My LONG Sunshine Story - 02/04/23 to 02/09/23

[mlshum]

24 minutes ago, erstreet2017 said:

Liz again! I feel like we cannot stress enough to y’all just how “cringe” some parts of the Love & Marriage Show were on this trip. I love the show every time, but y’all…. It was bad 😂

 

To put it in perspective- I tell Michelle EVERYTHING. She has heard words come out of my mouth that she never dreamed, some of which I have been (rightfully) chastised for. I would NEVER say what that “final answer” turned out to be. Ron and I love to joke around, play on words, etc. but even we were speechless, and that’s saying a lot for us 😳

 

Also, the way the middle couple got on stage was that the wife LICKED THE HUSBAND’S WHOLE BALD HEAD!!! Yuck!! 

Yeah, that whole licking the head business was just….ewwwwww…

[mlshum]

30 minutes ago, erstreet2017 said:

Liz again! I feel like we cannot stress enough to y’all just how “cringe” some parts of the Love & Marriage Show were on this trip. I love the show every time, but y’all…. It was bad 😂

 

To put it in perspective- I tell Michelle EVERYTHING. She has heard words come out of my mouth that she never dreamed, some of which I have been (rightfully) chastised for. I would NEVER say what that “final answer” turned out to be. Ron and I love to joke around, play on words, etc. but even we were speechless, and that’s saying a lot for us 😳

 

Also, the way the middle couple got on stage was that the wife LICKED THE HUSBAND’S WHOLE BALD HEAD!!! Yuck!! 

And honestly, do I ever really “chastise”?  Suggest alternatives, maybe, but chastise?  🙂 

[ninjacat123]

That shirt "surprise" was awesome!!  Love the pics and the fact you all could pull it off😄

[mlshum]

25 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

That shirt "surprise" was awesome!!  Love the pics and the fact you all could pull it off😄

It was fantastic!  The guys were truly such good sports.  It would have never occurred to me to do it.  I'm very glad we did.  That will be a fun memory for years to come!

[mlshum]

(I'm going to attempt to get all of the Nassau story posted today.  I'll finish it off when I get back from Mom's late this weekend.)

 

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2023 – Nassau

 

 

Morning dawned beautiful and calm.   We were going to be able to dock and go into town.  This was our 5th trip to Nassau, and we’ve been able to find something unique each time we were there.  This day might have been the most unique yet.

 

 

Towel animal takeover

 

Towel animal takeover

 

Towel animal takeover

 

 

As usual, breakfast started on the Lido.  Nearly our whole group was there together eating and waiting for the ship to dock and for us to be cleared to go ashore.  Everyone was excited and ready to get started on the adventure.  Four of the couples, Emory and Cami, Kim and Bobby, Daryl and Frances and Derrick and Lucinda were heading out for Blue Lagoon.  Aaron, Liz, Ron and I had decided to go on a very long walking adventure to Ardastra Gardens to see the flamingos with a couple of stops each direction.  It was an ambitious walk of several miles.  Walking is my favorite exercise.  Liz and I walk together frequently at home.  The guys were fine for the hike, too, so....off we went.

 

Aaron's mother ship....unfortunately it was closed when we go there....too early.

 

Nassau dock - walkway between ships

 

 

We started out across the pier.  The new port area is really starting to take shape and it’s going to be amazing.  I snapped a few pictures so you can check out the progress in case you haven’t been there recently.

 

 

Construction

 

Construction

 

Vendor huts going up in new port area

 

This looks like some sort of amphitheater being built.

 

We turned right off the pier and walked down the main street.  We dropped in a couple of shops along the way.  Liz had been devastated to learn that there was NO Dr. Pepper on board even though they were serving Pepsi products.  We were on the lookout for a store with a pop cooler so she could get her Dr. Pepper fix.  Thankfully we were successful before she withered away from lack of Dr. Pepper.

 

Liz had some free roaming service and was able to use Google maps for the day.  It was a life saver because our path was a very convoluted one!  She took the role of navigator, and we headed off to find West Hill St.  In San Juan, La Fortaleza is known as the “umbrella street”.  I happened to discover that Nassau ALSO has an umbrella street on West Hill St.  Making it to this street was the first goal of the day.

 

Umbrellas in the distance!

 

 

The umbrellas were out and although they didn’t cover the entire street, they were lovely, and we were thrilled to see that they were there.  The umbrellas were red and there were some suspended hearts as well for Valentine’s Day.  We took a few pictures and found our way up a somewhat hidden staircase to our second and shortest stop....Graycliffe Chocolatiers. 

 

 

West Hill Street

 

 

 

 

There are tours and activities that you can do at Graycliffe that I may try to do at some point but for today, we simply wanted to try a piece of their famous chocolate.  I selected a chocolate and hazelnut combination, and Ron opted a chocolate and sea salt caramel.  They were both delicious!  They just melted in the mouth.  Definitely worth the walk there.

 

 

Liz consulted her map, and we continued on down West Hill St and turned right.  We crossed a few residential streets and walked along beside a large cemetery and a Veteran’s cemetery.  We walked past the humane society and a couple of dogs started walking with us.  They were very friendly.  We tried not to encourage them, but they didn’t need any encouragement and they went right along with us.  One was wearing a pink collar, so she obviously had a home.  After walking for a while longer, we came to our destination....Ardastra Gardens.

 

 

We're walking....

 

....and walking......

 

....still smiling......

 

.....past the cemetery....

 

...and the Veteran's cemetery.

 

Turn here!

 

 

Almost there!!!

 

 

Liz and I ran across some information on the “trained” flamingos at Ardastra Gardens when we were searching for what to do in Nassau.  The name is familiar to me, and I feel like I might have seen that offered as part of a shore excursion years ago.  I may be wrong about that.  The bottom line is I love flamingos and I can’t recall ever seeing one up close and personal.  This was my chance!  We arrived at Ardastra Gardens at 9:54 and waited only six minutes until they opened.  We sat down on a bench for a welcome rest and were the first people to enter the Gardens that day.  The dogs followed us in but were immediately shooed out.  Of course, dogs and birds are NOT a good mix!

 

We made it!!

 

First in for the day

 

Schedule

 

Dogs and birds don't mix so our new friend had to leave.

 

 

Ardastra Gardens is very interesting and pretty much self-guided.  Some of the birds are just out wandering around on their own.  We saw Macaws, Lorikeets, peacocks....even a completely white peacock.  They were beautiful!  There were other animals that seemed strange to me to have in a “zoo” setting because they’re quite common where I live....pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, etc.  They may be considered more exotic in the Bahamas where the flamingos are native. I know that swimming pigs are a “thing” in the Bahamas but, to be honest, that doesn’t hold any appeal for me.   To each his own, I guess.  I’m always very much a “you do you” kind of person.   We were told to follow the path at our leisure and the flamingo area was just inside the pink gates.  The flamingo show would begin at 10:30.

 

This rooster thought Ron was getting a little too close.

 

Walkways

 

Walking

 

Many of the birds were just loose

 

Walkway

 

Barn owl

 

I can't remember what this guy was called

 

More birds

 

Pretty sure this is a lorikeet???

 

 

Macaw

 

Monkey

 

Loose peacock

 

Peacock up close and personal

 

Not sure why this guy was in jail but he's beautiful!

 

Pigs....not exactly exotic!

 

Rabbits???

 

Is it really a secret if there's a sign??

 

Turtles

 

White peacock

 

White peacock

 

Wishing well

 

 

 

 

We wandered along the paths looking at the various animals as we went.  We found the pink gates and passed through.  The flamingos were just wandering around on their own with no enclosures.  We walked over to them, and they simply ignored us.  They weren’t the least bit afraid.  They’re beautiful!  I had always heard that flamingos were pink, but these were actually more orange than pink.  We wandered among the flamingos for a while taking pictures.  These flamingos are trained and do a show.  While we were there, their trainer came and called them, and they left us to follow him.  We went to the flamingo show area and found a seat.

 

Flamingo sign

 

Through the pink gates

 

Flamingos wandering around loose

 

 

 

The show area is an octagon shaped lawn surrounded by a short wooden fence.  The flamingos and their “drill instructor” entered the fenced area and walked around stopping at each side of the enclosure so the audience could get a good look at them.  Their trainer instructed them to “forward march”, “about face”, “halt” and “pick it up”.  The announcer told us a lot about the birds and the conservation efforts there on the island.  The flamingo is the national bird of the Bahamas.  We were then invited to come inside the enclosure in small groups for photo opportunities.  Aaron opted to stay out and be the photographer.  I immediately jumped up to go into the pen.  The trainer took the birds to each group, and they stood very close to us and basically wandered around.  We were told not to touch them and that they didn’t like to be touched.  They walked very close to us on their own, completely unconcerned.  The announcer instructed each group to assume the flamingo pose....arms out and standing on one leg.....for the picture.  When they got to us and we were ready to assume the pose the announcer said, “Man in flamingo pants, you’d better be good at this!”.  We all cracked up because none of us had noticed that Ron was wearing his flamingo swimming trunks.  We assumed the pose and Aaron took pictures.  It was so cool!  I loved it! 

 

 

Waiting for the show

 

 

Up close and personal

 

Flamingo show

 

Flamingo show

 

Flamingos with their drill instructor

 

They are tall with necks extended!

 

Our flamingo pose

 

 

We always say my girl will meet her death by attempting to pet things that shouldn't be petted.  They told her "don't touch" and she didn't although she wanted to very badly!

 

 

 

The show ended and we continued on through the gardens, finishing our tour at the gift shop.  We purchased some water, and I also got a t-shirt and magnet.  We had very much enjoyed our time at Ardastra Gardens, but we were now heading to our next stop, which was Junkanoo Beach.

 

 

After another mile or so of walking, we arrived at Junkanoo Beach.  Although this was my 5th trip to Nassau, I had never been to Junkanoo.  It had been my hope and plan to do a little snorkeling.  We found a place for our stuff, grabbed snorkel gear and headed to the water.  It took my breath away it was so cold!  That explains why there were lots of people on the beach but very few in the water!  I stood in the surf for a minute or so, hoping I’d adjust, but never got used to the water temperature.  I gave up on swimming this cruise.  It just wasn’t meant to be.  Ron has declared that future cruises will be held later in the year in hopes of milder temps and better weather.

 

 

Junkanoo

 

Lighthouse in the distance

 

Ships in the distance

 

You can barely read the sign

 

After learning how cold the water was this was as close as I wanted to get!

 

 

We gathered up our stuff....again.... and headed back toward the ship.  We hadn’t gone far when we came upon Mama Gloria’s.  It was a tiny little storage-style building with one open side window and it was painted pink.   There was a sandwich sign near the sidewalk with their menu.    Let me pause here and say that both Aaron and Derrick had really wanted to sample some conch fritters on this trip.  They had even scoped out a particular location in Bimini.  Obviously, that didn’t happen.  They were disappointed but we must try to bear up under the weight of our disappointment and move ahead.  Then...right there on the menu was a listing for “conch fritters”.  It was a sign!  (literally!)  Aaron immediately stepped in line.  I was glad he would get to try them after being patient enough to walk all the way to Ardastra Gardens for me.  He’s a good sport!

 

 

Mama Gloria's 

 

]Menu

 

First bite

 

Conch fritters

 

 

One thing you must give Mama Gloria...she doesn’t get in a hurry.  It took FOREVER for the conch fritters to be ready.  Ron, Liz and I sat on a bench and watched people go by while we were waiting.  We even saw a guy get arrested.  Still, Mama Gloria knows what she’s doing and will deliver when the time is right and the stars align.  Finally, the conch fritters were passed through the window and the moment of truth had arrived.  Aaron took his first bite.  He pronounced them delicious and fantastic.  He offered everyone a sample.  I passed.  I’m not a seafood eater and I’ve seen those things hanging out of their shells while they’re still alive.  They look like really big slugs to me.  Ron took a sample and agreed with Aaron that it was really good.  Aaron polished those off in no time.  I was very glad he’d managed to find some after all in spite of our cancelled port.

 

 

We continued our walk along the waterfront, veering around a couple of hotel properties, passing Senor Frogs and finally had reached the Straw Market.

 

Straw Market

 

My first visit to the Straw Market was back in 2010.  I DID NOT like it!  It was in a tent at that time.  The aisles of souvenirs were very close and I don’t do well with too many people talking to me at once, especially when they are trying to sell me something that I don’t want to buy.  In the Straw Market, if you stop and look at something or make a comment, someone is going to come up and try to talk you into buying it.  In 2010 I had gotten out of there as quickly as possible and swore I’d never go back.  Fast forward to early 2022.  Ron and I were in Nassau on Mardi Gras.  We had been diverted to Nassau when our stop in Puerto Rico was cancelled.  It was cold that day, too, so we did a walking tour of Nassau and after that tour, we had continued to stroll around on our own.  We had stopped in the new Straw Market at that time.  It still wasn’t fully reopened from COVID.  There were very few vendors, and the aisles were wider.  I did OK that time.  Liz and Aaron hadn’t visited for a couple of years so they agreed that running in would be a good idea.  My mistake!  The new Straw Market is just like the old one now....very crowded, narrow aisles and people trying to sell you anything on which you made a comment.  I walked into the market, hung a left down an aisle, turned right and went down another aisle and walked straight out of the building.  I just couldn’t do it!  Liz was ready to pummel one woman who was trying to sell me a dress as I was trying to get away.  (Liz is pretty protective of me!  I love her.  She’s my girl!)

 

 

Back out into the open air and a little more space I could finally breathe again.  We’d eaten chocolate, saw the flamingos, tried the water and Aaron had eaten conch fritters.  It was a good day, and it was time to go back to the ship.  It was in the afternoon, and we hadn’t eaten lunch, so we were hungry.

 

 

 

[mcgore83]

Great review!  Thank you for sharing!

[mlshum]

1 minute ago, mcgore83 said:

Great review!  Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for your kind words and thanks so much for reading along!

[mlshum]

**A special shout out and photo credit to Lucinda and Derrick for taking ALL of the Blue Lagoon photos for this part of the review!  Thanks guys!!

 

So....continued from earlier today........

 

 

In the meantime, while we were traipsing around Nassau, yon is a small private island about 30 minutes from where the ship docks.  This island is called Blue Lagoon.  There are multiple excursions available including interactions with dolphins, stingrays, sea lions and sharks as well as a beach day.  A very nice lunch was included.  The island has walking trails, a lovely beach, animal enclosures you can visit to see the animals and you can rent things like snorkel gear, stand up paddleboards and water toys.  There is an area near the dock that has several large blow-up water obstacles that you can climb and jump.  The water isn’t very deep, but it is very clear.  The beach is shaded with palm trees and there are plenty of loungers.  It’s a neat place that Liz, Aaron, Ron and I had visited in 2021.

 

Boat ride to Blue Lagoon with Cami and Emory...

 

...Daryl and Frances....

 

.....and Bobby and Kim.

 

These two are just too stinking cute!

 

Welcome to Blue Lagoon Island!!!

 

 

The rest of our group had planned a trip to Blue Lagoon on this day.  Emory, Cami, Daryl, Frances, Kim and Bobby had all booked a dolphin encounter.  Derrick and Lucinda were doing a beach day and exploring.  They all had to be on the pier and ready to depart at 9am.  It looked like everyone who was going to Blue Lagoon was leaving at the same time regardless of which excursion they had booked.

 

 

The boat ride to Blue Lagoon is very scenic.  As you pull out, you get a good look at the ships that are docked.  You sail along the Nassau waterfront, past Atlantis and past a lighthouse.  The staff tells some interesting facts about the things you are passing.  Derrick, Kim and Cami all mentioned the Michael Jackson suite at Atlantis.  The nightly rate was something like $25,000 and there was a four-night minimum stay.  If one has the means, then by all means, I guess!  Apparently, some DO have the means because Lucinda said it was booked out for two years!

 

 

As the boat pulled into Blue Lagoon, Bobby said it reminded him of Gilligan’s Island.  Clear water, perfect temps and a nice little cove.  Everyone enjoyed the dolphin encounter.  The dolphin was again named Shaun.  I’m not sure if every dolphin is named Shaun or if Shaun the Dolphin is just an extremely hard-working dolphin but Emory and Cami’s son and daughter-in-law had met Shaun in 2020, we had met Shaun in 2021 and now THEY were meeting Shaun!   Frances said the Dolphin Encounter was the highlight of her entire trip.  Derrick and Lucinda are anxious to return and take their three kids to the island. 

 

 

Bobby and Kim meet Shaun

 

Shaun must love Emory because he's getting a hug

 

And Kim dances with him

 

You can barely see Daryl and Frances in the distance

 

Frances gets a hug, too!

 

Shaun jumps out of the water....

 

....and right back in (of course!)!

Exploring the wilds.

 

Lunchtime!

 

Conch fritters, maybe??

 

He looks like he might be running away from home?!?!

 

Island life

 

Taking a dip in the super shallow water

 

 

One surprising thing is how quickly the Blue Lagoon group was back on board Sunshine.  When we had visited a couple of years ago, we were there so long they had to hold the ship for us because we didn’t make our 4:30 departure time.  (This is why I like to book excursions with the ship!  They WILL NOT leave you if your excursion runs late.)  This time our group was back together on the Sunshine in the early afternoon.  Apparently, they had arrived, eaten, wandered around a little, visited with the dolphins and then were told it was time to leave.  Go figure!  Apparently, they DID have conch fritters and Derrick was able to try them after all.  Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy them as much as Aaron did and they apparently didn’t sit as well later in the day.  The moral of this story is to get your conch fritters from Mama Gloria instead of Blue Lagoon!

 

Our towel animal was in our room

 

 

Back on board and lunch acquired, Ron, Liz and I headed to Serenity while Aaron went to get a massage.  Ron opted to take his book and read.  Liz and I decided to find a hot tub since we were in bathing suits and hadn’t gotten in the water yet.  The inferno hot tub was too “peoplely” so we went down a couple of flights of stairs to the Lido hot tub.  Much more temperate and only a couple of people.  We hung out there for a while and then decided to go shower and find what else we could find to do.  Movie Quotes Trivia was being held in Ocean Plaza, so we agreed to meet there to play a game.  Afterwards, we went up on deck to watch pier runners.   There were four.  We were docked beside the MSC Seascape, which is the newest in the MSC fleet.  On the other side of the Seascape was Mariner of the Seas.  Lots to see and lots to do....it was a good day!

 

MSC Seascape is beside us

 

Mariner of the Seas pulling into port

 

As we were pulling away from Nassau we headed down to our room to get ready for dinner.

 

Headed down to dinner

 

We met in the dining room at our usual table.  Frances was really tired from her day at Blue Lagoon, so she didn’t join us that night.   Oka and Gusti immediately brought a bread selection and started getting drink and food orders.  They were always fast, and the food was always good during this trip.  No complaints about the dining room at all.  That night, Lucinda danced with the waiters again.  I did something that I’ve always wanted to do but had never been brave enough......I got up and danced, too!  It was a lot of fun, and I was glad I had finally done it.  Lucinda made me brave!  I told her, Liz, Cami and Kim that they were helping me.  I wore a dress that was sleeveless that night as well.  I struggle with poor body image sometimes and my tribe is helping me get over that.  Ron has always been helpful...now the girls are helping, too.  I’m so blessed to have Ron and such wonderful “friends who have become family.”

 

Me!  Believe it or not, I'm dancing!

 

After dinner, Ron, Liz and I went down to buy some pictures.  We got pictures of our group as a whole and of the six guys in their matching shirts.  (I've already posted pictures of those pictures.)  We met everyone except Aaron (he went to the casino) and Daryl and Frances (back to their cabin to rest) in the Liquid Lounge to see Shaun Brown do a Motown/Blues show.  He was excellent!  He’s a very talented singer and performer.  At one point he invited a couple of ladies from the audience to come on stage as his back up dancers and to have a “twist off”.  Everyone had a lot of fun.  If you have an opportunity to see him, you won’t be disappointed!

 

 

When the show was finished, we went up to the Lido Deck for the Mega Deck Party.  They were doing the normal line dances....Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, YMCA, etc.  Ron and I danced the whole evening which is unusual for us and typically outside our comfort zone.  We’re branching out!  We were joined by Liz, Kim, Cami and Lucinda.  Remember when I told you in the beginning that Cami had a double knee replacement in December?  She was on the dance floor with everyone else for the duration of the party.  She’s amazing!  After dancing for a while, we found a table inside the Lido dining room and ate an 11pm piece of pizza.  (My 55-year-old self would come to regret that decision later in the night.  LOL)   It was a wonderful day full of fun and new adventures.  Just before I turned in, and before the clock ticked over to a new day, I checked my watch and realized that I had almost 9 miles of walking counted throughout the day.  20,000 + steps!   I’ll take it!  Ron and I planned to sleep late the next morning on our last sea day.

 

Deck party

 

 

To be concluded this weekend!

 

[mlshum]

And finally....the conclusion.

 

 

 

Wednesday, Feb 8th. - Sea Day

 

 

As usual Ron and I got cleaned up and headed to Lido for breakfast.  Most of the group went to Sea Day Brunch.  In retrospect I wish I had done breakfast in the dining room at least once to have gotten some good French toast.  (Gang, looks like we need to book another cruise so I can get French toast!)    Today was going to be a day of relaxing, playing and doing those “final” things.

 

Emory's breakfast at Sea Day Brunch.  I can see I made a mistake in missing that!

 

Bobby at Sea Day Brunch

 

 

Ron and I went to the Liquid Lounge for Morning Trivia.  A lady named Jem Jem was doing trivia.  She was probably my least favorite trivia host yet.  The morning trivia would have only ten questions and the topic???  Coffee!   I know absolutely nothing about coffee.  I don’t even drink it.  I think it smells good.  That’s about the extent of my knowledge.  I was there and I was going to play, even if I crashed and burned!

 

We found a birthday duck on the way to play morning trivia

 

I guessed on literally every question.  She commented on some of the questions that no one, ever, had gotten them right on her watch.  A couple of them I had sort of an idea.  Two questions had three multiple choice answers.  I always guessed the middle option, whatever that was.  Finally, it was time to tally the points.  When we started going through the answers, I was shocked that I had gotten half of them correct.  I was more shocked when 5 was enough to win the game!   I won a round of trivia!  Apparently they don’t give out solid gold plastic ships on a stick anymore...or at least not often....so I got a 50th year medallion. 

 

 

When we got back our "get off our ship heart" was waiting.  This was really happening.  It was almost over.

 

 

After trivia we grabbed our books and headed up on deck to find a quiet place to relax.  Liz joined us.  We read a while and watched a little of The Wave on the big screen.  Pretty soon it was time to get the Bingo cards that we won during Deal or No Deal.  We headed to Ocean Plaza.  There was a very long line, so I just got in line, assuming that it was for Bingo cards.  I soon learned that it was NOT for Bingo cards but was for luggage tags/zone numbers.  On well....I needed that, too!  After I finished getting my luggage tags, I got in a different line for Bingo cards.

 

 

Hanging out on Serenity.  Was this her last ice cream cone of the trip??

 

 

The girls from our group were scattered in the Bingo line.  Every one of us had won free Bingo on Deal or No Deal cards except Frances.  She bought a Bingo card anyway.  Liz didn’t realize she had won one at first because it was on the card Aaron had been holding but when they checked her name, she was a winner, too.  Good deal!  Some of our group headed to the casino....

 

 

Frances

 

Kim

 

Bobby

 

 

Since we were already at Ocean Plaza and Harry Potter trivia was beginning we decided to stay and play....or in reality, to cheer Liz on.  She’s the expert in that subject!    Back on our Sunrise cruise she had gotten every answer right but lost in the tie breaker.  She had come home and looked up the answer afterward.  That would prove to be helpful!

 

Daryl and Emory in Ocean Plaza

 

We all sat together and started playing the game.  Although several of us were filling out answers, we KNEW who was going to win, at least from our group.  Sure enough, she again got every answer right.  So did two other people.  The three of them went up to the front for a tie breaker question.  When they asked the question, it was the same tie breaker question they had asked in 2021 on Sunrise that she had went home and looked up!  Yes!  She won the game and claimed her 50^th year medallion.  We cheered loudly!  You’d have thought the Super Bowl was being played that day!  Finally.....justice!  Really.....if they’re going to play the same trivia subject they might want to change up the questions occasionally. 

 

My last duck

 

 

The whole group headed up to Cucina/Ji Ji’s for some pasta bar and Mongolian Wok lunch.  We snagged the big corner booth in the back.  This lunch set-up works for us!    It’s really nice to be able to get lunch from basically any of the Lido food options and still eat together.

 

 

After lunch we split up.  The girls all went to play the big $5000 Bingo game.  Some of the guys headed for a nap and some to the casino.  Derrick was down about $75 by the end of the cruise.  He commented that he’d never had so much fun losing money before.   That was offset by the $83.22 that Lucinda WON playing her $30 casino credit from Deal or No Deal.  Hey, teamwork makes dreamwork, right?? 

 

 

Frances and I met this guy in the elevator

 

 

Lucinda took a minute to demonstrate how to WIN in the casino!

 

 

Several days during the cruise Derrick was wearing his WVU (West Virginia University) Mountaineers shirts, hats, etc.  Bobby was wearing a WVU lanyard.  Lucinda said that several times people from all over would yell “Go ‘eers” to Derrick when they noticed his shirt or hat.  She said one of the things she enjoyed most was meeting people from all over the world and chatting like old friends.  Ron and I met a couple that we had known from our previous church that were living in the same hallway as us.  I guess it truly IS a small world!

 

One of Derrick's WVU shirts

 

 

So....back to Bingo.  We gathered in the Liquid Lounge to play our game.  There were quite a few people.  We were in the balcony to the left of the stage.  Neither Liz nor I are huge Bingo fans, so we had only the free cards that we won on Deal or No Deal.  She has won in Bingo before.  I never have.  This day would be no exception!   I didn’t even come close on any game that we played.  Kim was pretty close at one point, but they stopped calling her numbers and, no dice, she didn’t win.  It was still fun, and we enjoyed playing and laughing together.

 

 

Bingo

 

Liz and I might have a little bit of trouble paying attention sometimes....maybe.....sometimes....

 

After Bingo I decided to take a nap.  Sitting still in the lounge had made me sleepy.  After laying down for a while I found Ron in Ocean Plaza playing “What You Should Have Learned in Grade School” trivia.  He won with a perfect score. He must have paid attention in grade school!   He also found a birthday duck in the stairwell.  It was really cute, and I was having trouble deciding whether or not to bring the pirate or the birthday duck home.  In the end, I brought them BOTH home.  I had found a square duck in Ocean Plaza earlier in the cruise.  I did hide it again, along with my Valentine ducks...one for each day of the cruise.

 

Ron is awarded the distinguished 50 year medallion for paying attention in school

 

 

 

It was late afternoon, and we went upstairs to our room to read and get ready for dinner.  Tonight, we would be celebrating Lucinda’s birthday.  We had been sneaky and purchased a picture of her and Derrick.  Her PVP (we think) had sent her a photo album during the cruise as a birthday gift.  We thought the picture would be nice in the album.  We also passed around a card for everyone to sign.  Our amazing waitstaff brought her an extra dessert with “Happy Birthday” written in chocolate sauce on the plate.  They made her a candle and rose out of napkins and a napkin bow to wear.  They even sang to her.   They were awesome! 

 

Surprising Lucinda with a towel rose and candle complete with flame to blow out....

 

....and a birthday bow to wear!

 

 

Ron has always enjoyed collecting unusual or foreign money, both bills and coins.  While we were in Nassau, he had exchanged some American dollars for Bahamian dollars.  He gave each of the guys one to remember their trip.   They all seemed to enjoy it and it made a nice souvenir. 

 

 

We had a little time after dinner before Epic Rock was supposed to start so we went back to our cabins to start packing.  Boo!!!  I can’t believe it was already the last night!  We didn’t quite finish before the show but made a good start of it.

 

Aaron's new favorite drink

 

 

I’d seen Epic Rock before.  It’s actually one of my favorite Playlist shows.  Unfortunately, they only did the singing and a very small amount of dancing for the 9:30 show.  Aaron had glanced into the theatre during the 7:30 show and he said it was the full show.    I have no idea why.  The sea seemed to be calm but I’m sure there was a reason.  The show was still good, the cast was talented, and everyone had a great time.  Kim later commented on how much she enjoyed the shows.  I said I wished she could have seen the full production show.  She said that since it was her first cruise and she didn’t have another point of comparison, so she thought it was great.  Fair enough!   We need to fix that ASAP!   It might have been her first cruise, but I seriously doubt it will be her last!

 

 

Last show in the theatre

 

The 80’s party was starting in the Atrium right after Epic Rock and most of our group went to the party.  I would later learn that Leon poured both water and sugar on himself and participated in a little crowd surfing.  He’s all in, I’ll give him that!   I was feeling pretty wiped out and we went back to our room to finish packing and go to bed fairly early.  I realized the next morning that I had the beginning of a mild head cold, which explains why I was so tired.   It’s winter...it happens.  I’m just glad it waited until the last night of the cruise to manifest. 

 

 

Not feeling the greatest 

 

 

 

February 9, 2023 - Debarkation

 

 

We had to be out of our rooms by 8am.  We had checked our luggage the night before, so we only had our backpacks.  As usual, we went up to Lido to grab a bite of breakfast.  The temperature wasn’t bad at all, so we congregated just beside Guy’s burgers on the outside deck area.  I had noticed that we were hearing announcements when we were inside getting breakfast but hadn’t heard any for a long time while we were out on deck.  Finally, Ron and I decided to walk down to another waiting area on Deck 5 since we had earlier zone numbers that everyone else.  That explains it!  So...if you are cruising from Charleston, be aware that you will NOT hear any of the announcements when out on deck!  I quickly messaged everyone to let them know that the zone numbers had already been called and they could come down.

 

We're pouting....

 

We're ALL pouting

 

 

We walked down with the crowd where we were supposed to board the shuttle to be taken to the parking area.  The shuttle wait was going to be about 15 - 30 minutes.  We learned that we were allowed to walk back to our cars, and it was about a 10 minute walk.  Sign us up!  We grabbed our luggage and set out.  It wasn’t a bad walk at all to the car.  On the way out of town we drove down Rainbow Row, which we had missed earlier.  It was so pretty!  We then hit the road.

 

 

We drove until about noon and stopped at a Zaxby’s for lunch.  We had no more sat down than Emory and Cami pulled in!  Daryl and Frances had ridden home with them.  Like I said, it truly is a small world!

 

 

We finally arrived home in the late afternoon, tired but happy that we’d had such a wonderful cruise with our friends. 

 

 

Our group chat continues!  One of the most recent topics of conversation was how much weight we had gained during the cruise.  Derrick believes that it happened because his clothes shrunk while passing through the Bermuda Triangle.  Emory, always thinking, suggested that we simply take a cruise in another part of the Bermuda Triangle and see if it would reverse itself.  I like that idea a lot better than dieting!   The most current topic of conversation is not where but WHEN we will cruise again!

 

 

So...to quote Paul Harvey, "And that is the rest of the Story!'"

 

 

.  Our first group cruise was SO much fun!  I loved these wonderful friends before, but those bonds have grown stronger, and we’ve grown closer.  They are like my family.   It might have been our first group cruise, but it certainly won’t be our last!   Ron and I will be headed out again in late November on the Celebration.  Until that time, I’ll be lurking here on Cruise Critic to see what all of you are up to and living vicariously through YOUR stories.  See you soon!

 

 

 

[AKR2011]

What a wonderful review once again! I really enjoy living vicariously through you and look forward to your next adventure.  Thank you so much for sharing. I'm cruising with friends this summer and your review has me so excited! 

[mlshum]

18 minutes ago, AKR2011 said:

What a wonderful review once again! I really enjoy living vicariously through you and look forward to your next adventure.  Thank you so much for sharing. I'm cruising with friends this summer and your review has me so excited! 

Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading along!  Which ship are you sailing this summer?

[AKR2011]

3 minutes ago, mlshum said:

Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading along!  Which ship are you sailing this summer?

NCL Pearl. First week with the husband and friends to Bermuda, then a second week with my parents to Canada and New England. A bunch of first time cruisers with us!

[mlshum]

19 minutes ago, AKR2011 said:

NCL Pearl. First week with the husband and friends to Bermuda, then a second week with my parents to Canada and New England. A bunch of first time cruisers with us!

That’s awesome!  I know you’ll have a fantastic time!  We did Bermuda last October and had a great trip, too.