Our Caribbean Cruise--Day 1

Casey had this cruise planned to within an inch of its life. He spent months on the cruise boards researching the best stuff to do. There was really only one thing we wish we'd done differently--the flight there.

Earlier in the year Casey went to Florida with the Bros for a disc golf trip. They got a pretty good deal on airfare, and that made it hard to pay the increasingly costly fares we saw as we approached the cruise. In the end we settled for a flight that would get us to Miami early on the morning of our departure day. There just weren't very many options left at that point, and we assumed we'd recover any lost sleep during the cruise. And we did, but if we had to do it over, we would definitely try to get there the day before and sleep in a hotel that night. Sleeping on an airplane is rotten.

Here we are, driving to the airport.

Our first flight was a short one to Phoenix. Then we had a four hour layover. Sleeping in airports is not much better, but all our kids gave it a good try.

We got to the airport in Miami early enough that we just had to wait around some more while we ate our apples, oranges, granola bars, and trail mix for breakfast--no special breakfast for Rosalie's birthday. (I heard about that again just a couple of days ago.) I'm pretty sure we were all grumpy at that point. I know I was. 

Next we needed to get a couple of rides to the port. We had installed the Uber app on our phones before we left and the most people they would allow you to select per ride was 6. Casey sent in a request for 4 but the app on my phone wasn't working for some reason. Luckily, when his driver got there he had room for all 7 of us and our luggage. We ended up just paying him cash. Not technically allowed or something. But appreciated.

So then there was more waiting in the cruise terminal. They process you through security just like at the airport. I didn't remember these things from before. Long waits are always more memorable when your children are with you. 

Once we were on board, we had to wait before we could go to our staterooms. To pass the time, and because we were hungry, we went to lunch at one of the sit down restaurants. The food was good, though Rosalie was put off by the pinkness of her cheeseburger. I should say everybody else's food was good--I had plenty of time to try everyone else's food while I waited an extra 15 minutes for mine to come. That doesn't sound like as long as it felt. They never did say why that happened. 

Rosalie was so tired by this point that I took her out to the lobby and put her down for a nap on the sofa. I stayed with her while Casey took the other kids on a tour of the ship. I think they let us into our rooms about 3:00 in the afternoon. Then Rosie and I took another nap. I couldn't quite fall asleep until I turned the air conditioning waaay down. 

                  

I don't even remember what else we did that evening aside from getting all of us into the larger room for a family devotional that evening, since it was Sunday and all.

Goodbye, Miami.