The Foxes at Sea

Our cruise on Canoe.ca

2009-07-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hello - anyone out there?

I know our trip is over and I have not posted for a while so I may not have many followers left on here. But just in case anyone is checking in here is a link to a story my in laws wrote about their experience on the cruise.

Newspaper Story by Jim and Barb Fox

I was also thinking of using this blog for future vacations (even non-cruise ones) and cottage trips. We had a great time at the cottage last week and Adam enjoyed going to many different playgrounds and trying out all the swings and equipment up north.

Next Cruise

2009-06-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

ms Veendam

Norwegian Spirit

Enchantment of the Seas

Explorer of the Seas

Summit

Well we have been home now for 9 days and I am finding myself thinking about our next vacation quite frequently throughout the day. Since I still have not set foot on an airplane and not sure I want to that leaves cruising for me (if I want to see any islands).

The no-flying factor limits our options quite a bit. We can leave out of New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston if we want to stay around a 10 hour or less drive. We can double our distance and leave out of Florida or nearly double it again and leave from California (that way we could see Hawaii). I think the closer ports are best for us since we have Adam (3 years old) travelling with us.

So let's see what that leaves us if we wished to cruise again in 2010.

Celebrity Cruises
Summit
7 Night Bermuda out of New Jersey
quite pricey for only 3 days in Bermuda
Adam would love that they have a kids whirlpool.

Royal Caribbean
Explorer of the Seas
9 Night Bermuda/Bahamas out of New Jersey
Wow a rock climbing wall and ice rink!

Royal Caribbean
Explorer of the Seas out of New Jersey
or Enchantment of the Seas out of Baltimore
9 Night Caribbean- San Juan, St Thomas, Dominican Republic and Haiti

Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Spirit
7 Night Bermuda out of Boston
I like this because you get 4 days in Bermuda
Not sure I want to try Norwegian next though

Holland America
ms Veendam
7 Night Bermuda out of New York
I would like to try this cruise line because I have heard so much about it from my in laws. A smaller number of passengers would be okay to try out as well. The exterior looks very classic unlike some of the crazy Norwegian styles I have seen.

Princess Cruises
Caribbean Princess
9 Night Caribbean/Bermuda out of New York
This is the one we just took and I would like to do it again but not next.

I did not include Canada/New England or Alaskan cruises because I am looking for nice warm beaches and turquoise waters. I also did not add any of the cruises less than 7 days because it would not be worth it to pack up and drive that far for such a short time. I stuck to 7-9 day cruises. Sailings in the dead of winter were not included because driving 9 hours in a potential snow storm would ruin the relaxation vacation is suppose to provide.

More Photo's: Part III of III

2009-06-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

More Photo's: Part II of III

2009-06-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

More Photo's: Part I of III

2009-06-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Scholarship@Sea: Ceramics

2009-06-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

Okay so here it is. My first attempt at ceramics. I am really proud of this because the ship was moving while we were painting. It was kind of hard to picture what it would look like while creating it because the colours go on very pale.

This was part of Princess Cruises Scholarship at Sea program although for this class we did not have any instruction or guidance. I thought we would have a crew member explain the process and be on hand for assistance but that was not the case. The guy running it came right out and said he had no idea how to do ceramics and just told us to do 3 coats for the brightest colours. It worked out fine being a self taught class.

Cost: $25

We are home!

2009-06-12T16:15:00.001-07:00

We are home and already dreaming of our next cruise vacation.

Our last day at sea on Wednesday was great and the best thing happened....a bunch of dolphins decided to swim along the ship. They were such cute little baby ones and they put on a good show. Sorry I do not have any pictures because I was busy trying to catch it on the video camera. Jeff even got to see some larger ones later that day as well.

I picked up the ceramic bowl I painted and it looks good (I will take a picture and post it later). I never did get to BINGO to to try my luck at the $3000 jackpot but heard it was very crowded anyway. We did do some more on board shopping that included a chaotic bargain basement sale in one of the ships dining rooms.

Our last dinner on the ship was really yummy. We had eggplant fritters and mushroom fried rice - mmmmm. Unfortunately Jeff needed to take Adam back to the cabin for a bit and once there he did not want to come back down for dessert. The assistant servers came out with flaming baked Alaska's to the Macerna on parade. I had the Love Boat for dessert (a heart shaped chocolate mouse). Too bad Jeff and Adam didn't make it back because Barb and Jim had ordered a cake and song for us to celebrate our Anniversary (June 22) but I had them send it up to Jeff and some dark cherry sorbet for Adam.

The last night was very foggy and you could not see any water around the ship which was kind of eerie along with the fog horns blaring all night - a sound I love. I woke up at 5:30 am the last morning just in time to see the Statue of Liberty as we headed into port.

Disembarkation was quite smooth. We had to be out of our room by 8:00 am but luckily we were able to relax in the Wheelhouse bar (for VIP's) until our group was called. The longshoreman that helped with our bags helped us get to the front of the lines to leave and it was a fairly smooth ride home. Adam again behaved the entire way. We stopped at Flying J/Country Buffet, Sunoco, Taco Bell , Target and Exxon Mobil.

Here are a few more pics for now.

Last Post at Sea

2009-06-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post at sea. I do have much more to talk about (favorite's, what I would do different next time etc...) and hopefully more photo's to add once I am home but I don't want to spend too much more time online.

Today is our last day at sea and I am hoping to do some on board shopping and maybe take part in BINGO. The jackpot is almost $3000 - hmmm that could fund my next cruise. I finally tried the coffee from the International Cafe and had a Cafe Latte - mmmmm. Good thing I did not have one sooner or I may have used my credits all on coffee. Jeff and Adam had some yummy donuts from the Cafe as well.

It is very dark and rainy at sea today and I think the forecast for tomorrows arrival in Brooklyn is rain as well - thankfully we have had many great sunny days so far. The sun is so strong in the Caribbean and I am sad to say despite all of our efforts with Sunscreen etc... Jeff and I have terrible sunburns. I guess we stayed in the salt water too long without reapplying the SPF. Adam went a bit brown but no burn. I think we must have made it through the Bermuda Triangle by now without disappearing - whew!

See you all soon!

The Foxes at Sea.

Photo Album: Grand Turk and Stuff

2009-06-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

Photo Album: St Thomas

2009-06-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

St Thomas yesterday

2009-06-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in St Thomas. We flip flopped from doing a tour to swimming at the beach to shopping prior to docking and ended up deciding to shop since Grand Turk (we are headed there today) would be a beach day for sure.

The views heading into St Thomas were amazing and the scenery throughout the island was even more spectacular.

We took a quick open air taxi to the shopping area where we went to Del Sol (colour change clothing) as well as a upscale bamboo clothing store, Footlocker from some Nike shoes for Adam and a few little local shops as well. By then we decided we wanted to check out the beaches although we did not have time to head back to the ship to get swimwear or to get the other side of the island to see Coki Beach which I hear is beautiful. We found a very cool taxi driver known as Big Mac that took us up around the hills for an island tour with a stop at a breathtaking lookout. Adam loved the crazy driving winding up and around the hills and giggled the entire drive. Big Mac dropped us off at Magens Bay where Jeff finally got to have his swim in the ocean. Adam liked touching the tree bark and I stood along the shore to cool off (too bad I did not have my bathing suit). We had the same driver back to the ship and Adam once again loved the ride.

More shopping before boarding the ship.

After dinner we headed to the big screen for Movies Under The Stars where they were showing the NBA Finals. Adam did not last too long but Jeff got to see the Lakers win - booooooooooo.

We have some great crew members looking after us.

Giuseppe - The Maitre D has made sure all of our meals are excellent and that we are getting enough vegetarian options and that Adam has a continous supply of soy milk in our room.

Lavinia and Gjorgi - Our dining room servers are top notch and great fun to talk with. They are so attentive to our likes and dislikes and make sure Adam gets whatever he needs. I am really going to miss them when the cruise is over.

Carmen - The Room Steward is such a bubbly energetic lady that calls me Miss Lisa and loves to say hello to Adam she makes sure our room is spotless and gets us everything we need.

I forgot to mention before that Barb and I did a ceramics session a couple of days ago out on the deck by the pool. I am very excited to get my piece back (a bowl) once it is fired to see how it turned out. I think maybe I will try my luck at BINGO the last day at sea (no laughing I think it will be fun even for someone younger like me plus I am sure I will win - well hopefully).

Today we are headed to Grand Turk where the Capital City of Turks and Caicos is: Cockburn Town. Here we will spend out time on the beach and checking out Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville. The island has a lighthouse (most of you know I am a huge fan of lighthouses and collector of all things lighthouse) at the other end from where we are docking so I do not think I will get to see it. Maybe on our next cruise - yes I am already thinking about another cruise.

Ok bye for now and thanks for checking in.

Photo Album: San Juan

2009-06-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

San Juan -today!

2009-06-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

First I wish to thank you all for visiting my blog. Secondly I apologize for the lack of postings. I am using the WIFI in our cabin and seem to be having many technical issues. I will continue to try to upload photo's and share information about this great vacation.

Bermuda:

We explored the Royal Navy Shipyard/Dockyard when we arrived and did some shopping. The views are gorgeous in Bermuda and the waters a very turquoise blue. We took a guided boat tour to get to BAMZ (Bermuda Aquarium Museum & Zoo). Bermuda is amazing and somewhere I would like to spend more time at as we only got to see a tiny bit of it.

Formal Night:

You can see the photo's below Adam looked very handsome all dressed up in his tie. We also had professional photo's done that night by the onboard photographers and they were even able to get some shots of Adam with his eyes open (he usually closes them or covers his eyes as soon as he sees the camera.

The food continues to be amazing and in great abundance. The other night they had a full German Buffet in the late evening complete with all those foods I remember from my childhood (red cabbage, herring salad, wieners, schnitzel, apple strudel) I did not try any of course because I am vegetarian but it did look yummy.

The funny thing is with all of the wonderful restaurants, pool areas, activities and entertainment on the ship my favorite thing to do is look out at the ocean from my balcony - especially at night and seeing the waves splashing off the ship. I could literally do this for hours.

I can see San Juan now from my balcony so I better go get ready. I will be back on later to tell you all about it and some of the stuff we have done onboard so far.

Have a great day!

Tech isues again - sorry

2009-06-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

unable to label or post anything more than a couple of words. Try later!

Photo Album: Formal Night and Bermuda

2009-06-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

Formal Night

Technical problems with Blog

2009-06-03T05:25:00.001-07:00

It is not letting me add photo's today. Stay tuned I will try again later.

Out to sea

2009-06-03T05:07:00.000-07:00

We are officially out to sea and heading to Bermuda. It was a smooth embarkation process and everything is perfect.

Wow - our room is soooo much bigger than I expected. The bed is almost a king size and another bunk pulls down over part of it so it sleep the 3 of us quite comfortably. We have a great sitting area, lots of closet space and an ample balcony that was perfect for breakfast this morning. The shower looks small but Jeff (6'6") used it just fine. We are getting great treatment on the ship: we have met Captain Marco Fortezze (Adam gave him a high five) and received champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries in our stateroom. The crew so far all seem to love Adam and even shout "Hello Adam" when they see us walking in the halls.

The food is fantastic and there is plenty of it. I will be sure to add photo's of some of our meals and desserts throughout the trip. Everywhere we turn there seems to be neat activities but also many places to kick back and relax. We are at sea today so we will be exploring the ship and making use of the on board amenities. Yesterday was busy with unpacking, lunch, the life boat drill, dinner and then bedtime and we have not left the room yet today so there is not too much to tell you so far.

Am I sea sick?....................... Not too much. I felt sick for about 30 minutes last night when we were getting ready for bed but had a ginger candy and that seemed to help in addition to the homeopathic remedy I am taking. Around 5am the ship started moving quite a bit and we have not been back to sleep since (hmmm I think we will need a nap today) but I don't feel sick at all - fingers crossed no more nausea.

Adam loves the motion and thinks it is funny when he is wobbling around. He seems to love everything about being at sea - Mr. Merman.

Last post on land

2009-06-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great drive from home to New Jersey (no traffic jams, the border crossing was smooth and Adam behaved the entire time). We stopped at Fuddrucker's for lunch where we met Grandma and Gramps.

The drive was picturesque with lush green hills, forests, lakes and ending with the New York skyline.

Supper was in our hotel room and very yummy and fresh. My new favorite 'Mexican' food from Baja Fresh. I had the tostada salad and it could easily feed two.

Cruise Good News of the day : As of June 1st Princess will no longer be charging a fee for ice cream on board - hooray!

Fingers crossed that oil prices do not rise any higher. As of yesterday they were at $68.58 per barrel and if they reach $70 we have to pay a fuel supplement charge for our cruise.

Getting Ready and Cruising Lingo

2009-05-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

One week tomorrow we will be boarding the Caribbean Princess and setting sail out into the deep blue sea. Our suitcases are out, passports ready, boarding passes printed, shore excursions booked and lists of things to do, buy and pack are getting longer and longer. Some people think that women require lots of luggage but I am starting to think a 3 year old needs even more.

Jeff and I keep telling Adam that we are going on a big boat and he seems very interested in this idea. He loves motion and all things water so hopefully that will set the stage for a wonderful vacation for him.

Everyone talks about all the food on the ships and how it is available around the clock but I have never talked to any vegans, vegetarians or someone with a special dietary needs and how the cruise lines accommodate that. I am very pleased so far with the options we have been given. Princess has an online Cruise Personalizer we used to select vegetarian options for all 3 of us as well as note that Adam requires a dairy free diet. I thought we may need to bring our own soy milk supply but Princess has arranged for Adam to have his own private supply on board and advised us that the Maitre D' and head waiters can assist with any special food requests. They can even make any baked goods non-dairy as Princess does all of their baking on board. Vegetarian menus are available for each dining room meal so it seems we will not have any issues finding enough food. Thank goodness for the fitness facilities on the ship and all the walking we will be doing.

As I am typing this post I realized how little I know about cruising lingo so I thought I would compose a list of some common and important terms we should get to understand:

aft - the back of the ship
bridge - the location where the captain and crew steer the ship
cabin or stateroom - passenger room on board the ship
deck - each level or floor
disembark - to leave the ship
embark - to get on the ship
gangway - the ramp or stair between shore and ship while docked
muster - to assemble the passengers and crew (like during a lifeboat drill)
pitch - the forward and backward rise and fall of the ship as it moves
port - the left side of the ship
promenade - the open deck around the ship often used for walking or jogging
purser - financial administrator for guest services
roll - the side to side movement of the ship
starboard - the right side of the ship
tender - small boat to transport passengers from ship to shore

2009-05-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Passport photo - take 2

2009-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

We went back to Costco today for a second try at Adam's pictures. I think today was worse than the first day we went. They redo the photo's at no charge and even offered to give my money back if the Passport Office declines these ones. There was one picture that might be okay but his mouth is slightly open. Fingers crossed it is good enough because we don't have much time left before the trip.

2009-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention we will be travelling with Adam's Grandma and Grandpa Fox. Unfortunately Jeannie (our dog) can't come along but hopefully she can stay with her good friends Mark and Cisco

Here is the itinerary:

Departure June 2 New York City 5pm
June 3 at sea

June 4 Bermuda 8am-5pm

June 5 at sea

June 6 San Juan, Puerto Rico 10am-11pm
June 7 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 7am-4pm

June 8 Grand Turk 1pm-7pm
June 9 at sea

June 10 at sea
Arrival June 11 New York City 7:15 AM

Click here to see the Bridge Cam.

Getting Ready

2009-04-20T05:27:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone

We are heading out to sea...June 2nd on the Caribbean Princess. So I thought I would start a blog to stay connected while we are away. It won't be very active until we are on the ship.

Jeff and I have our passports but Adam's photo's were not accepted by the passport office so off to Costco we go for re-takes. Fingers crossed they work out this time.

Stay tuned.....