March 21, 2004
Our Honeymoon started with an unforgettable Limo ride that would have been 'non-stop' to Galveston, had we not stopped to let Rusty go to the potty at a 7-11. On the trip there, Shannon realized that Rusty had removed her make-up from her purse while he was looking for his checkbook to pay the caterer and DJ. She was not happy to have that left behind. Our first night as Husband and Wife was spent at the Hotel Galvez where the next morning we had room service deliver breakfast and we dined and waited for Rusty's niece Mandy to arrive. It seems that not only did Rusty leave Shannon's make-up case, he also had set aside her wallet with all her identification, credit cards, etc., Shannon was NOT happy! Luckily Mandy arrived in plenty of time with all the missing items and we had time to walk the seawall some and eat lunch. We arrived on time at the cruise ship port and boarded the Rhapsody of the Seas with out any problems.
Once on board we found our stateroom and were very pleased. We had a room with a balcony and as we were watching the safety video on the in-room TV, Rusty's sister and brother-in-law called and said that had come to Galveston on their way home to see us off. They parked their van across the street from the ship terminal and we were able to see and wave to them through our cameras. We were both amazed at size of the ship and very excited about leaving. After going through the required 'Muster Drill' and finding our assigned lifeboats, the cruise began with a Bon-voyage party on the upper deck. We got our first taste of the ships mixed drink menu and our first two souvenir glasses. That afternoon was spent touring the ship. We had dinner that evening in the main dining room where we met all of our table companions with whom we spent every evening dining with and by the end of the cruise felt fortunate to have met.
The second day of the cruise had us sailing to Key West and it started with a great massage for us both. Breakfast was served in the room and we also snacked on the honeymoon cake provided in our honeymoon package. The spa became a welcomed location for Shannon as she made use of it quite frequently. We spent some time on the upper decks but there was a westward wind blowing about 20knots and we were heading east at about 20knots, which made the winds across the deck about 40knots! Rusty took pictures of a crewmember removing the Norwegian flag and after we had them developed on board Rusty sent them to the captain with a note about the crewman's tenacity and respect as he lowered the flag and fought the wind. The following day we receive a 'Thank You' letter from the captain.
Rusty spent a lot of time on the balcony and was amazed at the number of flying fish that the ship was scaring up. That evening was the first of two formal nights. During this evening we got to meet the Captain of the ship and had our photos taken with him. A brief dance before dinner was quite fun and the rocking of the ship had the dancers moving across the floor in unison. After the dance, Rusty went to the bathroom with the Captain and attempted to get a seat at his table on evening, but needless to say, that didn't happen.
The third day of the cruise found us in Key West. Rusty had high hopes on getting to tour the lighthouse at Key West and after making a mad dash for a taxi and trip to the lighthouse, we found it had already closed for the day. We spent a few minutes photographing the lighthouse before walking back towards the shopping area. Across the street from the lighthouse we stopped to take a photo of Ernest Hemmingway's home. As we walked through the streets of Key West we came across Jimmy Buffet's original Margaritaville so we stopped to sample the Margaritas and take some photos. While we were inside, Rusty ran down stairs and had a nice couple at the bar take our picture. We both decided the Margaritas were some of the worse we had ever sampled. Leaving there we did a little shopping for souvenirs and then made our way back to the ship. Shopping in a particular t-shirt shop was really interesting at all the workers seem to be high and Rusty even purchased a camo-shirt for himself that turned out to be, after inspection by Shannon, a small dress. Shiree got two souvenirs from Key West! The stop over at Key West was one of the shortest in duration so we didn't really get to do much there. After dinner we decided that we wanted to attend the Midnight Cruise Party so we retired early to let the gentle rocking of the ship put us to sleep for a few hours. We woke up the next morning fully rested having never heard the alarms we had set. The bed was comfortable and motion of the ship was incredibly relaxing!
The fourth day found us cruising toward Grand Cayman. Shannon hit the spa and Rusty tried his hand at the blackjack table. We started another 'cruise tradition' of eating breakfast in the Windjammer Restaurant which was located on the upper deck and at the front of the ship. Each morning thereafter (except one) we ate at a table over looking the front of the ship. As the fourth day passed we spent it up on the upper deck laying out in the sun and watching Cuba slip by. The ship's band was setup on the deck next to the pool so, we stayed there most of the day and listened to them play. This part of the cruise was a day of relaxing in preparation for the next two days of excursions.
The fifth day we arrived in the morning at Grand Cayman. There were no docks available, so the ship off loaded some of the lifeboats and everyone either rode in these or some other local 'tenders' to shore. We had purchased an excursion to see the Turtle Farm, Swim with the Stingrays and a Beach Outing. However, due to the rough waters, the excursion was canceled leaving us to find our own way. Upon arrival on the shore and some brief shopping we had a taxi take us to a local car rental where we rented a Suziki Jeep and off we went. Driving was an experience as the jeep was a 'normal' left hand drive but since Grand Cayman is a British territory you drove on the 'wrong side' of the road. After some time getting used to the roads we ended up in Hell. We sent a few postcards from there and then drove on to the turtle farm. We toured the farm and then ate lunch across the street at the Broken Conch. After lunch we drove to a small beach we had passed earlier and got out to play in the water some. Returning the jeep, the owner of the rental place took us back to the shopping areas by the port where we bought some rum cakes and souvenirs. We were back on the ship in time for dinner with our new friends.
The Sixth day had us arriving in Cozumel where the ship was able to dock at the port. The docking was interesting for as we approached the dock the captain swung the ship around and we 'backed in' to the spot. Getting off the boat we had no real plans but had some ideas concerning an island tour and a secluded beach. Thinking of renting a car, Rusty spotted a small two-person car called a ZINI which we rented. The car became an icon of our adventure in Cozumel. Riding in it was a blast! We followed a side street designated for small cars such as ours, mopeds and motorcycles and headed south along the beach. Our first stop was a small village where we found some Mayan ruins and a few over priced tourist shops. Leaving there we continued south to a national park called Punta Sur (Point South) where we signed up for a short tour. We loaded up on the back of a Chevy one-ton truck with wooden benches and the tour guide brought us to the Punta Cerain (Point Watch) lighthouse. The lighthouse is a current working navigational beacon and was great! We were able to climb the stairs (after signing a waiver) to the top and the view was incredible! We had some other tourist there take our photo on top of the lighthouse before descending the 128 small steps back to the ground. After a quick bit of shopping at the gift shop and a potty break we climbed back into the truck and followed the road to the ancient ruin of a Mayan weather station. The tour guide explained that there were conch shells placed on top of the larger building which served as a sound ampliphier and the Mayan 'weatherman' was able to tell up to 12 hours prior if a hurricane was coming. This was in 200BC and produced warnings 5 times advanced as the technology available during the time of the 1900 hurricane that wiped out Galveston. Another brief stop was at a pier over an estuary where we could see a few crocs and then our tour was over. We left Punta Sur and ate lunch at Rasta's which was just outside of the park and across the road from the beach. From there we took a few photos on the rocky beach as the waves were splashing against them and then hopped in the Zini to head back north. About halfway between Punta Sur and the main town of Cozumel, we found a small trail that we drove down to park the Zini on a secluded beach. There we sun bathed and enjoyed the solitude. Leaving the beach we traveled into town to try our hand at shopping. After being disappointed at several shops due to high prices, we finally found a shop with decent pricing and someone willing to negotiate. We purchased t-shirts for everyone and headed back to the port. Turning in the Zini we boarded the ship. Our day at Cozumel was the highlight of our trip.
The seventh day of cruising was heading back to Galveston and Shannon again visited the spa. Rusty had breakfast ready in the stateroom upon her return. After breakfast, we opened the door to the balcony and laid down to enjoy the sounds of the waves. We awoke in time to eat lunch just before they closed the Windjammer! Dinner that evening was truly enjoyable and our table was the last one to leave as everyone was such a delight to be with.
We arrived in Galveston early Sunday morning and after waiting for our turn to debark, Shannon's friend Robin was there to chauffeur us home. Our honeymoon was an experience neither of us will soon forget and we are looking forward to another cruise sometime soon.
