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Castaway Cay Day! It's a little later arrival at Castaway Cay. The ship gets to the island around 9:15am, and then backs into it's parking spot at the pier to point nose away from the island. It's about 10am when they announce that people can go ashore. It's looking like a fabulous day ahead, mostly sunny, and a bit of a breeze helping to keep the humidity down. The later start suits me, since I really wanted to sleep in a bit. Stacey is really excited for the beach day. We grab our breakfast at Cabana's buffet on the back of deck 11 and go to join the line to get off the ship.
The line up is quite backed up, mainly because they had announced that we'd be going ashore at 9:45am, but it's taken them a bit longer to get the island prepped. When they finally do start moving, it still goes slowly, as a lot of people haven't been bothered to listen to the ship announcements this morning stating that not only do you need your Key to the World room card to scan off the ship, you also need a photo ID if you are 18 years or older. Almost comical looking at these disappointed people's faces as they realize that they now have to swim upstream through the mass of people getting off the ship when they had tried so hard to elbow their way up to be first off the ship. haha.
We get off the ship and start walking towards the tram. I wanted to check out the post office on the island because last time we were here it wasn't open that we saw, but Stacey wants to get to the far side of the island, Serenity Bay. She had made a pact with our tablemates last night that the first ones there would save seats on the left of Serenity Bay. Those are prime seats, close to the bar and restaurants and not a long walk down the beach or far from the tram back. I didn't think we'd have a shot at those chairs and hammocks, but it seems like most of the people ahead of us were people with kids heading to the family beaches so by the time we got to the last tram stop, there were only about 4-6 people ahead of us on the beach, and they hadn't grabbed the spot we wanted, so we dropped our beach bags and towels on the chairs and claimed them in the name of Table 56!
I set up a chair just in the water and soaked my feet in the clear warm water as the wind and tide sent the waves in. The tide would later go out, and we'd have to move our chairs closer if we wanted our feet in the water. It wasn't too long before our group arrived and they were all smiles. Gorgeous sunny day, and the breeze was making it bearable, not hot and humid at all. Warm enough to want shade or to go in the water or get a drink. Just right. Mike started drinking right away. I'm thinking he's had some practice at that, since he seems to hold it well.
We all just lounged, read, slept, chatted for a few hours, soaking it all in. I left at 1:30 to go back to the post office in case it closed early. The trams were against me though. Kept just missing them, and having to wait. I got back near the ship near 2pm, but the post office was locked up. Did it even open? No idea. I went in to guest services to mail a postcard, and up to the room to grab some alcohol that I had brought on the trip. I don't know what I was thinking.
I'm not a drinker at the best of times. Stacey either. We each brought 2 bottles to mix drinks with on our month off. I only opened one bottle and I think I used a tiny bit once or twice. Same for Stacey. So I decided to offer them to Mike and Darlene. They weren't going home right away after the cruise and so might be able to use them. I didn't think that we could spare the weight in our luggage for the flights. Stacey would later give her 2 bottles to Mike as well. Mike finished one bottle and started the second before the next day. Darlene says he was quite happy that night in the cabin.
By the time that I got back to Serenity Bay, we stayed only 30 minutes more and then packed up and took the tram back one stop to Pelican Point so that the girls could shop a little, and walk back to the ship. We only walked one stop back to Scuttles Cove and hopped the tram back from there. Everyone was tired. Mike and Mark had done some snorkelling and were tired, and the girls drained from the sun and drinks.
Mike had offered to buy us drinks on the beach, but we declined. It seemed too early for that. While I was gone to the ship, Mark had went and bought Stacey a drink and brought it to her and insisted she take it. Very nice of them.
Once we got back to the ship, everyone had to start packing to get off the ship the next morning, and we decided to meet at the farewell show in the main theatre at 6:05pm. Mark and Kathy weren't sure they were going to come to it, needing a nap, but they did show up.
We went to our cabin to pack for 2 hours before the show. Stacey was mostly done before we left, and I wasn't quite there yet, but I was worried about the weight of the bags. I've read that the airlines are getting firmer about weight allowances for baggage on the planes. Stacey's clothes bag and souvenir bag were both overweight according to our travel scale that we had brought. I wasn't done so I couldn't weigh mine yet. More on that later.
The farewell show wasn't anything spectacular. We weren't all that impressed with it. They did have a guy who had done earlier shows that we had missed come out for a 15 minute gig of comedy while singing with his guitar. He was pretty good. We had missed his earlier shows.
After the show we had about an hour before dinner, so Stacey tried to downsize more, and I finished packing so I could attempt to weigh my bag. I was a little over 50 lbs as well. Stacey had to have thrown out 20+ lbs of stuff we didn't use or couldn't have the weight to take back…bug spray, sun screen, candy, papers, etc etc. She also tossed some water shoes that she had bought and used. Walmart specials, no great loss. She also decided to give her alcohol to Mike. She was going to be tight to the weight limit on each bag, and still had to put in her makeup and toiletries in the morning. Yep, really tight for weight limit. I was over as well, and had to get rid of some shampoo and conditioner, shaving cream and pitstick. I was stressing a little. The overage charges are pretty big on luggage, and who knows how accurate our little travel scale was. Would the airport scales read differently?
It was a rush to get that finished, because we would have to put our luggage out for collection after dinner and before 10:30 pm, so there wouldn't be time to juggle much more. We quickly went downstairs and got to our table in the Enchanted Garden. We decided to order the table a drink, an English Rose, a drink we had tried on the Panama Canal cruise that Stacey loved and ordered a few times after. Mark and Kathy brought a bottle of wine to share as well.
Mike and Darlene arrived for dinner and I could tell that Mike already had a buzz going. He accepted Stacey's alcohol, and let me know that he'd already finished the bottle of rum I had given him and started on the next bottle. He been drinking pretty constantly on the island as well. He was very talkative tonight, but very good natured. Dinner went well and after saying our goodbyes (and tips) to our service staff, we all headed out to deck 5 to see Pepe the shrimps cabin, a half size door at the end of a hallway there. Very cute. Then it was off to put luggage out for collection.
The luggage that you tag and put out on the last night gets picked up and taken below and off the ship the next day for you to pick up in the terminal before going through customs. Makes it faster for everyone to get off without having to juggle big luggage pieces. You can carry your own off as well if you like, it's just convenient. Just be sure to leave out clothes for the next day, personal items, medications, shoes to wear, passports and ID's, because once they pick it up, they won't be able to find it again until it's in the terminal, sorted by room number and coloured and pictured zones. Very easy.
After dinner, the tablemates had decided to go to the 80's music trivia contest in The Tube nightclub area. I had wanted to go to see the new Alexander movie, since it would be our last chance to do so, but we decided at the last minute that going to the music trivia would allow us an earlier night for bedtime. At least, that was the idea. So we went to the trivia show.
Mark was already there waiting, while Kathy, his wife had gone to return an item at the gift shop. Mike and Darlene joined a few minutes later. We were going to form a team of 6, but agreed if that wasn't allowed, it would be boys against girls. Sure enough, teams of 4 max, so it was boys against girls. The game was, a music clip would be played, usually 2 or 3 seconds at most, and we would have to provide the title of the song and the artist for 1 point each. 20 questions total, for a max of 40 points for the game.
It was hard to keep Mike quiet, being in a chatty mood, we were afraid people near us would hear our answers (cough,girls,cough). And a few songs, we weren't sure about, Mark would write something and Mike would go on and on about how he wasn't sure about number 6. Haha. It was kind of fun. Between the 3 of us, we did pretty good. When the time came to count up the scores, girls 32, boys 37! Woot woot! In fact, we boys tied with another group in the room for that top score, so we each won a prize. We were expecting keychains, but instead were each given a nice Disney Cruise Line Ball Cap. Score! I told the boys we should put the on right away to gloat and the girls all got their cameras out to take our winning picture together.
After the music trivia, a magician came on, and we watched his show. Stacey and I had seen this guy on the Disney Wonder a week or two ago, so it was mostly the same for us, but he was still pretty good. We said our goodnights to the gang after that show and Stacey and I went out on the Deck 4 jogging track to walk a lap. It was after midnight now, and a nice full moon was out and visible over the water. It was still very warm out in the Bahamas ocean, but pleasant. Back up to the room to finish prepping for tomorrow. I got Stacey to fill out the cruise rating questionnaire card while I figured out and tallied receipts and exchange rates for Canada customs for the next day, and then went down to guest services to get a print out of our tab for this cruise and settle up, rather than leave it as a charge on the credit card.
When all was said and done, it was 1 am when Stacey and I finally were able to turn out the lights and go to sleep. It's an early day tomorrow. We have to be out of the room by 8am and at breakfast at 8:15, off the ship at 9am. Yes, a long day ahead.
We're coming home. =/
WYWH,
Kim =/ and Stacey =/
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