Day 1, At Sea

Sorry for the delay tonight. I've been a little busy with an ill child. I think Tyler might have an ear infection.

I woke up around 4am Monday morning. Not because I was excited about starting our vacation but because I kept rolling around on the bed. At some point over night we left the mighty Mississippi and entered the open waters of the Gulf. The waves were really rocking the boat. By 6am I decided it was time to pull out the Dramamine. By the time the kids were up later that morning, I was feeling better.

Our day at sea revolved around the schedule of activities in the Kid’s Crew. While they were enjoying themselves in the morning, Ron explored the casino and I enjoyed some quiet time on the balcony. When I picked the kids up after their morning activities, they both cried because they didn’t want to leave. They were soothed by the promise of “Tents & Tunnels” in the upcoming afternoon session.

The kids were starting to feel the affects of the waves by Monday afternoon, so they each took some benadryl and a nap. They woke up in time to attend the promised “Tents & Tunnels” and seemed to feel much better. We picked them up a little early (after all, it is a family vacation) and set off in search of the ice cream bar. We found it and each enjoyed melty ice cream cones on the open deck. It was wonderful. We also made time for exploring the ship and personal massages.

Again the kids ate dinner in the room so they could get to the Kid’s Crew in good time. They were having a Prince & Princess Ball and didn’t want to miss it! They had their faces painted, made glitter wands and crowns, and then paraded around the atrium of the ship. They were so cute. We hurried through dinner (lobster tails, beef Wellington, & crème brulee) so we could catch their little parade. Slowly the 2-5 year olds paraded down the hallway, singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and waving their wands. Tyler and Danielle were leading the pack – holding hands and singing loudly. It was SO cute. They hardly gave us a glance. They marched around the atrium, had their pictures taken, and then played “the elevator game”: They all piled into the elevator and stopped at each floor. They didn’t get off, but each time the doors opened they said something. At our floor we overheard them say “Who farted?” Of course there was lots of giggling. After their parade they returned back to the Kid’s Corner where they listened to stories about princes and princesses until we picked them up. They had such a good time.

I put the kids to bed while Ron played some Texas Hold ‘Em in the casino. At least he left the table with memories…and that’s about it. This time the waves lulled me to sleep. It was another great, relaxing day.

Tomorrow: Day 2, Costa Maya (my favorite stop!)