CRUISE PART IV

DAY SEVEN: Another fun day at sea

We really needed a day off at this point in the cruise. After two fun but busy days in the sun and surf, it was time to kick back and relax a bit. We wandered around the ship, checked out the gym and spa, watched some of the activities, and even participated in a couple. Kaylee and Ryleigh spent a little time decorating cookies and then Kaylee entered the ice cream eating contest. She didn't win a trophy for her age group, but Aunt Mindi did win in group! Yay Mindi!

This kids even took time for a little nap while Jeff and I napped and then sat out on our balcony to take in the beautiful sunset on the

water. I know I've said it before, but the Caribbean is just paradise!

That night was our second formal dinner. The kids had been waiting to try escargot and tonight was their chance. Kaylee tolerated it and Brit really liked it. I'm sure most people have heard about the food on a cruise, but for me it's not just the food, it's the service and entertainment that goes along with it. There are many places to eat on the ship and you don't have to eat in the dining room every night, however, we didn't want to miss a thing, so we made it to dinner every night.

After dinner we were greeted by...

DAY EIGHT: Nassau, Bahamas

We reserved a dolphin encounter excursion for this stop and we were really excited! We left the ship in search of a cab to take us to the encounter, but we had some time to kill so we decided to go to a beach first. We put ourselves in the hands of our cab driver who took us on a dead end road, dropped us off and told us to "walk this way" and we would find ourselves on a beautiful beach. Umm... this time our impromtu beach plans were not so satisfactory. In case you didn't know this, the Bahamas is a whole different country. It's beautiful and all, but you are not getting out of there without spending a $100 or two dollars before you realize what hit you! But we picked ourselves up off the ground and set out for Paradise Island where we had a date with a dolphin. The tender ride to the island was gorgeous and as soon as we docked we knew we were in for something special. There is something about witnessing dolphins swimming around you that excites the kids in everyone! After a short orientation we were ready to meet Abaco. She is an eight year old female dolphin, born at the reserve, and trained to interact with guests. We got to get into the water with her and pet her, get hugs and kisses, and even dance with her. Kaylee squealed and smiled the whole time. It's one of those things that just cannot be described, that has to be experienced. They call it "the experience of a lifetime" and I believe it.

Too soon our time was up and it was time to return to the ship for our last dinner, last show, last night on board. We were definitely dragging our feet. Nassau was beautiful and for the most part we enjoyed our day in the Bahamas.

Our last friend of the trip...

DAY NINE: Home

We woke up early enough to have one last breakfast on board. Then we finished packing, left the ship, and headed back to Ft. Lauderdale. We had been calling this our trip of a lifetime, but we've decided that we've got to do it again! You only live once, right? I guess we've decided to enjoy the ride!