The Quest for a Ship On A Stick

Posted on June 17, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Splendor

Cruise ships plan entertainment each day, which passengers can participate in if they choose. They all have a daily paper delivered each evening with the next day’s activities. On Carnival they call it the Fun Times. Winners of various competitions throughout the cruise are sometimes awarded the much coveted ship on a stick. I had heard of these ship-shaped trophies, but never actually seen one. Before this cruise we had never participated in any activity which offered such a wonderous prize. Tina looked through the daily schedules for things to do because we had to find something to entertain 12-year-old Justin for part of the day or he would spend the entire time on board sliding down the waterslide, which would probably result in one heck of a sunburn.

winners of the scavenger hunt

On the first sea day we tried out a scavenger hunt. We got quite a few items, but the other teams had more. One team had them all and they won a ship on a stick. Our first glimpse of this much talked about trophy. Now that we had seen it we wanted one too. What sort of mystic spell does this gold colored plastic ship cast that once people lay eyes on one they will go to great lengths to have it? We got medals for participation even though we came in last place. The medals are actually metal and of better quality than the trophy yet something that easy to get does not carry the importance of something you have to earn. Perhaps if the medals were not given out so freely they would mean more.

Carnival Medal

Later we tried Win Lose or Draw. It came out in a draw. They divided all the participants into two teams. The game started with each team making a list of things for the other team to draw. Then the girl who ran the games picked something from one team’s list for one of them to draw while the others guessed within a time limit. When they finished the other team got a turn. At the end of the game both teams had the same number of points so each team received one medal. No ship on a stick for anyone and the team members had to decide which person got to keep the medal. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that giving medals to less teams in the scavenger hunt and having one for each person on the winning team (if they’d had one) for this game might have made a bit more sense. Then again perhaps they do give the entire team medals should one team actually win. I’ve only played that game the once so I really don’t know.

John draws the picture for win lose or draw

Most onboard trivia games are short, individual, and one set of questions on a particular topic and then done. We went to one called Super Duper Trivia. This game had teams of 2-10 people. They say more is better, which to some extent is true because of more brains to come up with answers, but it also means more chances to make the wrong choice when faced with multiple suggestions. We grouped up with the people around us. Every team had to name themselves so I suggested Random People since our team was composed of all the random people sitting in the same area. One of the other people wanted it to be Brilliant People instead so the team went with that and in doing so probably cursed ourselves to be anything but.

Each team rolled a giant die first for the subject of the question and then again for the number points a correct answer would score. If they got the question wrong the next team could steal if they came up with the right answer. If not that question died and did not pass on to a third team. If it had things might have gone differently in the end as we knew the answers to several questions that we never had a chance to answer when two other teams could not.

Justin rolls the giant die

Justin became our official team roller. He rolled 6 for the points and we got the question right, starting the game with a lead since we were first to go. Nobody else got 6 points of their own the first round, but one team missed their question giving the team after them a chance to steal, which they did. The team that stole that question got their own question right and jumped into the lead. They got another steal or two in later rounds as well which put them well ahead of everyone else.

Meanwhile we had no opportunities to steal and missed a couple of our own questions so though they would not say who had what for points or where each team stood we knew we were nowhere near the top of the pile.

When time ended for that day they said we had to come back for part 2 the next sea day. About half of the people from the first day’s team showed up for the finale, everyone wearing some sort of Carnival swag as it was worth 10 points if everyone on the team had some. At least some of the people from each team came back so we did not move up in the ranks due to any whole team not returning. We wore the medals from the scavenger hunt for our swag and the other 2 returners on our team each had a ship-on-a-stick tucked into a front pocket of front of their shirt, won in a ping-pong tournament.

The rest of the teams had Carnival swag as well, ranging from t-shirts bought in the ship’s gift shop to the beach towels or bathrobes from their staterooms or the pins given by Carnival to returning guests of gold rank or higher. (Every cruise line has some sort of loyalty program for returning guests. More cruises means a higher ranking and better perks.)

the girl running the trivia game

The schedule in the fun times did not say the trivia game that day was a continuation of a previous game so some new people showed up. The newcomers banded together forming their own team called a song and a prayer as that’s about all the chance they had of winning.

All through the second day we were cursed with low rolls for the points, though we did get all but one question right and even managed a steal. Justin knew the answer to one question when nobody else did. One of the questions asked where to find Mount Olympus. Though we gave Greece knowing they wanted that answer I did add in that Washington State has one as well. The girl in charge looked skeptical and said she’d have to look that up sometime. At the end of the game she listed off the team scores, last to first. The new team came in dead last. We were second to last. The team with the early lead continued their lucky streak of points and steals throughout the game and took first.

She had a number of prizes from ships on a stick to medals to champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to award. Everyone kind of thought she’d give something to the first place team and then work down from there awarding something to second and maybe at least third, but no, she gave all the loot to first. Did one team really need both medals and ships on a stick for the same game? Yeah, she probably should have at least given the medals to second place even if first got everything else. (We were 5th and expected exactly what we got – nothing.) Perhaps that scavenger hunt just left me with a biased opinion of the medals and they aren’t as easy to get as I initially thought.

Another time we tried a trivia game at the Red Frog Pub, which also had groups, but just the people you came with. Games in the Red Frog must be really popular because more people showed up than they had chairs in the room. We didn’t win that one either, but I don’t think the prize was a ship on a stick anyway.

Finally my very own ship on a stick!

On Grand Turk day I noticed they had Harry Potter trivia that afternoon and since Justin and I got back from the beach in time we decided to play since I thought I’d have a good chance there. He just came along for something to do. Each person got a pencil and a paper numbered 1-20 with a line for each answer. After asking 20 questions and saying the participants would have to help with pronunciation of the answers as she had never read the books or seen the movies, the girl from Carnival went through the list of questions while whoever got them right (or thought they did) shouted out the answers.

Justin poses with the loot – and a towel animal

Justin’s paper was blank as he had neither read the books nor seen the movies and knew none of the answers at all. I thought I’d get everything since I have read all the books, but could not on the spot remember things like Mad-Eye Moody’s first name. Apparently nobody else could remember every obscure tidbit she asked either. I was the only one to say Hungarian Horntail for the dragon Harry fought in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Nobody remembered that the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was Newt Scamander. In the end I had more right answers than anyone else and finally won that elusive ship on a stick!

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Carnival, Shipboard Life, Splendor | Tagged cruise ship entertainment, family travel, fun, games, lose, photos, prizes, ship on a stick, trophies, win | 8 Comments

Port Arthur, Tasmania

Posted on June 11, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Legend in Port Arthur in the fog

On our cruise to Tasmania, Carnival Legend made its first stop at Port Arthur on a gray cloudy day. Normally it costs money to see the historic buildings there, but the ship’s tenders brought us right to the dock in the historic site and nobody asked for any money from passengers coming ashore. Perhaps the entry charge was included in the port fees for that stop. Whatever the reason, the Legend’s passengers could roam freely through Port Arthur at will. Ship’s crew offered a free guided tour or people could walk about on their own. We started out with the tour, but did not stick with it long because my 3 and 5 year old grandkids did not keep up with the tour guide well enough for us to hear anything after the first stop or two. Luckily we were also given some written information.

ruins of the prison and military buildings

It started to drizzle a bit as we first left the tender, making us wonder if we should have brought our raingear ashore. It probably wouldn’t have been worth it though since mainly it just sprinkled on off and on with no heavy rainfall.

Hannah and Daniel in prison

The kids enjoyed exploring the ruins of the prison and standing in a barred window like prisoners wishing for escape. In its current condition the prison would not hold anyone as it had no roof and some walls missing. It is undergoing restoration to preserve what they have left.

portions of the prison wall crumbled away and there’s no roof

Before the colonists the Pydairrerme people occupied the land where Port Arthur now sits. The area still has Middens and other cultural sites from their thousands of years of living there. They still populated the area at first contact with Europeans, but none were known to remain on the Tasman Peninsula beyond 1830.

passengers from the ship flock to the ruins

Port Arthur started as a timber station in 1830. From 1833 to 1853 the hardest British and Irish criminals – those who re-offended after arrival in Australia, and rebellious prisoners ended up doing hard time at Port Arthur. Their intent to grind rogues into honest men meant hard labor and forced religion for the prisoners.

guard tower

Some of the jobs prisoners had to do included working the timber with gangs of men chained together carrying trees on their shoulders. They built many of Port Arthur’s buildings including making the bricks themselves. Prisoners built ships at the dockworks and for a time ran a flour mill which was later turned into the large penitentiary whose remains now dominate the landscape.

parts of the penitentiary still stand tall

Harsh punishments included public floggings with 50-100 lashes from a cat-o-nine-tails (9-ended whip). Port Arthur was considered inescapable. The peninsula it sits on makes the site naturally secure on most borders, and no prisoner could cross the narrow isthmus connecting it to the mainland as it was fenced and guarded by soldiers, man traps, and half-starved dogs. If hard physical labor didn’t keep the prisoners in line, Port Arthur had a worse place to send them.

nothing left inside most of the penitentiary

The separate prison, intended to reform the worst of criminals, was just as likely to drive them insane. Prisoners spent 23 hours of each day isolated in a single cell where they ate, slept, and worked. One hour each day they could exercise alone in a high-walled yard. On Sundays guards brought them blindfolded one by one to church, where they sat in isolated cubicles where they could see no-one but the priest and were not allowed to talk to one another through the walls.

some remaining structure on the inside of the penitentiary

In its later years as a prison between 1853 and 1877 the prison housed many geriatric prisoners. It was abandoned in 1877, but remains one of the more historically significant places in Tasmania.

the Commandant’s house

The Port Arthur historical site covers many acres and has over 30 buildings, ruins, or other places of interest including a nearby coal mine. Some visitors to the area take ferry tours out to see Point Puer Boy’s Prison – where juvenile offenders from 9-17 received an education wrought with stern discipline and harsh punishment.

inside the Commandant’s house

Ferries also bring tourists to the Isle of the Dead where around 1100 people from all walks of life at Port Arthur found their final resting place between 1833 and 1877. Prisoners, military, and civilians including children are buried in graves on the island cemetery. Industrial accidents and respiratory disease brought about by sleeping in cold cells in wet clothing were the most common causes of death in prisoners.

looking at the Legend through the ruins

We saw just a small section of buildings, the penitentiary, police station, military officer’s quarters and guard towers, and the commandant’s house (which was later a hotel and a boarding house). As we left the commandant’s house the wind whipped up and the sky threatened torrential rain. A group vote sent us back to the ship rather than exploring further and risking a major soaking. We didn’t see any snakes, but a man who worked there said while they hide in bad weather, on sunny days they are everywhere.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Australia, Carnival, Legend, Ports of Call | Tagged Australia, Carnival, cruise, history, photos, Port Arthur, prison, ruins, Tasmania, travel | 9 Comments

How To Fold a Towel Giraffe

Posted on June 5, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

How to Make a Towel Giraffe

I’ve had a few google hits from people looking for instructions on how to fold a towel giraffe, so I thought I should write a post on that. Since I’ve never actually seen a towel giraffe I had to make up my own. This towel giraffe is entirely My Cruise Stories original creation.

towel giraffe

Supplies Needed to Make a Towel Giraffe

1 Bath Towel Googly Eyes or other eyes

1 Hand Towel Pipe Cleaner (AKA chenille stem)

Yarn Piece of Pipe Cleaner (AKA fuzzy stick)

rubber band

How to Make a Giraffe Tail

hook the pipe cleaner over the circle of yarn loops

Loop a few strands of yarn around your fingers or some other object to make even loops. Hook one end of a pipe cleaner over all the loops and twist it tight.

finished towel giraffe tail

Cut through the loops at end farthest from pipe cleaner to make single strands. Even up ends of strands with scissors.

How to Fold a Towel Giraffe Body

Use the closest color towel you have to the color of a real giraffe. If the pattern on these towels had been solid rather than outlines these would have been perfect, but they were the best I could find.

tightly roll each short end to the center after folding over the long edges

Lay the bath towel out flat with the side you want on the outside down. Fold a couple inches over on both long sides of the towel.

put the tail between the rolls and then roll them tightly together with just the end part of the tail sticking out

Tightly roll each end of the towel to the middle from the short ends. Put the finished tail between the rolls and place the body in a standing position, rolled side up.

stand the body up with the rolls on the outside and the tail in place

Try to make the front end taller than the back because that’s how real giraffes are. Any extra pipe cleaner between the rolls and not sticking out for the tail can help with shaping the body.

How to Fold a Towel Giraffe Head

lay the hand towel out flat with the good side down and fold over one end

Lay a long hand towel down flat with the side you want on the outside down. Fold one short end partway over the towel. About 1/3 of the length of the towel after folding should be single and about 2/3 double. The amount left in a single layer at the first fold should just come over the end of the folded over part after the corners are folded down.

from the center of the unfolded end, fold over each corner

From the center of the unfolded end, fold over each corner into a triangle. The two triangles should meet at the center, but not cross over each other. The edges of each triangle should just cover over the end of the original fold.

fold the tip of the towel so it comes halfway to the edges of the small triangles

Fold over the pointed end of the towel so the new fold comes halfway to the ends of the two triangles.

fold the folded point over again so it comes to the edge of the other folds

Fold the end over again. It should sit even with the edges of the two triangles.

pick up the towel as you fold the folded part in half

Fold the folded end in half. You can pick the towel up as you do this, making sure none of the other folds come undone. Fold with all the prior folds on the outside and bring both sides of the folded end together, don’t worry about the rest of the towel for now so long as nothing comes unfolded.

pinch the edges together under the center of the folded part so it looks like a head

Hold both sides of the towel together tightly underneath the folded center so it resembles a head. While holding the folded end together with one hand, find the points of the two triangles underneath the fold with the other hand and carefully pull them out for ears without disturbing the rest of the head.

step by step towel animal folding instructions

tuck the giraffe head tightly under your chin

Tuck the head under your chin with the ears at the back toward your neck and the nose at the front toward your chin. Your chin needs to keep a tight hold on the head while your hands gather hanging towel on both sides.

there should be a hand on each roll, but my other hand is on the camera

Take one side of the towel in one hand and the other side of the towel in the other hand and roll them toward the center as tightly as you can. Make sure the top part is tight and then work your way down until the whole thing becomes two tight rolls.

hold the rolls together

While holding the neck so it stays tightly rolled, take the head out from under your chin.

put a rubber band on the neck

Put a rubber band around the bottom end of the rolls so they can’t come undone.

you will probably need to shape the head and ears

Shape the head and ears as desired.

How to Make Horns for a Towel Giraffe

fold over each end of a little piece of a pipe cleaner to make horns

Giraffes have knobby little horns. To make horns for the towel giraffe, take a small piece of a pipe cleaner and fold over each end.

Finishing the Towel Giraffe

decorate the giraffe head with eyes and horns

Use a bit of double stick tape under the bit between the horns to stick the horns to the top of the giraffe’s head. If you have googly eyes use double stick tape to add those to the head as well. If you don’t have eyes you can make some with bits of felt or paper.

place the head between the leg rolls at the front of the body

Carefully place the head between the rolls at the front of the body. Push the rolls back together as much as possible after inserting the head. Adjust the body, head, and tail positions as desired.

finished towel giraffe

If you are a first time towel animal folder you may want to try something easier, like the penguin. The head of the giraffe is rather tricky, making it one of the more difficult towel animals to fold.

For instructions on how to fold lots of other towel animals visit My Cruise Stories towel animal page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged art, crafts, ideas, photos, things to do, things to make, towel animal folding instructions, towel animals, towel giraffe | 7 Comments

Holland America Veendam

Posted on May 31, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Holland America Veendam

Holland America ships are easily recognizable on the horizon by the dark blue color of their hulls, which sets them apart from other mostly white cruise ships. They also tend toward smaller size. While some cruise lines build bigger and bigger ships, Holland America’s niche falls into the mid-size ship category, with all ships built to fit through the Panama Canal. Veendam is one of Holland America’s smaller ships, with just two sets of passenger stairs and elevators fore and aft and none central other than the atrium stairs which span only the atrium’s three levels.

Crystal Sculpture in the Atrium

This makes the lowest level of the atrium at the center of the ship a quiet place most of the time. It has a crystal sculpture snaking up 3 decks at the center. The lowest level of the atrium has some tabletop shuffleboard games and space for the entertainment crew to hold games or other events at times as well. The front office customer service and shore excursions counters sit on the edges of the atrium’s second level. Shops and the Ocean Bar surround the top level.

Every night the stateroom steward makes a towel animal. One night we had this elephant.

When boarding the Veendam at embarkation on the first day, crew stand at the elevators and stairways ready to direct confused passengers to their cabins. Why are the passengers confused? On most ships if the room number starts with 1, you’re on deck 1. If it starts with 6 you’re on deck 6. So passengers who have not consulted the deck plans for the location of their stateroom tend to head to the wrong deck because on the Veendam numbering starts with the Pinnacle Suite at 001 and it is on deck 10. The Neptune suites have the next lower numbers starting from 002, and working their way to higher numbers as they approach the vista suites at the other end of deck 10. As you work your way down to lower decks of the ship the numbers get higher with the lowest passenger floor having rooms in the 700-800 range. Only on deck 5 are there cabins that start with the deck number as the cabins at the front of deck 5 are in the 500 range.

The decks can get confusing as well since the lowest passenger deck is labeled as deck 4 rather than deck 1. Deck 4 is also the A deck. Newer ships have decks A, B, and C going down toward toward the water and then start the deck above A as deck 1, which is usually the lowest deck where passengers regularly go.

The hard-working Veendam crew on the stage in the showroom at sea

The Veendam was updated fairly recently. It was the first ship renovated with Holland America’s Signature of Excellence upgrades, the line’s latest features and amenities which include a $2 million art and antique collection. The Veendam has teak decks and spacious staterooms, most with bathtubs. Stateroom categories include interior, ocean-view, lanai, spa, vista suites, neptune suites and one pinnacle suite. Neptune and Pinnacle suite guests have the private Neptune lounge available for their use.

Vista Suite Balcony

The Veendam has no balcony cabins other than spa or suites, but the even vista suites have larger than average cruise ship balconies. It has some lanai cabins, which are cabins with sliding glass doors to the outside walkway on the promenade deck, and deck chairs outside the room for the use of passengers booked in that cabin. The sliding doors of lanai cabins and windows of ocean-view cabins on the promenade deck are made of one-way glass so occupants can see out without being seen from the outside, though at night with the lights on in the room people may see in so it’s a good idea to shut the curtains at night in those rooms.

One of the Mix Bars

Veendam has a number of bars including the Crow’s Nest, Explorer’s Lounge and Ocean bars, as well as Mix, a three part bar with separate sections serving martinis, champagne, or spirits and ales, and an outside bar at the Retreat on the back of the Lido deck. Dining venues include the upscale Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto Italian, the Lido Buffet and the Rotterdam main dining room.

Lido Pool

The Vendam has plenty for passengers to do. Pamper yourself in the Greenhouse Spa or keep fit in the gym or sports courts. Attend a variety of lectures or presentations including cooking demonstrations and digital workshops. Relax on deck or in a hot tub or enjoy a dip in the pool. Take in an evening show at the Showroom at Sea. The ship also has shops, art auctions, and for young guests Club HAL or the Loft for teens.

wash, dry, or iron your clothes on this ship

Veendam deck 6 biggest self serve launderette

When sailing on the Veendam, passengers can pack light because the ship has 3 self-serve launderettes where people can wash their own clothes if they have quarters. ($3 will wash and dry a load.) Each of the launderettes has an iron and ironing board. The one on deck 6 has about twice as many washers and dryers as the ones on decks 5 and 9.

Ship Facts

Ship Class: S
Ship’s Registry: The Netherlands
Passenger capacity: 1,350
Crew members: 580
Gross Tonnage: 57,092 grt.
Length: 719 feet
Beam: 101 feet
Maximum speed: 22 knots
Dedicated: January 1996, by actress Debbie Reynolds

Rotterdam Dining Room on the Veendam

Dining Room Dress Code:

Dress Code Per Holland America’s Website:

Evening dress falls into two distinct categories: Formal or Smart Casual. Smart Casual can be defined as slacks and sports shirts or sweater for men and skirt or trousers and sweater or blouse for women. Printed T-shirts, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the restaurants or public areas during the evening hours. On festive Formal evenings, ladies wear a cocktail dress or gown and gentlemen wear a suit and tie or tuxedo.

What People Actually Wear:

In these days of baggage charges on airplanes people tend to pack lighter for cruises than in the past and formal clothes take up a lot of suitcase space. People dressed nicely for formal nights, but I did not see a single tux or gown. I’m not the most observant person about other people’s clothes so it’s possible they were there and I didn’t see them, but then again they would probably stand out and get noticed. Most of the men wore suits and the women skirts or dresses. Lots of women wear sparkly clothes for cruise ship formal nights, but sparkles are not a requirement.

Though the dress code actually appears to include all public areas of the ship, people wore jeans (which the dress code did not ban) to the lido buffet and some changed out of their dinner clothes to attend the shows. We asked one of the crew working at Canaletto if it was OK to wear jeans there and they said yes. (Canaletto is an area on the Lido that serves Italian food in the evenings for a small surcharge.)

Giant Chess Game on the Lido Deck

Other Random Stuff

A couple years ago I went on the Westerdam with a large family group. On that trip I roomed with my aunt and sister and on embarkation day we took the spa tour and since there were 3 of us they gave us an even better deal for the thermal suite than their couples deal. This trip it was just my aunt and I in the room, but we still found a way to get a great deal. If you wait a couple days to sign up for the thermal package it gets a bit cheaper each day, so assuming it doesn’t fill up before you join you can use it for most of the trip and still save money.

Veendam thermal suite

Walking down the hallway to our room on the first day, we passed a room where someone had posted a big sign on their door proclaiming “WE ARE KITTENS!” Kittens? I did a double take on that one, and upon going back and reading the sign carefully and not just in passing it actually said we are knitters. Sometimes various groups get a number of rooms on a ship and then people interested in that activity book through that group and participate in their activities. I’ve done it in on poker cruise, and seen other groups such as quilters or scrapbookers on various cruises. Above the “kittens” sign they had a small square sign about their group, which appeared on a number of other doors as well.

Walking past with a peripheral glance I saw this sign as kittens

Speaking of doors, on the Veendam the cabin doors are magnetic, but the walls are not. I thought all cruise ships had magnetic walls, but I guess you learn something new every day. I learned something else on this cruise too. On embarkation day the whole area around the port had a power outage, including the port buildings. Often ships in port plug into shore power so they don’t have to run their diesel engines at the dock, but I never knew it could work in reverse. On that day the tech crew ran power lines out from the ship to power the security equipment needed on shore for boarding and it ran some lights as well. Though not as efficient as a normal boarding day, it is amazing that the ship could do that at all.

copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Holland America, Veendam | Tagged cruise ship, dining room dress code, Holland America, ship facts, Veendam | 15 Comments

Decatur Island

Posted on May 25, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

boat wake

While we love to take trips on cruise ships, sometimes it’s nice to cruise around in a small private boat. We miss our dog when traveling without her, and taking our own boat to a dog-friendly cabin means she can come too. Isabelle gets so excited when she sees us pack. Normally an independent dog, she becomes cling-on-doggy when we get ready to leave. Open the car door and she’ll jump right in. When she sees the luggage, she knows someone will leave soon and she always wants to come too.

cabin at Decatur Head

Washington State’s San Juan Islands provide many opportunities for recreation of all sorts. Some islands have year-round inhabitants, some vacation cabins, and some no humans at all. Some of the larger islands have parks and a few small islands are parks. Washington State Ferries visit four of the biggest islands, the others are reached by private boats, small planes, and a variety of water taxi or island hopper boat services that can transport vehicles.

Decatur Island on San Juan Islands Map

We recently had the opportunity to visit a smallish privately owned island nestled between Lopez and Blakely called Decatur. Several private vacation communities and a handful of permanent residents make up the population of the island. Decatur has no public facilities such as hotels or campgrounds. Other than coming as a guest of someone with an island cabin, outsiders can visit by staying in a vacation rental. The island has a private small-plane airport and water-taxi service from Anacortes.

pirate ship playground

Decatur Island covers 3.524 square miles. We stayed in a cabin at Decatur Head, one of the private communities, as guests of my sister-in-law. There is a rental cabin at Decatur Head on the other side of the small bay near the public boat launch where sometimes the island transport drops off vehicles and a water taxi drops off foot passengers.

a whole tree washed up on the beach

We docked briefly near our cabin to unload, then parked the boat on a nearby mooring buoy. John spent a considerable amount of time taking various people out fishing, which gave Isabelle and I plenty of time to explore the nearby portions of the island.

one room school house

A walk up the gravel road brought us to the island’s only school, one of the few one-room schoolhouses left in the USA. Students above 8th grade catch a ride on the mail plane to a high school on a larger island.

tiny island deer

Just before reaching the school we saw a deer grazing on the roadside. The island has some tiny deer, this one looked no bigger than my dog. During the summer the school hosts a public market on Saturdays.

island store

Isabelle and I walked up the same road another day with John and his sister. She knew of a small store a short walk beyond the school. In addition to basic grocery supplies the store sold ice cream and milkshakes.

driftwood homestead

One morning we walked down the beach for awhile. Near the cabins people have made all sorts of structures out of driftwood.

looks like an old west graveyard

One reminded me of an old western style graveyard, though I doubt that was the builder’s intention. They likely intended it to resemble a fenced yard for their cabin-like structure. It amazes me how much effort people put into building driftwood houses on a beach where the next storm will likely turn them back into a pile of logs again.

Isabelle enjoys the view from the top of Decatur Head

Climbing up the hillside behind the cabin provided lots of woods to hike through. Anywhere near the edge offered views of the sea or sometimes neighboring James Island, one of the San Juan Islands’ marine parks. The San Juans tend to have a wet side and a dry side. Underbrush on the wet side grows thick and can include nettles, the dry side like where we were is far more navigable between the trees.

a sailboat moored at James Island State Park across the water

Our recent small-ship cruise on the Wilderness Adventurer sailed through the San Juans, with a hike on Sucia Island, another one of the area’s marine parks.

dock dog in her lifejacket, ready for a boat ride

This San Juan Islands Guide Link has more information about the San Juans and what they have to offer for anyone interested in vacationing there.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2014

Posted in Washington | Tagged cabins, Decatur Island, dogs, photos, San Juan Islands, travel, vacation | 10 Comments

Memories of a Cruise Ship Doctor Part 9-Still Cruising

Posted on May 19, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Although no longer a cruise ship physician, Len Kreisler MD still enjoys cruising as a passenger. He’s added this last story in just for the blog. His previous stories on the blog came from his book regarding his cruise ship doctor days. In this story he tells us how a chance meeting on a cruise ship led to learning something about the history of some major players in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Palace Station Casino photo courtesy of Hotels.com

As a cruise ship physician and as a cruise passenger, I definitely prefer the smaller (1000 to 1200 passenger) ships. For one, I do not like waiting in long lines for embarkation or disembarkation; either at the beginning of the cruise, at the end of the voyage, or for shore excursions during the trip. I like to socialize with the passengers and crew and if current security polices allow, I like to visit the bridge, request dinner with the Captain or another officer, and have a relaxed open seating policy; i.e. just show up during the designated meal times and be seated where ever the Maître Dee’s judgment takes you. On a smaller ship the”Hotel” service people get to know you and your preferences; for dinner, room serve, etc. Here is one pleasant memory on a small ship cruise.

We were in a short dinner line waiting for the doors to open. It was the Regent Seven Seas Mariner’s18-day trans Pacific cruise from Hong Kong to California. Behind us was a very tall, good looking Texan with huge, rodeo-type belt buckle, snakeskin cowboy boots and a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like; at least fifteen years younger, embracing his left arm. I can assure you, it wasn’t his daughter or his niece.

I turned to him and asked, in jest of course:

“What part of New York are you from?”

He smiled and drawled back, “Galveston, Texas.” Where you from, Son?”

“Las Vegas since 1973.”

“Do you know the Fertita’s”, he asked?

“Familiar with the name, but don’t know them personally. I know that Frank, the patriarch, took a Motel Six on West Sahara Avenue and expanded it into a very successful gaming hotel, The Palace Station. It has since added more properties throughout the valley known collectively as Station Casinos. Interestingly no one seems to know anything about where Frank came from. At least anyone I’ve asked.”

He gave me an ear to ear, pearly, white-capped-toothy smile. He proudly went on to tell me the Fertita-Galveston story, as his young escort showered him with swooning, affectionate eyes. I could read her mind: “My sugar daddy is spellbinding ’em with his never-ending knowledge.”

Galveston had been an ipso facto gambling city for many years even though gambling was illegal throughout Texas. In 1956, an Elliot Ness-type, state Attorney General, decided he was going to clean up the state. Frank Fertita was part of the Galveston gaming establishment and was now out of business. Where else would a professional in the gaming business relocate? We had a few dinners together with great conversations during the rest of the trip.

Dr. Len Kreisler’s book

To read and hear more about cruise ship medicine visit my web site: www.doctorlenk.com. You can contact me directly with questions, comments or just plain cruising-smoozing. I have a chapter on cruise ship medicine in my nonfiction book, ROLL THE DICE, PIC A DOC AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.

Len Kreisler MD

Excerpts from Dr. Len’s book about his cruise ship days:

Getting Hired

Crew Problems

The “Seasick” Passenger

The opinions in this blog are those of the guest author and not those of My Cruise Stories. I’ve sailed on cruises from as small as 12 passengers on a yacht cruise to over 4000 passengers on a large cruise ship and enjoyed them all. Each ship no matter how big or small has its own unique charm. A cruise is what you make of it, so make the best of whatever cruise you are on and you’ll have the best possible experience.

Posted in Guest Blogs, Shipboard Life | Tagged chance meetings, cruise, Palace Station Casino | Leave a comment

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Posted on May 13, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Washington State Ferry Passes By Wilderness Adventurer in Friday Harbor

As the Wilderness Adventurer of Un-Cruise Adventures approached Friday Harbor on San Juan Island we saw more activity on the little walkway that goes past the window to our room than we had all cruise long – all crew people. They tied two big bumpers to the railing there so we knew the dock would be on our side of the boat.

sea plane docked at the Friday Harbor Marina

Docking on the outer edge of a marina where they have space for bigger boats really makes a small cruise ship look big in comparison to the rest of the boats. It’s pretty interesting just to walk around the docks and look at some of the other boats tied up there. The dock we tied to even had a sea plane on one end.

old historic boat

One old wooden boat had a sign out in front of it with its history. Built in the 1920’s, it started as a small-ship cruise boat around Alaska, and they listed many famous people who had cruised on it way back when. It spent some time as a private vessel, did military work through world war 2, moved to California as a cruise ship for awhile, and now is back to cruising in Alaska.

floating Bed & Breakfast

Another boat there had a sign out saying it is a B&B. The marina is very close to the ferry dock, so people could walk on the ferry and then walk over to the marina to spend the night there. A lot of boats said they were from places like Alaska or California, but some did claim Friday Harbor as their home base.

Friday Harbor

We walked up a tall stairway into town, though had we turned toward the ferry dock we could have walked alongside the water and got into the main part of town without the stairs. Local restaurants and small shops line the main street of the town, along with little art galleries. From the area the stairs lead to, the sidewalk toward town passes by several viewpoints to see the bay, marina, and ferry dock. Also the ferry when one comes in. We saw a small one which is probably for inter-island traffic and a big one that likely goes to Anacortes and possibly Sidney B.C. (Canada).

this small private ferry travels to islands not served by the state ferry

Friday Harbor sits on San Juan Island, the second largest island in the San Juan island chain. It is one of the few islands where the state ferry stops on a run from Anacortes on the mainland which also includes Lopez, Orcas, and Shaw islands and a one time daily trip to Canada stopping at Sidney BC on Vancouver Island. Technically Anacortes is on Fidalgo Island, but it is separated from the mainland only by a channel easily crossed on a bridge.

crew of the Wilderness Adventurer touching up the paint

San Juan Island is most famous for the Pig War. In the mid 1800’s ownership of the San Juan Islands was in dispute between the USA and England. When an American living on the island shot and killed a pig owned by a British citizen it escalated tensions between the two sides, with both ramping up troops. Eventually the issue was resolved peacefully with the pig remaining the only casualty. It took 12 more years to determine ownership of the San Juans to the USA. San Juan Island still has English Camp and American Camp, both now national parks. There’s even a Pig War beer named after the confrontation, but it is made by an Oregon brewery.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Port Cities, Un-Cruise Adventures, Washington, Wilderness Adventurer | Tagged Friday Harbor, photos, Pig War, San Juan Island, small ship cruise, travel | 6 Comments

Is a Cruise Ship Cabin Crowded With More Than 2 People?

Posted on May 10, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Sun. Westerdam, and Splendor in Christmas Tree Ornaments

For the most part, cruise ship cabins are designed to hold two people, and usually they do. Sometimes though people cruise in larger groups and more than two stay in the same cabin. Different ships have different ways to accommodate extra people. Most ships have cabins that will sleep 3 or 4 people and a few even have some cabins that sleep more. When planning to take more than two people it helps to look at the deck plans to find out where the cabins that hold more people are, how many they hold, and most important how big the cabin is. Putting 4 people in a room that has some space to move around in works out fine, but 3 or 4 people in a room where you can barely walk around the beds could get rather uncomfortable.

How do cruise ship cabins with just two beds sleep more than two people? Couches that convert to beds or bunks that drop down from the ceiling or wall add to the amount of occupants a room can hold. Adjoining rooms with a connecting door make traveling together with a larger group easier, but also mean booking more than one cabin.

Normally I just cruise with my husband, or if we travel with other people they have their own room. A few times though I have traveled with more. I took a cruise to Alaska with my son and grandson. The three of us shared an inside cabin on the Norwegian Sun. Some years later I took another Alaskan cruise on the Holland America Westerdam, this time with a group of 9 relatives, of which I shared a balcony room with my aunt and sister. Just recently I took a Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Splendor with a group of 6. My folks had their own room, but my grandson and his mother and my husband and I all shared an oceanview cabin to keep our cost down.

Each of these rooms had a different size and configuration, and with each group we had a different way of coping with the extra people. Some things help on any ship though. Use all the storage space available, including inside the nightstands and under the beds as well as the drawers, closets and any cubbyholes or open shelves. Bring extra hangers because often the ship doesn’t even have enough for two people. Also bring a power strip because there are never enough outlets – often just one for the entire cabin.

It’s hard to keep a small space organized and the more people in it, the more stuff there is to keep track of. The walls and doors of cruise ships are magnetic, so bringing some magnets along works wonders for keeping things like shore excursion tickets and key cards handy and easy to find. You can also post your itinerary if you print that out before you go, as well as the daily newsletter and whatever other papers you want to find at a glance. Posting loose papers on the wall with magnets also keeps them from cluttering up the countertops.

this tiny inside cabin holds 4, but would feel crowded

Inside cabins can be very tiny on some ships, and the ones that hold 4 may be no bigger than the ones that hold 2, they just have drop down bunks for extra sleeping space. We got lucky on the Norwegian Sun in that though we had an inside cabin, it had a fair amount of space. The room had three beds in a row with the heads against the back wall and nightstands in between each one. Two were the actual beds that can be either pushed together or separated depending on who stays in the cabin. The third was a couch, of which they removed the back and left it as a bed for the entire voyage. Between the feet of the beds and the closets there was plenty of space for a 6-year-old to play with his toys.

Justin on the Sun

We didn’t really have any issues with the bathroom because I would get up before the other two and go to the gym, then come back and be done with my shower before they woke up. Men and small children don’t seem to take long in the shower so we never came across anyone needing the bathroom while someone else was in there If we all needed to change clothes at the same time I’d just go in the bathroom and they could change in the room.

a balcony room on the Westerdam

Although we had a balcony on the Westerdam, the room wasn’t quite as big. It had two beds with the heads against a side wall and a loveseat sized couch that folded out to make the third bed. The steward had to open the couch bed out each night and fold it back up again in the morning. The little table had to go out on the balcony at night as there was nowhere in the room for it to go with the bed folded out.

I wasn’t bothered by that as we still had space enough to walk between the beds or to get to the bathroom. The foot end of the couch bed blocked both access to the balcony and to the refrigerator (which is supposed to be a mini-bar of small expensive items they can add to your bill if you consume them, but you can have the steward clear their stuff out so you can put your own things in there if you want to.) My sister has food allergies and had brought some of her special products so she did not like it when the refrigerator got blocked. The room had a curtain that could be pulled across between the couch bed and the other two, which was nice.

hydrotherapy mineral pool in Westerdam spa

Three women sharing a room with one bathroom could have been a problem, but we took the spa tour on boarding day and they had a special for two on the thermal suite and gave us an even better deal for three. Since we were up at the spa every day using the hydrotherapy pool and heated ceramic chairs we would just shower in the changing room at the spa, which left our bathroom available most of the time. Cruise ship rooms normally have a nice big mirror so that access to the bathroom mirror isn’t necessary for things like doing hair or make-up. Our cabin steward may have thought we were the dirtiest people on the boat though since he never had to pick up any used bath towels.

oceanview cabin on the Splendor

The oceanview room on the Splendor had quite a lot of space and we never felt crowded with 4 people in it. The two regular beds were at the end by the window, with the heads against a side wall, a nightstand between the beds, and space to walk around the last bed to look out the window. A full sized couch ran the length of the sidewall between the bed farthest from the window and the wall of the bathroom. They took the back off the couch to make it a bed and left it as a bed for the duration of the journey. A drop-down bunk folded out of the ceiling above the couch bed.

The area between the couch bed and the drawers along the opposite wall had a significant amount of floorspace. The door into the room opened into a little hallway with closets on one side and the bathroom on the other. If somebody needed privacy for changing clothes while the bathroom was occupied and other people were in the room they could open a closet door to block the view of the hallway from the room and have a private little changing area there behind the closet door. There were times when someone wanted to use the bathroom while another person was showering, but there was a public bathroom easily accessible just up two flights of stairs so that took care of that problem.

Overall I felt quite comfortable sharing the cabin with more than two people and since the per person price normally goes down when you add extra people it’s a great way to cruise on budget as long as you choose your room wisely.

waterslide on the Splendor

It also helps to choose the ship wisely. While I like all cruise ships, it helps to take into account who else is on the cruise. My 12-year-old grandson for example spent all the time he could on the Splendor’s waterslide and would not be happy on a ship without one. Some of my other relatives are uncomfortable on a very large ship and prefer to book a medium size to small one. They probably wouldn’t go down the slide anyway even if the ship did have one. All the major cruise ships have pools and hot tubs, and not everyone even uses those.

some ships have lots to do

When cruising with other people, look to see which ship has what and pick one that suits the needs of your group. Some have all sorts of amenities for passengers to entertain themselves and others rely more on entertainment provided by their staff. Passengers differ too as some could entertain themselves for the whole cruise on a ship with no amenities and others need to have something scheduled to provide entertainment for them every hour of the day.

passengers playing a game with a very large die

Posted in Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian, Shipboard Life, Splendor, Sun, Westerdam | Tagged cruise, extra people in a cruise ship cabin, family, photos, travel, vacation | 5 Comments

Martinique, Where Volcanos and Credit Card Bills Blow Up

Posted on May 7, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Splendor at the dock in Martinique

Carnival Splendor docked at Fort de France, Martinique on a sunny November day. A welcome back Carnival banner greeted the ship at the dock, hung for the first arriving ship of the season. Passengers with booked shore excursions gathered in front of the ship. Those on their own found that walking down the brightly colored dock brings them to a large tent set up with booths where locals sell their wares, much of it handmade jewelry. One booth had things made of seeds, another of mainly glass, seawater, and sand. The pier provides an excellent view of the city and of the old fort which gives the city of Fort de France its name. People on their own at Martinique could walk into the town to shop. Another option is to take an island tour from one of the local drivers waiting there or take a taxi to a specific destination.

Fort de France

We stepped off the ship into bright sunshine and immediately had to hold our sunhats on our heads due to the wind. Tina and I decided to go back and leave the floppy hats as we did not want to spend the day holding them on. Leaving the second time we stepped outside into rain, which stopped before we even reached the end of the dock. We also found in more than one port that the wind was strongest next to the ship.

seed jewelry in the shopping booth

Martinique Island Tour

We were happy to find the van tours as we wanted to see St. Pierre, a town destroyed when nearby Mt. Pelee blew up in 1902. This tour included a stop there. The tour had a lot of ups and downs – up a mountain, down a mountain, up another mountain and back down. Or at least very steep hills. Our driver, Mike, said that the airport is the only flat spot on the whole island. While the lowlands tend toward hot and dry, the higher rainforests stay cooler and wetter.

Mt. Pelee through an arch in the ruins at St. Pierre

The roads were paved and in good condition. Apparently France takes better care of their Caribbean islands than the USA does judging by the pothole filled roads on St Croix. Mike said Martinique got a lot more cruise ships in port back when they had the franc and none at all when they first changed to the euro. Now the ships are starting to come back with a few more each year in spite of the exchange rate. A lot of ships that once spent winters cruising the coast of Mexico added their ranks to the ones already in the Caribbean and they all need somewhere to go, plus people will book more cruises if they can visit different ports.

old church in Martinique

High on a hill sat an old church, which became our first major stop when we reached the top. We took a few photos and then the buses from the ship’s tour showed up so we left trying to stay ahead of them.

Mike shows some baby bananas

Along the way our guide stopped here and there in random places to show us the things that grow there. He said nobody ever starves on Martinique because there is always some sort of fruit ripe. Some things like bananas and papayas they cook and eat like a vegetable when green and eat as a fruit when ripe. We also saw coffee and cocoa bean trees as well as breadfruit, grapefruit, and guava. He said that island residents have free healthcare.

waterfall

One stop near the bottom of a hill included a short but steep hike down a hill and over stepping stones across a stream to see a waterfall. A couple dogs stayed near the falls even after all the people left. They looked well fed and in good condition, but seemed to be strays. Perhaps the island provides plenty of food for its dogs as well as its people. We did not see any puppies during our cruise, but most of the random dogs we saw looked like nursing mothers.

a stray dog stayed near the picnic shelter beyond the stepping stones across the stream

We did not see the ship tour busses again before St Pierre, where they seemed to have arrived first. We probably made more stops along the way. We drove past some ruins and then stopped in town for shopping, snacks, or a bathroom break. The public toilet would have cost money to use, but buying a little something at a café brought us access to a free restroom inside.

people have to pay to use this public toilet

Most of the town has been rebuilt since the 1902 erruption, but a few ruins remain. The volcano was unusually active for about a week before the fatal blast. The townspeople were accustomed to some volcanic activity and did not take the increase as a warning to evacuate. The blast that killed a town of 30,000 consisted of superheated steam and volcanic gases. It reached the city in less than a minute from the initial blast, igniting everything flammable, though the people mainly died from heat and gas. One lone prisoner survived in an underground cell.

ruins of the old prison in St Pierre

We stopped near the ruins of the prison, which sit behind a museum. Just down the road from there a crowd streamed back to the ship’s tour busses. Figuring there must be something worth seeing for the cruise ship tour to go there I walked down the road a bit to see where they came from.

arches in the ruins at St. Pierre

I walked up an old stone stairway as the last stragglers from the ship’s tour came down. The stairway led to some much bigger ruins than the prison our driver took us to see. These ruins had a number of walls with and arches and a view of the volcano so the rest of the people in our van tour really missed out by not seeing anything of them except the pictures in my camera.

ruins at St. Pierre

We stopped at a couple overlooks with views of the water on the way back. A sudden heavy rain squall showed up right when we got to the only place on our entire route with a great view for photographing the ship. We took a few pictures through the pouring rain and by the time we returned to the dock the sun shined brightly once again. So we actually hit rain more in the lowlands than in the rainforest for a change.

Splendor in the rain – photo taken out the taxi window

Watch Your Credit Card Account Carefully When Traveling

When we got back to the dock I paid for the tour with my credit card. At $40 a person this one was considerably more expensive then the usual random tour as most cost around $20-$25. St. Pierre was quite a distance away from the cruise ship dock so it took more time and gas than the average tour which justifies the higher price. The driver scanned my card twice saying it didn’t go through the first time. I specifically mentioned I did not want to be charged twice and he assured me that wouldn’t happen.

Fort de France, Martinique

Later after I got home and checked my account I found a double charge for that tour. Whether this was an honest mistake or a deliberate attempt to scam me I can’t say, but the bank removed the second charge so if it was a scam attempt it was not successful. It definitely pays to thoroughly check your credit card account if you make any charges while traveling.

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Ports of Call, Splendor | Tagged island tour, Martinique, Mt.Pelee, photos, ruins, St. Pierre, taxi tour, travel, volcano | 8 Comments

Cruise Ship Cabins on Carnival Legend

Posted on May 1, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Legend in Sydney, Australia

Carnival Legend spends a good part of the year cruising out of Australia, where you can book a cruise at Carnival Australia. In the northern hemisphere’s summer, when it is winter in the southern hemisphere, the Legend moves to America where it cruises to Alaska through Carnival America. While transitioning across the Pacific Ocean it cruises to (or from) Hawaii. At least for now. Ships do change homeports sometimes.

inside cabin 6-205

Like all cruise ships, the Legend has a variety of rooms to choose from. Cruise ship accommodations vary from basic inside rooms to fancy suites. Budget travelers can save money by booking an inside room. Not all rooms in the same category are of equal size or have the furnishings arranged the same.

Inside room 7-278 has a different arrangement.

Inside rooms are the smallest rooms on the ship and of course have no outside view, but they cost significantly less and provide a place to sleep with plenty of storage space for two and most people don’t spend a significant amount of time in their cabin anyway. Some do have bunks so those on a really tight budget could put 3 or 4 people in an inside room, but they would not have a lot of floor space for small children’s toys or much room to move around when everyone is in the room. Some people like inside rooms because they can have total darkness for sleeping at any time of the day.

window room 1-233 with the couch made into a third bed

The rooms with a window have significantly more space than the inside rooms. These rooms are quite comfortable for 3 or 4 people and cost significantly less than a balcony room. The windows provide a nice view and a lot of the window rooms are located on deck 1, convenient to the gangway at ports and to the shops, theater, casino, and dining room while onboard.

balcony cabin 6-143 with drop-down bunk

Balcony rooms give passengers their own little bit of outside space. It’s nice to have a balcony if you like to sit outside in private, or for easy photo access to outside from the cabin. Some cabins have bunks that fold into the ceiling if they are not needed and drop down when more people use the room.

open connecting door between balcony cabins 6-135 and 6-137

Some of the balcony cabins on the Legend have connecting doors between rooms, making them a good choice for a family needing more space than one room provides. All of the standard size rooms (inside, window, and balcony) have private bathrooms with a shower, sink, and toilet. The shower has shampoo and body wash dispensers and bars of soap are provided for the sink.

Ocean Suite

Ocean Suite with bunk down

People who want a little luxury with their cruise can book an Ocean Suite, which has more floorspace than the balcony cabins and the addition of double sinks and a whirlpool bathtub in the head (bathroom on a ship.)

Grand Suite with bunk

The Grand Suites are great for honeymooners or anyone else who wants to make their cruise really special.

dressing room in the grand suite

The grand suite has more square footage and a separate dressing area. It also has a bidet, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on personal opinion.

bathroom in the grand suite

Grand Suites have an extra-large balcony. This one has loungers as well as chairs.

balcony on the grand suite

The Legend also has two more suite categories. Junior Suites have a standard size balcony and suite amenities like a walk-in closet and whirlpool bath. The Vista Suites include a wrap-around balcony and a wall of windows. Ocean, Grand, and Vista Suites come with VIP check-in.

deck plan to deck 6 where most of the photos are from

When booking your stateroom it’s a good idea to check the deck plans. Find the type and location of the cabin you want. Sometimes certain cabins are smaller or larger than others of the same category. It’s also a good idea to check the plans for the decks above and below your chosen deck for potentially noisy places if you are a light sleeper.

If you would like to see photos showing the inside of Carnival spa cabins, wheelchair accessible cabins, or an inside room with bunks please view my blog about the accommodations on the Carnival Splendor.

Accommodations on other cruise ships:

Arcadia Breeze Breeze odd cabins Divina Ecstasy Infinity Liberty Pearl Ruby Princess Splendor Veendam Westerdam Wilderness Adventurer

For a complete list of blogs about cabins see My Cruise Stories Ships and Cabins page.

Posted in Alaska, Australia, Carnival, Legend, Shipboard Life | Tagged Accomodations, Carnival, connecting staterooms, cruise ship, cruise ship bunks, cruise ship cabins, Legend, photos, Staterooms | 8 Comments

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

How to Make a Towel Giraffe

Supplies Needed to Make a Towel Giraffe

How to Make a Giraffe Tail

How to Fold a Towel Giraffe Body

How to Fold a Towel Giraffe Head

How to Make Horns for a Towel Giraffe

Finishing the Towel Giraffe

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Martinique Island Tour

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