Another Cruise Update!!!!

Here is my next update! I am already starting to forget the details...I better hurry up and finish this before I forget everything!!! LOL

Day 3 – Friday, May 14 The second day of the Cruise!!!

Jodi hopped out of bed at 6:00 something in the morning (CRAZY GIRL) with her binoculars to go out on the deck and watch us pull into Key West. Once she was up, we were all awake because none of us wanted to miss one thing! So, we opened up the curtains and enjoyed looking out our window at the island of Key West. It was cool because there was a Royal Caribbean ship docked on the island too and there were little boats beside them (like, the kind of boats that you would own) so it gave you an idea of just how big these cruise ships are. At one point, Jodi was laughing at me because I was like…Oh! What are they doing? I thought perhaps it was pirates (NOT REALLY) because the little boat got close and then a few guys jumped onto the big boat….they were helping to secure it. What a hoot. It was neat to see the difference in size.

Mom called and ordered us room service so we ate some fruit and croissants while we got ready for the day. Jodi and I were ready before Mom, so we went up to the Lido deck and ate breakfast and then found our way off the ship! We got off and boarded a trolley that took us into Key West! This was my second trip there, but it felt like my first because I saw some things I didn’t see last time and I also saw some of the same things but didn’t know how to find my way around! LOL Mom met up with us pretty much as soon as we got there and we started shopping and looking for Margaritaville! I mean, you have to go to Margaritaville if you are going to Key West….that and have a piece of Key Lime Pie! We actually did both! We found a quaint little Key Lime Pie Shop and we split a piece….none of us really liked it, but we had to have it!

We had so much fun shopping at this one store, especially. It was called “Yours and Mayan” and they had the most beautiful beaded jewelry! I could’ve spent a fortune in there, instead I just spent a small fortune! LOL There were just lots of neat little shops and things to see. We found Mandie and Amanda and they joined us on the last leg of our journey to find Margaritaville. We all enjoyed a yummy Margarita there and then got some souvenirs. Mom decided to head back to the cruise ship to save us some lawn chairs on the lido deck while Jodi and I finished shopping. We finally hopped on one of the last trolleys to the boat. I was in line waiting for Jodi and thought that I would not get on without her because it would be one thing to be stranded in Key West with her and an entirely other thing to be stranded by yourself! In reality, we had PLENTY of time…but I was just thinking about all the “what-if” scenarios. We got on the trolley with this group of high school boys, or actually recent high school graduates. There was a party of about 35 kids on the ship for their senior trip. They were funny because they made fun of the girls on their trip and just listening to them talk was funny. Thankfully, we did not see them the rest of the trip. LOL

Anyways, Key West was wonderful. I wish we could’ve stayed there longer. There was this really neat jewelry and clothing shop that I went to the last time I was there, but I couldn’t find it this time. Funny thing happened..there was one of those living statues (people who pose like statues) and we saw him when we were all together. Well, when we split up and I was walking back to the trolley stop to save our place in line, I was on my cell phone talking to a friend at home. Well, I walked right by him and he yelled at me when I was in front of him to get off the phone because I was on vacation. I about died….I nearly dropped my phone he startled me so much! That was a hoot!

So, we got back on the ship and changed into our swimsuits and went to find where Mom had saved us seats. She chose the loudest spot (LOL) but also the best people-watching spot! At this point, I started feeling bad because we couldn’t save enough chairs for everyone. Mom told me that my Dad worries about this all the time when they are cruising with the group too. So, I had a hard time with that because I wanted to be able to take care of everyone, but I just couldn’t. And that is hard for me. So, I had a hard time relaxing. Then we had some chairs open up next to us right as Mandie and Amanda walked up…so I was able to take care of them. LOL And then Jodi and Mom were leaving right at the time that Kelly and Joy were looking for a spot, so I was able to take care of them. LOL I realized that I was getting a bit burnt, so I went and read a book on our balcony and dozed in the shade. It was just a nice and peaceful afternoon. Then it was time to get ready for formal night!

Formal night on the cruise is the night that nearly everyone dresses up fancy! Mom, Jodi and I got all gussied up and we went down to the Main Atrium. We had made plans to have the entire group meet there for a group picture. Since we were early (SHOCKER), we posed for like a million pictures. They have all these different “photo stations” set up with different backgrounds and so we stopped at all of them, I think! It was funny because the photographers kept calling us sisters…..Mom was eating that up! I don’t think we planned it, but Jodi and I were both wearing black and Mom was wearing red, so we got some really good pictures! It was fun…I felt like we should be hearing Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi song while we were posing. LOL So, the entire group showed up (all 23 of us ladies) for our group picture. There was a little bit of drama with that (go figure…with a group of 23 ladies there was drama, right?) but we got a good group picture and went into dinner! Mom, Jodi and I were trying to jazz up the seating arrangements for dinner, but our attempt failed. Although, we did get to sit at a different table and had a lovely dinner again. The food was delicious (of course) and the dessert was amazing! The after dinner music was wonderful. The waitstaff sang to us again. I am such a dork, I actually got all teary when they sang that night. It was just such a magical experience – being on this dream vacation with all of these ladies.

After dinner, we went to a show that night. They had a “Las Vegas-Style” show in the main theater, so we all went to that. It was a little weird, but still a pretty good show. Something about a big couch and Paris and the couch talked….just a little bit odd. The highlight of the show, well there were three highlights for me. First, Chelle spilled her drink. That was funny to me for some reason. (Sorry George…neither Mandy nor I were about to share ours with her because they were so yummy!) And then the guys in the show came out to do YMCA and one was scantily clad and it was fun to hear my mom and the Aunts hoop and holler about that. The third highlight…I was sitting next to Joy’s mom and Joy was whooping about something in the show and her mom leans over and commented on how loud Joy was since she had had so much to drink. I leaned back over and said, she hasn’t had anything to drink…that’s just Joy! She lives up to her name! It was funny. Joy’s mom was so stinking cute and sweet. I am not sure that she knew how to take our little group, but she was a trooper!

So, we left there and went to check out what was happening at our “bar”. I don’t know if we even went into the karaoke lounge that night….maybe it was a comedian or something instead. But we found “our band” again and had yet another evening of dancing and closing the place down. That night they went on really long because there was another group there enjoying them. They were more rockers then we were, so they requested Free Bird and some other “rocky-type” songs. But let me tell you, that band is AMAZING! We loved every minute of it and danced our butts off again! What a riot!!!! I think the drummer actually broke his cymbal at one point because they were jamming so much. LOVED IT.

We left there and went to our room. We were pleasantly surprised to have received a lovely treat in our room! Since Mom was a VIP, she had a nice photo frame as a gift and we had a plate of yummy treats with Good Night written in chocolate. It was very cool and a nice surprise! We took our showers and finally went to sleep during the wee hours of the morning! It was another day in paradise and another day where I don’t know how we could’ve crammed more into it if we had tried!

I love vacation!!!!