Another Long Overdue Entry
Cos that's the way I do!
I don't even know where to start - I feel like I have three entries to post, but no one needs that on their f-list page. So I'll post the best one of them all, Cruise Round-Up.
It was my first cruise, and yes, I am hooked. This was a weeklong deal; I suspect I could do quite a bit longer, as long as it was on a nice cruise line. After awhile I'd miss cooking for myself, I think, but I know, what a hardship. It was my mother, my stepfather, sweetie, and me, and we took Celebrity. We got a premium beverage package, which means unlimited drinks of all sorts up to $12 per drink, which isn't quite everything but close. I tried many sorts of cocktails. I discovered my favorite rum cocktail, which is a Dark and Stormy, and I discovered that I don't enjoy Fino sherry as much as Amontillado. I do enjoy Jameson, especially the fancier kinds. All good to know! I had escargot twice, once in the form of homemade ravioli. It was dementedly decadent. We ate too much and drank waaaay more than any of us do on dry land, due to drink package + alcohol-related activities onboard.
I loved all the musical acts roaming around the boat. Sweetie bought a CD from this Russian (Ukrainian? I forget) string quartet we listened to a lot, especially at this coffee place. There was a jazz quartet also, and it was a lot of fun watching these two couples in particular dancing all fancy to them. There was a piano player and singer we caught in the fancy bar, and I missed the a capella group. Of course there was the party band, and I had to admire their determination to rock out. There was a very gay and adorable cruise director who led volunteers in dancing to pop music. It was mostly entertaining, but I sorta hope I never again see eight year old girls and their parents dancing to "Apple Bottom Jeans." The refrain just sounds like everyone's at a nightclub having a good time, but the verses are definitely about a stripper in a strip club. It was disconcerting, is what I'm saying. Okay, yes, it IS on my work-out music list, but I find that to be extremely irrelevant. Geez.
The weather on the boat was, on the whole, better than the weather in Bermuda. Ha. At least our last day in Bermuda was beautiful and sunny, so we were able to frolic at our tiny beach and get sunburned. It was such a tiny beach, and there was only one other person there, ignoring us thoroughly as she sunbathed. The water was warm and glorious shades of turquoise and blue and very salty (icky), and the waves were perfect for frolicking. Our other two days were a little marred by weather, but just a little - one night's snorkeling was cut short by lightning, our sunset cruise didn't have much of a sunset to watch, and our clear-bottomed kayaking was restricted to a small area because the currents were... somehow wrong. I guess that's not quite weather but you know.
It was my first time snorkeling! I got stung by a jellyfish! And then it was my second time, while we were waiting for SNUBA to commence. The second time it was just sweetie and me on our own, and we saw way more fishes. Snuba is quite appropriately named, as a cross between snorkeling and scuba where the air tank sits on top of the water in a raft. We touched corals, which was neat, and saw a terrifying lobster. I also went on my first booze cruise, but I failed at getting drunk on rum swizzles. It was fun despite the lack of sunset; eventually we got to see the stars and the guides started playing guitar and singing songs.
Bermuda itself is charming and expensive with terrifying roads. I was always exclaiming over this or that flower. We also saw the two major caves open to the public, Crystal and Fantasy. I always like caves - they're so goosebump-inducingly old! And we got to hear the story (twice) of how these two insane kids explored the caves when their cricket ball fell inside and they went exploring with kerosene lamps and a rope around their waists. CRAZY KIDS! I found diet ginger beer there, which I've not seen anywhere else. Regular ginger beer tastes good enough that I don't mind it, but it would be wonderful to have diet around for everyday consumption.
Downsides? Hmm... rough seas on the way back had me falling into walls on occasion. One of the times I was in the gym, and twice went sweetie went, a woman was giving a ridiculous, hour-long detox seminar that consisted of telling the audience (complete with idiotic Q&A) about how everything they're doing is OMG HORRIBLE for them. My favorite exchange went: "What do pesticides do?" "Kill living organisms!" "And what are we?" "Living organisms!" Some of it was thusly too dumb for words and some of it just silly. I'm sure there was, like, three minutes worth of useful info there, but not worth it to sift through the hour to find it. I had an overenthusiastic pedicure, which left my feet sore the next few days where the lady filed my calluses down too much. Also, a huge chunk of polish came off the next day. One of the activities I really wanted to do on the boat (swing dancing class with sweetie) was cancelled without warning. Hard times! I also had acupuncture for the first time, which wasn't actually a downside - it was all in all a very relaxing experience, but I don't know how much of that was the needles and how much was the lowered lights, soothing music, and aromatherapy.
I don't even know where to start - I feel like I have three entries to post, but no one needs that on their f-list page. So I'll post the best one of them all, Cruise Round-Up.
It was my first cruise, and yes, I am hooked. This was a weeklong deal; I suspect I could do quite a bit longer, as long as it was on a nice cruise line. After awhile I'd miss cooking for myself, I think, but I know, what a hardship. It was my mother, my stepfather, sweetie, and me, and we took Celebrity. We got a premium beverage package, which means unlimited drinks of all sorts up to $12 per drink, which isn't quite everything but close. I tried many sorts of cocktails. I discovered my favorite rum cocktail, which is a Dark and Stormy, and I discovered that I don't enjoy Fino sherry as much as Amontillado. I do enjoy Jameson, especially the fancier kinds. All good to know! I had escargot twice, once in the form of homemade ravioli. It was dementedly decadent. We ate too much and drank waaaay more than any of us do on dry land, due to drink package + alcohol-related activities onboard.
I loved all the musical acts roaming around the boat. Sweetie bought a CD from this Russian (Ukrainian? I forget) string quartet we listened to a lot, especially at this coffee place. There was a jazz quartet also, and it was a lot of fun watching these two couples in particular dancing all fancy to them. There was a piano player and singer we caught in the fancy bar, and I missed the a capella group. Of course there was the party band, and I had to admire their determination to rock out. There was a very gay and adorable cruise director who led volunteers in dancing to pop music. It was mostly entertaining, but I sorta hope I never again see eight year old girls and their parents dancing to "Apple Bottom Jeans." The refrain just sounds like everyone's at a nightclub having a good time, but the verses are definitely about a stripper in a strip club. It was disconcerting, is what I'm saying. Okay, yes, it IS on my work-out music list, but I find that to be extremely irrelevant. Geez.
The weather on the boat was, on the whole, better than the weather in Bermuda. Ha. At least our last day in Bermuda was beautiful and sunny, so we were able to frolic at our tiny beach and get sunburned. It was such a tiny beach, and there was only one other person there, ignoring us thoroughly as she sunbathed. The water was warm and glorious shades of turquoise and blue and very salty (icky), and the waves were perfect for frolicking. Our other two days were a little marred by weather, but just a little - one night's snorkeling was cut short by lightning, our sunset cruise didn't have much of a sunset to watch, and our clear-bottomed kayaking was restricted to a small area because the currents were... somehow wrong. I guess that's not quite weather but you know.
It was my first time snorkeling! I got stung by a jellyfish! And then it was my second time, while we were waiting for SNUBA to commence. The second time it was just sweetie and me on our own, and we saw way more fishes. Snuba is quite appropriately named, as a cross between snorkeling and scuba where the air tank sits on top of the water in a raft. We touched corals, which was neat, and saw a terrifying lobster. I also went on my first booze cruise, but I failed at getting drunk on rum swizzles. It was fun despite the lack of sunset; eventually we got to see the stars and the guides started playing guitar and singing songs.
Bermuda itself is charming and expensive with terrifying roads. I was always exclaiming over this or that flower. We also saw the two major caves open to the public, Crystal and Fantasy. I always like caves - they're so goosebump-inducingly old! And we got to hear the story (twice) of how these two insane kids explored the caves when their cricket ball fell inside and they went exploring with kerosene lamps and a rope around their waists. CRAZY KIDS! I found diet ginger beer there, which I've not seen anywhere else. Regular ginger beer tastes good enough that I don't mind it, but it would be wonderful to have diet around for everyday consumption.
Downsides? Hmm... rough seas on the way back had me falling into walls on occasion. One of the times I was in the gym, and twice went sweetie went, a woman was giving a ridiculous, hour-long detox seminar that consisted of telling the audience (complete with idiotic Q&A) about how everything they're doing is OMG HORRIBLE for them. My favorite exchange went: "What do pesticides do?" "Kill living organisms!" "And what are we?" "Living organisms!" Some of it was thusly too dumb for words and some of it just silly. I'm sure there was, like, three minutes worth of useful info there, but not worth it to sift through the hour to find it. I had an overenthusiastic pedicure, which left my feet sore the next few days where the lady filed my calluses down too much. Also, a huge chunk of polish came off the next day. One of the activities I really wanted to do on the boat (swing dancing class with sweetie) was cancelled without warning. Hard times! I also had acupuncture for the first time, which wasn't actually a downside - it was all in all a very relaxing experience, but I don't know how much of that was the needles and how much was the lowered lights, soothing music, and aromatherapy.