My Thanksgiving Week on the Sun - Day By Day Account

[coka]

SUNDAY, FIRST DAY AT SEA:

 

I was up at 9:00am and enjoying the belgian waffles at the Waffle Station in The Garden Cafe. There are plenty of breakfast items to choose from at the breakfast buffet. They had hot items, cold items, cereals, an egg station for omelettes and such, a cereal station, and a fresh fruit station. Never was I in a line throughout the entire week for breakfast. If you do find there is a line in the buffet, then do not forget that they also buffet stations at the Great Outdoor Cafe. An improvement from my last sailing is that NCL now uses automatic hand sanitizers before entering the stations and before embarking the ship. This is much more efficient than the individualized paper wrapped hand sanitizers distributed on my last sailings. Just place your hand underneath and it squirts the sanitizer!

 

After breakfast I read my freestyle daily and saw that I could opt for dance classes, sports contests, cruise staff games, pool games, game tournaments, port shopping talks, spa clinics, organized work-out options (yoga, walking, step aerobics), art auction, blackjack tournament, wine tasting seminar, and life-styles seminars all throughout the day. This is one of the great thing about NCL. They have a great variety of activities all throughout the day and evening to please every personality.

 

I decided to just lay out by the pool in the beautiful sun listening to the Calypso sounds of Roots Link. No need to use my CD player because their music was very relaxing. I brought it in case they broke out into the cruise songs of "hot hot hot" and such. Their tunes were very mellow and different from other pool bands that I have heard in the past. I dozed in the sun from 10-3:30pm. I did not burn because I prepared properly by tanning in the booths before my trip. Do not cry at my funeral if I every die from skin cancer. I love the sun and soaking in her harmful rays brings me such immediate pleasure!

 

For lunch I went to the Pizza Station located in the Pacific Heights restaurant just off the pool area. I included freshly cut fruit from a station located right by the pool. They certainly think of everything! Servers walked around and brought cocktails to sunbathers or misted them with spray bottles.

 

During the late afternoon I went up to Body Waves Fitness Center. They have a nice selection of machines to use and the staff help out the passengers who do not know what they are doing and those that do! I have my own routine so I did my workout with the free-weights for 45 minutes and then I went down to the Promenade deck for 75 minutes to do one of my favorite aspects of cruising: Power-walking on the promenade deck! In my opinion, there is no better high in life than adrenaline pumping through your body while trance music is pumping through your ears, while you are visually viewing a dramatic ocean sunset on a cruise ship all by myself! No drug in the world can top that feeling. It is during this time that I thank my god for what I have in life and I say my prayers for others...

 

I returned to my cabin at 6pm and found a nice platter of white and dark chocolate strawberries! I thought to myself, hey nothing like a little sugar after working out so hard, so I ate them. I then got dressed for formal night and donned my black/red vampy gown. My cabin stewardess was so sweet to me. Not only did she and her partner do an awesome job with my cabin and were awesome about my odd sleeping habits (my naps were usually during their cleaning times), but she gave me feedback with my outfits every night before I went out. She helped me out with what shoes to wear, what wrap to wear, what necklace to wear and so on! I gave each of them gifts during the week and then something extra at the end. One of the great aspects about freestyle cruising is the automatic tipping policy. You do not have to worry about the envelopes and how much to give at the end of week. Everything is already calculated and figured in your onboard account. Even so, you can tip extra if you want to. When you figure out what the stewards make for what they do every day, you really should give more. Just my opinion.

 

That evening my first goal was to dine alone. Lois R, a cruisecritic who hangs out on the cruisecritic fashion boards shared an experience of being in assigned seating on another cruiseline and all her table mates did not show up for formal dinner. So, she sat there and ate alone. I did it for her and in her honor. Had she been on freestyle dining, she would be guaranteed to be seated with people and never have to experience what she did. I believe that dining alone builds character! My second goal was to eat in Pacific Heights, the eating light restaurant. I never ate there before on my previous sailings and I was determined to do all the things that I had not done the other three sailings prior. I could have eaten lobster in the main restaurants but I had "been there and done that."

 

I was pleasantly surprised with the menu in Pacific Heights! Everything on the menu had the amount of calories in it so you knew your intake with each item. There was a nice variety of entrees. The Food and Beverage Director was outside the restaurant and had recommended the perch. Where I come from, I catch perch from a hole chopped through 12 inches of ice, bring it home and fry it up in a pan. So, I tried it and I thought it was surprisingly excellent. I had to laugh at myself when the waitress brought it over to me. She set it down and went to do something. The perch was wrapped in something like rice paper or that thin paper you can eat that has stuffing in it. I was just about to dig in when the waitress returned to cut open and remove the non-edible paper that the perch was steamed in! I seriously was ready to eat the paper! My review may have a been a little different had I eaten it, haha. The perch were nice sized filets and rested atop a nice blend of vegetables and tasted very good! I could not have made it better myself. Lastly, the ambiance and atmosphere of Pacific Heights is wonderful. It is different at night than when you walk through during the daytime. I sat at a booth with a huge window and could see the ocean waves go by.

 

I did not attend the Captain's Welcome Party but this is usually an opportunity to people watch and to drink free champagne. I did not attend the Encore Mr. Producer show. Remember, I had been there and done that. Instead, I took myself to the Observation Lounge at 9:30pm to listen to the Sun Showband's tribute to Glenn Miller. I love to watch the elderly crowd dance the way they can dance to the old time bands. The lounge was about 1/2 full so I perched myself at mid-bar and had a great view of the dancers on the dance floor. I met a solo traveler from Miami and she had just finished dining alone in the Bistro restaurant. She was a hoot. She too enjoyed dancing so I picked out a guy from the crowd for her to ask to dance. I am pretty good at "sizing people up" so I pointed him out. She went and asked him to dance. I am chuckling to see this beautiful young beaudacious blond bombshell with a guy who looks totally shocked at the invitation. He brightens up, he stands up, he takes off his tuxedo jacket, he loosens his tie, and escorts her to the dance floor. I almost fell off my bar stool as he proceeded to spin her and spin her and spin her around! I am not referring to dancing/spinning as Fred Astaire can. I am referring to a kid spinning a top. She returned to the bar and we laughed until she informed me that she thought she was going to get sick. Note to self: never eat a five course meal, drink a bottle a wine, and go big-band dancing five minutes after.

 

I stayed in the observation lounge to hear Wes and Shelly from "Twice As Nice" sing Motown favorites. I heard them last year on the Sun and they are very good! They sang just about every night during various times and they did a variety of themes. Examples include Motown, the 70's hits, dynamic duos, 50's and 60's classics, and so on. So, every evening in the observation was a nice variety. Oh, if you are a latitudes member, then you get 20 percent off certain drinks. I never used this perk. I was having a great time listening to Twice as Nice until a guy sat next me and proceeded to tell me how rich he was, how many houses he owns, what his net worth is, blah blah blah. I just responded, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh when inside my head was responding, ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. So I left and spent the rest of the night having fun dancing in Dazzles Disco. By the second night you can tell who the die-hard dancers are and passengers begin to mingle because you all share the same things: You are on vacation, you are out of town, nobody knows you, and the music and drinks are great!

 

I concluded after the first three days of my vacation that I like to hang out with myself! I am a lot of fun! hahahaha! More to come later on about the next few days!

 

Coka

[coka]

I have no idea what happened to my review of pre-cruise fun in south beach and first day on ship. I hope it gets posted.

Coka

[coka]

I HAD A BLAST! This was my 20th cruise overall, 13th with NCL, and fourth time on the SUN. The entire week was perfect from beginning to end. The traveling, the ship, the passengers, the crew, the activities, the dining, the services, and the port experiences were all phenomenal! All of my cruises have been awesome but this last week was even better because because all of the above "jived" extremely well! I will share my experiences and thoughts from a day to day perspective below. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did living it!!!

 

The Arrangements and pre-cruise fun in South Beach:

 

I booked the least expensive inside cabin guarantee at the time. I cashed in 500 points from my Norwegian Credit Card equalling 500 dollars. The card is through MBNA and if you do not have one, then I recommend you get one! It is very easy to cash in and this cruise was the fifth NCL cruise I have saved money on! I ended up getting an 8 category upgrade so I was pleasantly surprised with my cabin! I flew for free on Continental from my hometown to Fort Lauderdale. I gave up my seat on a previous flight from last summer and therefore did not have to pay airfare that would have cost me 450 dollars. I used Tri-County Transportation share-a-ride from Fort Lauderdale to my hotel in South Beach Miami. For fifteen dollars, you share a van with other passengers to your destination. Surprisingly, I ended up with a town car instead of a van!

 

I was taken directly to The Essex House Hotel, located on Collins Avenue and 10th street in South Beach. I booked a standard room online for about 100 dollars. The manager helped check me in and he upgraded me to a suite! The hotel is located one block from the beach and is within safe walking distance to shopping, nightclubs, and restaurants. I went to the beach, hit all the happy hour clubs on Ocean Drive, passed out for four hours, then got up at 11pm and went to a few nightclubs/danceclubs in the area. Mansion, a six bar danceclub had a huge line out front so I just pretended I was supposed to walk right on in. I got behind some VIP's entering and had no problem. I did not stay long because they were playing hip-hop music and I needed something faster to dance to. The decor was cool, though! I then tried a club called the Marlin and the music was great but it was time to leave when I got the feeling that "I was not in Kansas anymore...!" I went back to Ocean Drive and went to Mangoes, a resaurant and dance place. I ended the evening at the Clevender, a sports bar, outside bar and restaurant, and dance place. By the time I was ready to retire, my hotel was just around the corner! A perfect stay in SoBe!

 

Saturday, First Day on Ship:

 

I ate my free continental breakfast and took a 15 dollar cab ride to the ship at about 11:15 on Embarkation day. I was very impressed with NCL's embarkation procedures! It seems they continually find ways to improve it! Checking in was very easy. No longer do you have to stand outside in line. They set it up where you may sit inside an air conditioned room as servers come around asking if you like some juice or water. A nice touch! As a latitudes member, you can get into a special latitudes line to embark, but since there are so many repeat customers to NCL, sometimes it is easier to get into the non-latitudes line! I was on the ship and in my cabin 45 minutes after checking in.

 

My cabin was on the ninth deck aft and it was a perfect location for me. I always take the stairs to get places faster! I had to only go up two for the pool or down three to the disco. I had plenty of room, storage, hangars, etc. for my four huge pieces of luggage (will explain why later)! In my cabin was champagne, a fruit basket, and an hors d'oeuvres plate. Now there was an unexpected surprise! I spent the early afternoon sunning and sleeping on the Sports Deck 12 Aft. If you do not want to party, people-watch, or listen to a band by the pool on deck 11 or 12, then deck 13 forward is a quiet retreat to escape to.

 

My luggage arrived by the time the muster drill was over so that was great! I slept some more in my cabin and totally missed the big sail-away party and BBQ! They are usually a good time and a great opportunity to see how the week will go depending on the passengers response. During the early evening I went to one of the bars and people-watched. I drank water most of the week and that was never a problem. The bar-staff work fast, they are happy, they are efficient, and ensure that the customers are always taken care of no matter their request. They were never pushy as they can be on other cruise lines.

 

I met a woman who was travelling solo and within ten minutes talking I concluded she was a long-lost twin. We hung out together throughout the week and it was almost creepy how similar we were! We laughed all week long and we were very lucky and thankful that we met each other. This is one of the great things about cruising...you will always meet people that you will stay in contact with once the week is over.

 

That evening I dined in the Seven Seas dining room. This is located in the aft on deck five. You can only get there from aft elevator or deck six aft and walk down some stairs. I arrived at nine and was seated right away. No sooner had I sat down when I noticed two other cruise critics members come through (we told each other how to identify ourselves). It was StonerB, his wife, and her decorated cane, Iris! I invited them to the table and we enjoyed their conversation very much! I had the Prime Rib which was excellent! It was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife! I am a carnivore and love meat so I know my prime rib! The dining room servers were very efficient and very friendly.

 

Afterwards, I attended the Freestyle Cruise Kickoff Party in Dazzles Disco. This is another opportunity on the first day to see how the week will go in the area of fun. The place was packed. Normally, people are tired from travelling the first day and in bed early. Not so on this trip! DJ Shijoy was an excellent DJ and he played a great variety of music for all to enjoy. The disco was jamming every night of the week into the early hours of the morning! The DJ was very responsible too. He made sure people were safe on the dancefloor and made sure that the irresponsible partiers (the ones who bring drinks out on the dance floor and tend to get out of hand) behaved responsibly. People of all ages had a great time in Dazzles throughout the week. They also ensure that the under 18's leave at 11pm. Every evening the staff had something for the teens to do. The teens were usually invited to poolside parties from 11pm-1am or to other activities that kept them out of the disco! I danced until I felt I had a good workout and was in bed by 1:30am which was pretty early for me! Even so, it was a great first day!

 

Coka

[shoreguy]

I have no idea what happened to my review of pre-cruise fun in south beach and first day on ship. I hope it gets posted.

Coka

Relax - it's here ;)

[Globaliser]

I have no idea what happened to my review of pre-cruise fun in south beach and first day on ship.

I made a small suggestion here - hope that might help.

[coka]

I was up and ready at 8:45am and ordered a ham and cheese omelette from the egg-station man. Even if you dont eat omelettes, it is truly something to see these guys make them. Believe it or not, it certainly is a craft! The weather was beautiful and I dined outside. It was great to see that the Sun and only two other small ships were the only ships in port that day. I had not planned on getting off the ship but changed my mind knowing that it would not be crowded walking around.

 

I have been to GC prior and went to Hell, Stingray City, 7 Mile Beach, island tour, so I decided to just walk around in the uncrowded shopping area to buy gifts. Normally, you get a tender ticket before getting off if you want to be the first ones off (and are not on tour). This helps with the rush and helps keep everything organized. I just wait until they stop the ticket system and go at my leisure. By about 10:45am, passengers did not need a ticket. I spent about 2 and 1/2 hours going into shops. I noticed if you wanted to go to seven mile beach, you can take a three dollar cab ride there. I think you pay about 5 to get in depending on where you go.

 

In my opinion, must purchases are the Tortuga Rum cakes and the Tortuga Rum. They sell them on the ship but I forgot that as I had not visited the ship's stores yet. I bought 12 rum cakes for my secretaries and 5 bottles of rum for my colleagues who all had to do my job while I am gallavanting around the Caribbean Sea! I then walked a little ways on the main road to Eden Rock and watched some of the divers and snorkelers do their thing. I went snorkeling there too many years ago and it is nice independent free option close to the ship.

 

I was back on board by 2:00 as there were no long waits for the tenders. I snoozed in the sun from until 4pm. During this time, a fabulous barbecue was presented on deck 12 near Champ's Bar. In my opinion, NCL has the BEST Barbecues going on. I was not even hungry but ended up eating the ribs, the chicken, the potato salad, and the three cheese potato bake. For dessert, I went to the IceCream bar. I worked it all off an hour later using Body Waves Fitness Center free-weights and power-walking the promenade deck. I returned to my cabin and found a special salmon plate delivered there!

 

If you are a latitudes member, then you get invited to a private cocktail party where they serve free drinks and fancy finger foods. The Captain and the senior staff stand at the entrance and greet the members. They all were not too bad to look at as you walk through! I was somewhat intimidated so I spoke with an accent and introduced myself as Olga from Sveden. I used to think this was all "hokey" until I found out that they use your invitation to draw prizes. You can win a spa treatment, discounts to the ship's shops, internet time, champagne, dinners to the specialty restaurants, and a piece of artwork from Park West Galleries. I sat with two very elderly ladies to my left and a very interpersonal 12 year old on my right. I have not won anything yet but came in a close second for winning the champagne for who took the most NCL cruises. The winner was 25. The elderly ladies told me they would give me the artwork if they won it because at their ages, they are trying to get rid of stuff, not collect it! I had a surprisingly good time at the latitudes party!

 

I returned to the cabin and began to get organized for Roatan the next morning. I had about 135 pounds of donations to organize for the orphanage. Teachers and stafff at my school all donated items for me to bring. As I go through my cabin I find an invitation to a VIP gathering with the Captain and senior staff. I thought I was just there but realized that it was some other event in a different location and I had fifteen minutes left to get there.

 

The dress said "resort casual" so I thought my hootchie-mama capris, my hootchie sandals, and newly purchased Grand Caymen shirt was going to be appropriate. NOT! I had to laugh at myself once again. The one event during the whole week I "go freestyle" at, I find I should have dressed better! The gathering was a location sectioned off the observation lounge. I was very late and people were all mingling. The only person standing alone was Captain Konstantinos Fafalios at the entrance. My mother taught me to always look for the lone person at a party and go up to them to converse. I thought he was just being nice that he remembered me from last year (I had a picture with him) until he began to tell me what we talked about last year.

 

I am totally dumbfounded that with all the people going through that ship each week, each month, and each year, that the NCL employees have an uncanny ability to remember people. A steward stopped me in the hallway one time during the week and said, "Hey (my name)! I was your steward last year...how is (my friend's name and her son's name)? Are they here?" A bartender in the Windjammer remembered me from last year too. I asked how that could be when my hair was a lot shorter and I dyed it a lot darker than before. It was pretty amazing overall!

 

For dinner I ate with another passenger in the Las Ramblas restaurant that serves Tapas. They have different items to select from and the selection changes every evening. A guitar player performs and he was very good. Cruisecritic StonerB and his wife were there so we chatted with them for a while and caught up on what they had done since I last saw them.

 

I ended the evening in Dazzles Disco 70's Dance Fever party. The cruise staff were there making sure people did the YMCA and they also offered "flower" body drawings on passengers faces or arms. It was something different so I had some painted on my arms. I danced until I felt like I had a good enough workout and went to bed early at 1:00am since Roatan was going to be a long day.

 

 

Coka

[HLP]

Coka,

 

Thanks for the review. Sounds like your cabin was a suite?

What is your cabin number? Please keep the reviews comming.

 

HLP

[coka]

Globaliser, I still do not know how to do it! Are there simple directions to follow? I am done for the evening and will continue my review in the next few days. I would like to do the links for when I write more as the first few days will get lost. Shoreguy, can you email me directions if you know how?

 

Thanks!

Coka

[swoosh2005]

Your review has to be one of the BEST I've ever read!!!

Thanks!

[swoosh2005]

what kind of gifts did you bring for your stewards?

denise

[Globaliser]

Globaliser, I still do not know how to do it! Are there simple directions to follow?

What you've done for both of the posts you've made so far was to click the "New Thread" button each time on the forum index (the board that lists all the different threads). That's why you've got two separate threads going.

 

Next time, go to one of the threads that you've already started, then click the "Post Reply" button in that thread. Then post the next instalment of the report, and you'll find that it's on the same thread, just further down. That way, anyone who reads the first part of the report will get to the next part as they keep reading down the thread.

[OceanDreams]

Since I wasn't able to cruise with you (at least this time).... it's great to read your reviews. While reading them, I can imagine myself cruising along with you anyway. (ok, have to admit that I poured myself a drink while reading your reviews.....yes, the drink was in one of the NCL glasses) I'm so glad that you had a wonderful time.

 

Welcome home Coka

 

OceanDreams

[OceanDreams]

Glad that you didn't miss your breakfast and didn't have problems with the "omlette" police. As you know the Observation Lounge is one of my favorite places. I'm glad that you got the chance to see and hear Wes and Shelly again.

 

On to reading the next review.

 

OcedanDreams

[OceanDreams]

Of course the Captain remember you..... In my opinion he was one of the best. (if not the best)

 

Ok, I'm following along with you.....but I'm lost now as to who the Bartender was that remember you..... please email me with this information. (hehehehe)

 

I for one love to get off the ship and stroll along by myself. Since I'm really not a "shopper" but a "buyer" I don't have to wait for the rest of the group to catch up with us.

 

Gosh, I really missed out.

 

OceanDreams

[Host CMLA]

Coka...I merged your threads so everything is right here and I changed the name of it to "Thanksgiving Week On The Sun." For any more information you want to post just post it to this thread so everything stays together and is easy for other members to read it. I hope that helps.

[coka]

OceanDreams, you missed a good time! The bartender was Christopher from the Philippines in the Windjammer lounge. Another was the female bartender at the Outdoor Garden Cafe. Cristina Petric, the Romanian bartender in the casino said you better be with me next time!

 

Cecilia, thank you for merging my threads! I appreciate it very much!

 

Okay, I am ready to talk about my BIG DAY in Roatan below!

 

Roatan is the number one reason why I sailed solo even though OceanDreams canceled out on me! About four and 1/2 years ago my family and I met a wonderful 12 year old who protected us throughout the day. He escorted my family, along with the van driver all over the island, snorkeling, dining, and such. My husband hates kids but he fell for little Darren Flowers. Darren wanted to be a police officer when he grew up and that pleased my law enforcement hubbie to no end.

 

Long story short, I kept in mail contact with Darren over the years and visited him and his family at least once a year while cruising. Three years ago on one sailing we were traveling to the beach and came across a structure that was going to be an orphanage. Throughout my trips to Roatan, not only would I bring supplies and aid to Darren's family but I began bringing school supplies to the orphanage as well. Darren's mother often referred to me as an angel from heaven. The last time I saw her she made me promise that if anything ever happened to her that I would take care of her son. I promised. My last two letters went unanswered until I emailed the orphanage and they verified that Darren's mother died a few months earlier. They did not know where Darren and his two brothers and two sisters were.

 

Hence, I was up at the crack of dawn on Roatan Day! My first mission was the orphanage in the morning and my second mission was to hire a cab and find Darren Flowers. I ate a full breakfast at the buffet and knew the eggs benedict would hold me over until ship sailing.

 

I had three HUGE suitcases full of supplies to the orphanage. Not only did I bring donations from my teachers, but I had donations from Cruisecritics Martinimama and FlamingoSun over at CC's Floataway Lounge official CSI orphanage thread. I met Martinimama in person for the first time at the Fort Lauderdale airport and she "gave me the goods" to deliver! Hence the reason for four suitcases at the start of this trip!

 

Ray Williams, the most excellent, humorous, informative and hardest-working Concierge ever, set me up with Nada, the clearance officer from Croatia to get the goods off the ship. All I had to do was tell her the name and location of the recipients and what I was giving. She did the rest. She contacted her people. They contacted their people. She called me at 9:00am, 30 seconds after the ship cleared and told me that a porter was on his way to my cabin and he would take my suitcases off the ship. I gave him 15 dollars for his effort.

 

I found an excellent cab driver to take me to the orphanage for thirty dollars and he helped me out with lugging the suitcases across the rough stones in the rain and he put the items in and he carried them into the orphanage with me. I stayed about 90 minutes. I also gave the teenage orphans letters and email addresses from a group of students who wanted to be pen pals with them. They were very excited.

 

I wanted to get back to the ship before 11am because I did not want to lug the "empty" suitcases on a tender (The NCL Sea arrives and the Sun moves out to anchor right off shore). I was late because I remembered that I LOVE the Roatan beer. Look for the Port Royal Export in a green can. If you are not much of a beer drinker or you like a mild beer, then this is for you! So, my driver took me to a store and negotiated a case of Port Royal for me. I figured he was really good because my driver last year negotiated 20 dollars for a case and this one got me a case for only 15 dollars. I figured if I did not find my little friend Darren (school gets out at noon on ship days), then I had enough beer on board to cry in.

 

I missed the ship and had to wait for the tender to come get me. My driver said we had some extra time so we drove around town looking for Darren. I shared my menthol cigarettes with him as he never had them before. I learned that he was on break from business college in the mainland and he was working to save money to start up a Century 21 real estate business. He spoke better English than any American I know including myself! He was very smart as he got a 100% tip from me.

 

I was back on board by 12:30pm. Had the beer been cold, I probably would have chugged down about 3 of them once I was in my cabin. So I put three of them in the cabin refrigerator. As I write, they are probably still there! My guilty catholic upbringing taught me that it is very helpful to do good deeds for others. You get into heaven faster by doing them. HOWEVER...everything cancels out if you complain about it! So, I kept my mouth shut from the beginning to the end of this mission and I will continue to do so. I need as many "grace" points as I can earn! Needless to say, I breathed a big sigh of relief once I shoved those empty suitcases underneath my bed...

 

 

Coka

[OceanDreams]

I'm glad that you were taken care of by NCL's Concierge. How is Darren doing?

 

OceanDreams

[coka]

Since I was back on ship I had some wonderful garden salads at the buffet because they were there. I needed more fuel to continue my search for Darren. I took a tender back and was on the dock by 1:15pm. I exited the gates and was ready to head into the shopping area to begin to ask who knew where any of the Flowers children were. I am standing there, getting ready to walk, and all the cabbies are asking if I need a cab. I answered no, that I was looking for someone. They wanted to know who. I told them Darren Flowers. One responded "Oh, he is right there!" as he points to a young guy about ten feet away. I said "That is not Darren Flowers!" He responded, "Well, it must be his brother because that guy's last name is Flowers!"

 

So, I walk over and asked the teenager his name. He responded Darren Flowers as he looked through my sunglasses and through my baseball cap and he exclaims, "oh my god, it is Miss (my first name)! As he spoke, I am looking at him and sure enough, the 12 year old boy who I met again as a 13 year old boy, who I saw again at 14 1/2, was indeed a young gentleman at the age of 16. He had grown about two feet and he was taller than me!

 

We proceeded to walk and talk for the next three hours and caught up on what was going on in the last year with his family and with his life as well as mine. You know by now that I am a detail person, but I will not share his personal tragedy (nor mine) here! I did find out that I was helping support the postal workers in Roatan this past year instead of the Flowers family as they purchased a "scanning machine" and can look for money inside envelopes now!

 

I will also share that on our walk we came across a public bilingual elementary school which is within walking distance and visual distance from the ship. Just look for the green cement wall and listen for the children's voices. We spent time visiting with Diane Bennett, the English Language teacher and I learned a lot about what they needed for supplies there. I felt bad when she said so many suitcases come off the ships and they watch the supplies go up the hill to particular children on the island who are "sponsored" by others. This was the last week their school was in session as they have their summer break until February14th, 2005.

 

I take nothing away from the children at the orphanage nor nothing away from the island children who are sponsored. I am very happy that there are good people in the world who do "something." I told Brad Warren, the executive director about the Flowers family and Darren. Brad told me to tell Darren that if he or his family needed anything, that they were to come by. I know Brad to be true to his word for he his a good man doing good things.

 

Even so, I can not shake the images of one student studying in their 14x14 bedroom as 35 students are sharing notebooks in a 20x20 classroom. I pray that I can figure it out. Diane invited me back to Roatan during next school session. She is going to set me up with a place to stay and with a driver. I just need to get there. We exchanged addresses, both personal and school , so we will keep in contact and I will do my best for the bilingual school when they re-open next year.

 

As we walked back to ship I gave Darren something and told him to shove it into his pocket so he would not get mugged hitch-hiking home. We get to the ship's gate and he says, "Miss (my name), I must tell you a story..."

 

He continues, "Last week I was really down on my luck. I met a lady from Indiana off a ship who I helped out while she was in Coxen Hole. She gave me a necklace and told me to wear it. She told me to wear it until good things came my way. She said it will bring me luck. She said if I have faith in God while wearing it, good things will come my way. I have worn it and believed and Miss (my name), here you are one week later!"

 

Darren then takes the necklace off and he puts it around my neck. He tells me that he wants me to have it. He tells me that if I believe, then good things will come my way. Okay, by now my eyes are filled with tears and I told him that I could not accept the necklace because I am the luckiest woman on earth and that good things have always come my way.

 

So, he says to me, "Miss (my name). You wear the necklace and when you meet someone who is really really down on their luck, then you give it to them. You pass it on and tell where it came from. But, they must be REALLY REALLY down on their luck, they must believe, and good things will come their way." I then accepted it and told him that I would probably pass it on the first day back to school because I know a lot teenagers who are really down on their luck!

 

We hugged four times to say goodbye and I cried all the way back to the tender. It was a long walk and a long wait in line for it was near the last one to return to the ship. Thank goodness for my sunglasses and baseball cap. For a moment, I considered wearing the necklace and hitting the casino that night. Then I cried some more in my cabin for even considering that and I fell fell asleep until later that night.

 

(I was at work today and I am still wearing the necklace as I type (It is actually a religious medallion. I have to ask my mother or the Latin teacher what it means and what is says). I am sure I will know when the time comes who to give it to).

 

Coka

[coka]

HI Cecilia,

Can you add in the title a "day by day account" ???

Coka

[maryannha123]

Coka--I am really enjoying your narrative. I was on the Sun the week before you & I keep thinking--I wonder if I saw her in the .........(Observation Lounge, Windjammer, Garden Cafe, etc) I agree with you that Chris, the bartender in the Windjammer is the best! I am looking forward to your future posts!

 

Maryann

[Host CMLA]

HI Cecilia,

Can you add in the title a "day by day account" ???

You got it!

[karfest]

Coka-

 

I've been following your adventures the last few years- but this account of your trip has me in tears. Even though I only know you through the internet, I can feel your personality, humor, and compassion through your words.

 

I will have a better day today knowing there are people like you in the world:)

[thebrat99]

Hi Coka! Glad you had a good time! Am enjoying living vicariously thru you as I read. Am so glad you found your special friend!

Kathy

[coka]

I woke up from my nap on Roatan evening about 8:30pm. I was not very hungry and I do not remember eating anything that evening except for the assorted cheese platter that arrived to my cabin earlier! Thank goodness for those goodies that surprised me every day! I planned on going to the Swing and Latin Dance music but I missed it. I had already seen Cirque-Pan a hundred times.

 

I had planned a long time ago to have a quiet evening before Belize day because I was going CAVE TUBING in the morning! Woo-Hoo! I have been on this itinerary four times and I have missed Cave Tubing EVERY time! Why? Because I stay out late for the Caribbean deck party and then dance until the wee hours of the morning. Not tonight. Oh, no way was I going to be out another 200 bucks for missing getting up early.

 

So, I got ready for Wednesday laundry day (all you can stuff into a bag for 20 dollars) and I placed it in the closet (bad move...you have to place it where they can SEE it)! I then got dressed and went to the last half of karaoke. I would check out the Caribbean Deck party later and maybe do a little dancing under the stars...You know the ones, the dollar dance and the banana dance and the electric slide. No matter what, I was not going to go to the disco afterwards. I was going to be in bed by midnight. I had heard so many fantastic things about Cave Tubing and EVERY cruisecritic review I ever read raved about how FUN it is!

 

I saw my New York friend (the woman I met the first night) and the German (another solo cruiser we met earlier in the week) at karaoke. So, we decided to check out the deck party together. I said, "Hey, I have a bottle of champagne in my cabin that I received the first day." Since there are only four solos on this ship (I could not find the gal from Miami), then let's drink it together. So, we brought it up to the party. Not many passengers were there as I have seen in the past. Not too many people dressed in island outfits either. Thank Goodness! The German figured something was amiss when I encouraged him to go up for Carmen Miranda (he did not know anything about it). So, we just watched and visited with other passengers we met along the way. Everything finished about midnight and I politely excused myself because I had to get up for CAVE TUBING the next morning. They understood when I told them how psyched I was!

 

I was awake all night. I tossed, I turned, I flipped. I looked at my watch...is it time for cave tubing yet? I went to the bathroom. I set my cave tubing clothes out. Is it time for cave tubing yet? Back to bed. I stared at the ceiling. I read my freestyle daily. Where is my cave tubing ticket? I went to the bathroom. I looked at my watch. I finally fell asleep.

 

I awoke and the blankets were off, the pillows on my head, my body all twisted up in all sorts of contortions. It must be time for cave tubing! No. I had two more hours to wait. While waiting I envisioned myself floating down a serene river, basking in the sun, and floating under some caves as I listened to the birds and monkeys in the rain forest about me. I tossed, I turned and flipped some more.

 

Finally, 6:00am came and IT WAS TIME TO GO CAVE TUBING! The big day arrived! I felt like crap. I stood up and my entire body hurt. I looked like crap. One could put 10 pounds of groceries in the bags under my eyes. Room service arrived promptly at 6:30am. I looked at myself in the vanity mirror as I ate cold cereal and bananas and said, "I am going Cave Tubing even if it KILLS me!"

 

The tours met in the big lounge at 8am and they directed everyone where and when to go. A tender took us ashore to Belize City. By 9am we were on shore and in line for the buses. From 9 to 10:30 we traveled on the bus. Wow, 2 and 1/2 hours to get there since sitting in the lounge. The guide was very informative along the way pointing out sites and telling us about Belize's history. I sat thinking that we better have some time for Cave Tubing. If he just stopped talking, then we could get there faster so I can have my fun that I missed out on all these years!

 

Before getting off the bus, our guide tells us what to expect and what to do and what not do because he does not want anyone to get hurt. In a nutshell, We have to cross a river to get to the rainforest and climb a hill to the path. Do not touch the plants in the rainforest path and do not touch the trees either. Carry your inner-tube, water, lifevest, and flashlight in just the proper manner so you do not puncture the inner tube on the spiny needles sticking out of the trail. Do not wear your hat or sunglasses as you may lose them when you jump off the 15 foot cliff into the river. Did we bring a change of clothes? Do not forget to spray deet or off to keep the Belizian bugs away. Be very sure to stay out of the rapids. They dislike it when they have to retrieve people out of them. Do not get off your inner tube. Stay on the left side of the river. If your tube goes crashing into the side of the cave wall, then do not use your hands to push away. You will get hurt. Push off the cave walls using your feet only. Oh yeah, turn off your head flashlights when we get to the part that has all of the bats. They will swarm you if you keep it on. One guide will stay in front, the other guide will stay in the rear. Let's Go!

 

Jeepers Creepers! I was waiting for the guide to next tell us to be sure to remember the description of the bug should one bite us so he would know whether to suck the venom out or to pee on the wound!

 

Everyone made it through the river, the rainforest hike, and cliff jump (it was actually about 10 feet and you had the option of going down a rope instead of jumping...sounds worse than it is)! I found out later that I was walking with cruisecritic Tguyer and his family over on the roll-call boards the entire hike!

 

Everyone waited until the last jumper got into the river before we entered the cave. I thought, "Yeeeahhhh, I am finally cave tubing! This is great! Hey, the water is not too cold as the guide said! Oooh, I will just lay back and look at the cave walls and take in all the pretty caverns and holes. Ohhh, look at those pretty things hanging down! This is so cool, I do not have to paddle, the river takes me! I am in Belize, in the rainforest, in a river, in a cave, all by myself!

 

I then look up and around I see that I am truly all by myself! I see a flitter of lights way ahead of me. I see nothing behind me. Where is the guide? I could not paddle fast enough. OMG, I was on the right side...or was it the left side...what side was I to stay away from? I thought I felt something hit my butt...was that rocks?...I was too close to the wall but my feet were towards the river. Was I in the rapids? I wanted to get off and get out of the cave. Wait, I could not get out of the tube. I had to stay in. I finally pushed my feet off the wall and paddled with all my might and caught up with the group. They all looked so peaceful and relaxed! Was I the only scaredy-cat in the group? I calmed myself down and made myself go into other inner tubers just so I could be near them in time to hear "LIGHTS OFF!"

 

The bats. It felt like hours that I was in darkness. What in heck type of tour is this where I can not see anything? I was starting to get cold. People were not talking because they were trying to listen for bats. People were nearby so I whispered aloud, "This is scary, is anyone else afraid?" Those who heard me but could not see me responded, "No, this is the coolest thing I have ever experienced"..."Yeah, this is great!"..."I agree, this is the best tour I have ever taken in my life!" Little kids were answering too that they were having a ball. I thought they were all nuts. Finally, I hear the call for Lights ON! Phew, we were out of the bat section.

 

Darkness still prevailed although we were all just tiny flickers of light in a cave...on a river...in the rainforest...in Belize. This tour could not have ended soon enough. I could not wait for it to be over. I thought of my family for the first time since boarding the plane. I would not have felt this way if any one of them were present.

 

So, I found a family of my own. Instead of looking up at the walls and ceiling, I looked around in the water and found my salvation. A husband, wife and their teenage son. All three looked so happy, relaxed and peaceful. They were tubing together as a unit. I paddled over and told them that I was all by myself and that I was petrified. I asked if I could just hold on to their tubes for a minute.

 

They let me stay with them for the rest of the river trip that lasted another 45 minutes inside the caves. We talked, we laughed, we relaxed, we pointed out cool things to each other, we "fought the current" together, we squealed aloud together when we hit the shallow area and when gentle rocks rolled our hineys, we worked as a team to avoid the walls, and once we were out of the river, I ate the chicken and rice/beans lunch with them.

 

Afterwards, I told them how much it meant to me that I could hang on to them for my dear life in the caves! On the last night I saw them in the disco. I bought drinks for and danced with the three of them! They told me they had been looking for me since cave tubing so that they could invite me to dine with them. This is just an example of how you can meet amazing people and have amazing experiences while cruising! I will NEVER forget my surrogate cave family who took me under their wings when I felt the most vulnerable ever in my entire life!

 

Cave Tubing did not kill me, but I certainly reflected a lot on life and learned something about myself throughout the experience!

 

Coka

[coka]

Swoosh, I brought pure Vermont maple syrup for them. I also gave them a sample of my orphanage donations...some fancy body washes for adults. Lastly, cold hard cash is usually what they enjoy the most! Really nice gifts I bought were 3 hand-crafted pens...2 made from Vermont maple wood and 1 from Vermont lilac wood for those who went above and beyond for me!

 

Thebrat, Have a great time on the Golden! She is a beautiful ship and you will love her! Maybe next year OceanDreams, You, and I (and who can forget Shoreguy), will all get our vacations in sync!

 

Thank you, Karfest! What a nice way to end my evening with a compliment like that!

 

Coka