Me, #theboy, and the unwanted guest on Allure

[CreativeCruiser119]

I'm truly enjoying your review. It doesn't bother me how long it takes you to complete it.......it's a fun and entertaining read! :)

 

 

 

Agreed 100%! I don’t understand all the nit-picking from people in here. OP, just keep on doing what you’re doing, we’re all enjoying it!

 

 

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[psumother]

Thank you Carol. He was a pretty awesome guy, self made millionaire. Opinionated as could be and because my dad died when I was 12 he was sort of half brother half father.

 

I miss him but it is OK.

 

JC

 

Hi. I am going to go out on a limb. Please don't chop it off. I am not a RN or in the medical profession. Put the chain saw away!!! However, I have a friend who unexpectedly lost a father (stroke and heart attack), brother (heart attack at age 45) and then had a stroke himself and then a blood clot in his leg. The cardiologist had no answers. They heard about this condition from a friend in the medical profession with the blood called 'factor 5' and finally got the family doctor to run a test. Yes, he has factor 5 and it runs in the family. They now believe that is what killed his father and brother. The doctor strongly recommended that their daughter be tested also. Just something to consider if you haven't already done so. Just saying ....

[sharse]

I must begin with a confession. I messed up. The unwanted guest (not the tears... the one coming in THIS post) actually arrived on Day 5. Costa Maya. All the days started running together. Sorry!

 

OK, so back to Costa Maya, Day 5. After I burst into tears having been yelled at for boarding an elevator where NOBODY was making any movement to get off on that floor. GGGRRR... the memory of it still makes my blood boil because that is one of my pet peeves! I ALWAYS do my best to determine if anyone is trying to get off before I get on. And I teach my children to do so as well. But I must move on and banish that grumpy old bat from my memory.

 

I finally composed myself, mostly, and hobbled into the Windjammer. I asked the "washy washy" girl (is that an Allure thing or do they all say "washy washy" while trying to get you to use Purell?) if there was someone that could help me since I couldn't exactly hold a plate. She very kindly found someone to walk with me. I told him that I'd like some scrambled eggs and a ton of fruit, which he quickly put on a plate for me. While I was standing there waiting for him, another staff member asked if I needed help and exhibited such kindness and concern. These two gentlemen led me to a seat, dropped off some coffee and some water, and I was overwhelmed again. I shed a few more tears, hoping nobody noticed, and then ate my breakfast. I told myself to just get through breakfast and then I could go back to the cabin and have a breakdown to get all the emotion out. And that’s exactly what I did.

 

My son consoled me by snuggling up, rubbing my back, holding me close, and I finally recovered once I'd let it all out. I told him about the bat in the elevator. I told him it was much harder getting around this ship on crutches than I had expected. (He was on crutches in January. He gets it.)

 

So I swallowed my pride. I acquiesced. It was time to invite the unwanted guest into my life. We went downstairs to guest services to order the wheelchair.

 

The gentleman at Guest Services was very helpful. He looked like he'd had a few too many beverages the night before, and not nearly enough sleep, but he didn't let it interfere with his job. He ordered the wheelchair (wheel chair? One word or two?) to be delivered to our cabin, and I told him I was interested in purchasing VOOM. Partly because I needed to contact my travel insurance company and partly because Nicholas and I were going to be doing a lot of sitting around. He said, "No, you don't need to spend your precious money. I will let you make a free phone call to your insurance company." He brought over a chair so I could sit by the phone and he set it up so I could call out.

 

--Always get travel insurance, my friends. ALWAYS. --

 

My travel insurance company told me that an injury such as this typically is covered under "Trip Interruption" when I asked her if the policy would cover charges to change my flight home to an earlier one. Originally we were on an 8:30pm flight out, which is why I had asked Margaritaville if we could come back on Sunday and hang out there before heading to the airport. And they gave me a Nope Sandwich. But HA! The joke was on them. I hurt my foot and got to go home early!

 

So I did purchase the voom package and spent $377 to change us to a 9:45am flight on Sunday. I also wanted voom so that I could communicate with family and friends, and give Nicholas something to do since he was now my chauffeur.

 

Later that day, he parked me on 15 starboard by the Sand Bar, sat with me a while before he needed to head inside to air conditioning. I sat on deck for a few more hours looking at the ocean, drinking the drink of the day, icing my foot, and people watching. He came back to get me at our agreed upon time and wheeled me back to the cabin so we could shower and head to the second formal night.

 

We sat in a new section of the dining room near an Australian couple with whom I discussed the virtues of the US and Australian healthcare systems. Very interesting conversation. For me at least. For Nicholas, maybe not so much. He had tenderloin again and it was same as before. Good enough. I had lobster tail. 2 kinds, neither of which were New England. Not that I expected New England lobster on a ship in the Caribbean. Just trying to make a note of it for anyone curious. While I was searching my plate and the table for some drawn butter, which is an absolute necessity, the waiter came back with it. Twice they offered to pull the meat out of the tail for me. Twice I politely declined. I’m from New England. I got this. The Australian gentleman laughed and noted that they didn't want to take "no" for an answer.

 

Dessert. Nicholas ordered the chocolate cake again, but they brought him the molten lava cake. He was glad they made that mistake because he enjoyed it. I had ordered the baked Alaska, which was...well, let's just say I wouldn't order it again.

After dinner Nicholas stepped up like a champ, took pride in taking care of me and pushed me all around. He wanted to go to Jazz on 4, which we found to be almost empty. The music was decent and we had a good time. Next we went up to Central Park, but we arrived too late as the musicians had finished. I asked Nicholas to wheel me into Vintages to meet Gemma. I had met her a few days earlier, and we had talked about our sons. She is from the Philippines and only gets to see her 12 year old every 7 months or so. She did tell me they get to talk every day, though. Can you imagine what it must have been like for crew 8 - 10 years ago, before the ships had any connectivity? Gosh. It is humbling the sacrifices the crew members make.

 

Gemma brought us 3 dessert bites on the house, chatted with Nicholas for a bit, and she commented to me that she could tell Nicholas was smart and good hearted. Isn't that the highest praise? Well, the good hearted part I mean. If I kid is smart but a total *******, that's not something to be proud of. After a glass of wine and that little chat with Gemma, Nicholas and I decided it was time to head back to the cabin to bed.

 

The day started out pretty rough but got progressively better, and my spirits were on the mend. It most certainly could have been worse.

And now I must go about submitting my claim to my insurance company, before I forget!

[ramja96]

The unwanted guest (not the tears... the one coming in THIS post) actually arrived on Day 5. Costa Maya.

 

Did I miss something???? Where did the "unwanted guest" show up in the post?

[hucifer]

Thank you so much. What joy your comments have brought me. I appreciate so much that you can feel my love for him. It is beyond anything I ever expected before becoming a mother. (And to be truthful, I felt like using his "real" name on the internet made me a bad mom, which is why I made up the hashtag name. Don't want anyone stealing his identity and making me wish I'd purchased Life Lock!)

 

I see you are in Virginia Beach... one of my favorite places! One summer perhaps 6 or 7 years ago we rented a condo in Sandbridge for a week. Nicholas was SO sick that whole week, and I spent so much time indoors with him (as did my husband). I was kicking myself for having gone cheap that week and renting a condo with a courtyard view. The ocean was SO close, but I couldn't see it when I was indoors with my sick boy. This past week on Allure when he was sick and in bed, I was thinking about that week in Sandbridge and SO thankful that I'd spent a few extra dollars on a balcony and that we weren't stuck in an inside cabin. (Not that there's anything wrong with an inside cabin, Hucifer. No disrespect meant!)

I can understand just how deep the love for your son goes. I stare at my boy and feel so much love at times I wonder if my heart will explode. The bond we have is incredible.

 

Inside cabins [patooey!] only exist for those of us too cheap to spring for balconies. When I told my son that we were getting an interior, he said, "Ummm...I prefer balconies." Apparently, my 11yo has a sense of superiority when it comes to cabin selection. So I showed him the price difference, which quickly shut him up.

 

 

Maybe I should pull a Hucifer here and leave the boards for a few weeks to drum up anticipation.

Actually, it was a few MONTHS. And it is highly effective! Of course, you lose readers along the way, so there is a tradeoff.

 

Still loving your review. You make me laugh. Also, I am sorry about starting the whole toilet paper debate! Ack!

[robntawn]

Did I miss something???? Where did the "unwanted guest" show up in the post?

 

 

 

The wheelchair was the unwanted guest.

 

 

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[sharse]

The wheelchair was the unwanted guest.

 

Very unwanted. Took up more space in the cabin than my son!

[ramja96]

The wheelchair was the unwanted guest.

 

UGH!! Of course. :rolleyes:

[njmomof2]

I can understand just how deep the love for your son goes. I stare at my boy and feel so much love at times I wonder if my heart will explode. The bond we have is incredible.

 

Inside cabins [patooey!] only exist for those of us too cheap to spring for balconies. When I told my son that we were getting an interior, he said, "Ummm...I prefer balconies." Apparently, my 11yo has a sense of superiority when it comes to cabin selection. So I showed him the price difference, which quickly shut him up.

 

And I thought I was the only one that had a kid with the balcony superiority! We've done OV cabins before, but when I've mentioned it in the last couple of years, I get "I cannot sail in anything other than a balcony." Sure kid, good thing you're working at McD's and earning your own money. You can pay for your own balcony next time LOL!!!

[jjbko]

:DDon't care if it is over or under, as long as it is there.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I have been following this thread off and on for 2 days and have enjoyed every post. I too use the lips to the forehead, the toilet paper is over ( at least at my house) and my son has been" the boy" for most of his life. The OP is writing an entertaining review and I can't wait for our first Oasis class cruise in August!

 

 

 

Speaking of over TP, I’ve gone through two rolls waiting for the unwanted guest to appear.

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Only to find out it was a wheelchair...... sorry for your injury and what a bummer.

 

 

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[welove2cruise2014]

And I thought I was the only one that had a kid with the balcony superiority! We've done OV cabins before, but when I've mentioned it in the last couple of years, I get "I cannot sail in anything other than a balcony." Sure kid, good thing you're working at McD's and earning your own money. You can pay for your own balcony next time LOL!!!

We've only ever cruised in suites and I anticipate we will continue to do so when we start cruising with our almost 2 year old. Our first family vacation was when she was about 8 months, to a luxury hotel where we stayed in a suite as well so she could have her own room (we figured sleeping would be a lot easier that way)... She's already spoiled;)

 

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[Sasksilver]

Read the entire thread in one sitting and am enjoying it thoroughly. Personally I love the sidebars...isn't it funny how one comment can take the thread sideways.

 

In any event, I hope the rest of the trip was uneventful, but based on the record thus far I'm not certain it was. As for the few negative comments I've seen, 1) try writing a review yourself - it isn't easy to keep it on track and timely with real life interrupting, and 2) if you don't like what you're reading, just don't. There a lots of threads in CC...so lots of choices!

[nascarcruiser]

Did I miss something???? Where did the "unwanted guest" show up in the post?

It was the wheel chair

[goofysmom99]

OP, I've thoroughly enjoyed your travelogue and writing style. Keep up the good work! Know first-hand how frustrating being wheelchair-bound can be. (It's also unfortunate the rude lady from the elevator may have found her way to this thread. )

[AmazedByCruising]

It was time to invite the unwanted guest into my life. We went downstairs to guest services to order the wheelchair.

YUP ... ALL of this just to get to her getting a wheelchair.

 

On the previous page, people were sure the unwanted guest was the bug that got #theboy. OP should be writing for Netflix :D

[DebJ14]

You have that backwards, left arm is heart attack. Also women tend to have more atypical symptoms. Glad you're ok.

 

Absolutely correct. My Mom's only symptom was nausea and it turned out to be a major heart attack.

[SFO-F/A]

Enjoyed your review!

[sharse]

Speaking of over TP, I’ve gone through two rolls waiting for the unwanted guest to appear.

 

:')

[kpark895]

OP, thanks for your review and all the time you have put into writing it. For those who want her to write faster, just remember, there are always reviews that never get completed or take years - there is someone here that is a great reviewer, but I am still waiting for the end of their 2017 cruise review. Their time, their effort, not for me to question or rush!

[Merion_Mom]

And I thought I was the only one that had a kid with the balcony superiority! We've done OV cabins before, but when I've mentioned it in the last couple of years, I get "I cannot sail in anything other than a balcony." Sure kid, good thing you're working at McD's and earning your own money. You can pay for your own balcony next time LOL!!!

Both of my kids do that. And they are no longer kids.

 

I sent my daughter and her then-boyfriend (now husband and parents of my pride & joy, Jacob) on a FREE cruise (i.e., I paid for it) on the Freedom.

 

Remember when there was a glitch in the system and the Promenade cabins on the Freedom on the Halloween cruise were unspeakably cheap? 2014.

 

Yes, I booked a promenade cabin for them. My daughter was less than pleased. She managed to get over it, and he didn't know the difference, since it was his first cruise. But there is no doubt that their next cruise will be in a balcony (or higher) cabin.

 

:D

[Merion_Mom]

To those of you who are complaining about "so many pages" and "so many posts".

 

YOUR annoying, whining, complaining posts are making the thread longer.

 

So there.

 

;p

[poncho1973]

Rosebud

[xpcdoojk]

Rosebud

 

What do you mean Rosebud?

 

Citizen Kane... how many post whore movie things can we work into this thread. Apparently, I wrote something that I thought was completely inoffensive and it went poof. I am still trying to figure out what I did this time.

 

JC