The “He Said”, “She Said” NCL Jewel Garden Villa 11/22/14 Review

[jmele999]

jmele999 answered your question well. Yes, alcohol is served from the limited menu at all bars that are open at embarkation. Now that I think about it, I wonder if you board and purchase the wine package if NCL would give you your wine then, or would you have to wait until the next day for that as well? Any answers out there?

 

As for the casino, we walked through it numerous times but never ended up playing. We aren't gamblers at home (except DH's twice weekly lottery purchases) so it isn't a big draw for us on the ships. Of course Debit was excited to see the key game and was certain he could win on it. After walking by a few days and seeing only one gift had been won, he deemed it and wisely so, a rip-off! It is fun to watch people playing though!

 

I forgot to mention that I am really enjoying your review. We are going to be on the Jewel in 40 days in an aft penthouse. Looking forward to more.

[realcindylouwho]

We appreciate all of your "thanks" for our ongoing review. It has been fun trying to piece together our week! This was a discussion from last night:

Kent: We went to the show the first night.

Me: No we didn't.

Kent: Oh yes we DID go to the show the first night!

Me: No. Mom and Bill went to the show, we did not.

Kent: *starting to get really frustrated with me now...

Me: The first night was the preview show of the dancers, the singers, the comedian, the magician and the acrobats. We DID NOT go to that show. We went to the show the second night. Band On The Run.

Kent: *dejectedly answers, Oh, that's right.

 

However, tonight we need to decorate the Christmas tree, so it will likely be late tomorrow evening before we post our next installment. It will be featuring: "Your Mother and Father didn't eat breakfast this morning!" "No Judy, it isn't a Wonkavator." " It would be easier if they were five years old and I could put a leash on them to keep them by my side." "Welcome to the Meet and Greet", and "THE ALCOHOL IS HERE!!!"

[weltek]

We appreciate all of your "thanks" for our ongoing review. It has been fun trying to piece together our week! This was a discussion from last night:

Kent: We went to the show the first night.

Me: No we didn't.

Kent: Oh yes we DID go to the show the first night!

Me: No. Mom and Bill went to the show, we did not.

Kent: *starting to get really frustrated with me now...

Me: The first night was the preview show of the dancers, the singers, the comedian, the magician and the acrobats. We DID NOT go to that show. We went to the show the second night. Band On The Run.

Kent: *dejectedly answers, Oh, that's right.

 

That happens at least three times a week in our house. :-)

[klingoncruiser]

This was such a wonderful cruise. Enjoyed meeting everyone at the M&G

[ajsdad]

First EMAW!

Second who did you use for transports, we are doing the same thing in janurary, booked a car with budget, staying at laquinta just down the road, going to the space center, and looking to get from the hotel to the dock.

[newcruise12]

I am absolutely loving your review! You both have an entertaining writing style. Congrats on all the occasions you are celebrating! Debit and Credit sound like fine young men (and I love, love, love their nicknames). Looking forward to sharing the wonder of Judy and Bill's experience, too.

[WildcatRock]

First EMAW!

Second who did you use for transports, we are doing the same thing in janurary, booked a car with budget, staying at laquinta just down the road, going to the space center, and looking to get from the hotel to the dock.

 

EMAW!!!!!!! DW and I are both from the Class if '88.

 

NCL referred us to Groundlink. I just did a search for Groundlink Houston and got their number. Their customer service was outstanding, they were on time, and the vehicle was very nice.

 

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[GORDONCHICK]

Oh no! This may be another "He said, She said" moment! She has twin sons that are now six years old and she has newly returned to NCL. I believe she will be on the Jewel for at least 8 months. This makes it a strong possibility that she will be on the Jewel in February. I'm not certain if they get any little break or two during their contract.

 

It seems like Florentine said she would leave the Jewel before most spring breaks because she was trying to figure out when she could possibly have her family on board before she left the ship.

[Stillfloatin']

Enjoying the duel perspectives.

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your reports.

[radiojw]

This is good stuff.

 

Subscribed.

[lotus land]

Really enjoying this........more please. Subscribed

 

 

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[WildcatRock]

Day Three (Sunday, November 23rd): The New Adventures of Judy and Bill, Wonkavators, and Finally Alcohol

 

Before we begin today’s dissertation, a little background on my wonder MIL, Judy. I absolutely ADORE Judy – I love, love, love that woman. She and my dear Wifey, Cindy’s, father divorced when Cindy was 12. As a result of this divorce, to make ends meet for Judy and her three kids, Judy worked multiple jobs at one time. Cindy, as the oldest sibling, with mom gone working, had to take care of her younger brother and sister – cooking, cleaning, etc. So, when I entered the family, I did so with the realization that my wife had a hard life and had a lot of expectations on her as a teenager to take care of her siblings and shoulder a large burden at home; and my MIL had worked her tail off trying to provide what she could for herself and her kids. I also realized that Judy was a wonderful, loving, warm hearted person. Over the years, Judy happily watched Credit and Debit for us each year so Cindy and I could vacation once a year as a couple and recharge our parent batteries away from the money, energy, blood sucking…..sorry….away from our two wonderful boys - Credit and Debit. So I ADORE Judy…I truly love and adore this wonderful person.

 

I never understood why, over the years, Cindy and her siblings would always bag on their mom as being a “ditz”, “dingbat”, dealing with a deck of cards a few cards short of a full-deck, living with a dim light bulb in her head. You name it; they thought it and said it amongst themselves. I perceived their views as a horrible slight against the woman whom I ADORED, in whom I did not see any of their perceived shortcomings of her. That all changed on this cruise……on this day…….it all became clear…..the woman whom I ADORED and still do….is a freaking dingbat.

 

Bill was a late entry to the family, joining the clan several years ago. He’s a great guy. As wifey mentioned yesterday, he has a serious health issue that will take him from us sooner than we would’ve ever thought. Bill’s the type of guy who works his tail off, likes to make the decisions, does all the driving, basic “man of the house” type of stuff. I’d noticed over the years that Bill would, at times, get testy with Judy. Many times caused by Judy being….well…Judy. I never “got it”. Wow, do I ever get it now. Bill….my Bro’…I get it now man….I share your pain.

 

I will attempt to recollect the happenings on Sunday of the cruise, but am really looking forward to reading Wifey’s replay of the day. Oh and by the way, yeah, I was wrong….we didn’t see the show on Saturday night. I was just testing Wifey….and she passed!

 

He Said:

 

A few months before the cruise we decided to host our Meet & Greet in the Garden Villa. We did so as most cruisers will never have an opportunity to see a Villa and we thought it would be great to open our doors and have the group up. So, the M&G time had been set for 11 am on Sunday. We began the day knowing that we had the M&G at 11 am, the Captain’s reception in The Haven late in the afternoon, and reservations at Teppanyaki later that evening. We, or I should say me, also knew our 6 bottles of alcohol would also be showing up sometime. A little digression here – Wifey told Judy and Bill MULTIPLE times on Saturday night that we were hosting the M&G at 11 am IN THE VILLA, and that they needed to be there to meet our fellow cruisers, and to meet some of the ship’s senior officers. I know she also reminded them that they needed to eat their breakfasts at Moderno, and she explained MULTIPLE times that, as suite guests, they needed to eat their breakfasts and lunches at Moderno. You know where this is going……..

 

So, Wifey, Credit, Debit, and I got up, cleaned up, and headed to Moderno. Prior to going Judy and Bill were nowhere to be found in the Villa so we assumed we’d see them in Moderno. We arrived at Moderno and were quickly informed that the wait staff had not yet seen Judy and Bill. Say what?? They hadn’t seen them?? Where were they?? We ate breakfast expecting at any time to see Judy and Bill. Nope. Never happened. We left Moderno and thought we’d go search for them to see what they were up to. We knew that the crew needed to set up for the M&G so our searching for Judy and Bill was a good way to keep us out of the crew’s way in the Villa. We searched, and searched, and never found them. Where are they??

 

It came close to the appointed M&G time so the four of us went back to the Villa. The M&G group showed up right at 11 am (they were met on Deck 13 by the Events Coordinator and led up to The Haven and the GV). We had a great turnout. A little aside about Meet & Greets - Wifey and I have never missed one on any of our cruises – we’ve made A LOT of great friends from the M&G and this cruise did not disappoint. We wanted Judy and Bill at the M&G as we knew they too would make great friends with their fellow M&G attendees.

 

Several of the ship’s officers attended the M&G. The Hotel Director, Steve Jacobsen addressed the M&G group and stated that in all of his years with NCL this was only the 2nd time that a M&G had been held in a Garden Villa. He was appreciative that we had opened it up so others could see the Villa. As he was talking and as the M&G progressed….no Judy and Bill. 11 am became 11:20, then, 11:30….no Judy and Bill…..11:40…nope….11:45….the M&G group is clearing out…..no sign of them…..11:50…..they walk through the door. We asked them – “Where have you been?” They had eaten breakfast at the buffet as they didn’t realize they could eat breakfast at Moderno. What?? They then had walked around the ship. OK, that’s fine. But………….and here it comes……………..they couldn’t figure out how to get back up to the Villa. What?!? Freaking what?!?!

 

They got lost. OK, I can see that….it happens to a lot of people. It’s a big ship….people get lost. Why didn’t they ask for directions from a crew member? I don’t know…I just assumed Bill, as a dude, realized he’d get “Man-Card” deductions for asking for directions. So they were lost…..uh, not really. Judy was trying to find the ONE elevator that went from Deck 7 to Deck 14. Uh, what? Judy tells us they’ve been walking around the ship trying to find the elevator that went from Deck 7 to Deck 14. I’m thinking, at what point over the last day had we, or anyone, ever told them that there was one elevator that went from Deck 7 to Deck 14? Wifey told them that ALL mid-ship elevators went to Deck 14. Their response was – “Where are those elevators?”. Wifey – “Uh, right outside our door!”. Bill – “Cindy, this is really confusing.” Me – “OMG….where’s my Jack Daniel’s?”. It’s at this point Wifey says, and I liberally paraphrase, “OK, I’m going to show you two how to get up here.” Then Wifey looks at yours truly, and with the look of “I’m going to rip your heart out through your ears”, says to me, “Kent, come with us”. My response – “Yes mam”. She has me well-trained.

 

We walked out of the Villa and showed them the elevators. We walked down the steps from Deck 14 to Deck 13 to show them that God created steps so we could walk down from Deck 14 to Deck 13. Wifey showed them that to find Moderno you just turned to the left, walked a few steps and……BAM!!! You were there. Then, we walked back to the elevators and Wifey showed them the layout of the ship that was by each elevator bank. She showed them the sign by the steps that said ‘Mid-Ship Elevators’. She told them to look for this sign and they’ll know there at the right bank of elevators. Then…we got in an elevator and went down several Decks. I can’t recall what Deck we went to, but I don’t think it was Deck 7. When we got off the elevator Judy says….” So, this elevator went down.” I froze, Wifey froze. I said the first thing that came to mind…..”Judy, this isn’t a Wonkavator…”. I thought that was funny. I looked at Judy and Bill and realized, they were freaking clueless and had completely missed the joke. I then looked at Wifey….and….I knew I needed, from that point on, to keep my mouth shut.

 

Ok, seriously. You’ve got to admit. That was funny. Wonkavator. I got to use the word Wonkavator. When’s the last time you got to seriously use that word in a conversation? I also thought it was a strategically well-used word. Wifey would tell you that, in our 25-year marriage, I have rarely, appropriately, and strategically ever put two good words together. Wonkavator – for those that don’t know, is from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was a great movie with Gene Wilder…and a not so good movie with Johnny Depp. A Wonkavator is an elevator that can go up, down, left, right, or diagonally. So, Judy asks, “So, this elevator went down?” We freaking went from Deck 14 to a lower number….yes, it went down. What? Did she think we went horizontally to a lower number?? So she says it, no one says a word, and I get Wonkavator in my mind, I think it funny, and throw it out. As I write this I still think it’s hilarious. Over –the-top hilarious. Wonkavator….I got to say Wonkavator.

 

Wifey, to her credit, after thinking of how she could throw me overboard, looks at Judy and says, “Mom, we went down. Elevators only go UP and DOWN. We went DOWN.” Me – I kept my mouth shut…still laughing quietly about my Wonkavator quip.

 

Wifey then shows Judy and Bill a little secret about how to find your way if you don’t know what direction in the ship you’re walking – towards the bow or aft. You go to a Deck with cabins and look for the little fishies on the carpet. The front of the ship is whatever direction the fish are swimming. We learned this little trick on our first cruise in 2009.

 

A few words about my wonderful wife. She is truly an amazing woman. She had the toughest, most important job in the world – that of a stay-at-home parent. She raised two amazing sons and has put up with me for 25 years. I was truly amazed and impressed with the time she spent on Sunday showing Judy and Bill how to get around the ship. I also felt sorry that she had to go through this as it put a lot of pressure and stress on her that no one wants your first full day on a cruise. But she did it, and the time she spent ‘educating’ Judy and Bill about how to find your way around a ship ended up with Judy and Bill being able to find their way around the ship as the cruise went on. More on that to come in the next few days.

 

Late in the afternoon our alcohol finally arrived. Let me emphasis, underline, bold, accentuate, highlight, blow the freaking fog-horn….our alcohol FINALLY arrived. And yes, it included not one but two bottles of Jack Daniel’s and some spiced rum. Thank you Florentina. Here’s my question/point. I get it that Texas has some warped liquor laws that prevent NCL from bringing your alcohol to you until you leave Texas waters. But we left on Saturday and we got our liquor late in the afternoon on Sunday? OK, either the ship was going slow, or Texas’ territorial waters are exceedingly large, or it just wasn’t a priority to get our liquor to us. Not a big deal because I can tell you, I didn’t go without a drink. Also, although I had one less day to drink two bottles of Jack, I successfully accomplished my mission and killed off both bottles by the end of the cruise. Remember those friends you make at the M&G? Well, they come in handy to helping you knock off your alcohol. But seriously NCL, you need to get the 6 bottles of alcohol to the Villa a little quicker on Sunday.

 

We attended the Captain’s party in The Haven pool at met Captain Niklas Persson. What a great guy and awesome Captain. He hails from my family’s motherland – Sweden. He’s also either the youngest currently serving Captain in the NCL fleet, or the youngest ever. I can’t remember – maybe Wifey will know. Regardless, he’s young, very-confident, and a really awesome person. He hops of the ship on Dec 20th for his 10 weeks off. If you get on the ship after he gets back, I hope you get to meet him.

 

After the Captain’s party, I think Wifey and I grabbed some drinks at Malting’s??? I know, for sure, that we saw the 7:00 pm showing of Band on the Run. Great show – one of the best we’ve ever seen on an NCL cruise. Very entertaining with some very good singers and performers.

 

We then went to Teppanyaki for a late dinner at 8:30 pm. Good food, good entertainment. Always enjoyable. I think Wifey and I then hit the Villa hot tub and spent the rest of the night in the Villa relaxing. Oh one thing, hot tubs aren’t overly fun in a 60+ mph wind. We had some crappy weather our first sea day – chilling, cloudy, windy…..really windy that is. But, hey, it’s a hot tub, you’re on a cruise…enjoy it. We did.

 

Wonkavator…..I’m still laughing about that….I got to say “Wonkavator”……..

 

She Said:

 

As Kent has more than mentioned, I thought we had spent a lot of time explaining, instructing and detailing our suite and the ship to my Mom Judy and her husband Bill. When Kent, I and the boys were cleaned up, we noticed it was quiet down the hall towards Mom and Bill’s room. We thought they had beat us down the one flight of stairs to Moderno and were relaxing over breakfast. They had been told about C.C. about the Meet and Greet being in the suite, how they needed to eat at Modernos and then maybe wander around the ship so Alexandro could make up the beds, hang fresh towels and have Roland set up for our Meet and Greet. However, when we arrived at the hostess area we were greeted with “Where is your Mother and Father? They have not yet arrived for breakfast.” Huh. Weird. Where are they then? During all of breakfast I thought “where are they?”. Once back to the suite, I checked and they weren’t around and no-one had seen them. This concerned me but I thought it was a ship and if they had fallen overboard surely someone would have seen it happen and a code whatever hadn’t been announced over the speaker system. As the morning progressed, still no Mom or Bill. The Meet and Greet arrived and I was so distracted wondering where they are at, I don’t think I played my hostess roll very well and I apologize if I didn’t seem to be in the moment. Mom and Bill strolled in and when I asked about where they had been, we wanted them to be here to meet people, now it is over and most people have left, she said they were supposed to stay away from the suite because of our meeting. Steam is now rolling out of my ears, my eyes are going to pop out of my eye sockets. NO! She and Bill had misunderstood and there was no convincing them otherwise. Sigh.

 

Once everyone left Mom and Bill tried to tell us how mixed up they had become walking around the ship, how they were not able to find deck 7 to be able to reach the 14th deck. Ok, if I am going to have to straighten up this confusion, then DH is coming along with me. No getting out of it. Kent tried to stand on the perimeter of the angry zone I had entered. Nope, move into the inside with me and sit down at the head of the table buddy, ‘cause I’m about to lose it and you will have to lead the way in my absence. It took much effort, as Kent has told in the above story, but they got the hang of it. It was simply too much for them to have two different ways to go from our suite to Moderno for their breakfasts and lunches, with either going down the stairs right outside of our door or using the elevators right outside of our door. Sooooo, they chose to only learn how to take the elevator DOWN one deck (yes, and wait for minutes if need be to come up to 14) as the stairs were too complicated. There is so much to this story, as one could imagine and Kent touched on it a little, but they were a bit upset with me and decided to spend part of the next couple of hours, map in hand exploring and figuring their way around. By the time they got back later in the afternoon, they had realized that no matter what deck you are on, each elevator will go up and down. They also established that they needed to always return to the midship elevators to take them to 14, as the fore and aft elevators do not go to 14.

 

The alcohol arrived, YAY THE ALCOHOL ARRIVED! I don’t know where we had been but it was on the suite’s bar and the bottles were opening, ice was clinking, pull tabs were “pshhhhhing” and all was happy. Okay this is where maybe I can finally, FINALLY start enjoying my cruise! I put on my lip gloss and some heels and we took off to the Captain’s Party. OMG. What is on that tray of beautiful looking beverages? I locked eyes with the server and she read me like a book. Someone reached out of no-where as my vision of vacation in a martini glass was pulled from the tray. BAAAAHHHHH! Someone took the last one off of her tray just as I lifted my hand. No disappointment as the server smiled and said it was a Mango Martini and she would be right back with another one and bring it straight to me. She returned before I had a minute to feel sorry for myself and Aaaaahhhhhh. Yes, I was on a cruise!

 

We weren’t able to dilly dally at the party because we needed to catch the Band On The Run show. All 6 of us enjoyed the show and there was dancing in the seats and singing along (quietly though) to the music of the 70’s and early 80’s. I had seen the “un-rated” practice version on YouTube and I knew we would all find it entertaining. We had dinner reservations at 8:30 for Teppanyaki but they were running late and I don’t think we were seated until 9:10 or so. This is much too late for me to be eating, but of course, I forced myself to do so! The floor was extremely slippery, so if you eat there please watch your step. I had the Green Tea Cake for dessert. It did seem dry and tasteless. So I tried another and another bite. By the time I was nearly done with it, I kinda liked it! Oh, I forgot to add that while waiting to order, which took a long, long time, the menu was on a “you follow these instructions and you will make a beautiful origami *fill in the blank”. I am Martha Stewart crafty and I accepted the challenge with haste. So I read, and proceeded to fold, rotate, score, lift, double crease myself into frustration. I looked up and most people seated at our table were having the same troubles. All but one young lady. No, she was folding, scoring, creasing and rotating herself into something that actually looked like an animal or bird. What the…? So she held up her completed animal/bird thingy and smiled and we realized that she was the only person who had a “simple” version of the origami and everyone else had the identical “expert” version of another origami. Now I was really determined to complete my animal/bird creature thingy. So I squished and rolled and shaped mine into perfection and proudly held up for everyone else to admire…a snake. And then I transformed it into a snail and several other thingies that my wine happy brain could spontaneously come up with. We laughed and decided that we must be on some sort of Candid Camera for NCL’s Christmas party entertainment. No one could figure out how to make the “expert” level origami animal. Kuddos NCL, as you managed to find a way to distract us from being bored and unhappy with our wait time.

 

After dinner, well I don’t remember. This was the first real day of my relaxed vacation and I was trying to catch up with the DH, Credit and Debit. I will add that since Debit is 18 we allowed him to consume alcohol on this vacation. With his driver’s license in hand we went down to the service desk, on embarkation day and signed a parental consent form which allowed him to purchase beer and wine. He could drink other alcohol as long as we purchased it for him. NCL will take away the clipped corner key card and give the consented minor a new card that has all four corners intact. Credit tried to buy a mixed drink for Debit, but the bartender would not allow it as one of the parents was not present or purchasing it. I like the enforcement of this policy. Now that we have returned home, no alcohol allowed for Debit!

 

Today I would have to agree with “He Said”. The day was half frustration and half wonderfulness. Isn’t that the way life is most of the time? However, it is so much more fun to experience it while you are on a ship!

 

Here are some more photos of us relaxing on the private balcony:

[realcindylouwho]

Thanksgiving cruise, no way, too many kids out of control running everywhere, darting in front of people, temper tantrums, etc. These are some of the thoughts that went through my head when we booked this cruise. However the reality on THIS cruise was not what I had imagined. Yes, there were a bunch of kids, over 700 I think I had heard. But either we weren't in the thick of things when there was disruption or I was able to put on my "In my happy place" cruise vacation glasses and barely noticed. We spent plenty of time outside of the Garden Villa, so please don't think we hid away from the hustle and bustle. I wanted to point out that it wasn't anything like I had imagined or have read about on C.C.:D

[WildcatRock]

We're working on Day 4 - Cozumel Day right now and will get it posted either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

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[Freespir8]

Yay! Charlie and the chocolate factory where's my favourite movie as a little girl. You get extra bonus points for using one "wonkavator"...classic and yes...still funny. Keep it coming! ;)

[WildcatRock]

Day 4 (Monday, November 24): Somebody Has a Birthday, and the Wonderment of New Adventures

 

My wonderful MIL had grown up in NE Kansas in a wonderful little town. She had lived her entire life there but had adventured out of the State from time to time on vacations. I believe she had only seen the oceans twice – the first when she went to San Diego on a family vacation in the late 80’s, the next time a couple years ago when she and Bill went on their ill-fated Alaskan cruise. One thing I’ve always loved about Judy is her zest for life. I’ve noticed over the years that she has always had a little sparkle in her eyes, a desire to enjoy life as she desires. Many years ago she went on a vacation with Wifey, Credit, Debit, and Me, to Winterpark, CO. A few years prior, Wifey and I had gone whitewater rafting and loved it . My goal on the CO vacation was to take Judy whitewater rafting. So, once there, I asked if she wanted to go whitewater rafting and without hesitation she said, “Yes”! We went and she loved it. Ever since then I’ve always known that there was more to Judy than met your eye.

 

As a result, when we booked this cruise, Wifey and I started talking to Judy about going snorkeling on the cruise. We were planning on snorkeling at Chankanaab in Cozumel and thought it would be a great place for Judy to snorkel. We were a little concerned though as snorkeling at Chankanaab can be intimidating for first time snorkelers: the water can be rough, there is a current, and the waters get deep pretty quickly. Three things that first time snorkelers usually don’t like. Wifey and I love to snorkel, and have snorkeled a lot since 2009, and consider ourselves as experts. We therefor knew that we should take it easy with Judy at Chankanaab, and let her snorkel at her own speed….if she even decided she wanted to try it. Well she did….and by the end of the cruise we realized we had created a snorkel beast.

 

He said:

 

Today was a great day. For me it started off with the realization that I turned 50 overnight, and that the sun still rose in the morning sky, my teeth didn’t fall out, I had still had some mental faculties left, and contrary to my fears…life does continue on once you hit the BIG 5 – 0. For me I also had the feeling our cruise had turned an important corner – that Judy and Bill were figuring things out, they were starting to chill and have fun, and the stress that had been on Cindy the day before would go away.

 

We began the day, as we did every day, by grabbing breakfast in Moderno. My recollection is that we were all there, including Judy and Bill. We had a big day planned at Chankanaab and needed to get fueled up in Moderno, grab our gear, and head off the ship. Last year we went to Chankanaab via an NCL excursion; but this year, thanks to Mitsugirly’s comments about going to Chankanaab on their own, we decided to do the same. So, off the ship we went. The six of us walked through the port, easily found a van taxi, and off we went to Chankanaab. We arrived and gave the driver $25 (the fare was $22 and we gave the driver a little extra). We bought our tickets and into the park we went. We found several shaded loungers available on the southern side of the park, dropped our gear, and started to get ready to go in the waters. We rented a mask and snorkel for Judy and flippers and life preservers for all of us and headed for the water.

 

For those who have snorkeled, think back to the first time you snorkeled and what we were feeling. Fear? Excitement? Apprehension? Judy was feeling all those and so many more emotions…she was downright terrified. After a momentary hiccup of losing one of her flippers while sitting on some steps at the water’s edge, Judy started to put her gear on. Credit and Debit had already hopped in the water and were off seeing the sights. I hopped in to get ready for Judy. Cindy stayed close to her mom to help her get her gear on. When she was ready Judy slid in the water, nervously shaking. When she was ready she put her face in the water, and popped back up after less than 5 seconds. That’s perfectly fine. She then put her face back in the water and lasted several more seconds. After doing this several times she told us she had water in her snorkel. Cindy checked and sure enough there was a leak in Judy’s snorkel. Cindy gave Judy her US Snorkel gear and took the rented gear from Judy to wear. We got Cindy’s snorkel gear on Judy and she put her face in the water…..she lasted maybe 15 seconds. Terrific! A couple more starts and stops…then she put her face down……..and she became freaking Judy “Cousteau”!

 

Cindy and I snorkeled by Judy’s side constantly to make sure all was well for her. We went all over the coral at Chankanaab. Judy got so excited we could hear her squealing in her snorkel. She loved it! After about 45 minutes we decided to take a break and got out of the water. We chilled in the loungers for a while and then decided it was time to get back in the water. Judy was raring to go and got in the water and snorkeled for another 45 minutes. Here is this 72 year old woman from NE KS who had never swam in the ocean before and she’s going to spend nearly 1.5 hours snorkeling at Chankanaab in Cozumel. Wow awesome is that?!?!

 

After we concluded our snorkeling it was time to head back to the port. So we got our gear together, headed to the entrance, grabbed a van taxi, and headed back to the port. After buying a little trinket at a store in the shopping mall for Debit’s GF we headed back to the Jewel. The crew was out on the pier having fun, playing music and dancing. So we joined in.

 

As we got back on the ship Wifey told me that I couldn’t come back to the Villa yet, and couldn’t walk in to it until 3:15 pm. So, Credit, Debit, and I hit the Sky High bar. At the appointed time we went to the Villa. As I walked in there was music playing and…….the Villa was decorated for my birthday! Our Butler Roland, and Room Steward Alexandro had hung birthday streamers in the room and Alexandro had made me a birthday cake out of towels. Roland had set up a spread of food on the dining room table (pictures of this are below) that included some fruits and veggies, a birthday cake and…..what is that?.....is it???? And a peanut butter pie.

 

When I was a child my Grandmother Pearl started a family tradition of making me a peanut butter pie for my birthday. When I joined Cindy’s family, Judy continued that tradition, and all 25 years I’ve been in the family, I’ve always had a peanut butter pie given to me for my birthday. This year was no exception. My wonderful Wifey, Cindy, had brought the family recipe for peanut butter pie with us on vacation. After we embarked on the ship in Houston, Cindy talked with Roland about the possibility of the ship making me a peanut butter pie. Roland, being his awesome self, made it happen. One of the ship's chefs, using our family recipe, made me a peanut butter pie. I haven’t said this to Judy or Cindy, but it was really good. I mean really good. So, to say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Thank you Wifey for being an awesome partner and friend….you made this day very special for me.

 

So, after eating some goodies, we started drinking in the Villa and went up to the balcony. Credit headed out to the pool deck to try and find some friends he had made. Debit came up to the balcony with Wifey, Judy, Bill, and me. A band was playing some great music, we were having fun drinking and dancing, and were enjoying a group of middle-aged women dancing on the pool deck when all of a sudden the song came to an end and I heard my name. Credit had gone to the band, told them it was my 50th birthday, and the band, and the cruisers on the pool deck sang me Happy Birthday. OMG, we went crazy…that was so awesome!!!! We made eye contact with the group of middle aged women and they all yelled happy birthday to me. Debit wanted to dance with them and ran down there and did so (a picture of this is below). After a song, Wifey and I went down to the pool deck and took these ladies some Painkiller that Cindy had made to thank them for wishing me a happy birthday, and frankly, for having so much fun. After a jiffy, we headed back up to the Villa. After a while, Credit decided to head back up our way and walked past these partying ladies. I don’t know if he knew that Debit had danced with him, but Credit decided to dance with them too (a picture is below)!

 

We got cleaned up and headed to LeBistro. We had our usual great service and awesome food at LeBistro – I love that place. After Le Bistro we headed to Malting’s for some drinks. I think we met up with new friends we had made on the cruise, Rob and Nicki from Austin. What an awesome couple these two are. We had a great time with them on the cruise.

 

After a few drinks we went to Stardust Theater to catch the comedy of David Naster. He’s a comedian from the KC area that Wifey and I had seen 25 years ago, and hadn’t seen him since. He put on a great show, was funny, and other than looking a lot older, was still the David Naster we remembered. After the show we stopped by the table he was selling his wares at and introduced ourselves to him. He vividly remembered the bar in Manhattan, KS where we had seen him and knew many of the comedians we had seen there. He was a genuinely nice person and I appreciated him taking the time to speak with us.

 

Debit had quickly left the theater after the show was done and headed to Spinnaker Lounge. Dancing with the Jewel Stars was this evening and he wanted to try and be picked as a contestant. After speaking with Naster, and before heading up to the Villa for the night, Cindy and I decided we should just stop by Spinnaker to see if Debit was a contestant. We got to Spinnaker, walked through the port-side door, and who do we see standing up on stage…Debit!!! He was a contestant. OMG.

 

Debit is 18 and loves life. He’s a cross-country runner, a debate All-American, and a straight A student. He can’t hit a note when he sings…but loves to sing. He has two left-feet and can’t dance….but he loves to dance. He has the same zest for life that his Grandma Judy has. The kid is also fearless. He’ll try and do anything. He has no fear of crowds or competition due to his time as a debater and running cross-country.

 

So here he is in Dancing with the Jewel Stars – the competition progresses and after a couple more dance rounds, Debit is in the Final 3!! Unbelievable. Unfortunately, he and his partner (she was once of the ship’s dancers) were eliminated. But he didn’t care; he had had a great time.

 

Cindy and I called it a night and headed back to the Villa. Credit and Debit were catting around the ship having fun with their new friends. Judy and Bill were off exploring the ship, having fun. I opened the door and stepped into the Villa with the realization that this cruise had finally become what Cindy and I had hoped it would be….a great time for the entire family.

 

She Said:

Ditto. This is a rare occasion where I do not have to disagree with a story that my husband is telling. Although he left out a bunch of details, at least he didn’t do any tall-telling today!

 

On embarkation day I had commented to Roland about DH’s 50th Birthday and he said he would speak with me about what I had planned. Of course I casually slipped him the recipe that I had brought along and mentioned that it would be over and above, but if someone could bake this pie, it would be the best surprise. He said he would make an inquiry into this request but if it could not happen, could he bring us a Birthday cake instead? Of course that would be fine with me! I believe it was sometime on Sunday after the alcohol was delivered to the room and I was working on my second glass of Painkillers that the phone rang. An assistant of the chef was on the line and wanted to make sure they had the measurements correct. A lowercase t equals a teaspoon; a capital T equals a Tablespoon? I hadn’t thought about rewriting the recipe out this way and NCL likely measures ingredients by liters and such! Anyway, the spread that was waiting in the suite also included a fabulous chocolate cake with real whipped cream icing that was scrumptious! It was an NCL and not a Carlos Bakery cake, as I asked about it. Also, we had brought a cd case with us and I had included three cd’s I had burned from Kent’s 40th Birthday Bash. I’m not sure if Roland or Alexandro handpicked the music, but they had put in a cd, cranked up the volume and we had a party!!!

 

A comment about the dancing ladies, they were a hoot to watch. It made my heart happy watching these ladies having a fun time. From our vantage point they seemed to be in their 60’s and 70’s and were laughing and smiling and drinking (a little) and dancing and hi-fiving people as they passed by. At some point, one or more of them looked up and they waved, we waved back, we danced around from our sundeck and yelled HI back and forth. We saw Debit walking near them and he stopped and danced with the group. Debit came up to the suite for something and I said I wanted to take a pitcher of Painkillers down to them and could he help me carry the glasses, pitcher, etc? Now I know there are some really cuckoo for coconuts people out there and sometimes I wonder if people think that about me. I announced to the ladies that I hadn’t slipped any shady stuff into the drinks and that I wanted them to have a drink on me because they had made me so happy by watching them be happy. Oh the ladies were so nice and they complimented me on having such a fine young man (Debit) and they weren’t alcoholics, they were just drunk! Been there myself a time or two. We passed around the glasses and drained the pitcher and shook hands with our new friends before we left. Here is the recipe for my Painkillers: 3 oz. of pineapple juice, 2 oz. of orange juice, 1Tbsp. of Cream of Coconut, 2 shots of Spiced Rum (Captain Morgan etc.) Shake up with ice and pour into a tall glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Yes, I always pack the nutmeg and cream of coconut. Yes, you can request the juices at no charge when you are in a suite level cabin, as I have done this the past 3 years.

 

La Bistro was yummy as always. I strayed from my usual snails and tried the mussels for the first time. I now have a new favorite: MUSSELS. They had so much more flavor than the snails, as the snails are so drenched in that delicious garlicky butter no other taste comes forward. I can’t remember what I had as an entrée but I was trying to save room for the Crème Brule, my absolute all-time favorite NCL food. Right before our dessert was to be ordered, out comes a guitar player and singer who performed Happy Birthday for Kent. Now I was really going to suffer an overstuffed stomach. I wasn’t counting on the cake AND my favorite dessert. So, I bypassed the Crème Brule and settled for the cake only. Debit allowed me a sample of his so all was well in the world. I truly had NO extra room for any additional food!**** I just remembered the entrée I ordered; it was the Seafood Puff Pastry. I had read about it numerous times here on C.C. so I gave it a shot. Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. It was ultra-rich and that was probably why I was so stuffed. ****

 

That about sums it up for this day! Tomorrow we review Belize and our first ever snorkeling (YIKES, THAT HURT) encounter experienced by all four members of our family. And it wasn’t fun. At. All.

[kitten3008]

DH to be and I are in Kansas City and he's a Kansas State alum; we're not even planning on being on the Jewel and I'm subscribed to this thread because it's so fun to hear about people from our hometown going out and having adventures! I love your family :D

[hawk1972]

Thanks for your review. Very interesting. We will be on the Jewel in January and you and Mitsugirly have about convinced me to try Chankanaab for snorkeling. Our only other time in Cozumel we went to Passion Island but I think we'd like something different.

[Happy Traveler 0923]

I am loving this review! Laughing out loud and even a big ahhh when you were so kind to mention Mike and I and our amazing bus trip!

We had such a wonderful time with all of your family. I think it is funny that we go on a cruise where you have the opportunity to meet people from all over the place and we end up hitting it off with a family that is so close to our home in Wichita.

[NeuroQueen]

You two are a hoot😎I want to cruise with the whole family. This definitely gets the review of the year.

[#55worktoplay]

I agree with what the other posts have said, this review is fantastic. I too am not planning on going on the Pearl but am enjoying this review.

 

Your family is wonderful.

 

P.S. Judy is amongst the whole family who has a great zest for life - that is great!

[coka]

I am still following! OMG, too funny overall! I want to know "what Phil and Judy said" too! Hahahahahaha!

My favorite part so far is when you state the entire family was finally having a great time!

 

coka

[WildcatRock]

Day 5 - Belize will be posted by 8:30 pm. It was an interesting day....and Mr. And Mrs. Magoo have a great day.

 

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[GORDONCHICK]

Day 5 - Belize will be posted by 8:30 pm. It was an interesting day....and Mr. And Mrs. Magoo have a great day.

 

Sent from my XT1080 using Forums mobile app

 

So, is this west coast or mountain time????