I love taking pictures
TV Boy had his first school sporting event today. He did a great job in his 1st ever cross country meet. He didn’t have his uniform yet and had only been to 2 practices. He ran a mile and half in 10:44.
Passed up the high school kid
After his race, he ran back and met a friend of his so he could cheer him on. Love it!
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I mentioned in a previous post that I have beens super busy. Usually when I do the soccer pics for TV Boy’s Soccer League, I don’t get around to getting his picture. Well, this season he made sure that I did, because he wants to have new pics for his profile on the Thunder website. Thought I’d share…
Tomorrow he is participating in his first school related sport, Cross Country. He’ll be running a mile and half. Go Tigers!
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Like I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been super busy with soccer league pictures. I finished up last night with taking the pictures. Now I’ve got to finish going through the pictures, editing, posting to galleries, sending emails, and placing orders. Then, start deliveries. Lots of work. I’m just happy that I was able to take all the pics on schedule. No rain outs!
I’ve got several posts in the works, but I just gotta find time to get them finished up and posted. I was looking at my blog earlier and realized that my header has a Corgi on it. WOW! I got a huge lump in my throat, realizing I don’t have a little black Corgi at my feet tonight as I sit and write this post. Tuesday after writing my last post, I cried much of the day. In my peripheral vision, I’d see something white and black on the floor. I guess, by habit, my mind would jump to the conclusion it was Rosie, and then I’d remember that she’s gone. Ugh! I’ve also heard lots of noises while home alone this week. Usually, I would have just assumed it was her, but now with her gone, I became quite curious what was making so much noise. One day, there was a cricket in the kitchen that kept hopping, which made a noise like Rosie’s nails on the floor.
Rob worked hard Tuesday and Wednesday digging a hole in the backyard. We buried her Wednesday and plan to have a funeral for her after the kids make a stone to put on grave. Oh how I miss her…
Anyway, Wow. I got off subject there. I love my header, so I’m not sure I’m going to change it because I know someday, we’ll have another Corgi. But, maybe I’ll find another cool pic to use instead. I’m also working to have some Menu pages with links to those in my sidebar. I’ll let you know when those are up.
So the posts that I’m working on include:
- Kids’ 1st day back to school
- TV Boy’s soccer pics
- Some new recipes
- Cub Scout Survivor Pictures
- Soccer Tourney pics (from this weekend)
- And…..probably more travel posts. I’ve got a couple more cruise posts that I want to share. Then, I plan to move on to Road trips!
So stay tuned.
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This cruise was planned a little while after we found out we were expecting our 2nd chil. We wanted to go ahead and bring TV Boy on a cruise, because we knew it would probably be quite awhile before we got to take him on one. Rob’s Mom and Step Dad joined us, which was nice. This trip was taken in October over a long weekend with a Columbus Day Holiday. We opted for a 3 day Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas and the private island, Coco Cay.
We left Thursday night and drove down to Orlando. We spent the night at the Amerisuites Orlando. This made for a relaxing morning of free breakfast at the hotel and heading over Cape Canerval to the port.
After boarding we went to the Windjammer Cafe and had lunch. We hung out on deck and waited to do the mandatory lifeboat drill at 4:30. At 5:00, we set sail to Nassau!
Since this was the first cruise with TV Boy, we checked out the kids’ program, which we found to be very disappointing. The age group he was in was 3-5. As an educator, I found this to be ridiculous. Especially for kids like mine, who would be bored coloring and playing with blocks when they go to the kids acitvities. Heck! He could do that with us just as easily, but that’s the point. He would be bored. Oh, I won’t go into all the details of this, but I’ll just say this was just the beginning of Royal Caribbean making us feel like we’re JUST the incompentent customers!!
That evening we attended the Welcome Aboard Show starring Jan Downs. Afterwards, we put the little one to bed and headed out to the piano bar.
Here he is the next morning dressed and ready to go, but it was so much fun to play on the pullman. We had an interior room for the first time. This was also our first time on Royal Caribbean. One thing we really missed about Carnival is the larger cabins. We’d also never been in a cabin without a port hole or window, which may have contributed to the feeling of being cramped! TV Boy slepted on the pullman, which is bed that folds into the wall. This helps when you put it up during the day to give the room a feeling of openness. The little table between the 2 beds folds up too.
Our first full day was spent in the Nassau, Bahamas. We actually had an excursion over to Paradise Island to Atlantis Resort. Since just a few months before Rob and I had enjoyed a 7 week cruise with a stop in Nassau, we had already experience the awesomeness of Atlantis. We knew that TV Boy and Rob’s Mom and Step Dad would really like Atlantis and the aquarium there. Eating at Atlantis is not cheap. We looked at several menus there and decided to walk back to a restaurant we saw when walking to Atlantis called Anthony’s Bar and Grill. This was first time to have conch! Since I was pregnant, I only had a small bite. It was yummy and I highly recommend you try some if you’re at a place that serves it.
The next day, our stop was at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay formerly called Little Stirrup Cay. The really awesome thing about going to “private island” when cruising is that the cruise line owns that island, which means:
We’d never been to a private island before and we knew after a busy day in Nassau/Paradise Island we would be ready for some relaxation. We found a quiet area by this cover with very calm waters. Rob and his Mom enjoyed the speciality drink there, called the Coco Loco. Since I was pregnant, I got a virgin one and it was so yummy! Read about Coca Cay. Here’s an article about all private islands that are owned by cruise lines.
You do have to tender into the island. Here’s some pics as we get ready to tender back to the ship.
After returning to the ship, we hung out on board. Then, headed up on deck to watch us leave the beautiful island and head towards Port Canaveral. 
That evening we ate a wonderful dinner and went to see the Farewell Showtime. The next morning we were back at port and time to head home.
I can’t write this entry without saying that Royal Caribbean’s service did not live up to Carnival or Celebrity at all. We had a room steward that was never reachable, when in truth, we have never had to call a room steward. He never replaced our dirty towels one day. In fact, the 2nd night on board, I stood out in the hall way in my gown looking for someone to help, because our toilet would not flush and had started overflowing. And the already mentioned saga about the kid program. All of this could have been made better if the staff actually seem to care that we were not happy with several parts of the cruise. We filled out the survey at the end of the cruise as we always do, but this time we did not have many positive things to say. I really wonder now if those are even looked at, since we thought that for sure we would get some type of letter of concern or at least acknowledgement after cruising with RC. We never did…
Would I go on Royal Caribbean again? Yes, but only if it was a much better deal than any other cruise.
See all the photos from this trip here.
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Shopping
Many people visit the ports just for shopping. If you’re interested in shopping, I would recommend going to the “Talk” that will be given the day before that port of call. The “Shopping Expert” will know what to watch out for and deals to look for.
Foreign medications may be tempting. You will more than likely see advertisements while at port, but beware. If it’s not approved by the FDA, you’ll have to surrender it to Customs and possibly when you return to the ship.
Anything Cuban-made is forbidden and you will not be able to bring it home.
Due to U.S. customs regulations, onboard shops are closed while the ship is in port.
I learned as a child when driving down into Matamorous, Mexico that they way overprice everything. So when going to Cozumel, I had on my shopping face. This is what I do to get the price down. If you show interest, like by asking a question about it and then checking the price or asking the price. Don’t look desperate and don’t let them know you’ve fallen in love! Walk off. I’ll bet you, they will try to continue the sell of that item and possibly offer less. Have a price in mind. Try to work them down as close to that price and see what you can get. I’ve gotten some real steals. As far as other places besides Mexico, I don’t think they are into negotations as much, so if I find a good deal, I take it. Just don’t expect to make a deal.
What is Duty Free?
Duty Free items will not be charged any kind of sales tax. Many travelers enjoy purchasing luxury items and liquor while on a cruise because there is no tax. But there is a limit on how much you can purchase. Check with your cruise line for specifics.
Can I purchase alcohol off the ship and bring it on?
You’re allowed to buy alcohol while at port, but when you get back on the ship, you’ll have to check it in. This means you won’t be able to drink it while you’re on the ship. You will get it all back the last night of the cruise, so that you can pack it. Alcohol is one of the biggest sellers among cruisers, because it is so much cheaper than it is at home. So many cruisers stock up. Just check with your cruise line on the limits that U.S. Customs allows.
Bathrooms
On occasion depending on where you are, you may find you need some pocket change to use the public restrooms.
So that sums up a few of the important things you should know about Ports of Call. If there is something you’re unsure about, feel free to go to the information desk onboard. They are usually very knowledgeable about the ports that you’ll be stopping at.
Need help with cruising jargon? Check out Cruising Terminology
Eating and Drinking
Cruise FAQs
Gambling ~ Tips ~ Travel Insurance
Shore Excursions & Cashless System
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This is what I did instead of watching the All-Star Game last week. They remind me of cookies my Granny makes. So yummy! I’m looking forward to switching up the recipe, with the mix & match ingredients I’ve listed. Please comment if you make these with different mix & match ingredients. The pictures you see here are with the semi-sweet chocolate chips & milk chocolate chips.
Servings: 4 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes per batch
Mix & Match Ingredients:
Look here for ideas. Just mix and match what you think would be yummy. You need 2 cups of any of the above.
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. In a different large bowl, stir together butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa.
4. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in your mix & match ingredients and nuts if you so choose until they are evenly distributed.
6. Two ways of putting dough on pan; Either drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet or roll cookies into golf ball size for a more round cookie.
7. Bake about 10 minutes.
8. Cool on a baking rack.
~Adapted from Extreme Chocolate
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As I mentioned in my last post about cruising, my next post would be on eating! And there is a LOT to discuss when it comes to that on a cruise.
For the ships that have free-style cruising like Norwegian Cruises, their dining is done differently. Although, I’ve never done this before, I understand it to be more like what you would do at a regular restaurant. You make a reservation and you pay out of pocket. For Rob and I, that’s not something we want to have to do at all! We enjoy the ease of knowing when dinner is every night, going and sitting down, enjoying dinner, eating as much as is humanly possible and knowing it’s included, and leaving when it’s done. Not having to pull our credit card out to pay at then end of dinner. Blah! Who wants to do that?
Dinner is done in 2 shifts, usually in 2 dining rooms at opposite ends of the ship. When booking your cruise you should be asked if you would like early dining or late dining. Early dining is great for people who are used to eating around 5 or 6 and for those traveling with children. An advantage to early dining is that you can go to the earlier show after dinner. This means you can retire to bed much earlier or have more time after dinner to party on board. When Rob and I are traveling just the 2 of us, we always do late dining. We like this because there are not many children, so you don’t have to deal with whiny children and all that goes with that. Dining late also means that if you plan on watching the shows, which we highly recommend, that you’ll be up pretty late. Don’t forget that depending on the length of the cruise, you’ll have a one or two late night/midnight buffets to attend. Even if you don’t eat, we recommend going at least to the Gala Buffet. There is a huge display of food art and ice sculptures. Those are also the nights that you have your formal dinner, which is really exciting for those that like or would like to try lobster!
We always book cruises through our travel agent, so I’m not sure how this works if you book through an online site, but our TA always asks about seating arrangements for dinner. When Rob and I go by ourselves, we have the option to eat at a table of like 4, 6, or 8. We like the option of 8. You’ll be sitting with the same people every night, because it is assigned seating. This has proven to be enjoyable and quite interesting. It’s neat to meet people from all different walks of life and different places. When Rob and I travel with other family, we elected to eat at table of 4 or 6. This made it where it was just our group. This worked out great when bringing TV Boy, so that we weren’t as embarrassed when he didn’t use his best table manners, or when we had to reprimand him for acting a fool at dinner. 
As far as what is served at dinner, depending on the cruise line, you’ll have Appetizer, Salad, Entre, and Dessert. You’ll have 4-5 choices for each. I highly recommend trying things you normally wouldn’t eat. Think about it! It’s free and if you don’t like it you can always order something else. Caviar, lobster, sushi, escargot, duck, calimari are just a few choices of things you may have the opportunity to try. Here’s a sample dinner menu.
The first night at dinner you’ll meet your bar waiter, assistant waiter, and waiter. The bar waiter is the person who handles all your drink orders. If you’re a wine drinker, you’ll have the opportunity to order a bottle of wine for the length of the cruise. Your bar waiter will bring it out for each cruise and take it back at the end of dinner to keep it chilled. Waiter and assistant waiter work together to ensure you have a smooth and expeditious dinner.
If your not up for socializing, getting out of your bathing suit, or just in the mood for a quick bite, you always have the option to go to the different buffet bars that will be situated usually on the Lido deck. For example, they may have one bar that is just good ole “American food” like hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, etc. with the other bar being a different “theme” each day, like Mexican one day, Indian food one day, etc. Many cruise lines also have a 24 hour pizza bar and 24 hour soft serve ice cream machines! These would also be options for lunch as well. During breakfast you’ll find these bars will have eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, cereal, fruit, etc.
When you go to the formal dining room for breakfast and lunch, they normally have just one of the dining rooms open for those meals, so you may find that you have to go to a different dining room for those meals. Both of those meals is different from dinner in that you don’t sit at your assigned seat. You just file in and they seat you at the next available table. Breakfast choices are the normal types of foods similar to what is listed above for the breakfast buffet bars. Here is an example of a lunch menu:
Main Courses
Mongolian Steak Salad
Oven Fresh Sun Dried Tomato Baguette
Spaghetti Zia Tereasa
Pan Fried Fillet of King Clip Nicoise
Vegetable Fajitas
Create your Own Burger
Desserts
Strawberry Banana Mousse
Chocolate Gateau
Creme Carmel
Ice Coupe Black Forest
Ice Cream – Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry
Sherbet – Orange, Pineapple
When it comes to drinks, like I said in my FAQ’s, the free drinks available are tea, juice of some sort, lemonade, water from the tap. Rob and I are soda drinkers, so we were excited to find out about the Coke Cards that are available. In fact, that’s one of the first things we do after getting on the ship. You just go to a bar that is open or they may have a table set up, where you can purchase your Coke Card. This gives you unlimited coke, diet coke, sprite, and whatever else is available. Each person has to puchase one and you have to have the card with you when you order. You’ll also get a drink container, which you can use to get refills in. I think they run about $6 a day plus 15% gratuities. This pays for itself if you order at least 3 cokes each day.
If you would like to partake in alcoholic drinks, watch out! This is one place where cruises make their money! They walk around with the drinks of the day in souvenir glasses. You can also order pretty much anything else. Since you don’t have to pay for your drinks as you order them, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve spent until they slip that bill under your door half way through the cruise and/or the last night of the cruise. More on the cashless system in another post.
I’ll have to say you get very accustomed to eating all day on a cruise. When you get home from your cruise, you find that you still want to eat all day. The bad part is that you don’t have someone waiting on you hand and foot. I think I’ve pretty much covered all the ins-and-outs of eating and drinking. If you know of something I forgot to share, please comment.
Need help with cruising jargon? Check out Cruising Terminology
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Last Saturday I took a trip up to Atlanta for my first photo walk. We met up at Oakland Cemetery. It’s quite a large cemetery currently at 48 acres. There are several sections of the cemetery Original 6 acres, Confederate section, New Jewish section, Black section, and Potter’s field. I made it to 3 sections, I believe. I would really like to go back and see the areas that I missed.
Front entrance. (If you ever go here, DO NOT park in the parking lot that sits near this sign. Park inside the cemetery. There were 2 people from our group had their car windows busted and stuff stolen from their cars.)
Visitor center and Bell tower
So beautiful to see the skyline from the cemetery. You almost feel your right downtown.
Lots of squirrels playing
Several beautiful mausoleums, which when I go back I want to go inside. Several people went inside and got some really nice shots of stained glass windows.
Another view of downtown
One famous person buried here is Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, along side her husband. I found this neat since a few years ago, Rob and I visited Margaret Mitchell House’s house and Museum. Pictures I took of her house a few years ago.
After our visit to the cemetery, we drove over to a restaurant thats near the pedestrian entrance to the cemetery called Six Feet Under.
Here’s my lunch, which was the Taco Combo.
See more photos here.
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