Cruise Log: Day 5

After noshing on a dreamy breakfast & enjoying several cups of hot chocolate {the waiters never ceased to be amazed that we didn't drink coffee at breakfast or alcohol at dinner} we got ready for another day ashore. At 10:00 the ship docked at St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles. St. Maarten {or St. Martin depending on which side you're on} is divided into a Dutch and a French side. We stayed on the Dutch side because we learned that the only real differences between the two are the architecture & the "clothing optional" beach on the French side.

We spent some time on the beach collecting shells, then headed for the shops. Most of the shops were selling jewelry or trinkets. St. Maarten is the place to go to get diamonds, apparently, but we stuck to the trinket shops! Of course, the certified diamontologist in Matt came out & we enjoyed looking at all the diamond-encrusted jewelry that we could never afford. We also got a free gold charm bracelet that we gave to Kensie, who now brags that she has a real gold bracelet with a real diamond in it.

It was fun just being out in the atmosphere of the island. It was also fun trying to walk without feeling like the ground was moving beneath me.

We returned to the ship, grabbed a panini & some quiche at the International Cafe, and went back to the room to change. I stretched out on the bed for just a second, and 45 minutes later woke up feeling guilty for falling asleep! Remember how I mentioned that one of the things I was looking forward to was sleeping in? Well, I never did it. Never took naps, either {except for my 45 minute accidental rest}. I just didn't want to miss out on anything. Who knows if/when I'll be able to do this again- I had to take advantage of every second! After chastising Matt for letting me sleep, we headed up to the sun deck where we relaxed with Alayna for awhile before dinner.

It was Caribbean night at dinner. We resisted the temptation of buying cheap tropical shirts & sarongs on the island, so we dined in regular attire. Curt was the only one dressed appropriately for the evening.

We attended Magical Showtime with Tony Laffan {think Take Home Chef} & Kasey-Laura. It was very entertaining & very dramatic. Whatever happened to the days of standing on stage & pulling something out of your hat?

After the show we headed up to.....wait for it......................the lido deck for the nightly pizza run! It was also the Tropical Island Deck Party tonight, which was a blast! Matt, Alayna & I had so much fun dancing with the {drunken} crowd to classics like: The Electric Slide, The Macarena, & YMCA. WE also got our island groove on with the Cruise Director's staff while the band Mozaic played on.

What a fun-filled day! I was bushed by the end of it :)