Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Eastern Caribbean Enchantment ~
 |
|
Enchantment
of the Seas—Lido
Pool |
A Day at Sea
This is my kind of day... sleep in,
stop at the "Seattle's Best" kiosk for breakfast coffee, and
then meet old and new friends for snacks and fellowship at a Cruise
Critic party. What fun to put faces with screen names! Royal Caribbean
and Cruise Critic put these gatherings together on all ships when 25
or more people sign up. We had a good turn-out and enjoyed the
opportunity to meet and mingle with the Cruise Director's social staff
as well as each other.
For the rest of the day, my agenda
was simple—a bit of lunch in the Windjammer
and relax, relax, relax! While there were a lot of activities planned,
I savored the time spent with our cruising group. We took time out to
attend the Wine Appreciation Hour, with complimentary admission for
Crown & Anchor Society members. Very informative! We all admired
the Chilean wine we tasted.
The "Gang of
Four" in the Family Suite joined Rox and Ron in their Owner's
Suite for late afternoon cocktails. Ron deserves a special note as the
Heroic Husband of the Year. At virtually the last minute, his eye
doctor informed him he could not fly to Fort Lauderdale from northern
California. Not wanting to disappoint Rox, the Luckiest Wife of 2002,
he took a 77-hour cross-country bus ride in order to embark on the
Enchantment of the Seas!!! How could you NOT love a man like that?
Well, we sure did!
Then it was time to
dress up for our first formal evening. What fun we had, oh-ing and
ah-ing over one another's finery. However, Lori's daughter Katie, only
10-years old, showed us all up. She is a beauty!
Our dinner was
delicious (a perfectly prepared rare filet for me) and we gathered
afterwards for a cocktail in the Champagne Bar before attending
"headliner showtime" featuring 2-time Grammy nominee Joni
Butler. I must admit... I hadn't heard of her, but she is lovely and
her show was all the more memorable for audience participation. What a
delightful end to a perfectly lazy day.
Afternoon/Evening
in San Juan
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|
Arriving
in San Juan—El
Campo Del Morro |
Land ho! Right on
schedule, Enchantment of the Seas passed El
Campo Del Morro, one of two fortresses guarding San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We slipped into our berth to the accompaniment of a Latin beat and
debarked to find an energetic dance troupe performing just outside the
terminal.
A bit of rain also
greeted our arrival but stopped right on cue and we were off for a
walking tour of San Juan. As it turned out, our walk was somewhat
abbreviated because I sprained my ankle the prior week. We walked as
far as comfortably possible and then made a stop for refreshments in
the courtyard of the historic El Convento Hotel (the convent that
became a garage for garbage trucks before its transformation into a
boutique hotel). While heading toward the ship, we made numerous stops
along the way to shop and also dropped in on the tourism office for
complimentary rum drinks. Back at the terminal, a refreshing frozen
rum drink was offered and naturally we accepted it before visiting the
duty free shop where Chilean wines were a great buy. Even with a $6
corkage fee in the dining room, we were money ahead and savored
a nice Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay with subsequent
nightly dinners.
In a festive mood, we
dressed casually for Caribbean dinner, followed by the production
show, "Sweet Dreams," presented in the elegant Orpheum
Theater.
After a long, hot day
and quite a bit of walking, sweet dreams were on our minds and we
retired to our Family Suite to change into our PJs and share slumber
party stories.
Next -> St.
Maarten & St. Thomas
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Caribbean Enchantment Cruise Diary Index
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