Hawaii 2023 Day 4 & Beyond

Must remember to move the first post to this blog...  

Day 4: Disney A'ulani Resort 

The day started very early, with the unmistakable whoop whoop of a house alarm, at 3:30 we put on shoes, grabbed the car key, room keys to the other hotel, wallets and phones and headed outside for a quiet pool side star gaze. We were very much in the wrong location, but it was the closest "out" nearest our room and we weren't alone. After the fire trucks came, there was an announcement in the hotel that we could not hear, and Jessica called the front desk. We were given the all clear, so back to bed we went. It wasn't easy but we all managed to get another couple hours of rest. 

At a more reasonable hour, we joined our friends at the pool, and they had secured six lounge chairs in the shade. We spent a lovely day swimming in the pools, floating the lazy river and the LT's popped out to the lagoon for a dip in the ocean. In the afternoon we moved our luggage from our room to the K's room, and then to the cars. We hung out at the pool until we were done with Disney. The pools were great, the service fantastic, but the age group was very much younger. Lots and lots of babies and little kids. Our main hotel also has lots of families, but the demographic seems to be a bit older. 

Once back and settled in our primary hotel, I did the mom thing and used the washer dryer. It has been nice to wash as we go, not only so that we don't bring home a giant pile of heavy wet stuff, but to keep the favorite items in rotation. We dined at the "good" restaurant at the hotel. and I don't think any of us was too impressed.

Off to bed to get ready for our tourist day.

Day 5:  

The plan for day 5 was to visit the Pearl Harbor national Park.   The drive into Honolulu wasn’t too challenging, but parking was a bit of an event.   One thing to note about the park is hat bags are not permitted, so I paid $7.00 to stow my bag in an air conditioned hut.   The bag had almost nothing in it once I removed my credit card, phone and trusty hair tie.  Oh well…

Everyone should visit the Memorial at least once.  It was moving, interesting, and very well done.   I think both my dad and Jason’s dad were with us in  spirit as we experienced the sites.   We had tickets to the Arizona memorial, but paid extra to wander around the Submarine museum.   The feature attraction was the USS Bowfin Submarine, a decommissioned World War II submarine.  The USS Bowfin was a “silent service” vessel meaning that to be stealth the servicemen on board were required to be silent so as to not be detected.    It was commissioned one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor.   

There was a ramp from the park to the top of the submarine  and before I knew it we were ushered  to a set of stairs, nope a ladder that led into the submarine.   The self-guided tour was incredible, but also hot, sweaty, and spaces were TIGHT.   This was not a simulation, but we were moving through the sub from the aft to the stern through about 6 bulkhead doors, (not a hatch) of rather small nature.  Not at all ADA compliant.   Once we were in the sub, the only way out was to keep moving forward.   It is apparent that the navy submariners were not ever going to be in the NBA.  The cots, or bunks were at most 5 feet long., and the head was not made for comfort.   It’s impressive that these men lived like that.    The subs to today are much bigger, but probably still not like a fancy cruise ship.

Once topside, we took many photos and then purchased the photo of our family that was printed on the “newspaper” from 1941, the day after the attack.   Cheesy - yes, but nicely done and the proceeds returned to the museum.   Better money spent than a tacky water bottle in the shape of a large missile.  (Available for purchase at the USS Bowfin gift shop for $39.99.)

We wandered through a couple of the on site exhibitions that talked through the Second World War, the Cold War, and then the information about the attack on Oahu.  (It was much more than just Pearl Harbor.). Lucy and Sophie were noticeably disturbed by the actions of humans and were confused as to why anyone would sign up to participate in something that would most likely lead to their deaths.   Hard to explain …

Our time to go to the Arizona arrived and our group was lead into an auditorium where a very somber US Park ranger, Daniel made it clear that this was not an exposition, or an experience but a living cemetery where 1200 bodies were still entombed beneath the water.  We were instructed that we could take photos but no social media would be tolerated.  I can only imagine how they had to come to the point of being crystal clear that that activity was not appropriate.  

We were lead down to a pier where three active Naval service persons were on hand to get us onto the boat and tot he memorial.  Once across the harbor to the memorial the size of the Arizona became clear and the somber news of the location was palpable.   Most everyone was in their own quiet groups, some asking questions of the park ranger on hand, and others moving about the memorial.   At one end, there is a space that had the names of the servicemen who perished on the Arizona, and the names of the survivors who had chosen to be interred with their fellow servicemen.   It was “just a big white room” but you could really feel the importance of it.  Everyone was quiet and purposeful about taking in the names, but at one point a young boy about 6 or 7 noted the excellent acoustics and belted out a very loud chorus of “who let the dogs out?”, the mom, who obviously had never had to threaten the sweet prince before, shushed him, but he was a defiant little jerk and dropped an additional chorus in a slightly quieter, but equally less reverent manner.   I had to walk away… but from that moment on, any time there is a quiet moment in our group travels, I think a round of “who let the dogs out” will ring through the car. Maybe Lucy and Sophie will sing a round at my funeral someday.  

Back to the hotel for a refreshing dip in the pool and dinner in the room. All parties agreed that our hotel room dinner was better than the one from the night before.  

Day 6: The Dole Plantation

The K’s attended a sales pitch for their vacation club, so the LT’s had a quiet morning and a homemade breakfast. Something about the scrambled eggs made by a vacationing Jason that just hit the spot.  

We reconnected at noon to head to the Dole plantation for a tour and “dole Whip”.  Upon arrival the line for the train was one hour, so we opted not to park and just head over to the North Shore. We were in search of food trucks  and then off to Turtle Bay.

Oddly, we haven’t spent any cash on this trip and the $20 I threw in just in case it was needed meant that we were limited to food trucks that would take credit cards. Lucky for us, that is most (but not all). Our food truck lunch has probably been the best food we’ve had so far. This is likely owing to the fact that we’ve been eating at resorts.  My taco salad made me very happy and I know Jason and Lucy loved their burrito and pork tacos.

We then ventured north to Turtle Bay.  The traffics was slow, but it was an interesting ride.    On the way back I was on the Ocean side and spotted dolphins jumping in the water.  

After a short ride we arrived at the Turtle Bay Resort.  This is a beautiful property and a bit of a price jump from our location.  The lobby was open on all sides and the views were stunning. We made use of the restrooms, spent some money in the hotel general store, and then popped out to the beach.    It is our understanding that all beaches on the island are public. No one questioned our group as we marched through the fancy beach chairs to the beautiful lagoon. We hopped right in the water and played until we were watered out. 

The K’s popped back into the hotel to change and  buy some stuff at the Turtle Bay gift store while we sanded off at the car.  The drive back was longer than the trip out, but the sights were amazing.

Back at the hotel, the families split into their own pods and dined separately .  No drama just different agendas.   Lucy, who was shorted out of shave ice AND dole whip today decided to skip the Mud Pie at dinner.   We also opted to skip the pool tonight in favor of a good shower and quiet time in our room.

Tomorrow looks to be a beach day, which is perfect for our last day.

Hawaii 2023 - Journal

Travelers: Jason, Lucy (12) & me (aka "the LTs") Zack, Jessica & Sophie (11) (sometimes called "the K's") 

Reason for travel: summer vacation, and to celebrate Jessica's 50th birthday 

Location of trip: Oahu, Hawaii Day 1: travel day, Seattle to Honolulu 

Our 11:20 am flight left a bit late, but spirits were high with the three in our party. The flight was smooth, nothing exciting to report, but we did notice the two house cats, one dog and two babies on the flight who seem to call to one another from row 6 to row 20. "Are you still here?"..."Yes, I'm stuck back here, am unhappy. You?", "Heck yeah, I'm pissed." 

With the time zone change, we arrived 6 hours later at 3pm. My only complaint about the whole day is that the Honolulu airport has very little signage as to the location of the rental car wing. It wasn't until I was at the door to cross the street to the rental cars that I saw the first sign for the rental cars. With the key fob to the sexiest, no frills Dodge minivan we loaded up our luggage and headed off to the Marriott Ko' Alina to meet our friends. They were already at the pool, so we found our gear and plopped ourselves into the water to cool off, and begin the process of "un-pleugging" 

Small segue: On our Disney cruise last spring with the K's, the adults took part in a Mojito tasting. The gentleman who was leading the event had an interesting accent and told us that it was so great that we were all there to unplug. However, it sounded like "un-pleuge". Un-pleuge has become part of our friend lexicon. It is used in many ways, such as "my toilet is pleuged", "Did you un-pleuge the iron?", and of course "It it so wonderful to un-pleuge in this pool." 

We opted for a no frills dinner at the pool café, and Lucy said that the pork sandwich was the best she's ever had and hopes to eat it every day. (We're on day 4 now and we haven't been back, but there is still time.) Our room at the Ko' Alina is a "one bedroom villa" which means we have a king bed in a separate zone, a dining table for 6, and a pretty functional kitchen with zero storage, but a dishwasher and washer/dryer. Lucy, sadly has to sleep on the couch pull out, but she's not complaining and sleeping well. She is aware of the fact that these amazing vacations are in our budget, but sometimes the cost of an extra room, or the suite with multiple real beds is not. 

Day 2: Sunday We awoke at 3 am local time and did our fair best to go back to sleep. Later, but still early, we popped out to a grocery store to pick up beverages, and things that should not be purchased at Costco when you're only around for 7 days. At 10, when Costco finally opened the adults went to gather supplies. With a haul in hand, we unpacked our treasures and ate a hearty lunch in our villa. We estimate that each meal we eat here will save us at minimum $80 or more. We aren't on a room PB&J budget, but it's supper nice to be able to scramble eggs in the room. Costco has begun to test out fresh sushi in certain locations, and we were excited to see it in the store. The sushi makers are sort of caged in a mini-kitchen and are rolling Japanese treats for the masses. Zack picked up a platter of sashimi, and I grabbed the platter with the dragon roll and California rolls. Between the 6 of us, we made quick work of it. With all caution aside we skipped the 30 minute waiting requirement for swimming and popped down to the pool for the afternoon. As adults, we now know that the 30 minute waiting period was just a plot to let the adults un-pleuge for a tiny window between the effort to feed kids and the next activity. 

Dinner that night was at a place that Jason's colleague suggested "Monkey Pod". I had the boring fish and chips, which were fabulous. Sophie, who had reached the end of her energy ordered a noodle soup that the adults loved, but she was not impressed. It was unfortunate for her. She is an adventurous eater, but her food critic ratings see a dramatic decline when she is exhausted. 

Day 3: Monday Zack & Jason, the big breakfast fans took themselves on a man-date to the Four Seasons to try their breakfast buffet. One of the many great things about traveling with friends is that there's usually someone who wants to play your game. I don't mind going out for breakfast, but I'm more of a lunch person and for sure, I'm only going to eat one egg and never come close to justifying the cost of a $60 buffet. While the boys had fancy eggs (and probably a bloody mary or two) we packed up an overnight bag because we all were going on a sleep over to the Disney A'ulani resort (which is next door to our Marriott resort.) Jess used some vacation club points to get us each a small room for one night. This allowed us two full days on property to enjoy the pool and amenities. We didn't check out of the Marriott, so we only had to deal with stuff for one night. This was a bit more work that we thought, so I'm very glad we chose do to this activity early in the trip. People can write entire articles about the A'ulani experience, so I won't go into it too much but it was wonderful. The pools are nicely done, the lagoon is superb, pool food is probably the best we've ever had. Finding 6 deck chairs together was not easy, but we did it both days. The second day we were in the shade and it was delightful. Goofy stopped by while we were eating breakfast to let Jason know his food looked yummy, ran into Moana while we were in the lazy river and had to dodge a gaggle of tiny humans who were trying to get hugs from Pluto. It was cute. The room was more fancy than our Mariott villa, but far more compact. I could never live in a place that has shutters for doors between all the spaces, including the toilet. It's hard to un-pleuge when people can hear you. 

We planned to attend the Paradise Cove luau, that was next door to A'ulani that evening, so after a fun day in the water we cleaned up and headed over. It was a short walk and when the show was over I know we were back at A'ulani before some of the folks were out of the parking lot. The show was great, Sophie got pulled onto the stage by the fire eating guy and was a great sport about it. Jason and I privately noted that the Feast of LeLe in Maui was a much more elegant event but the K's seemed to have a great time, which is all that mattered. No need to go on an on about a different event. Back at A'ulani we settled in for a good night sleep. 

Day 4: Tuesday 3:30 a.m. the unmistakable whoop of the emergency alarm woke us up, and we were instructed to leave the building due to an emergency. We grabbed phones, the car key, and our wallets and headed to the nearest exit. Because we were on the ground floor, this meant we exited to the pool area and were met with 4-5 other families. we convinced ourselves that it was all nothing and that we should go back in to bed but decided to hold off once we heard the sirens. We do know that in certain situations the fire department must clear any alarms, so we didn't think the hotel was going to burn down, but it did make the event a bit more real. Once we got the all clear we headed back in and were able to go back to sleep. We were up at an later, but still early hour and were at the pool before breakfast. That's it for now, I'm on the lanai (Wed am) and am out of coffee and need to either put on sun screen or step inside. 

Spring break - Denver trip

Spring Tree

Lucy @ Freddy's 

 Lucy's spring break was a great time to zip off to Denver to take Susie to visit friends, attend a dinner to celebrate a beloved friend and get away for a few days.

I wouldn't say the trip was necessarily on par with an actual vacation.  We spent a lot of time in the car going to visit multiple people in all the corners of the Denver metro area.  We did enjoy lots of great dinners and had some nice visits with family and friends.

Lucy was a great sport and only had one minor "typical teen" moment and that was wholly due to being awakened at 4 am for an early morning flight.  We were all tired, but seemed to bounce back after a nap on the plane.

Thankfully, we were able to squeeze in a visit to Lucy's most favorite burger place EVER.  Freddy's Steakburger.  It is very good and no one was mad about the side trip. 

Our outbound travel was a bit "off".   The automated system at the airport off site car park that we had reserved simply would not recognize our code to let us in.  Getting an actual human to help was difficult and after she finally lumbered over she had the nerve to be irritated at us because our reservation was to start 3 hours earlier.   Um... so what?   We paid extra then... let us in.   She did and the lot was overfull and we ended up parking at the end of an row in an unofficial spot.    When we left yesterday, since we weren't checked in properly we had to get help to get out.   So much for easy pre-pay automation.  

Finally parked and at the airport we were just through security when the announcement that our flight was 3 1/2 hours delayed.  We were each given food vouchers and ultimately a $50 coupon for future travel.   The delay messed up our day one plans, but not too badly.    

Our VRBO house was cute, the perfect size for the three of us and served us well.   We were close to Susie's old neighborhood so we popped over to their favorite pizza place and brought home dinner.   The timing was perfect in that at the end of the month, this place will be closing forever.   

The next day we spent with cousin Beth and then "popped out" to her mother's place for a quick visit.   That took all day, but we did manage the side trip to Freddy's which Lucy and the rest of us enjoyed tremendously.  

We had planned to have dinner with Beth that night, but after the 6+ hour day activities we decided to skip it and have breakfast the next day.    Our afternoon plans fell through and we had a few hours on our own so we went to the mall.

We were able to connect with Jason's bestie Sean for a fun dinner and also a visit to former neighbors where Mrs. Hahn (Barbie) pulled out her clarinets and she and Lucy had a great chat about music.  

We finished our visit by attending a celebration of life dinner for Susie's bestie, Sally who passed away on January 2nd.  It was a lively dinner for ten and we did all the things.  Some tears, sweet stories and enjoyed the evening.  Sally would have approved.  

Our 6 am flight home was delayed until 7:30 which gave us extra time in the morning to not have to rush around like crazy.   We shared the flight with Seattle's All Female Football team and unfortunately for Jason he had two linebackers in his row and it was an unfortunately snug row for those three. 

Yesterday afternoon I started the post trip laundry while unexpected naps took place all over the house.  I napped on the plane and managed to stay up until 9pm.  I did take an afternoon bubble bath that was WONDERFUL!   There's nothing like your own home's amenities after being away.  

I've been on hold with Alaska airline's customer care department for (let me check) 1 hour, 23 minutes and 12..13..14 seconds because they charged me twice for the cheese trays and that's not ok.   I sent an email but the reply said it would be 2-3 WEEKS to get a reply.   Sheesh. 

I'm off to Orlando Florida next week for a work trip, hopefully it will be smoother travel than this trip and then our next major travel event is Hawaii in July.  We booked first class for that journey and I'm quite relieved about the luxury accommodations for that trip.  Jason will be happy not to be seated next to a footballer. 

The Seattle Majestics

These ladies are no joke!

Whew

 The camp people finally responded to my messages.  Lucy is set to go!

We have pulled out the things to take, are gathering extras and we will drop her off Sunday afternoon.

I'm a bit jealous of all the water play in her future, but not so much the sleeping on the two inch inflatable pad (ick).

The camp team clearly needs some administrative help. I'd love to be able to take a couple weeks off to get them all up to snuff, but that would be a hard sell to either burn up vacation for someone else's business or somehow get my employer to cover it as paid leave. 

I did read a couple online reviews about the camp that were unnerving.  One, a child hurt their leg and the camp waited 24 hours to call a parent to take them to get a medical assessment and it turns out the leg was broken.  yikes.   The second was in relation to the trouble with getting ahold of anyone at the camp,

Our trusted neighbor said her son LOVED it there and we are confident Lucy will have a great time.  However, we are going to break one of the camp rules and smuggle in her cell phone.   She is to leave it off unless she needs to call us, and we told her not to even tell her cabin mates that she has a phone.  (unless it's an emergency.)  If it hadn't taken us weeks to talk to a human, I probably wouldn't be ok with this plan, but Lucy is trustworthy.  

Now that we know Lucy is going - we have a full kid-free week to plan.  What will Jason and I be doing?  Working, going out to the places Lucy doesn't like to go and...working.  Woo Woo

Plans and Worries

I'm a planner.  I want to have a vacation or something fun on the books before the current vacation kicks off. I don't need to have the future fun mapped out, but I do want to know that there is something to look forward to as we are jetting home, or I'm wrapping up all the vacation laundry.  

One of my favorite Amazon purchases last year was a three-year monthly planner.  I have vacations, birthdays, school holidays mapped out from 2022 to 2024.  I'd buy a 2025-2027 planner if they had one available.

One of the first things I put in the current planner was the date to register Lucy for summer camp.  Camps fill up, and to get the week you want you need to be on the ball.  So, on March first, I logged on to the selected camp, paid the deposit and signed that kid up.
This camp is highly recommended for the kid that likes water activities.  It's on the Puget Sound in Edmonds and one of the first things that happens is they issue the kid a wet suit for the week.  Then it's a week of kayaking, swimming, water bikes and paddle boarding.   It sounds wonderful.

Having never dealt with this camp before I didn't know what to expect, so that when a confirmation email wasn't sent after registration I didn't worry.  I knew that they would eventually communicate with us.  From the info on the site it sounds like the folks that run this camp are attorneys who possibly take six weeks in the summer off to run this camp and then jump back to real life.   I wasn't worried about the delays in responses to emails.  The camp didn't "open" until May 1st.  

But, now here it is, six days before drop off and I still haven't heard anything.  
I left messages, emailed earlier in the summer and did get a verbal confirmation that they have Lucy in their system but the lack of a pre-camp email that gives a family time to gather and pack all the necessary stuff is odd.

This is giving me anxiety and worry that we will show up and Lucy won't have a spot.  As a parent, I try not to manage away all the twists and turns that life can throw at a kid.  Dealing with change is how you grow into a capable adult, but having another summer camp yanked away would be really hard.  This isn't a participation trophy - this is a week of independent living with other kids.  

Last night, I texted the number on an email that I received in the winter when I first asked about the camp and woke up to an actual response.   (WHEW!)  We exchanged a bunch of information and she (Kristen) agreed it was strange that I haven't gotten any emails or information since we registered.  

So, now I'm anxiously awaiting her return call with details.   I'm still very worried that our registration didn't stick, and that Lucy won't be headed to camp on Sunday.  However, in a fit of optimism I ordered the required sleeping pad, which will be here Thursday. 
 

Vacay Photos

Iron Men

Getting ready for the sail away party.  (Pool is covered.)

The famous Mickey Waffle

Our kidds eating by themselves - no adults.

Brave Sophie jumping into the water

The ship

Towel animal thingy

Our Bahamian Cabana

Grand Cayman

Movie night in the pool

 

Post Cruise Review

Written for a cruise blog page:



Disney Wonder 4/30-5/5 2022


After a too long covid delay we boarded the Disney Magic in Miami for a 5-night cruise.

ABOUT US: we are a family of three, mom, dad and kiddo (11) traveling with our good friends and neighbors, family of three: mom, dad, and kiddo (10). We all live in Renton, WA, a suburb of Seattle and either work full-time or go to school full time.

PICKING THIS CRUISE: We decided in early 2019 that we liked these neighbors enough to vacation together on a 7-night Mexican riviera cruise that would overlap the spring break of the then 2nd and 3rd grade kids. We still had princesses, unicorns, and magic. As our April 3rd departure inched closer the news, as you know, became bleak. We spent hours on hold with our TA, and airlines to move things around.

Being a west coast raised kid, I have been to all of the ports on the originally planned itinerary. I highly recommend that cruise for those who want to explore the west coast. However, when we opted to move our vacation up a year we decided that a stop at Castaway Cay and Grand Cayman was with the trade of a 7 night cruise for a 5 night itinerary.

This change moved us out of an inside cabin to a family verandah. I really applaud those who take advantage of the value of the inside cabins, but I am not that person. I need a window that opens - it’s my own phobia, but after seeing those folks on ships in 2020 that weren’t allowed to dock…I stand by it.

As Christmas 2020 rolled around, the 2021 May cruise seemed questionable, so with sadness mixed with excellent timing we moved our reservation out one year. We hit a pretty sweet spot with pricing and the up charge we paid for the family verandah was enough to secure a concierge room on the 2022 Magic.

Travel from Seattle to Miami: now that our friendship has had lots of time to marinate, myself and the other mom left Seattle Wednesday for a couple days of kid/spouse free days. We enjoyed the pool, went to an Elton John concert and…missed our families. The benefit of coming early is acclimating to the time zone, and of course zero stress about baggage arriving. (The DH and I spent 2 of our 11 days in Paris with only our airplane clothes and the emergency outfit I packed into our carryon while our luggage flew Tahiti air on a different vacation.)

Our families arrived the night before the cruise and survived the awful night sleep to start our day. Our companions did not book a concierge suite but had a reasonably early port arrival time. We arrived together and it wasn’t until after the port covid testing, and muster business that we were separated for lunch. It was easy to connect all day, so the disparity in our room “classes” (on day one, has not been an issue.)

PORT EXPERIENCE: First of all, we apparently brought the rain from Seattle. WHOA. Other than not being able to manage non-fuzzy hair it wasn’t really an issue. As we like to joke “it’s a warm rain.”

When checking in, Disney gives you a port arrival time (PAT) and our companions obtained an 11:45 PAT, as concierge guests we were invited to arrive at our leisure before 4:00. We arrived together, and stayed together for most of the boarding processes.

After the passport and reservation check we were given a pretty gold sticker to wear so that the crew would know we were concierge guests.

The at-port covid testing was pretty easy. They handed us each a bag that we labeled with our names, reservation number and dates of birth. Having the reservation number handy was not something I was prepared for, as we had the QR codes for boarding and the pre-boarding health/vaccine status code. So a quick dig into the bag for the paper copies our information.

We swabbed our own noses under the supervision of a “testing specialist” and then were told to head to the waiting area. The ship was finally in sight but this hurdle was the last one. Test results were displayed by reservation number on TVs throughout the waiting area. During our 10-20 minute waiting period we did not see anyone with a test result of “see the XZY assistance desk”. We did see one adult and child team leaving the boarding area and the didn’t seem happy, but we can only speculate and hope they were just too early to board.

Once both of our parties cleared the rapid covid test we were moved through another door and our friends had to wait to board and we were ushered up the ramp.

ON BOARD
As you enter the ship for the first time the brave announcer asks for your family name and does what most people will not, announce your arrival. Welcome the Latendresse family! Seriously, most people don’t try it and we’re just not mad about it.

We were then ushered to Luminiers for our lunch which might possibly have been the same menu as the other locations, but we were also offered beer and wine. The head waiter came to say hello, and the concierge staff came by to answer questions, confirm events and to tell us how things worked.

We were told our room was ready and to head up. Our keys were in a fancy envelope tucked behind the fish outside our door. I work in a profession where we are looking for people trying to do bad things and limit the opportunities for them to do so, so the idea of just putting everyone’s door keys outside their door seems pretty dumb, but the concierge manager said that no one ever takes other people’s keys and even if they did it would be discovered very quickly. So, relax self, you’re on vacation.

We dropped our carryon items and went to the lounge to wait for our friends.

The Concierge Lounge
Behind a pretty unassuming door on deck 10 is the Concierge Lounge. There you will find a staffed desk where they will solve all your worldly (or cruisely) problems. They tell you to skip the guest services line altogether and take everything to them. They really mean it; DH mentioned a minor issue in our cabin to guest services as there was no line and GS, called the CL to have them coordinate with maintenance. We got a polite reminder to take everything to them. It made me wonder if the Guest Services folks rumble with the Concierge team in the off hours ala Sharks & Jet’s.

The lounge also had rotating treats, a beverage center, the much loved coffee machine and that first day, a staffed adult beverage giver (I think most people call them bartender’s). For about an hour we thought we were back on NCL with easy access to vacation beverages at our whim. After day one, they revert to their normal lounge services where happy hour is held from 5pm to 10pm.

They also had a very nice covered place to enjoy the heat, and our kid loved the Evian Mineral water mister bottles.

PROTIP: the bags of popcorn can be requested at anytime and were fun to munch on while we watched movies on the pool screen.

CONCIERGE THINGS

I’ve already covered the lounge, so here are some random thoughts about upgrading to this level.

We felt pampered, but not bothered. There were no calls to the room to “see how we were” or random drop ins. It was easy to take advantage of the services we wanted without ignoring our traveling companions.

There was a welcome treat in our room on day one, and a couple of parting gifts near the end of the cruise. I don’t really want to mention the details of the one for our kid because the surprise was really appreciated and I don’t know to what levels they go for families that have multiple kids. The other was an “authentic” print of the ship - suitable for framing if that’s your thing.

We seemed to have the same shampoo/conditioner/lotion as our friends, but we also had a more upgraded line that I’m sure they would have refreshed if we weren’t using the regular ones or our own special shampoos.

In all my months of planning and reviewing the boards I must have missed the information about the bar cart. Every day between 5 and 6 the nicest man would knock on our door and mix up a refreshing pre-dinner delight. What a fun surprise. And big thumbs down to the lady a few staterooms down who came out to berate them the one night they were running late.

FOOD
We enjoyed the MDRs - the rotational dining does make it feel like you’re going to specialty restaurants. On NCL we tended to go to the extra fee restaurants vs the MDR and I wondered if we would miss it. I did not. Disney does the food thing very well and there were things each night that we each liked.

We ate at Palo and that actually felt fancy, and of course the service was delightful. It was very on par with our favorite Seattle steakhouse experiences.

My scallop was gritty and undercooked and I wasn’t going to complain but the server could see I wasn’t eating it and it was no trouble to send it back but I did have to fight a bit to get them to just send out one more with the risotto. He really wanted to send me a whole new plate of food, but even though it’s a cruise I couldn’t request it knowing I was only going to eat the risotto and one scallop.

Having grown up on the coast and being a big fan of scallops I know they are tricky boogers to clean and cook. It’s a very fine line between undercooked and overcooked and I am not disparaging the chef in anyway, things happen.

At the pool, we grabbed pizza, burgers, hot dogs and chicken strips - all a solid B+. Nothing gourmet but perfect for a hot day at the pool.

The kids said the ice cream was great and enjoyed the normal limits on treats being lifted.

The shawarma was a nice thing to see and looked pretty good. It’s pretty standard in Seattle and in Bay Area of CA, but I didn’t expect it on the cruise. NCL could take a note on that front.

EXPERIENCES
We did a Mojito and Caipirinha tasting - it was fun and informative, but I didn’t appreciate the advertisement pitch from the Diamond lady at the beginning. I don’t attend the “free charm” or vacation club free night seminars because I don’t want/need the hard sell.

I overheard a couple on a bus transfer talking about the Mixology class and their review was not glowing. They said that some of the cocktail combinations were very strange and undrinkable.

I had my toenails repaired in the spa after the first beach excursion and it was very relaxing, but the same principle as the Diamond lady, the spa folks are required (I think) to try to upsell services and it does retract from the experience.


Our companions purchased the rainforest spa package and would disappear into the spa for steamy, sweaty relaxation. Access appeared to be open to all (with a pass) and while not crowded it was not a private experience either.

Pirate Night: I thought this was going to be cheesy but it was very well done. The crew in their special outfits were cute and the show was exciting. We didn’t go to the pool deck to dance and mingle with the other passengers but watched from the top deck - which gave us a perfect view of the fireworks. Thumbs Up!

Pools: Here’s where Disney beats the pants off of NCL. Having multiple water experiences on a similar sized ships is fantastic. The slides were very popular, and the temperature in the kids pool was really refreshing. The adult pool was a bit warm, but it was better than any zoom meeting I would have had to go to if we weren’t on vacation. The kids did splash around in the splash pool, but were expressly told that little kids had priority for fun in that zone. (That was a me rule, the lifeguards were not policing the kids.)

EXCURSIONS
In Grand Cayman we did a snorkel experience and for me, being on the catamaran in the lovely water with the island still in sight was glorious. We should have brought our own water, but the buckets of water provided were sufficient. The time in the gorgeous water at both locations was limited, but we appreciated getting back to the port in time to wander around town. The catamaran was pretty spacious and there was mesh nets up front where lots of folks were able to get cozy on for a beautiful view during the short ride to the snorkel spots.

Overheard: kid having a bit of a meltdown because the water was too salty. Oh man...kids. Take them on a $7,000 vacation to the Bahamas and they are mad because the ocean is salty. Have mercy.

On Castaway Cay we scored a cabana (probably only because of the concierge category) and it was very nice to have a place to be. It rained in the morning, and by rain I mean thunder, lightning and a squall that was so severe that they delayed our getting off the ship, for our own safety. It pushed us back by about 30-45 minutes but we were fine to not be out in that mess.

The rain turned to sprinkles and out we went. Staffing at the cabanas seemed light and we sort of just ran into an attendant. I figured out once we reboarded that the attendant was the bartender from the concierge lounge. I think we simply beat him to the cabana area.

THE CABANA
The cabana was nicely appointed, the furniture was comfortable and the outside showers helped us keep the sand to a dull roar.

We removed the sodas that we weren’t going to drink and put our beverages from our room, ahem the beer purse into the cooler.

The kids were in the water immediately and even though it was still cloudy they played with the tubes and the other floating things. The bay is shallow and a bit rocky but I managed without my water shoes just fine. Yes, I’m the person who brings stuff from Seattle to Miami to the Bahamas to not use them in the exact way they were designed to be used. Don’t judge me.

We splashed around a bit and then whammo it was time for lunch. A quick jaunt to one of the Cookies BBQ for a very tasty brisket sandwich and “the best beans”. CC has the same beverage center available at each of the two locations but I imagine if it was H-O-T that folks would want more water available nearer the family beaches. As it was raining we had difficulty finding a table that was covered and ended up at a table under a tree which provided enough cover to keep us from being drenched.

A quick peak through the gift shops that I had read had special items only available on the Cay, but it felt wrong to buy a Castaway Cay 5K t-shirt when I only “run to the bathroom”.

Bad news was waiting for us back at the cabana - jelly fish in the water had stung multiple guests so the water was off limits for the rest of the day. When I tell you that you could have eaten the kid’s disappointment it would not be a lie.

However, it was a good lesson in perspective. We had our beach chairs and each other so after a round or two of telephone and charades they found their groove again.

Later we were told that the adult beach was open for swimming but that kids were not being invited over there. We all opted to stay and play at our cabana.

DISNEY vs. NCL CABANAS
We had a cabana on Harvest Cay (NCL) and there were things that each did better.

The interior of the Disney cabana was more comfortable and the cay itself is nicer, the complimentary lunch was a treat, and the clarity of water is much better in the Bahamas. The work that Disney has done to make the cay a play space is superb. Th

The Harvest Cay cabana had a private bathroom and a full shower. The outdoor furniture was nicer, but didn’t have the water toys. Food wasn’t complimentary but there was a waiter who delivered our order so we didn’t have to leave the comfort of your cabana.

Price wise - both were similar.

OTHER ADD ONS
We purchased a water package and a room decoration package back when we were on a longer cruise in an inside cabin. I wouldn’t do other again, especially with the concierge class. Our room came with Evian and sodas. We ended up giving our canned water away to anyone and everyone we could.

Had I know about the bar cart or the ability to walk on 2 bottles of wine per adult I wouldn’t have purchased the beer mug - but DH traded the token back in at the end for the big glass, so he seemed happy with it.

I also purchased the premium wine package (again for the original 7 day cruise) and for a 5 day cruise I would back that down - as we had to gift one of our hand carried nice bottles of wine to our friends who were driving to Orlando for a few days in the Parks.

Things I think Disney could do better:
Let you view/adjust the add on items on your reservation before you sail. I think I could have called to request refunds based on the delay delay delay (not Disney’s fault) but I would have adjusted some things. My then 8-year-old would have been excited about the room decor, but the jaded 11 year old could really have cared less. I would have changed the wine package, and dropped the water altogether.
Food service at the cabanas. This is a lost opportunity for Disney to make some extra money.
Cabana price adjustment. We did not ask for such a thing, and Disney is not responsible for the horrific rain or the closure of the water, but in light of both of those things I would have offered a 10% reduction in the price due to loss of use - that would have been over and above.
Water, water everywhere. I think they should push water more. I found self-service water in the cabanas area and a bottle refilled by the sports court but wish it had been more available.

OTHER THOUGHTS
Disney Cruise App: This app is in many ways far superior to the NCL app (of 2018). Being able to click into the menus for each restaurant each night is brilliant. Getting notifications of scheduled events, dinner times is great. We didn't use the texting feature because as iPhone people our messaging worked over the limited Wi-Fi without impacting the 100mb credit that we had from our concierge perks. (we used it to check in to our flights)
Ship Population: I know our cruise experience was slightly impacted by the number of people on the ship. No one would give us an exact number but the crew seemed consistent in that there were about 1500 pax, or that we were missing about 1000 people. You could feel it, but not in a negative way. The hallways were clear, you could get an elevator when you needed it, getting on and off the ship for excursions was easy and quick - even the tendering.
Theater: Even with the lesser numbers and the pre-testing for covid we skipped the theater events. Again, this might have been a result of the ages of our kids now vs. when we had planned to go, but we had more fun on the pool deck at night watching movies like Inside Out, Up, Wreck It Ralph and even Frozen.
Disembarkation: As expected, super easy. New luggage tags were delivered to our room, we were assigned a breakfast time (waaaay to early for my taste) and were off the ship by 8:45 am. Grabbed a cab and off to the airport. I was disappointed to not see anyone getting off the ship in their PJs but I'm sure it happens at every cruise.

Fret and Worry

We are packed and ready to leave for the long delayed Disney Cruise.  My bag weighs 43 pounds, but I think I don't need to bring anything else.  I'm sure I will only wear half of the items that I "had" to include.

Well, that is if we get to go at all. 

A child in Lucy's classroom tested positive for Covid over the weekend.  So my anxiety is through the roof.  She is not being sent home and we have been asked to test her at the 3 day mark - which would be today or tomorrow.   If she's positive - the trip is off.  

The reassuring information is that she was not noted as a "close contact."   Earlier in the year when she was identified as a close contact she was still able to attend school but we had to do testing to stay in the classroom.  She ultimately did not test positive and all was well.

Even though the mask "mandate" has been lifted Lucy has been wearing her mask at school, except when eating and when outside.  I hope that also works in our favor.  

As I write this, my throat is itchy - which I am sure is a product of anxiety and worry. 

I need a vacation.

Summer 2021

It's been weeks and weeks since the "incident" at the mall. I'm still in physical therapy and am progressing well. My range of motion is good, and we're working on muscle and strength. The kiddo is doing well. She talked to a therapist for about 2 months and worked through some things related to the shooting and other things that a modern 10-year-old going through a pandemic would need to deal with. It's a new thing for us, but we never met Ms. Johanna in person, but did all the meetings online. I hope that when the pandemic is really over that conveniences like this never really go away. Not having to pick up a kid from school, drive to the office, park, check in, check out, drive home...is great. If this option moves to the dentist, or the gynecologists' then I will revolt, but initial dr. exams, mental health - it's a strong option. 

Now that we're in July, it's finally time to take the work sabbatical that was scheduled for August 2020. We are currently enjoying a 10 day timeout in a smallish rental house in Seabrook. The weather is not "amazing beach weather" but to be honest, today was brilliant and extremely amazing. It was 67, and not windy. We went to the beach, dipped out toes in the ocean, and probably got too much sun on our little blanket. Our little rental house has a hot tub, which has been fun. Our home is wired and ready for a hot tub, but it's probably better to rent one once a year or so, than clean one on a weekly basis. 

Today, I had an appointment at the local spa for a foot soak and a scalp treatment. I didn't think I could be on the massage table,, but with a bit of effort, I was able to manage the massage table, and get the bliss experience that you can only get when someone spends a crazy amount of time massaging your toes and scalp. The spa lady asked the normal questions of the ladies who spa while at the beach, but it turns out she was from Bay Center, a tiny town near the tiny town from my childhood. Because of the Bay Center connection we figured out that she was the niece of the family that lived next door to us at the beach. Because of the connection and the conversation the massage part of my treatment went on for an extra 30 minutes. It took me a while to come back to earth once it was over. I haven't had a massage since 2019, or earlier and I think this one might have ruined me for the future. This is a good problem to have.

the vacation not taken

 Planning and organizing vacations is as much fun as taking the vacation.  Or so I thought until the planned vacations never materialized.  

We cancelled our New York trip and New England / Canada cruise that was scheduled for August 2020.  We turned that trip into a snazzy patio couch and seats plus a twenty-two foot awning which makes being on the deck manageable.   I really love our western facing backyard, but when it's warm outside the deck was unbearable.   The awning has basically created an entire new living space for us during the warm weather months.   The vacation would have been great, but the redirection of those funds will have a longer lasting impact.  

We also had a Disney Cruise on the books for March of 2020.  This was a seven night Mexican Riviera cruise.   Sounds fancy right?  Well, the ports were Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo.  I was feeling a bit "meh" about this one.  I was excited about going with friends and how much fun Lucy would have on a cruise with a buddy; she was so great on the old person Panama Canal trip.   As COVID-19 started to amp up in the news, and cruise ships started to be the focus we began to re-think our plans.

February 5, 2020

Diamond Princess became the epicenter of the virus impact on the cruise industry in February 2020  (Photo via Princess)

2/5/2020

• Diamond Princess is quarantined off the coast of Japan after multiple reports of respiratory illnesses onboard. By February 13, there would be 218 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus onboard. By February 18, the number of confirmed cases would soar to 542.

We called and called and called Costco travel to rebook into a different cruise a year later, and that took a long time to complete.  The Costco Travel people worked incredibly hard during that time to help, basically every person in their programs.   We finally landed on a future cruise out of Miami in April of 2021.  I mean, the virus had to be under control by then right?

This change was a shorter cruise, but with a more appealing itinerary (to me anyway) and we were still meeting our travel friends on the ship.   We also took note that multiple ships had to deny passengers from leaving, and passengers were sequestered into their cabins for the majority of that time.  The idea of being in an inside cabin during a moment like that was not at all a risk I would be willing to take.  If we ended up having to spend extra days on the ship at least we would have fresh air.  Therefore while our trip shortened by two nights, we did select a room with a verandah.     My expectations are not that we would be able to soak in the sun on our luxurious balcony,  but we would have a window to open and an extra 80 square feet or so.   This did increase our trip budget by $2,000 it was worth it.

We tried for a brief moment to book a March 2020 trip to San Diego to enjoy that planned vacation time in a sunny place, but even that was cancelled after the national quarantine was announced.     Our original March 2020 cruise was eventually cancelled by Disney, and they offered every guest a premium for rebooking.   We had already done so, but for some crazy customer focused logic they extended the credit to us as well.   Thank you Mr. Disney.

Summer rolled around like it always does and we spent a week in Seabrook which was really fun, and then at the end of August, the in-laws came for a week.   The back yard inflatable pool isn't as awesome as the Caribbean ocean, but it will do. 

In December, during a fit of boredom I took a look online at future Disney cruise itineraries.   I found our current itinerary but in April of 2022 and saw that for about $200 (LESS) we could book into our same cabin but in the concierge class.  The perks aren't as fancy as a private butler and special restaurants like on the cancelled NY/Canada cruise, but it was less money!  After a frantic conference with the travel companions we are now booked on a ship in April of 2022.

We are still moving air fare credits around and I am hopeful that we will get to use them some day. 

The proactive move to change the Disney cruise proved to be a good one, as the April 2021 cruise has just been cancelled by Disney. 

Looking at the cost of the trip we're now booked on the amount of rooms available are considerably less and the cost of the concierge class has jumped by $2000.  Lucky us.

We have a replacement spring break trip planned to a resort in Palm Springs.  We're hopeful that even with COVID still being an issue that we can go, hang by a pool and get warm.

Fingers crossed.

Health...mental and otherwise

So it turns out that this pandemic thing is wearing on me.  I am go grateful for our home, these people who are here and a solid steady job.  My experience is really nothing compared to folks who have lost jobs, businesses and family.  I have this perspective - I am lucky, I am ok.  However, I am tired.

It is no secret that I enjoy traveling for pleasure and for work.  Those little jaunts to San Jose are good for my career and my well being.   I haven't been since January and I honestly don't expect to go at all in 2021.

We cancelled multiple vacation plans in 2020 - the first being a spring break cruise to Mexico, which for a brief moment was a week in San Diego hanging out at a luxury hotel.  We cancelled the cruise (before the cruise line cancelled the sailing) and booked ourselves on a Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami 1 year later.  That sailing is scheduled to leave Miami on April 3rd, 2021, but as of last week, the cruise line has cancelled all sailings thru February 28th.   Realistically, a cruise the following month is not wise, even if it did happen.   Ships sailing from other ports are being turned around after a single person tests positive.  No one wants a repeat of the initial ships that were stranded with people getting sick.  Especially not for something as optional as a pleasure cruise.

With the window of likelihood for sailing in April dwindling, I found a similar sailing in 2022 and moved our reservation.  Oddly, the cabin was the same (a balcony) but it's in the "Concierge Class" which comes with lots of perks.  The fair was actually cheaper, and do I love perks.   Unfortunately, our travel companions didn't book within the same haste as us, and while on the ship are not in the special category.   To be honest, I think their original fare was much less than ours and the move to the CC wasn't practical.   Provided the sailing occurs, we'll use the CC perks to reserve the activities we had little hope of being able to book as lowly new customers.    We could get our money back at this point, but I am looking forward to this cruise.  And, technically, our travel companions could book into the CC class, but they don't seem too interested in adding an extra $4000 to their vacation costs.  Sheesh, some people.

We are trying for an alternate activity to replace the now moved cruise.  We have two - two bedroom villas reserved in Palm Springs for the week of spring break this year.   I've never been to PS, but I love sunshine, a pool and not washing my own sheets.  It's been fun researching a new location for things to do, but I just looked at the travel restrictions in Palm Springs and unless things get better it looks like we won't be going there either.   

A lot can happen between now and April, I hope that people do their part and stay home for Christmas - like they didn't do for Thanksgiving, and that this vaccine works (and that it doesn't have long term ill effects that we can't foresee).   

Our summer travel plans have shifted quite a bit.  Instead of using my sabbatical to  go to New York as planned last summer, the rescheduled time off will include a 1 week house rental at Seabrook in July.  Fingers crossed for good weather.  Our good neighbors will come join us for some or all of the week which will be fun.  The rest of the time off will be spent doing other things - maybe time at the lake with Marty & Lynne or if Lucy can go to summer camp a few days that's just Jason and I somewhere.   

The sabbatical program is wonderful, but it is hard when your partner doesn't get the same time off.   I expect that I'll take the peanut to go camping with Grandma G.

The other activity I am mulling is to change the flooring in my office.  I was thinking a fabulous tile floor would be great, but Jason would be more comfortable extending the hard wood floors.  I agreed that if we can find the same exact flooring that I would agree to using it, but if not - I get to mix it up!  Tile or a different (darker) carpet.    It will be a big job - obviously we will hire out the actual floor material removal and replacement, but there is a LOT of stuff in this office.  (Especially at Christmas)  Some of it may be time to part with, but other stuff I love.  I do think better storage could make a difference.  So, the planning for that has begun to form in my head.  

Anyway..here we are, all plans and nowhere to go.

The more things change

Summer camp is officially canceled.  I think I knew it was not going to happen this summer, but when the news came I was pretty emotional.  Lucy took it better than I did if we're honest. 

It softens the blow that we were able to change our week plans to all go to the fabulous lake house.  A week of being on the water, mini-golf, real golf (for Jason), and evenings on the patio will be delightful. 

We canceled our trip to Canada in July and rented a house at Seabrook instead.  With the borders still closed it seemed silly to hold out hope and end up with a week off and nowhere to go.   We will shelter in place in a different place. We will cook all the same meals but in a different kitchen.

The fun thing will be being at the beach, a change of scenery, and forced time away from work, home chores. Oh, and a hot tub.   Maybe the Seabrook pool will be open, and maybe I'll feel comfortable taking Lucy, but with a hot tub in our backyard we won't be forced to do it to get the waterplay in.

Our (rented) Beach House

Cancel Everything

 What a bummer of a decision. 

April 5th marks 10 years of working full-time at my post-Mega-Bank employer.  One of the amazing perks is the sabbatical program, whereby after five years of employment the employee is encouraged to take a four-week sabbatical.  This is on top of the normal accrued vacation.   Now, we aren't allowed to take weeks of vacation and then the sabbatical, they don't want us to burn out our co-workers while we are away doing the lounging thing.

One of my favorite things to do is to plan trips.   When we took the cruise to the Panama Canal, I researched wonderful places to eat near our hotel in Miami, had lots of information about the places we would visit and enjoyed that part almost as much as the trip itself.     Therefore, knowing I had a sabbatical coming up in 2020, I've been planning and dreaming for a while.

We have enjoyed the two cruises we've been on and I thought taking one from the east coast would be fun.   I booked the three of us onto a 7 night New England/Canada cruise leaving NYC on Sunday, August 30th.   We would fly into NYC on the 25th to be tourists.   I've explored the neighborhood around our hotel, found a historic steak restaurant in walking distance and had started lists of the museums we (I) wanted to visit.

Current projections of the Covid-19 virus is that it will taper off over the summer, but chances are come fall it will spike again.   Clearly, August and early September are still summer and the weather should be amazing on the east coast, but getting on a cruise ship just doesn't seem wise.  

So... rather than risk it and tie up our considerable payments into a cruise that we may not take we opted to cancel.   This means a series of calls and visits to the associated travel sites.   Airfare - canceled.  Hotel - canceled. Cruise - canceled.

There are still some things planned for the sabbatical window.   The peanut has sleep-away summer camp booked and fingers crossed that we are not still in lockdown at that point.   While she survives in the wild (in cabins with guitar-toting college kids) I'll be visiting nearby Lake Roosevelt and getting some sun.  

There's time to visit Grandma G.  Now, with the NYC trip off the books, maybe we'll take the kid on a road trip to visit the Denver grandparents.  Maybe we'll rent a house in the Hamptons... maybe we'll fly to Switzerland...maybe not.

For now, the most disappointing thing is that we don't have something on the horizon.

Do people still blog?

The concept of documenting life's events and interesting tidbits still interests me, but life...

Also, with no readers what good is this?  A virtual diary to job my own memory perhaps.


So, with that in mind, we are 19 days away from vacation.  We are off to Miami to leave for an 11 day cruise to the Panama Canal and some wonderful beachy places like Belize, Costa Rica and Honduras.

We will swim with dolphins, swim in crystal clear water and enjoy time away from work.   The grandparents are coming with us, and this is the first time that Georgia has left the US with the exception of trips to Canada. 

Canada is an international location, but when you only drive over the border for a night of camping its not really a cultural experience. 

We've done lots of research for this trip and you know it's been planned with lots of attention to detail.  Here's a sample of the planning.   Feel free to mock but I'm the only reader so ha!

Itinerary

Day

people in port

Arrive

Depart

Booked

Dinner Rez

Excursions

Mon

4/1

Miami, Florida

15,000

4:00 PM

6

Cagney’s

6:00 PM

Tue

4/2

At Sea

---

---

6

La Cucina

6:00 PM

Wed

4/3

At Sea

---

---

4+2

Teppanyaki

7:00 PM

Thu

4/4

Cartagena, Colombia

2224

7:00 AM

2:00 PM

6

Le Bistro

6:00 PM

Old City & Spanish Fortress

Old City & Spanish Fortress

Old City & Spanish Fortress

Fri

4/5

Panama Canal/Gatun Lake, Panama

5:00 AM

3:00 PM

0

Complimentary Dinning

Alizar

Panama Canal by Ferry

Panama Canal by Ferry

Panama Canal by Ferry

Colon, Panama

5:00 PM

8:00 PM

Sat

4/6

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

2224

9:00 AM

6:00 PM

6

Moderno

8:30 PM

Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise & Countryside

Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise & Countryside

--

Sun

4/7

At Sea

---

---

4+2

Teppanyaki

7:00 PM

Mon

4/8

Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

7759

10:00 AM

7:00 PM

0

Complimentary Dinning

Grand Pacific

dolphin encounter

dolphin encounter

dolphin encounter

Tue

4/9

Harvest Caye, Belize

2224

8:00 AM

5:00 PM

6

La Cucina

8:30 PM

Cabana

Wed

4/10

Costa Maya, Mexico

5338

9:00 AM

5:00 PM

6

Le Bistro

8:30 PM

Maya Lost Mayan Kingdom (waterpark) 10:30-3:30

Kohunlich Mayan Ruins (9:30 am departure 6.5 hours)

--

Thu

4/11

At Sea

---

---

6

Cagney’s

6:00 PM

Fri

4/12

Miami, Florida (Flight Departure)

15,000

8:00 AM