The Alumni Association of TitchfieldHigh School Presents

“Carnival’s Triumph”

7 Day Exotic Eastern Caribbean Cruise
October 12-19, 2008

Cruise Recap

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you did not sail with us on the 7-day cruise, you certainly missed out on a great time!   We had a group of 65 (mostly alumni but also family members and friends), plus our cruise coordinator had a group of over twenty…FABULOUS!   If you were there, re-live the memories; if you were not, here’s what you missed:

Sunday: Boarded the ship in Miami in the afternoon and after checking in, we went directly to the buffet for lunch.  Some folks then went to their cabins to relax while others went up on deck as the ship pulled out of port at appx. 4:00pm.  There were almost 3,000 passengers on board plus over 1100 crew members.  As we pulled out, the partying and all other activities began, including soca/reggae music anddancing on deck.  At 6:00pm we had a private Meet & Greet for an hour then it was time to get ready for dinner at 8:15pm followed by Showtime (Comedy) then dancing, casino or whatever your cup of tea.   We met a couple of crew members that are Titchfield past students, one of whom is a bartender, Lance, so guess where we all hung out??? Just imagine – no curfews and food and drink available practically all night.  Off to a great start and remember, “what happens on the ship…stays on the ship.”

 

Monday:  A day at the beach on Carnival’s private island in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.  A breakfast buffet then we took the tender (ferry) over to the island where the crew prepared a BBQ lunch for everyone.  The water was unbelievably warm and clear.  Lots to do – jet skiing, hores-back riding, nature trails, scuba diving, etc.  At the end of the day, back to the ship for dinner, show (Motown Classics), etc.  The dining room staff were very friendly and entertaining, the food was good and the company enjoyable.  Tomorrow we have a full day at sea as we head to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands (or so we thought).  The sea was a bit rough because there was a storm brewing in Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands.   Got a bit scary during the night but if you had enough to drink before bed, you didn’t feel much of anything!

 

Tuesday:  A full day at sea ahead but we woke up to some good news.  Sometime during the night the captain made a decision to change course so instead of doing the Eastern Caribbean, we were now heading West for stops in Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico.  We had 7 people in the group who live in Jamaica so they were not too thrilled but it was all good.  Big change in the weather and much, much calmer seas.   So, a “Fun Day at Sea” just as the itinerary described.   Basically, everyone did as much or as little as they wanted to but lots of eating, drinking and shopping involved.   Formal night – some of us attended the Captain’s Reception followed by dinner.   We got all dressed up (WOW!!!) and took lots of pictures (you really need a separate budget to buy all the pictures they take on board).  The show tonight was really great –Vegas style performance.

Wednesday:  Here we are in Ocho Rios, ready for a day of shopping and eating some native food.  Lots of activity for some (you know, the Dunns River, etc. tourist spots) while others took the opportunity to visit relatives or familiar haunts and enjoy some real yard-style cooking.   Back on board ship by  3:00pm, a few drinks then sailed off into the sunset on our way to Grand Cayman.   A snack, some shopping, buying photos, casino, taking a nap, whatever until dinner at 8:15, show, danaing/casino/bedtime.  You get the routine by now???

Thursday: Woke up in Cayman and after the usual fanfare before going ashore we boarded the tender to the mainland where we would tour the island and take in some shopping.  Other activities on the island included watersports or the beach.  Visited the Rum Cake factory and sampled the different favor rums (a lot) and stopped in at “Hell”.  Picked up some souvenirs then it was back to the ship.  Another formal night for dinner and the Magic show following was quite enjoyable. 

Friday: Winding down – in Cozumel today so time for some serious shopping.  Docked around 10:00am and after a hearty breakfast, headed ashore, right into the heart of “shopping junkie heaven.”  A group of us took taxis into town and continued shopping there.  After a few hours of tequilas, margaritas and bargaining it was time to board ship and catch some zzzzzs before dinner.  Our Portlander chef, Howard, cooked up a great meal of jerk chicken and brown-stew fish for the group-a welcome change from the regular ship’s menu.  The dining room staff performed for us then it was off to another night of Motown hits in the Rome Lounge.

Saturday: Another full day at sea.  No island to visit, no schedules so almost everyone slept in late.  A day of eating, nursing hangovers, last minute duty-free shopping, hanging out at the Lido Deck bar with our bartender, Lance and playing Ludo.  At 6:00pm, we gathered in the Venezia Lounge for our private party with a DJ for 2 hours.  Most fun (and exercise) I’ve had in 7 days!  Lots of picture taking and just having a real good time away from the crowds.  Dinner and a show (guest talent show) then …whatever.  I personally went to the casino to have a heart to heart with that 2 cent slot machine to see if we could work out a deal to get all my money back.  In the end, it took another $40 before I understood that it had a heart of “steal” (got it)?

 

Sunday: Miami.  When we woke up we were already docked.  We had a very leisurely breakfast,  said our goodbyes and waited for our luggage group to be announced.  Great to be home. 

 

Overall, this was a great event.  Everyone had a wonderful time and we’re already talking about the next cruise in 2010.   Maybe by then we’ll find one that goes into Port Antonio?  Only then will the ship depart without some of us who have to go visit relatives in places like Prospect “Heights”!  Well, still trying to get my land legs back and get some  much needed rest from my vacation. 

 

Thanks again for taking the journey with us, literally or virtually.  Pictures are posted on the website in the Photo Gallery.