Creatures of Habit

In so many ways I could just repost my cruise stories from last time. Because it was the exact same cruise, after all. We loved it the first time, and we loved it again. We had a fabulous, relaxing time. And of course, we owe my mother a truckload of thank you's for taking care of the kids. THANK YOU, MOMMA!


We weren't surprised to find that a few things were different but most were very much the same.

The food:

Same.

We ate ourselves silly. We loved to eat breakfast out on the back of the boat each morning. There was still a lot of bacon involved for Dan, though one difference was that this time they had servers for the bacon (probably to save it from bacon hoarders like Dan) so by the last day, Dan was begging me to take bacon even though I didn't want any and give it to him. I gladly obliged.

We ate ice cream and pizza at odd hours just because we could.


Dan made a resolution to eat an apple a day to offset everything else. I think that resolution lasted...one day.



There was a new water slide, which Dan tested out and gave two thumbs up.



Gorgeous blue water:

Same.

The shows were still super cheesy and we still got candy to eat each night as we watched them.

Our dining table compadres were pretty okay.

We actually got in the pool this time.

We read and slept a ton.



We decided that we are not the cruise line's favorite customers. They don't make much money off of us once we're on the boat, unless you count the $10 worth of candy we bought. So much money is spent on alcohol it's crazy. I know we create a sort of bubble for ourselves and our family, but I wasn't born in a bubble. Still, I am still slightly flabbergasted by things people do with a little (or a lot) of alcohol in their systems. Probably more entertaining than half the shows on board, I found simple enjoyment from watching all the drunk people.


Shore Excursion:

Same.

We went to the exact same beach club on our stop in Mexico. This time the sun was out. The water was blue and the food was wonderful. We got the exact same thing, surprise!




We skipped the massages and just slept and read and swam in the ocean.









I feel obligated to point out that these are my legs. My mother thought this looked like an advertisement for a vacation for amputees. I may know all about accessible recreation, but this is not my plug.

Towel Animals:

Same.

But it never gets old. These little creatures and the mints always made me smile. What else was so amazing was the ability of our super little steward to get in and out of our room and have the bed made, straightened, turned down, towel creatures concocted, all within a few minutes. We'd leave and come back a few minutes later and it was all done. That guy was like a magician!

Formal Night:

Mostly the same.

Obviously we are in different clothes. I didn't make my dress, though I did add the lace at the shoulders. I hated the professional picture they took of us this year, despite loving the one from last year.

Occasion for taking pictures of ourselves:

Same.

We're so hot together, our camera fogged up.

Or it could have been the humidity.

Either way, the goals of our trip were accomplished-spend time alone together, make up for all the sleep we've lost in the last 3 years, relax, and eat.

And one more thing that's the same:


That one's never gonna change.