Cruise Diva's CRUISE DIARY
~ Eastern Caribbean Enchantment ~
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Enchantment of the SeasLido Pool
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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 simplea 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 JuanEl Campo Del Morro
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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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Illustrations Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International & Author's Collection
