Stacey's Semi-Solo Caribbean Conquest!!!

[sunbird21]

We crossed the bridge, of course taking a zillion pics-it was very pretty lit up. On the other side we wandered around the street, posing with the cannons, picture cutouts, and checking out the cafes. Half of us weren't really hungry, but just wanted a drink/snack before heading to the boat.

 

 

 

 

We stopped at a place called the Green Iguana cafe, which was right on the river, with a nice view of the bridge. M and V were trying to inquire about any goat options, but weren't available here. Somehow, we all agreed we weren't that hungry, so we left. As we headed back to the bridge, and the port, M found someone who told him in Spanish where some goat friendly restaurants were.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids were looking tired, and in hindsight, this is where I should've offered to take them and head back. I was one of the non hungry ones, and wanted to have time to look at the port shops before getting back on the ship well before the 10:30 call time.

 

 

 

 

However, you know what they say about hindsight, right? I figured that it wouldn't take long to find a restaurant with goat, and that it was close by, and we would be served quickly…etc etc etc.

 

 

 

 

We walked around a dark corner to a smaller street with a few restaurants.First stop-no goat. Second one? No goat. Stops 3,4 and 5?? Any guesses??

 

 

 

 

One of the stops told us that we were behind the main street and entrances with restaurants, so we circled around and found several cute looking establishments.

 

 

 

Yet, none of them served goat.

 

 

 

I was ready to kill the driver for suggesting it was the local delicacy at this point.

 

 

 

 

One place took mercy on us(word must have been getting around-stupid Americans looking for goat) and told us that it is actually a staple for lunchtime meals, not dinner.

 

 

 

 

As we finally gave up on the search for the nonexistent farm animal, we selected one of the restaurants at random and settled in for a meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was about 8 when we sat down- I could see the Conquest,lit up in the distance, but I knew we were now about a 30 minute walk away. My punctuality based anxiety was starting to kick in, but figured if we were served and ate quickly, we'd be ok.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, despite my friendly disguised mention of "yeah, we're on the ship, have to be back by 10" to the server, she took a good 30 minutes to take our order. Another 30 without any food appearing.

 

 

 

Both of the boys had refused food and curled up on the bench side of the table, on either side of C.

 

 

 

 

As 9pm was approaching, my anxiety was now at Defcon 10. V was getting annoyed, I could tell, but I was really regretting not returning to the ship, and knowing that we were going to be cutting it close-and this is NOT my style, as anyone knows from reading past reviews.

 

 

 

I flagged down the server and explained that we needed to be back at the ship by 10(allowing a 30 minute buffer)..She acted apologetic and like she didn't understand the first time I told her this. It still took her another 10 minutes before our food appeared, and I of course asked her to bring the check right out,as to cut down on any further time wasting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C was starting to get into my anxiety mode, and that,combined with two exhausted children, propelled her to encourage others to speed it up.

 

 

 

We got the check and C and I speedily paid for our portions. They collected the kids and we started to head out at about 9:30 on the dot. M and V decided to hang back a bit longer-I think they thought I was getting everyone too stressed out.

 

 

 

No,there was no arguing, just a bit of head butting- we all have different time philosophies, and there are times we clash, and this was one-it didn't end up being a big deal, but I knew that i was not going to be in any mood to compromise until my feet were firmly back on the Conquest.

 

 

 

So they five of us set out to walk back towards the port, and we noted that the drawbridge was scheduled to be moved in a little while. I was concerned about V and M making it in time, but could only control my transport.

 

 

 

It did take a good 25 minutes to walk back,cutting through the Radisson complex. We arrived back at the port village just before ten. Now that we were within breathing distance of the ship, and having the built in 30 minute buffer,(as well as dozens of other cruisers around) we stopped to pick up a few last minute souvenirs.

 

 

 

Just as we finished up, who comes strolling down the walkway but V and M??? Thankfully, they made it, and we ALL made it back onboard 15 minutes before the cutoff, with several people still on land.

 

 

 

As I breathed a sigh of relief on the other side of the security belt, we made plans to wrap up this late evening.

[sunbird21]

 

 

I stopped by my cabin, found it turn down ready-thanks Putu!!!!

 

 

 

C wanted to watch the sail away, so I went to collect her and found the children and P chilling in bed. their night was clearly done.

 

 

 

 

 

M,V and I wanted to go to the Quest show at 11:30, and planned to meet at Degas. In the meantime, C and I had a beverage and watch the last few stragglers drag themselves back onto the boat. We sailed away pretty much spot on at 11 and watched Curacao slip quietly away into the night.

 

 

 

 

I tried to convince C to come to the show-I wan't sure what it entailed,had not been to any on any other Carnival ship.I'm not sure if its new or just really not publicized, but I had been reading more about it proor to this cruise, and heard it was hysterical. I think John Heald even gave it 5 stars. But, she was done for the night, and we had an early excursion, so she was off to bed.

 

 

 

 

I found V and M in Degas easily enough-it wasn't anywhere near as crowded as any of the comedy shows, which leads to my theory that it's either new or not well publicized. Then again, it was a late port night, so maybe it was bad timing.

 

 

 

In any case, we found a table with a few other women who claimed that they just wanted to watch, not participate. I saw a couple from the roll call at another table with several other people, but they didn't see me.

 

 

 

 

Just then, the entertainment staff member Curly came on with his announcements. After warning that this show was VERY much adult only, he encouraged people to cluster up in groups, and gave each table a group number. Then, we got this speech:

 

 

 

"Now,there is one rule about Quest. What happens at Quest stays in Quest. We don't talk about Quest outside of Quest."

 

 

 

He repeated this and had us repeat this multiple times.

 

 

 

Then, he gave us a "code sign" to give to someone if we recognized them from Quest- a double fist pump and peace sign.

 

 

 

I knew it was part scavenger hunt, and he started us off small-we had to send someone up to the stage from each group with an item that he called.

 

 

 

He started us off easy, with a baby picture and jewelry. Thankfully I had just taken a pic of O earlier that evening!

 

 

 

And then it got…interesting.

 

 

 

Yes, I'm sort of breaking the Quest rule. Sort of. I'm not posting pictures, or naming names-of strangers,table mates, or friends, or myself, LOL.

 

 

 

I'll just give you the general agenda of what went down.

 

 

 

The first naughty item was to produce a dirty picture. Then,men had to go up wearing bras.

 

 

 

Then, the women who had produced said bras had to come on stage and do jumping jacks.

 

 

Next the men had to take off their pants, and women had to go on stage wearing those pants.

 

 

 

And then it REALLY got intense.

 

 

 

The poor souls on stage in mens shorts/pants had to do a performance. A vocal performance….involving sound effects.

 

 

 

Yeah, it was uncomfortable,embarrassing,and ABSOLUTELY hysterical. People REALLY got into the performance-everything from mounting guys in the audience to screaming out Curly's name to pulling men onstage to act out a full on doggy style position.

 

 

 

Curly promised that the men would get just as humiliated and raunchy-and he delivered, by having men basically cross dress and perform in a beauty pageant,complete with porn names and walks.

 

 

 

It was my latest night yet, and I was DYING. It was the best show of the cruise, hands down!!!

 

 

 

Definitely not for kids.

 

 

 

I was wired after the show, but forced myself back to my cabin, as we had to be off super early the next day…

[sunbird21]

Obviously we didn't have dinner on the ship, but I still have the menu!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunbird21]

That's all I have for today, but I have most of Aruba written, and will try to get to it tomorrow.

 

 

I know I missed a couple of my deadlines, but still plugging away, and want to try to finish this up this week, since I am behind in planning for Alaska. Thank you for having patience with me!!!

 

 

Now for some replies....

 

 

Marcia014 Thank you for your compliment! I know the Conquest has a lot of different itineraries, so I hope you can get some decent info anyway!!

 

 

 

Pghsteelerfan No worries!! I am not territorial, anyone can talk to anyone on here:) I did laugh at your story about your hubby entering the Hairy Chest competition, and can picture him glaring at you!! It sounds like he made have had fun despite himself! I'm glad you are enjoying the review, and thanks for your patience and compliments for nursing!!!

 

 

Zeta3 Sorry, not a Bushwacker, but good guess:)

 

 

 

Katelovescruising Thanks for the compliment!! The drink IS delicious...stay tuned and I will reveal by the end of the review. Waiting to see if anyone else guesses correctly...

 

 

 

Heavymetaldeacon I'm glad you are finding fellow cruisers!! Have fun!!

 

 

DenainWyo Thank you for your compliment!! I would love to have this done, and like to spend time writing-unfortunately, I unknowingly took on an education program that needs a lot of work, so spend a lot of time researching, writing/planning activities for class, etc. Anyway, I can't devote as much time as I'd like, but am trying...thank you for sticking with me, I promise to wrap it up soon!!

 

 

Riclop You are welcome!!

 

 

 

 

JennyinTx Thank you!! Your 8 day itinerary sounds like a lot of fun, i love all of those ports!!

 

 

 

Buckeyes22 Did you watch the Cavs game?!?!?! Sorry you missed Quest...i think I spelled out the fun in the recap!!

 

 

 

Keylovers Thank you!!! And I welcome any feedback on Alaska!!!

[Zeta3]

Hmm if it isn't a Bushwhacker then I think I know what it is. From Roatan?

[sunbird21]

Hmm if it isn't a Bushwhacker then I think I know what it is. From Roatan?

 

 

 

You've got the place!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zeta3]

You've got the place!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Hilarious, I should have gotten it right away, I have the recipe saved in my iPhone notes from our last visit to Roatan :)

 

Monkey LaLa!

[sunbird21]

Hilarious, I should have gotten it right away, I have the recipe saved in my iPhone notes from our last visit to Roatan :)

 

Monkey LaLa!

 

 

 

And you win!!!!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zeta3]

And you win!!!!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

And now I want one! haha :D

[mickev99]

I didn't know what it was, but I knew it wasn't a bushwhacker. I am from (and actually here for 3 weeks) the home of the bushwhacker, Pensacola Beach. Ingredients are similar, but not exact. If you ever get to Pcola Beach, head to Sandshaker and get one....and of course add the 151 floater. The best!!! I've got girlfriends coming down to join me for the Blue Angels air show and I plan to have quite a few bushwhackers!

 

Now back to the originally scheduled review after my interruption!!

[gagirl2006]

I am enjoying you review so much! Thanks for taking the time to write and post it!!

[winddawn]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we got back to our section of the beach, we lounged for a bit longer, then tried out our bar for a snack and drink. I made the mistake of trying to climb into one of the hammocks…they were very floppy and my drink ended up in the sand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it was getting later, we were getting ready to wind down our beach day. C and P went off to the mall area to find better food choices, and M and V stayed put at the bar. After losing my drink, and landing on my bottom in the sand (oops, forgot to mention that part), i was ready for a nice beach massage, so I wandered down and found them in a lovely white cabana on the other side of Cabana beach(in the middle of the pink and yellow chair sections).

 

 

 

 

 

I ended up splurging on a 45 minute massage and I have to say it was one of the better massages I've had. With the sound of the waves combined with the shade of the cabana, and the seashell wind chimes, it was very peaceful. And, the masseur was totally hot LOL, but that was a side note. He was pretty good,too-definitely try it out!!

 

 

 

 

Once I was done, I met up with the others upstairs on the mall boardwalk and we headed out.

 

 

 

There were a few vans lined up for taxi service at the entrance, and we actually negotiated a combo transfer and mini tour of the town for $12pp(kids free). The driver took us up a mountain with a view of the industrial port on one side, where we stopped to take some photos. he offered to walk with us further uphill to get better photos, but we declined.

 

 

What?? No photo of the hot masseur?? Sup with that??

[Buckeyes22]

Reading this makes me want to go back!! Quest sounds like it was genius... but I was cruising with my mom soooo I think it's probably a good thing that we did not partake - how awkward would that have been hhahaha

 

And I watched the end of the Cavs game - I'm not even a Cavs fan and almost had a heart attack!! That was pretty amazing though. Cleveland is going to be a very happy city all summer long :)

[ladygal4.4]

Always love your reviews! They make me want to cruise more!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ansoninc]

I am really enjoying your review and pictures. Thank you.

 

 

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[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunbird21]

Happy 4th of July!!!!

 

For your present and so patiently waiting, I am here to announce that I have my review COMPLETE! I will be posting the last several days over the next few hours.

 

I missed my 3 week mark this time, but finished just under a month, which isn't too bad....hey Wrigley80 is still working on her Vista review!! (Ok, ok, she has a *few* more days and details to cover, but believe me, I understand the anticipation).

 

I hope that the wait was worth it, and I'll try to reset the bar for my September cruise.

 

 

Without further adieu....

[sunbird21]

 

 

Thursday May 5-Aruba

 

 

 

Morning came WAY too quickly today, and unfortunately, this was the ONE morning that we HAD to be up, ready and off the ship EARLY.

 

 

 

Back up to my Aruba research…The theme of this island is "One Happy Island" and it certainly reflects in the amount of activities there are to do.

 

 

BEACHES:

Eagle beach-Eagle Beach has been rated as one of the best beaches in the world and belongs to the top 3 best beaches in the Caribbean. This pristine long stretch of beach with soft white sands and aqua blue waters features a variety of water sports and some palapas.

 

Palm Beach- Beach with lots of beach bars, water sports, etc-party beach!

 

 

Surfside Beach-Surfside Beach is the beach located next to the airport and is only 5 minutes away from down town Oranjestad. This beach is perfect for families with children since the water is shallow and calm. The beach offers several facilities such as a kitchen, bar, bathrooms and the opportunity to rent beach chairs.

 

 

Renaissance Island-Aruba's only private beaches are located on the Renaissance private Island, a tropical oasis a short ride away from the shore. The island belongs to the Renaissance Aruba resort and is exclusively available to their guests. Iguana Beach is available for parents with children, while Flamingo Beach is exclusively available for adults.

 

 

 

 

Island Tours:

Pelican Adventures- An itinerary including the California Light House, California Sand Dunes, Arashi Beach, Tierra del Sol Golf Course, Alto Vista Chapel, Casibari Rock Formation, the famous Aruba Aloe Factory and Downtown Oranjestad leaves guests with a full impression of Aruba’s diversity, history and contrasts. $45pp/$25/child

 

 

Trikes Aruba-on these giant motorcycle/trikes...The price per Trike is US$190 (1 driver and 1 passenger)
Add an extra passenger for US $95 3.5 hr tour

 

 

 

Banana Bus-Hop onto our colorful open air Banana Bus for your Explore Aruba tour. Enjoy great music while charging into an adventure on our 4 1/2 hour bus excursion into the rugged countryside of Aruba. Come along with your camera and capture the behavior of Aruba’s wildlife. Walk the grounds of the unique California lighthouse, Alto Vista chapel, Natural Bridge, and Lourdes Grotto. Finally join us for a refreshing swim at Baby Beach. A snorkeling experience for all ages! Soft drinks and snorkeling equipment included. $37.50pp

 

 

 

 

Snorkeling/Boat :

Unique Sports Aruba 
Snorkeling Sail! $55.00
Boat passenger $40.00
10:00 am - 01:00 pm
Fruit and soft drinks included. Plus Open Bar.

 

 

 

The Tranquilo- 5 hr snorkel cruise,: This is the cruise that made us famous, thanks in no small way to Mom’s Dutch Pea Soup, but also the fact that you will sail to places you will never see on other cruises. We reach the snorkel site in just over an hour allowing plenty of time to play in the water. Waist deep snorkeling from our Reef Island and drift snorkeling on our breath-taking coral reef are two of the unique attractions you can enjoy. A delicious lunch is served before we let go of our mooring lines for the return trip. We set sail for a relaxing, “Blue Water”, downwind sail with fishing lines trolling and drinks flowing often accompanied by flying fish and the occasional pod of dolphins. A stocked open bar is provided during this lovely five hour cruise.

 

 

 

 

Jolly Pirates-A popular snorkel cruise,Sail, Swim and Snorkel at 3 great sites: Malmok, Boca Catalina and WWII shipwreck, ANTILLA! BBQ, Open Bar, Gear & Ropeswing! This is one of the most requested tours of all the Aruba Excursions. Has a rope swing/plank.

4hrs, $60pp, kids 5-10 half price, under 4 free

 

 

 

 

And that is my Aruba research, peeps.

 

 

 

 

BTW, this is the first review where I'm including my port research. Please let me know if it's helpful and/or annoying. I know this board has a LOT of planners, but this is more pared down info for those who don't like to research as much.

 

 

 

Anyway, back to present day….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some group collaboration, we decided before the cruise to make this the one group activity day( not knowing that we would end up spending the majority of the trip together LOL).

 

 

 

Everyone was pretty interested in Jolly Pirates snorkel cruise, as it was a good price, especially with L being half price and O being free. Aruba is supposed to be one of the better islands on this itinerary for snorkeling, and this excursion included that, plus food, alcohol and the rope swing, which would bring back fond memories for C and V of plank jumping in Bermuda-albeit, not ten minutes before our ship was about to leave(for further detail, see my NCL Breakaway review).

 

 

 

 

We prepaid the excursion and got another $5 off pp for doing so, so if anyone's interested in this excursion, I highly recommend prepaying.

 

 

 

However, it started at 9am sharp, with registration being required at 8:30. The ship arrives at 8, and transportation to the beach where its located (Palm Beach) is not included. All of which means…

 

 

 

 

WEVE GOT TO BE OFF THE DAMN SHIP EARLY!!!!

 

 

 

I had room service delivered at 6:30, and rushed to get ready. In efforts to ensure my friends timely departure, I stopped by C's room to start their wake up process. I ran up to the buffet and filled a few plates with her requested food(my own version of room service).

 

 

 

 

By 7:45, I was chomping at the bit to go, but my friends were moving a lot slower. I'll skip over their second trip to the buffet(despite my room service efforts), followed by my mini meltdown as the all clear announcement was sounded and they were STILL in line at the buffet, and C and I getting part of the crowd off the ship only to realize that the others were STILL upstairs.

 

 

 

 

C, realizing that I was the one with the tickets, encouraged P to run back in search of the others. It was now 8:15, and I was hyperventilating…and not from the third straight day of oppressive heat.

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, V and M came off the ship just as P stepped back on, and we managed to race through the port mall in search of the taxi stand.

 

 

 

 

Once we found it, on the other side of the mall, we stood in a short line and a minivan pulled up.

[sunbird21]

Now, with a minivan, one would assume that 7 people would fit perfectly fine inside.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the driver didn't think so, even with the baby sitting in a lap. He swore up and down that the max passengers allowed were five, and stated that we would need two cabs, at $17 per cab. We debated, argued, pleaded…no luck.

 

 

 

With time running out, we gave in to the con artists, with someone who shall remain nameless verbalizing that tips would be withheld due to this extravagance.

 

 

 

 

So, we split up and climbed in for our overpriced ride to the beach. At least the driver knew where he was going.

 

 

 

 

It was about a 10-15 minute ride, and the area outside of the port was pretty barren for a few minutes until we obviously reached the beach area, where plenty of 4-5 star hotels dotted the landscape.

 

 

 

 

Upon our arrival, there were several other cabs dropping off people, and there was a disorganized cluster standing at the entrance ego the Jolly Pirates shop, which was along one of the entrances to Palm Beach.

 

 

 

 

There was a lone guy walking around handing out waivers to be signed(you know, the ones that release them from liability if you turn into shark food during the excursion), then we had to cluster inside to show a lone woman our tickets. The we were given a color coded card and ushered down the beach onto a dock.

 

 

 

We had blue cards and were mixed with red cards as we all fought for space on the very narrow dock. Two pirate ships were floating side by side in the distance.

 

 

 

 

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more crowded, another cluster of people approached the tiny dock, including one of the roll call couples.Turned out they were in our group as well.

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, we were soon loaded onto a small dinghy and sped out to one of the ships.

 

 

 

Once we boarded, we met the crew who was plenty ready for a good time.They gave us our snorkel gear, showed us the alcohol on board, and we were off!

 

 

 

 

My friends and I had taken over one of the back corners of the boat. P and C gave O a Coke as a treat to keep him calm (he still called it juice) and they thought it would be hilarious to take a picture of the two Coke fiends drinking together…

 

 

 

Soon we made our way to the deadly Pirates punch, which involved the bartender filling the tiny plastic cup 95% with rum and vodka with a splash of fruit juice.

 

 

 

 

As I made my way up for my first one, the bartender grabbed my iPhone and took a selfie.

 

 

 

 

 

This was the first snorkeling excursion I had been on that allows people to start drinking before snorkeling-most wait until the snorkeling is concluded. But hey, people signed waivers, so who am I to complain?

 

 

 

 

It was an absolutely beautiful day, and I could see that Palm Beach, in the distance, lived up to its reputation as being both lively and beautiful. So, if you are searching for just a beach day, this would be a good choice.

 

 

 

 

The water was a perfect, sparkling Caribbean blue as we sailed smoothly towards our first snorkeling site.

 

 

 

As we approached, the guide warned us that the waters were "rougher" here, so he advised only strong swimmers to try this spot. C immediately held L back from this one.

 

 

 

 

Sure enough, the waves were splashing pretty strongly as we climbed in, P remaining onboard with the kids and my iPhone, on strict photo duty.

 

 

 

 

I am no Michael Phelps, but I though I could hold my own in the water,especially with the vest. It was a bit disorienting, as the water rolled over my cheeks as I got ready to snorkel. As soon as I put my face down and began to swim though, it was completely calm.

 

 

 

 

There was a good amount of coral, some silverfish, and parrotfish.We were also above a shipwreck site, which is always interesting and creepy to see. I managed to snorkel for about 15 minutes, then the waves were pushing me around too much to concentrate on sightseeing. I decided enough was enough, and climbed back onboard.

 

 

 

P had managed to take a few good shots of us all snorkeling.O had long since grown board and fallen fast asleep.

 

 

 

 

 

C was a little shaken, as she had swam behind the boat to snorkel and the guide yelled at her(and others who had done the same) to swim forward, saying that "they would never be seen again if they went there." Luckily, M had grabbed her and managed to pull her closer to the boat, but she had had it with snorkeling at that point.

[sunbird21]

The guide promised that we would be going to a smoother spot as we sailed away, but poor C, who had survived a cruise through a hurricane with 28 ft waves(which was not televised like the crybaby ship with less waves) and 5 days onboard another cruise, was officially seasick. The sea life was well fed on our side of the ship during that stretch of sailing.

 

 

 

To be fair, she had told me that she had been seasick on a past snorkeling excursion when we planned this, but she assumed it was a onetime thing.

 

 

 

 

 

We docked closer to the beach for our second snorkel site. The waters were much calmer over here, and there was more sea life. The ocean floor was littered with starfish, and I was swimming near the roll call couple, who had an underwater camera and managed to get some good pics of them.

 

 

 

I totally coveted their camera-it even had a little parachute attached so you could throw it in the water and it would float. Can I start a ******** page for a good underwater camera???

 

 

 

I pointed out the starfish to P, M, and V-needless to say,C was on the boat with O. L was allowed in this spot and seemed to be having the time of his life swimming away.

 

 

 

 

 

I swam forward towards a wall, where there was a bit of coral, and one of the other passengers pointed out an octopus.

 

 

 

 

I really needed a camera! He was hard to spot, as he blended in with the side of the wall, but once I did, it was hard to miss his blobby little eye.

 

 

 

 

We all snorkeled for a good half an hour or so here-the water was perfect!

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, one of the guides noticed how miserable C was, and offered to take her to land while we snorkeled. He took her in the little dingy to one of the rocky walls of the beach, where she happily sunned herself and watched us from afar.

 

 

 

 

 

Once our bell sounded , we were taken a little ways away and the rope swing was open. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to do it(had too many images of not letting go in time and smacking into the side of the boat), but was happy to watch my acquaintances do so. Ironically, L was the first to get in line, and without his overprotective, er, I mean, CAUTIOUS mother there to say no, he took his chance.

 

 

 

 

He swung off it like a pro!! As he let go, P belatedly wondered if he would be ok in the ocean without his life vest (C isn't reading this that I know of, LOL). Thankfully, he climbed on board minutes later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We asked how it was, worrying slightly that he might have been scared to be free in the ocean. We had our answer as he ran to get in line for a second jump.

 

 

 

 

P and M decided not to be outdone by a 9 year old, so they got in line as well. I stayed behind with V to watch a still sleeping O (so glad there was no charge for him), sipping another Pirates Punch.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, our roll call pals took their turn, with the woman encouraging us nicely to try it out. Well,she may have tried goading us.

 

 

 

 

V was steadfast in her refusal, which was surprising, as this was the main activity on this excursion that she wanted to do. Looking bad, she probably had a moment of wisdom that I should have.

 

 

 

 

As L lined up for his third round, the Pirates punch got to me, and I found myself in line. When I got up to the plank, I started to have second thoughts, especially when I felt how heavy the swing was…

 

 

 

 

After taking a few tries to line up right, liquid courage allowed me to jump, but my fear of smacking the boat had me let go early. Luckily, nothing bad happened, and I landed safely in the water!

 

 

 

I was proud of myself for trying it out, but decided once was enough.

[sunbird21]

Once they closed the swing, lunch was served. At this point, with the amount of alcohol I had, anything would have tasted good. They even took a plate over to land for C to eat, after P selected what she was likely to eat. In any case, the barbecue chicken was absolutely delicious, as was the potato salad, and…I can't recall what else, but it was good.

 

 

 

Soon it was time to head back, so the guide fetched C, who was feeling much better when she arrived. We had a quick, smooth sail back to our starting point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it was time to disembark, we bid our wonderful guides adieu, gave them tips, and were turned loose onto the beach.

 

 

 

 

Somehow, V,M and I wandered into a bar/restaurant on the beach, and we had another drink. I ended up having a rum and coke with Zegrapa rum, which I had tried on a recent trip to D.C. It was a more expensive,strong rum, so it was a slow sipper.

 

 

 

Of course this would be the moment M would catch me in a BUFFALO. It was a small drink, so I was able to down it, but damn, I wanted to savor it!

 

 

 

Just then a server carried out some sort of chocolate sampler plate, with various treats, such as fruit, a cake, a mousse, and something else. The three of us oohed and awed over it. V asked the serve what it was.

 

 

 

The server looked up and gave us a wink. "It's for you!" he said, handing us a few forks.

 

 

 

 

In our alcohol infused minds, we didn't stop to question it, nor did we stop to photograph it. It was a beautiful, delicious platter, and it was gone in less than a minute.

 

 

 

 

C and family returned from…wherever they went, and we decided to head back to the port to shop. We cashed out, and the mystery dessert wasn't on our bill. We did leave a nice tip for the free food.

 

 

 

 

 

We rounded up a cab that surprisingly was able to take us all in one car.

 

 

 

Once we were dropped back off, we had a couple hours before we had to be back on board. Hmm, see how nice it is to have a stretch of time and be close to the ship?

 

 

 

 

We agreed to separate, as we all wanted to look at different things, and P and C wanted to feed the kids. So, we split up, planning to meet up later on the ship.

 

 

 

 

They had advertised that Aruba was a good place to get a deal on jewelry. I'm not a huge fine jewelry fan, but I had it in my head to scout out a good deal on something. After several stores, I found that they were similar to several others, who turned up their noses at selling anything for the $300 I was willing to spend.

 

 

 

 

I ended up in a mass tourist store, where I bought some of the requisite souvenir items, and found yet another fine jewelry counter. This one, however, actually gave me a decent deal on a tanzanite ring/earring for $150.

 

 

 

 

Just as I was leaving, I ran into M and V, who were on their own fruitless jewelry search. They were heading back to the ship, so I joined them and we made it back on about 3pm.

 

 

 

 

Mid afternoon,back on board and hungry…time for Guy's!!

 

 

 

Yes, I confess- I gained a bit of weight on this cruise. I usually break even, but not this time. This may be a plus if I go on another ship without Guys in the future.

[ladygal4.4]

Did you get sunburned? Or just the heat? You're so red In the Aruba picture. [emoji31]ouch!![emoji31]

 

 

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[sunbird21]

We spent the next couple of hours on Lido, eating,drinking, and relaxing. I read a little bit on the lounger and even sat on the side of the pool for a bit. I usually do not go near the pool on cruises, especially a family friendly pool (which to me equals giant urinal). I blame Vijay's strong drinks!

 

 

 

 

Around 5-ish, I returned to my cabin for nap time. Between my decreased sleep the night before, and another late night planned, it was much needed.

 

 

 

 

We planned to skip the main dining room that night, as the Hasbro show was at 8:15 only-right when our dinner was. After my nap, I got ready and met up with M and V at what was becoming our evening starting ground- Alchemy.

 

 

 

 

Tonight, Cat had a special drink on the menu- I forget what it was called, but it was chocolately and had berries on the top, and it was HEAVEN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't recall where C and P were, but the three of us made our way to the Toulouse theater and sat pretty much where we had the other night. Thankfully, it was pretty crowded and we had a better show!

 

 

 

 

The HASBRO show gets decent reviews on here, which is about accurate. It was lively, with the host dividing the room in the middle, and we were on the red team. They threw out trivia questions to choose the four contestants from each side. M kept volunteering, but they chose the guy sitting next to him instead. We ended up chatting with his wife and creating a cheering section for him.

 

 

 

 

 

Each side ended up with three adults and a tween, which I had read was usual. They had a few games, including a basketball shooting for Connect Four, and the random lights for…the game with the light patterns that I don't recall. There were a few electronic malfunctions along the way, which seemed to end up in the blue teams favor each time, which ultimately led to their win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then they had the four contestants draw a card and insert it into a machine, and the highest number was the winner. I was expecting it to be the tween, but one of the adults actually won the grand prize, which was a selection of Hasbro travel games.

 

 

 

 

All in all, it was entertaining, even if it was rigged.

 

 

 

 

We ended up back at Alchemy for another drink between shows. I did stop to visit Fishing Bob along the way, just to see if he was feeling as friendly. I played out $5, which went up and down for a few, but broke even after about 20 minutes, so I left him and my winnings intact.

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time for the next show,so we headed back. We were a few minutes late, so we sat in the back of the theater. It was the Love and Marriage show, which is always funny, and I was hoping that the honeymoon couple from the roll call would be chosen. I had texted the wife, who said that they weren't chosen because another couple had gotten married on the day of embarkation(though not a cruise wedding), so that couple was chosen.

 

 

 

 

The three couples were pretty entertaining, but the winning couple were the longest married at 61 years!! This was in spite of the wife answering that their first kiss hadn't been full of fireworks, which really had the crowd going. The poor husband looked devastated!

 

 

 

 

C and P had arrived during the show and found us in the back. The kids were at Camp Ocean, which thankfully had refrained from calling for tears again.

 

 

 

 

After the show, we headed upstairs for the Mexican buffet, which has been renamed the Blue Iguana Mexican Fiesta on most ships. However, since it was Cinco de Mayo, it was officially the Cinco de Mayo party. Whatever it was called, they had the delicious nachos which were perfectly timed for skipping dinner.

 

 

 

 

They had a decent crowd upstairs, with all of the usual line dances-Mambo #5, the Wobble, the Cupid shuffle, etc. We ate and danced, and somehow let M talk us all into doing a shot of Patron at the Tequila bar(which had received very little love from us this week)!

 

 

 

 

 

Despite the crowd, the music wound down pretty quickly, so we headed inside. We were all in the mood to dance, and hadn't tried out the nightclub yet, so we made our way back to deck 5.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately,despite the late hour, it was…pretty empty. They had some pretty random music going on, and a few middle aged woman dancing on the floor, but little else.We tried to dance around a bit, but the atmosphere just wasn't there.

 

 

 

 

We ended up back at Alchemy for another drink, and by then, it was going on 1am-one of my later nights! We all decided it was time to head back, and we concluded the night.

[sunbird21]

Aruba dinner menu...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunbird21]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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