Day two of our excellent adventure (trip report)

So, have you given up reading this yet? Is anyone reading this at all? Doesn't matter I am enjoying reliving it all over again. :) As insane as it sounds we were up bright and early today at about 6 am. We showered changed and all of us were out the door by 7:30 am. We get every second out of our vacation and then some. We started out on the Florida turnpike and hit only a little traffic. Not to many "are we there yet?" from the peanut gallery. No road rage from the hubby. We arrived without any fanfare at about 12. The children, luggage and I were dropped off at the pier and Phil went to park the car in the garage. We had gotten a porter, who took our bags and then put his hand out. I looked at it in shock. How rude! He said," you want me to take care of your bags right?" I looked at him and handed him a $5 bill for three bags. Geez, he could have waited the 30 seconds while I took the money out of my pocket. Now our bags are BIG duffel's, so we can store all kinds of things in there, including a maybe a chopped up porter. He didn't know who he was dealing with. I won't tell him he was going to get a $10 before his comment. Hope you are reading this Mr. porter man!



We stand in line and wait for Phil to get there (seems like an eternity) and then proceed to get on the ship. I got to say the Navigator of the Seas is an impressive ship. It isn't one of the biggest but it is a very nicely put together ship. We had carry on luggage, as we were hoping to get in some pool time, but that did not happen for the adults, way to cold. That didn't stop the girls for about 20 minutes before they were done!

The promenade...impressive



So we went to eat at the Windjammer buffet for lunch. It was early so we snagged a seat quickly (which did not happen again this trip) and had lunch. The honey stung chicken they only do on embarkation day was yummy as always. I am addicted to the burgers on that ship. We had lunch everyday in the Windjammer.

By 1pm we were standing outside the corridor to our stateroom(yes, we were eager). They close the corridors off now, and you wait by the elevators for one of the stateroom attendants to open the doors. As soon as they did it we walked to our room. We had stateroom 1388. Yes, the coveted corner aft balcony room. If you can get one of these rooms get it! The room was plenty big for the 4 of us. The girls had a large pull out sofa to sleep on and our two beds. I will post pictures of the room soon. The balcony is huge! We had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs and one small round table and there was still room to walk around in the balcony! It was not dark or did we have any soot at all on the balcony. I was in heaven!





We put away our clothes, met our stateroom attendant and then noticed a very unpleasant smell coming from the bathroom. It was a very strong sewer smell. We called right away and someone was sent right up. We got ready for dinner and went down to the 4th floor where our dining room was. What a beautiful dining room. It is like something out of a movie. I can picture long ball gowns and tuxes walking down the main staircase like in the Titanic movie...ok, maybe that isn't the best reference to use while talking about a cruise. Anyway, we got a great table by the windows. Then we met or dinner mates.

At first we were a little taken back. They looked very much like they were from the country, and for good reason. Our table mates were re-en-actors from the pioneer age. They were great people and very funny. We enjoyed their company and loved hearing about what they did. We gave them our contact and hope they use it. Dinner is so much fun when you meet all kinds of people on cruises. We have never had anyone we did not like. James was our waiter and he was from India and I can't remember the asst. waiters name...it will come to me. Thank you Angela, she remembered our asst. waiters name Mohammed!



For the most part it was chilly and cloudy today. No outside activities to speak of other than attempting ping pong!





Did have fun exploring the ship. Angela, is not feeling all the great, and has quite a cold brewing. My watch battery died and no place on the ship sells a watch battery.I will have to wait til Jamaica to get one. We all went to bed at a decent time to get ready for tomorrow. Hopefully the sun will come out??? Any takers?

The rock climbing wall.






Secondstartravel because today's vacations are tomorrow's memories!

We decided last minute to leave early because of the bad weather that had hit the Washington D.C. and Virginia area. The drive down went well, though many of the roads in Virginia were not completely plowed! Can you believe it 4 days after a snowstorm, and snow is still on a highway!!! It took us 21 hours from Franklin to Orlando with only gas, bathroom and fast food breaks. We packed juices, sodas, breakfast bars, and pop-tarts (no car trip is complete without pop-tarts and Nutri-grain bars at our house). The girls packed I-PODS, two laptops with wireless cards, a pack of cards, books (homework which for some strange reason was never conveyed to us that they had any) and pillows and blankets. By 10pm the two girls had passed out and it was calm and quiet other than my DH's book on tape " ". Yes, believe it or not I let him listen to the tapes the entire time, they are like a sedative to him. No road rage when he is listening to them ;)

We left at 4pm Franklin, MA time and arrived at the Walt Disney World Swan at 12:30 or so in the middle of what can only be described as a torrential downpour of epic proportions. It was cold and windy and looked like monsoon season had arrived. We braved the elements after check in and took the water taxi from the Swan to the International Gateway in EPCOT. The poor water taxi driver had the shipmate constantly wiping the windows down from the condensation, and wringing out the cloth, only to do it over and over again. We arrived at the ticket booth only soaken wet, and got my annual pass. I was so excited to have it in hand! We won't tell Phil I am planning on using this baby well ;)



Tickets finally in hand we backstroked back to our room.


We also visited Team Disney as I am a new cast member and could go to the Team Disney store. I ran in and ran out and will go back in Aug. We ate dinner at the Garden Grove Restaurant at the Swan. It was a fisherman's buffet where they had clams, and crab legs, fish, a roasts, a huge salad, lots of veggies. The best part was the risotto station where you picked the ingredients and they made the risotto for you. It was yummy and warranted to trips up for more from me! Then of course there was the yummy desserts. They had Rafiki, and Timon as the characters and the girls both took a pictures with them. I won't go into my shpiel about rude parents who can't wait with their precious darling for their turn. I want to drop kick junior and his mother, but instead of saying or doing these evil things I just think them.



After dinner we all went back up to the room and passed out before 10pm. Tomorrow goodbye Disney and hello warm and sunny Miami?????? Oh and is that the sniffles I hear Angela?