Bon Voyage!

On December 13, Russ and I packed three suitcases full (49 pounds each), loaded the stroller and car seat, and a bag full of any medication we might ever need in preparation for our 7 day Caribbean cruise!  I have a few fears - needles and snakes among them - and fear of heights and ocean water are two of them.  I get nervous every time we load an airplane or board a ship.  Add a 16 month old (almost 17 months) to the mix, and I become filled with major anxiety.  Packing four or five different kinds of nausea meds for children and adults...prescription and over the counter...along with any other kind I wanted to add to the arsenal.  I plan to write a separate blog post about packing a toddler for a cruise.  I found some that were very helpful for my own packing, and I was able to gauge what was necessary and optional.

We met the rest of my family (minus Dustin, who had to work) at the airport early Friday morning.  We had a connecting flight in Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale with not much of a layover.  Millie Janalee, as with everything she does, was a champ!  This girl was made to travel and cheer on those Bulldogs.  Ha!

We spent the night in Ft. Lauderdale and caught the first shuttle at 10:30 to the port.  Millie Janalee and I stuck together through customs, and we made it through with flying colors!  Russ was the leader of our pack, and he helped us label and maneuver our stroller and 3 large suitcases, two carry-ons, car seat, and baby back pack all through the terminals.  He also humored me by stopping for the occasional memory making picture.  He's a gem, and I can be pretty annoying when it comes to stopping for photos. [Imagine that.]

We made it through customs!

The temperatures in Ft. Lauderdale were a comfortable 75 degrees or so.  Amazing weather and quite different from the 20 degrees we left at home!  We boarded the Oasis of the Seas with time to explore.  Our staterooms wouldn't be ready until 1 that afternoon.  Millie Janalee sat in awe of what would soon become one of her favorite hangouts on the ship - the kid pools area.

We found a restaurant to eat lunch overlooking the Ft. Lauderdale view.  The Windjammer became our "welcome spot" as the waiters helped us find a table, get our drinks, and stop to talk to the "princess" of our crew.  Thus began Millie Janalee's royal treatment.  She took full advantage and her personality grew three times bigger that week!

When the cruise director made the announcement that our staterooms were ready, we decided to unload our carry-ons and take a look at our accommodations before finding a table on the open deck to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere.

I should mention that I spent my 30th birthday on board the largest cruise ship in the world!  I partied like it was my birthday!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Millie Janalee and Pawpaw on our balcony

After the mandatory emergency drill where all 6,200 guests gathered in their assigned areas where life jackets and lifeboats are located and got all the instructions in case of a crisis...we found a wonderful spot to relax and watch as our ship sailed out of the port in Ft. Lauderdale heading for the open seas.

Millie Janalee danced to the music as the armed coast guard (the little boat behind her) patrolled our ship until we left the port.  Apparently the largest cruise ship in the world would make for a dangerous target.  Comforting, huh?

See ya later USA!

Mama Kristin with her fruit drink from the kids menu

After sailing off into the sunset, we all took some time to settle in and check to see if our luggage had been delivered.  This cruise, we enjoyed "my time dining" with the same waiters at the same table every night at 8:30.   So, we met Felix and Frank (our servers for the week) and enjoyed dinner with our friends, Rhonda and Michael, who joined us for the fun trip!

We also laughed as a team of servers sang and played percussion with the tops to butter bowls singing "Happy Birthday" to me!!!  A great way to start off my 30th year.

We enjoyed shows nearly every night after dinner.  Our first night, we settled in for an amazing show on ice...Frozen in Time.  Millie Janalee was enthralled and followed the skaters around the ice with her eyes and head the entire time.  She clapped, danced, and cheered with excitement.  Some of us may or may not have teared up a few times as we watched her. 

Our night ended with falling asleep to the waves and a slight rocking that could only be felt when laying still.  Rocking us to sleep night after night!  Lovely!