The Cruise

So, I have referenced the cruise, and told you about the lap of luxury that we kids enjoyed for the week, but I haven’t told you anything else!  

Much to my dismay, there isn’t a lot to tell.  My parents are seasoned cruisers at this point, and they always have so many stories to tell when they return from another chunk of days at sea.  But after this cruise, I’m beginning to think they make all of the stories up.  The two of them would come home with stories of crazy characters in the dance club, by the pool, in the dining room, and wandering about aboard.  They would often give the characters names based on the outfits they would wear, the way they spoke or the way they carried themselves.

Erin and I attempted to do the same on this cruise, but without much success.  We spent the week calling one girl “Rhythm,” because she didn’t have any.  We called two brothers “The brothers.”  And we called an older man with particularly impressive dance moves “Hips.”  But that was it.  And those are far from memorable.

I so badly want to believe that all of my mother’s stories of Elaine-like dancing, massive cleavage and couples in Hoverroun- oun- oun- oun- ounds are true, but after this week, I’m finding it challenging.  Except for one small detail: my mom has pictures of her characters!  Why on this ship wasn’t there anyone exciting to make fun of?  Does that just mean everyone was making fun of us?  Oh, well.  Here is the basic rundown, without characters.

Elaine dancing.  Classic.

We spent our first day at sea before coming into Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos.  Garvey and I went scuba diving for the day while my parents, Chip and Erin relaxed on the beach and later by the pool.  Scuba diving was great.  I saw my very first sea turtle!  Woohoo!

Day at sea

Our night at sea was the first formal night.

Grand Turk

The next day we spent in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  We met up with the Holland family and enjoyed an authentic Puerto Rican lunch.  After lunch, while the rest of the 12- person party explored the Old Town, I beelined it for the nearest place with free wifi, Senor Frog’s.  I spent far more time there than I want to admit, but it was necessary.  Erin and I were just over a week away from moving to NYC, and there were a few things that I needed to take care of.  

First arriving in San Juan

Old Town

The party of twelve, minus me.  

On Thursday, my mom, Erin and I rented beach chairs and an umbrella in St. Maarten.  We drank our beers (and sodas) while watching Chip and my dad spend the morning racing a real America’s Cup sailboat.

The woman selling hats on St. Maarten.  It reminded me of one of my favorite books, Caps for Sale.

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This man was wearing a bathing suit.  Barely.  

Friday was another day at sea before hitting our last stop, Half Moon Cay, on Saturday.  Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas, and it is stunning.  If Disney World were an island, this would be the island, but I loved it.  It was spotlessly clean, with over two miles of the softest white sand beaches I have set foot on.  Honestly, going on a cruise will never give you an authentic cultural experience, so why not enjoy the perfect island experience?  Half Moon Cay was great!

"We're over here!  Over here!"  Oh, yeah, Dad?  Is that where you are?

Our shells for the day.

"Look at Chippy.  It's just like the old days with him and his pink boat on a string."

Dad struggling to fold the sun shades back up.

Our last night on the ship, with the DJ.

The Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam