Couples Only Cruise ~ Our Ship Came In!
Our countdown chain started at a measly 42 days. Our darling children bounced all over the house when they found out that our cruise meant that they could expect to eat whatever their heart desired and enjoy unrestricted grandma time for five glorious days. Our FEs sat alone in our luggage and waited impatiently by the front door. Our Facebook group reached a pitched excitement culminating in this:
Then slowly during the day before the cruise all the fun anticipatory Facebook and DISboard posts went silent. Everyone, too busy in the excitement of last minute preparation and travel to bother updating their virtual lives, headed excitedly toward port.
My father in law drove my mother in law (Mom, as I call her) over the morning before our cruise, so we took some time to settle everything while the children enjoyed their morning in school and preschool and Ben enjoyed (probably not the proper word, but we’ll go with that) a last Monday of work. His parents and I enjoyed Panera for lunch then retrieved the preschool playgroup I host on Mondays. I introduced Mom all around to the teachers at school and the ladies she could rely on for preschool playgroup hosting the rest of the week. While I settled the kids back into our home, Mom and Dad checked into that evening’s accommodations. Our friends, Chris and Casey arrived mid-afternoon, followed shortly by Ben and once Mom and Dad returned we all enjoyed a quick dinner of take out. After visiting, Mom headed back to her hotel to catch some shut eye. We put the kids to bed in Kylee’s room and Chris and Casey retreated to our son’s room. Then Ben and I started to pack.
I know, I know.
Our FEs and gifts sat dutifully in our suitcases, but nothing else managed to pack itself in the short trip lead up. I blame sheer exhaustion on my part. Thankfully, since we only needed clothing for a four night trip it became a fairly simple exercise to stow away our two suitcases and light carry on backpack (nearly empty, save my purse, medications, documents and passports). It continued to be a simple exercise in folding and stacking into suitcases until I came to packing our beautiful new pirate costumes and then uncovered a slight error in our order.
As DH put it, "while I may metaphorically have two left feet, that’s just silly." I thought it hilarious and scampered down the hall to show Casey and Chris. Given our port arrival time came in slightly over thirteen hours, he opted to worry about exchanging his pirate boots for our next cruise and just make due. After neatly stacking our luggage in the office, we crawled into bed like children on the night before Christmas, eagerly awaiting the next morning.
The children woke and woke up early after our late evening of packing. A quick breakfast and all of the usual school preparations ensued. Mom showed up and all us cruisers started last minute checks and loading up our friend’s van. We looked anxiously at the overcast and weather reports and decided an early start out and some extra time to accomplish the drive clear across Houston would be prudent. Besides, we wanted to be on the road! And on the ship!
Chris drove, Ben navigated (“get on I-45 and drive south until you find the ocean”) and Casey and I caught up on each other’s children and lives. I wished, for the first of a hundred times during this cruise, that we lived closer to one another. There’s nothing like having friends where you can be yourself!
As we chatted, Chris job became more challenging as a misty rain settled over our car and all of the Tuesday morning commuters. Thankfully, we continued south without very much in the way of traffic. The rain cleared as we crossed over the Galveston Causeway around nine. We cheerfully discussed where to find a coffee shop and then my phone rang. I answered, wondering what I’d forgotten to tell mom.
It wasn’t mom.
It was the Disney Cruise Line calling to let us know our ship did not come in that morning. Rather the Magic stayed somewhere slightly out in the Gulf delayed due to heavy fog in the Galveston port area. The recorded message recommended we arrive an hour later than our original port arrival time. That meant that our new port arrival time stood at noon.
We swung by EZ Cruise on the off chance they might let us park despite the fact that the previous cruisers cars still occupied the lot. No such luck, so we swung around toward Kempner to park. The new meters on Galveston take cash, credit and interestingly, also pay by phone. We put in for a couple hours and walked up the block to the Starbucks on Harborside Drive. After a round of Frappuccinos and hot chocolates, finally around 11 AM we saw the Disney Magic cruise past making her way into port.
Our ship came in!
Then my phone rang for a second time...
This post is Part Three in an Ongoing Trip Report Couples Only Cruise.
Hey, still reading?
I have a giveaway going on and a new blog hop and you're welcome to join in on the fun!
 |
| Do you hear the people sing? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) |
My father in law drove my mother in law (Mom, as I call her) over the morning before our cruise, so we took some time to settle everything while the children enjoyed their morning in school and preschool and Ben enjoyed (probably not the proper word, but we’ll go with that) a last Monday of work. His parents and I enjoyed Panera for lunch then retrieved the preschool playgroup I host on Mondays. I introduced Mom all around to the teachers at school and the ladies she could rely on for preschool playgroup hosting the rest of the week. While I settled the kids back into our home, Mom and Dad checked into that evening’s accommodations. Our friends, Chris and Casey arrived mid-afternoon, followed shortly by Ben and once Mom and Dad returned we all enjoyed a quick dinner of take out. After visiting, Mom headed back to her hotel to catch some shut eye. We put the kids to bed in Kylee’s room and Chris and Casey retreated to our son’s room. Then Ben and I started to pack.
I know, I know.
Our FEs and gifts sat dutifully in our suitcases, but nothing else managed to pack itself in the short trip lead up. I blame sheer exhaustion on my part. Thankfully, since we only needed clothing for a four night trip it became a fairly simple exercise to stow away our two suitcases and light carry on backpack (nearly empty, save my purse, medications, documents and passports). It continued to be a simple exercise in folding and stacking into suitcases until I came to packing our beautiful new pirate costumes and then uncovered a slight error in our order.
 |
| This cause uncontrollable laughter for at least thirty minutes. |
The children woke and woke up early after our late evening of packing. A quick breakfast and all of the usual school preparations ensued. Mom showed up and all us cruisers started last minute checks and loading up our friend’s van. We looked anxiously at the overcast and weather reports and decided an early start out and some extra time to accomplish the drive clear across Houston would be prudent. Besides, we wanted to be on the road! And on the ship!
Chris drove, Ben navigated (“get on I-45 and drive south until you find the ocean”) and Casey and I caught up on each other’s children and lives. I wished, for the first of a hundred times during this cruise, that we lived closer to one another. There’s nothing like having friends where you can be yourself!
As we chatted, Chris job became more challenging as a misty rain settled over our car and all of the Tuesday morning commuters. Thankfully, we continued south without very much in the way of traffic. The rain cleared as we crossed over the Galveston Causeway around nine. We cheerfully discussed where to find a coffee shop and then my phone rang. I answered, wondering what I’d forgotten to tell mom.
It wasn’t mom.
 |
| Grandma was in the middle of attending her first ballet class with Kylee. |
We swung by EZ Cruise on the off chance they might let us park despite the fact that the previous cruisers cars still occupied the lot. No such luck, so we swung around toward Kempner to park. The new meters on Galveston take cash, credit and interestingly, also pay by phone. We put in for a couple hours and walked up the block to the Starbucks on Harborside Drive. After a round of Frappuccinos and hot chocolates, finally around 11 AM we saw the Disney Magic cruise past making her way into port.
 |
| I spy a ship!!! Me peeking in the bottom of the frame. Photo courtesy of Chris. |
Then my phone rang for a second time...
This post is Part Three in an Ongoing Trip Report Couples Only Cruise.
Hey, still reading?
I have a giveaway going on and a new blog hop and you're welcome to join in on the fun!
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