Lonnie

After several hours in the room we all went down to a bar on the Promenade for a few more drinks and many more laughs!  The founder and leader of the group took me aside to talk. We traded numbers and emails and he seriously told me that Las Vegas is a quick drive from us in Southern California and that they would love to shoot down and do the grand opening of our restaurant. And we chatted again about it as we were leaving the ship. Gracious guy!

After a little rest we hosted a small cocktail party in the suite. We had another of Jay’s guests and @Lonnie, his wife and friends who were sailing with Genie Alan up for snacks and drinks. It was a great couple of hours of stories, jokes and laughter!  Jay and Alan came by for a visit also. Alan came with a tray of fireball shots. Then a room service young man came with another tray of Fireball shots. Rinse and repeat you know?  I’m not saying any Genie or room service dude actually drank any of them they’re just holding those shot glasses for the photos 😉😂🥃. We all had a blast or as Alan would say, Oohh-La-La!

Day 5 we had breakfast in the room again before arriving in Aruba. We caught a cab for the short ride to Mambo Beach. Very beautiful and very hot and humid. I’m not a big beach guy but the family loves it. So I was a bit surprised that not one of them wore bathing suits or brought towels!  We sat at a beach bar and enjoyed the views for a bit. Took a cab back to the port area and made a stop at The Paddock, a bar and restaurant near the ship. @CravingaCruisenote this is where the Genies hang out and eat chicken wings!  Then we shopped for the usual T-shirt and other touristy crap. Back on the ship for snacks in the room and time on the balcony. Had dinner at Izumi Hibachi with a wonderful, funny chef. His laughter had us in stitches. I had lobster and shrimp which were both great. Then off to Ice Games which was good. We were seated next to @Lonnieand his friends who were Sailing with Genie Alan. Had a little casino time and called it a night. 

Hey there!  It was our pleasure!  What a fun afternoon. You guys are all fun people

Hello Jim.  We just wanted to send you all a quick thank you for inviting us in to spend time with your amazing family in your beautiful room.  It was a true pleasure spending the afternoon with you all.  Thank you once again and we hope you have a safe trip home.

If we keep our noses clean until Wednesday our little band of misfits will be headed to Suite 1740, The Royal Loft on Allure this Saturday - the very place this Star Class nonsense began!  Four years ago we sailed in this suite and experienced Star Class for the first time. I truly believe they put something in the endless parade of snacks and drinks that attacks whatever lobe of the brain might contain common sense. Because from that time forward our cruise planning goes something like this:  “ Look, we can snag a great balcony room on an Oasis Class for a week for under $2500!  Nah, let’s go ahead and fork out the $1.2 mil for the Royal Loft so we get free laundry!!”  It’s a disease. And I’m not sure there’s a cure😂. 
 
This trip will be our core group of regulars:  my bride Stacy who will be celebrating the end of 30 years of service as a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse, daughter Taylor who will be celebrating birthday #23 and the end of her preschool teaching career, and daughter Kaitlyn who will be celebrating introducing her boyfriend to cruising Star Class.  I think in last years blog from this same room I referred to her “new boyfriend” who didn’t make that trip. Now he’s THE boyfriend who will be joining us. Welcome aboard Victor!  Rounding out the group is yours truly, Jim, who will be celebrating still waking up each morning!  
 
It’s important to note, as I’m sure I’ll refer to it later, that it was very doubtful that this cruise would actually take place. We booked it over a year and a half ago.  Then in April of this year the one formerly known as Nurse Ratchet hatched the brilliant idea to buy a local market and convert it into a restaurant. So, with a partner, we purchased the property and the dream to build Just a Small Town Grill (thanks Journey) began. It was at that point we accepted the probability that opening a new restaurant and taking a cruise around the same time probably wouldn’t happen. We have spent nearly 5 months planning to cancel this one. But thanks to County Building officials it now appears that we can squeeze this one in while we wait for them to waddle through the governmental red tape and approve a Land Use Permit. I gripe daily about the hoops they are making us jump through but inside I’m a little grateful for their incompetence and other nonsense!
 
I’ll write more tomorrow about our plans, travel, Genie Jay and other details. Hope you all come along for the ride!