Serenade of the Seas picture heavy fun review–12 day Med cruise incl DIY port trips!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

18

 

and a measly 100g less

 

got our luggage tags yesterday--- got so excited that I started to pack right away:D.

[kirian]

18

 

and a measly 100g less

 

got our luggage tags yesterday--- got so excited that I started to pack right away:D.

 

It's getting soooo close now. I think we're all almost as excited about your cruise as you are....lol! I've already started buying little things for my next cruise and stashing them in my "things to pack" bag... and my next cruise is still 400+ days away :eek:

 

Don't fret over the 100g.... maybe your body was just taking a break from burning calories like mad. I'm sure tomorrow will be a "happier" number :)

 

Happy Friday!!!!

Melissa

[Wriggler]

Hi Stef...hope you, Tanha and Tarik have an amazing time! I'll pick up with your thread when we get back as we're in Southampton right now getting ready to get on Independence in the next couple of hours.

Looking forward to reading your review and seeing all the planning come into action.

Smooth sailing!

Carol

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

17

 

and 300 g less ... slowly getting where I wanna be (1,1 more kilos to go till my weight last year :)).

 

Melissa: Lol -- what on earth do you pack in that bag 400:eek: days before the cruise:confused::confused::confused:

 

Carol: :)Hope you have a wonderful cruise --- but I'm pretty sure you will. Enjoy your first cruise as a diamond member!

 

 

Stef

[kirian]

See, 3x more lost that the last time you checked :p You are well on your way to your goal now (and, you're inspiring me to get off my lazy backside and do something about my "wine weight".... why does wine have to have calories... it just isn't fair! :mad:)

 

Oh, and I'm not packing clothes or anything this far out (400 days is even a little extreme for the likes of me to start that type of packing....lol! It's mainly things that I pick up for my cabin or binder.... right before school starts is a great time to buy sheet protectors and all things magnetic (since kids use them in their lockers). I like getting most of my "cabin" supplies at the dollar store. That way, if I need to leave them behind or they break in transit (or after a week of use), I don't worry about it. For example, I just picked up a tiny, magnetic wall basket.... I added that to my "packing bag." I thought it would be a great thing to use to hold my and my mom's SeaPass cards, her watch, my hair clip... those little things that we always take when we leave the room but are always frantically searching for as we try to get out the door :eek::D

 

Plus, truth be told, it just makes me even more excited about my trip when I pick up things like this (especially when it's still soooooo far away!)

[notsodesperatehousewife]

Hi Stef, I found this review and even though it's about a year after you wrote it, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it.

 

You have a lovely family. Your story reminds me of some friends of ours who fostered a girl and were later able to adopt her. She was underdeveloped in alll ways but in a short time she thrived and caught up with two loving moms to take care of her. She even looks a bit like Tarik in the photos - all long limbs, warm complexion, and a big smile.

 

Teenage girls can be spacey too! I have a 15 year old daughter, a very nice girl, but sometimes she has no common sense whatsoever. When she was a bit younger, I lost her on a cross country ski trail because she forgot to wait at the trail junction and zoomed ahead. It's a terrible feeling but it ended well. There was a very serious talk about it afterwards though!

 

My family always carries backpacks (but don't wear white trainers) but we are American! But lots of Germans in the family tree so maybe it's a German thing after all. :)

 

Does your CC name mean cruising newbie in English? About halfway through the review, my very basic German kicked in and that was my best guess.

 

tschuss!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Hi Stef, I found this review and even though it's about a year after you wrote it, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it.

 

You have a lovely family. Your story reminds me of some friends of ours who fostered a girl and were later able to adopt her. She was underdeveloped in alll ways but in a short time she thrived and caught up with two loving moms to take care of her. She even looks a bit like Tarik in the photos - all long limbs, warm complexion, and a big smile.

 

Teenage girls can be spacey too! I have a 15 year old daughter, a very nice girl, but sometimes she has no common sense whatsoever. When she was a bit younger, I lost her on a cross country ski trail because she forgot to wait at the trail junction and zoomed ahead. It's a terrible feeling but it ended well. There was a very serious talk about it afterwards though!

 

My family always carries backpacks (but don't wear white trainers) but we are American! But lots of Germans in the family tree so maybe it's a German thing after all. :)

 

Does your CC name mean cruising newbie in English? About halfway through the review, my very basic German kicked in and that was my best guess.

 

tschuss!

Hi!

Thank you! To hear from other foster families is so nice. Especially if things work out well. Thanks for sharing. We just spent a weekend with other foster families of our region in the Harz Mountains again...We had a blast. But also we got to see how screwed up some of those little ones are when having had a less favourable past (to put it mildly). Tarik still has a lot of catching up to do, but he`s definitely making tons of progress:D.

 

...and you`re right...it means cruise newby:) -- good job!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

16

 

and another 400g wiped out:). Last day today of no food...Can`t wait for tomorrow. Then it`s down to only two shakes a day and a :pregular lunch:p. Whoohoo.

 

Tanja bought me a belayed birthday gift (long story) but I`m so stoked...Can`t wait to try it out. Of course it`s no way near the quality of Ayashas (her pictures in her review blow you away) but considering our budget this is better than the one I used last year! So hopefully you`ll get to enjoy even more and perhaps better quality pictures than last year --- okay gotta go fiddle around with it now.

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

15

 

:mad:gained 500 g -- no freaking idea what from. I'm telling myself that I'm building up muscles, just to calm myself down a bit. My happy anticipation of a real lunch today has somewhat diminished. Started with sports again today. 320 calories burned during a Zumba wii game:o. So hopefully tomorrow will be a better day again.

 

All set for our "Italian night" dinner theme:). The packing continues.

 

Stef

[xxHadleyxx]

Enjoy that lunch Stef! (and that weight gain could well be muscle, try not to worry about it too much):)

Edited July 28, 2014 by NHDisneylover

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Enjoy that lunch Stef! (and that weight gain could well be muscle, try not to worry about it too much):)

 

You're so sweet! Thank you! I did in fact enjoy it VERY much. Now I'm sitting here all stuffed and happy:p. Filet of fish (Pangasius) in lemon oil, potatoes, cauliflower and a wee side of Zaziki. Hmmmmmmm:p:p:p.

 

Stef

[denisey]

16

 

and another 400g wiped out:).

 

 

Note to the American's - a pound is about 450 g, I had to look it up!

 

Stef, lunch sounded delicious! Don't worry about the small "up", I think our bodies like to trick us some times!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Note to the American's - a pound is about 450 g, I had to look it up!

 

 

:oOops -- sorry about that.

[denisey]

:oOops -- sorry about that.

 

That is not your fault! We should be better at that, and we aren't!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

14

 

:Doh my God -- only 2 more weeks! :D

 

400 g less --although I spent the evening sitting and gabbing with Tanja on our porch with a wonderful bottle of red wine...the weather was just too darn good and sometimes I guess enjoying life is more important than weight:p. This morning I felt a wee bit bad for it though and burned 520 calories with our wii. I'll be so sore tomorrow:o.

 

Finally found a great ongoing MSC review ---

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2074829

 

okay it's about the Preziosa, not the Magnifica, but still...I'm happy as it hypes my anticipation even more!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

13

 

lol -- I guess the wine hits a day later 500 g plus on the hips again. But its no biggy, I feel better now with a little less overall and being more active again.... so now I'll quit stressing your nerves with my weight. Promise:D.

 

Stef

[xxHadleyxx]

You're so sweet! Thank you! I did in fact enjoy it VERY much. Now I'm sitting here all stuffed and happy:p. Filet of fish (Pangasius) in lemon oil, potatoes, cauliflower and a wee side of Zaziki. Hmmmmmmm:p:p:p.

 

Stef

 

13

 

lol -- I guess the wine hits a day later 500 g plus on the hips again. But its no biggy, I feel better now with a little less overall and being more active again.... so now I'll quit stressing your nerves with my weight. Promise:D.

 

Stef

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the lunch AND the wine. There is a balance in there for sure :) and really, day by day, weight can fluctuate no matter how good you are; I bet your overall trend is still down, right?

[kirian]

13

 

lol -- I guess the wine hits a day later 500 g plus on the hips again. But its no biggy, I feel better now with a little less overall and being more active again.... so now I'll quit stressing your nerves with my weight. Promise:D.

 

Stef

 

I think you have done AMAZING!!!! I never would have been able to do a liquid diet for a week unless I was in a coma :eek: I just like "chewing" food too much :D

 

I agree with the others.... life is a balance and sometimes you just need to enjoy that bottle of wine (I enjoy that bottle more than I should sometimes :o)

 

The important thing isn't so much the number on the scale, but how you feel (emotionally), how your clothes feel and how you look.... numbers can be deceiving.

 

Your cruise is sooooooo close now (which mean the fabulous review we all know you will write up on our return is closer too :D)

 

Melissa

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I think you have done AMAZING!!!! I never would have been able to do a liquid diet for a week unless I was in a coma :eek: I just like "chewing" food too much :D

 

 

The important thing isn't so much the number on the scale, but how you feel (emotionally), how your clothes feel and how you look.... numbers can be deceiving.

 

Your cruise is sooooooo close now (which mean the fabulous review we all know you will write up on our return is closer too :D)

 

Melissa

 

:pthanks:p

 

I still have a little round tummy showing as if I were a wee bit pregnant (which I am most definitely not!!!) but I think I can bring it down some more till the cruise -- that actually happened to me this summer---someone asked my dad -- he lives in Eberholzen too when my baby would be due --- since obviously I would be pregnant since my tummy already shows:eek: ... I can tell ya -- THAT will make you start a liquid diet at once. He almost fainted I think -- just for a second until he burst out laughing his butt off and came over to our house to tell me the newest village gossip concerning my tummy.

 

argh, what if the cruise will be completely horrible (as if it ever really could be) and we won't get to see anything exciting to report (althoug very unlikely)?----aaahhhh the pressure!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I bet your overall trend is still down, right?

 

aehmmm, sort of:o. First it was down big time, then it sort of staggered and now I have the impression it goes up again...but not as high as to where I started, so I guess you're right. But I'll try harder again... Home stretch!

 

Stef

[Irish Cath]

:pthanks:p

 

I still have a little round tummy showing as if I were a wee bit pregnant (which I am most definitely not!!!) but I think I can bring it down some more till the cruise -- that actually happened to me this summer---someone asked my dad -- he lives in Eberholzen too when my baby would be due --- since obviously I would be pregnant since my tummy already shows:eek: ... I can tell ya -- THAT will make you start a liquid diet at once. He almost fainted I think -- just for a second until he burst out laughing his butt off and came over to our house to tell me the newest village gossip concerning my tummy.

 

argh, what if the cruise will be completely horrible (as if it ever really could be) and we won't get to see anything exciting to report (althoug very unlikely)?----aaahhhh the pressure!

 

Stef

 

owh no, poor you, that's shocking :eek: and your naughty daddy for laughing. Ok I admit I kinda laughed a little too but mainly because this is exactly the kind of thing that would happen in the rural area that I live in too. I get that rounded tummy when I eat too much bread (which is a lot of the time) I'm not sure if you are familiar with the saying bun in the oven well yes I sometimes look like I have a bun in the oven too :D

 

edited to ad that like Melissa I think you are awesome for sticking to a liquid diet. Who cares if some of the liquid is wine

Edited July 30, 2014 by Irish Cath

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

:p12:p

 

were the hell are my sea-bands -- can't find them anywhere! And this time we're facing the North Sea (I remember puking in that when I was a kid on the ferry to Juist:() AND the Atlantic Ocean! A whole new league. Gulp -- seriously gotta find those wristbands.

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

11

excited, excited, excited! Kid is on school vacation now! Getting so close now!

 

Stef

[xxHadleyxx]

YES to summer vacation FINALLY being here for the kids! and your trip getting so close. Did you find the seabands?

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

YES to summer vacation FINALLY being here for the kids! and your trip getting so close. Did you find the seabands?

 

:(Nope, not yet...but there was so much work in the practice yesterday, that I didn't really have much opportunity to look. Today and tomorrow we have to repair the fences of our pastures, so horses, sheep and goats won't roam around the village while we're gone:eek:...hopefully I'll have time to look for them on monday:o.

 

Stef