50 DAYS!

50 days! Only 50 days! Wahoo! 50 days!!! Time to diet! :)

More "Thrings"

When Jeanette decided to join us for our cruise, I told her I'd get her a thring. She emailed back wondering if these would work. Oh, my!

Santa!

Here's Santa on the flow rider on one of RCCL's ships. Looks like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, our ship won't have this option. It does have ice skating, rock climbing, mini-golf and lots of other fun though!

That's about right!

And worth every penny!

Pirate Names

Cara got a birthday card that gave out pirate names. I thought you'd all like to know your names. Unfortunately, some us share names because they are based on the first letter of your first name. Some are worth sharing though! Arrrg Mateys!

Grandma Karen: Peg Leg Longboots

Shelley and Me: Squirmy Spinybritches

Marty, Matt, and Mitch: Chum Brinybottom

Rich: Crusty Dankwater

Liz: Leeches Scurvytoes

Becky: Mad Dog O'Barnacle

Tamires: Black Tide McShark

Jared: Booty Tanglebeard

Cara: Salty McScurvy

Andy: Sea Dog McChummy

Does anyone else think Rich's name is the most awesome? And the most like him??? Heehee.

Jamaica

Ocho Rios Overview

Ocho Rios, affectionately referred to as "Ochi" by the locals, is situated on the northern coast of the island of Jamaica, midway between the capital, Kingston, and the popular tourist resort of Montego Bay. The Spanish translation of Ocho Rios is "eight rivers," but the town's name most likely was derived from the abundance of waterfalls in the area (since you won't find eight rivers there). The shoreline is dotted with one hotel resort after another, with the Caribbean's trademark warm sands and turquoise waters in their backyards. Beyond the shoreline, rainforestlike greenery blankets the mountainous landscape. The strikingly lush tropical foliage makes it easy to see why the Parish of St. Ann, of which Ocho Rios is a part, is known as the "garden parish."

Set just slightly past the cruise port, the shabby town of Ocho Rios offers plenty of duty-free shopping bargains, open-air eateries and happening bars on its two main drags, Main Street and DaCosta Drive (which run parallel to each other). Although the town is worth checking out, spending an entire day there would be overdoing it. For cruise-ship tourists, primary points of interest and attractions -- like Dunn's River Falls, Mystic Mountain and James Bond Beach -- lie beyond the actual town and are short 5- to 10-minute taxi rides away.

Ocho Rios gets its fair share of precipitation with the most rain falling in October, and average temperatures in Jamaica are in the 80's and 90's. (July and August are the hottest months, while February is the coolest.) Watch out for hurricane season in Caribbean ports from June until November.

Great Beaches.
Dunns River Falls.

Bob Marley.

Grand Caymen

Grand Cayman Overview

Imagine the stereotypical cruise port -- one with white sand beaches, a plethora of duty free shops selling jewels and liquor, and de rigueur water activities like snorkeling and scuba -- and Grand Cayman might just be the destination the cliche is based on. In addition to the lovely Seven Mile Beach, George Town's retail center and water sports galore, Grand Cayman celebrates marine life at Stingray City and the Cayman Turtle Farm, and even offers a twist on island paradise with the town of Hell (THE place from which to send the quintessential kitschy postcard).Yet the cliche does have a negative side -- and those are the crowds.

It's not unusual to find five mega-ships docked in the harbor at the same time, which makes the tendering process slower than usual and the downtown streets jam-packed. (Building a cruise pier at which ships could berth is oft discussed, but it's never gone beyond the "pre-planning" stage.) The constant influx of cruise passengers keeps the waterfront restaurants bustling, so lunch in port is never a cheap affair. A stroll along the beach quickly turns into an obstacle course of sunbathing tourists, sandy children and watersports vendors.

Visitors have two choices -- embrace the crowds and touristy places with a laidback island mindset or escape them. Secluded beaches, like Cayman Kai or Rum Point, are a cab ride away, and even Seven Mile Beach has its less crowded spots. A mall at Governors Square offers designer clothes, housewares and even a healthy cafe for a refreshing change from pareos, shell necklaces and over-priced seafood. And the seemingly endless stretches of sea never feel too congested when you're swimming peacefully through coral formations.

And like any Caribbean island worth its salt and sand, Grand Cayman has weathered a few hurricanes -- most recently Hurricane Paloma in November 2008. With a solid infrastructure in place, the island survived the storm -- with the exception of a blown off roof or two (the Courtyard Marriott, for instance, lost its top) -- and easily bounced back to its jaunty self. After all, if Grand Cayman didn't offer its 1.7 million cruise visitors the beaches, shops, restaurants and attractions they've come to expect, the cliche wouldn't hold. And where would Grand Cayman be then?

Turtle Farm

Seven Mile Beach


Swimming with the stingrays.

Not Too Worry

It was pointed out to me that I only posted 6 thrings though there are 7 girls going. I do have 7 rings, but I guess I didn't photograph them all! The 7th will be a surprise for some lucky winner.

Bling--or should I say "THRINGS"?

Several years (cruises) ago, the tradition began. Buy some hideous jewelry and make sure all were wearing it in the formal dining room. It's a beautiful tradition! Kind of brings a tear to my eye. Most famous of the jewelry was probably the "riatch". Ring+watch=riatch. A watch to wear on your finger. They were beautiful and as an added bonus, they pulled the hair on your fingers! As you can see, I spared no expense with these beauties. They are rings that should probably be worn on the thumb. Thumb+ring=thring. I just knew that, as hideous as I thought all of these were, someone in our party would like some of them. Ah youth. I was right. The 16-yr-old girl at the check out wanted to know where I got them, because she wanted to pick up a couple. Cara quickly decided the owl (the ugliest of them all in my opinion) was the best of them all. I give up. I believe the ladies will be fighting over these so I am suggesting a grab-bag of sorts when we get on the ship. Let me know if you have a better idea or if you just HAVE TO have one!

Notice the bumble bee?

Something tells me Becky might like this one.

The stone on this one is actually more clear than it looks here.

Don't worry, it wouldn't look any better even if it weren't blurry.

Cara's favorite.

Stunning, I know.

Here I am, wearing it on my thumb. They are all this big!

I will take cash donations if you've just GOT TO have a certain one!

Hawaii Shirts...for the dudes

The Good Will in Florida is definitely the place to go for Hawaii shirts. Click on any picture to enlarge it. Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the "bonus" shirt. And you can thank me later for making sure I got shirts that weren't too LOUD!

For Marty

For Rich--notice the beer cans/bottles




For Matt

For Mitch

For Jared

For Andy

Bonus: this is a men's lg, and it did fit Mitch, but it runs short.

It's up for grabs if someone doesn't like theirs or if one of the ladies is interested!

Don't Panic!

Don't worry. First, this wasn't our ship. Second, no one was seriously hurt, nor was the boat damaged. This happened recently in Europe. The ship was docked. The fuel tanker was on the dock and exploded. There were some passengers close enough to sustain "minor" injuries, but the ship quickly moved away from the dock. All I really have to say is, "Wow!"

Cruise Packing 101

I found an article on http://www.cruisecritic.com/ that lists the top 10 items a new-to-cruising traveler should pack. I'm not in agreement with some of the list, and I don't think it has to do with the fact that I've cruised before. Some of the items are just wacky. So here is the list and my brilliant commentary as well:

1. Alarm Clock. This surprised me. I have never taken one. Watches and cell phones will do that for you...if you must get up. The captain's announcements at about 8:00 will also get you up. And you can order a wake up call via the phone in your room, just like in a hotel. By the way, unless you have an international calling plan, you won't want to use your cell phone once we leave the U.S.. You will probably get a signal in all the countries we go to, but it will be expensive if you check those texts you're missing.

2. Sunscreen. Good one. It's much cheaper to buy it at home and take it with you than to purchase it in another country--if you can even find it--or to buy it on board the ship.

3. First aid kit. What? I laughed at this one. Maybe bring a few band aids and sunburn cream, but really, if the emergency is any bigger than that, the ship will take care of you. And they do sell a lot of what you might need in a first aid kit at the ship store, though you will pay mightily for it. Do bring your prescription medications (in their original containers) and sea (motion) sickness pills, and take them preventatively.

4. Extra storage. This suggested things like an over-the-door shoe bag because you can put lots of little things in it from shoes to jewelry to hairspray. We have, even with 2 adults and 2 kids, always figured out a way to make the storage thing work without the extras. I will say that our best idea is always to put dirty laundry in one of the empty suitcases so we aren't tripping over it. It also frees up drawer space as you wear stuff.

5. Beverages. Please! Really? If you buy alcohol in port, the ship will hold it until the end of the cruise. You could bring it on to begin with, but really? And you can buy a soda pass (about $6/day) at the beginning of the cruise to get you all the soda you can drink while sailing. Water, coffee, and tea are always complimentary.

6. Extra bags (suitcases). In other words, if you are going to go crazy buying souvenirs, bring an extra bag or save room in your suitcase to pack the extras--duffel bags often fit nicely in another bag on your way to your destination. But remember, you'll have to pay to stow those extra bags on your flight home.

7. Laundry alternatives. This comes straight from the web site, and I thought some of it was genius! Don't bring irons or steamers; they are a big NO-NO. "If you don't want to pay high on board prices for laundry or pay the airlines to check multiple bags full of your cruise wear, use these member tips for laundry alternatives. Says dksailaway, 'Downey wrinkle spray! Best invention ever! Leave the ironing for home...you are on vacation!!' Vk1801 suggests "shout stain remover to pre-treat clothes. A week or two without washing is a long time for stains to set in. I have 'saved' many of my kids outfits with this.' Other useful products include travel-size packets of detergent for hand-washing in your cabin's sink and Febreeze spray to get out smoke and other smells so you can wear an outfit one more time."

8. Electronic aids. This list included power strips and extra SD cards for your camera. While I'm not sure the power strip is necessary, the SD cards are a good idea. One person even suggested using a different SD card for each day. That way, if you lose your camera, you haven't lost all your photos. SD cards are relatively cheap, so I think this was a smokin' hot idea!

9. Ear plugs. We have always had pretty quiet rooms on Royal Caribbean. However, if you don't want to be awakened by the captain at 8 AM or if your roommate snores, you might find these handy. One more thing, you can turn the announcements speaker down or off in your cabin so you don't have to hear the captain.

10. Patience and a sense of humor. We've hit the bulls eye here people! Traveling with a large group will slow you down. A cabin steward who doesn't speak much English, a trainee in the dining room, an old lady taking her sweet time walking down the center of the hall to her room can all try your patience. Patience and a sense of humor are a very good thing ANYTIME!

If you have other ideas for things we need to have when we travel, let me know, and I'll put together a list and post it here!

We're Going Cruising Again!

February can't come soon enough!