Cruise Flotsam and Jetsam

This post will mostly be pictures, bits and pieces that didn't really fit anywhere else, all part of the amazing adventure.

 This huge Lego replica of the ship was near the gift shops and duty-free liquor store (which did not mean tax-free liquor, which was a surprise, by the way, to many booze-buying folks).

It was an amazing construction. I especially love the rolling waves.

I don't know about you, but I would have been disappointed NOT to find some Egyptian statuary on a cruise ship.

The view of the Empress Deck bar, from near the glass elevator. The gal with the side ponytail is named Josephine- she remembered our names from the first day on.

It did take me days to learn my way around the ship, and even at the end, I would take the wrong set of elevators and have to walk the long-way-round to get to our room. DeeAnn soon found that I have no sense of direction at all.

Just another pretty ocean picture.

DeeAnn on the deck.

I have no idea what I was going for here, the ship wasn't tilting. I was just being arty, I guess.

The afternoon after our Freeport excursion, I decided to have a manicure. It was my first, and man, I had no idea that my nails could look so pretty. I am NEVER trying to paint my own again, even though cuticle nipping feels like being nibbled by tiny, insistent fishies.

We were largely news-bereft on board, but this screen at The Bistro kept us apprised of our location, the water depth, and where the storms were (mostly behind us the whole way).

Another cruise ship in the distance.

Up on the Verandah, on the running/walking track. I didn't do either (well, I did walk for hours a day, but never formally). Even though the ship ran on very smooth waters, I still cannot imagine trying to run even with gentle swells, not to mention that it was hot up there. Did I mention that it was hot? It was hot.

I wasn't the only one snapping pics.

Beautiful tile mural along the Marina area (lined with stores, bars, the casino, and The Bistro).

A lovely place just to sit and watch people.

You could be social every minute of the day, or you could sit in the window seat and read or watch the ocean. People did not bother you if you were reading. Actually, people did not bother you at all.

Waiting in line for the dining room to open. Cruisers like their food. Do you see the gentleman with the striped shirt, shorts and very long beard, opposite me around the deck? He and his wife were our tablemates one evening, and during the appetizer, he very kindly showed us the tooth that he broke off earlier that day.

Check out the middle level- the entire level is filled with pictures taken around (and off ) the ship. You could buy them, or ignore them, as you wished.

Did I post this already? Our dining room- before it filled up. To our left was a long bank of windows.

So, that's it for this cruise- I would mourn its passing but guess what... I'm doing it again. I'll be teaching classes on the March 2014 cruise!

I am so very excited!

So if you missed the last cruise, you have a chance to make it up to yourself.  This is the ship we'll be on, for a 7 day cruise to The Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St Maarten, with 3 days of on-board classes. Be sure to click the video link... man, this is going to be amazing!