For the last several years my family has tried to take a vacation together. In previous years we have rented a house in Florida but this year we decided to take a cruise. There are 8 siblings and in the past years as many as 5 of us have participated in these vacations. This past year we lost two of our siblings, first our brother Kurt and then our sister Cheri. This year there was only 3 of the siblings, Brad, Candy and I that went on the cruise but we also had my niece Ashley and nephew Marcus as well. There was a total of 17 within our group including family and friends. The 3 of us, Brad’s wife, Betty, Candy’s boyfriend Jay, my husband Brett, Ashley’s husband Andy, Marcus’s wife Dee, Brett’s mother June and her boyfriend Bill, 3 friends of Brad and Betty, Beverly, Linda and Chuck and two friends of Marcus, Jason and Kellie. Yes a large group for sure but fun was had by all. Here are my thoughts on each day of the trip.
Day 1
My nephew Marcus and his wife Dee stayed with Brett and I the night before the cruise. We got up Saturday morning and quickly put our luggage together and were on our way by 8:30am. The drive from Houston to Galveston was uneventful, we arrived at the terminal, and I dropped Brett of with our luggage. Off I went to park our car for the week. Back at the terminal we got in the Priority Line (Brett and I are Platinum Members of Carnival) and waited, the ship had arrived late and was still getting the guests from the previous cruise off the ship. This was the first time I remember it being cold the day we left and on the ship, it was bitterly cold especially on deck 10 where the wind was blowing. I brought a jacket with me but decided it wasn’t that cold and left it in my car, that was a mistake. We did make it on the ship and secured several tables on deck 10 near the pool for family and friends to gather. We all gathered and of course the party was on! Drinks and food were enjoyed by all. This was also the first time Brett and I carried wine with us so this first day should not but as expensive as it normally is. Fun time in the afternoon, a short, very short rest and it was time to get ready for the evening. We met several family at the Alchemy bar for martinis and then off to dinner we went. I had the shrimp cocktail which consisted of 4 smallish shrimp and a smear of cocktail sauce but it was good. I am actually happy to see smaller portions. Brett had the calamari, he said it was good as if that is possible. My entree was braised brisket which they do really well and the potatoes and veggies were good also. Brett had the chicken parm, he said it was good and believed it was from the Italian restaurant here on the ship. Desert was the melting cake of course, it is always good and one of the things I look forward to most. Andy had a pretty full day and decided to head to his room before the desert, I am glad he enjoyed himself. I have never spent much time with him so I hope he finds us friendly and is comfortable sharing his good time no matter what it is. Surprisingly I am seeing Ashley as a caretaker in a way I didn’t know she could be. She took great care of Andy much the same as Brett takes care of me when I need it. From dinner several of us decided to go to the Latin club The Havana on the ship and enjoy the Latin music and do some dancing. This is where the evening might have taken a turn. One thing Brett and I can do is clear the room, we decided to dance together, that did it. Most of our straight friends and family left. Brett’s mother and Bill did stay for a few more minutes but then they left as well. We finally went to our room with our glass of wine and an almost full bottle in the room. We wanted to end our evening in my favorite way, on the balcony drinking our wine and enjoying the sea air, noise of the ship and the evening sky but this day it was too cold! We just went to bed. A good day. Time with family and friends is always good.
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- Take aways, from the day.
- The travel to Galveston by car can be difficult and take more time than you might expect but this time it went well.
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- This was a rare cold day to begin the cruise, if that is the case for your cruise remember it will be much colder over the water even if the ship is docked. TAKE YOUR COAT!
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- The food is good, not great. They prepare food for about 5000 people, 3 or more meals per day. The kitchen is doing a great job but you might want to adjust your definition of great food.
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- If you drink and have the Cheers package it does not start on the day you leave, so bring a bottle of wine with you.