, as we still haven't decided for sure yet if we really want to be stuck on a ship with 3 kids yet...LOL.


So that's our trip in a nutshell. I could spend hours filling you in on all the details but I don't want to bore you! I can tell you though, if you ever plan to take a cruise, you can't go wrong sailing with Carnival! They have the most friendly staff, always willing to help you even if they have to stay past their shift to do so. Hubby's birthday was Saturday so I had them secretly decorate our stateroom Friday night while we were dining, and this was after the Formals shop had closed for the trip. They were very helpful and made sure our needs were met, even after hours. THis says a lot about the staff, in my opinion.


So all in all we had a great time, and we didn't even try to toss each other overboard. I thought about it, b ut was able to refrain. So if you do decide to take a cruise, you really must consider taking the hubby. This is a great place for romance!


Hugs!


Kitty

5 comments:

RealRach said...

sounds like it was a blast. Glad you could get away.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! I got confused and thought you were gonna be gone two weeks! DUH, senior moment!!! Another case of the CRS disease! Glad you had a great time AND that hubby made it back without an ocean bath! It must have been good since you even missed the kids!

So, ok now that I'm straight and know you're back, don't forget to post. Remember we need that therapy!

I missed you!

Aunt Anne

Anonymous said...

Are you sure you're back?????

I keep checking but I'm wondering if you left again!!!

Aunt Anne

Anonymous said...

Are you ever gonna continue the therapy, or is it too late?????

Miss you!

Aunt Anne

StarSraps said...

Miss Kitty! Where are you! I am truly missing your blog!! Hurry back!