According to the ship’s navigational channel on the ship’s TV we traveled 572 nautical miles in our adventures (we put about three times that distance on our van). The neat thing about cruising is that your hotel travels with you. I’m going to focus on life aboard the ship now and write about our shore excursions next time.
SOME COMPARISONS
I am going to make two comparisons between this cruise and our last. It should be noted that both points here are weather related and beyond anyone’s ability to control.
First, our boarding experience was so much better this time than it was for our last cruise. When we arrived in Galveston to board the Magic she had not been given clearance to enter the port due to a heavy sea fog. When she finally docked they had to rush all the returning passengers off before they could board us. The whole thing was very rushed. This time the weather was clear and we were aboard the ship and relaxing in time for lunch. This made all the difference for the start of our cruise.
Second, once we got out to sea we encountered strong winds (40 knots) which made the seas rough. We had rough seas in the Gulf of Mexico the last time we sailed, but I think this trip was worse. The winds certainly altered the travel plans and kept the upper deck and some of the outside activities on the ship closed. Fortunately this got better each day.
Nate was the one most affected by seasickness. His stomach got the better of him Monday evening. We were enjoying the show after dinner when it happened. Nate got up and ran for the theater exit with Vicki right on his tail. He almost made it out the door when his supper made it reappearance. Jenna, Ben, and I were glad to be sitting down front in a dark theater when we heard it happen. They still had a fan out drying the carpet Wednesday morning.
The winds are what changed the original itinerary, causing us to have our day at sea earlier than planned. I will come back to this next time when I tell about our shore excursions.
STATEROOMS
We had two, connecting staterooms this time. I think I like this better than having all of us in one room, though I missed the verandah. Vicki and I shared one room while the kids bunked next door. Funny how Jenna and Ben both volunteered to take the top bunks after Nate’s bout of seasickness the first night.
DINNER COMPANIONS
We enjoyed our evening meals in the My Fair Lady dining room. The food was wonderful, but what really made the meals a pleasure was the family who was assigned to our table. They consisted of a couple, Jeff and Debi, and Jeff’s mother, Mariella. Jeff and Debi have two grown daughters.
I think we were paired up with the nicest passengers on board. We had more fun laughing, cutting up, sharing our day, and getting to know each other. They are the kind of folks you want to have as neighbors. As nice as this cruise was--and it was nice--they made it extra special. Truly delightful people. I am glad we got to know them.
OTHER SHIPBOARD FUN
I think the boys’ favorite thing to do while on board was ping pong. If we ever lost them it was a safe bet we would find them at one of the two ping pong tables. I think they also went swimming and to the arcade, but table tennis was the thing for them this time.
We went to the show in the theater each night. Their singers, dancers, and band were really good. They did a broadway show one night and a tribute to the movies another. They also had a juggler and a comedian aboard that we enjoyed, and their cruise director was pretty entertaining in his own right.
Other activities that some or all of us took in were movies (Jurassic World and Inside Out), game shows, karaoke, and disco dancing. Vicki and Jenna were more fun than me and the boys when it came to some of these things. Other times it was simply nice to sit on deck and watch the sea slide by.
Joe
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Our Enchanted Cruise, Part 2
The nice part about sailing from Port Canaveral is that it afforded us the opportunity to spend a little time with the Cotters, and it just so happened that we hit one of the few dead weekends in their busy schedule.
DRIVING
Before I get to that part I should mention that we took advantage of our new driver in the family. Ben drove a significant portion of the trip down to Florida, and he did very well. He was looking forward to that since he only gets to drive on the interstate during rush hour. Our van has a very slight shimmy as you get to 80 MPH so I always knew without looking when he was setting the cruise control a little too fast.
Unfortunately Ben didn’t get too much time behind the wheel on the way home. He drove a short leg in northern Florida but that was all. By the time his turn came up again we were in rush hour traffic for Atlanta. After that it was getting a bit late for him to drive.
Jenna, on the other hand, didn’t drive at all. She chuckles as if she’s gotten away with something.
FAMILY TIME
The Cotter clan is all doing well. As I hinted before, we enjoyed visiting and catching up with each other. We also played a game of Jeopardy that Jim and Chris came up with. The boys also spent a lot of time playing video games together. We knew when something big was going down when they all started yelling from the library in Jim and Dianna’s house.
It was also good to see Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob. They are both doing well. The boys went swimming in their pool while we were at their house but got out quickly because the water was chilly. Even though we have been to Florida several times over the years Nate did not remember Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob’s house as he was an infant the last time he was there.
I don’t think the kids had ever been to First Baptist Orlando as we usually go to church with Jim and Dianna when we visit. They have just finished renovating their sanctuary so it looked a bit different from what I remember. The renovations took a little space away from the sanctuary, but it still has seats for about 4,000.
After church we went to lunch at Johnny’s Fillin’ Station which has excellent hamburgers. It was a pretty day so we ate outside.
Monday morning came and this part of the trip was over all too quickly. Shortly after Jim left for work we headed over to the coast to board our ship, but I’ll save that for the next time. I’m not sure when we will get down there next, but hopefully it will be pretty soon. We’ve been to Disney World twice since visiting Universal Studios.
Joe
DRIVING
Before I get to that part I should mention that we took advantage of our new driver in the family. Ben drove a significant portion of the trip down to Florida, and he did very well. He was looking forward to that since he only gets to drive on the interstate during rush hour. Our van has a very slight shimmy as you get to 80 MPH so I always knew without looking when he was setting the cruise control a little too fast.
Unfortunately Ben didn’t get too much time behind the wheel on the way home. He drove a short leg in northern Florida but that was all. By the time his turn came up again we were in rush hour traffic for Atlanta. After that it was getting a bit late for him to drive.
Jenna, on the other hand, didn’t drive at all. She chuckles as if she’s gotten away with something.
FAMILY TIME
The Cotter clan is all doing well. As I hinted before, we enjoyed visiting and catching up with each other. We also played a game of Jeopardy that Jim and Chris came up with. The boys also spent a lot of time playing video games together. We knew when something big was going down when they all started yelling from the library in Jim and Dianna’s house.
It was also good to see Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob. They are both doing well. The boys went swimming in their pool while we were at their house but got out quickly because the water was chilly. Even though we have been to Florida several times over the years Nate did not remember Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob’s house as he was an infant the last time he was there.
I don’t think the kids had ever been to First Baptist Orlando as we usually go to church with Jim and Dianna when we visit. They have just finished renovating their sanctuary so it looked a bit different from what I remember. The renovations took a little space away from the sanctuary, but it still has seats for about 4,000.
After church we went to lunch at Johnny’s Fillin’ Station which has excellent hamburgers. It was a pretty day so we ate outside.
Monday morning came and this part of the trip was over all too quickly. Shortly after Jim left for work we headed over to the coast to board our ship, but I’ll save that for the next time. I’m not sure when we will get down there next, but hopefully it will be pretty soon. We’ve been to Disney World twice since visiting Universal Studios.
Joe
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Our Enchanted Cruise, Part 1
We have just returned from a much needed vacation where we have had the most wonderful time! We enjoyed a quick visit with family followed by a four night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. This trip has been something we’ve been looking forward to for months and it lived up to all expectations.
In reality this was Jenna’s senior trip, if a bit early. We knew after our cruise on the Disney Magic back in 2013 that we would want to go again, and we decided to try Royal Caribbean this time. Jenna really lucked up on this trip because it stretched her fall break into two weeks. We originally booked the cruise for Robertson County’s fall break (October 12-16). Then the job with Davidson Academy became available for me which changed the picture because DA’s fall break was the following week (October 19-23). We decided to move our trip forward a week so that the boys and I wouldn’t miss school.
I’m going to do like I’ve done before and tell about our vacation in several parts, though the tone may be different because we were all new to the experience last time (and because our last cruise was two and a half years ago). To that end I will forgo a lengthy description of the ship and say was basically what we were used to last time. Both ships are very similar in age, size, tonnage, and passenger capacity. They also offer similar amenities, though the difference in the customer focus between the two cruise lines is apparent (e.g. the Enchantment has a small casino aboard where on the Magic a few games of Bingo in a forward lounge is as wild as the gambling got). We enjoyed this trip and this ship as much as the last. Here’s a summary of our itinerary.
Friday, the 16th - This was the last day of school for me and the boys. Vicki and Jenna spent the day running errands and packing. Their goal was to be completely ready for us to go as soon as we got home, which they were. After we got home, changed clothes, and packed the few things they didn’t pack for us we said our goodbyes to Mom and hit the road. We spent the night south of Atlanta, in Locust Grove.
Saturday, the 17th - We got up early and drove down to Orlando. We made excellent time and had plenty of time to relax and visit with Jim, Dianna, Alex, and Chris.
Sunday, the 18th - We spent a lot of time with Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob today. The activities started by going to church at First Baptist Orlando, then going out to eat, followed by time to visit before stopping for some ice cream and then heading home.
Monday, the 19th - Our sailing day! We drove to Port Canaveral that morning, boarded the ship, and relaxed as this leg of the journey began.
Tuesday, the 20th - This was originally supposed to be a day of fun in the sun at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, but 40 knot winds prevented our landing there so it became a day at sea as we sailed on to Nassau. A medical emergency with one of the passengers brought us there by mid afternoon.
Wednesday, the 21st - We enjoyed Nassau.
Thursday, the 22nd - This was supposed to be our day at sea, but the winds settled down enough that we could land at Coco Cay. We spent almost the entire day ashore playing in the water and sand.
Friday, the 23rd - Our trip is over all too soon. We returned to Port Canaveral got in the van and headed home, getting here a little before midnight.
Saturday, the 24th - Even though we are home we decided to extend our vacation just a bit by going out to a matinee movie. Vicki and I went to see The Martian while the kids watched Pan.
That brings us up to the present where it is time to plug back in to life. I’m not so sure I’m ready to do that after a week off, but that’s all part of it. My goal is to write up the rest of the trip in two or three more editions and get those out throughout the upcoming week. Until I write again I will sign off as our cruise director, Marc Walker, always did.
Bing bong...
Joe
In reality this was Jenna’s senior trip, if a bit early. We knew after our cruise on the Disney Magic back in 2013 that we would want to go again, and we decided to try Royal Caribbean this time. Jenna really lucked up on this trip because it stretched her fall break into two weeks. We originally booked the cruise for Robertson County’s fall break (October 12-16). Then the job with Davidson Academy became available for me which changed the picture because DA’s fall break was the following week (October 19-23). We decided to move our trip forward a week so that the boys and I wouldn’t miss school.
I’m going to do like I’ve done before and tell about our vacation in several parts, though the tone may be different because we were all new to the experience last time (and because our last cruise was two and a half years ago). To that end I will forgo a lengthy description of the ship and say was basically what we were used to last time. Both ships are very similar in age, size, tonnage, and passenger capacity. They also offer similar amenities, though the difference in the customer focus between the two cruise lines is apparent (e.g. the Enchantment has a small casino aboard where on the Magic a few games of Bingo in a forward lounge is as wild as the gambling got). We enjoyed this trip and this ship as much as the last. Here’s a summary of our itinerary.
Friday, the 16th - This was the last day of school for me and the boys. Vicki and Jenna spent the day running errands and packing. Their goal was to be completely ready for us to go as soon as we got home, which they were. After we got home, changed clothes, and packed the few things they didn’t pack for us we said our goodbyes to Mom and hit the road. We spent the night south of Atlanta, in Locust Grove.
Saturday, the 17th - We got up early and drove down to Orlando. We made excellent time and had plenty of time to relax and visit with Jim, Dianna, Alex, and Chris.
Sunday, the 18th - We spent a lot of time with Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob today. The activities started by going to church at First Baptist Orlando, then going out to eat, followed by time to visit before stopping for some ice cream and then heading home.
Monday, the 19th - Our sailing day! We drove to Port Canaveral that morning, boarded the ship, and relaxed as this leg of the journey began.
Tuesday, the 20th - This was originally supposed to be a day of fun in the sun at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, but 40 knot winds prevented our landing there so it became a day at sea as we sailed on to Nassau. A medical emergency with one of the passengers brought us there by mid afternoon.
Wednesday, the 21st - We enjoyed Nassau.
Thursday, the 22nd - This was supposed to be our day at sea, but the winds settled down enough that we could land at Coco Cay. We spent almost the entire day ashore playing in the water and sand.
Friday, the 23rd - Our trip is over all too soon. We returned to Port Canaveral got in the van and headed home, getting here a little before midnight.
Saturday, the 24th - Even though we are home we decided to extend our vacation just a bit by going out to a matinee movie. Vicki and I went to see The Martian while the kids watched Pan.
That brings us up to the present where it is time to plug back in to life. I’m not so sure I’m ready to do that after a week off, but that’s all part of it. My goal is to write up the rest of the trip in two or three more editions and get those out throughout the upcoming week. Until I write again I will sign off as our cruise director, Marc Walker, always did.
Bing bong...
Joe
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Growing Up
Our leaves are starting to turn, and a few are already falling. We’ve been having the most beautiful weather, aside from it being cold and rainy weekend before last (October 2-3). The farmers are gathering in the soybeans and the kids have probably picked the last of the pumpkins of the season. What a wonderful time of year!
THE FALL BALL
So the big news for us has been the Fall Ball at school. It was a couple of Saturdays ago (the 3rd). This was supposed to be the Homecoming Dance, but due to the way the schedule worked out DA’s homecoming was early and they had no time to put together a dance that week. Hence, the Fall Ball.
The news that had been cooking around our house was that Ben had asked one of his classmates if she’d go to the game with him as well as the dance. She said yes to both. They did sit together at the game which was of extreme interest to Vicki and Jenna. Vicki was too polite to watch, but Jenna had no such qualms and would keep us updated.
As the dance approached the lady coordinating the event put out a call for chaperones. Ben was okay with me and Vicki volunteering so we signed up. That evening we headed out to DA.
I need to start out by saying this was my first high school dance. I was too shy or backward to go to any when I was a student. Before the dance Vicki coached Ben on a lot of things, from how to treat his date to how to do the YMCA motions. I helped him tie his tie.
DA’s Fall Ball was a very nice affair. Almost all of the boys wore ties and the girls wore dresses. Vicki and I worked the checkin table and only watched the goings on in the gym where the dance was for about five minutes. In over three hours of music Vicki and I knew about four songs (YMCA wasn’t one of them).
What’s sort of funny and sad at the same time is that most of the girls and boys didn’t dance together. The boys all hung out together and the girls all hung out together. Ben never danced with his date. Several of Ben’s friends had also asked girls to come to the dance and they never danced with their dates either.
Now I realize I’m not the best one to give advice when it comes to a dance. I don’t have the best credentials in this area as you may have noted. But it seems to me that if you ask a girl to go with you to a dance and even pay for her ticket you ought to dance with her. Just sayin’.
COLLEGE VISIT
I think Vicki and Jenna have gone on their last college visit. Tuesday they drove to Cleveland, Tennessee to visit Lee University. This is the same college where our youth group went to camp back in July.
They had a good trip and enjoyed visiting the college, but came home having crossed it off the list. I think it is safe to say now that Jenna has her sights set on Trevecca University in Nashville. Of all the colleges she’s looked at that’s the one that feels like the right fit. Jenna submitted her application process today. Now it’s just a matter of the scholarship process goes.
As excited as I am for my daughter, I keep thinking that my little girl is about to step out into the world. Where has the time gone?
DRIVING WITH THE STUDENT DRIVER
I must say Ben’s driving is coming along very nicely. I don’t feel the need to correct him much at all. Most of the time I’m just co-piloting when he needs to change lanes or navigating when he’s driving somewhere he’s never been before.
One day he told me I need to drive to school so that he could study. All the way to school I heard comments like, “Rolling stop,” “You’re doing 80,” “Don’t ride their tail,” and “Gee, Dad, don’t you know how to drive?”
I finally looked at my son in the passenger seat next to me and said, “You aren’t getting much studying done.”
He muttered something about being too scared.
Joe
THE FALL BALL
So the big news for us has been the Fall Ball at school. It was a couple of Saturdays ago (the 3rd). This was supposed to be the Homecoming Dance, but due to the way the schedule worked out DA’s homecoming was early and they had no time to put together a dance that week. Hence, the Fall Ball.
The news that had been cooking around our house was that Ben had asked one of his classmates if she’d go to the game with him as well as the dance. She said yes to both. They did sit together at the game which was of extreme interest to Vicki and Jenna. Vicki was too polite to watch, but Jenna had no such qualms and would keep us updated.
As the dance approached the lady coordinating the event put out a call for chaperones. Ben was okay with me and Vicki volunteering so we signed up. That evening we headed out to DA.
I need to start out by saying this was my first high school dance. I was too shy or backward to go to any when I was a student. Before the dance Vicki coached Ben on a lot of things, from how to treat his date to how to do the YMCA motions. I helped him tie his tie.
DA’s Fall Ball was a very nice affair. Almost all of the boys wore ties and the girls wore dresses. Vicki and I worked the checkin table and only watched the goings on in the gym where the dance was for about five minutes. In over three hours of music Vicki and I knew about four songs (YMCA wasn’t one of them).
What’s sort of funny and sad at the same time is that most of the girls and boys didn’t dance together. The boys all hung out together and the girls all hung out together. Ben never danced with his date. Several of Ben’s friends had also asked girls to come to the dance and they never danced with their dates either.
Now I realize I’m not the best one to give advice when it comes to a dance. I don’t have the best credentials in this area as you may have noted. But it seems to me that if you ask a girl to go with you to a dance and even pay for her ticket you ought to dance with her. Just sayin’.
COLLEGE VISIT
I think Vicki and Jenna have gone on their last college visit. Tuesday they drove to Cleveland, Tennessee to visit Lee University. This is the same college where our youth group went to camp back in July.
They had a good trip and enjoyed visiting the college, but came home having crossed it off the list. I think it is safe to say now that Jenna has her sights set on Trevecca University in Nashville. Of all the colleges she’s looked at that’s the one that feels like the right fit. Jenna submitted her application process today. Now it’s just a matter of the scholarship process goes.
As excited as I am for my daughter, I keep thinking that my little girl is about to step out into the world. Where has the time gone?
DRIVING WITH THE STUDENT DRIVER
I must say Ben’s driving is coming along very nicely. I don’t feel the need to correct him much at all. Most of the time I’m just co-piloting when he needs to change lanes or navigating when he’s driving somewhere he’s never been before.
One day he told me I need to drive to school so that he could study. All the way to school I heard comments like, “Rolling stop,” “You’re doing 80,” “Don’t ride their tail,” and “Gee, Dad, don’t you know how to drive?”
I finally looked at my son in the passenger seat next to me and said, “You aren’t getting much studying done.”
He muttered something about being too scared.
Joe
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