melmar02

Oh no! I cut DS's ear once, and we are still both a little gun shy around them. DH does his own. It's about 5 hours - we're between Dallas and the Oklahoma border and we stay south of Houston in Clear Lake/Webster. Typically we stay at the Homewood Suites in Clear Lake because they have two bedroom suites for us, but the last couple times they seemed really overdue for a remodel. This time we are staying in the Hilton family but trying the Hampton Inn, just down the road in a 1 bedroom suite. Bedroom has 2 queens, and there is a separate living room and kitchenette for DH in the morning. Yep, #31 comes out in November I think. It is a tad annoying, especially when they threw in Diesel from some other series Evanovich writes. Now she's trying to pick from 3 guys, but only when he's in town? When I grow up, I want to be like Grandma Mazur! Living off my kids and a give no sh!%s attitude. I got the kids 90% packed this afternoon and had to stop because DH and I had a dance lesson. We just got home and threw the last load of laundry in the wash. We're probably 50-60% there. We don't really need to leave until around noon tomorrow, so I'm not stressing. Since we just did the mini vacation at Great Wolf, we're not going to do anything in Houston this time. We'll just check into the hotel and then go to dinner. There is a mall close to the hotel with a Cheesecake Factory. Right now the plan is to eat there - I have a few gift cards and everyone can just get what they want. Time for a glass of wine - we're on vacation!

I have always cut the kids' hair - you can learn anything on you tube! DD always just wants one length, and like go go months between cuts. DS has a weird wavy hair pattern, and the few times I have taken him somewhere to have it done, they mess it up. I can turn on a sewing machine, fill a bobbin, and make a straight stitch, but I really can't sew well. The last time I used my machine was to make a Halloween costume for DD when she was 6 or 7. It's been collecting dust in my closet ever since. No, when I say I'm going to hem a pair of pants I mean I'm going go just tack them in several places, or in this case, cheat and use heat bond and just iron it. I do too, the last couple trips down to Galveston we have really run into traffic or bad weather. We even had snow on the trip down a few years ago.

DS came downstairs this morning and DH was working on his laptop. He said, "You know it's the day before vacation when I start my packing list!" He's the perfect combination of engineer and procrastinator. That list won't be done until this afternoon, but it's going to be an organized and color coded masterpiece! I added a couple books to my kindle - Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum #30 and Maui Murder. I like fluffy, don't have to think about it kinds of books on a cruise. I'm also 2/3 of the way through the 8th book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I think I've been working on this one for a year. I just can't seem to get more than two or three pages read at a time without falling asleep. At 800+ pages each, I feel committed to finish all 14 books though. I'll probably go ahead and take that one too since we're driving, and I don't need to conserve the space that a paperback takes in the suitcase. Maybe if I read it in a lounger by the pool instead of at bedtime I'll get further? Today I need to hem a pair of pants (I've been putting that one off for about 6 weeks), give DS a haircut, and drag out the suitcases. Our doggos are not going to be happy about that, and I waited as long as I could to not stress out our older pup. He is 14 and has gone deaf, can barely see, and is starting to have hip problems. Fortunately, he still does well at the kennel and in doggy day care when we travel. The other one is about 6 and has enough energy for both of them.

We loved Alaska (even with the kids). I think it would be magical without them though, and you are in for a treat!

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion! It feels like vacation in the house this morning. I usually have the kids up by 7am so we can start school by 8. They are both still in bed though, so it's me and the dogs snuggled up on the couch with a cup of coffee, enjoying the quiet. I'm all caught up on emails to clients. I have some icing I need to package and freeze for future samples, but otherwise, I can turn on my out of office. DH originally requested tomorrow off in addition to all of next week. He toyed with the idea of going into the office anyway, but only briefly. It should be a relaxed pace for him to pack tomorrow instead of trying to get it all done Saturday morning. Today's to-do list includes a stop by Ulta, the bank, and my mother in law's place to pick up some goodies - she gives me all her Estee Lauder free gifts, and I just ran out of mascara. The kids have piano lessons this afternoon and those errands are all conveniently around area of their studio. Pick up the dry cleaning tonight, then one last taekwondo class for the kids. We plan on starting the drive about noon on Saturday. Right now it looks like we may have rain both during the drive and possibly for sail away on Sunday. The flowrider may have to wait until day 2.

Thanks. It's very "resting bitch face" while doing everything in your power to NOT look at your partner. Right! I loved my Capezios. That was exactly my thought. These are designed for west coast swing, so the toe box isn't blocked for stands and the soles and heels are thinner. Other than than that, they feel just like my old Capezio pair. So we met up at the dance shoe store and we both bought a pair of shoes. I'm not sure what happened, but somehow a new practice skirt made it into my car as well. They had a cute tank top, but it wasn't meant to be. We have a west coast swing class tonight, so we'll try to break the shoes in. DH will have to get used to the different feel of the more plastic-y soles for sure. Keeping this a cruise live blog and not a dance journal...I also dropped off a little bit of dry cleaning. The at home laundry saga continues as well. We can ALL officially start packing now too.

This is part of our tango routine the day we learned it. It's not polished in this video - just recorded so we could remember the steps at home. VID-20240127-WA0000.mp4

My purse arrived, and I was a little disappointed, but not surprised, that the pattern was not aligned as in the photo. However, when I opened the flap, she was waiting for me! I have no idea why I find this so amusing, but I'm taking votes on names. I mentioned to DH last night that I want some dance sneakers for the ship, and he jumped onboard. I know this may seem weird, but cruising is actually our second obsession. Our biggest concern wearing our usual dance shoes is water or spilled drinks on the floor because they have suede soles. Getting them wet would break down the glue, or cause long term sticking or slipping issues in the case of a spilled drink. Because of that, we leave the cabin in our everyday shoes and carry our dance shoes with us to change into when we want to dance on the ship. It's a little inconvenient to carry them around when we want to also do other things like go to a show or hit the casino without dropping them off at the room first. Plus we still have to worry about someone spilling a drink on the dance floor. I rationalized that I could wear a hard sole dance sneaker around the the ship, and I can use them to teach in this fall - I'm teaching dance at our co-op next semester. Anyway, we're meeting up to buy some for both of us this morning when our local(ish) dance store opens at 11. I'm sure this seems nuts to most of you, but we all have that one thing, right? This also happened yesterday! One more to go!

I love that your mom is going to be able to join you guys! Hopefully it's not nearly as stressful without the multitude of vintages this time.

I think we go to DR on our southern itinerary out of Miami next year. DD would love this excursion! Guess I better start saving now!

We all have passports, but the kids' will expire in a few months. Just in case, I'm bringing birth certificates for them too. I don't think we are visiting a country that requires expiration to be 6 month beyond the trip, but I would rather be prepared. Anyway, I went to add them to the case we use to carry our passports, and I was very excited to find our C&A cards from 15 uears ago! Do they still mail physical cards out anymore? I guess we can use them as the card to keep the lights on in the cabin.

I wasn't quite as done with pre-cruise purchases as I thought. I bought two new formal night shirts and a polo for DS. One day, he'll stop growing, right? DD got a new pair of athletic shorts that she will use as a swim suit cover up. She's been using a pair of shorts from a soccer team she was on when she was 10 for almost 5 years... it was time for an upgrade. My trusty black Travelon mini travel purse has been used everyday for the last 6 years, and the strap finally came unstitched from the body of the purse. I'm not sure how to fix it and it look right because of the anti-theft cable that runs through the strap. So I bought a new, slightly bigger version and deviated from my usual black with a paisley pattern. I really hope the pattern placement is the same at the picture - I see a dragon looking back at me. Amazon should deliver it today. I've been silently stalking the current live blogs, and thanks to the tip from @WAAAYTOOO I guess I need to run out an grab some red undies as well. I'm also contemplating purchasing some new dance shoes, but I'm on the fence. I don't know if I mentioned in previous blogs that DH and I met 20 years ago as competitive dancers. We competed pro/am, both being the am (amateur) with our respective instructors. When we got married and had kids, we stopped dancing. Last year for Christmas we started dancing again. We decided to start competing again, and our first competition actually dancing together is next month. After buying practice shoes, ballroom shoes, latin shoes, plus costumes...do I really need another pair of dance shoes? Um, probably! I'll make that decision later today, but the little devil on my shoulder is pretty loud on this one. We're also going to have to find a space to run through our routines on the ship - I'm thinking Dazzles early in the mornings or maybe the gym has an open aerobics floor? We'll scope that out day one. DH is checking his clothes tonight, but is pretty sure he won't need anything. Paradise Beach sent me a confirmation email this morning. I don't remember getting one in the past, but we haven't been there in a couple years. I haven't heard anything from Roatan Getaway Tours beyond our initial communications, but I did not expect to. No headliners have been posted in app yet, and night 5 MDR is still not showing. Pre-pack is in full force now. All the miscellaneous cruise essential type stuff (towel clips, hooks, etc.) gets unpacked from the cruise box and packed today along with our travel pharmacy. Pre-cruise laundry has started, and the ironing board is about to make it's semi annual appearance in my living room. 5 days to go!

How about just water, again with a regular cup.

Can you get ice from the Freestyle machines without a paid cup?

Last night DH asked if we wanted a to go to a specialty restaurant one night. We checked MDR menus and decided to reserve 150 Central Park on night 5. He's calling it our third formal night. Right now the night 5 MDR menu is not listed in the app, but the current sailing shows the Taste of Asia. I also went ahead and booked flowrider lessons for me and the kids. There is an indoor flowrider about 45 minutes to an hour away from us at a community center's pool, and we have been to go a handful of times since our fall cruise. DD is almost able to self load for surfing, and once she's in the current, she can stay up for quite a while. DS has gotten really good at boogie boarding and has learned a few tricks that I don't think areRoyal Caribbean approved (there's a YouTube video out there by one of Royal's sports staff explaining what they will and won't allow. I'll see if I can find it again). DS says he wants to try stand up again. I really like the lessons because the wait time between runs is minimal.

I feel that we were very fortunate as we have always homeschooled, and the shut down barely registered for us. We just stopped sports and moved piano and scouts to Zoom calls. School went on like normal for us. I can only imagine how hard it was for everyone - kids, parents, and teachers - to be thrown into that without any sort of transition time or process to rely on. We have really enjoyed Paradise Beach in the past and are looking forward to enjoying it again. I'll be sure to get lots of photos that day.

There is a suite breakfast each day held in Chops. We love this perk because it is so much more relaxed than the Windjammer, but since it is right at the front of WJ on the Freedom and Voyager ships, our kids can quickly pop over to take a look if they want and bring anything back into Chops.

Here are our plans for the ports. Roatan: We booked the 3 Reef Stop Snorkel with Roatan Getaway Tours. We paid a deposit by PayPal and will pay the balance when we meet them in port. Communication by email has been pretty quick. Costa Maya: We're staying on the ship. The current plans are Flowrider in the morning, and we have Escape the Rubicon booked that afternoon. If that does wind up getting cancelled, we'll probably all laugh at how bad mom is on the golf course instead. Cozumel: Paradise Beach. We've been here a few times, but not since February 2020. Usually I can get the kids to wrap up our school year before we leave on an April/May cruise (we homeschool). This year though, they are both dragging their feet in a couple subjects. They will both have papers to finish when we get back and DD, who is taking Biology this year, will have a couple labs to complete. All their other subjects will be complete this week. This is also the last week for our co-op, so after Friday, my teaching duties are over for the year. I gave myself a break with work this trip too, and my last wedding is this Saturday. I'll have all next week to pack! DS is the only one who may need a new shirt for formal night. The rest of us are all the same size as fall's cruise, and I just replaced the kids' swim suits right before we went to Great Wolf. I actually feel prepared and calm - not normal for me, but I like it!

I agree, it was nice to always have a central location with enough seating for everyone. I'm sure we will gravitate to whichever room has the sofa closest to the connecting door. We had the second bathroom in all the 2 bedroom grands - the bath in the master bedroom is like a junior suite bathroom with tub and the second bathroom in those cabins has the tube shower. This will be DH and my first time with only the smaller shower. Hopefully it doesn't feel like a downgrade.

We took my MIL on a cruise for her 70th? maybe it was her 72? Anyway, we went with a 5 day sailing on Enchantment. She did have some mobility issues, but didn't quite need a scooter. She just brought her walker with the built in seat so she could rest as needed. It was very helpful along the long pier in Costa Maya when there was no shuttle. I think she would have been overwhelmed with a Freedom or Oasis class ship. The smaller ships are older and don't have all the bells and whistles, but your mother may not care about some of those things anyway. I know mine would have gone to watch the kids ice skate, but she was just as happy watching them at the pool. For us any of the Voyager class or smaller was going to be perfect for her.

I'm glad you had a good time! I think we went through 2 bowls of their guac on Allure. Their jalapeno margarita is pretty tasty too if I recall. Guess I'll have to order one just to be sure I'm remembering correctly.

Our family has always sailed in suites. DH and I in Jr Suites before we starting letting the kids tag along, and then the 2 bedroom grand every time the kids have been with us. We really love, and need, the extra space of the separate living room. DH is up without an alarm by 4:30 every morning, and he needs a place to go while the rest of us sleep until a more decent hour. DD is on the spectrum and needs a place to really move around to process the activities of the day before heading out to dinner. Being spoiled in the suite lounge has been a big perk for us too. We're budgeting to replace a car and living room furniture soon though, so we decided to try out connecting balconies for the next few cruises. We're almost diamond plus, so the drink vouchers help take care of what we are missing in the suite lounge, but we sure will miss the service and breakfast in Chops or Coastal Kitchen! Along for the ride: Myself, DH, DD (15), and DS (12) Rooms: 12150 and 12152 - pretty far forward for us aft facing dwellers. Itinerary: 7 day Western Caribbean - Galveston, Sea Day x2, Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Sea Day, back in Galveston. Pre cruise purchases: soda packages for the kids, 50 photo package (pared down from our usual 100), 24 bottle water package, 3 device internet. We have MTD with reservations at 6:45 each night. I would do 150 Central Park, Jamie's, or Sabor, but we were in a star class room a year ago on Allure, and didn't eat in the MDR. Since we have only had the new menus on our Liberty cruise this past fall, we will most likely stick with the MDR this time. Who knows, maybe DH and I will have a date night and just send the kids to the WJ. I'm sure we will do Johnny Rockets once for lunch - it's kind of a tradition, and the kids have already been asking about it. What else... I booked all our entertainment. I want to say it opened up about 45 days out. I meant to make a note, but forgot. I also was able to book Escape the Rubicon about a month ago. It's still showing on my calendar, and they haven't refunded my money yet, so hopefully it is opened back up. We have a little bit of OBC that will find its way to the casino from the RC card - we redeemed the points on the Bank of America site about 30 days out and they posted to the cruise planner just a couple days later. That's all I can think of for now - let me know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer them along the way.

I'm assuming that's not the case since I was able to book a day and time, and they charged me for the reservation. We are sailing at the end of next month. Hopefully someone sailing now or in the near future can confirm.

We just booked Escape the Rubicon for Harmony next month. I can't find it on the deck plans though. The "find on deck" button in the app takes me to deck 14 so the options are near/in Adventure Ocean or they converted the card room by the rear elevator bank. I am assuming the latter. Does anyone know where the escape room is located on HoS?

Did you have the added CC fees when you paid via PayPal?