We had two days at sea so we hung out at the sports bar watching football. I hated that people were allowed to smoke cigarettes, but we were in international water so the clean air laws were out the window, literally. Of course we made a few visits to the 24 hour buffet and sat at the card tables. We had a lot of time to spend on the ship while we were traveling south. At the Fun 21 table we met some of the friendliest people in the world. They were Peggy & Tony from NJ, who had the same wedding anniversary as us (that day) and Ann & Chris from Boston. They were very nice and full of personality. They also introduced us to John & Barkley (a hysterical blind man and his cute seeing eye dog), Anna & Joe and Robin & Kevin, more awesome people. We ate most dinners with them and I laid by the pool with them because they saved me a chair most days. It was so refreshing how courteous and considerate they were; always saving us seats and always inviting us to whatever they planned to do. We really felt loved and TK was happy that they taught him how to play blackjack.
The first day at sea I spent mostly in bed. The rocking of the boat really messed me up. I didn't think I could get seasick, but I severely underestimated how rocky the boat gets during hurricane season. My stomach was pretty woozy most of the trip, but that didn't stop me from stuffing my face for most lunches and dinners. I took full advantage of the unlimited amount of grub. Even though I am a New Yorker, I enjoyed the pepperoni pizza they made fresh for you whenever you asked. I didn't try the sushi, but I had two appetizers with every dinner. Hey, why not?
On the third day when we were heading into Puerto Rico, there was a bird flying in front of the ship like he was leading us into port. It was like he said, "Oh, Old San Juan? Bienvenidos! Follow me." When we arrived at Old San Juan, we took a little walk until we found the carriage rides. We took a horse and carriage around town so we could get acquainted with the t
own. The last time I was in Old San Juan, I was seven and I only remembered a Pizza Hut and cobblestone streets, so I needed to brush up on a few things. After the ride, we did a little shopping through the streets because TK wanted a fedora and I wanted some jewelry. We made a stop at Restaurante Raices because we saw it on Man vs. Food and heard that the food was delicious...and it was. TK had the Chuleta Kan Kan and it was a pork chop as big as both of our heads together. After dinner, we picked up some liquor from the duty-free shop, dropped it off in the room and then headed to Senor Frog's. That was a fun bar, but it was only TK and I so we didn't really get into the mix.On the fourth day we headed into St. Thomas. The boat docked at 7 a.m., but we are not early risers so we got off the boat when we felt the need and that was at 10 a.m. We did a little shopping and TK finally found his fedora. Then we took the skyride up to Paradise Point where there were a few shops, some parrots and amazing views. There was even a little bar where TK had the world famous Bushwhacker, but I am not sure how famous it is being that no one at home knew what I was talking about when I told them we ordered one. It was a frozen concoction with Bailey's, Kahlua, vodka, rum, creme de cacao and Coco Lopez topped with whipped cream and a little nutmeg. It was tasty but I opted for a pina colada because my stomach wasn't ready for all that alcohol before noon. I am 30 now so I am getting old. After taking the skyride back down to street level, we did the tropical thing and went for lunch at Hooters. I know, I know...TK wanted wings, I think??? After lunch we headed back to the boat because we didn't have much time on the island that day. We got back to the boat and changed for dinner, which we were having in the steakhouse that night. That food was delicious too and the service was on point. We felt spoiled.
On the fifth day we arrived at Grand Turk and that was somewhere neither of us had ever been to. It was beautiful.
We pulled right up to the beach and found the guide who would be taking us on our dune buggy tour. I shared a buggy with TK and our entire group drove all over the island for two hours on the left side of the road. The people were very friendly and the livestock ran wild. We saw horses, donkeys and cows just roaming around and hanging out. We saw a lighthouse, we watched the waves from a cliff and we drove across the beach. It was a lot of fun and we love doing wild things like that. Then we met all the cruising folks at Margaritaville, and let me tell you, this Margaritaville was like no other. It was a restaurant and bar but it had a DJ, an enormous pool, poolside cabanas and beach access. It was a little like MTV spring break but I loved it and wished we could have stayed longer. Grand Turk is definitely a place I would return to in the future. It was so tranquil and lovely, well, outside of Margaritaville.On the way back to NY the next couple days, I tried to walk around the boat as it swayed from side to side and I actually slept like a baby at night because I was getting rocked to sleep. It was near impossible to walk in heels and it was a little scary because I kept having thoughts of the Poseidon Adventure and what I would do if the boat flipped over in the middle of the Atlantic. People did say that they have been on cruises where it was worse and we were having 6 - 8 foot swells, so that eased my nerves.
After eight days at sea, TK now wants to take a cruise every year for the rest of his life. He thinks it's the only way to travel. However, I will stick to three hour plane rides instead of three hour tours until my stomach settles, and I will definitely invest in those gray granny wristbands or some Dramamine the next time I get on a ship during hurricane season. Lesson learned.
