2019 Cruise Journal - Carnival Sunrise to The Bahamas

[CallieO]

Cruise Journal

October 20, 2019
3:21 p.m.

We've been onboard the Carnival Sunrise (which we boarded from Norfolk, Virginia) for about two hours, and I'm in awe of its size and complexity. There are some decks that have no through access. Our landlords Dan and Cherie, as well as Mom and myself, have cabins on deck 6 which were supposed to be right next to each other, but they're quite distant, actually. The four of us had lunch at the buffet on the Lido Deck, Deck 9, which is partially open to the outside. When Mom and I made our way up there, the first thing we heard was the sound of pounding rain.

After hitting the buffet, Mom and I got sandwiches from the deli. I had a meatball sub, and I got her a Rueben. I've spent a little time talking to "Ari", and now I'm going to go upstairs for the safety briefing.

October 20, 2019
8:24 p.m.

We had a magnificent dinner tonight at the Radiance Restaurant on Deck 3-Forward. I had strawberry bisque, poutine with duck and mushrooms, braised pork and sausage, and a cheese plate. Up to that point I felt like I'd done nothing all day but haul things and eat. While we ate, the ship left harbor at 6:30, two and a half hours later than expected, because it's been raining all day and it wasn't safe for us to leave.

After dinner, we went up to a bar so I could sing Karaoke. I sang "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by The Stylistics, thinking of "Ari" as I sang it. Got a good ovation from it, especially at the very start. I think I'll do Nat "King" Cole tomorrow. A few people ahead of me, a woman literally blew her voice out at the very beginning of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart". The KJ got her a tall glass of water. Why do people feel the need to scream when they sing?

October 20, 2019
10:32 p.m.

We did some of the Welcome Aboard Show at 9:30 with our cruise director, Chris the Flying Scotsman, who has a fantastic sense of charisma and comic timing. He gave away a few prizes, and hosted a game between two guys in which they had devices strapped to their waists. There were boxes full of tennis balls right above their rear ends, and they needed to use crazy dance moves to get them out. One of them won with 20 seconds left on the clock, but Chris either didn't see it or pretended he didn't. The other guy finished with two balls still in the box, but all participants (including their wives) got VIP prize packages, including the front row seats of honor at every show for the rest of the cruise.

I took plenty of fantastic pictures of this.

A highlight of my cruise is that I've had three conversations with "Ari" during the day on Facebook.

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October 21, 2019
8:59 a.m.

Mom and I woke up at 8 o'clock, but Mom wanted to do her leg machine treatment before breakfast, so I set that up for her, and then went up to the Lido Deck to have something to tide me over before brunch. I was planning on just getting some cereal or something, but I decided to have a bowl from Lucky Bowl instead; a hash. Lucky Bowl is a restaurant where the menu changes every day.

I had some trouble sleeping last night, feeling the motion of the boat all around my body, so I took some Dramamine, and it helped. Mom got very little sleep, though.

October 21, 2019
12:46 p.m.

We went to brunch in the fancy restaurant, and I had an omelet and a blueberry muffin. I wasn't impressed with their iced tea, so I changed and got some orange juice. On our way out of brunch, no less than three people complimented me on my karaoke singing from yesterday.

We spent a little time on the Serenity Deck, Deck 12, just vegging out and looking out at the sea. Today requires Cruise Elegant attire at the restaurants, so I'm going to wear my blazer, dress shirt, and khakis. I'm going to hit up the karaoke joint before dinner, though.

October 21, 2019
3:14 p.m.

We hit up the buffet, which had some new and wonderful things, on the Lido Deck, and then went and sat down at a table on the aft of the ship. Nothing but blue waters as far as the eye can see, and getting bluer. According to the Map Channel, we have traveled 370 nautical miles, and are farther south now than Columbus, Georgia.

October 21, 2019
7:31 p.m.

At karaoke, I sang "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. People were waving their arms around. At dinner tonight I had fried oysters for the first time; broiled Maine lobster tail; slow-cooked prime rib cooked medium-well; and vanilla creme brulee for the first time. Everything was so delicious. After dinner, the waiters put on a little show, but Mom and I left after a short time because we wanted to get out of our formal outfits and back into casuals, and we're going upstairs to watch Spider-Man: Far From Home on the Lido Deck.

October 21, 2019
8:43 p.m.

I skipped out early on Spider-Man because I was feeling tired. Had to cut short my conversation with "Ari", even.

October 22, 2019
10:39 a.m.

I woke up about 6 o'clock or so, hungry, so I popped up to the Lido Deck to get some cheese from the buffet. It was closed, though, so I brought back a cheese pizza from Pizzeria del Capitano. About an hour ago, our room service breakfast arrived. Now I'm relaxing and chatting with "Ari" until Mom gets out of the restroom and we go up to Lido Deck to get some protein.

We'll be arriving in Nassau in a couple of hours. We've purchased a walking tour. Mom wants to visit a Rum Cake Factory while we're there, too.

October 22, 2019
12:47 p.m.

We got our first glimpse of land while we were on the Lido Deck, but it was still quite some distance away. We've only just now arrived in Nassau, but we're not fully moored yet so the ship isn't ready to start offloading passengers. I came back up to the state room to grab a couple bottles of water, which was recommended by the ticket.

October 22, 2019
3:38 p.m.

We had to cut short our Nassau Walking Tour a little bit because Mom's power chair was running out of juice. It was a miracle that we made it back to our state room. 1 bar remaining, and it was flashing. Our tour guide paused the tour and called back to home base to send a guy with a push wheelchair to come get us. The three of us headed back to the ship, and push come to shove, I would have pushed the electric wheelchair the rest of the way unpowered while he pushed her in the mechanical one.

It was a good time, though. Some things about The Bahamas that I didn't know before now: All government buildings are pink and white, except police buildings, which are green and white.

It's not all bad, though. I get to spend time talking with "Ari" while waiting for dinner. She tells me that earlier, she referred to me as "her boyfriend" to a good friend of hers, and it didn't feel weird, but it felt totally natural. I returned the comment by saying that after my first karaoke performance, I told people I was thinking of my girlfriend back home as I was singing it. I guess that makes us official?

October 22, 2019
5:13 p.m.

Mom was a little hungry, and the buffet wasn't open, so we hit up Guy's Burger Joint for the first time on our trip. I had a double cheeseburger, with some sauteed onions and mushrooms from the toppings bar. It was pretty good! We're relaxing in our stateroom for another half-hour before making our way down to the Radiance Restaurant for tonight's fancy dinner. Afterwards, we're gonna go up to the sports pub for the first game of the World Series, in which my Washington Nationals play the Houston Astros.

October 22, 2019
8:44 p.m.

Tonight at the Radiance Restaurant I had asparagus vichyssoise, frog legs in provencal herb butter with warm brioche, a seafood penne, and cheesecake. I started feeling bad during the pre-game of the World Series, and finally stepped out during the bottom of the 1st inning. I feel like my heart's racing. Gonna lie down and see if I feel any better.

Something I found interesting is that ESPN was broadcasting the World Series internationally-- not Fox.

October 23, 2019
12:40 a.m.

The nap did me good, and I went to watch the last half-inning of the Nats game, which we won 5-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the World Series. Then Mom and I went up to the Lido Deck to hit up the late-night omelet buffet. This morning we arrive at Half Moon Cay, Carnival's private island in The Bahamas, but we won't go ashore.

October 23, 2019
8:29 a.m.

8 to 8:30 was the time we put on our room service card for breakfast, and they were Johnny-on-the-spot: I swear they knocked on the door at like 8:01.

October 23, 2019
2:29 p.m.

We've spent a lot of today resting. Mom got her three hours of leg treatments in, and once she gets done changing into her swimsuit, she and I are going to get into a hot tub somewhere.

October 23, 2019
4:19 p.m.

We went up to the Sun Deck, Deck 12, and went to the Serenity club in our swimsuits, spending a little time in the hot tub. Then we lay in the sun with some drinks; Mom had a sangria and I had a peach smoothie. On the way back down, we had some ice cream, and I took a shower. Now, while Mom takes a shower, I'm taking the chance to talk to "Ari" a little bit. We set up a date to see Princess Mononoke together in November.

October 23, 2019
9:36 p.m.

Mom and I headed down to dinner, and then I caught some of the baseball game. Again, I bugged out early. The sports bar makes me intensely uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe it's the cigarette smoke that wafts in from the casino.

Something that I've neglected to mention is that our waiter in the Radiance Restaurant, named Riyadi, and the guy who does our housekeeping, have both memorized our names. Riyadi knows that I enjoy Coke and root beer, too, and that Mom drinks decaf coffee. It's the little things.

Octobeer 24, 2019
12:41 a.m.

I took an hour nap after saying goodnight to "Ari", and then I went down to the sports bar just in time to see the Nats bust open Game 2 against the Astros. We won, 12-3, to take a 2-0 lead in the series going back to Washington.

We hit up the late-night omelet bar, and now I'm going to call it a night.

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October 24, 2019
10:50 a.m.

We ate at the Sunshine Restaurant on Deck 3 for brunch, and someone dropped a huge tray full of plates on the ground like within 10 feet of Mom. It was scary, but no one was hurt. A lot of food had to be remade, though.

I think there's something wrong with the power chair. We charged it all night, but it was running dangerously low on juice by the time we got out of the restaurant. We brought it back up to the state room, and walked down to Deck 0 to get off the boat and go to Freeport. We borrowed a mechanical wheelchair for the trip, and I pushed Mom through the marketplace. I got "Ari" her big gift, but we were unable to find a pair of dressy shoes for Mom to wear for Elegant Night tonight. The shoes she wore on the first Elegant Night were worn out very badly and she threw them away. Guess she's wearing sneakers or flip-flops.

October 24, 2019
1:23 p.m.

While Mom was napping, I took a trip up to Cucina del Capitano, an Italian restaurant, up on Deck 10. It's apparently only accessible from the Lido Deck, where you catch a special glass elevator or ascend a flight of stairs to reach it. I got a half-portion of farfalle in clam sauce with broccoli and grilled shrimp. Delicious.

October 24, 2019
3:31 p.m.

All guests are supposed to have returned to the ship half an hour ago, so Mom and I picked out a good space on the aft of the Lido Deck to watch the departure. I waited in a long line at the deli to get Mom some falafel and myself a hot dog. Then I went down to put $40 on the Sign and Sail card.

One thing that I haven't mentioned so far is the sense of solidarity I've experienced with a lot of the people on the ship whenever I wear Nats gear. I hear "GO NATS!" all the time.

I dropped by the state room to change into a fresh T-shirt (so I'm not wearing the Nats shirt three days in a row tomorrow during Game 3), and now I'm gonna go back up to the Lido Deck and get Mom a Bahama Mama.

October 24, 2019
4:54 p.m.

I had a Fuzzy Navel, Mom had a Bahama Mama, and we watched the ship depart from Freeport. Tomorrow will be a Fun Day at Sea, and we'll be back in Norfolk on Saturday.

Tonight is Cruise Elegant night, so Mom and I have to both dress up to go to the Radiance Restaurant. After dinner, we might go to the Red Frog Pub for some Solo Guitar Sounds, and then visit Piano Bar 88 for the first time this trip for a sing-a-long.

October 24, 2019
8:48 p.m.

While waiting to be seated at the Radiance Restaurant, I met a nice older pair of friends named Kay and Martha. Kay is from Indiana, as I am. We had a wonderful, hilarious conversation. Later, they came to the Red Frog, and the six of us all together stayed there for awhile. The guitar player took requests, and before Kay and Martha got there, I suggested "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. Three couples got up and danced to it, which felt good. During the second set, I suggested "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, and Mom threw in "Yesterday" by The Beatles. After Kay and Martha left, Mom and I left; I was getting hot and feeling exhausted. No Piano Bar tonight.

October 25, 2019
4:49 a.m.

As I lay in bed after going to the Red Frog Pub, the boat started shaking from side to side. Chris the Flying Scotsman, who makes several announcements every day (mostly related to what's happening on board), got on the PA and said that we were experiencing strong winds and rain on our way back north.

October 25, 2019
10:31 a.m.

We went to the Live Morning Show today, and at the end, they had some very interesting "Would You Rather?" questions. "Would you rather lose all your photographs you've ever had, and not be able to take any ever again, or would you rather lose all your possessions?" I went with possessions. "Would you rather find true love or a case full of 5 million dollars?" I chose true love. "Would you rather disappear into the past anytime you fart, and stay there for as long as the smell lingers, or would you rather teleport to a random part of the world anytime you sneeze and come back instantly?" Almost everybody, including me, chose "gas to the past".

I bought a hot chocolate, and now I'm up in the state room just long enough to update Facebook and grab some Dramamine; Mom's feeling motion sickness again. The boat's been rocking a bit, but not too badly. We've got "Guess Who? The Game" at the Sunrise Lobby on Deck 3 at 10:45, followed by the Debarkation Presentation in the Liquid Lounge at 11:15. 12:15 brings "Groove for St. Jude", a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. $10 gets you a T-shirt, a wristlet, and a party up on the Lido Deck. After that, the next thing we currently have planned is Karaoke at 5, dinner at 6, and the Nats game at 7:30. But we'll probably find ways to keep ourselves busy in between St. Jude and Karaoke.

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October 25, 2019
1:36 p.m.

When I returned to the Promenade Deck (Deck 5), there was a man sitting in front of an unplayed chess board, and that seemed to me to be more of an intellectual challenge than a game of Guess Who. Especially considering that Mom will never, ever play me in a chess game. He won. He kicked my butt, actually. But it was fun to play against another human being for a change.

We attended the Debarkation Presentation, and have every intention of letting the attendants take care of our luggage for us. But we haven't yet been able to coordinate a departure time with Cherie, even though I left her a text an hour ago. She hasn't checked for one recently, I guess.

We went up to the Lido Deck and donated $20 to St. Jude, getting each of us a T-shirt and a wristband. Next planned activity is a trivia game at the Red Frog at 4 o'clock, so we can be there to sign up early for Karaoke. Mom and I plan to sing "Unforgettable" by Nat King and Natalie Cole. Maybe we can get Dan and Cherie to dance to it, and other couples as well. I told "Ari" of our plans to sing that song, and she told me that she loves it.

October 25, 2019
1:50 p.m.

I neglected to mention that we finally visited Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ on Deck 10 today. That was a restaurant that had been on Mom's list since before we got here, but we never got around to going to it. It has very limited hours. Had a long line, but it was good food.

October 25, 2019
10:08 p.m.

I bought another gift for "Ari", a shirt, as part of a sale. (I'll post on here what the other gifts were after I give them to her; this one isn't a surprise because I asked for her shirt size.) I tried escargot for the first time today at the Radiance Restaurant, and liked it. Tasted just like any other seafood, really.

I stayed through about 5 innings of Game 3, not counting restroom breaks, until I gave up the ghost this time.

Just now I locked myself out of my room when I went out to grab the suitcase for a change of clothes for tomorrow. You need to stick your key card in the slot by the door to turn your lights on, so I'm surprised it took me until the last full day of the cruise to do this. With help, I got down to the laundry room, called room service, and they let me in after signing a sheet.

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October 25, 2019
10:41 p.m.

Turns out it's a good thing I returned to the state room, because I forgot to put a tag on our garment bag. That would have been a very unwieldy thing to carry off with us tomorrow morning.

October 26, 2019
12:39 a.m.

Nats lost, 4-1. After the game, Mom and I popped up to the Lido Deck for the omelet bar. We have to be out of our state room no later than 8:30 tomorrow morning. So, bed.

October 27, 2019
1:41 p.m.

The four of us shared our last meal on the ship, at brunch at the Sunshine Restaurant. It was a madhouse trying to get off the boat, but we were able to get to our assigned area for dismissal using a wheelchair. Then Dan and I went to Guest Services so that I could pay Dan and Cherie's outstanding bill for the cruise, which came to about $166, before they could leave the ship. That amount will go towards rent. Mom's idea. I called Kay to make sure she got home okay, and promised to keep in touch.

We're home now, and have put everything away. Mom will take a nap and do her legs, and after that, we'll probably go somewhere for dinner or buy groceries, because we have nothing in the fridge.