How I Spent 4/21 Week on Star Princess

[coka]

How I Spent 4/21 week on the Star Princess

 

Prologue: This will not be a regular review. Part of my cruising experience is taking notes of what I did on the ship while making mental notes about how I felt about each experience. I am not able to write it all in one sitting so I will return frequently in-between laundry, the work week and catching up on my recorded television shows while gone. I will add posts regularly (usually daily)to this thread until the review is over. Feel free to skip categories of non-interest and ask questions along the way. If you were on the same cruise, feel free to add!

 

4/21: Princes Air

 

This was my 28th cruise and I could not remember the last time I booked an airline flight through a cruise line. I booked it this trip because Princess Air price was far better than anything I could find on my own. My sister-in-law and I agreed to “take the chance” since the weather in April is usually not a factor. Although nothing went wrong with our flights, it all came back to me why I prefer to arrive the day before and to leave the day after a cruise: 1. Not sleeping the night before to make sure I wake up at 3am…2. Driving to the airport through darkness searching the sides of roads for darting deer, moose, fox or other nocturnal animals that had intentions on ruining my trip…3. Thinking about ditching my car in the street when I could not immediately find an airport parking spot…4. Anticipating delays, airplane mechanical failures, canceled flights, missed connections or a hijacking…5. 50,000 passengers getting off the ships at the same time all headed to the same place as me…Having remembered all that, next time I will pay extra for my own scheduled flight on my own scheduled time.

 

Embarkation/Mini-Suite/Buffet lunch

 

A cab from Fort Lauderdale airport to the Star Princess cost about 15 dollars. There was very little traffic. My SIL and I had no particular expectations for the week. I know enough that similarities and differences exist between cruise lines, between cruise ships and between each week a particular ship sails. From afar, the Star looked like the Grand, a ship I sailed twice in 2002. She was a white behemoth and I did not know any employee who worked on her. As I looked up at the Star, I thought about my preparations two months earlier to break off a 31 year friendship with Virginia. Virginia wanted to come along on this cruise but I thought she would embarrass me. I was not going to miss her on this one. My thoughts of her dissipated as we approached a very long non-moving line to the ship’s entrance. We arrived at 12:50pm, paid the porter ten dollars to put our luggage on the very top of a cart and out of the wet rain. He winked and said not to worry.

 

I love embarkation lines. They are an opportunity to see who you are cruising with for the week. If you ever find yourself in one, talk to the people in front of you and behind you. As the week progresses, it is nice to see a familiar face and to find out their daily adventures. The line started moving a short time thereafter and we were in our mini-suite within ½ hour.

 

Our mini-suite was very nice. It looked just like the picture on the website so there were no surprises. The beds were comfortable and each had a nightstand. A television faced the bedding area. The living area had a couch bed, chair, coffee table and a second television facing it. We had plenty of storage and closet space with lots of hangers. The refrigerator was useful. The bathroom was bigger than a regular balcony cabin (it had a bathtub). My SIL loved the Lotus Spa soaps and shampoos. She collected them every day and our cabin steward kept bringing us more. I loved that I could actually sit on the throne without my knees hitting the door.

 

The balcony seemed regularly sized with room for two large chairs, two small chairs and one small round table. Virginia would have loved sitting out there with me as we have done so on many prior cruises. I had to get her out of my head. Did you ever have a best friend who is a bad influence on you...gets you into trouble over the years...? The mini-suite balconies are located on deck 9 and all jut out farther than the balconies above. Everyone can look down upon you. Likewise, you can look up and see everyone. I read on cruisecritic that sometimes trash is found on the mini-suite balconies, but I never had any land in mine.

 

The buffet lunch was fine. There were never any long lines all week for buffet breakfast or buffet lunches. The key is to explore what they are offering first and then make your selections. I had excellent codfish and roast beef but my potato salad was cheese blocks with mayonnaise. I concluded something either fell in or was not stirred all the way through. I ate it anyway. I was hungry. My SIL had a salad and she was pleased with all the offerings. We thought it nice that helpers served us what we wanted. Although there were hand sanitizers at the entrance, the servers gave us the food. I appreciated this very much. I can not stand 1,000 hands on a serving utensil. The “serving” at the buffet and juice/coffee stations was not consistent throughout the week. If we went to serve ourselves an employee rushed over and said, “Do not touch that!” while other times we were expected to get it ourselves…even while a server was standing there. After not being allowed to touch the water machine button for days, we bust out laughing when I asked the water guy standing next to the machine for a glass of water. He replied, “It is right there.” So I got it myself and hit the button with my elbow.

 

Cruisecritic Gathering/Muster Drill/Drink Prices/Sailaway

 

At 3pm we went to Outriggers bar in the back of the ship to meet the cruisecritics from the roll call boards. I enjoyed meeting Crain and his wife, Tigger, her husband and their friends. It was fun to see them throughout the week and talk about what we thought. Not many others showed up but I did meet Teripp (sp?) in a dining room line and I also met some “lurkers!” Many thanks to Ccrain for taking the leadership role in setting it up.

 

The muster drill was next and I admit attending better ones. It is always important to pay attention at these gatherings no matter how many cruises you have been on. I was surprised that a roll call was not taken. As I wrote before, each ship is different. Maybe it was just this week roll call was not taken. Our mini-suite was directly over one of the tender/lifeboats. We awoke most port days to the sound and the vibration of the tenders getting dropped. I wondered if in a true emergency if I would go to the lounge to await death or would I run to my balcony, jump down into the tender and be the second one in after the driver…

 

After the drill we found a bar and started drinking. SIL loved her Hawaiian Tropic but I was not fond of my Margarita. SIL loved her dirty banana yet I thought my dirty banana tasted like banana kaopectate. SIL loved the pina colada and I thought mine lacked the myers rum that is supposed to float on top. SIL loved the colada raspberry and I concluded they certainly could not get an absolut citron on the rocks wrong. Overall, the drink prices were fantastic. The specials were the cheapest I have seen in years. Others I spoke with throughout the week liked their drinks and they were pleased. I concluded that I either needed to brush my teeth better or to just stick with the absolut. I stuck with the absolut or water. Personally, I would rather pay more money for a better drink. Even so, they got me. On other cruises where the prices are higher, I drink less. On this cruise, my bar bill was the highest in a long time. I found myself drinking more because it did not seem like I was paying anything…

 

We went back to the cabin for sailaway and our steward brought us our welcome champagne. Imagine my embarrassment when I went to take the bottle from him and found out that the welcome only included the two poured glasses. We drank it in one sip and laughed as the ship set sail. We waved to everyone in the condos as we went by. We talked to people above us in their cabins. Good thing we did because I never would have found the hair dryer. It is not in the bathroom. It is the thing that looks like a wall phone next to the vanity. No wonder I had a hard time all afternoon trying to reach my husband from it.

 

Personal Choice Anytime Dining Versus Assigned Seating/Set Time Dining

 

I will write about each meal experience later as it varied. I can only give recommendations for people debating personal choice dining or assigned seating/set time dining. If you are a “scheduler,” meaning you know what you want to see and to do from morning to bed-time, then you might want to select assigned seating. If making it on time to events and to the shows, then take assigned seating. If you want your meal to be slightly above or slightly below 90 minutes, then take assigned seating. If you enjoy getting to know assigned table mates throughout the week, then take the set time. However, if you are a “go-with-the-flow” type person, then you might like the personal choice better. If you like meeting different people every night or if you do not mind waiting for a reserved table, then anytime is for you. If dining is an important part of the cruise experience and do not want to be “rushed” through dinner, then anytime dining could be for you. If you would like to have the option of taking a longer afternoon nap, staying at the pool longer, maintaining your luck on the casino slots or blackjack table, then select anytime dining. Flexibility is an important characteristic to have.

 

Our first night my SIL and I arrived to the personal choice dining room around 7:45pm to a line. Not a big deal at all for us. We greeted the couple in front of us and said hello later to the couple behind us. After waiting a while the maitre d walked down the line asking if anyone was there for a table for six. I heard passengers reply two, two, two, two, two, two, two, four, two, two, two. By the time he reached us we created a party of six and we were seated immediately. We enjoyed the conversation and the dining experience with them. Both couples were on their very first cruise so we gave some pointers. The best part is that we saw them together the rest of week so new friendships were formed.

 

SIL loved the prime rib/baked potato and I enjoyed the pasta shells with capers. On our way out I saw a head waiter’s name tag and it was Albuquerque. I stopped and told him that he was getting some excellent write-ups on cruisecritic. He was happy that people had said some very nice things about him. Throughout the week, I saw him at work in the dining room and in the buffet area. I concur with the rest of you that he is top-notch. He was always smiling, talking to people and ensuring that the dining experiences were great.

 

First Night Entertainment

 

There was a lot going on the first night for entertainment as there was all other nights. We were too late for the welcome aboard show, welcome aboard dance party, the evening movie Illusionist, the BMW Trio music, other trio groups playing at different loungers or piano bars. We were too early for late night disco at skywalkers. So, my sister-in-law hit the casino and I hit the sack. I was exhausted. As I crawled into bed, I did not have time to wonder what was wrong with me by opting out of late night dancing. I was asleep by the time my head hit the pillow.

 

Coka

[chrysalis]

nice job, thank you

[Clutterlady]

Can't wait for the rest, enjoy your style of writing:)

[usnavywife]

I love the humor behind it too. Can't wait to hear the rest :D

[mommykim]

Thanks for the well thought out review.

[coka]

4/22 First Day At Sea/First Formal Night

 

The first day at sea I awoke refreshed and hungry by 9:30am. I remember eating lots of eggs. I had the scrambled, the mini omelettes, and some other egg dish. I love eggs and ate them all week for breakfast but I do not love them enough to walk to the forward deck grill for a freshly prepared omelette which was an option.

 

After breakfast I went out in the sun from 11:00am until 2:30pm. Years ago I would take a spot at the main pool where all the fun and action are located. The good part about the Star’s layout is that there are many nooks and crannies as well as open areas to claim your spot. I never felt crowded. My spot this day was 15th deck aft and near a bar. I thought I would give a giant strawberry pina colada a try. It did not make me fall asleep as hoped but I did not need to eat lunch either. Afterwards, my SIL went to the casino and I went to watch the pool games.

 

The pool games were very entertaining. The passengers who took part did their very best and I give a lot of credit to the male who could not swim. When he stopped in the middle, got out and said he could not do it, his teammates carried on and the crowd was okay with it. My father taught me that knowing when to quit something is just as important as knowing when to continue with something. It also takes a lot of courage to laugh at yourself when your swimsuit falls down and 800 people see your butt. It is even more courageous when you are a female and it happens.

 

Overall, the cruise staff did an excellent job all week long with the activities. My SIL and I concluded that Assistant CD Leah and staff member “Cazz” helped make our week enjoyable. I am sure the other staff members were just as good but it seemed those two were at the activities we attended. The Cruise Director performed his job, did the morning tv thing, introduced the shows and such. He seemed content to have his staff in the limelight as opposed to himself being the center of attention. I think every CD has a different style and his style is not to partake as much. Maybe it was just this week. Maybe he had some bad news from home. One never knows…

 

There were so many activities going on during the sea days. Some examples include mass, shuffleboard, bridge players get-together, ceramics at sea, dance classes (ballroom, line dancing), golf, bingo, trivia, ping pong competition, slot tournaments, gemstone seminars, art auctions, scavenger hunt, dicey horse racing, afternoon tea, computers at sea seminars, future cruise presentations, scrap-booking at sea, giant chess board and many health and fitness acitivities (spinning/yoga/pilates/stretch and relax/walk-a-mile). They even had a fundraiser walk for breast cancer research. About 800 dollars was raised.

 

My SIL planned on going to the wine tasting seminar but opted out. I scored a slot in the salon for a shampoo/cut/blow-dry. I thought the price of 59 dollars was reasonable and Dana from Serbia did an excellent job. I say this because after my cut, everyone said I looked like Princess Diana. I asked the passengers to clarify if they meant before her death or afterwards. I stocked up on two of my favorite products: Steiner’s gloss mist shine spray for hair (20 dollars per bottle) and Steiner’s shine drops hair serum (32 dollars per bottle).

 

I met some passengers outside the salon who were all getting treatments before their big day in Jamaica. About 30 passengers were from Toronto. Two of them were getting married in Jamaica and the groom-to-be’s family lived in Jamaica and were awaiting their arrival the next day for the big event. They all said they loved the cruise and for many it was their first time. I was invited to join them dancing later that evening because they all danced into the wee hours of the morn on the first night.

 

This night was the first formal night and we had a plan. We would dine in Portofino’s at 6:15pm. We would attend Captain Tony Harriott’s speech with the ship’s officers at 7:45pm in the Grand Plaza/Atrium. We would attend the big show “Destination Anywhere” in the Princess Theater at 8:30pm. We would go to Motown Legends at 10:00pm in Skywalkers.

 

The line for dinner was the same as the first night. We figured everyone had the same plan as us. A family with cute children in front of us was a riot. The little girls were little princesses and one could tell they loved every minute of formal night. All passengers took this evening seriously and took the time to clean themselves up well! My SIL and I were oohing an ahhhing over the little girls and one of them looks way up at me and announces that she likes my earrings. I replied thank you and she quickly added that they were Mickey Mouse earrings. Everyone went silent and she loudly announced again in front of all and pointed that my earrings were Mickey Mouse. I wondered how this eight year old girl could tell that I was wearing a cheap pair of earrings that I picked up in some airport during a layover. I turned to the two women behind me and whispered, “out of the mouth of babes” and my SIL clarified that the three black stone balls were placed in such a way amongst the silver-ish stone balls that it looked like the Mickey Mouse logo of two ears and a head. I laughed so hard that I had to use the bathroom nearby. We continued laughing until it was time to be seated. I saw the little girl in the airport after the cruise and I was going to give them my earrings and let her know that in 20 years she will understand why I gave them away!

 

Once seated, dinner took almost three hours. Thank goodness the couple we sat with was just as good natured about it as we were. The lady reminded me of my mother when she was younger. We both ordered crayfish. It was unusual to eat something I use for bait but it was surprisingly tasty and prepared very well over a yummy bed of rice. We talked about taking the crayfish and scaring our stewards with it somehow but the lady and I opted to dissect it and see just what comes out of it. Her hubby was a very patient man. She only had to remind him once that this was not just eating a meal like they do at home…it was a dining experience in which to savor. Just like my mom, she reminded us to find the good in everything. It was a wonderful three hours. The four of us even stuck around for coffee and dessert.

 

We made it to a trivia gathering in the wheelhouse bar. SIL loves trivia, puzzles and games. The categories were fun and the questions were difficult. Some passengers cheated and were caught at it. We were good until the end. Once we knew there was no way we were going to win, we cheated to see if we would get caught. The mission was successful but we did not win the war. Cheat cheat never beat.

 

SIL went to the casino afterwards and I went to see the tail end of Motown Legends and to dance dance dance. Sky walkers was packed with people dancing and enjoying themselves. Only four seats were available at the bar and they were taken. Although lots of seating in the lounge, I do not sit by myself. I would rather look like a lush at the end of a bar than to sit at a bar table with empty seats. So I stood at the bar alone and observed. Where were all the twenty-something passengers? Where were the singles? Where were the gay guys? Could it be that I was possibly the youngest one in there? Could it be that I was the only one who walked in there alone? I thought of Virginia again. Oh, I began to wish she was with me. I knew ditching her was a good thing but it is times like this when she was a savior. She would have kept me company all evening. I did not want to dance anymore. I did not want to stand alone anymore. I felt defeated returning to my cabin at midnight to go to bed. I felt a little proud of myself for staying out one hour later than the first night. That was until I turned the clock back one hour and it suddenly became 11pm again.

 

As I dozed to sleep I wondered if I was getting old. The little lines in my face told me yes. The little ponch around my waist told me yes. Going to bed early told me yes. Oh well, I better embrace it then. I then wondered what the Bamboo Beach Break tour in Jamaica was going to be like. I would find out soon as Jamaica was our first port of call.

 

Coka

[Clutterlady]

Coka, you are wonderful! Do you have a background in writing...:confused: If not, I suggest you pursue a new career!!

[LonghornKJK]

Personal Choice Anytime Dining Versus Assigned Seating/Set Time Dining

 

I will write about each meal experience later as it varied. I can only give recommendations for people debating personal choice dining or assigned seating/set time dining. If you are a “scheduler,” meaning you know what you want to see and to do from morning to bed-time, then you might want to select assigned seating. If making it on time to events and to the shows, then take assigned seating. If you want your meal to be slightly above or slightly below 90 minutes, then take assigned seating. If you enjoy getting to know assigned table mates throughout the week, then take the set time. However, if you are a “go-with-the-flow” type person, then you might like the personal choice better. If you like meeting different people every night or if you do not mind waiting for a reserved table, then anytime is for you. If dining is an important part of the cruise experience and do not want to be “rushed” through dinner, then anytime dining could be for you. If you would like to have the option of taking a longer afternoon nap, staying at the pool longer, maintaining your luck on the casino slots or blackjack table, then select anytime dining. Flexibility is an important characteristic to have.Coka

 

This is one of the best summaries I've read about Traditional versus Anytime Dining. I'm enjoying your review. Well done! :)

[musicgirl528]

Dana, from Serbia, is fantastic!! I also had my hair styled by her in January!

 

I'm really enjoying your review, as I relive the memories of our cruise.

[Lynda90]

What a wonderful travelogue! I can't wait for your next installment. You definitely should be doing professional with your writing. I can really picture everything you are describing and you have a great sense of humor.

[coka]

Thanks for the replies and compliments! I write my reviews this way so I can re-live my week and make the vacation last longer! Although I am home, hubby knows he still wont see me for a few days!

Coka

[coka]

Day 3: Missed Jamaica Mon/Another Day At Sea!

 

I awoke at 5:30am to hot humid air and big dark clouds. No problem mon, it only rains for a few minutes in these waters and then it clears up. My body needed exercise and it needed it badly. I went to the jogging track located on deck 16 forward. A surprisingly large number of passengers were using this small track so early in the morning. A basketball court was located in the middle of the jogging track. I also saw it used for tennis or paddle ball. I lasted about four times around the crowded track when I decided to bust out and power-walk the ship instead. The deck chairs had not been put out yet and I had deck 15 and part of 16 all to myself. I do not know how far I walked but I did it to an entire trance music CD for about 75 minutes. Who needs a gym when you have the ship’s stairs, the ship’s decks and hanging things to jump up and touch. The walk got even better when it started to rain. An early morning clean up crewman supposed he better tell me that it was raining. I replied that it was not snowing, it was not sleeting, it was not freezing and I was not going to melt away in it! If you have not walked in rain in a long time or ever in your life, then I recommend you make it a point to. It rained for about one half hour and I kept walking in it. I returned to my cabin with a fully cleansed soul and not an ounce of the pound of stress that I brought with me on the ship remained.

 

We went to the buffet breakfast and had cold cereal, fresh cut fruit, French toast, blueberry pancakes and eggs of course. We wondered what Bamboo Beach was going to be like. We did not mind it was cloudy because we had plenty of sun the day before. The Captain came over the intercom and finally announced we were not going to Jamaica after trying for several hours to wait for the gale winds to dissipate. So we went back to sleep and took a morning nap.

 

We tried lunch in the dining room. We were seated with a lovely elderly couple and a married gal our age whose hubby was doing something else on the ship. I ordered the pasta dish and it was yummy. The conversation seemed awkward at first until we found out the elderly couple lived in our state. We then talked non-stop about who lived where, who knew who, places to fish, hunting trips, the horrible weather, places to retire, places to vacation, favorite cruise lines and best cruise itineraries. Afterwards my SIL invited the gal our age to join us in the movie theater as we were all going there after lunch. She never did and we concluded that maybe she thought we were going to talk all the way through the movie too.

 

We watched Little Miss Sunshine in the Princess Theater. My SIL and I never go out to the movies. So believe it or not, we were really excited to watch it movie in a theater. It was about 3pm by the time the movie ended so we decided to bet on dicey horse racing in the Vista Lounge. I had hoped they would have a horse auction with a breeder’s cup race on the final sea day. I found out they only do that when there are three sea days. Had they known earlier Jamaica would get canceled, they would have set it up. SIL won one race and I won none. Two of our losing tickets were pulled from the losers pile and we won a passport holder voucher from the ship’s shops and a t-shirt from the casino. I checked those off as hubby’s present.

 

We checked out the ship’s shops after getting the passport holder. The shops were set up on two decks mid-ship around the atrium. They had the standard commodities as offered on other cruise lines but nothing stood out spectacular or “ooh, must have” for me. Two gals our age we hung out with towards the week’s end bought crystal and expensive jewelry. They were happy with the prices they paid but they were not happy with how they were treated by the customs officials after disembarking the ship (we met up with them at the airport). If you buy expensive duty free stuff on the ship, then make sure you keep your receipt with you. Your final bill print-out will not suffice. You will have to show your receipts to customs.

 

The shops also had cheapo jewelry for passengers like me. They set up tables outside the stores and I enjoyed walking by throughout the week looking at stuff. I once added a cheap necklace to my expensive evening attire. I rarely wear jewelry but the little I own is the real deal. I even have an authentic one-of-a-kind pair of Mickey Mouse earrings for sale if anyone would like them…

 

We finished the missed port day at sea with afternoon snacks from the buffet. We munched on finger sandwiches and fresh pineapple. We then slept before getting up to eat once again. I had pretty much stayed in my pajamas all day on ship. Well, they were my go-to-breakfast yoga pants, flip flops and long sleeved t-shirt. It was perfect for lounging around the ship interior all day long…and I stayed warm in the cool lounge areas too. As soon as we were almost asleep, I jumped up and shouted to my SIL, “OH My gosh! The Jamaican guy and his Canadian fiancee’ were supposed to be married today on the island!” We wondered for a while what happened to them. We fell asleep agreeing that if a particular port of call is really important for you to get to, then it might not be a good idea to count on a cruise ship to get you there.

 

Coka (who is off to bedtime)

[beckntom]

I started reading this for the "review," because we're going to be on the Star next year. But, oh, my gosh, this is incredibly entertaining! Is there one among us who cannot relate to the following, in one scenario or another?

 

Although lots of seating in the lounge, I do not sit by myself. I would rather look like a lush at the end of a bar than to sit at a bar table with empty seats.

 

Can't wait for the next installment. It's not fair you have to sleep now, Coka!

[vickie_bernie]

Coka, I am dying to hear what happened next. Did you ever see the couple that was suppose to get married? What did they do?

 

But I love your attitude. I love cruising and your days sound just perfect for me.

 

Vickie

in Vancouver

[zimmerjulie]

Hi Coka!

I knew you must have taken a spring cruise! I'm glad I found your review here on the Princess Board for my seasonal vicarious escape :D . I look forward to the rest, and surely there will be a "dancing-all-night" segment? A dancing till the wee hours segment? Surely, dancing of some kind? ;)

Expectantly....

[Krazy Kruizers]

Coka -- I am loving your review and can't wait for the rest!! You are a wonderful writer with a great sense of humor!!

 

I remember the first time we had breakfast out on our verandah on the Grand Princess - jutted out just like yours. Besides people waving to us from above, the captain was also waving to us from the bridge!

[Crown08]

Coka, I am dying to hear what happened next. Did you ever see the couple that was suppose to get married? What did they do?

Me too! Thanks for the great review!!

[sueandkent]

I, for one, would sure like to know what happended to the wedding couple. How diappointing but very true that if one port is very important best to go there by way of land vacation.

Also, in all my time reading these boards, I have never heard of Jamaica being missed as a port of call. Usually it's Grand Cayman because of the tenders.

Enjoying the review! Thanks

[Murphey]

Doesn't anyone besides me want to know more about Virginia!!!:D :D :D

[teripp]

Coka:

How are those Mickey Mouse earrings doing??? :)

 

My review is about 3-5 days out.

 

Great meeting you in line for dinner that night.

 

Teripp

[coka]

It is coming! But not in this post.

 

Day 3: Jamaica Evening

 

We awoke from nap refreshed and concluded it was a perfect missed port day. Well, maybe not for the wedding party. We dressed up, as we did every evening for dinner and arrived at the dining room at 9:30pm. Little did I know that my SIL had a plan. She ordered the always available shrimp cocktail (you get 6-7 pieces), a salad and a cheese platter. I ordered an eggplant appetizer with a RABBIT entrée over linguine or some type of pasta.

 

We were seated at a table for two and she requested the waiter bring everything at once. I suppose she did not want to be sitting there hours later. The waiter obliged and I was excited to try the rabbit. I do not think I ever ate rabbit meat before. I have run over a few, but never ate one. I liked it a lot. At first I thought it tasted like chicken but concluded it was better tasting than chicken. As I picked it apart, I exclaimed, "Hey, what part of the rabbit's body was I eating anyway? How come it pulled apart that way? Albuquerque walked by and I asked him what part of the bunny I was eating. He said it was the middle part. Thank goodness because I thought I was eating one of the end parts and I did not see a nose, ear or neck…Albuquerque explained that rabbit is a delicassy (sp?) in Europe. It is very expensive in the restaurants and it is very difficult to find. Who knew. After all these years thinking Elmer Fudd was just a redneck, I found a new appreciation for the little hunter guy!

 

We were done dinner in forty five minutes time. On this ship there were a lot of dance events all throughout the days and nights. Although I planned on watching the ballroom blitz dancing most evenings, I never made it. Some day I am going to have ballroom dance partner. I am going to return to Princess and win the competition. Some day. We stopped by the Country and Western HoeDown party and it looked like the crowd was having a good time on the dance floor learning moves. We left during the bang bang game. The gun shots were a little too close to home for me regarding a separate issue so we caught the tail end of a husband-wife show titled “Kimika.” I saw the same show 5 years ago on the Grand Princess and remembered purchasing the CD at the end. I guess they have another CD out as well. I did not purchase it this time. I wanted to dance.

 

SIL did not want to dance. She wanted to play the slots. We parted ways and I went up to Skywalkers to dance into the wee hours of the morning. As I headed up to the bar area, I noticed the fiancé and his best man. I went up and told them I had been thinking about them all day and that I was sorry they missed their wedding. He replied they got married anyway. I responded, “Whaaat?!” He went on to tell me how the Captain tried three times to get into Jamaica port by waiting for the winds to go down. He usually never waits when the conditions are not right but he knew a large group on the ship was meeting another large group on the shore for a wedding. Turns out the Captain married them on the ship in the chapel! The Captain and the staff took very well care of the wedding party and treated them to special things. I asked the groom how he contacted his relatives on land. He said he did not know…his parents took care of that part…his main concern was that his bride was happy and that she was taken care of that day. I asked the groom if the bride was happy. He pointed and I saw her dancing up a storm on the dance floor with the wedding party and a huge crowd around her. Yes, she indeed was happy. He concluded that given the circumstances, everything worked out great…everyone was happy…his bride was happy…and he was extremely thankful for all the Star Princess staff who pitched in to make it such a special day.

 

After watching everyone dance for a while, I decided to leave. It was the bride’s dance floor and I was not going to be a wedding crasher. Well, this time I was not going to be a wedding crasher. I returned to my cabin thinking how the entire wedding party turned a potentially sad situation into a grand evening. A positive attitude about the things you can not control, being surrounded by some good friends and family, a little grace from god, and some booze can do wonders!

 

Coka

[andrea63]

Oh darn, no more posts! I was fully expecting to read about the entire cruise! I guess I'll just have to remember to check back later. LOL

[Tigger15]

COKA,

Jeff and I think you're the "BOMB", you have us in stiches and I am glad your descibing in detail each day because some days were a blurr!!! (or blurry). Sounds like we should have teamed-up with you because the 2 of us @ one bar would have driven the the bar staff insane or atleast emptied a few bottles.

Keep up the great work

Trish:)

[coka]

HeyTeripp and Tigger! Looks like we will just have to book another one together!

 

Day 4: Grand Caymen Day

 

Tendering

 

I was surprised that we tendered into Grand Caymen. I have witnessed smaller waves and lesser winds and canceled days in this port many times before as a previous poster mentioned. Tour ticket holders and priority disembarkation members usually get off the ship first. Afterwards, the remaining passengers go to an assigned lounge to get a ticket. You need your ticket (on this ship) in order to get onto the tender. Years ago the process was rather painful but over the years the cruise lines have figured out how to do it painlessly. Sometimes there is a bit of wait but if you talk to people, then the time goes by fast.

 

SIL had never been to Grand Caymen and she was interested in hitting the 7 mile beach. I had visited stingray city, done the island tour, went on a helicopter ride, snorkeled, hit the beaches, bought jewelry, and yadda yadda on previous trips. I tried to talk her into cabbing to Hell and sending postcards home to family and friends that said, “Our husbands told us to go to hell, so we did! It cost them each 2,000 dollars to send us there…and we are coming BACK!” Well, I would have paid to do it!

 

I was very impressed with the new pier and set-up in Grand Caymen. Newly rebuilt, the traffic flows well and the taxis areas have their own parking spots so you do not risk your life crossing the streets anymore. Also new is a Senor Frogs and I think even a Carlos and Charlies. A ride to 7 mile beach was only 5 dollars per person in a van. There are different drop-offs on the beach. I had been to all of them but could not remember the names (royal palms, grape-something and the beaches near the hotels). Anyways, we went to the one at the end furthest from the ship. We claimed a spot and we timed our flips by every ½ hour. We did not want to get too tan on one side. We walked the beach as far as we dared. Since I had not danced for exercise, I walked in the water far enough to give my legs a workout. Upon our return we had a pina colada at the bar. It cost 8.50 but it was for the first time this week I felt like I had a pina colada!

 

We dozed some more back on our beach towels. We could have ordered beach chairs for a fee, but there is something about laying in the sand on a towel that is much more comforting than a hard beach chair. Well, it is comforting until you get sand in your swimsuit. I went into the water to rinse off and finished the afternoon drying in the sun. Sitting on the beach with nothing else to do, I thought about Virginia as I lay there. How many times over the years did she sunbathe with me? There were only three time periods we lost touch. The first time was when I met a new boyfriend. I did not see her for two years. The second time was when I started my vocation after college. I did not see her for five years. The third time was the year of the millennium. Some event always happened after those time periods and she was there for me. Her family even got along with most of my 5 brothers and 5 sisters. My parents liked her relatives too. That is until some of us suspected one of them killed my father. The death certificate does not say it, but some of us think otherwise...Did I mention she was a bad influence?

 

"Let's go back to the ship, I am hungry!" my SIL jolted me from my thoughts. We had plans to eat, sleep, watch DreamGirls movie in the Vista Lounge, attend the Island Deck Party, eat again at the late night buffet and then dance it all off until early morning.

 

Coka (who is off to watch Dancing with The Stars)

[Clutterlady]

Coka, Dancing With The Stars is over at 9:30 tonight! I expect you to be back with another segment of your review after:p