Usually, every year, at Christmas time, my family and I take a vacation to an exotic place, but this Christmas, it’s different. This time, my family and Erik’s family took a New Year cruise on Carnival Cruise Line many ships, the Carnival Liberty, for a trip to three ports in the western Caribbean - Freeport of Grand Bahamas, Grand Cayman of the Cayman Islands and Costa Maya of Mexico. We would be embarking in Fort Lauderdale so we spent a few days in Florida, visiting Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Key West.
December 25, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale
Unlike most of our flights, our flight on Air Canada was later in the morning at 10:00. It was not so much of a rush, but still, we had to wait for Dad.
We carefully packed everything we needed: toothbrush, clothes, teeth, DS and snacks that Dad packed (it was not that n
ecessary). We cal
led the taxi and about 15 minutes later it arrived. The ride to the airport was like usual, a lot of questions from Dad to the driver. Dad asked too many personal questions and the driver got mad and annoyed at Dad.
Once we reached the airport we went to check in only to find out we’re in the WRONG terminal. We had to take a shuttle bus to terminal 2. We went through the usual checking in process. Though at US immigration, it got funny. Dad packed fruit in his bag and didn’t declare it, so I did for him. They searched his bag and confiscated all his bananas, grapes and oranges. After that Dad sulked, later on they took his water as well at baggage drop off.
Our flight was delayed for an hour because the pilot was late. The flight, once we got on and took off, was very bumpy and I had to sit next to a stranger. After the 3 hour flight we felt the tropical weather in Ft. Lauderdale.
We picked our luggage up and Mom and Dad rented a car and it took them very long. We drove on to Sheraton Yankee Trader, but on the way we saw the Americans in their natural habitat. We got our room, showered and rested.
Later, we drove around downtown, but everything was closed. So for dinner, we ate at a friendly Japanese restaurant that I spotted on the way to the hotel. While we ate it started to rain hard and Alex fell down because Dad pulled her. Last, we got maps and ice creams and went back to go to sleep.
December 26, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale
The next morning was cool, windy and still wet from last night’s rainfall; we woke up at about 10:00. We went out to eat breakfast at the Floridian, a crowded restaurant. We had the usual breakfast: eggs, pancakes and for Alex grilled cheese.
A
fter that, we drove back to Sheraton to clean up and went out again to walk around. We walked along Las Olas Ave. to see the beach with the usual beach scene but with more American garbage. We also bought some souvenirs at gift shops.
This was all to kill time for the boat tour, the Jungle Queen. At 2:00 we bought tickets for the boat and boarded. Once it started we were guided by a funny guide who told us many funny jokes. There were a lot of rich people’s houses to see and some bridges to go under. The only problem was that it was very windy and we were cold. Halfway thr
ough the tour we stopped at a cheap zoo. It had very few animals and ninja ducks. Though there was a short crocodile show that was hard to see.
When the rest of the tour finished we had to walk a long way back to Sheraton and it was tiring. After showering and resting we went out to pho that Mom thought was a close place. The food was okay and normal. After that we went back to Sheraton to go to sleep.
December 27, 2006 - Palm Beach
This morning was going on a rough start, DAD MADE ME SWIM against my own will and I had a homeless’ face. After about 30 minutes I went up and showered and Dad stayed longer. After a while Dad went back up and got ready to go out for breakfast.
We drove to a dim sum place that wasn’t open until 11:00 so we had to wait and we were starving. Mom and Dad bought a Vietnamese CD and it finally opened. The food was okay, but still, it’s American Chinese.
After that we set out to Pa
lm Beach, a rich part of Florida, after a few hours driving, and a few pit stops, we finally arrived. We saw a lot of rich cars and it was fancy with expensive stores and “ART.” We also visited the beach, dipped our feet and it was freezing, but it was beautiful. Not much after that we picked up ice cream and a few drinks for an outrageous price and hit the road back to Ft. Lauderdale.
Once we arrived back we all freshened up and went to the Cheesecake Factory to pick up a chocolate mousse cheesecake, but we had to let it defrost. We went to a rustic pizza parlour with not so good pizza and pasta and I also burned my gums biting it. After that experience we went back to Sheraton and went to sleep.
December 28, 2006 - Miami
This morning was as usual, except that today we slept in late and we ate cheesecake for breakfast (I didn’t have to swim! ☺).
Once we got rea
dy we headed for the Everglades, a slow moving river in the wilderness. When we got there, there was no room for parking so we had to walk the whole way there, but the bright side was, along the road there were
many crocodiles and other animals in the water on the way.
When we got to the centre we bought tour train tickets, but it was a while from now. To kill time, we ate lunch that was all the way back near our car. I had an interesting hotdog with the sausage hidden inside. When we rushed back we got there in time and got a good seat. The problem was that the tour guide was boring, but the view was nice, and we saw many crocodiles. We stopped at an observation tower, it was okay and Dad spilled juice from his orange on him.
After the tour finished we drove to Miami Beach, it was beautiful, but we stayed in our cars because we were afraid the Americans might bite us. There were a few gay people and one with a nipple sticking out of his tank top!
After driving around we stopped at the Bayside Market to eat dinner and to find a tie for Dad (he forgot his). We had take-out, Dad and I had Jamaican food, Alex had Chinese and Mom had a steak. We gave up looking for a tie and bought souvenirs.
Once we finished we drove back to Ft. Lauderdale to rest and end the day.
December 29, 2006 - Cape Florida
The next morning we set out early and skipped breakfast to eat later. We drove to a grand mansion that was beautiful with decorations and it was huge. To start off our tour of the mansion we viewed the cafe and ate breakfast; bagels.
After our little meal we
went to the mansion itself, it was marvelous with huge rooms and expensive furniture. Some people offered us a tour, 
but instead we ran away to explore ourselves. Once we viewed the entire house, we explored the gardens, the statues and there were wedding shoots going on. I guided us through there and we viewed everything.
Once we finished there we drove to Cape Florida and visited an old light house park; it had a beach and a useless lighthouse. We first saw the beach and got lost finding the lighthouse, but eventually we found it. Instead of just looking at it like usual, we climbed the stairs all the way to the top, and once again Mom and Dad were too slow. When we finally got up, it was crowded and hard to move around, but still, the view was gorgeous.
Afte
r we climbed back down we bought ice cream and drove off to Miami. Once we reached there we had late lunch at a famous Cuban restaurant called the Versailles, it was crowded with foreigners so we were left out. The food was okay and we also bought pastries and banana chips.
Unlike most of our flights, our flight on Air Canada was later in the morning at 10:00. It was not so much of a rush, but still, we had to wait for Dad.
We carefully packed everything we needed: toothbrush, clothes, teeth, DS and snacks that Dad packed (it was not that n
ecessary). We cal
led the taxi and about 15 minutes later it arrived. The ride to the airport was like usual, a lot of questions from Dad to the driver. Dad asked too many personal questions and the driver got mad and annoyed at Dad.Once we reached the airport we went to check in only to find out we’re in the WRONG terminal. We had to take a shuttle bus to terminal 2. We went through the usual checking in process. Though at US immigration, it got funny. Dad packed fruit in his bag and didn’t declare it, so I did for him. They searched his bag and confiscated all his bananas, grapes and oranges. After that Dad sulked, later on they took his water as well at baggage drop off.
Our flight was delayed for an hour because the pilot was late. The flight, once we got on and took off, was very bumpy and I had to sit next to a stranger. After the 3 hour flight we felt the tropical weather in Ft. Lauderdale.
We picked our luggage up and Mom and Dad rented a car and it took them very long. We drove on to Sheraton Yankee Trader, but on the way we saw the Americans in their natural habitat. We got our room, showered and rested.
Later, we drove around downtown, but everything was closed. So for dinner, we ate at a friendly Japanese restaurant that I spotted on the way to the hotel. While we ate it started to rain hard and Alex fell down because Dad pulled her. Last, we got maps and ice creams and went back to go to sleep.
December 26, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale
The next morning was cool, windy and still wet from last night’s rainfall; we woke up at about 10:00. We went out to eat breakfast at the Floridian, a crowded restaurant. We had the usual breakfast: eggs, pancakes and for Alex grilled cheese.
A
fter that, we drove back to Sheraton to clean up and went out again to walk around. We walked along Las Olas Ave. to see the beach with the usual beach scene but with more American garbage. We also bought some souvenirs at gift shops.This was all to kill time for the boat tour, the Jungle Queen. At 2:00 we bought tickets for the boat and boarded. Once it started we were guided by a funny guide who told us many funny jokes. There were a lot of rich people’s houses to see and some bridges to go under. The only problem was that it was very windy and we were cold. Halfway thr
ough the tour we stopped at a cheap zoo. It had very few animals and ninja ducks. Though there was a short crocodile show that was hard to see.When the rest of the tour finished we had to walk a long way back to Sheraton and it was tiring. After showering and resting we went out to pho that Mom thought was a close place. The food was okay and normal. After that we went back to Sheraton to go to sleep.
December 27, 2006 - Palm Beach
This morning was going on a rough start, DAD MADE ME SWIM against my own will and I had a homeless’ face. After about 30 minutes I went up and showered and Dad stayed longer. After a while Dad went back up and got ready to go out for breakfast.
We drove to a dim sum place that wasn’t open until 11:00 so we had to wait and we were starving. Mom and Dad bought a Vietnamese CD and it finally opened. The food was okay, but still, it’s American Chinese.
After that we set out to Pa
lm Beach, a rich part of Florida, after a few hours driving, and a few pit stops, we finally arrived. We saw a lot of rich cars and it was fancy with expensive stores and “ART.” We also visited the beach, dipped our feet and it was freezing, but it was beautiful. Not much after that we picked up ice cream and a few drinks for an outrageous price and hit the road back to Ft. Lauderdale.Once we arrived back we all freshened up and went to the Cheesecake Factory to pick up a chocolate mousse cheesecake, but we had to let it defrost. We went to a rustic pizza parlour with not so good pizza and pasta and I also burned my gums biting it. After that experience we went back to Sheraton and went to sleep.
December 28, 2006 - Miami
This morning was as usual, except that today we slept in late and we ate cheesecake for breakfast (I didn’t have to swim! ☺).
Once we got rea
dy we headed for the Everglades, a slow moving river in the wilderness. When we got there, there was no room for parking so we had to walk the whole way there, but the bright side was, along the road there were
many crocodiles and other animals in the water on the way.When we got to the centre we bought tour train tickets, but it was a while from now. To kill time, we ate lunch that was all the way back near our car. I had an interesting hotdog with the sausage hidden inside. When we rushed back we got there in time and got a good seat. The problem was that the tour guide was boring, but the view was nice, and we saw many crocodiles. We stopped at an observation tower, it was okay and Dad spilled juice from his orange on him.
After the tour finished we drove to Miami Beach, it was beautiful, but we stayed in our cars because we were afraid the Americans might bite us. There were a few gay people and one with a nipple sticking out of his tank top!
After driving around we stopped at the Bayside Market to eat dinner and to find a tie for Dad (he forgot his). We had take-out, Dad and I had Jamaican food, Alex had Chinese and Mom had a steak. We gave up looking for a tie and bought souvenirs.
Once we finished we drove back to Ft. Lauderdale to rest and end the day.
December 29, 2006 - Cape Florida
The next morning we set out early and skipped breakfast to eat later. We drove to a grand mansion that was beautiful with decorations and it was huge. To start off our tour of the mansion we viewed the cafe and ate breakfast; bagels.
After our little meal we
went to the mansion itself, it was marvelous with huge rooms and expensive furniture. Some people offered us a tour, 
but instead we ran away to explore ourselves. Once we viewed the entire house, we explored the gardens, the statues and there were wedding shoots going on. I guided us through there and we viewed everything.Once we finished there we drove to Cape Florida and visited an old light house park; it had a beach and a useless lighthouse. We first saw the beach and got lost finding the lighthouse, but eventually we found it. Instead of just looking at it like usual, we climbed the stairs all the way to the top, and once again Mom and Dad were too slow. When we finally got up, it was crowded and hard to move around, but still, the view was gorgeous.
Afte
r we climbed back down we bought ice cream and drove off to Miami. Once we reached there we had late lunch at a famous Cuban restaurant called the Versailles, it was crowded with foreigners so we were left out. The food was okay and we also bought pastries and banana chips. We tried to go to South Beach again, but the traffic and parking was impossible so we just turned back and drove back to Ft. Lauderdale.
Once the long drive was over and we were at our beloved Sheraton, we relaxed and just laid back. We watched Scary Movie 4 on the hotel movie list and it was funny and at the same time stupid. We had banana chips for dinner during the movie and then went to sleep.
December 30, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale
Thi
s morning wasn’t so special (EXCEPT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY); we just got up and went to a mall to buy Dad a tie. The mall was kind of small, but we found a tie and Alex and I shared a subway for breakfast.
Once we finished shopping we went to a pho restaurant for Mom and Dad to eat; Alex and I had bubble tea that tasted like perfume while the parents had pho. After the meal, we went back to the hotel to go to the beach.
The weather was hot but the sun was rotating from shining to shade; we swam in the ocean trying to fight the ways and Dad didn’t come because he rested and fell asleep. When Alex and I finished swimming we just relaxed on the beach trying to sun tan.
At one point Mom a
nd I stood at the shore, when Mom left a jellyfish landed on my toe from the wave a
nd it STUNG ME. It was burning and it ruined my day, but something cheered me up, the arrival of Erik. They met us at the beach where we talked and I showed my jellyfish sting. We split up, they checked in, while we showered and changed to find Dad sleeping.
When we finished washing up, we met up to eat dinner fo
r my birthday. We had t
o squeeze ourselves into our car with Erik’s family and when we got comfortable we set off to Pho. The drive was funny, and when we got out we were relieved. We went in and ordered a family meal for everyone to share. It was okay and when we drove back we tried going to Las Olas and downtown, but there was no parking so we went back. When we got back Alex and I went to Erik’s room to pick up Dad’s other tie and pizza a.k.a. breakfast. Once Alex and I returned we went to bed.
December 31, 2007 - Ft. Lauderdale
This morning was normal, Dad went swimming and I called Erik and Sammy to come to the pool an
d play. We spent a while playing games and when we stopped we had to get ready for the cruise.
Mom and Dad drove Erik’s family first to the dock and they took too long. When they finally got back we had to rush to Budget to return the car and to catch the shuttle
to the dock. We made it and drove to the dock, on the way we saw our cruise ship - the Carnival Liberty - and it was gigantic.
When we met up with them waiting at the entrance, we got in the building to check in, and going through long line ups. After going through all the s
ecurity we were finally able to board our dream come true, it was fancy and luxurious and you’d never know you were on a ship. We split up for now to see our room and it was an interior on the first floor a.k.a. the bottom with bunk beds inside of the ceiling that would have to be opened by our steward.
When we settled in we went back up to Lido Deck to get lunch and look at the ocean. We saw them there and Erik, Alex and I went to grab a burger. The food and ice cream were good, and after we ate in our little upstairs getaway, the children went looking around Lido Deck to see different things.
After a while, there was a drill where we had to grab our life jackets from our room and line up at the boats; I felt hot and crowded. When it was finally over we had to get ready for dinner, it was semi-formal today. Dad didn’t come with us to the restaurant because he was too full from lunch.
We looked around to find the restaurant and when we finally found it Erik’
s family was waiting for us. The waiters were friendly and ours, named Marvin, ordered our choice by saying *yes* in a funny accent. Our host was funny saying “yee-haw” and we got a strange dance to watch. The food was delicious and Dad joined us halfway, but everyone except Alex and Dad got seasick and took some pills.
We once again joined at the Venetian Palace to watch a Welcome Aboard show hosted by our funny cruise director, Todd Whitmore, he informed us about activities and put some hilarious guest involvement.
When the show finished Erik’s family and Dad were tired and went to sleep; so Alex, Mom and I went to the New Year celebration alone bringing hats and noise makers provided by our stewards. It was a loud and exciting celebration with great music and a countdown, saying good bye to 2006 and introducing 2007. After the huge commotion we joined Dad in his slumber.
January 1, 2007 - Freeport
This morn
ing was a bit of a rush to get off the ship on to Freeport, Bahamas.
We quickly ate breakfast at the buffet with Erik and got towels, goggles and other beach necessities to bring off the ship. The lineup to get off the ship was long and it took a little while, but when we got off it was nice and sunny.
We got a van to take us all to a beach and when we got there we went straight to it. We did all sorts of different things, sw
imming, sand castles and sunbathing. Also halfway the mothers went shopping. We spent the whole time at the beach and when we had to go we got the same van driver.
Once again we boarded the ship and ate some more lunch. After a bit of swimming
and eating we got ready for formal night. I got changed into my suit and so did Dad. Alex and Mom changed into their dresses and then we headed up to dinner. When we met with them we took our seats (Erik was wearing a bow tie) an
d ordered some more delicious food. Once again we got good fo
od, a funny accent waiter, a strange host and an awkward dance.
After dinner we headed for the Venetian Palace to watch a boring dance show. It was long, Erik fell asleep and the only good song was the chimney song from Mary Poppins. Once the show ended, we went back to the room to be greeted by a towel elephant and chocolate (butter). After we settled and changed we went to sleep.
January 2, 2007 - Fun Day at Sea
Today is a relaxing day to just hang around and relax. We ate breakfast again at Emile and then wen
t out to Lido deck to go on the spiral slide. It was fun and Alex show
ed us a secret to go faster. Erik and I went swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub.
From there it was food, food and food, we had Chinese food, fish n’ chips galore. Also, the Moms went shopping and Erik and I went exploring and watched the ship’s very own Newlyweds show. After watching that a little bit we went back to check on everyone. Then we went out again to explore.
W
hen we finished up with exploring, we joined our families in our rooms to get ready for dinner, today was semi-formal. Though before dinner there was a little towel conflict, which I do not want to go into much detail. When we met up again at The Silver Olympian we ordered some more delicious food, but no dance today.
Now after that was done we went to The Venetian Palace where the show tonight was very good. There was a funny and amazing Mexican juggler and he was so good with cool tricks like juggling with his mouth. After that performance we got a comedian and he was even funnier beyond belief. It was not much after that but getting drinks and going out on deck where after that we went to sleep.
January 3, 2007 - Grand Cayman
This morning was another big rush to get out of the boat. We had to eat breakfast fast and get off quickly to beat the rush. Though, to get off this time we had to take a tender boat and there was a sticker accident which I won’t stress the details on.
W
hen we got on the tender we saw a pirate ship which shot a cannon. Once we reached land we started waiting for the bus that would take us to another port for a Stingray City tour.
Once the long drive was over and we were at our beloved Sheraton, we relaxed and just laid back. We watched Scary Movie 4 on the hotel movie list and it was funny and at the same time stupid. We had banana chips for dinner during the movie and then went to sleep.
December 30, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale
Thi
s morning wasn’t so special (EXCEPT IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY); we just got up and went to a mall to buy Dad a tie. The mall was kind of small, but we found a tie and Alex and I shared a subway for breakfast.Once we finished shopping we went to a pho restaurant for Mom and Dad to eat; Alex and I had bubble tea that tasted like perfume while the parents had pho. After the meal, we went back to the hotel to go to the beach.
The weather was hot but the sun was rotating from shining to shade; we swam in the ocean trying to fight the ways and Dad didn’t come because he rested and fell asleep. When Alex and I finished swimming we just relaxed on the beach trying to sun tan.
At one point Mom a
nd I stood at the shore, when Mom left a jellyfish landed on my toe from the wave a
nd it STUNG ME. It was burning and it ruined my day, but something cheered me up, the arrival of Erik. They met us at the beach where we talked and I showed my jellyfish sting. We split up, they checked in, while we showered and changed to find Dad sleeping.When we finished washing up, we met up to eat dinner fo
r my birthday. We had t
o squeeze ourselves into our car with Erik’s family and when we got comfortable we set off to Pho. The drive was funny, and when we got out we were relieved. We went in and ordered a family meal for everyone to share. It was okay and when we drove back we tried going to Las Olas and downtown, but there was no parking so we went back. When we got back Alex and I went to Erik’s room to pick up Dad’s other tie and pizza a.k.a. breakfast. Once Alex and I returned we went to bed.December 31, 2007 - Ft. Lauderdale
This morning was normal, Dad went swimming and I called Erik and Sammy to come to the pool an
d play. We spent a while playing games and when we stopped we had to get ready for the cruise.Mom and Dad drove Erik’s family first to the dock and they took too long. When they finally got back we had to rush to Budget to return the car and to catch the shuttle
to the dock. We made it and drove to the dock, on the way we saw our cruise ship - the Carnival Liberty - and it was gigantic.When we met up with them waiting at the entrance, we got in the building to check in, and going through long line ups. After going through all the s
ecurity we were finally able to board our dream come true, it was fancy and luxurious and you’d never know you were on a ship. We split up for now to see our room and it was an interior on the first floor a.k.a. the bottom with bunk beds inside of the ceiling that would have to be opened by our steward.When we settled in we went back up to Lido Deck to get lunch and look at the ocean. We saw them there and Erik, Alex and I went to grab a burger. The food and ice cream were good, and after we ate in our little upstairs getaway, the children went looking around Lido Deck to see different things.
After a while, there was a drill where we had to grab our life jackets from our room and line up at the boats; I felt hot and crowded. When it was finally over we had to get ready for dinner, it was semi-formal today. Dad didn’t come with us to the restaurant because he was too full from lunch.
We looked around to find the restaurant and when we finally found it Erik’
s family was waiting for us. The waiters were friendly and ours, named Marvin, ordered our choice by saying *yes* in a funny accent. Our host was funny saying “yee-haw” and we got a strange dance to watch. The food was delicious and Dad joined us halfway, but everyone except Alex and Dad got seasick and took some pills.We once again joined at the Venetian Palace to watch a Welcome Aboard show hosted by our funny cruise director, Todd Whitmore, he informed us about activities and put some hilarious guest involvement.
When the show finished Erik’s family and Dad were tired and went to sleep; so Alex, Mom and I went to the New Year celebration alone bringing hats and noise makers provided by our stewards. It was a loud and exciting celebration with great music and a countdown, saying good bye to 2006 and introducing 2007. After the huge commotion we joined Dad in his slumber.
January 1, 2007 - Freeport
This morn
ing was a bit of a rush to get off the ship on to Freeport, Bahamas.We quickly ate breakfast at the buffet with Erik and got towels, goggles and other beach necessities to bring off the ship. The lineup to get off the ship was long and it took a little while, but when we got off it was nice and sunny.
We got a van to take us all to a beach and when we got there we went straight to it. We did all sorts of different things, sw
imming, sand castles and sunbathing. Also halfway the mothers went shopping. We spent the whole time at the beach and when we had to go we got the same van driver.Once again we boarded the ship and ate some more lunch. After a bit of swimming
and eating we got ready for formal night. I got changed into my suit and so did Dad. Alex and Mom changed into their dresses and then we headed up to dinner. When we met with them we took our seats (Erik was wearing a bow tie) an
d ordered some more delicious food. Once again we got good fo
od, a funny accent waiter, a strange host and an awkward dance.After dinner we headed for the Venetian Palace to watch a boring dance show. It was long, Erik fell asleep and the only good song was the chimney song from Mary Poppins. Once the show ended, we went back to the room to be greeted by a towel elephant and chocolate (butter). After we settled and changed we went to sleep.
January 2, 2007 - Fun Day at Sea
Today is a relaxing day to just hang around and relax. We ate breakfast again at Emile and then wen
t out to Lido deck to go on the spiral slide. It was fun and Alex show
ed us a secret to go faster. Erik and I went swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub.From there it was food, food and food, we had Chinese food, fish n’ chips galore. Also, the Moms went shopping and Erik and I went exploring and watched the ship’s very own Newlyweds show. After watching that a little bit we went back to check on everyone. Then we went out again to explore.
W
hen we finished up with exploring, we joined our families in our rooms to get ready for dinner, today was semi-formal. Though before dinner there was a little towel conflict, which I do not want to go into much detail. When we met up again at The Silver Olympian we ordered some more delicious food, but no dance today.Now after that was done we went to The Venetian Palace where the show tonight was very good. There was a funny and amazing Mexican juggler and he was so good with cool tricks like juggling with his mouth. After that performance we got a comedian and he was even funnier beyond belief. It was not much after that but getting drinks and going out on deck where after that we went to sleep.
January 3, 2007 - Grand Cayman
This morning was another big rush to get out of the boat. We had to eat breakfast fast and get off quickly to beat the rush. Though, to get off this time we had to take a tender boat and there was a sticker accident which I won’t stress the details on.
W
hen we got on the tender we saw a pirate ship which shot a cannon. Once we reached land we started waiting for the bus that would take us to another port for a Stingray City tour. We found our bus and headed off to the port.
When we reached the port we had to get on a boat and the children all went to the top. It was a fun ride to first, a snorkeling spot. The snorkeling area had not too many fish and Sammy and I only saw one stingray.
After that little
stop we went to the shallow Stingray City, on the way Erik got seasick and threw up a few times. The Stingray City was crowded, but we still got to see it by our guides who held out one. Mom kissed one for seven years good luck and everyone else just touched it. We had to switch boats to get back on shore, but before we did Erik, chu Hai and a Chinese kid all threw up some more. We had to cross over to the boat side-to-side. It was a long boat ride and everyone was separated because the boat was too crowded.
T
hough once we reached the shore Erik was feeling better and we took a bus to a beach. When we reached the beach, we snacked on stolen breakfast goods, went swimming and built sandcastles. On our way back Erik threw up one more time. We went shopping a litt
le bit, and got back on the boat.
Once we got back on we had to go to semi-formal night. We met up ate the sushi bar and Erik had to throw up again. The sushi was great and dinner was good with another wacky dance. After dinner instead of watching the Talent Show at the Venetian Palace the children all hung out at Erik’s room to help him. When they returned we Alex and I returned to our room and went to sleep.
January 4, 2007 - Costa Maya
The next morning was another big rush to eat breakfast and quickly get off the ship to get to
Costa Maya. We woke up too late so Erik went off the ship already and they had to wait for us. The runway off the ship
was long and the sun was beaming on us.
We grabbed a taxi van and headed off for a stinky beach. The place where it was, had many different things, there were massages and hair braiding. We got a table at the beach to stay at which the restaurant near the beach supplied. Well, to describe the beach, I would say, BAD, the beach was tiny, the sand itself was hard and the water was okay. We swam a while and when we took a break, we ate nachos and drank pop.
After a while we ate lunch which took forever to get made. We s
wam some mor
e and Erik and I spent a long time trying to catch fish. During that time Alex got her hair braided in a shack that Mom picked. Now after that we went to the dock. The children and chu Hai stayed at the dock and played around at the pool café, Dad went b
ack in the ship and the ladies went shopping. Chu Hai got us strawberry smoothies and Pina Coladas. Our group went back in the ship to rest and get ready for dinner, formal night.
Before we went to dinner we looked at the photo gallery and Erik and I made “Freddy’s story.” Once we went to dinner we had more magnificent food. Afterwards we went to a sucky singing show at the Venetian Palace. Once that passed we hung around, getting drinks and then going to sleep.
January 5, 2007 -Fun Day at Sea
This next morning was the morning to goof-off and do absolutely nothing. It was just eating and exploring the ship.
Erik and I ventured off for a while doing and watching things that were going on during the day such as boring Fear Factor, interesting towel folding and Liar’s Club. At lunch we had teriyaki and chocolate covered fruit.
After a while of just walking around and playing not in the pool, it was dinner tim
e. It was semi-formal and our last time to say good-bye to “yes” and “yee-haw”, we will miss them terribly. The food was magnificent once again.
Tonight Erik’s family didn’t stay up to watch the show. Mom bought me a towel-folding book that was full of ways to fold fascinating towel creation. Alex and I went to the show while Mom and Dad packed up. The show tonight was the best. It was a ventriloquist with amazing talent and hilarious jokes. Following that was a not as funny comedian which was still great. After the show we went back to the room and went to sleep.
January 6, 2007 - Key West
This next morning was the biggest rush so far. We had to eat breakfast really fast and Erik’s family was ahead of us so we said our long goodbyes.
We had to wait in a monstrous line-up to get off the ship and onto the dock. At the end of this ent
ire time Dad got left behind because he didn’t stay with us and he didn’t have his passport with him. When Mom was able to finally fish him out we went through security and went to a wait line for Budget to open so we can get a van there and rent a car. To our pleasures Erik’s family was there too waiting for it to open. We passed the time with our DS’s and when the van came we went together and each got our car where we had to separate now.
Well, we are now going to drive all the way to the Florida Keys more specifically Key West. It was a very long drive, we had to drive over 42 bridges and we stopped a few times to look at a few parks and beaches.
When we finally arrived we read a brochure for boring activities to do at this little island. Key West is a quiet place with few people. We drove to our hotel, Best Western, showered and rested.
When we were ready to eat dinner, we went out to another American-Chinese restaurant with okay food and delicious eggplant. After our meal we walked downtown and it was crowded and noisy, so much for quiet. We explored the streets and bought a few souvenirs at shops, we also viewed Mallory Square. After that commotion we went back to Best Western and went to sleep.
January 7, 2007 - Key West
The next morning was boring and slow. We slept in a bit and had to eat breakfast at the hotel, with simple things such as bagels and hard-boiled eggs.
We set out after a little bit and took a so-called famous conch train tour around Key West and it was soooo boring. After that boring experience we ate lunch, the Key West specialty, conch shells and they didn’t taste good.
Once we finished our yucky meal we went to a bad beach that was full of rocks at the shore so if you went to the water your feet would have really hurt. We also snacked a bit with sneaked away cereal. We stopped by another beach and after that we drove to Best Western to shower and rest.
We then headed to Mallory Square to view the sunset and a few street performers; there were shows such as dog shows, stunt performers and a freaky cat show. The sunset was magnificent and one of the only good things in boring Key West.
We went back to our car to go get dinner at a really bad American-Chinese restaurant which I didn’t like. There was not much going on after that except that we went back to Best Western and went to sleep.
January 8, 2007 - Ft. Lauderdale
We were all
weary and ready to go to Ft. Lauderdale that morning when we set off for a long drive all th
e way back to Ft. Lauderdale. It was a long and dreadful ride stopping at the same pho for lunch. After a bit more driving we stopped at a mall. Where we spent a lot of the day at, mostly waiting for the girls to finish looking at clothes. For dinner we had Burger King’s fries while Dad ate a Whopper. Mom bought a new suitcase and we were on our way to another Sheraton. It was a really good hotel and we got a suite. We just rested from there and went to sleep.
January 9, 2007 Conclusion - Home
This was our last day of our vacation, Alex and Mom went to a stinky mall while the men stayed and ate breakfast, fried rice. Once the girls came back we headed to the airport when we said our long goodbyes to Florida where we went on our plane Air Canada to go to the best place on earth: HOME.
THE END (or is it?)
When we reached the port we had to get on a boat and the children all went to the top. It was a fun ride to first, a snorkeling spot. The snorkeling area had not too many fish and Sammy and I only saw one stingray.After that little
stop we went to the shallow Stingray City, on the way Erik got seasick and threw up a few times. The Stingray City was crowded, but we still got to see it by our guides who held out one. Mom kissed one for seven years good luck and everyone else just touched it. We had to switch boats to get back on shore, but before we did Erik, chu Hai and a Chinese kid all threw up some more. We had to cross over to the boat side-to-side. It was a long boat ride and everyone was separated because the boat was too crowded.T
hough once we reached the shore Erik was feeling better and we took a bus to a beach. When we reached the beach, we snacked on stolen breakfast goods, went swimming and built sandcastles. On our way back Erik threw up one more time. We went shopping a litt
le bit, and got back on the boat.Once we got back on we had to go to semi-formal night. We met up ate the sushi bar and Erik had to throw up again. The sushi was great and dinner was good with another wacky dance. After dinner instead of watching the Talent Show at the Venetian Palace the children all hung out at Erik’s room to help him. When they returned we Alex and I returned to our room and went to sleep.
January 4, 2007 - Costa Maya
The next morning was another big rush to eat breakfast and quickly get off the ship to get to
Costa Maya. We woke up too late so Erik went off the ship already and they had to wait for us. The runway off the ship
was long and the sun was beaming on us.We grabbed a taxi van and headed off for a stinky beach. The place where it was, had many different things, there were massages and hair braiding. We got a table at the beach to stay at which the restaurant near the beach supplied. Well, to describe the beach, I would say, BAD, the beach was tiny, the sand itself was hard and the water was okay. We swam a while and when we took a break, we ate nachos and drank pop.
After a while we ate lunch which took forever to get made. We s
wam some mor
e and Erik and I spent a long time trying to catch fish. During that time Alex got her hair braided in a shack that Mom picked. Now after that we went to the dock. The children and chu Hai stayed at the dock and played around at the pool café, Dad went b
ack in the ship and the ladies went shopping. Chu Hai got us strawberry smoothies and Pina Coladas. Our group went back in the ship to rest and get ready for dinner, formal night.Before we went to dinner we looked at the photo gallery and Erik and I made “Freddy’s story.” Once we went to dinner we had more magnificent food. Afterwards we went to a sucky singing show at the Venetian Palace. Once that passed we hung around, getting drinks and then going to sleep.
January 5, 2007 -Fun Day at Sea
This next morning was the morning to goof-off and do absolutely nothing. It was just eating and exploring the ship.
Erik and I ventured off for a while doing and watching things that were going on during the day such as boring Fear Factor, interesting towel folding and Liar’s Club. At lunch we had teriyaki and chocolate covered fruit.After a while of just walking around and playing not in the pool, it was dinner tim
e. It was semi-formal and our last time to say good-bye to “yes” and “yee-haw”, we will miss them terribly. The food was magnificent once again.Tonight Erik’s family didn’t stay up to watch the show. Mom bought me a towel-folding book that was full of ways to fold fascinating towel creation. Alex and I went to the show while Mom and Dad packed up. The show tonight was the best. It was a ventriloquist with amazing talent and hilarious jokes. Following that was a not as funny comedian which was still great. After the show we went back to the room and went to sleep.
January 6, 2007 - Key West
This next morning was the biggest rush so far. We had to eat breakfast really fast and Erik’s family was ahead of us so we said our long goodbyes.
We had to wait in a monstrous line-up to get off the ship and onto the dock. At the end of this ent
ire time Dad got left behind because he didn’t stay with us and he didn’t have his passport with him. When Mom was able to finally fish him out we went through security and went to a wait line for Budget to open so we can get a van there and rent a car. To our pleasures Erik’s family was there too waiting for it to open. We passed the time with our DS’s and when the van came we went together and each got our car where we had to separate now.Well, we are now going to drive all the way to the Florida Keys more specifically Key West. It was a very long drive, we had to drive over 42 bridges and we stopped a few times to look at a few parks and beaches.
When we finally arrived we read a brochure for boring activities to do at this little island. Key West is a quiet place with few people. We drove to our hotel, Best Western, showered and rested.
When we were ready to eat dinner, we went out to another American-Chinese restaurant with okay food and delicious eggplant. After our meal we walked downtown and it was crowded and noisy, so much for quiet. We explored the streets and bought a few souvenirs at shops, we also viewed Mallory Square. After that commotion we went back to Best Western and went to sleep.
January 7, 2007 - Key West
The next morning was boring and slow. We slept in a bit and had to eat breakfast at the hotel, with simple things such as bagels and hard-boiled eggs.
We set out after a little bit and took a so-called famous conch train tour around Key West and it was soooo boring. After that boring experience we ate lunch, the Key West specialty, conch shells and they didn’t taste good.
Once we finished our yucky meal we went to a bad beach that was full of rocks at the shore so if you went to the water your feet would have really hurt. We also snacked a bit with sneaked away cereal. We stopped by another beach and after that we drove to Best Western to shower and rest.
We then headed to Mallory Square to view the sunset and a few street performers; there were shows such as dog shows, stunt performers and a freaky cat show. The sunset was magnificent and one of the only good things in boring Key West.
We went back to our car to go get dinner at a really bad American-Chinese restaurant which I didn’t like. There was not much going on after that except that we went back to Best Western and went to sleep.
January 8, 2007 - Ft. Lauderdale
We were all
weary and ready to go to Ft. Lauderdale that morning when we set off for a long drive all th
e way back to Ft. Lauderdale. It was a long and dreadful ride stopping at the same pho for lunch. After a bit more driving we stopped at a mall. Where we spent a lot of the day at, mostly waiting for the girls to finish looking at clothes. For dinner we had Burger King’s fries while Dad ate a Whopper. Mom bought a new suitcase and we were on our way to another Sheraton. It was a really good hotel and we got a suite. We just rested from there and went to sleep.January 9, 2007 Conclusion - Home
This was our last day of our vacation, Alex and Mom went to a stinky mall while the men stayed and ate breakfast, fried rice. Once the girls came back we headed to the airport when we said our long goodbyes to Florida where we went on our plane Air Canada to go to the best place on earth: HOME.
THE END (or is it?)
