Then of course, I have all my own things to prepare. A woman packing for a cruise is so hard. Men don’t realize how easy they have it. A couple pairs of shorts, a few t-shirts and polo shirts, plenty of pairs of socks and undies, bathing suit, flip flops, tennis shoes, and one nicer outfit, and they’re done. I have to pack for casual, for formal, and everything in between. Sundresses to evening dresses. Shorts to bathing suits. High heels and sandals to flip flops and tennis shoes. Then there are cosmetics, shampoo, conditioner, lotions, assorted toiletries, and curling iron (I think the ship has hair dryers on board). My shoes alone take up almost one whole suitcase.
Ugh! So frustrating! That’s why I decided to take a break from packing and start writing instead. Plus, we have to get the apartment ready to leave and make sure that our friends Lily and Pete have a set of keys so they can feed the fish. I can’t forget that I also need to have the mail stopped while we’re away. Add that to my never-ending list.
I can’t wait until we’re just on the ship and away from it all. Seven whole days!!! Nothing but eating, drinking, lounging, swimming, sleeping in, and hmm…well, I can think of a few more things I’d like to do with my new hubby, but this is neither the time nor the place for recounting such naughty tidbits.
I think we’d like to go on an excursion or two while on our cruise, but we haven’t decided just yet. There’s swimming with dolphins, inner-tubing down some river, zip-lining through island treetops, snorkeling, and going to the stingray farm to name but a few options. We’ll figure that stuff out once we’re onboard. I’d prefer to take things as they come. I mean, this IS our honeymoon. After all the wedding rigmarole, I’m ready to just let things come to me rather than feeling like I’m chasing my tail day in and day out. We might get to the ports of call and decide we want to sleep all day. Or we might partake in several adventures while we’re there. I don’t know. We’ll just have to see.
I just can’t wait!!!!!!! I’m so excited! This is the first two-week period either of us have had off since college. It was hard for both of us to get such an extended time off work. Being able to incorporate the Labor Day holiday into the mix helped us get the necessary time off and not completely burn all our vacation days.
Okay, I need a break. My hand is going to fall off. Writing is definitely NOT like typing.
3:39 p.m.
I’m still fussing about here in the bedroom trying to get things ready for our trip. So much work, so little time. I think that Jeremy has given up on packing in order to watch some ballgame on television instead. He’s so sweet and clueless sometimes. It’s kind of cute. Earlier today, he was puttering about, moving wedding gifts from one spot to another inside our apartment. I know he wants to get this stuff organized and put away before we leave on our trip, but he knows better than to really get involved. That’s MY domain and he knows it.
It’s funny; we know each other so well. It’s like he’s trying to subliminally message me that he wants to get these boxes out of the way without actually saying anything. And I know exactly what he wants, but I’m content to let him linger on it for a while. I know it’s silly, but I guess it’s one of those things that couples do. It’s a power thing I suppose. I’m showing him that I’ll do it when I’M ready to do it rather than when he WANTS me to do it.
Call me immature, but that’s what a relationship is, really – constant give and take. At times I give, at times I take. We each want to run the show and be top dog in the relationship. Therefore, we do these little things to try to show one another that we’re each in charge, even though I think that deep down, we probably both think the OTHER is in charge. Maybe that’s why we work so well together. I don’t know. All I know is that it works, and it works damn well. It always seems that when he’s down in the dumps, I’m at my best, and vice versa. One of us is always there to lift the other up when necessary. It has been that way since we first met. It’s hard to explain, almost like an instinctual thing we’ve got going.
God, this writing thing sucks! I’m so glad we live in the age of computers. Maybe I should have gone the online blog route instead, but I kind of want this to be a private account. I think that writing it makes it more personal. This might be something that I can hand down to our kids one day, although who knows if they’ll care to read it.
Well, guess I should get back to it. I want to be ready, ready, ready for this trip. I want to make it as memorable as our wedding was.
I hear Jeremy calling from the living room. Probably can’t decide which ball game to watch or something important like that. Silly boy!
August 30th
1:42 p.m.
I won’t be writing much today – busy, busy, busy! I just got done putting in the online order to stop our mail. Lily and Pete already stopped by so that I could give them keys to the place, show them where the fish food is, and explain how much to feed our only pets.
I’ve already unplugged most of the electronics, lamps, and other items that we won’t be using for the rest of the night, coffee maker included. We’ll get coffees at the airport if we have time tomorrow morning. I don’t want to have one of those “Oh no!” moments on the way to the airport when I wonder if I left the coffee maker on or forgot to turn off the stove. I want our departure to be quick, easy, and worry free.
Our bags are mostly packed. I still have a few things set aside – pajamas, certain toiletries, and our outfits for tomorrow of course. But otherwise, I think we’re good to go in that realm and I’ve covered all our vacation needs.
In addition to these preparations, I had Jeremy call the credit card company to let them know we would be traveling. I’ve heard stories of people who failed to do this and then arrived to some distant land only to realize their cards were being declined due to a “suspicious activity” alert.
While Jeremy was doing this, I confirmed our ride to the airport for seven tomorrow morning. Our flight leaves at 9:49 a.m., so we should be to Midway Airport in plenty of time.
I think I’ll spend the rest of day writing “thank you” cards to our wedding guests. I need to do it while everything is still fresh in my mind and before my brain turns to vacation mush. There are so many people to be thankful to and for. So the more I can get done today, the less I’ll have to do when I get home. In fact, I’m going to take any cards I don’t finish with me so I can work on them on our airplane ride to Miami. It’s the only work I’m taking with me. Jeremy and I are even leaving our cell phones at home. We’ll take my old phone with us just to take pictures. It doesn’t currently have service, but its camera works just fine.
In a way, I don’t even want to bring this diary, but I really want to document our honeymoon. I want to remember our cruise forever – all the little details, the nuances, the things that might otherwise be lost over time or not captured in photos.
I want this trip to be pure enjoyment. I don’t want to hear or even THINK about work, news, politics – ANY of it! We’ll have enough of that when we get home. I know it’s going to be a rough transition when we get back. Not only will I still be in the vacation groove, but I’ll be exhausted (that, “I need a vacation from my vacation” syndrome) and I’ll have to focus hard on getting back into the work groove. Ugh…I’m not looking forward to that, but let’s not think about that now. After today, it’s 100% US! Jill and Jeremy Davis are the only people I want to be focusing on.
August 31st
(Cruise – Day 1)
9:47 a.m.
Our flight is officially underway!!!!!
I’m taking a break from writing thank you cards before I finish the last few I have on my list. I’m going to mail them from aboard ship. I thought it would be a fun added touch. Or maybe I’ll spread some of them out and mail them from the different ports of call that we visit. Then again, I don’t know about the mail services from some of the islands we’ll be stopping at, and I don’t want my letters to be lost or arrive months late. I guess I can decide on that later.
Anyway, I’m a little freaked
out. Jeremy doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seems to be enjoying his gin and tonic just fine here beside me, his ear buds in listening to music. But there are several people on our flight wearing those white surgical masks. We saw some travelers wearing them at the airport too. I hate when people do that. I know that they’re just trying to protect themselves or others. But don’t they know the image they project? That they’re scaring people? What are people supposed to think? Are these mask-wearers deathly ill? Are they carrying some horrific virus? Maybe they have an autoimmune disease or something. But then, should they really be flying? I probably sound horrible voicing these thoughts, but it’s so disconcerting when you see these masks. Whether they’re trying to protect you from themselves or themselves from you, it just gives me the willies.
Ugh…whatever. I just want to get off this plane and get to our ship. Speaking of which, we decided to go a slightly different route with our selection of cruise ship. I know that many people love those massive floating cities, but Jeremy and I wanted something smaller, more manageable. We’d like to at least TRY to get to know our ship more intimately than just be herded about with the masses. Therefore, we found a cruise line that still has smaller vessels in its fleet (there aren’t that many anymore). I told Jeremy when we were looking to book our cruise that I wanted a ship big enough to feel safe on, but one that Agatha Christie would feel at home on as well. I’m not sure we got the Agatha Christie part exactly right since this ship isn’t a yacht-sized boat leisurely cruising the Nile or sailing the melancholic Mediterranean. These vessels have to be rugged enough and large enough to combat what at times can become a snarling Caribbean Sea. But I’m happy with our decision (at least at this point, considering I have yet to set foot on board).
Our ship, the Neptune Triton (sister ship to the Neptune Proteus and Neptune Rhodes) is a 550-passenger vessel with most of the amenities of a larger ship, but less of what in my opinion are the off-putting characteristic of a floating skyscraper. No, it doesn’t have massive water slides, a driving range, rock climbing, a running track, go-karting, eight different pools, fifteen snack bars, or twenty different decks, but we don’t need all that. Plus, all those things do is draw families – families with screaming kids. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind kids, but this is our honeymoon. I don’t exactly want to share it with crying babies, pouting toddlers, and bratty teenagers. If things go the way Jeremy and I want them to, we’ll be dealing with kids of our own soon enough. As the Goonies once said, “This is OUR time.”
We want a ship we get to know, with passengers and crew we get to know. We want a ship where we can learn the general layout on the first or second day of our cruise, not the last day when we are cruising into port to disembark. We want privacy, peace and quiet, not to be surrounded by swarms of screaming kids and the huddled masses barfing all over themselves due to sea sickness or having contracted the norovirus.
The Neptune Triton will sail from Miami at 4 p.m. this afternoon. Our first destination will be Barbary Cay in the Bahamas tomorrow morning. According to our cruise brochure, this spot has several private beaches, each with its own bar, which sounds just perfect. A day of lounging on a serene white-sand beach sounds like just what we need to break away from our trouble and just de-stress. Then we have a day at sea followed by visiting St. Thomas, St. Maarten, followed up by enjoying two more days at sea before returning to Miami.
As I mentioned earlier, we haven’t decided on our event plans for St. Thomas or St. Maarten just yet. But rest assured, we’ll get to them.
For now, I’m going to eat the food the flight attendant just brought us. Then I’m going to wrap up my thank you card writing, and hopefully, by that point, we’ll be getting ready to land in Miami.
It things go as planned, the next time I write, we’ll be aboard the Neptune Triton.
3:32 p.m.
We just settled into our stateroom aboard ship!
I can’t tell you how excited I am and how good it feels to be here!
I can’t wait to start relaxing, but first things first. We’re going to the upper decks here in a few minutes to watch the ship disembark from port. We’ll probably get a cocktail or two while we watch.
Then we have to participate in the lifeboat drill. How silly! Not like we’re in the North Atlantic or somewhere where we’d freeze if we went into the water. But I guess I can see the point. Those poor people on the Costa Concordia weren’t in freezing waters either, and they were close to shore, but some of them died anyway.
So after we get done with the drill, we plan to grab something to eat. I don’t think dinner is being served in the dining room tonight, but there are several casual eateries on board. We can pick up something at one of those – maybe a couple more drinks to celebrate too!
At eight tonight, there is a show in the Salacia Lounge, one of two lounges on board. The first half hour of the show is devoted to the cruise director who is supposed to talk about onboard events, entertainment, the ship itself, available shore excursions at the various ports of call, and that sort of stuff. Then there is supposed to be live entertainment afterwards.
Even though this is a smaller cruise ship, there are still a total of eight passenger decks, five of which contain sleeping quarters. The lowest of these decks are the Vesta Deck and Pluto Deck. These decks contain cabins without balconies, although the exterior positioned cabins on these decks have portholes. Above these are the Jupiter Deck and Juno Deck, which contain passenger cabins as well, however, a majority of these cabins offer balconies. The Ceres Deck is next. It contains passenger suites and the Furrinalia Dining Room.
We’re on the Juno Deck (and yes, we have a balcony). We wanted a suite on the Ceres Deck, but they were WAY too expensive! I know it’s our honeymoon, and we have a right to splurge, but we have to adhere to some level of financial responsibility, especially after the cost of the wedding.
They thoughtfully put all the passenger cabin deck names in alphabetical order from the bottom of the ship up. This helps passengers know where they are onboard when trying to find their cabins.
Above the Ceres Deck is the Entertainment Deck. The Salacia and Vero lounges are located here, as well as the Lucaria Dining Room, the Basilica Neptuni Theater, and a small casino (I’m sitting here with the ship layout from the passenger guide beside me if you haven’t guessed by now). Then there is the Vista Deck with a small walking/running track and outdoor pool. Above that is the Sun Deck, which is pretty much just an elevated platform reached by a set of metal stairs for sunbathing (topless if you like since it’s adults only – ooh la-la!!). I think there are hot tubs up there too.
Oh, I hear them blowing the ship’s horn or whatever you call it. I think that means we’re getting close to leaving. So excited! I’ll write more later! Pina Colada, here I come!!!
September 1st
(Cruise – Day 2)
6:03 a.m.
We’re still at sea. I’m sitting outside on our cabin’s balcony. A warm breeze is trying to rustle the pages of my travel diary. I know it’s still early, but I want to enjoy every last second of this trip. Jeremy is still sleeping.
We’re supposed to drop anchor at our first destination in about an hour. It’s barely bright enough out to write by. I turned our cabin balcony’s lights on to help me see.
So, since I didn’t have time to write last night, back to our departure yesterday. It was really cool! This is my first cruise, so I had no idea how high up you are on one of these ships – even a smaller one. I can’t imagine what it’s like on one of those gargantuan vessels. I almost don’t WANT to know. It must literally feel like you’re on a floating skyscraper.
Once we reached the Vista Deck, we found a bar, got our drinks (I had my pina colada), and watched as our ship slowly set out from port. Jeremy had a drink called a “Blue Hawaiian”. I might have one of those later today. It was delicious too!
After we were done with our libations, and Miami’s skyline faded behind us, we went back to the ca
bin to find our lifejackets and wait for the lifeboat drill.
The drill itself was pretty cut and dry. We hauled our lifejackets up to our muster station on the Entertainment Deck and stood around with a bunch of our shipmates for about half an hour. To kill some time, I latched onto a crew member named Hector. He works down in the ship’s engine room. I asked him if they’d ever had to launch any of the lifeboats before. He explained that they had, but never in an actual emergency. They launch the boats regularly as practice, and to ensure that the boats are working and seaworthy.
I asked him if he’d ever been inside one of the lifeboats before. He said that he had, so I asked him what it was like. He explained that they were pretty barren inside, like a long oval with metal structural reinforcements in the center. Minimally-padded seats line the perimeter of the boat and there is an elevated command consul toward the middle center. Survival supplies are located beneath the seats, which according to him are, “uncomfortable to say the least”.
I then asked him if it was difficult to launch a boat. I remember watching the movie “Titanic” and some of the difficulties the crew encountered in it. He said it was pretty cut and dry. Our ship’s lifeboats, he explained, are davit launched, meaning that they swing out over the water on a cradle to be lowered. After several safety-release pins are pulled, the boat can either be launched from the ship or from inside the boat itself. When I questioned him as to how it was possible to launch the boat from inside, he told me that there is a break wire inside that can be pulled to release the lifeboat from the cradle and lower it.
I also questioned him regarding how often they rotated the food and water stocks aboard the lifeboats. Poor guy probably felt like I was giving him the first-degree, but I was curious, and it’s one of those topics you don’t get to discuss often and may never have the chance to again. He told me that he had no idea but that it probably didn’t matter. He had tried the food onboard one of the lifeboats once and said it was like eating wallpaper paste – tasteless, flavorless, but substantial. But he conceded that in an emergency, it would probably do the trick.
The Dystopian Diaries Page 29