You've Been On Too Many Cruises If...

you're embarrassed to blog about your latest.

Yes, I planned to keep it a secret, but then this happened:

How can I possibly keep this to myself?

I can't.

So this is how it came about.

Anytime I am home and my kids are hither, thither 
and yon, I start "just looking" at where I could go.
(I might or might not look other times, too.)

I ALWAYS find something irrestible.

This time it was on the Norwegian Breakaway,

a megaship I have sailed and loved.

The date was not ideal--only one week after I

got home from Colombia--but the perks were

again...irrestible.

I got the specialty dining package, the drink package,

250 internet minutes, $50 excursion credit at all

4 ports, and prepaid gratuities.

Most of these were a first for me, believe it or not!

The trip did not begin well.

This is my suitcase as it was delivered to my cabin.

It had been handled so roughly that

one of the rear wheels and a big chunk of the plastic

 were missing. This was a BIG problem that 

hung over me all week.

Since this cruise was going to be my little secret,

I did not take many pictures.

I did take some in the thermal spa (I paid extra

 to be able to go here because it is

one of my favorite things about the ship.)

Heated tile loungers

Just me and Father Tim in the salt room 

(Reading Mitford Series by Jan Karon)

I had two of my specialty restaurant dinners here
at the French restaurant, Le Bistro.

The view:

The pouring of the soup: (Mushroom)

The entreé: (Veal Medallions)

The dessert: (Profiteroles)

See why I went back?


Now remember, one of my perks was a $50 credit
toward an excursion in each port.
Our first port was Roatan, Honduras.
I decided to take this one:

And that was the best decision of my trip...
and when sharing became a must!
These are all professional photos!

You are messing up my perfect hair!
(But it's okay.)


The only other port I found an excursion I wanted
to take in was Belize.
It was a very pleasant short boat ride during
which I got to see manatees.
These shots were taken by our guide, since
I remembered my recent porpoise shots.

I did something else different and fun. 
On the Cruise Compass one of the first days,
there was a drawing I could enter to have
"dinner with an officer."
I entered and later received my invitation.
Here is our group:
a lst Officer, a 2nd Officer, another grandmother,
and her two granddaughters.

It was a very compatible group and
 a lovely evening!

  
Another way I justified going on this cruise
was that it encompassed my birthday!
Look what Jay and Terri arranged for me
as a surprise!

That cake was fabulous!



I'm going to end on this very happy note!
But the cruise did not.
Stay tuned if you want to hear about the
unpleasant (and a leetle bit funny) conclusion.