The one about our fabulous cruise - Part 2
Hello my Lovelies and Gents,
I should probably start by saying that I kept a daily journal while we were on the cruise. I planned on using it as a resource for this blog. I'm not actually at home while I write this, so I'm trying to remember as much as I can. Luckily I have plenty of pictures to remind me and keep a timeline. Oh and in case you were wondering, all of my pictures were taken with my iPhone 11. It's got a great camera.
When last we met we were calling it a night after our first night on the ship, Independence of the Seas. We like to get interior cabins. They are closest to the center of the ship and therefore, there is less movement. I don't suffer from seasickness, but I also do like my balance. The rooms are also very dark for sleeping which is nice.
Every day you get a Cruise Compass. It's a newsletter that is delivered to your room and includes the next day's activities, tips, weather forecast, the attire/theme for the day, your location, and the estimated sunrise and sunset. My first cruise was in a different time of year, May, so the sunrise was very early. I did enjoy the later Sunrise in December. On a normal day I find it difficult to get out of bed, but on Sunrise days I leap out of bed. I try to plan my jogging track outfit the night before. After my alarm goes of I change, grab my protein bar for breakfast, my cup for water, and head out.
This was my first photo of the morning. Sea as far as the eye can see. It's the most relaxing time. It was also VERY windy. Our first day at sea was the windiest. For that morning I wore a hat with my braids. That was the last time I did that. At one point the wind blew my hat off and I had to chase after it before it blew overboard.
There were definitely more people out on the track on this cruise than my last. But, again sunrise was later and it was a much nicer track. There were also a lot of people just out to see the sunrise. This morning was tough. The sun was rising in front of the ship. It was hard to get some pictures. You could walk up to the deck with the mini golf, but as I said before, it was very windy. So I didn't do that.
One of my favorite parts of my morning jaunt, I don't usually run because I get nervous with losing my balance with my knee issues, was the giant screen that wished us a Good Morning in multiple languages. My favorite was Bon Jour.
After my 3 miles I was meeting my family for breakfast. For most mornings we at in the Windjammer which had a wide variety of options. We did eat breakfast in the Dining Room a couple of times. I'll tell you about that later. One thing that I loved about Royal Caribbean was they push for hand washing. Before you can go into the Windjammer you must wash your hands. In fact, they have some entertainment singing just that. He was adorable and I wish I had found out his name. He sang to us every day.
Breakfast is always my favorite meal of the day. And it's also the easiest to eat out for a vegetarian. I loved the eggs and potatoes. This morning I even got a fruit smoothie. But, my most favorite part of every breakfast, and the thing that I miss most, was all of the fresh pineapple. Yum!
It's easy to lose track of the days when you are on vacation. It's especially easy on a cruise. Luckily there are ways to keep track. Every day they change the day of the week on the floors of the elevator. We joke that we wish we had that system now that we are home. And we asked about it. They change it between 12-3am. Although one night it was changed before midnight.
It was still pretty early so I was able to run, shower, grab an iced vanilla latte (oh I was so happy for these). They were worth the extra cost, but in retrospect I would have gotten the specialty coffee package. I was able to snag a great lounge chair by the pool. All I wanted to do was read and relax.
I left The Library Book in the car because I had been saving a book for the cruise. This was a leap of faith because I did the same thing for the last cruise and then I didn't really like the book that much. But, I had super high hopes for this one. I had been so excited since I heard about it. I had even pre-ordered it, which is funny since I waited months to read it. The book was The Secrets we Kept: a Novel by Lara Prescott. It's based on the true story of the CIA helping to get the Dr. Zhivago manuscript out of Russia. I Love Dr. Zhivago and I love books about strong females. This book did not disappoint.
When I found my chair there were two ladies in front of me who had turned their chairs around and were facing me. One of them got so excited when she saw my book. She was so excited to finally be able to talk with someone about it. In fact, her entire family became invested in my finishing the book the whole cruise because she wanted to talk about it. haha. I got to reading and it was easy to get into. It also was just nice to close my eyes and feel the warm sun on my face. A band started to play by the pool and I really enjoyed their music. It was all good.
I should mention that I felt super cute. There was a pop up sale the day before and mom got this really cute cover up in blue. I was shocked. Blue is my color and she likes pink. Anyway, I ended up going and getting this cute pink cover up for $10 and also a lovely sunhat for $10. You'll see that one in Haiti.
Pretty soon it was time for lunch so I packed up my stuff and went in search of my family. I had decided that after lunch I would go up to a higher deck because I wasn't getting that much sun. Also, the poolside festivities would be starting after lunch. I didn't need to be that close to the Sexiest Man contest. In case you were wondering, I had no idea where my family was. We were all relaxing and enjoying ourselves. I found Mom and Aunt Carol in the Adults only area. Randy was who knows where. lol. Actually I think we were in the same area just on opposite sides of the ship.
Mom, Aunt Carol and I headed to the Windjammer for lunch. Yes, we "washy washy washied" our hands first. It was a little overwhelming to figure out what you want to eat. There was a grill area. There was a deli area. There was a hot food area. I liked the roasted vegetables. And I got a tomato and cheese sandwich on bruschetta. It was yummy.
So after lunch I went to the deck with the jogging track. It's one level above the pool and pretty much all chairs. But, remember my hat mishap from the morning. First of all, I couldn't keep my towels on my chair. I didn't bring towel clips and would definitely pack them for the next cruise. Second of all, it was a real book and not my kindle. My pages were flapping like crazy. Plus, it started to get rowdy once the Sexiest Man competition started. Lol. That was funny actually. The winner was a robust gentleman named Kevin, who was actually out for a walk when my hat blew off that morning. Ugh. I still get anxiety over that. Anyway, I just sat and enjoyed the water.
After a little while I was a little hungry. So I packed up and went back to the Windjammer. This time I was able to get a lovely table by the window. Our plans for the night were to go to the early show of Grease before our 8pm dinner. I needed to eat something else. While they were no longer serving lunch, they did have lovely snacks out.
After my snacky it was time to head back to the room. Royal Caribbean allows you to bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. You need to bring them as a carry-on though. So it made me a little nervous the day before while we were waiting for our rooms to be ready. I brought two bottles. One was for me and one was for everyone else if they wanted it. LOL. For me I chose my favorite called Island Holiday for Windsor Runs Cellars. I think I brought a chardonnay. Anyway, we also brought special cups to drink from.
I enjoyed a glass while I was getting ready. Sunday was fancy day. Okay fine, formal attire. I was beyond excited for this. Earlier in the week I met some friends for brunch and then went over to the mall. I was sad to see that Dress Barn was closing, but I scored an amazing red Calvin Klein dress for $35. I LOVE this dress.
So I was excited to fancy up, but I was more excited to go see Grease. It was my favorite movie as a youngster. I still listen to the soundtrack regularly, but I had never seen the broadway version. Many years ago it was re-released into the theaters for an anniversary. Grandmom Joyce and I went and I couldn't sit still. I was singing and dancing the whole time. Well I stayed in my seat for this show, but I still sang and dance. I do believe I annoyed the couple in front of us, but really. What do you expect?
Seating was first come first serve, so we may have gotten there a little early. Time for some wine and some photos.
Did I enjoy the show? YES! It was even better than I could've imagined. Honestly, I would recommend Royal Caribbean just for their entertainment. And if you can, pick the Independence of the Seas just so that you can see Grease.
Want to see more of the dress? Of course you do.
We had a little time after the show before dinner so we used the time to take some pictures and have a drink.
It was Margarita Night!
Finally it was time for dinner. YAY!
The special Vegetarian Entree had a lot of mushrooms and I'm not a big fan of them. So on Day 2 I ordered from the Vegan menu.
Mom got the shrimp cocktail. It was Escargots for Aunt Carol. It's always fun to watch her eat them. I'll never do it so good for her. I'm not sure what Randy got, but I got the Zucchini fritters and they were delicious.
My entree was another piece of art. I chose the Vegan risotto with mint pea veloute and asparagus. Again it was yummy. Mom made it a shrimp night and got the Garlic Tiger Shrimp.
So far I have loved the Vegan menu. But, that changed with the dessert. I got the vegan chocolate chip cookies with raspberries. They weren't horrible, but they weren't fantastic. And as you can see, they came with strawberries. I didn't mind that. After that I went back to the main menu for dessert every night. From my pictures I believe someone got the Tres Leches. I'm not sure what the other item is in my pictures.
Because we were the last seating of the night we got some bonus time with our servers, Joseph and Niraj. Joseph gave us a game to play. He showed us several pieces of a puzzle put together on a tray and gave us 10 seconds to memorize it. Then he dumped it on the table and challenged us to recreate it.
It took us a little while to put it together, but we got it in the end. And then we had some fun taking pictures. I asked the photographer if anyone ever asks to take his picture. He said No. So I did.
After dinner we took a stroll and went to find the Library. Yes, we are nerds. It had quite a few people in it. Some were playing chess. Some were on the computer. And some were reading. There were also a couple puzzles. I'm proud to say that I walked in and put a piece in immediately. We also looked at the books and I loved it. There were so many options in man different languages.
When we got back to our room we found someone waiting for us.
Good night.
Wake up! It's Haiti Day! It's also Monday.
Once again I woke up early. We would be pulling in to Haiti around 7, but we wouldn't be allowed off of the ship until 9. It was so beautiful to see the sunrise over Haiti. And this time I did go up to the mini golf deck to get some pictures, because once again it happened in the front of the ship. My pictures weren't that great because I was taking them through a small opening in the glass. Luckily the ship started to turn to dock and I was able to get a much better shot. I got my 3 miles in and then went back to the room to shower.
We decided to be decadent and breakfast in the main dining room. We sat in the server section so our selections were smaller, but they were still yummy.
I got the french toast with fruit. It was yummy. I missed the many options and my fresh side of pineapple.
We were in Labadee, Haiti which is the resort island for Royal Caribbean. As you exit the ship you take a beach towel with you and then you have 4 different beaches that you can relax on. There are also some excursions that you can book. We just wanted a relaxing day. Aunt Carol doesn't like to sit in the sun so she stayed on the ship.
Mom had been doing pretty good getting around on the ship, but she did bring her cane for the unstable surface. As soon as we got off of the ship there were men with wheelchairs. They were possibly the strongest tiniest men I had ever seen. They were speedy pushing people. We were so glad to have this option.
I also made sure to turn around and get a picture of the ship. It was gorgeous. People were taking pictures in front of the Labadee sign, but that was crowded. Plus I had to keep up with the guy pushing mom in the wheelchair. LOL.
We took the trolley around to see the area before making a decision. The last stop is in a market area. Mom got some incredibly beautiful paintings and I got a painted wood sculpture and some Christmas ornaments. Some of the vendors could get a little aggressive. Just say no and keep going. It's hard to say no though. We are going back to a ship and these talented artists are trying to put food on the table.
By now Randy/Sage has gone off on his own. Mom and I got back on the trolley to go back to the beach that had cabanas. When I say it was hot, it was HOT. It was 90+ degrees in December. I mean I put deodorant on, but you couldn't tell. We got a cabana at the end and as he was setting it up for us the people in the cabana in the front asked if they could move to closer to their friends. So we asked if we could have theirs. It was heaven and the best $50 I spent on the cruise.
I put on some Bob Marley and got to reading. I was loving my book and this was the most beautiful view ever. Labadee also has the longest zip line over water. So we got to watch people zipping all day. We were also in an area where you weren't supposed to really go in the water. The current was rough and we watched this one guy just constantly get knocked over. But, alas it was paradise.
This was the most beautiful place that I had ever been.
Lunch was served in several pavilions around the beach area. You would walk over and get in the line and pick your food. They have lots of covered picnic tables, but you are also allowed to bring stuff back. It was a BBQ so this was the meal that I struggled with the most. There was some rice and beans and that was good. I ended up getting a roll with cheese. I got some mixed vegetables, a banana, and of course some pineapple. Oh how I miss that pineapple.
It was a pretty filling lunch and now that I had something in my stomach I could finally get my drink. Luckily there was a bar not too far from us. Although it was so beautiful that I didn't mind any walk. I had been told to get the Labadoozie. I didn't know what it was, but I'm game. And actually as I was walking to get us lunch I passed two older ladies on scooters and I asked what they were drinking because it looked good. The one let me try her labadoozie. It was delicious. I have since looked it up. And if anyone wants to make me one I'm up for it.
Labadee Labadoozie:
I enjoyed walking around and went looking for shells and pretty pictures to take. The landscaping is incredible. It simply took my breath away. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.
Everyone we me there was so nice. There was a guard who would walk by and make sure no one took your stuff. He was super sweet.
So for this day I wore mom's blue cover up and my adorable sunhat. *Spoiler alert, I kept the cover up. LOL. Also, the hat says Hello Sunshine.
It was getting really hot and people were starting to head back to the ship. You have to go through customs before you board so you can't just walk back on. You need a little time. I was sad so say good-bye to Haiti, but it will forever hold a place in my heart.
Mom went down for a nap and I found Aunt Carol in the Adults only area and we just sat and read together. Have I mentioned how much I loved this book? I went down and got us a little wine from the room.
We even enjoyed the sunset. That was gorgeous.
Alright, I know you are itching for me to get to dinner. Well first let me say that the theme for the night was Tropical. I didn't know about this ahead of time and I struggled. Luckily I had a black dress with a mint green wrap with a palm leaf print. It worked out perfectly. I don't really have a great picture of it though. But, I do have a picture of the menu.
I was very excited about the vegetarian entree so I skipped the Vegan menu on this night. For my appetizer I got the Artisan Cheese plate. It was delightful. The whole cruise I wanted to try the French Onion Soup, but it always makes me extra gassy so I didn't. I do regret that. I believe Mom got the Seafood puff pastry.
After dinner on our last night on the ship I asked everyone what their favorite dinner of the cruise was. Hands down, this was mine. I ordered the Greek Vegetarian Mousaka and it was AMAZING. Side note, all I could think of then and now is the flashback in My Big Fat Greek Wedding with the other kids laugh and call it "moose kaka". OH I would eat that moose kaka every day! Mom had the pork chops.
For dessert I splurged a little. I will always order the coconut cake if it's and option, but I was also craving ice cream so I got a cup of vanilla too. I forgot to take a picture of the ice cream until the cake was almost done though. So here is the better picture :-)
By now Joseph has gotten to know us and he's been having fun with us. He upped his puzzle skills.
For this one we could only move 3 toothpicks and make only 3 squares.
After dinner Aunt Carol and I found our way to the Schooner bar. They just happened to be having a Beatles sing-a-long.
I also got a tasty blue beverage, but I forgot to take a picture of the menu so I don't know what it was.
We really enjoyed the sing-a-long. After a little while though, Aunt Carol wanted to go watch a show with Randy and I wanted to get to bed. After all, tomorrow is JAMAICA! I can't Wait.
Have a Blessed Evening and stay safe,
Jennie
xoxo
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
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I should probably start by saying that I kept a daily journal while we were on the cruise. I planned on using it as a resource for this blog. I'm not actually at home while I write this, so I'm trying to remember as much as I can. Luckily I have plenty of pictures to remind me and keep a timeline. Oh and in case you were wondering, all of my pictures were taken with my iPhone 11. It's got a great camera.
When last we met we were calling it a night after our first night on the ship, Independence of the Seas. We like to get interior cabins. They are closest to the center of the ship and therefore, there is less movement. I don't suffer from seasickness, but I also do like my balance. The rooms are also very dark for sleeping which is nice.
Every day you get a Cruise Compass. It's a newsletter that is delivered to your room and includes the next day's activities, tips, weather forecast, the attire/theme for the day, your location, and the estimated sunrise and sunset. My first cruise was in a different time of year, May, so the sunrise was very early. I did enjoy the later Sunrise in December. On a normal day I find it difficult to get out of bed, but on Sunrise days I leap out of bed. I try to plan my jogging track outfit the night before. After my alarm goes of I change, grab my protein bar for breakfast, my cup for water, and head out.
This was my first photo of the morning. Sea as far as the eye can see. It's the most relaxing time. It was also VERY windy. Our first day at sea was the windiest. For that morning I wore a hat with my braids. That was the last time I did that. At one point the wind blew my hat off and I had to chase after it before it blew overboard.
There were definitely more people out on the track on this cruise than my last. But, again sunrise was later and it was a much nicer track. There were also a lot of people just out to see the sunrise. This morning was tough. The sun was rising in front of the ship. It was hard to get some pictures. You could walk up to the deck with the mini golf, but as I said before, it was very windy. So I didn't do that.
One of my favorite parts of my morning jaunt, I don't usually run because I get nervous with losing my balance with my knee issues, was the giant screen that wished us a Good Morning in multiple languages. My favorite was Bon Jour.
After my 3 miles I was meeting my family for breakfast. For most mornings we at in the Windjammer which had a wide variety of options. We did eat breakfast in the Dining Room a couple of times. I'll tell you about that later. One thing that I loved about Royal Caribbean was they push for hand washing. Before you can go into the Windjammer you must wash your hands. In fact, they have some entertainment singing just that. He was adorable and I wish I had found out his name. He sang to us every day.
Breakfast is always my favorite meal of the day. And it's also the easiest to eat out for a vegetarian. I loved the eggs and potatoes. This morning I even got a fruit smoothie. But, my most favorite part of every breakfast, and the thing that I miss most, was all of the fresh pineapple. Yum!
It's easy to lose track of the days when you are on vacation. It's especially easy on a cruise. Luckily there are ways to keep track. Every day they change the day of the week on the floors of the elevator. We joke that we wish we had that system now that we are home. And we asked about it. They change it between 12-3am. Although one night it was changed before midnight.
It was still pretty early so I was able to run, shower, grab an iced vanilla latte (oh I was so happy for these). They were worth the extra cost, but in retrospect I would have gotten the specialty coffee package. I was able to snag a great lounge chair by the pool. All I wanted to do was read and relax.
I left The Library Book in the car because I had been saving a book for the cruise. This was a leap of faith because I did the same thing for the last cruise and then I didn't really like the book that much. But, I had super high hopes for this one. I had been so excited since I heard about it. I had even pre-ordered it, which is funny since I waited months to read it. The book was The Secrets we Kept: a Novel by Lara Prescott. It's based on the true story of the CIA helping to get the Dr. Zhivago manuscript out of Russia. I Love Dr. Zhivago and I love books about strong females. This book did not disappoint.
When I found my chair there were two ladies in front of me who had turned their chairs around and were facing me. One of them got so excited when she saw my book. She was so excited to finally be able to talk with someone about it. In fact, her entire family became invested in my finishing the book the whole cruise because she wanted to talk about it. haha. I got to reading and it was easy to get into. It also was just nice to close my eyes and feel the warm sun on my face. A band started to play by the pool and I really enjoyed their music. It was all good.
I should mention that I felt super cute. There was a pop up sale the day before and mom got this really cute cover up in blue. I was shocked. Blue is my color and she likes pink. Anyway, I ended up going and getting this cute pink cover up for $10 and also a lovely sunhat for $10. You'll see that one in Haiti.
Pretty soon it was time for lunch so I packed up my stuff and went in search of my family. I had decided that after lunch I would go up to a higher deck because I wasn't getting that much sun. Also, the poolside festivities would be starting after lunch. I didn't need to be that close to the Sexiest Man contest. In case you were wondering, I had no idea where my family was. We were all relaxing and enjoying ourselves. I found Mom and Aunt Carol in the Adults only area. Randy was who knows where. lol. Actually I think we were in the same area just on opposite sides of the ship.
Mom, Aunt Carol and I headed to the Windjammer for lunch. Yes, we "washy washy washied" our hands first. It was a little overwhelming to figure out what you want to eat. There was a grill area. There was a deli area. There was a hot food area. I liked the roasted vegetables. And I got a tomato and cheese sandwich on bruschetta. It was yummy.
So after lunch I went to the deck with the jogging track. It's one level above the pool and pretty much all chairs. But, remember my hat mishap from the morning. First of all, I couldn't keep my towels on my chair. I didn't bring towel clips and would definitely pack them for the next cruise. Second of all, it was a real book and not my kindle. My pages were flapping like crazy. Plus, it started to get rowdy once the Sexiest Man competition started. Lol. That was funny actually. The winner was a robust gentleman named Kevin, who was actually out for a walk when my hat blew off that morning. Ugh. I still get anxiety over that. Anyway, I just sat and enjoyed the water.
After a little while I was a little hungry. So I packed up and went back to the Windjammer. This time I was able to get a lovely table by the window. Our plans for the night were to go to the early show of Grease before our 8pm dinner. I needed to eat something else. While they were no longer serving lunch, they did have lovely snacks out.
After my snacky it was time to head back to the room. Royal Caribbean allows you to bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom. You need to bring them as a carry-on though. So it made me a little nervous the day before while we were waiting for our rooms to be ready. I brought two bottles. One was for me and one was for everyone else if they wanted it. LOL. For me I chose my favorite called Island Holiday for Windsor Runs Cellars. I think I brought a chardonnay. Anyway, we also brought special cups to drink from.
I enjoyed a glass while I was getting ready. Sunday was fancy day. Okay fine, formal attire. I was beyond excited for this. Earlier in the week I met some friends for brunch and then went over to the mall. I was sad to see that Dress Barn was closing, but I scored an amazing red Calvin Klein dress for $35. I LOVE this dress.
So I was excited to fancy up, but I was more excited to go see Grease. It was my favorite movie as a youngster. I still listen to the soundtrack regularly, but I had never seen the broadway version. Many years ago it was re-released into the theaters for an anniversary. Grandmom Joyce and I went and I couldn't sit still. I was singing and dancing the whole time. Well I stayed in my seat for this show, but I still sang and dance. I do believe I annoyed the couple in front of us, but really. What do you expect?
Seating was first come first serve, so we may have gotten there a little early. Time for some wine and some photos.
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| You remember Sage and Anastasia don't you? |
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| Sage is a little weird |
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| Happy Retirement Mommie! |
Did I enjoy the show? YES! It was even better than I could've imagined. Honestly, I would recommend Royal Caribbean just for their entertainment. And if you can, pick the Independence of the Seas just so that you can see Grease.
Want to see more of the dress? Of course you do.
We had a little time after the show before dinner so we used the time to take some pictures and have a drink.
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| My favorite Sage and Anastasia photo |
It was Margarita Night!
Finally it was time for dinner. YAY!
The special Vegetarian Entree had a lot of mushrooms and I'm not a big fan of them. So on Day 2 I ordered from the Vegan menu.
Mom got the shrimp cocktail. It was Escargots for Aunt Carol. It's always fun to watch her eat them. I'll never do it so good for her. I'm not sure what Randy got, but I got the Zucchini fritters and they were delicious.
My entree was another piece of art. I chose the Vegan risotto with mint pea veloute and asparagus. Again it was yummy. Mom made it a shrimp night and got the Garlic Tiger Shrimp.
So far I have loved the Vegan menu. But, that changed with the dessert. I got the vegan chocolate chip cookies with raspberries. They weren't horrible, but they weren't fantastic. And as you can see, they came with strawberries. I didn't mind that. After that I went back to the main menu for dessert every night. From my pictures I believe someone got the Tres Leches. I'm not sure what the other item is in my pictures.
Because we were the last seating of the night we got some bonus time with our servers, Joseph and Niraj. Joseph gave us a game to play. He showed us several pieces of a puzzle put together on a tray and gave us 10 seconds to memorize it. Then he dumped it on the table and challenged us to recreate it.
It took us a little while to put it together, but we got it in the end. And then we had some fun taking pictures. I asked the photographer if anyone ever asks to take his picture. He said No. So I did.
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| Our server Joseph and Auntie |
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| Photographers need love too |
After dinner we took a stroll and went to find the Library. Yes, we are nerds. It had quite a few people in it. Some were playing chess. Some were on the computer. And some were reading. There were also a couple puzzles. I'm proud to say that I walked in and put a piece in immediately. We also looked at the books and I loved it. There were so many options in man different languages.
When we got back to our room we found someone waiting for us.
Good night.
*****
Wake up! It's Haiti Day! It's also Monday.
Once again I woke up early. We would be pulling in to Haiti around 7, but we wouldn't be allowed off of the ship until 9. It was so beautiful to see the sunrise over Haiti. And this time I did go up to the mini golf deck to get some pictures, because once again it happened in the front of the ship. My pictures weren't that great because I was taking them through a small opening in the glass. Luckily the ship started to turn to dock and I was able to get a much better shot. I got my 3 miles in and then went back to the room to shower.
We decided to be decadent and breakfast in the main dining room. We sat in the server section so our selections were smaller, but they were still yummy.
I got the french toast with fruit. It was yummy. I missed the many options and my fresh side of pineapple.
We were in Labadee, Haiti which is the resort island for Royal Caribbean. As you exit the ship you take a beach towel with you and then you have 4 different beaches that you can relax on. There are also some excursions that you can book. We just wanted a relaxing day. Aunt Carol doesn't like to sit in the sun so she stayed on the ship.
Mom had been doing pretty good getting around on the ship, but she did bring her cane for the unstable surface. As soon as we got off of the ship there were men with wheelchairs. They were possibly the strongest tiniest men I had ever seen. They were speedy pushing people. We were so glad to have this option.
I also made sure to turn around and get a picture of the ship. It was gorgeous. People were taking pictures in front of the Labadee sign, but that was crowded. Plus I had to keep up with the guy pushing mom in the wheelchair. LOL.
We took the trolley around to see the area before making a decision. The last stop is in a market area. Mom got some incredibly beautiful paintings and I got a painted wood sculpture and some Christmas ornaments. Some of the vendors could get a little aggressive. Just say no and keep going. It's hard to say no though. We are going back to a ship and these talented artists are trying to put food on the table.
By now Randy/Sage has gone off on his own. Mom and I got back on the trolley to go back to the beach that had cabanas. When I say it was hot, it was HOT. It was 90+ degrees in December. I mean I put deodorant on, but you couldn't tell. We got a cabana at the end and as he was setting it up for us the people in the cabana in the front asked if they could move to closer to their friends. So we asked if we could have theirs. It was heaven and the best $50 I spent on the cruise.
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| our view |
I put on some Bob Marley and got to reading. I was loving my book and this was the most beautiful view ever. Labadee also has the longest zip line over water. So we got to watch people zipping all day. We were also in an area where you weren't supposed to really go in the water. The current was rough and we watched this one guy just constantly get knocked over. But, alas it was paradise.
This was the most beautiful place that I had ever been.
Lunch was served in several pavilions around the beach area. You would walk over and get in the line and pick your food. They have lots of covered picnic tables, but you are also allowed to bring stuff back. It was a BBQ so this was the meal that I struggled with the most. There was some rice and beans and that was good. I ended up getting a roll with cheese. I got some mixed vegetables, a banana, and of course some pineapple. Oh how I miss that pineapple.
It was a pretty filling lunch and now that I had something in my stomach I could finally get my drink. Luckily there was a bar not too far from us. Although it was so beautiful that I didn't mind any walk. I had been told to get the Labadoozie. I didn't know what it was, but I'm game. And actually as I was walking to get us lunch I passed two older ladies on scooters and I asked what they were drinking because it looked good. The one let me try her labadoozie. It was delicious. I have since looked it up. And if anyone wants to make me one I'm up for it.
Labadee Labadoozie:
- 1/2 oz Orange Juice Concentrate
- 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice Concentrate
- 1/2 oz Papaya Juice Concentrate
- 1/2 oz Coconut Cream
- 3/4 oz Dark Rum
- 3/4 oz Coconut Rum
- 1/4 oz Grenadine
- Crushed ice
(Makes one cocktail)
Everyone we me there was so nice. There was a guard who would walk by and make sure no one took your stuff. He was super sweet.
So for this day I wore mom's blue cover up and my adorable sunhat. *Spoiler alert, I kept the cover up. LOL. Also, the hat says Hello Sunshine.
It was getting really hot and people were starting to head back to the ship. You have to go through customs before you board so you can't just walk back on. You need a little time. I was sad so say good-bye to Haiti, but it will forever hold a place in my heart.
Mom went down for a nap and I found Aunt Carol in the Adults only area and we just sat and read together. Have I mentioned how much I loved this book? I went down and got us a little wine from the room.
We even enjoyed the sunset. That was gorgeous.
I was very excited about the vegetarian entree so I skipped the Vegan menu on this night. For my appetizer I got the Artisan Cheese plate. It was delightful. The whole cruise I wanted to try the French Onion Soup, but it always makes me extra gassy so I didn't. I do regret that. I believe Mom got the Seafood puff pastry.
After dinner on our last night on the ship I asked everyone what their favorite dinner of the cruise was. Hands down, this was mine. I ordered the Greek Vegetarian Mousaka and it was AMAZING. Side note, all I could think of then and now is the flashback in My Big Fat Greek Wedding with the other kids laugh and call it "moose kaka". OH I would eat that moose kaka every day! Mom had the pork chops.
For dessert I splurged a little. I will always order the coconut cake if it's and option, but I was also craving ice cream so I got a cup of vanilla too. I forgot to take a picture of the ice cream until the cake was almost done though. So here is the better picture :-)
By now Joseph has gotten to know us and he's been having fun with us. He upped his puzzle skills.
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| cheeky Joseph |
After dinner Aunt Carol and I found our way to the Schooner bar. They just happened to be having a Beatles sing-a-long.
I also got a tasty blue beverage, but I forgot to take a picture of the menu so I don't know what it was.
We really enjoyed the sing-a-long. After a little while though, Aunt Carol wanted to go watch a show with Randy and I wanted to get to bed. After all, tomorrow is JAMAICA! I can't Wait.
Have a Blessed Evening and stay safe,
Jennie
xoxo
****Please note****A
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
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yeah, sorry, I messed up and the "l" is missing....I need an assistant :-)
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