We are no cruise experts, having only spent two nights on a cruise ship before, but we do know when we are enjoying ourselves and when we are getting good value. For 18 days from Venice to Rio de Janeiro, we enjoyed every minute of our cruise and would do it again tomorrow. In fact we are going to try and do it again next month, bound for the USA via Peru, Ecuador, Mexico and Costa Rica, completing a visit to 5 continents without flying – a shame no-one challenged us to that little feat!!
But back to the last cruise! What we liked was the service, the dancing, the games, the passengers (both the friendly and the curious) and the variety. Did I mention how relaxing I found it??!!!
We entered a five day quiz with a team of 8, including Shelly, Rhenda and Gil, as well as entering playing daily deck games, going to occasional dancing lessons and just generally getting involved with ship activities.
We had the same two waiters each night – Constantin from Romania and Luiz from Brazil. They were excellent both in their service skills and their social skills. Every dinner was amusing and we regularly chatted with people from tables around us – Klaus and Eva from Munich, George from Belgium, the sometimes stern, sometimes happy German couple whose names we didn’t get and a Canadian family of 4 travelling for a year also.
As well as the equator crossing already described, we also celebrated molly’s birthday in style. A late start for the party girl due to the usual late night on the 1st, then lunch with Shelly and Rhenda at the all you can eat buffet – excellent start!
In the afternoon Molly and Julia went shopping whilst Shelly, Rhenda and I set up a surprise party in one of the lounges. We managed to get Gil, Barbara, Doreen, Chris, Anne and Dave there before Molly walked in and wondered what was going on!! Pass the parcel went well and Shelly managed to win even though it was not a well known game in the U.S……………she was very impressed with her Hannah Montana Candy Make-Up Compact kit. Talk about just the thing to make a purdy mid-west girl even more snoggable! Take me to Jamaica, please, she said!!
Dinner also included a surprise, a huge chocolate birthday cake complete with singing waiters, and we were joined by 10 year old Elodie from Canada.
Then dancing to finish off – including a birthday call onto the stage for Molly!