Mother-Daughter Cruise.

The real reason I went home in June was for the first annual Mother-Daughter vacation. This year, a dozen of us went on the Carnival Cruiseship Holiday out of Mobile, Alabama. My grandmother, Martha; mother, Mary Alice, and I boarded the ship headed for Cozumel, Mexico. Also on the trip were my "aunt" Wanda, her mother and aunt, a friend of her mother's, and her two girls, Keenan and Cora, as well as one of Keenan's friends, my "aunt" Jacq and her daughter, Maggie. What a crew!

Having never been on a cruise before, I had no idea what to expect. My mother, and many other strangers, assured me that I would not get seasick on the ship. This did not prove to be true, but I managed to enjoy myself nonetheless. Every night we had dinner in the Seven Seas dining room, enjoying beautiful and tasty foods like cream of lychee cold soup and basil icecream. I was in heaven, except for the fact that I couldn't eat too much because of the nausea. On the first day, though, I had to have REAL Indian food. It was great, no doubt due to the fact that most of the kitchen staff were from India!

In fact, that was, to me, the very best part of the cruise experience: the staff represented 48 different countries. Out waiter was from South Africa, our steward from Indonesia, the captain from Italy... And boy was he Italian! I won't go into it here, but suffice it to say that we called him "Fabio" and very innocently found him sunbathing one day on the upper deck with nothing but a speedo on! I think my grandmother's favorite part was when he personally helped her on to the tender, the little boat that taxied us to Cozumel. There were a lot of women on the boat that would have given anything to be in his arms on an unsteady boat!



The cruise only lasted 4 days, so there was hardly time to get used to it. When we arrived for our worldwind 6 hour tour of Mexico, I went with Jacq and the four girls on a rock climbing/snorkeling tour. I LOVE rock climbing, and I was excited about stretching my legs after a few days without exercise. The girls did a great job climbing - Cora and Maggie did some of the hardest climbs with ease. Then it was time for rappelling, which involves tying yourself to a small rope that is attached to 7-storied metal tower of questionable engineering and leaning over backwards into thin air before slowing lowering yourself to the ground. Sure. I'll just go ahead and do that. Really. (In the end, instead of being a role model for conquering one's fears, I modeled "knowing your limits" and bribed the guide to let me walk down by promising him tequila. He was happy to oblige.)

Then it was back onto the boat for more Macarena, Electric Slide, and various other group dances designed to make life on vacation exactly like a bad 80's highschool reunion. Everyone loved it. My favorite sound on the ship was the din of engine room noise that was our stateroom. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to have a place to sleep, but I continue to be amazed at the noise level in the room. Jeff had an idea when I told him that we were on one of the bottom floors in the back of the ship, "Maybe your room was functioning as one of the engine mounts!" I think he was right.

Next year, I'm requesting that the Mother-Daughter Trip involve much more land and much less water. I'm a big fan of taking a ferry to Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California and staying there for a few days. Then we can sit in seaside restaurants, sleep in oceanview rooms, and enjoy beach nightlife - all without seasickness and engine noise. Plus, we'll actually be able to get INTO the water! I'm such a cynic. And it's all a act. The truth is that I will go wherever my sweet grandmother and amazing mother tell me to go! (I just might not be able to get any sleep!) I love you, Granny & Momma!

P.S. After dinner, upon returning to your room, you will find a towel animal made especially for you by your steward. One night we had a seal - our favorite - and one night we had something else - see below. Bonus points to the person who can accurately determine what animal this is...