A few weeks after returning, I gave birth to the kidney stone that had dogged me during the Mercury trip. I had another last month just for good measure.
I had a brief email exchange with “Ms. M.” from Celebrity. There was no mention of “Mr. M.”. I had written to him before the trip saying, “I assume somebody went out on a limb, inviting me on this voyage”. He wrote back something to the effect of “That is our job”. I hope he didn’t lose his over…
It is always a relief when the holiday season comes to an end. Every year we vow to take it easy, and every year it gets more crazy… Happy New Year!
“…Bring a photo ID and your key card. Do you understand?”
“Certainly,” I replied.
Christine turned swiftly and marched off on her next mission. I spotted Ryan finally making his way through the security checkpoint.
“Hey –- we have something to do at 3:45.”
“I was gonna take a nap. Do I have time?”
“Forget that. Naps are for old guys. Take…
There are four stories in this series, and all were originally posted on CruiseCritic.com. One of the stories is now a book, and the other three are here for your enjoyment.
| The first story chronicled our inaugural cruise, a ten-day Caribbean jaunt aboard Celebrity’s Galaxy in celebration of our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The response to this story was so overwhelming that Celebrity Cruises invited us to take a second trip, gratis. Eventually the story was released as a book, What Time Is the Midnight Buffet?
Kris was unable to accompany me on the free trip, so I took our son Ryan who had… |
Life returned to normal very quickly after our return from the Millennium cruise – quickly, as in the next day. Kris and I went back to work, while Wells and Dan returned to high school to serve out the remainder of their sentences. Next thing we knew, it was June.
The boys’ graduation may have spelled the official end to their childhood, but I think it really ended on the cruise. It was a coming-of-age experience for them. Wells and Dan had a great time on the trip, but…
At 7:15 a.m., I called the boys’ room. “Inspection in 15 minutes. Get up.” I couldn’t even tell who was on the other end of the line. Grogginess disguised the voice.
At the appointed time, I knocked on the door and Wells answered. He stepped back to let me in, and I was unpleasantly surprised by what I saw.
“You were supposed to leave your suitcases out for the cabin attendant last night,” I said.
“We did,” answered Wells.
“Yeah, but you were supposed to pack your stuff into them first,” I…
Our memorable first visit to Nassau is chronicled in my book, What Time Is the Midnight Buffet?
I was reclining on a white sand beach under a strong tropical sun, clutching an ice cold G&T. Wells and Dan were in the perfect blue water, surrounded by an admiring gaggle of bikini-clad young women. Kris was absorbed in a book, playing warm sand between her toes. What a perfect way to spend the last day of the cruise.
As I drifted off to sleep, I could still feel the motion of…
In this chapter, I have summoned the boys to make a little video – partly because I just do that sort of thing, and partly as retribution for some unauthorized ship-to-shore phone calls made against explicit prohibition – I just wanted to see them squirm a little. I consider their debt repaid…
I didn’t really have much of a plan for the video. I had two boys dressed in tuxedos, 2 pair of sunglasses, and a destination – the dining room. Beyond that, nothing much.
I decided to just ‘wing…
Kris and I finished packing up and headed topside for some reckless UV exposure.
“Want to try the pool?” Kris asked.
“We can try, but I think it’ll be mobbed,” I answered.
Sure enough, a human or a pile of human belongings occupied every lounge, so we scratched the pool idea and headed up to our spot on the forward sunning deck.
The day looked a little foreboding. Both the sea and the sky were predominantly gray, the wind was howling, and the sea was as rough as we’d seen on any…
We took our sweet time getting out of bed. The previous day had really tested our endurance, and the evening had tested our patience. A sea day was heartily welcomed.
“I’m so glad we don’t have to do anything today. I’m totally exhausted,” said Kris.
“That’s the sign of a good vacation,” I observed.
“I’m serious,” she said. “It was great to see Frank and St. Thomas again, but I’d be happy with a cruise that just went around in circles and never stopped anywhere.”
I nodded in agreement. “So what would…
Apparently it is going to be a while before we eat, so perhaps an overview of the Olympic dining facility and its operating philosophy will help pass the time…
The restaurant is finished with the interior paneling from the a la carte dining room originally installed on R.M.S. Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic. The paneling sat disassembled in a private English residence for many decades, and was purchased by Celebrity Cruises when it was sold by Sotheby’s.
Outside the Olympic’s entrance is a lobby containing historic artifacts, pictures, and…
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