Since I won't write it down...: Spring Break 2013, Day 3

After last night’s friendly/nosy desk clerk, I was pretty sure that the “surprise” cruise was ruined. So, I changed the “big reveal” plans and decided to tell the boys at breakfast. We’re sitting around the breakfast table and I asked them if they wanted to know the details for the day’s activities. I told them that we were going to check out, then haul the luggage to the parking garage, then head over to the Riverwalk area, see the shops, and get some beignets; then I told them about the cruise. Previously, I told them that we were going to take a ride down the Mississippi and that it would be better than the St. Louis Mississippi steamboat ride because this time, food would be involved. Jonathan had asked if we’d be going all the way to the Mississippi Delta, and I told him, “yes.” Well, I made some clarifications. I told them that we were going on the boat ride and that it would involve food and it would go to the Delta, but it was going to end up in Mexico. Jonathan looked at me oddly and said, “You mean the Gulf of Mexico, “ and I said, “No, Mexico.” Then I said we were going to spend a day snorkeling, and a day at Chichen Itza; we were getting there via a cruise ship. At that point, Nolan was grinning and Jonathan was glowering; he needed proof. I provided more details and Jonathan appeared to be getting madder about the surprise (holy scowling!). I was asked to prove an itinerary. I said that the booking details were up in the room and that I had passports and birth certificates to get us in and out of the country legally. It took awhile, but eventually both boys were excited.

After breakfast we did the Riverwalk (the part we did was lame). Miles found the biggest touch screen he'd ever played with- a Coke products vending machine.

We bought Miles the most “Miles appropriate” shirt ever-

Then we got our Beignets from Café du Monde (which Miles called “Café du Monde Krispy Kreme) , Booking as cheap as possible, we booked an inside cabin… looks “squishy”. I love the way we are on a cruise ship, a new experience for all of us, and the first thing that happens is CNN is turned on and I can’t get people to move it to go check out the ship.

walked along the Mississippi, then retrieved our luggage and walked to the cruise port and onto the ship.

After cajoling, we went up to the Lido deck and ate lunch, then wandered all over the ship. Miles saw the pool and was begging to go swim. We told him that he needed to wait until sailing. We attended the Muster Drill, then the boys wanted to head up to the Sports Deck, as high as possible, for the sailing. Talk about anticlimactic, after a 45 minute delay, the ship quietly made a u-turn and headed down the Mississippi. Miles, Dan, and Nolan were playing mini-golf, while Jonathan and I watched the u-turn. Next I went to the Kids Camps program introduction and the boys ate ice cream. We met up in the cabin and got Miles (and the boys) ready to swimming. The pools were freezing, but Miles wasn’t deterred. Jonathan and Nolan preferred the hot tubs.

At one point, Miles had the pool to himself.

Dinner was in the dining room. Every night Carnival has a “Didja” for an appetizer selection. The “Didja” (as in Did Ya Ever Try) last night was escargot. Dan ordered it, Nolan tried one (“Squishy”)

Jonathan wasn’t up for snail, and ordered duck instead. He said it tasted like ham. After dinner, we went back to the cabin. Miles went to sleep, CNN was watched, and the boys watched MASH on a computer. We are party animals…

Playing around in New Orleans