2006 Southern Caribbean Cruise

**Disclaimer: Don't get me started on the ridiculous text highlighting of this post. I had a knock-down, drag-out fight with html, and, as it is much smarter than me, it won. :( 
I cannot for the life of me figure out how to change it, so I apologize for the horrific esthetics!


For some reason, I felt like taking a break from the usual posts about my family to record our trip to the Caribbean almost 5 years ago now. I should have done it earlier, as my memories of all the specific details are rapidly fading and I cannot seem to locate my travel log, but here is what I remember....

11-Day Exotic Southern Caribbean - Norwegian Spirit
2006: Nov 19

Day	Port	Arrive	Depart
Sun 19	New York, New York	-	4:00pm
Mon 20	At sea	-	-
Tue 21	At sea	-	-
Wed 22	St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands	11:00am	6:00pm
Thu 23	St. John's, Antigua	8:00am	5:00pm
Fri 24	Bridgetown, Barbados	9:00am	6:00pm
Sat 25	St. George's, Grenada	8:00am	6:00pm
Sun 26	Roseau, Dominica	8:00am	5:00pm
Mon 27	Tortola, British Virgin Islands	8:00am	1:00pm
	(Optional tour to Virgin Gorda is available)
Tue 28	At sea	-	-
Wed 29	At sea

As I was searching for a fun way to use my vacation days back in 2006, the previous itinerary caught my eye for several reasons. First was its rock-bottom price tag of $549 per person. WOW! It was like $50 per day, and included food, lodging, entertainment, and everything!  After using the frequent flyer miles Corey's mom had given me as a dental school graduation gift to fly to NYC and staying with my mom on her DECA trip  for a night or two before our voyage, this 2 week vacation was pretty affordable! Choosing this port of departure also allowed us to see Les Miserables on Broadway, which we had missed when we traveled there a few years earlier. (We also saw Beauty and the Beast with Mom, which was surprisingly awesome!)

Second, I liked that they said "exotic" in describing the Southern Caribbean. You always hear of cruise ships porting in St. Thomas, Key West, the Bahamas, Cancun, etc. But I had never even heard of most of these islands before, and they sounded awesome! Advertisers, listen up: add exotic to anything and I'm sold!

In looking back, some of those highlights actually ended up being drawbacks to the trip. For instance, if you have never cruised before, 11 days is NOT the way to begin! I spent the first two days as seasick as could be, despite the Bonine and other anti-nausea aids. The waters between NYC and the Southern Caribbean are choppy in November, and that was a really long time to be aboard a ship before stopping. We spent one entire day under the weather in our cabin watching movies ranging from The Little Mermaid to Titanic! I literally kissed the ground when we hit dry land! 

Also, due to our port of departure, the ship was filled with stereotypically  loud, nasal, and obnoxious New Yorkers/New Jerseyans. No offense to anyone from these areas, and I really would never have labelled these people before, but it was like the parents from the TV show "Everybody Loves Raymond" next to us at every dinner table and on our shore excursions. They really fit the classic stereotype, constantly complaining to the waiters, yelling at their kids, etc.! And it was a LONG time to be stuck on a ship with them!! (Of course, not all of them acted that way, and not all natives of NY/NJ are like that, but that was how it seemed!) 

On cruises, you are expected to tip a certain amount(at the time it was $5-10ish?) per person per day. If I remember right, it ended up being about $220 extra, which would've been much less with a shorter journey. Another thing that left a sour taste in my mouth was that a few hours after we had forked over that gratuity to our ever-attentive, origami-towel-folding maid, who saw to our every whim (except conditioner:0)) while aboard, I realized I had forgotten to empty one drawer that contained all my new swimsuits and clothes I bought in port, totaling around $300. We called and asked specifically for her, and were told there was no way they could ever locate her or our items, etc. Um, how about go to my cabin and open the drawer I described while I'm sure she was still aboard cleaning up after the passengers?!! Seriously. Not travelling on NCL ever again. I searched for months for those perfect bathing suits, and was seriously CRUSHED that they were lost. Still haven't gotten over it, obviously! :)

Some of these "exotic" ports were actually very poor and trashy. It may be the same for other cruise ports, but possibly, those that are more "touristy" may be a little more upscale and cleaner due to higher expectations and more frequent visits. Who knows? We didn't want to visit the same old places everyone else has been to, though.

Lessons learned: always cruise from Florida if you are heading to the Caribbean, and start your cruising days with a 3-5 day voyage to see if you like it. Check EVERY SINGLE DRAWER before leaving! Also, I wish we had gone with friends/family. We enjoyed ourselves, but would have had much more fun with others we knew. (No one we knew could up and leave for 2 weeks like we did. Oh, the days of little responsibility!!)

On to the trip details:

 At Madison Square Gardens

From the airport in NYC, we waited FOREVER in traffic on a bus, bolted through the traffic on foot with heavy luggage in the POURING rain to the hotel to change and head back the way we came for our Broadway show. Luckily, they let us in a few minutes late. Honestly, I didn't love Les Mis on Broadway. The costumes and scenery were drab in comparison to The Phantom of the Opera, which we had seen 2 years earlier. I am aware that it is the way the French Revolution was intended to be depicted, and I enjoyed the music, but we paid a lot to see it, and it was only so-so. Surprisingly, I really liked Beauty and the Beast, which I saw with my mom the next day. 

We also were staying across from Madison Square Gardens and got in on a college basketball tournament, which was a total snooze for me, but a perk for my husband!

 Corey went back to the hotel to watch the OSU game (???!) while I went with Mom and her students to see the Statue of Liberty and other sites.

 This headstone was in the churchyard across from Ground Zero, and I thought the date on it was interesting. It is always a solemn experience to visit that area.

 Near Wall Street

 As we were sailing from our port. 

Did I mention that Mom helped Corey and I lug all our huge bags for MILES across the city by subway so we could avoid the huge cab fares? Seriously, I am looking forward to the days when we can afford not to be so "frugal!"

Excited to be heading out to sea. Little did I know that I did not have sea legs.....

 The front of our ship. I seriously can't even remember what it is called. 

I guess I need to go on another cruise to refresh my memory!

 The main deck of our ship, with a large pool and 4 hot tubs. We only went out there once or twice. 

So, our cruise ship on Norwegian Cruise Lines did not provide conditioner for hair. Is that psycho-cheap, or what? I mean, we are getting in salt water almost every day, and we are expected to bring our own conditioner? Needless to say, I spent time in the first few ports comparing prices before I finally had to cough up $4 for a lame bottle of Suave. What the heck??!!!

 I love this dress that I bought for the Tooth Ball formal in dental school.
Too bad we never get occasions to dress up anymore. 

 Most cruises are much more formal, but ours only had one "formal night." I think I would like to have an excuse to dress up more often, but whatever!

 I'm no respecter of chocolate. When they asked which chocolate dessert I'd like, I had no problem saying I'd take both the decadent mousse and ice cream! The food options were definitely fun! I wouldn't say it was all amazingly delectable, but there was always plenty to eat.

Our first port was St. Thomas. We spent some time in the shops just after docking--BORING! But we had our first shore excursion later that day taking a catamaran to the small island of St. John's and snorkeling. It was sweet, and we saw a few stingrays in the water! (This was right after the Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray, so we were a little nervous.)

This was the vehicle that transported us to the catamaran. Interesting, huh?

 

I'm trying to get these photos to line up, but alas, html just isn't my thing. 

Isn't that a gorgeous beach?!! Just pristine!

 That is a stingray-maybe two. I was too cheap to buy an underwater disposable camera, which I still regret.

 So we thought the towels being folded into all sorts of neat shapes when we'd return to our cabin was so unique. I guess it's like this all on cruises! Still cool, though!

The next day we ported in the city of St. John's on the small island of Antigua. I researched this beautiful beach aways from the docking port, and we took a bus to get there. The areas we passed were pretty poor and run-down. There were thousands of small (~4 inch long), white fish just off shore that I LOVED swimming with. They would swim with me, then scatter. It was so cool. 

Again, I wish I'd had an underwater camera!

 So I'll just come out and say it: Yes, Corey and I were both carrying a few extra pounds at this time. I could blame it on the fact that were feasting on the round-the-clock cruise buffets, and the fact that it the cruise was over the Thanksgiving holiday, but we were just...bigger...:) Sad that I weigh 10 lbs less than I did in this picture now after having 2 kids!

THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE IN 
ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES

 My handsome husband!

Leaving St. John's, Antigua

This photo makes me think I need to bleach my teeth again!

 I love how dapper Corey looks in this picture--the perfect cruiser!

This is a colorful area of Bridgetown, the docking port in Barbados. You always hear glamorous things about Barbados, but we must've missed that part of town, because what we saw was pretty ghetto. This area was pretty, but the following photo shows another area nearby that we went that made you hold tightly to your wallet!

 I know you can't really tell, but these guys were quickly dumping all the water they could out of the boat with a bucket, Corey and I were laughing so hard!! Good thing they weren't out too far!

 Such a picturesque scene! This is the city of St. George on the island of Grenada. It is also known as "The Spice Island" for its array of nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and other spices that are its main export. I adored the fragrant arrival into the harbor where the aroma of the spices filled the air! On the beach we were bombarded by natives offering to braid my hair or sell us spices. I don't like being pressured like that, although I really would have liked to partake of some of their products and services.

Here we are in front of our ship, the Norwegian Spirit.

I really loved this little island. It had lots of really picturesque scenes.

Like this pervo. Seriously? Don't know where he found this little number, but no one was impressed!

We chartered a little boat and guide to take us out snorkeling with another family. It was really cool. The first area the guide took us was filled with all these little jelly fish that were clear with 4 dark spots. They were not stinging jelly fish, but it was still freaky to be swimming with them. Again, no underwater camera...

...which was such a pity because there is this area called Moilinere Bay that is home to an underwater sculpture garden. Luckily, lots of other people have shared photos of the eerie scenes online for me to post here. It was both cool and creepy. We'd just be swimming along and suddenly there is this guy sitting at a desk, 60 feet under the water in the middle of a coral reef.

A lot of what made it creepy was the artist's subject matter. These were like underwater mummies. Weird. There a lot more interesting object I would put in an underwater sculpture garden. 

Like a yellow submarine. Or an octopus's garden, what have you.

We toured the market a bit here also. It was kind of weird. I brought home some spices that I never used. I think this was one of my favorite islands we toured, though.

The next day we ported in Roseau, Dominica (not the Dominican Republic!). There was supposed to be some amazing hiking and other things, but we had to find a taxi/driver/tour guide that would take us the places we had researched in our travel books. After a bit of haggling with some other cruisers, we finally got a taxi driver to take us to a few of the destinations we had wanted to see. 

Dominica is a less-populated island, known for its rugged, undeveloped, natural beauty that is a have for hikers and snorkelers. Since we were there on a Sunday, we opted to enjoy the terrestrial terrain over the waters.
There were some steaming areas in the jungle we visited that reminded me of the geysers in Yellowstone Park.

Some beautiful scenery and waterfalls. We were stuck in a brief downpour at one of the sites that soaked us to the bone! 

There were several beautiful places we visited, including the famed "Emerald Pool" at the bottom of some waterfalls. I could have wandered the rain forest all day!

I love the following picture. It reminds me of the "pillar of light" Joseph Smith described in his first vision of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. It was breathtaking scenery!

The next day, our cruise vessel stopped in the small British Virgin Island of Tortola. However, we spent the day on an amazing excursion to the nearby island of Virgin Gorda. The place is crazy! The beach is lined with giant boulders the size of large houses, strewn haphazardly over the sand and water as an obstacle course for visitors to wade or swim through. We took a little "hike/swim" through this trail that is partially under or through water, climbing under and around these ancient monoliths. It was incredible. Of course, I did not have a water camera, so I am borrowing photos from other wise travelers! I remember snorkeling and discovering some underwater caverns that looked hundreds of feet deep. It was so neat!

We hiked through areas like this. So cool!

Two more days of sailing back to NYC, then home again. It was a fun experience, and I had to write about it now, while I still had a decent memory of it! Hopefully, our cruising days are not over. I would love to see more islands, and eventually find one on which I'd like to live! :) Someday.....

In Loving Memory of Jack W. Alexander: July 3, 1922-September 16, 2011

My paternal grandfather, Jack Alexander, passed away yesterday at the age of 89. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years, after also suffering some heart problems. As I was going through the photos I have of him, I noted that he almost always had such a pleasant, happy look on his face. The one above is especially random, but I love it, because that is exactly how I remember him--work gloves on and a smile on his face! I know no one is perfect, but I only have happy memories of my granddad. He always seemed to wear a smile. Pa was always excited to show you what he was growing in his garden or what projects he was working on. He kept his yard immaculate and the house, trees, grass, fence, and cars always looked like something out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. 

He took great pride in his work, and it showed. 

Even though he had terrible allergies that plagued his health and comfort, he chose to put on his work gloves and be outdoors doing the things he loved--fishing, golfing, and working in his yard. I honestly don't remember hearing him complain, even though most people with allergies like his would choose to remain inside. We always loved when he would irrigate the lawn. It was like a water park in the yard! It was a lot of work and took great attention, but he and Grammy always made sure it got done and their emerald green lawn was a testament of the work they put in. 

Pa always had an ear-to-ear grin and hug and kiss for each of his grandchildren. He always made each of us feel special, and we loved to spend afternoons swinging on the big wooden swing in the backyard, under the cool shade of his prized apple trees. Every autumn, every family felt like they had won the lottery as we took home boxes of the golden yellow apples that came from Pa and Grammy's trees. I cannot imagine the hours of labor that went into those trees over the years, watering, spraying, pruning, and picking the delectable fruit. The best apple pies I have ever made have been by the fruit of those trees!

When it came time to leave after a wonderful visit to his home, Pa would always smile and wave and say, "Enjoy!" He endured a great deal of suffering in the last few years as his mind and body were ravaged by the terrible disease. Still, I feel he did his best to maintain a positive attitude and endure to the end. I wish my children would have been able to know him better. In the end, it always seems that the visits were too few and far between. But the times I spent with my sweet grandpa will always be a cherished memory, and it is comforting to have faith that as his mortal body is laid to rest, his spirit and legacy of hard work and love will live on. I believe his spirit is free from the many trials his body suffered, and he is in an infinitely better place.

Grammy and Pa in the nursing home within the last couple years

Mike, Pa, and my dad

 My dad, his brother, Jackie, and Grandpa at Missy's wedding reception in October, 2005

 Pa and Grammy 

My dad with his parents

 

 Pa and Grammy at her 80th birthday celebration in 2005

In his rocking chair

 With Zachary in May of 2009

 Zach with his great grandparents in January 2009

Missy working her massage magic

Grandma Malan, me, Grammy, Missy, Susan, Pa's only daughter, 

my mom, and my Aunt Valerie, wife of his son Jackie. 

I had to include this photo because I do not have any pictures of my dad's 

whole family together. What a pity. 

 The handsome Alexander men

Wilhelmsen Family Reunion

We flew from Dallas to SLC, then made the veeerrrrrrry long 8ish-hour drive north to the booming metropolis of Blanchard to our Wilhelmsen Family Reunion in mid-August. Zoey cried more on that long car ride than she has over her entire 6 month existence, poor darling! But it was worth it to see how excited Zach was to see his cousins. Within minutes, he was holding hands and jumping for joy!

with Papa

with Nana

"Daddy's Girl"

Most definitely! Looks just like her Daddy-at least from this side!;)

I am already longing for those beautiful pine-covered peaks!

Zoey got some serious girl time with her doting cousins. 

And this year, it was hot enough in Northern Idaho that we ate popsicles and didn't need all the warm clothes I brought!

All the single ladies

We got to play a little golf at Stoneridge

Corey got to play a lot of golf--more than he's played since last year's Wilhelmsen Golf Tournament that the brothers and Dad play. He actually did well enough to take home the coveted green jacket and trophy club!

Last year's champ wasn't too eager to hand them over--especially since an injury prevented him from  defending his title!   Maybe next year he'll steal it back!

We ladies treated ourselves to a pedicure in "town" for all our hard work taking care of the homefront while the men were golfing away. Yep- Zoey also came. I would've let her get a pedi too, if she wasn't so fond of sucking her toes--I'm afraid the polish may not be healthy for her diet!

On second thought, maybe we should've let the men get some help for their white-from-the-ankle-down feet!

All the young-uns!

Corey was kind enough to delegate the reunion games to Cherlyn, So Cherlyn and Rachelle definitely win for organizing the best reunion games ever! We played "Minute to Win It" contests that were super hard and hilarious! I'm sure there are more clever titles, but  there was War with splashing water, gumball spinning, knocking over water bottles with a nylon on your head, and others.

The always-photogenic Nana and Papa

Can you see who was the first to knock over the bottles with the panty-hose-head?!

Where did she learn to eat Oreos like a pro? :)

OK, I cheated and soaked Corey even though he won and I lost. But the look of surprise on his face was sooo worth it!

The most special part for me was our fireside the very last night we were together. While Corey and I were in the temple the previous week, I felt a prompting that we should have each family share a faith-promoting experience with the rest of the family. I especially wanted the children to know some of the amazing things that have happened in our family as an answer to prayers. It was an awesome experience to hear each family (why am I mostly remembering the wives relating the stories?!) share a spiritual experience and testify of our Father in Heaven answering prayers. Knowing that we are part of a great legacy of faith is priceless. 

This was my view for over 16 hours of the trip, only Zoey was usually crying. Unfortunately, the kids didn't sleep much-in the car or in their beds!! It was really tough to travel with two little ones for the first time. On the plane ride home, I swore it would be a long, long time until we did this again! It was fabulous to visit with our loved ones, but it has taken days to recover from all the fun! We are all exhausted and coming down with colds now. :( It's hard to live so far away from family- we miss them all so much. It'd be great to be able to afford a non-stop flight next time!! We'll see... :)