Smooth Sailing

Our first cruising experience was really great.  There really was something for everyone in our family to enjoy.  The girls loved swimming and the idea that they were sleeping on a boat.  They got a lot of attention from all of the staff and I think our girls reminded many of the staffers of their children back home.  The girls also consumed large quantities of ice cream and maraschino cherries!

The adults enjoyed watching the waves and everyone got some reading done.  The food was fantastic too!  Because we were staying in a suite, we had the option of bypassing the buffet for meals and could eat in the formal dining room for every meal.  

Mmm, tea!

Giggling after doing a dance!

A few afternoons I joined the other Kindle readers and sat by the indoor pool reading and relaxing.  Jamie and I went to one of the evening performances and got to see an impressive pianist, Linda Gentille.  More impressive than her musical skills were her language skills.  She is American, but has lived in China for many years and she personally greeted all the different groups in the audience.  She spoke French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, German and many other languages and it wasn’t just a memorized greeting, she was nearly fluent!

Another evening Jamie and I saw True Grit on the big screen.  It was a great movie and yes I know it’s been out for a while, but for some reason it hasn’t made it to China yet, hmmmm.  

LBean asked to go to the kid’s clubhouse, which is a really nice feature on the boat.  The club house is a play area for kids over the age of 3 and who are potty-trained.  There were games, movies, crafts and lots of toys.  LBean really liked it and I think would have gone every day if she could.  She went in the afternoon during EBean’s naptime, which meant that the adults could also nap or read.  On the last night of the cruise the clubhouse sponsored a family scavenger hunt.  We roamed around all the decks of the boat looking for things that started with every letter of the alphabet.  The girls, who were slightly less than enthused about the activity, were given a lesson on perseverance and were rewarded with hats and octopus toys from the clubhouse staffer when we finished the game.  


We all enjoyed the cruise and I have a feeling we'll do it again!