Somewhere off the Coast of Florida: First I want to report on our kinda-sad Christmas Day. We always celebrate Jimmy Buffett's birthday on the 25th with Cheeseburgers and Margaritas. Though Mr. Buffett is no longer able to celebrate his 77th, we still wanted to keep up the tradition. My heart just wasn't in it. When DT made a toast to Jimmy, I cried. But, the tradition will not stop and I hope it will be easier as time goes by.
it is not a sesame-seed bun... and the bun looks like a butt.
Back to the cruise! Our grandkids do not return to school until January 10th, so we decided it would be fun to take them on a Caribbean cruise, which is how all six of us are now aboard the Enchanted Princess, sailing through the Eastern Caribbean - all the way to Martinique. The weather is predicted to be splendid, and we are all looking forward to a fun and relaxing 10-night cruise. As it is our custom to spend New Years Eve together and eat Fettuccini Alfredo, Princess was the obvious choice as they offer this decadent dish every night in their dining rooms. Princess also had this perfectly-timed itinerary, and Leo and Lucile are the perfect ages to be in the same "kids club" together. The Enchanted Princess is only three years old.
We flew out of Palm Springs Wednesday afternoon, changed in DFW - taking their speedy tram from Terminal B to C - and immediately boarded a flight to Miami. We noticed between PSP and DFW there isn't a lot of development, only miles and miles of desert, but between Texas and Florida we saw nothing but cities and lights below us. Both flights were full and there must have been half a dozen dogs on the second flight. Not service dogs - just cute fluffy pets tucked under the seat in carriers... well except for a massive bulldog. Maybe he had his own seat? We spent the night in a close-to-the-pier hotel. The 4L's took a red-eye from LAX. We are all now onboard the Enchanted Princess, as she sets sail to the Bahamas.
The 4L's have the same lay-out in their cabin (just a few doors down from us), except they have a bunk that drops-down from the ceiling. The sofas also make-up into beds. We have a ton of storage, a large closet, spacious desk, bathroom with a shower/tub situation, and a nice balcony with two chairs and a little table. Two televisions!
The only thing to complain about is the weather. 60 degrees and pouring rain. We did not plan for this weather, but happily were under covered walkways to board the ship this afternoon. The weather is supposed to clear overnight, but the Captain has delayed the sail-away by an hour in hopes of drawing a crowd. Nobody wants to sit in the pouring rain and sip on a Pina Colada right?
Truth: Leo and Lucy stepped out onto their balcony and spotted an big alligator swimming on the shore! Made their day. Did I bring binoculars? No. I did not. Idiot.
When you board a cruise ship, it is required to find your muster station (in case of an emergency) and check-in. Lucy went with Dave and I to check-in, but she was so confused because there was no mustard. Too funny.
No doubt we will have a lot of fun and adventures over the next ten days on the beautiful Enchanted Princess. I will report in whenever I can... whenever there is wifi (I can always use my hotspot when in a port). Stay tuned.
We are all pretty pooped from our long trips to reach the east coast, so will have an early night tonight.
Until my next update, I remain, your cruising correspondent.
LINKS:
Current position of the Enchanted Princess
Enchanted Princess bridge cam
I wish I was going with you! Bon Voyage!!