Fisher Caribbean Cruise - Day 2 (At Sea Day)

Monday was our only 'at sea day' all week. Every other day we were at a different port so we never even had a chance to get bored looking for things to do on the ship, which is just the way we like it!

 

Bethany having chocolate banana bread and chocolate milk for breakfast. What a delicious way to start the day!

This is our waiter, Ravi with Becca (He loved her). Ravi was our server at dinner too. Jeff and I never went to breakfast in the fancy dining room, but Greg, Renita, Ben, Caitlin, and the girls enjoyed it every day.

After breakfast, Renita took Luke for a while so that Jeff and I could take advantage of the $10 watch sale in one of the shops on board. Jeff wanted a water proof watch that he could take with him on our excursions. We found one and then we spent a few minutes with Steven and Kyle, lounging in the salt-water pool on deck. Jeff was the first to discover it was salt water when I pushed him in and he got a little taste. Don't worry, he got me back when he ripped me from the handrail and threw me in, but at least I knew to keep my mouth clamped shut.

While we were sitting there, we witnessed a woman being caught even more off-guard than Jeff was. The pool was only about a foot deep around the outer edge and then it abruptly gave way to a six-foot rectangular pool. This woman was walking through the shallow water wearing her swim suit, sunglasses and hat, looking very chic. She walked across the the three feet of mid-calf-deep water and just kept walking - right into the pool. The shocked look on her face when she popped back up out of the water, drenched head to toe was priceless!

This was the only time Jeff and I used the pools all week. Kids had to be potty trained to be allowed in any of the pools on the ship so this was the only chance Jeff and I had to use the them. Between that and not being able to leave the room after 8pm each night, Jeff and I decided that as much fun as we had with Luke all week, cruises are much better when the kids are left at home.

Becca and Ben hanging out on the deck chairs around the time Steven, Kyle, Jeff, and I were enjoying the pool (I collected pictures from my camera, Caitlin's camera and Renita's camera for these cruise posts so I was not present when all of them were taken).

This teeny little girl is so stinkin' cute!

After we collected Luke, we decided to check out the rock climbing wall way up on deck 13 (the uppermost deck). Jeff, Steven, Kyle and I were still wearing our swimsuits and we had to wait for them to dry before we could be strapped into the harnesses. Fortunately it was really windy up there so it didn't take too long. I just thought it was funny how surprised and disgusted the girl sounded when she started to adjust my harness and her hand grazed my swim suit top. "You're wet!" she said as she recoiled in confused disgust. Apparently she thought my little halter swim suit top was a shirt and I just dress like a skank all the time.

Caitlin conquering the wall

Jeff, as you might expect, had an impressive run up the wall, challenging himself by only using the sparse gray rocks and the wall itself.

Getting ready to ring the bell.

Doesn't my hair look great in a helmet? So poofy.

I was a little over-confident when I declared that I would be using only the gray rocks like Jeff had. It was not as easy as Jeff had made it look! But I made it, using almost only gray rocks (I cheated and used a red one once).

Having so much fun!

 Becca kept entertained with some sand toys during all the climbing.

Kyle after his climb

So windy! I looked like a very disheveled lion.

On our way to lunch, Jeff, Luke, and I walked along the outside of the ship so that Luke could squeal at every bird that flew by. He was so excited every time he saw one all week. It just never got old for him.

Luke making demands

Cute Becca playing with her noodles

That afternoon, Jeff and his brothers were signed up for a four-on-four dodge ball tournament on the sports court. It started to rain a couple of hours before the tournament was scheduled and it didn't let up. But the guys decided to head over anyway, hoping the game wasn't cancelled. It was. There wasn't a soul in sight, but that didn't stop us from having some fun playing basketball and soccer in the rain.

The boys and I played an intense game of soccer, doing our best not to slip on the super slick court. The guys were surprisingly agile under the circumstances! I was barefoot and clumsy so I ended up on my butt more than once.

Becca cheering us on from the sidelines (or just yelling)

Luke and Grandpa watching the game. The guy in the background was oddly captivated by our little impromptu soccer game. He stuck around and watched the entire thing and we played for a while!

 Jeff's brothers gave me my space and seemed afraid to get too aggressive with me ... until I almost slide tackled Kyle. Kyle said, "I wasn't expecting that!" You can't grow up with my dad and be a pansy!

Funny Bethany

When we were starting to wrap up, Bethany came out to show off her skills. Poor thing slipped and fell right on her little tooshie right after this picture was taken.

We decided to squeeze in a little game of miniature golf (the ship had a really nice course!) before heading back inside.

For a couple of days, there were a few toys in a random spot on deck 10. Jeff and I spotted them and took Luke over to check them out. There were only five or six toys, but Luke could have entertained himself there forever!

Luke decided to take a drive.

Off the beaten path

Multitasking

This window was up on the 12th deck and it looked all the way down through the center of the ship to the 4th deck. I took this picture from the 10th deck. Luke spotted me just before I snapped the picture.

The view from the window

That night was the first of two formal dinners that week. Everyone looked so nice all dressed up! Bethany even used a french fry to apply some ketchup lipstick to complete her look.

Luke tried eating with a fork for the first time that night. He actually did really well. We were impressed!

Our cheesy little matching family

Kyle was the king of desserts. He ordered three that night!

I can't get enough of the cuteness that is Luke in his little tie.

These cute girls were a handful at dinner each night!

Love my boys.

Prom 2011

We arrived back at our room to find our first towel animal - a swan!

Luke got kind of a girly pack n play from the ship, but he didn't mind.

That molar had just popped through!

Modeling

We couldn't believe how happy Luke was to stay in the pack n play and play with the toys we had borrowed from the ship and practice walking from one side to the other. The bottom of the pack n play was very cushioned - perfect for walking practice.

The ship had an awesome program that let us rent bags of toys as often as we wanted!

The rest of the night was spent relaxing in our room watching football. Luke is being indoctrinated early.