The first day of our cruise was a day at sea. It wasn't hot, but we were happy enough to lounge by the pool with books and enjoy the shipboard activities. The jogging track was quite nice and the spa was beautiful. There was a very lavish pool for adults only with cushy lounge chairs and lots of hot tubs as well. We found an Irish Pub after dinner that had a sing-a-long guitar player who specialized in drinking songs. Our first port of call was Labadee. People always called it Labadee, and tried to pretend that it wasn't in Haiti. Before we left, the kids kept asking if we were going to Haiti why we weren't going to help those people build houses. They didn't quite understand that it wasn't that part of Haiti. It is a very different part though. Not quite and island, but a very isolate peninsula with a big mountain and wall separating it from the rest of Haiti. The cruise line did spend the whole day unloading relief supplies from the ship, so that part helped assuage the guilt of vacationing in a disaster zone.
Labadee was unscathed by the earthquakes. I guess it is hard to damage beaches and waterparks. Just about the time we docked and cleared for debarkation, the rain started to role in. It lasted until it was time to leave, varying in strength from drizzle to downpour. Obviously not a beach day, but we took a rambling hike through the rain and enjoyed the views. The area was absolutely beautiful, and it would have been a great place to lounge and soak in a little sun if the weather had been more agreeable.
Jamaica was after that, and we didn't even get off the boat. We've been to Jamaica before and done the main attraction, which is Dun's River falls. It was spectacular, but we didn't really want to do it again. Not being much into shopping or haggling, we decided to enjoy the lovely, mostly empty, ship for the day. 
We splurged on a balcony room for the first time and enjoyed sitting out and enjoying the fresh air. I'm sure we would have spent more time out there if it had been just a little bit warmer, but it was nice to have the sun. The shows were good, especially the ice skating which included a really unusual routine with hula hoops and a black light. There was an excellent ventriloquist as well as a magician and comedian. The obligatory dancer/singers were there as well, with two big musical numbers. We had the late seating for dinner and ate way too much as most people seem to do on a cruise. I took advantage of the movie theater a couple of times, but there were lots of things we just didn't do -- karaoke, disco, street parties and parades. Something for everyone for sure. 
I think I mentioned that the kids were happy to have us home again. Sydney lost her second tooth -- isn't she cute? They are at school today, leaving me home to enjoy solitude and my sewing machine. At some point I should think about preparing for school next week, but for now I've got plenty of time to enjoy just being back again. I've got another BOM from Amy finished off and just shopped the stash for some more fabric to add to my collection so that I can finish off the last block for February. I'll do pictures of those "l8r" so check back for quilt related pictures tonight.
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