and now they're back

We left Friday afternoon from Port Canaveral on the Monarch of the Seas. You could see the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the distance and if you looked hard...you could see the Shuttle out on the launch pad...but it was WAY too windy for any launch :( Oh well...it was nice...cool, partly cloudy..just really windy!)
There were a few people out waving as the ship left the port.


Last look at the beach as we headed out to sea...there was a 4-6ft swell...so it was rocking the boat a little...big ship...good stabilizers...but still moving around. John overheard one man say "I am going to have to get off this ship!" (little did he know what the trip back would be like!)
The usual send-off party on deck...it was fun...band was okay...sounded like they might have had a rough night the night before! hahaI spotted the "Parrot Head" in the crowd...over near the area where the band was.
deck....before the party
Checking out the day's schedule of events down in our tiny room. It was cold and dark down there...perfect for a good night's sleep!
We had to play BINGO of course....
new computerized board...tells you when you are one number away...plays a song when you win...I opted for the "old fashioned" cards...neither one of us won...two people right in front of us did!
One of the jazz artists Jockiem Joyner(-saxophone). He put on a fun show Saturday night...we all danced, he got just about everyone (167 on jazz cruise)out on the dance floor.
Cocktail party on Friday night...we met (or reconnected with) the band members, enjoyed free cocktails and then headed off to dinner.

after Jockiem got us warmed up...we went up to the midnight dance party by the pool. Had a blast dancing to music I don't usually listen to...but it was fun! I knew the first song...(one I actually have on my I-pod) by Pitbull....that got us going...we danced until 2:15am! Lots of crazy, fun people...some pretty drunk...others just enjoying a night out...all ages. A lot of the songs had lines telling you to "put your hands up!" and everybody did!
Our personal Jazz show-only 167 of us...acoustics were GREAT! Matt Marshak(guitar), Marc Antoine(guitar) and Jockiem Joyner(sax) together on stage with Carl on bass, Kenny on drums and Rodney on keyboard. Kenny, Carl and Rodney were a lot of fun...and Matt M. was just great at getting everyone relaxed and playing together on stage. (apparently Marc Antoine was a bit of a handful...a little demanding shall we say......but I do like his music...especially his Madrid cd
our room attendant made up a couple of these creepy...as far as I'm concerned...towel things....here's one. The last night he had one hanging...it looked sort of like a monkey...we had had a few drinks...and I don't think I have ever heard John laugh so hard as when he did when he spotted the thing....he couldn't stop laughing.He doesn't remember it...but it was funnier listening to him laugh then it was looking at the thing!...I hate those things...they're weird!
Ever notice that when you get home from a cruise you are exhausted????????The first day you are eating like royalty, partying with all the other crazy people and having fun and thinking...3 nights are not going to be enough...then when you disembark after 3 nights...you think...How do people go on 7-10 day cruises??????hahahaha We had a good time. The seas were about 8-10 feet coming back...and I felt it all night...up and down....we were in the very front of the ship...Deck 4...I could hear water hitting the front....it was a little unsettling...didn't exactly help me sleep!...but I didn't get sick!and we got home safely. Now........back to reality.