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Carnival Glory’s Cruise Part 4

You can’t take a cruise without coming back with some stories. Here’s a few I’ll choose to share. First, this cruise became a reality when in thinking about how to celebrate Beth’s graduation from college, there was a consensus that taking a cruise would be a great way to do that and at the same time involve the whole family. And so began the plans to do that in the fall of 2007.

As I’ve noted, Beth is just the second member of the family to accomplish this. Here we are at dinner the second night out. Celebrating our kids accomplishments is something all parents can take joy in. It was just a moment ago that we stood together at her high school graduation and took a picture that I posted with a caption: HS grad — Soon to be college grad. Life moves, quickly. Here is that picture:

Al, my brother’s Father-in-Law, had the idea that we should have made a t-shirt that noted that we were all traveling with the graduate. That could have been funny.

I have three younger brothers, Steve and Barry were able to make it while Scott could not, unfortunately. We all spent a day at Bikini Beach on St. Maarten and our faces show it here!

As a matter of fact, my shoulders got such a burn that they are still peeling! Now both of these guys are pretty funny. The night they did karaoke is a good story and I may be able to post the video of it in a later post. Steve sang Neil Diamond’s Hello My Friend, and found after each refrain of singing “Hello” to hear a crowd heckler belt out “HELLLOOH!” At first he thought it was some guy that had had one too many Caribbean rum and Cokes. As it turned out, he realized half way through it was Greg, my son! Not a drunk heckler.

But it was Barry that had the biggest faux pas. They were on a shore tour and he observed a teenager giving a terrible attitude to what appeared to be her grand parents. She was rude. So Barry, embarrassed for them, goes over and tries to say something encouraging like she will grow out of it and how some day she will really appreciate the cruise her grandparents had taken her on. With a somewhat disgusted look, the man looked at him and, yes, you know it, says, “THAT is my DAUGHTER.”

So Barry quickly comes back with a line he remembers from Saturday Night Live and says, “Yeah, that’s what I’m SAYIN’! I wish I could have had parents or grand parents that would have taken me on a cruise. I would have appreciated it!” The guy just kind of looked at him as he walked away. For the rest of the cruise, when anyone would say something a bit off or in disagreement, we would respond with, “Yeah, THAT’s what I’m sayin’!”

Click here to read about the Rum House …..

The Sweetwater Rum House on St. Thomas was a little outside place that I found and had a great time at as I spent about an hour or so before having to re-board the ship. I realized as I sat down, everyone there was a local and knew each other.

I asked what they would recommend and their response was that since I was in the Caribbean, I had to try the rum. The bartender made me a Caribbean favorite called the Painkiller with St. Croix rum. It was a tasty combo of rum and pineapple juice topped with a little nutmeg.

I think Megan was the bartender’s name. It was a cool group of people and I decided to buy a round for the locals. My total tab came to just $33. I tipped the bartender and headed back to the ship, after having two more. I will say I did not feel any pain, so I will agree that the drink is appropriately named —- and I incorrectly told everyone about the Rum SHACK for the next couple of days, until I looked at the picture I had taken and realized it was the Rum HOUSE. Maybe that drink should be re-named the mind scrambler!

To Be continued.