Final Cruise Post

Tuesday was another sea day.  It was very windy out and there was a lot more motion onboard then we experienced the previous days.  I did not like it!  

We decided to try the sit down restaurant for breakfast.  It was a nice atmosphere and the service was great, but the food...not so much.  The kids had mickey shaped waffles and pancakes.   They had the same rubbery taste as the pancakes and waffles on the buffet.  Thomas and I found our food pretty unappetizing as well.  

Outside the restaurant.  The girls opted to wear their Minnie dresses.

From there, we decided to do a craft together.  It was "Create an Ornament".  They gave us some plastic balls, confetti, and stickers.  We put the confetti inside the balls and strategically placed the stickers, it was fun.  

After that, we took the kids to the kids club, so they could do the "Marshmallow Olympics (learn all about this white sugary treat and everything it can do!  Build a tower, go flying and test your agility...").  I was reluctant to take them to the kids club so early, it was only about 9:45, because Thomas and I had our special, adults' only brunch reservation at noon and I knew they would be stuck there for a while.  However, they were anxious to go and the marshmallow activity did sound fun.  We admonished Jack to give it a try; every day when he went to the kids' club, he ignored all the activities around him and played on the computer.  We were getting pretty frustrated with him, he kept saying he would try something new and then we would pick him up and he would have some excuse as to why he didn't.  He is a very social kid, we knew he would really enjoy participating.  

From there, I decided to play Bingo.  Thomas went to a Fantasy Baseball draft.  Bingo was fun, they kept it lively and entertaining.  For example, every time the number B11 came up, the announcers and cast would dance to Beyonce (because 11 in Spanish is once, so B-once).  But, it was expensive.  I played the cheapest option that gave me some cool electronic device and it was $45 for 4 games (maybe it was 5 games?). Regardless, I didn't win anything, or even come close.  Fortunately, Thomas did win at his game, which was free.  His prize was a water bottle.

We met up after our respective activities for the special Palo brunch.  However, just as we were getting to walk out the door, our pagers went off letting us know Anna was requesting to be picked up.  Thomas went up to make sure we didn't miss our reservation and I checked on Anna.  Fortunately, she mostly wanted to tattle on Jack--he had again failed to participate and had sat on the computer the whole time.  I promised I would come get her immediately after our special lunch.

Palo is an adults only restaurant that serves brunch and dinner.  It costs $25/person, but the food was phenomenal!  It was really amazing.  We had a gorgonzola and grape pizza that I really wish I could order on a regular basis.  There were lots of appetizer foods: fancy international cheeses and crackers, shrimp cocktails, crab legs, specialty breads, prosciutto and other meats, etc.  We sampled lots of appetizers, then we had the pizza.  After that, I was feeling pretty full and the dessert area was looming in front of me. Thomas ordered chicken parmesan.  I told our server I would just have a bite of Thomas', but he brought me my own plate.  Then, he suggested I try some watermelon soup, which tasted like a fruit smoothie.  I was trying to save room, but getting so very full!  After all that food, we sat for a bit, hoping our stomachs would allow us some space for dessert.  Thomas was going to skip it entirely, I chose a couple of modest selections.  Then, our server brought out some warm cinnamon type bread.  It was soooo good.  Then, there was another dessert he insisted we try.  We finally rolled out of there around, fuller then any human should ever be, yet, I would definitely go back.

From there, we went and got the kids.  They had not liked the kid's lunch (sandwiches, I'm not sure why they didn't like them), so we took them to get some food.  Actually, it was just the girls who didn't like them. Guess who couldn't be drawn away from electronics to even bother to try?!?!?

We went back to our rooms for a bit and started to pack.  We had hoped to visit the pools, but it was just too stormy.  The water was sloshing around the pools like mad.  At 4:15, they had prep for "Friendship Rocks," which is a show the kids put on for their parents.  They all said they wanted to do it.  So, at 4:15 we took them back to the club area.  At 5, Thomas and I went to see the show.  The kids got on stage and danced around for bit, then they showed a montage of pictures taken during the course of the cruise.  It was cute enough and they got a free t-shirt out of it.  Well, the girls did.  Guess where Jack was?

Dinner was back at Lumiere's and we had no desire to go.  We decided to give room service a try.  It was fast and good.  We even had them bring us some cereal for the morning.  I finished up the packing and the kids wanted to go back to the clubs for "Marvels Avengers Academy."  Jack promised he would participate. Thomas and I were pretty fed up with him (and obviously, our kids don't understand the concept of "promise").  But, we decided to let him try.  At the last minute, Anna decided  to stay with us.  We ended up walking around on the upper decks.  I insisted that Anna hold both our hands, I was worried she would somehow blow overboard (not really, but maybe just a little).  

Around 8:15, we got Kara and Jack, who actually did participate--and loved it!  Then, it was bed time.  

Our plan was to walk off the ship and self-disembark, so we had to get up early on Wednesday morning.  I was wide-awake around 4am, so I went up and watched as the ship pulled into port.  I was so happy to see Miami!  It had been a rough night, our closet door kept sliding open as the ship rocked and I did not sleep well.  It was fun to check Facebook and read the e-mails that accumulated.  I have to say, I did not miss television, e-mail or Facebook at all.  (We did occasionally turn on the television in our rooms, but the stations were very limited, it was not like you could watch your regular prime-time shows).

The disembarkation process went smoothly and we were off in plenty of time to meet our shuttle at 8.  We hadn't bought anything at either port, so customs was pretty easy.  We made it back to Fort Lauderdale and got Jamba Juices in the airport.  We had plenty of time before our 12:30 flight, so we wandered a bit and then sat down and played Old Maid and Uno Junior.  Fortunately, our flight was on time and it went smoothly.  

Once we landed in DC, Thomas and Jack went for the car and the girls and I waited for baggage. I was so, so happy to be home!

My little helpers

Overall, the cruise was nice.  I would probably try again, especially because I want to try Castaway Cay. However, I prefer a land-based vacation.  If given the choice of going on a cruise, or renting a house somewhere fun and interesting for a week--I would get the house.  I asked the kids and Thomas if they would rather rent a house at Disney World or go on another cruise and they unanimously chose cruise. I was the one who was the most enthusiastic and I enjoyed it the least; I felt boxed in, a lot of the food was mediocre, and I hated when the seas were rough (but, maybe being pregnant didn't help there?).  

And that, my friends, concludes my postings on the cruise.

Cruise Day 4: Cozumel

The seas were a bit rough going into Mexico, at least in my opinion.  I was relieved when we dropped anchor in Cozumel at around 10:15AM.  Since it was a late port call, we got up at our usual time (7:30ish) and headed to breakfast, again going to Cabanas.  We had a leisurely breakfast and then just wandered around until our meeting time of 1045.  We had signed up to do a beach day at Playa Mia Grand Beach and Water Park.  It was a popular option, with 5 buses full of people.  We met at 10:45 and then walked down the pier and through a little street vendor fair to our buses (strategic, I'm sure).  The walk was about 15 minutes and then the ride to the beach was another 25.  Thomas and I were a bit nervous about the day. We thought that 4 hours was a lot to be at a beach.  But, we figured if we got bored, we would just catch a taxi back to the pier.

However, there was no need to worry.  We could have easily spent twice as long there.  It was absolutely amazing!  They had a kids water park area with lots of fun little slides and things to occupy little kids.  There was a second, more grown-up pool and then a third area with 2 large water slides.  Beyond that was the beach.  There was absolutely no way anyone could be bored there.

We went to the beach first and headed straight for the "floating park," which had a trampoline, climbing structure and other obstacles; it was anchored about 75 yards out in the crystal clear water.  Everyone had to wear life-jackets and I had a ton of trouble climbing onto the structure (I blamed it on my pregnant belly and the over-sized jacket).  At one point, I fell off and Thomas had to literally pull me back on, with no help from me. After that, I was afraid to move.  Anna also was not a fan, so she and I swam back to the beach. Thomas, Jack and Kara stayed and played there for about 25 minutes.

The floating park was massive, I am not sure this picture does it justice.

In the meantime, Anna and I made our way to shore and decided to try the paddle boats (they also had kayaks).  We had a grand time, paddling around.  By the time we were done, the others were back and we all just played in the ocean together.  At some point, Thomas took Kara out in a paddle boat.  The park even provided sand toys, so the kids had shovels and buckets and other items that they used to build sandcastles and collect shells. Even with 5 buses from the Disney cruise alone, the place did not feel at all crowded (although the floating park did get pretty full).

I thought we took a ton of pictures at the beach, but alas, we did not.  I guess we were too busy having fun!  This is the only one that has the water as the background.

After a couple of hours, I was ready for lunch, so we pulled the kids out of the water and made our way to the buffet.  It was pretty good, there were some traditional Mexican options and then some more American fare.  After lunch, it was back to the beach.  Thomas and I loved swimming out and looking at the bottom of the ocean floor, the water was so amazingly clear.  We stayed for another 45 minutes or so and then decided to try the water park area.  We could have easily stayed at the beach, but when the kids first saw the water slides, they were very excited, so we knew we should at least give it a little time.  We spent our last hour playing in the pool.  No one was ready to leave when our 4-hours were up.  It was a fantastic experience.

Not sure what happened here, that girl was a little too close to Jack for comfort.

The buses dropped us off at some mall that we had to walk through to get to the pier.  The only thing that bothered me was that the aggressive salespeople targeted the kids.  They would call to Anna or Kara (I guess Jack didn't look like a shopper) and ask them to try on a hat, or find their name on a bracelet.  I thought it was an awkward position to put little kids in.  But, we made it through!  By the time we got back on the ship, it was close to dinner time.  Everyone took a shower and got dressed.  It was pirate night, so we dressed the kids in their pirate outfits.

Dinner was really good.  All the restaurants served the same menu and it was fantastic, which was surprising, because I had read bad things on the message board about the Pirate menu.  I had a crab cake appetizer, which was the best crab cake I've ever had.  Then, I think I had some sort of watermelon soup--also great. The main course was a pecan-crusted tilapia.  I had raved so much about the crab cake, that our waiter brought me two more with my fish.  It was way too hard to decide what to eat.  Definitely the best food I had on board.  I can't remember dessert, I probably had to skip it.

On Pirate night, they do a pirate party at 9:45pm, which is followed by fireworks and a buffet.  I was pretty exhausted and willing to miss it, but we didn't want to deprive the kids.  However, Anna mentioned she felt her body needed the rest and that it would be better for her to just go to sleep.  Then, Kara made the same decision.  So, after dinner, Thomas took Jack to the kids club and the girls and I went back to the room.  It was around 7:30, so we got ready for bed and then watched t.v. in bed for a little while.  The girls both fell asleep quickly and easily.

That nights entertainment was a magic show.  Jack didn't want to lose computer time, so he stayed in the kids club and Thomas went alone.  He said it was okay, but he was sitting in the way back of the theater, so it was hard to see.  Unfortunately, by the time 9:45 rolled around, it was raining, so they ended up just coming back to the room.

It was by far my favorite day of the cruise!

A monkey for the kids

and swans for us

Traditions: Annual Family Photo

(I am taking a break from vacation postings, which will resume shortly)

Around the time Jack and Anna were born, Thomas and I decided that we would take a Christmas family photo every year.  We never intended to only display the most recent version of our family, our plan was to line the hallway with the photos, so we could see how everyone changed from year to year.  We are now in our 7th year.

I love the annual family photo.  It is one of my favorite events of the year.  I love thinking about what we should wear, deciding where to go, and getting everyone ready.  Thomas does not share my enthusiasm. And, realistically speaking, he's right to be apprehensive.  The photo never goes as envisioned.  The tone was set our first year, when Anna refused to wake up.  I can't say I blame her, if she wasted precious waking hours in the afternoon, how would she be wide-awake and ready to eat/play at 2AM?  The next year, the twins were walking (and walking and walking), getting them to sit still was near impossible.  The picture reflects Thomas with a death grip around a smiling Jack and Anna who are clearly waiting for an opportunity to lunge out of the shot.  Thomas had literally just grabbed Jack and pulled him over to be in the picture.  Our third year, Kara joined in and I can't remember much happening, so it must have been a good year.

Excuse the quality, taking a photo of a photo rarely goes well--at least for me.

Ready to Run, aka Year 2

Year 4--that was a doozy!  We were living in Tennessee and went to Memphis for the photo.  Kara was getting over something and was not quite herself.  Jack and Anna were particularly rambunctious.  We had Peppermint Junior Mints to attempt to bribe them into behaving (incidentally, the same treat I used this year). They had Thomas and I sitting with Jack and Kara in our laps and Anna laying in the middle.  The photographer told Anna to fold her arms underneath her, not ones to be left out, Jack and Kara did the same.  That was the single usable family shot of the day (we did get some good shots of just the kids, which necessitated Thomas bouncing around like a clown behind the photographer, even though I remember him being pretty irate at the bad behavior of Jack and Anna).  I like to look at the picture, because it brings back in crystal-clear memory the events of that day.  I remember how cranky Kara was, how wild Jack and Anna were, and how irritated Thomas and I became.  Ahhh, memories.

The next year we were living in Maryland and decided to do the photo at our house.  That was a good year and doing it at home was not quite as stressful as going somewhere.  But, since we thrive on stress, the next year we were back at the photo studio.  Thomas almost missed that photo.  He was on his deployment.  It would have been difficult, but I would have done it without him, maybe holding a picture of him in uniform, or possibly even making a life-sized cardboard cutout to join us, I was determined that the tradition would live on and that a photo without an in-person Thomas would remind us of the difficulties of that year. Fortunately, Thomas was able to fly home for a quick visit during Veteran's Day weekend and we did the photo then. Now, that picture reminds me of how nice it was to have our family together, if only for 3 days.  It also makes me more thankful for the other 6, where we got to spend the whole season together.

Finally, year 7.  I think this one is my favorite, Thomas says it is because I think I look the best in this one. He may be on to something there.  I also really like the green against the white background.  As is usual, the kids were wild and difficult to get to sit still.  But, they are getting better.  I think that whatever year we are on, will be my favorite.  I love seeing the most recent photo added to the wall.  I love adding those memories to the ones that came before and I love looking at the empty spaces on the other side that are yet to be filled.

If you are wondering--the answer is no, we couldn't get a single photo with everyone looking in the same direction.

Day 3: Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman was an early port call.  Fortunately, it came right after we switched the clocks, so everyone got to enjoy some extra sleep.  We went to breakfast around 8 and it was super-crowded.  We couldn't even find a seat in the restaurant.  I think there were two factors: first, everyone was up early to get started at Grand Cayman and second, it was drizzling out, so not many people were eating on the deck.  We found a seat outside the restaurant, which was a bit frustrating (carting plates and drinks and kids all over to find a seat), but we eventually got to sit and eat.

I did not book one of the Disney excursions, so we had no particular muster time.  None of the excursions were very appealing.  We knew we wanted to see the Turtle Farm, but Disney only had it combined with other activities, like a dolphin swim, which would have been fun if more than 1 of us could participate (kids were too young, I was too pregnant).  So, I booked it on our own.

Grand Cayman is a tendering port, which means you can't just walk off the ship.  You have to catch a boat from your ship to the dock.  It took a bit of time before there were enough people to load the tendering boat. When we got to the dock, there was an information desk and they were very helpful in calling the Turtle Farm for us.  The farm sent someone to pick us up.  It was about a 20-minute drive from the port to the farm.  We saw lots of chain restaurants and a few chain stores (no WalMart though).  The island reminded me a bit of Jamaica.  Almost everything is closed on Sundays, so the roads were very quiet.  There are also only a few stoplights on the island so the drive went by quickly.

our ship, you can see the two tendering boats attached to the ship

The Turtle Farm was pretty interesting.  They let you get in the water with the turtles, which the kids loved. After we had seen all the turtles, they had a water play area.  We spent a couple of hours there and then decided we should head back to the ship for a late lunch (I was all about getting my money's worth on the ship and not buying food in port).  We all liked the Turtle Farm, they had some extremely large turtles swimming around, as well as smaller turtles and babies.

These were the huge turtles, unfortunately, it is hard to get an idea of perspective from this picture

The turtles liked to be rubbed underneath their chins (like cats), they would hold very still if you would "pet" them the right way.

A small area of the pool

We found a driver who took us on a little tour of the island, including a stop at the infamous "Hell," a black, limestone rock formation, supposedly named because someone looked at it and said, "this is what hell must look like."

Once back at port, we were able to get on a tendering boat, but for some reason, it took a long time before we could get back to the ship.  I am not sure if there was a problem with the group in front of us, but we had to sit for awhile.  I think the whole process took about 45 minutes.

We ate lunch, once again at Cabanas.  By the time we finished, it was probably close to 2.  Once again, the afternoon time is a bit of a blur. We did showers and then took the kids to the kids club, so they could do Super Sloppy Science.  Jack again chose not to participate, instead spending all his time on the computers.

Dinner was at Cariocas, a brazilian-themed restaurant.  The food was disappointing. I wish I had taken pictures of the menus, so I could remember everything.  I know I got some sort of seafood kabob, with tilapia and lobster and I couldn't even eat the lobster.  It tasted like rubber.  I remember being unhappy with all the courses, even the dessert.

The kids were given kid's choices each night, like pizza, chicken tenders, or macaroni and cheese or they could order something from the restaurant menu.  Most nights, they ordered from the routine kid's menu. One night Jack had steak, which he loves.  I think the girls also chose something more fancy, less fried, one night.  But, for the most part, they ate pretty much the same foods during the trip.  They were given melon with each meal, but I felt like there were not many kid-friendly healthy options for snacks or meals for them. Maybe kids with more sophisticated tastes would fare better.

After that, we continued the routine of dropping them off at the kid's club while we finished dinner.  Then, we walked around a bit before picking them up for that evenings entertainment--Villains.  Villains was about Hades (from Hercules) trying to hold on to his rein of the underworld.  It was not nearly as dark as it sounds. We didn't like it as much as Twice Charmed, but it was still good.

Finally, it was bed time.

Vacation: A Day at Sea

Our next day on the ship was a full at sea day.  Each night, you are given a "Navigator" that tells you all the activities for the following day and I had highlighted some things that I thought would be fun.  Everyone was up by 7:30 and after witnessing a gorgeous sunrise, we went to the buffet restaurant, Cabanas, for breakfast. They had a wide-selection and everyone enjoyed picking out what they wanted.  I tried to stick to healthy foods, like oatmeal and fruit, to help me feel better about the ice cream and other desserts I knew I would be eating later.  The kids were anxious to get back to the kid's clubs, so we dropped them off around 9:00 so they could enjoy "Goofy Files: a fascinating activity that takes you into the invisible world of forensics where you will discover different ways to identify the suspect of a crime."  Anna and Kara said it was great, Jack chose to play the computer instead (watch for a theme in coming posts...).

Thomas and I walked around the ship some more.  Thomas had gotten up at 5 and gone running and he wanted to check the accuracy of his watch.  He had turned the GPS off, but his time was still way off. He knew his 6-minute mile was too good to be true, but it was still disappointing.  They had a deck where you could run all the way around, each lap was 1/3 of a mile.  Thomas and I also tried our hand at shuffleboard.

We picked the kids up around 10:30 and watched the movie planes in the ship's movie theater.  Then, it was back to Cabana's for a buffet lunch.  The food for lunch was good, they had a lot of seafood choices, including shrimp and crab legs, two of my favorites.  Since Jack is allergic to shellfish, I had to sit at the opposite end of the table and make sure I scrubbed my hands, but it was so worth it!

Looking at the Navigator, I can't figure out what we did for the rest of the day.  There are a few things highlighted, but we didn't do them.  As the vacation progressed, we got better at joining in activities.  I know at some point, we got snacks and ice cream on the 9th deck, because we did that every day.  But, I really can't remember the rest.  This is why I should have brought the computer along.

At 5:45, we headed to dinner.  This time, we were at Animator's Palate.  It was also semi-formal night. The girls wore their princess costumes and Jack put on Captain America.  Animator's Palate is an amazing venue.  The artwork on the walls changes as if someone is drawing a picture.  It was fun to guess which character was being drawn.  It is all in black and white.  Toward the end of the meal, the drawings turn into movie screens and scenes are displayed as color erupts around the room.  Since this description is kind of lacking, here is the one from the website:" Animator's Palate serves up something more than just fine food: an innovative dinner show celebrating the art of Disney storytelling and animation, where many of your favorite Disney characters come to life right before your eyes. Throughout your meal, Disney character sketches located on the restaurant walls slowly transform from stark black and white to brilliant color, amid the familiar classic orchestral themes of Disney movies playing overhead."  At the end, Magic Mickey comes out along with all of the restaurant staff.  They played music about sidekicks while the screens showed different scenes featuring heroes and their sidekicks.  The other scene I remember was one devoted to villains.  It really was awesome.  I wish I could go there for dinner tonight!

After dinner, we took the kids back to the kids club for about an hour, after which we picked them up for the "Twice Charmed" production.  The plot revolved around giving the wicked stepmother and stepsisters a second chance at thwarting Cinderella.  Of course, Cinderella triumphed in the end.  We all loved it. 

By now, it was about 9:30 and way past the kids' bedtime, so back to the room we went and everyone was soon asleep.  And now, the pictures:

We were up in time to see the sunrise

Off in the distance is Cuba, a little too close for Thomas' comfort.

Our daily ice cream and snack break

The girls

The superheroes

A grainy picture of tAnimator's Palate 

Our nightly towel animal

All Aboard

Friday morning, we woke up bright and early and made our way to the hotel lobby.  After a delicious breakfast, we went for another walk around the hotel and then headed to our room to pack.  Having been there for only one night, that was not difficult.  Shortly thereafter, the phone rang informing us that our ride to the Miami port would be arriving in 5 minutes.  We said goodbye to the Homewood Suites and headed outside to wait.

The drive from Fort Lauderdale to Miami was quick and easy (if we had been driving, I am sure it would have been long and frustrating).  As soon as we got out of the shuttle, a porter took all of our luggage and we were told it would be delivered to our stateroom.  I was happy to say goodbye to our many suitcases--I definitely overpacked!

It was pretty amazing to see our ship.  It looked massive!  I can't believe that it is the smaller of the Disney ships.  Our official check-in time was noon.  It was around 10:45, so we weren't sure what to do.  We made our way inside the terminal and went through security. Then, we took the escalators upstairs and were told that we could check-in.  The process was pretty similar to checking into a hotel, I am sure it helped that we had done most of the paperwork online.  We were given a boarding group of 11.  I am guessing that was based on our official noon check-in time, since we were among the first in line.

After that, we checked-in with the kid's clubs and the kids were given Magic Bands, which are used to check in and out of the kid's clubs.  Jack's had a red tag, signifying his food allergies.  That line took quite a bit longer.  From there, we took a picture with Minnie and waited for boarding to begin.

Boarding started at 11:45 and they waited 2-3 minutes between groups.  Shortly after noon, our boarding number was called.   It was very exciting to go up (another escalator) and walk right along the ship.  When we finally got onboard, around 12:30, they had crew members lined up in the lobby and each family was  introduced.  It was our first "magical" moment.

Since we were all hungry, we decided to get lunch.  We went to one of the two open restaurants and there was a buffet.  The food was good and very plentiful.  They had kid-friendly options like macaroni and cheese and corndogs along with the more grown-up fare.  From there, we decided to check out the kid's areas.

They have two kid's clubs for kids ages 3-12: The Oceaneer's Club and The Oceaneer's Lab.  They are connected by a hallway that is only accessible from inside the clubs.  The magic bands are pretty impressive, they correspond to each kid and when they scan in, the child's information, including a picture of their parents, flashes on the screen.  The bands are also equipped with some kind of gps-like chip that tells you where in the club they are.  We explored and were duly amazed by how awesome everything was.  There were computers, dress-up clothes, art areas, book areas, super hero decor, tables for experiments, a huge screen for Disney movies surrounded by bean bag chairs, etc.  Our kids were extremely anxious to get in there to play.

We lured them away with the promise of visiting the pools.  We headed to our staterooms to change. We had booked interior staterooms.  I would have liked an ocean view, but there were no connecting rooms available when we booked.  We could have chosen a veranda, but I was nervous that the kids (or me) would somehow manage to fall overboard.  So, inside we were.  We quickly changed and made our way to the pools.  They were small and very crowded.  Thomas and Jack went down a large slide and then decided to try the Aquadunk, unfortunately, Jack was not tall enough.  Thomas said they put you in a tube, close the door behind you and then you wait for the floor to drop, literally.  He said it was very quick and very intense. I thought I had pictures, but apparently not.  Sorry!

We stayed in the pools for about 90 minutes, then had to get ready for the safety drill.  Everyone had to muster at their lifeboat station.  It was very hot outside and we had to stand very close to people for about 30 minutes.  Definitely not the funnest part of the day.  Once that was over, we went to the sailing party to say farewell to Miami, running into Goofy and Pluto along the way.

Next on the agenda: dinner.  The ship rotates you through 3 dining rooms, each with a different theme.  Our first night was at Lumiere's, which had a french theme and was decorated with a Beauty and the Beast motif. We were at the first seating, which was 5:45.  Dinner on the ship was a leisurely affair.  The kids got extremely restless.  They brought their food out first and they just didn't want to sit and wait.  It had been a long couple of days.  Anna didn't like her food and was very vocal about her displeasure.  Unfortunately, she took her anger out on Thomas and I, which didn't go over so well.  After ignoring a couple of warnings, Thomas was forced to take her to the room.  I took Jack and Kara to the kid's club and checked them in, then went back to the dining room to eat my dinner.  I think by the time I got my main course, it was around 7:15.  Each dinner was 4-courses: appetizer, soup/salad, main entree, dessert.  I got Thomas' entree and both of our desserts to go and headed to the room to join him.

I can't remember much about the food that night.  I got some sort of salad as my main entree and it was just okay.  Thomas had a chicken dish that he was not wowed by.  The other courses were similarly unimpressive.  The whole dinner experience was just not very positive.  After Thomas ate, we took a contrite Anna to the club to join Jack and Kara.  Thomas and I then explored the ship for a little while.  We picked up the kids around 8:30 and decided it was time to call it a night.  The kids loved their time in the club and were anxious to go back the next day.

One of our favorite things during the trip was each night, Calvin, our room steward would come in and make up the beds, leave us each a chocolate and put some kind of awesome towel animal on the bed to greet us. It was very fun to see what he created each night.

This dog was one of my favorite Calvin creations

A view of the kids' room, complete with a towel dinosaur on the top bunk.