Memories...Part Three

It seems that there is nothing better than sleeping at sea. The cabins on the Disney Ship are very large compared to other ships. A unique feature is they have two bathrooms; one has a full size tub, shower and sink and the other has the toilet and another sink. It is actually quite handy for getting ready. Another unique feature is the Disney Cruise App. This allows you to stay in contact with your group using your own cell phone and texting thru the app. It is quite amazing and is a fun great way to stay in touch on the ship.

Breakfast before we head out

 When we woke up Saturday morning we were in the Bahamas. There are travel alerts for this area about tour groups being held up at gunpoint, so we all wanted to stay very close to the ship and in a group. Wendy, Sunnie and Snooks headed to a small beach to enjoy the sand and water, while the rest of us went into Nassua. WOW, what a trip that was getting thru the vendors and peddlers right past the ship. Jenn was very nervous about having Lil E there and had her in the carry pac so she would not be able to be stolen. We looked thru several shops, but the best find was the Hard Rock Café we stumbled on. I was thrilled as I got a charm for my bracelet, a magnet and a Hurricane glass to add to my collection. After getting a couple more treasures it was good enough to say we have been to Nassau and we returned to the ship.

Nassau Hard Rock

Nassau

Once we got back Jenn, Paz and Lil E went to see Big Hero 6 in the ship’s Theatre while Sunnie and Snooks wanted to go on the AquaDuck again. It was chilly but these two didn’t care. I passed a hair braiding station and decided to have my hair braided for Pirate night. Of course Pirate night is a huge hit on the ship as everyone comes dressed in their finest pirate outfits. Dinner that night was at the Enchanted Garden and once again we had the premier table for dinner. The Dining Room Maître’d was telling us we were getting the special table each night and tomorrow night would be spectacular. He didn’t know why we were there or what we were celebrating. That night the play was the Villains and it was really good.

Snooks and Sunnie ready to go

Nightitme AquaDuck

So I guess I have this idea of what cruising is from watching the Love Boat when I was younger. You always changed and dressed for dinner and then Julie McCoy always at night walked around in her satin like pajamas. Soooo, I had some red and black pajamas that we ventured out late one night in. We took lots of photos with no one around. It was amazing to get the whole lobby area with no people. It was just fun to walk around the ship late and see things that maybe we didn’t see with all the people around…like the real, life sized gingerbread house. Yes, it is made from real gingerbread and was playhouse sized. It smelled amazing and they served hot cocoa and cookies there every night.

Gingerbread house

Minnie and Mickey eating gingerbread

On Sunday we were docked at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Oh my goodness let me tell you this was the highlight of the whole trip. The water was beyond so clear and crystal green by the ship and then on the beaches it was white beautiful sand with sparkling blue water. Everything you could want was right there including a BBQ lunch with all the soda and ice cream you could want. Wendy, Sunnie and Snooks went snorkeling, while Lil E chilled on some towels and enjoyed the sand and shade. Heather would have loved this part of the trip…The beach was her love for sure. This will be a special spot for all of us from now on and will be known as another Heather’s spot.

Special place and day

our ship is the only one docked here

Castaway Cay Gang

That night was the “formal” dinner night and Lynn, Linda and I had hair appointments. Our dining was in the Royal Palace dining room and it was beyond something else. It had a center table that had a crystal chandelier with glass slippers all around it. The floor was tiles that had roses and tiaras inlayed in it. Everyone looked amazing all dressed up. Wendy ordered a shot for Sunnie for his birthday and he made a toast to Heather and family. Then Linda made a toast and that was about it for anyone being able to speak. Then came time for the special birthday mousse and the Maître’d wanted to know who was Sunnie and Heather. This was the first opportunity I had to tell him who Heather was. He was shocked and told us that he had a feeling that we were a special family but he did not know about Heather. They brought two desserts and we all shared. He also told us that he remembers very special people that sit at that center round table and he would remember us for a long time. This was also the table that Roy Disney ate dinner at when the Dream was commissioned into service. It was an incredible last night on the cruise.

Glass slipper chandelier

Happy Birthday Sunnie and Heather

We did not make it to the last show as we were taking photos and wanted to spend the last night just relaxing and packing. Morning would come all too early as we had to begin getting off at 7:30am. Our flight didn’t leave us much time to delays, so we had to be ready to go. Monday arrived and it seemed like the vacation I had spent over a year in planning was gone way too fast. Lots of memories were made and I know that Heather would be happy with the use of the money from selling her piano.

Fitting that our family photo would be formal night with Minnie Mouse

Formal night

We made the same shuttle bus to the airport with Lynn and Linda, but we had different terminals to go to. I think it was easier to just rush goodbye instead of the long goodbye. Kind of like ripping it off like a Band-Aid. Heather loved going to South Carolina to visit Lynn and Linda. She took trips there two summers in a row. She and Lynn spent countless hours talking on the phone and texting. Lynn’s brother and Linda’s son, Charles, had cancer for many years. We all thought with the kind of cancer he had that Charles would be in heaven soon. Then Heather got cancer and of course Lynn and Linda were devastated. They came to visit Arizona in May, 2008 and we had no idea at the time that would be the last time for them to visit. Heather died 11 months before Charles died, so Linda and I are both grieving mothers. Like I stated before, because Lynn and Linda knew and loved Heather it was like she was there on the cruise.

Our Family

Linda, Sherry, Bill and Lynn

The flight home was two long flight as I could not find a connecting one on the way back. We checked all our bags and hoped for the best when we got to Phoenix that all the luggage made it onto two different planes. We had a layover in Denver and then we began the last leg home. Of course everyone was tired we felt like we did whatever to keep Snooks and Lil E happy at this point. (They are both EXCELLENT travelers, but after a whole day of flying even adults get cranky) SO we were on the plane and a cry baby of a man complained that Snooks games were too loud. Wendy and Sunnie told him he needed to be glad she wasn’t screaming and crying. SO the big man had to call the flight attendant and tattle on Snooks forcing her to turn down her volume, mind you no one could hear it trust me) Here came Lil E to the rescue of her cousin. The entire trip Lil E had been as good as gold and quiet…well she proceeded to fuse and cry for about 40 minutes. Served the man right for being such a jerk.

We all arrived home after a long day of traveling and all our luggage got home safe and sound as well. It was quite a trip and I am so glad we took this opportunity as a family to go on vacation. As the days went on and we settled back home I realized how much I missed being able to see Jenn, Wendy, Snooks, Lil E, Sunnie and Paz every day, several times a day. It is a blessing to be together and not a curse like some families feel. Now maybe if you ask the boys they might feel different about spending 7 days with their mother in law…

All home SAFE and sound and all the luggage

Snooks innocently stated as she looked out the window as we flew to Florida on December 10^th:

“We are flying in the clouds, we need to 0- keep our eyes open for Aunt Missy