Cruise Review - beware it's long!

A lot of people have been asking how it was so I'm going to try to post a review of sorts. Overall it was very good, maybe a little long. The last 2 days we were getting annoyed with all the Brooklyn people on board and really missing the kids. Too much rudeness and an accent that if I hear again in my life it will be too soon!

FOOD - The food was good to very good. A few things were excellent, but most times I liked it but wasn’t wowed. Maybe I am spoiled by Chris’ good cooking! We had what they call “Anytime Dining” so we could choose from 2 different dining rooms. We were just seated like in a restaurant at the time we arrived, sometimes with others and sometimes alone. Both options appealed to us at different times too so that was good. The waiters were mostly good, some better than others. I guess the downside of anytime dining is you don’t get a certain waiter who knows you and is dedicated to you. But I’d rather choose when I eat than have a certain waiter so it seemed right for us.

We also ate in one of their specialty restaurants, Sabatini’s, which was amazing. TONS of food! They bring you a tasting of ALL the hot and cold appetizers, which includes a pizza and breads, and then you get your meal and a dessert. Our waiter was new and a spaz but the seasoned waiter helping him and the Stanley Kowalski-esque Maitre d’ were wonderful and really attentive. We ate there on our anniversary and brought our own bottle of wine (which is allowed but sometimes they charge you a corkage fee) and they waived our corkage fee and gave us a chocolate cake too. We had to go lie down afterwards to digest we were so full!

For breakfast and lunch we mostly ate in the buffets but did eat in the dining room for both of those meals at least once. They were pretty good for a buffet food-wise. The way they are set up is nuts though – 2 entrances and once you get in there are 2 ways you can go so there is always people cutting and it’s a chaotic. There is also pizza, burgers, dogs and fries by the pool which were good and afternoon tea which we never got to but sounded nice.

DRINKS - One thing that I think was kinda crappy was that soda wasn’t included with the food. And the coffee that they served is actually coffee syrup mixed with hot water, not brewed coffee so it was yucky. It tasted kinda like instant coffee which was ok enough for after dinner coffee but not what you want in the morning. To solve both problems they offered a soda package which was a sticker added to your card that allowed you to have unlimited fountain sodas for a few dollars per day plus gratuity which came to about $43. But this didn’t include canned soda (like in your room fridge). They also had a coffee card which was about the same price and allowed you to get unlimited brewed coffee and 15 specialty coffees from a bar in the lobby. We went there every day! And again, this was ok but from our room it was 6 floors down and mid-ship (we were in the back) so not really convenient. And it was 10 floors down from the buffet where we normally had breakfast. So we’d get on the elevator and have to decide to eat or get coffee first and it wasn’t that big of a deal but in the end started to wear on me. We knew this in advance but the nickel and diming got annoying after a while. I’d prefer they just upped the ticket price by $50 and we would get a cheaper room or something. They did include ice tea but it was like the coffee so most times I just had water. And frankly, I just didn’t want to have to pay for another thing so even if I wanted a soda I said no. I’m sure they’re making more money this way but I might look for a cruise line next time that includes at least soda.

ROOM - Our room was better than expected and having the balcony was totally worth it. Our steward was "Rez" who we called Fez when speaking to each other. He was from the Philippines and always very cheerful and friendly. We found out he has a wife and 2 kids at home (ages 5 and 10). I can't imagine having my husband away for that long! I started to feel bad for those employees even though I know they are making a lot of money compared to their local options.

SHIP - We didn’t spend much time by the pools, only the last day really. A few times we went to the movie at night which was outside by the pools, that was cool. But we aren’t that comfortable in bathing suits in public and we’re not big daytime drinkers so the party scene wasn’t really our thing. We sat on our balcony or on the Promenade deck and read and watched the water.

During the day we had a hard time finding things that really matched out taste actually. I’ve read that other people have said the same thing and they were attacked for saying it, but it was true for us. I liked the days at sea, they were relaxing, but a little boring I guess. There were a lot of things to do, certainly covering a wide variety of tastes and I’m not sure what we’d normally do but we didn’t always find something that fit. Went to a wine tasting (but late, we had the time wrong), saw an ice carving, went to a cooking demo which included a tour of the galleys, saw an indoor movie and went to a trivia game. A couple of times we’d get a coffee and soda and go to the “Card Room” where we played cribbage (that we brought) or do the puzzle of the day they had set out (Sudoku and trivia each day). But typical activities included Bingo, Art Auction, various classes on computer skills that cost money, line dancing, etc. Not really us. And they had some adult sports things like ping pong or a basketball shoot that Chris tried to join once but he needed a team of 4 and we didn’t know 4 people so he couldn’t do that. You’d think they’d just make teams as people arrived. So during the day we’d bounce around not really knowing what to do or finding things too late sometimes. It got a little frustrating.

At night we saw two Movies under the Stars, went to the Casino a few times, saw a few comedians, an illusionist and a hypnotist. The bars were incredibly crowded so sometimes there were no seats and we had to go back to a later show or find something else to do and everything was full so we’d just have to kill time until all the 2nd shows began. Once we waited in the aisles until seats freed up. And of course there were people pushing ahead of us, knocking us out of the way to take seats we had been waiting for so it wasn’t always enjoyable to go to these shows.

PAMPERING – We had booked a massage before we left, a couples massage which was really great. So relaxing! While we were there they were advertising a makeover special. I had wanted to get my hair colored before we left but I didn’t and when this presented itself I decided to do it. I would rather have something like this than a t-shirt so it seemed like a good opportunity. I got my hair colored and 27 highlights put in (it was supposed to be 10, but the guy wanted to do more once he found out it was my 1st cruise and my anniversary), he did some conditioning treatment, cut, styled it, did a collagen eye treatment and make up application, and he threw in this powder and a brush too. All for $150. Chris loved to tell people that he left with a brunette and came back with a blond. I actually like it which is unusual!

We also got something called the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast on the Grand Turk morning. For $28 (total, not each) we got 2 cups of OJ, a carafe of hot water with tea bags, a small bottle of champagne, a plate of pastries, a plate of jellies for the pastries, 2 plates of fresh berries and melon, two plates of quiche Lorraine with veggies and melted cheese and 2 plates of smoked salmon, capers, and a salmon mousse with 2 bagels to eat it with. What a deal! It was so good!

PORTS - We stopped in Bermuda, St Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk.
• In Bermuda we did some shopping in Hamilton and we saw where Chris’s office is. We ate lunch at an Irish Pub and Chris finally got some Killian’s Irish Red! Lunch was crazy expensive but that’s how Bermuda is he tells me. But I bought some Clinique that was really cheap. It was weird. Then we went to Horseshoe Bay beach which was so beautiful! The bus dropped us off at the top of the hill and you walked down to the beach all the while realizing you’ll have to come back up all hot, sweaty and sandy later on. At the bottom there was a sign advertising a ride back to the top for $1 per person! What a genius that guy was! He must be rolling in it! He was able to get 16-18 people in his van and it only took him 5 or so minutes to get to the top and then go back to reload. We were glad to fork over the $2 at the end of the day.
• San Juan was the 2nd stop. We took a drive to El Yunque rainforest. No native animals but lots of Coqui frogs (we heard them but never saw one), and amazing flowers and scenery. Our tour guide was Nelson and he called us all “fellas” and he was filled with lots of info and facts. I had wanted to see old San Juan, for San Cristobal and go to Senior Frogs but by the time we got back through traffic we were kinda spent and it was getting late so we just boarded the ship.
• St Thomas was the most beautiful place I have ever been. We took a tour that brought us to the top of the hill on both the north and south sides so we could see both views. Next we went to Magen’s Bay beach for 2 hours. Then our tour guide Smitty returned to bring us to Blackbeard’s castle which also includes some other old homes, a pub, a pool and a lookout tower. We stocked up on pirate gear for the kids and had some rum. The old homes were beautiful too but I was starting to melt in the heat so we headed down. We were able to shop as long as we could/wanted to and then take a taxi back. I got some bracelets for the little girls but mostly we weren’t into spending big gobs of money. Even though it is 40% off I still don’t have $1000 to pay for a blue diamond bracelet.
• Grand Turk was the last and shortest stop. There isn’t a whole lot to see and most people do snorkeling here. Chris had said he wanted to but we never did in any of our stops. What non-snorkelers do is go to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville which has a shop, a restaurant and a pool you can use with swim up bars. They also have beach access. Since we were tired from the other stops and didn’t have a lot of time this is what we chose to do. The beach looked rocky as we arrived so we just bought some souvenirs, ate a Cheeseburger in Paradise with some Landshark beers and spent some time in the pool. The water was actually hot! Not refreshing at all but it was nice to be there.

I think we would definitely try it again but probably in a few years when we could take the kids. And I’d probably only go for 7 days. I think we might try a different cruise line too. Not that we had any problems that we thought were inherent to Princess, but just to see what else there is so we can form an opinion, get another perspective. It was definitely more good than bad, we saw some beautiful places, got to have some time off from real life and catch up on some sleep. I am grateful we were able to do it and spend some time together as a couple.

Pictures will be posted here http://tetropics.spaces.live.com as soon as I can get through all 1631 of them! The ones taken on Chris’s camera and my camera don’t blend even if they were taken simultaneously so they are all a big jumble right now.

Mayflower Ancestor

Check this out, I'm related to this guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hopkins_%28settler%29

the time has come

Summer mornings are in a way harder than school mornings when getting the kids ready. I know they are always tired so I let them sleep in as long as they need to and then we start the process. But since we don’t have to get anywhere by a certain time there isn’t as much urgency. So it all takes 3-4x times as long. I say “get dressed” “put on your shoes” “brush your teeth” many more times than normal. So today there isn't much in the way of clean clothes beucase we have been away camping. And if you ask Paige, there is never any clean clothes. I have to stop at Wal-mart on the way so I told her to make the best of it becuase she coudln't go into the store in her "Live Strong, Be Strong, Write Strong" oversized t-shirt that she slept in. After getting Joshy out of the tub and fending off Ally while doing it (normally tubs are at night but he didn't get one and needed to wash the camping off him) I hear Paige playing her guitar in her room with the door shut (hate shut doors). Me: "Are you dressed Paige?" Paige: "I don't have any shirts and I am watching Backyardigans to calm me down." Me: "To calm you down because you are so angry that you don't have any clean shirts?" Paige: "Yes." Me: "Today I am going to teach you how to do the laundry and you are going to start washing your clothes by yourself."

And now at 9:32 I still have to go to Wal-mart and drop them off. And then come home to a mountain of laundry, sleeping bags that need a home and oh yeah, cleaning an entire bottle of baby powder off of the "playroom" floor and the various assorted toys which are now covered in white powder.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, I don't know how anyone raises a child to adulthood without becoming and alcoholic!

When is it my turn?

Chris is away again. I just counted...I've been alone with the kids 60 days since January 2007. Sixty days!! Except for going to Vegas and the trip to my father's last fall, its always me cleaning up the cat vomit (which is how my day started) and dealing with the demands of the miniature dictators I live with: "I want more juice!" "I am not going to school today!" "I don't like dinner!" "I am not tired, I don't want to go to bed." "I am too tired, I don't want to get up." Or dealing with fun situations like this morning when I had to take Ally's baby away from her (they can't bring toys to daycare except for on Fridays). With tears streaming down her face, her little brown eyes pleading with me, she says "But mommy, I NEED her!" She has become very attached to this baby, not even putting it down long enough for me to get her dressed. I have to wrench it from her grip just to put that arm through her clothes. She even puts her in the empty chair at the table so the baby can eat dinner too. I understand they have things they are doing and they don't need kids fighting over personal toys but somehow, a 2 year old's "woobie" seems harmless to me. I seriously never want to be a single parent, although I feel like I'm getting good practice.

In The Paper

Most of us were in the paper this past weekend.

Here is the article from the Enfield Press on the Amazing Race. Our team picture was featured with the article and everyone else's were on another page. That's cool considering we came in 9th place. Sorry about your last name spelling Tracy. Not sure how they'd get an "M" from a "B". If you click on the image it will open larger and you can read it if you want.

And the kids were in the ReminderNews from a picture that was taken at the Somers Relay for Life. It only lists the younger ones but that is Paige's flowered shirt in the background. I guess once the picture was taken they asked Cari for the kids names and ages but not Paige. So Cari asked "What about her?" and the response was "She's not in the picture." Come on! She's right there! Why couldn't they step back one foot and include her or ask her to crouch down to be in it. Nice. Poor Paige. We love you!

Amy's Amazing Race 2

On Saturday my sister Sally, my friend Tracy, Chris and I participated in something in town called "Amy's Amazing Race 2". It was a scavenger hunt to raise money for a memorial fund for a teacher from town who died suddenly last year and was only a year or so older than me. I didn't know her but a lot of people I knew did. She has been Chris' sister's field hockey coach when they were in high school. Anyway, it was an all day event with breakfast and dinner provided, cash bar and karaoke at the end of the day, teams of 4 people and $100 entry fee. We had a blast, and came in 9th out of 17 teams. Which I think is really awesome for our first time out. There was a list of photo items we had to find, then have the pictures developed and presented on a whiteboard for judging. It was intense! These were things like the following:

• picture of all 4 team members in front of all 9 elementary schools (25 bonus points if all 9 were completed)
• picture of 3 team members petting a live cow
• picture of 2 team members with a nun
• picture of 1 team member with Love-A-Lot care bear going down a slide
• picture of all 4 team members in a recreation of the Beatles' Abbey Road album
• picture of 3 team members dressed in scrubs and adorned with medical gear
• picture of 3 team members going through the Wendy's Drive through
• picture of a man, in a dress and bright lipstick in the Gazebo at the town green with the Town Hall in the background...yes, my husband put on my dress!

There were lots of other things we had to gather too like a disco ball, a Xanadu album, a fortune cookie, a candy necklace, size C panty hose, a marriage license, a savings bond, a polish pottery casserole dish, December 2007 issue of Cosmo, Prom pictures of all 4 team members, a Snoopy toothbrush, a Jerry Garcia tie, photocopies of drivers licenses of people born in each decade from the 20s through the 90s with different points associated depending on their difficulty.

And there were things we needed to get at certain times, like a placemat from a restaurant between 11:45 and 12:05 from one of the event judges. (Chris showed up at that one in drag which the judged LOVED!) And we got a lot of points from a basketball shoot out, 4 minutes of repeated shooting - Chris got us 166 points!

Anyway it was for a good cause and really fun. Check out the pics for a good laugh~
http://tetropics.spaces.live.com/

PAIGE CAN RIDE HER BIKE!

She did it! And she did it well!

Auntie Sally volunteered to help teach her since she taught Zach and his friend Eddy to ride their bikes. Of course in her current state of post partum recovery that actually meant Uncle Steve needed to be the one to run behind her. So we dropped off Paige with her bike and helmet this afternoon. Sally said that only 5 minutes after they arrived Steve called and said she was doing it. He called me and said "I thought you said she couldn't ride her bike!" She did so great! He even set up an obstacle course for her and she did wonderfully. So thanks to Auntie Sally for volunteering and making Paige dinner. And thanks to Uncle Steve for taking the time with her. She just needed to be with someone other than her annoying parents I guess. Want to teach her to drive some day? Ha ha! She and I went for a bike ride when she got home and it was so great. Just Mom and Paige out in the world. Can't wait to do it again!