Sunday, October 16, 2022

PCB... Where. To. Begin.- Day 8

 Panama City Beach- Day 8
We Have HOW MANY hours to go? 
Friday, June 10, 2022

Goodbye Pinnacle Port and PCB! We loved you!

Morning
We woke up at 4:30AM and were packed, loaded and on the road by 5:30AM. Before we could even go 10 miles, our car started dining that we had a low tire. We got to a gas station as we turned north to go back to I-10 and all the tires look fine. The car was saying that it was the front-right tire but it was reading 37. Finally, we checked the back-left tire and it was reading 24 so we put air into it. But in trying to figure out which tire was low, we over inflated 2 of the remaining 3 tires. We traveled about 15 miles more before we stopped and purchased a tire gauge (since we left ours in Chris's car) and got all the tires aired up properly. 

We got to I-10 and merged WEST towards Texas but then the temperature gauge on the car started to creep up again. My heart just sank as I knew we needed to get home the following day for Luke's 10th birthday and then Natalie left for youth camp the following day. As we continued to travel, we noticed the temperature gauge dancing between 210 and 230(ish) and just kept praying to get home. Around Mobile, it got fairly hot at 230 but we kept pushing. 

I paid $1K to get this to stay LOW... C'mon Buick! Hang in there! 


See you later Florida. WE WILL NOT MISS YOU! 

As we approached Baton Rouge, we grabbed a late lunch and noticed the tire low again so we put more air into it and just kept praying. This turned out to be the longest and most stressful drive I can honestly remember in my adult life. We tried to drive at the speed limit or even 5 mph below the speed limit to help with the temperature rising and the crazy over-inflated and under-inflated tires. We finally pulled in to our driveway 11+ hours later. If I never had to make that drive again, it would be TOO SOON! 


GOD BLESS TEXAS... I am not sure I have EVER been THIS EXCITED to see this sign. Just 100 miles to go! 

This trip started and ended with drama and stress. In fact, the entire trip was just a ball of stress all around. All four of us LOVED the gorgeous turquoise waters of the Florida Emerald coast and we would go there again but not in the near future. Plus, I would like to go there for a family vacation... not a baseball tournament. That was a LOT of miles for a tournament. 

And that, ladies and gentleman, is how we started our summer. A little wild. A little crazy. And VERY stressful. I can only hope the rest of our summer proves to be better! 


We weren't sure this 15 year old would survive the week without us! 
THANK YOU GOD for keeping Oxford alive, once again! 

Thanks again for following along! I hope we have been able to provide even a little taste of Panama City Beach, FL and what it is like to attend a major select baseball World Series. I tried to keep this as politically correct as possible but it still came back to bite me in the butt. That bothers me... I feel as if I should be able to share facts and details about our experience without being belittled or completely shut out. But that is not how the world works this day and age. People really only care about "me, myself, and I" and that is ok. I just pray I can bring up my children in a way that is loving and Christ-like so when they are in this situation (on either side of it) they can find joy in their trials knowing God will take care of them. I hope I will have raised them well enough for them to be a light for others. I have been a Christian for over 35 years, and I still struggle with this... near daily (obviously). 

As I mentioned in a previous post... In the end, it doesn't matter if Luke got mound time or got to play the infield or what position he batted in. In the end, we will ALL bow down, Kings, Presidents, royalty and every day people like you and me to the Almighty God. I just have to prepare my kids for that day. 

Jesus, give me the discernment, leadership, love and kindness to do this each and every single day! Thank you Jesus, for this amazing opportunity! I want to give you all the Glory. 

Thank you for following along! We appreciate your support! 
Up Next... The rest of Summer 2022. 
Be on the lookout for our return to cruising on the
Carnival Vista blog!



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20 for 40- Debarkation

90 Miles an Hour from the Sunrise 
Debarkation- Galveston, TX 
Thursday, September 8, 2022 

Morning
We woke up before our alarms went off to the motion of the Carnival Breeze pulling into the Galveston terminal. We looked out our Cove Balcony and sure enough, they were starting to tie the ropes and the cruise was now officially over. We were sad but knew we had to get back to reality. And this time, the reality was a RUDE AWAKENING. Usually we cruise during breaks or summer and have some time before we have to get right back at it... not this time. We got off the ship and then had to get back home real quick to be ready to pick up the kids from school and a full afternoon/ evening of volleyball for Natalie Grace. 

We got ready and then went and had breakfast in the Main Dining Room for the port express breakfast. This was only offered from 7-8:30AM and we arrived at 8:15AM. This was pushing it just a bit but they seated us and we were able to enjoy somewhat of a chill morning. 

Despite arriving into Galveston before 7AM, the ship was still not cleared from customs at 9AM when we got done with our breakfast. This seemed really odd to me but we went back to the room to finalize our packing before vacating the stateroom. As per the usual, we were kindly asked to vacate the room shortly after 9AM and we obliged. 

Debarkation Information 
Passengers can choose to carry their own luggage off the ship, or they can send their luggage the last night of the cruise and have a more relaxed morning getting off the ship. If you choose to do the "regular/ relaxed debarkation" you have to go to the Lido deck on the last day at NOON and get the ZONE TAGS- Zone 1-30, and that is how you will get off the ship on debarkation day. We got zone 26 at 3:30PM on the last day at sea. Get there earlier if you want a better zone number! *Rookie mistake... and we are anything but rookies! Set an alarm on your device to get a better zone number! 

The Carnival Breeze uses MUSTER STATIONS for the Debarkation process instead of the traditional DECKS. (We learned ALL Carnival ships now use musters instead of decks now). This means that if you choose to do "Self-Debarkation" and take off ALL of your own luggage, you will be called by your muster station. We realized several years ago that the "self-debark" option is not as fast anymore as so many people are using this as a means to get off the ship. (It's like that secret from Disney World, you want to share it but then EVERYONE will do it. That is "self-debark" nowadays. Approximately 75% of the passengers use this option). This means that 3K+ people are walking around the ship with EVERYTHING they brought on board and often times MUCH MORE. It is a HOT mess. 

We waited in the Casino Annex area for a while and then got off the ship with the "Self-Debarkation" group when they called our muster station. We had our carry-on suitcase so we fit the part. It was a HOT MESS due to the delay of customs clearance and we really needed to get off the ship quickly. 


One of my favorites (and least favorites because that means its over) signs of the cruise! 

We were off the ship and BREEZING through customs, literally, by 10:15AM. The customs process is a BREEZE now... LITERALLY. The US government has really stepped up their game and has tablets that do facial recognition for US entrance. That means no papers to fill out and literally just walk up to the tablet and SMILE... Then you're done! TIP- This is only a valid option if all guests in your party have PASSPORTS. If anyone is traveling with a birth certificate, they will need to complete the paperwork and meet with an agent. We didn't realize it at the time of boarding and check in but they created our facial recognition right then and there. It is REALLY COOL and easily one of the best changes since COVID. 

The line for those without passports (birth certificates) 

The line for passports! 
If I was only given ONE TIP for cruising after the pandemic It would be GET A PASSPORT! The facial recognition software is AWESOME and it is SO WORTH IT! 

10:15AM was VERY LATE per the usual cruise debarkation times. This also meant that the oncoming passengers would feel this delay. As I mentioned in the embarkation post, we opted to park at a new facility that offered a shuttle so we had to wait for the shuttle and this, too, was a slight delay. We were at our car and headed north around 10:50AM. 

Afternoon
We got to our home in The Woodlands around 12:30PM and unloaded the car and started to unpack. Jackie and Oxford were right there waiting on us! THANK YOU SO MUCH JACKIE for taking care of not only the kids but the dog too! We appreciate you more than you'll know! 

After unpacking and starting a load of laundry, we were out the door to go and get Luke from school early so we could make the drive to Barbers Hill South for Natalie's volleyball game. This was about 1 hour and 15 minutes from our home and just at an hour from New Caney. We grabbed Luke and were on our way to Barbers Hill. We arrived around 3:30PM and were able to have a nice sit-down meal with Jackie before the game. 

Natalie's team ended up losing this game but she had a REALLY good game with 4 aces, 2 AWESOME hits and even a block up front! Way to go Natalie Grace! We didn't get back to our house until about 8:30PM and we were exhausted but what a day it was! 


Thank you Jackie for coming to take care of the kids
AND support Natalie and Luke at all their events! 
You are seriously the BEST CHEERLEADER EVER! 
We appreciate you! 


We love you Natalie Grace! 
And we are SO PROUD OF YOU! 

This was an INCREDIBLE cruise and it was so fun to get to celebrate the BIG 4-0 onboard a ship. I never thought I would be able to do that with a mid-year birthday! Thank you Chris for a great cruise! 

Thank you for following along! 

Up Next... Adventure of the Seas (with the kids)
February 2023





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Saturday, October 15, 2022

20 for 40- Sea Day #2

Enjoy One Last Day
September 7, 2022 
Sea Day #2


Carnival Breeze and gorgeous Caribbean... So perfect! 

Morning
I woke up shortly after 7AM and quietly went to the balcony to enjoy the calm seas and beautiful views. Chris woke up about an hour later and we went to get coffee from Blue Java Coffee Bar before going to Sea Day brunch in the MDR. 


A view from the Cove Balcony... I swear this is the most perfect cabin EVER! 


Another view from the balcony! 


A view of the Lido Deck main pool area around 9AM. 


A view of the Waterworks area as it opened at 10AM. 

We decided to be CRAZY on this brunch and we each got a few really weird things from the menu; like fried cheese sticks from the kids menu and a salmon Caesar salad. This was really fun to try but there were no big winners for us! 

We then went and played our traditional putt-putt golf game on the Carnival Breeze Sports Deck area on Deck 12. I was ahead for several holes but in the end, Chris won! AGAIN... Gosh, I have to win one soon! Maybe on the Adventure of the Seas? This is always such a fun tradition for us and despite it being a Sea Day it was not crowded at all.  


Time for mini-golf! 
C'mon Kellie... Try to win one! 

After our golf fun we went to the Atrium Bar to play cards and try and relax as we knew once we got off the ship on the following day, it was literally right back to work and being parents. We enjoyed our drink package again and played some trivia in the Atrium. We tried to do well on the Carnival 50th birthday trivia but some of the opponents were using their phones to get answers and we were not able to win. We played a few other trivia with a large group and Chris was able to help his team with the "Wheely Big Trivia" and earned another Carnival Medallion. 

I was very excited to be able to play FRIENDS trivia yet again and hopefully get a perfect score and get an additional Carnival Medallion but that was not the case. Unfortunately, for the first time in 5 Carnival cruises and 7 cruises overall, I was not able to come up with a W on the FRIENDS trivia! It was fairly depressing but this was a legitimate trivia and the winner deserved the medallion! I only scored 17/21 questions but these were TRUE Friends fans questions. I wish I would have written them down because I think even some of my best friends who are FREINDS geniuses would not have done well on these questions! 

After the FRIENDS Trivia fail, we went to the Main Theater to check out the Q&A session with Jasper. As I mentioned before, we were NOT a fan of our CD, Jasper,  but we love a good Q&A with the CD. We were hopeful this would be a "good" one but it was anything but that. Once again, Jasper turned this into a chance to just talk about himself. We were disgusted with the questions that were being answered but more so by the "just one little story" answers he was replying with.

Afternoon 
We went to get a late lunch at Guy's Burgers and then went back to the Casino Annex Bar. We really enjoyed this during the day time as it was the only place that offered EPSN on the ship. While we were sitting at the bar, we met the Hotel Director for the Carnival Breeze and were able to talk to him for a while. He was so very nice and even gave us a "drink on the house" which was very hospitable.


Trying to stay hydrated today! Water is definitely the KEY! 

Afterwards, I ventured back to the actual casino but was once again, not successful. This time on Roulette. I was able to go back up about $50 but opted not to stop and then lost it all again! "That's how they get you"! 

Chris went back to the room to take a nap and I went up to the Lido deck in hopes of finding a deck chair in the shade. I was able to find one and spent a few hours just watching the ocean sail by and it was absolutely GLORIOUS!  

I made my way back to the stateroom to start the packing process. In our later cruises, we have decided it is actually easier to NOT carry off our luggage and instead place it outside your room the night before disembarkation. We have noticed MORE AND MORE people are doing the self-assist disembarkation and that means a long wait so we opt to do the regular debark and we got off just as fast, if not faster than most. That means you have to have ALL your bags packed and outside your room by 10PM so you have to pack it up before dinner. It is SO depressing but really works for us! 


The COVID hallway on Deck 2 forward. 
(I learned this is a customary location on ALL Carnival ships). 

After I got our luggage packed, we just chilled on the balcony so we could catch the sunset at 7:15PM. It was STUNNING! It just doesn't get much better than a sunset on your balcony of a cruise ship! That is simply PERFECTION! 


Sunset on a cruise ship... It is one of my favorite things EVER! 
And this one was so clear and near perfect! 


Another view from our Cove Balcony! 


The seas were smooth and calm! 
This was about 4 minutes from the sun actually setting and disappearing into the horizon! 

Then we took a quick shower and went to another PG comedy show in the Comedy Club. This comedian was just not as funny but we enjoyed having a clean show. We then went to our last dinner aboard the Carnival Breeze. We gave our servers our tip and gift and told them thank you. One of our servers was going to go home in 2 more cruises so we were so happy for her! 


Soup and salad for the healthy win! 
I wish I could make salads like this at home! So fresh and so healthy! 


Of course, it was all followed by Baked Alaska so it was a wash! 
Haha... I am so glad Carnival has brought this back for their 50th Anniversary Celebration menu! 

After dinner we went back to Alchemy Bar for another round of drinks before getting in line for the last adult comedy show of the cruise. We were able to get in line and then get in the Comedy Club to get fairly decent seats for this final show. The Comedian was hilarious and we enjoyed this show very much! Then it was time to go back to the room and get to bed so we could face reality in the morning. 

This day and this cruise had been AMAZING but all good things must come to an end! It's been real Carnival Breeze! Until Next time! 

Up Next... Debarkation of the Carnival Breeze!




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Friday, October 14, 2022

20 for 40- Cozumel

The Joe Biden of Resorts 
September 6, 2022 
Cozumel, Mexico 


Hey Mexico... It's been too long!

Morning
We woke up to our first alarm of the cruise at 8AM. We quickly got ready and then went to the MDR for the port breakfast, which was FAST and delicious. These servers in the MDR were TOP NOTCH and were working SO VERY hard to get us all in and out and on our way to our excursion! Thank you, Carnival! 

We ate quickly and then went back to the room to get our backpacks and towels for our day at Del Mar Resort. I really wanted to have an all-inclusive beach day but I really did not want to make the 15 minute taxi drive to our usual's of Mr. Sancho's or Nachi Cocum Beach Clubs so I found this resort which was "walkable" from the cruise terminal. Well... It WAS walkable but once we realized how far it really was (.7 mile away from the Carnival cruise terminal) we opted to take a quick 3 minute taxi for $8. 


Hello Liberty of the Seas... EASILY my favorite ship EVER! 
Currently wishing I would have booked her ONE more time before she leaves TX in November 2022. 


And a view of the Carnival Breeze! 


A view of the Puerta Maya and International cruise terminals from Del Mar Resort! 

Once we arrived at Del Mar Resort, we were showed to our lounge chairs and then asked to wait as the resort did not open for another 20 minutes. We walked around and quickly noticed this was a very older and run down resort. It offered a VERY large and practically 50% covered pool and an open bar, but beyond that, it was nothing to write home about or even look at. 

We waited and then shortly before 9AM they gave us our all-inclusive bracelets and gave us our first drink. Chris ventured down to the ocean to try and swim but the entrance was VERY rock and down right dangerous. I opted to just sit and chill with my mojito and book in hand. Once we got in the pool, we remained there the rest of the day with drinks and snacks continuously refilled by the servers. 


A view of the restaurant area of Del Mar. 


The bar and restaurant area! 


The pool... This is where we spent the majority of our time at Del Mar! 


A view of the cruise terminal area and the boat ramp at Del Mar. 
The water was GORGEOUS with various shades of turquoise and blue! 

This resort was definitely the Joe Biden of resorts. The pictures online looked much better than in real life and promised so much more than what was actually received. The resort was old, worn down and showing signs of digression. But it was cheap... It did save me money, on the front end for sure! The Del Mar resort was $38 per person for unlimited drinks and snacks from their a la carte menu. This is about $20 less than the more popular resorts on the east end of Cozumel island. But you get what you pay for! 


The Del Mar Resort drink and food menu! 
TIP- Try the fresh guacamole It was fabulous! 

Afternoon
We enjoyed many rounds of drinks and some delicious coconut shrimp and guacamole snacks. As the afternoon began to creep in and the rain clouds started to form, we decided to make our way back to the Puerta Maya cruise port to get back on to the ship! We stopped at the port area to grab some gifts for Dan and Jackie and the kids before we got back on  the Carnival Breeze around 2PM. 


Even after 17 years... I still love you Chris Davis! 


A view of the WEST side of the Del Mar Resort. 


In front of Del Mar Resort looking back at the Cruise Terminals. 

Time to go back to the ship...


It was raining as we walked back to the ship. 
Still such a GORGEOUS ship! 

Once back onboard, we were feeling the much stronger drinks of Mexico and decided to try and sleep it off with a nap. We woke up about an hour later still bloated and feeling our choices. We went up to the Lido deck to get some pizza and split a burger in hopes that it would help but we were still bloated and feeling the many rounds we had at the Joe Biden resort! Ooops... It happens to the best of us! And besides, you only turn 40 ONCE! 

We went back to our Cove Balcony and tried to catch some pier runners... Which we DID! There were MANY pier runners on this day. Many of whom did not make it back to the pier until after the 4:30PM all aboard time. In fact, there were 2 sets of people who were running down the Cozumel pier after 5:15PM. The lack of respect for the cruise industry by these drunk and stupid people astonishes me every time we watch them stumble back onto the ship. We actually thought we left some people but upon asking the following day, all passengers made it back onboard. 

Evening
We took another nap and woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another evening onboard the Carnival Breeze. We went back to the Alchemy Bar for live music before going to the comedy shows. This evening show was both comedians doing PG shows and they were not near as funny as the adult shows but MUCH CLEANER! We enjoyed both comedians and then made our way to dinner in the MDR. Once again, the food and service were phenomenal. 

Carnival's caprese salad... Order it! Trust me! 

After dinner we checked out the 80s Rock and Glow party with Jasper and the Fun Squad on the Lido Deck. This was fun but not near as entertaining as Kyndall Fire 80s Party on the Vista! 


I've got my Rick Astley 80s shirt ready to go! 

We planned on going to the adult comedy show in the Comedy Club but despite arriving 30 minutes prior to the start of the show, it was standing room only. We opted to go to the Piano Bar with pianist Orlando instead and we LOVED singing along to great 80s songs! We also planned on going to the midnight "chips and salsa" buffet offered at Blue Iguana but we were SO bloated from the day of Mexican drinks and more food onboard so we passed on that. We were so very tired and worn down so we opted to go to bed early at 11:30PM. 

This was a GREAT day in our Caribbean home away from home. 

Up Next- Our last day on board the Carnival Breeze and Sea Day #2

God is Good... ALL THE TIME!  

Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Carnival Vista- July 2022



 


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