The ship tenders off of Grand Cayman, which means it stops a little ways away and you get onto a smaller boat to go to shore.  We had to meet at 9:20 am ship time for our transportation to the excursion, so we allowed about 45 minutes (the ship recommended this).

Room service showed up promptly this morning (going to be a great day!)–coffee, muffin, bread, fruit, smoked salmon, etc.  We left our room and got on the tender in practically no time.  About five minutes later we were on Grand Cayman Island.  Like I said before, we booked an excursion with a local company.  The excursion was called Stingray City Waverunner Tour.  We would go to a resort, get waverunners (jetskis, whatever), jetski to stingray city, play with the rays, jetski to Rum Point, hang out a bit, jetski back.  Chris and I were going to share one jetski.

We walked over to the area we were to meet our transportation.  On the way we got some coffee (very expensive in Caymans!  Close to $3 each) and stopped in at the rum cake factory, since I recalled that from before.  It was an hour earlier than ship time, barely 8 am at this point, and folks were just setting up souvenir stands and such.  Not too many people had gotten off the ship yet, it seemed.

We were to meet our transportation to the resort at a church by a store called the Blue Iguana.  It was actually a little harder to find than the email made it seem, and I got a little nervous.  Out front of the church there was a man who did not look like a person who was waiting to drive people, he just looked like he was hanging out there, possibly all day.  He was also not terribly friendly.  Since I had planned this, I was concerned, and Chris was giving me a look like, what are we DOING?  We got into his van (still, I was thinking perhaps if we needed to escape and run away that was possible).  Ultimately we ended up at a hotel next to the beach (not seven mile, but an interior beach)…where we met our guide PLUS ten or other people who were from our ship also.  So we immediately felt much more at ease, and the tour started.

I took along a waterproof camera for pictures of the tour, and had to send it off for developing, so unfortunately I don’t have pictures of the trip yet.  I’ll edit some in when I do!

So, like I said, we got fitted with lifejackets, and got on the jetski.  Two disclaimers:  I researched this tour beforehand and knew people had enjoyed it.  Also, it was Chris’s idea to do the jetski–he thought he seemed fun, so I was perfectly willing to let him drive.  I simply sat behind him and held on for dear life!

We started out across the ocean.  WOW!  The waves were pretty calm, and after Chris got the hang of it, we went FAST.  We were all spread out but following the guide.  The first stop was to be Stingray City.  Now, let me explain.  I had been here before, on a boat.  There is a place in the ocean, not too far away, where the water is really shallow and lots of stingrays congregate.  Tourists go out to get in the water with them, pet them, feed them, and supposedly giving them a kiss is good luck. When I first mentioned this to Chris he thought it sounded like a terrible idea, but I couldn’t find a decent sounded tour that DIDN’T visit Stingray City.

We got there, and the guide tied up the boats, and we all got into the water.  Stingrays are fairly harmless, but you need to shuffle your feet when you walk (yes, it’s that shallow) as to not accidentally step on one.  We were given squid to feed them and soon a bunch were circling our group.  Our guide picked one up (arms straight ahead) and one by one, we each were encouraged to hold it ourselves, give it a kiss, and of course, get our picture taken with it.  The funny thing was that Chris absolutely LOVED this!  Goes to show, I need to just plan things that I think he’ll like, and he will.  He said he imagined it much differently and more weird/creepy than it actually was.

After awhile we all got going again.  Next stop was Rum Point, a more secluded beach around the other end of the island (feel free to google a map!).  I had been there before also, but it’s a long car ride.  Jetskiing (and probably boat) is much faster than driving, because the route is more direct.  Chris again went very fast, and after awhile (ten minutes?  more?  no idea!) we got there, and again, tied up the boats.  There was a restaurant/bar, but it was early for lunch so they were just opening up.  We just had some water and sat watching the ocean for awhile.  It was a gorgeous day, though in the distance, storm clouds threatened.

Finally we were to jetski back to the starting place.  We went just aways and stopped, where our guide picked up some starfish and brought them around to us to hold for…photo ops!  (you get used to lots of photo ops on a cruise).  They were pretty neat though, but compared to the stingrays, not so much.  Then we headed off again.  This time the waves were rough and a bit choppy, and it was tough going.  I thought I was going to fall off the waverunner several times, and Chris was struggling.  We were relieved to get back to land!  All in all it was a fantastic tour and we would both do it again and recommend it to others–Stingray City Adventure.

After the tour we were pretty tired and hungry.  We got a ride back to the cruise ship terminal.  We debated eating lunch on the island (the ship wasn’t leaving until 4:00, last tender at 3:00) but since the prices were high, and basically it was all touristy stuff around anyway, we just did a little shopping (Chris wanted some cuban cigars!) and went back to the ship.

We ate lunch at the lido (Taste of Nations: Southwest) and then went to the gym for a bit.  We wanted to do cardio as we were feeling QUITE fat, and the gym was pretty empty.  However the treadmills were in the sun, and were ridiculously hot.  I did my best, but I felt like I was trying to run in a sauna.  Then Chris took a nap and I read on the balcony and watched the ship sailaway again!

Dinner was to be at the Golden Fleece Steakhouse!  I had made reservations beforehand, but it didn’t seem to have been at all necessary.  Since we were enjoying the company of our dinner companions and they expressed an interest in the steakhouse, we invited them to join us.   It was not a problem to change our reservation to four people.  We planned to meet for a drink at 7:45 and then go up to the top of the ship.

The service was impeccable from the beginning.  The bread was delicious, and I ordered the escargot, caesar salad, and surf and turf.  Chris and I split a bottle of red wine.

We were all pretty stuffed at this point, but since dessert was included…we had to order!  Plus coffee of course.  Overall the experience was not-to-be-missed and was the perfect ending to a wonderful day of fun and adventure (not to be too cheesy, but seriously!)

It was the sort of meal where at the end you can’t believe you managed to eat so much and then keep eating.  I was really uncomfortably full, to the point where all I wanted to do was lie down.  So we bid our dinnermates adieu and went back to the room to purge.  Or you know, read or watch tv.  Whatever.

Tomorrow:  Cozumel, Mexico.  I had reserved spots for us at an exclusive beach club called Nachi Cocum-all you can eat and drink for one price.

Monday was a full day at sea, no ports.  We had some plans for the day:  we wanted to work out and we had signed up for a food and wine pairing at the Golden Fleece Steakhouse at 3 pm.  I hung out the door tag for room service to deliver coffee, fruit, bread, yogurt and smoked salmon between 9:00 and 9:30 am.

9:30 passed and nothing.

9:45 passed.

10:00 we called to ask where the food was.  They said, on its way.

10:15 nothing.

10:30 I called and told them not to bother.

10:31 a knock at the door!

So far our meal experiences had not been great–bad service at dinner the first night due to a HUGE crowd of incredibly obnoxious people, and now terrible room service.  I was in a foul mood.

We ate quickly and went to work out.  The gym was PACKED!  There was a line for the treadmills so Chris and I decided to just go up to the weight area.  It was full but not as bad.  There were two 20 something guys working out and hitting on women who were hilarious.  For instance, one of them approached a women doing some squats and “corrected” her form while asking if she used to be a dancer.  They would also do a few reps with really low weight (for instance, bicep curls at 15 pounds) and then look really strained.  I nicknamed them Hans and Franz.  Anyway, Chris and I worked out for over an hour and felt much better afterwards.

After that we were starving!  I didn’t think we could get ready for the dining room in time (lunch was only from 12 to 1:30 there) so we went to the Lido Deck “Unicorn Cafe” for buffet instead.  Taste of the Nations today was Caribbean and had a few goodies (calamari and cheese bread) but I primarily ate salad.  The best thing about buffets is the variety of options!

As I write this I can’t recall what we did next.  I think we might have gone up to the pool deck for some sun, but maybe not.  I personally love sitting out in the sun, reading, but Chris doesn’t like to do that for as long, so we might not have.  I just don’t remember!

At 3 pm we had signed up for the Wine and Food pairing lecture up at the Golden Fleece Steakhouse.  The Golden Fleece is the specialty steakhouse on the Legend.  For $30 you get dinner, and it’s supposed to be a really great dinner.  We actually had reservations for Tuesday night.  The restaurant is located at the top of ship–you take the elevators from the main atrium all the way up and you are there!  We were interested in learning more about wine, and the advertisement suggested this talk would change our lives.

We were given a small plate of food and five different wines:  one sparkling (white), two whites, and two reds.  The sommelier talked about the history of wine and then about specifically each wine.  We were then instructed on how to swirl it (or not) and to try a sip, then try various bites of food.  Most surprising:  riesling with brie cheese (with pepper) was delicious!  Ordinarily I do not care for white wine at all, and prefer only sparkling or red wine.  Anyway, it was a very informative hour, and I wish there had been more activities like that on the ship–I think other lines than Carnival may have more things like that.

After the wine pairing, we may have gone up to the sun deck.  Either before or after, I don’t remember.  We also may have hit the blackjack table–I am not much of a gambler myself but Chris enjoys playing blackjack.  Unfortunately, he had very bad luck all week at the tables and gave Carnival even more money than they needed 😉

Tonight was the first formal night.  I wanted to get dressed and then perhaps see the Captain’s celebration, which was in the main atrium area, or Promenade Deck.  We decided to get formal portraits taken (free to taken, $$$$ to buy).  We were in line behind just one other couple…and suddenly EVERY member of their extended family joined them for various pictures.  Seriously, like eight people cut the line and suddenly each wanted a single picture, various groups, etc.  I was STEAMING, they were so incredibly rude.  Combined with the room service fiasco, and our worries that we would need to try to change dinner tables, I was not having a great time, and was beginning to think that the Carnival cruise was a big mistake.

We went to dinner and tonight was MUCH better.  Our waiter seemed a bit more in control, and again our tablemates were very fun.  The waiter was working hard to make us happy even though he had to deal with 40 or 50 other (incredibly) obnoxious people, so I was much happier.  Also it was lobster night!

After dinner we went with our tablemates to “Jazz Hot”, in the Follies Lounge.  The show was singing and dancing, lots of costume and props, lots of fun.  Afterwards went to see another comedian in the Firebird Lounge, Larry Omaha.  He was not as funny as the guy the night before but still very funny!  Again, by the end I was utterly exhausted…so off to bed.  Another day, another towel animal!

Tomorrow’s plan:  Grand Cayman, we booked a jetski tour through Islandmarketing.com with Action Water sports.  The ship arrives at 7 am…so early start!  I’d been to the Caymans before, for almost a week with a wonderful “orchestra” gig (Grand Cayman National Orchestra) so I was looking forward to seeing it again.

Okay, I’m taking this one day at a time.

We woke up fairly early on Saturday, and again we “hit” the gym followed by the Doubletree Breakfast Buffet.  The day before we had gone straight to breakfast in our workout clothes and today was the same.  We also had the same server, Jesus, who teased us about this, but seriously, it didn’t make sense to shower and change before eating.  Now, for the record:  since January I have been working with a personal trainer and have been on a very strict diet.  For this trip I had decided that I was going to eat basically what I wanted.  Oddly, it has been a real challenge, full of guilt and self-loathing!  I decided to stick to the basic diet for breakfast and lunch and really only “splurge” at dinner, but they did offer bacon on the breakfast buffet, so I might have taken a small piece of it.  Other added bonus:  unlimited coffee, plus Jesus brought us “to-go” cups so we could take it along, which was great.  In fact, we were really starting to get in the mood for cruising with his fantastic service.

After breakfast we drove across the bridge to St. Petersburg again.  This time a HUGE thunderstorm came through just as we started out, and the visibility was rotten.  The Kia doesn’t handle that well in bad weather either, so it was a little scary for a few minutes.  Our goal today:  visit the Salvador Dali Museum, then meet up with Ginny again.  Several years ago Chris and I spent a whole week on vacation in St. Petersburg, and our favorite place had been the museum, so we were looking forward to returning!

It took awhile for the rain to calm down enough to get to the museum, and we were a bit soaked by the time we walked in.  The museum was great!  Dali is such an interesting and crazy man.  We weren’t as impressed by the museum as we had been last time though–I think there must have been a more interesting traveling exhibit at that time.  This time it was about Dali’s work with the theatre.  All in all though, the museum is still fantastic.  They are in the process of constructing a new building which will be both larger and more hurricane proof, so it will only be better!  Evidently they have many more works of arts in storage at any given time, and with the new building will be able to have a larger exhibit.  We’ll have to return in a few years to check it out.

Afterwards we had a quick lunch at a place downtown called the Lucky Dill Deli.  They served gigantic sandwiches.  We then met up with Ginny.  Since the weather was still a bit ominous we decided to go to a movie.  We saw “Salt” with Angelina Jolie.  It was entertaining enough (the others liked it much better than I did) and then we went to dinner.  Ginny drove us out to St. Petersburg Beach to a seafood restaurant–Hurricane Seafood Restaurant (technically in Pass-a-Grille).  I had a stuffed flounder and it was delicious.  The pina coladas weren’t as good (in my opinion) as the previous night.  After dinner it was dark and we debated going to walk on the beach, but we decided we would have lots of beach time ahead, and frankly we were exhausted at this point.  We hung out with Ginny at her house a bit longer, then back to the hotel.  Tomorrow would be the big day!!!!

Okay, I will start my trip review!

Chris and I decided to cruise the Carnival Legend out of Tampa, Florida on August 22.  The easiest and cheapest way to get to Tampa was to fly Southwest, and we decided to go a few days early to sightsee and visit our friend Ginny who lives in St. Petersburg.

We used priceline to rent a car and get a hotel near the airport.  We got in Thursday night and were exhausted, so we just checked in and ate a nice dinner at the hotel (Doubletree Westshore).

The next day we worked out in the hotel gym (gotta keep it up!), ate at the hotel restaurant (really nice breakfast buffet)and went over the bridge to St. Petersburg, about a 20 minute drive.  We drove to “The Pier” and ate lunch at the Columbia restaurant there, a cuban restaurant.  It was tasty, and the views were very nice.  We met up with my friend after that and she showed us around a few other places.  We then drove out to Madeira Island and ate dinner at a seafood restaurant by the water.  I had the she-crab soup, which I had heard of but never eaten.  I had assumed that it was made from female crabs, but evidently the “she-” is simply an abbreviation for sherry.  The soup was creamy and delicious!  We also had a couple of excellent pina coladas, wanting to get the week off to a delightful tropical start.