Cruising

To celebrate 10 years of ministry, our church has had many events throughout the year. One event that we were most excited to participate in was a cruise. The day before most of us were to leave for Miami, the church hosted a "Bon Voyage" party, complete with tropical non-alcoholic cocktails, elaborate fruit display, island desserts and a cruise backsack with Destiny cruise sun visor and plush Destiny cruise beach towel. We were excited to cruise with @ 150 of our Destiny family, but we were most elated because a few months prior to our departure we were able to talk Papa Jack, Ma San, Auntie Queenie and Grandmama, to join us. Monique's cousin and Quadson's godmother, Trudy, was already slated to join us. We were also super excited that our buddies, also church family, the Potts Family would be on the cruise, as well.

Cruise party in the teen worship area at church.

We made the trek in a van. So much fun!!

The kids traveled excellently, as usual. They are roadrunners.


Although Monique and I and the kids knock out 9 hour rides all the time, it was nice to drive/ride 5.5 hours and stop off to a refreshing new Marriott in Jacksonville, FL. We got two rooms and rested up for the next 5.5 hours to the Port of Miami the next morning.



My turn to drive. Look at me good. There are hardly any photos of me from the trip. You would think I did not even go.

Papa Jack was excited to be cruising with his grandkids.

Quadson had a good movie and his new favorite food, tabouli. He was set.


We were greeted each night in our ship stateroom with towel art and pillow mints... a stingray.


Two swans-a-kissin?

Rabbit.

Monkey.

The kids had the best time. There was a brand new area for kids created by Fisher-Price and Crayola, with computers, a drawing wall and all. It was like an upscale private school. There was no photo-taking allowed in the kids area, unfortunately.


As is customary on cruises, at least one night is evening attire. We have never dressed like this just for dinner, so it was lots of fun.








What a ham! She had the only ringing cell phone in the dining room.



After dinner, just outside the dining room, a band with singer played each night. Leslie hit, what she made, the dance floor EVERY NIGHT. The dance floor was actually the atrium floor that went 7 floors up. She shook, twisted and spun around, in front of an audience of cruisers each night, peering over the balconies from each floor. Quadson joined her at times, but she was mostly a solo act. She was famous after night one, and recognized from then on all over the ship, on our excursions, on the beaches. "Hey, there's the dancing girl!!" It was crazy.

Quadson, practicing his etiquette.

Grandmama had the best time. We pray to be like her when we are almost 93. God Bless Her.

Two peas in a pod. What a special relationship these two have. I have called Leslie, Lil' San since birth. Their resemblance is striking.

Katherine and her girls had some great girl time...especially in the casinos and at all the Broadway-like shows.

Leslie enjoying her palette cleanser.



The ship chefs whipped up an awesome Thanskgiving feast.


The eating was outrageous. There was the daily formal or casual breakfast, lunch, late lunch, formal dinner and midnite buffet. Then there was the gourmet sandwich shop, Sorrento's pizza restaurant, Seattle's coffee shop and Johnnie Rockets Burger Joint. And let's not forget the 24 hour room service.

When the waiters, at dinner on night one, brought kids' menus, I laughed internally at the fact that the cost of the cruise for them was the same price for us. They ate everything we ate. Our waiters were in disbelief that grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken fingers were passed over. The giant prawns in garlic sauce that Quadson is chomping on, were incredible.

Midnight dessert buffet.

Our exceptional waiters every night.

This Thankgiving Day appetizer of Shrimp and Scallop Pot Pie was THE BEST.

Atlantic Cod topped with crab meat. We were so pleased with the offerings for non-mammal eaters.

Our ship was amazing. It underwent a 36 million dollar makeover in Feb. 2007.

TV in our room was for entertainment with lots of channels, but it was solely our cruise calendar. Every event was announced on TV, even our menus for the day.

From the 5th floor looking down the atrium (Leslie's dance floor). 3 glass elevators traveled the 7 floors of the atrium. We were on Royal Carribean's mid-size ship. I can't imagine anything being bigger.

The Viking Lounge was the highest point for cruisers on the ship. From the outside, it looked like a flying saucer landed on the ship.

There was always some action going on on deck.

Basketball court.

Our rooms were comfy. Loved the bathrooms, so tiny, but practical.

I did this walk around Deck 12 of the ship, most mornings, which made a mile. I walked it 4 to 5 times to try to off-balance all the eating, so I would not get a scare on the scale back home. Didn't work! Gained almost 5 pounds. Guess I would have gained 15 if I had not walked.

Rock climbing wall.

The Viking Lounge

We were on Floor 7.

The window to our room.

Once we got back to the USA, all the cell phones came out.



Quadson enjoyed the pool. 3 of the 4 pools started off empty, and filled up with sea water after we left Miami.

All Aboard!!!

Our ship towered over the departure terminal.

Let's cruise!



Warm greetings in the departure terminal from Trudy who flew into Miami from Baton Rouge the evening before.




Trudy was excited about the muster drill. No Titanic happening here!




Mottola, Lenny and Diddy have homes behind these trees.




On departure, we passed Star Island. It is a small man-made oval of sorts. Rosie O'donnell lives to the right of the bridge. To the left of the bridge entrance behind the trees lives Tommy Mottola and P. Diddy. Julio Iglesias, Gloria Estefan, Shaq, Lenny Kravitz and Simon Cowell also have homes on the island. The "Scarface" estate from the movie is also on the island. Wonder if they have community garage sales?




Our buddies, the Potts Family.



Adios Miami.

A pilot boat escorted us out of the port well into the wide ocean.

I made it a point to get wake up calls in order to witness some beautiful sunrises.

Stop One...Nassau, Bahamas

Our sunrise approach to Nassau with the famed Atlantis Resort as the skyline.

A sunny welcome to Nassau.

The bridge of the Atlantis is a 10-room condo owned by Michael Jackson, according to our native tour guide. MJ rents it out for $25K per night, but you have to stay a minimum of 4 nights. Anyone have $100K to stay at Michael's place?? It is booked for the next 5 years.

Seaside Nassau from the ship.

The beautiful grounds of the Vegas-like Atlantis.

The bracelet watch is diamond covered and priced at $500K. The resort has a wonderful high-end mall.

Yachts were everywhere.


We took a ferry ride from the port to the Atlantis Resort. Here is the ship parking lot. Ours is the 3rd amidst all those Carnival ships.

On the way back to the port, we took a taxi from Atlantis. Our very cordial driver drove us in a little Toyota van. They drive a little wildly in Nassau, with steering wheels on the opposite side of cars, as well as driving on the left side of the road. The driver shared that there is a very low, to no crime rate in the Bahamas, because they still practice public hangings. HMM?? He also shared that although folks think the Bahamas, which includes 700 islands, is independent, it is actually still under British rule. It was an educational ride being shown the hospital where the blond Trimspa lady had her baby. We also made the drive without car seats, which are not required by law, YET. That felt funny.

Leslie poses next to a grand tree at the Atlantis.

The Potts and Smith kids minus Thomas Potts.

Grandmama and Ma San strolling in Nassau.

Another yacht.

The straw market is an institution. 100 or so vendors, possibly all female, sit in chairs with a floor to wall assemblage of stuff behind them, mostly designer bags that I believe are fake, even though they have the original full retail price tags on them. They have t-shirts, jewelry, you name it. They are the slickest talking sales people I have ever encountered. If you touch something, they are bagging it up. It was so cool to be called handsome and good-looking by so many women in a 30 minute time frame. One woman, I took a double take to because she was a member of our church within the past 2 years of our membership and I remembered her face. She had moved back home to the Bahamas and missed Atlanta and Destiny so much. What a small world!!! I don't believe we had ever spoken to her before. I would have remembered that BIG ACCENT.

Leslie posing on this cute stool in the Atlantis.
Joyce poses next to a window of the famed aquarium of the Atlantis Resort.

The kids looking down into the aquarium.

Stop Two...Coco Cay Island

Load-up of the passenger boats to Coco Cay from the top deck of our ship.

The island had private cabanas, hammocks-galore and just a great place to relax or participate in water activities.

Coco Cay Island, in the middle of the ocean, is owned by the cruise line and was a beautiful retreat. The BBQ complete with ribs, chicken, pasta salad, etc. was a welcomed addition.


Boats to Coco Cay ran every 30 minutes. The water was beautiful.

Cruisers were able, at an extra cost, to snorkel, scuba dive and parasail.

The water was chilly but warmed up to your body after a minute. Additionally, this fun time in the water was shortlived after a crab bit a friend on the toe as I was standing in the water speaking to her, AND after a sting ray zipped by our legs in this shallow clear water, AND after the older Potts kid, Thomas, got a jellyfish sting. We were DONE with the water and enjoyed the rest of Coco Cay on the beaches. We did not want to risk an accident on this island in the middle of nowhere.

Our beautiful ship!

I was pleasantly surprised on Day 3 of the cruise to run into a classmate from college and his wife from Chicago. We were in the Glee Club (choir) together. He was one of the few folks at Morehouse that was like a big brother to me. We had the best time catching up after 15-20 years!!


Leslie Mykael soaking up a little sun.

Trudy striking a pose on Coco Cay.

The day on Coco Cay exhausted the kids. They could not even make it through our 3rd lunch.

Stop Three-Key West, Florida

Quadson and the Potts kids in Key West, FL.

Quadson and his buddies hanging out in a window of the ship.

Madison and Clarke show Leslie Mykael the view of Key West.


Our last stop before the return to Miami was Key West, FL. Cruise ships are like visiting skyscrapers to these village stops. We could see the whole town from the ship.

When in Key West, you must visit a key lime pie factory. This one was a multi-prize winning facility. The aroma was heavenly.

These carts, in 2, 4 and 6 seaters are available for rent. They were everywhere. This Benz adaptation was cool.

Key West was beautiful.

Of course, in Florida, these creatures roam around like stray dogs. Quadson was super excited to peep this one. It was huge...just chilling along a narrow walkway to a restaurant. For a good few minutes, I stood there and warned folk walking the narrow walk of the presence of the igauna dragon. I just could not bare seeing their reaction if the sight of it was a surprise.

Roosters like key lime pie!

Key West was a nice, quaint town...had a French Quarter feel to it. We definitely must return there for an extensive stay, as is our wish with all our stops. The cruise was awesome and we were so grateful to be able to share it with each other, our family, our friends and our church family that we were able to bond with on a different level. There was a 30-minute devotional every morning at 7. I made it to one. Then there was a Thanksgiving morning service that was like a mini-church service. We made it to that and it was phenomenal.