Snorkeling in Cozumel

I couldn’t wait until the climbing and zip lining part of the excursion was over. People wanted to climb and zip line and rappel over and over again. I was ready to go snorkeling. The excursion made me realize just how out of shape I really am.

We could have snorkeled a lot longer, but I had rope burn for the obstacle course and it stung like none other in the ocean. I could only bear it for so long. Besides that, Brian was anxious to return to the ship. He had this paranoid fear that we would get left or something.

When we got back to the ship, we cleaned up, rested a while, and then it was time to get ready for Halloween night. Woot! Woot!

We were Mark Anthony and Cleopatra this year.

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Zip Line in Cozumel

Brian wanted to do the Atlantis submarine thing, but we went with my idea. I should have listened to him. This was not what I expected. I thought “Adventure Park” was some kind of amusement park. I was so wrong. Do not do this excursion if you are out of shape and/or unathletic. It will wear you out. I only climbed one tower (not the tallest one, mind you) and I was pretty much done. =P

When we first arrived, I was all excited. Luis, our guide, said that we could zip line as many times as we wanted to since there were only 10 people in our group. I was all gung ho until I realized they would make you go through several obstacles before you could zip line.

You had to climb the wall, walk through ropes and cross a ricketty bridge before you can do the zip line portion. Zip lining is fun, but I could only do it once. If there was a way to just zip line without going through the obstacles over again, I would have done it. I’m not afraid of heights, but that was some scary stuff.

I was so done that I didn’t even want to rappel off the 60-ft tower. I missed a great photo op as a result.

Here’s Brian’s $10 photo that they took before he started his rappel.

I totally did not like this excursion as much as our zip line excursion last year in Jamaica. Zipping through the jungle canopy is more my style. Hiking is not so bad. Climbing walls and going through obstacles? Not me. I would do the one in Jamaica again. This one? Only if you paid me. =P

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Day 6: October 31, Friday

Friday was spent docked in Cozumel. It had changed a lot in six years. This is what the pier looks like now. No more “SUNNY PLACE FOR SHADY PEOPLE.” I really liked that sign, too. =P

P.S. More day 6 photos coming soon. Check back shortly.

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Halloween Decorations

Everywhere you went on the ship, you’d find stateroom doors decorated for Halloween. It was amazing to see that people get really into this stuff. I’m guessing these are the same people who decorate their yards to the hilt. Brian and I didn’t plan ahead so we didn’t bring any door decorations. We brought costumes, but that was it.

Anyway, this next photo isn’t really Halloween-related but I thought it was a neat idea. It’s a photo of B and Todd’s door.

B put a banner on their door about her and Todd’s 10th wedding anniversary. They hung colored Sharpies off the mailbox for use when signing the banner. I thought that was really cute. Maybe I’ll do something similar for our own 10th anniversary (I’ve got another 4 years to plan/forget – LOL) or on our next trip.

Speaking of which, we are kind of rethinking the whole Couples thing next year. Our group plans have fallen through, so I’m less inclined to go. Maybe we can hold off for another year?

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Cruise Portraits

We didn’t really get a lot photos taken on the ship this time, unlike on our honeymoon cruise six years ago. I figured the ship photogs are really good. They make you look great in pictures so the more pictures they take, the more you have to buy. =P Not getting photographed a lot was a way of avoiding the potential to spend a lot in photos. As it was we spent $150 or so. That doesn’t really equate to a lot of photos. The 8 X 10′s are $21.95 each. Ugh.

We did make it a point to get our portraits taken before dinner on my birthday. This way we will remember the way we were. Here’s my favorite:

Six years ago, this is what we looked like:

These were taken right before the Captain’s party. We missed it this time because we were working. I would find and scan the original 8 X 10′s of the two photos above, but they are in a box somewhere in the abyss that used to be our living room.

Us at dinner that night (left) and then dinner on another night (right)…

Man, those photogs really know how to make you look good in pictures! Then again we were six years younger, I was almost 40 lbs lighter, and I actually had a neck.

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Travel

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More Work… More Winners…

We had to go back to work that night, but work was a lot better after our spa treatment because we were so relaxed. We had some buyers’ remorse for spending so much money at the spa, but then we don’t really splurge on ourselves everyday and it was the day of my 31st birthday after all.

These were just a few of the winners that day… James

James won a lot throughout the trip actually.

Sharon

Bill

Michael

Jack

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Poker, Travel

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My 31st Birthday

As I mentioned before, my 31st birthday fell on the day we arrived in Grand Cayman which also happened to be the second formal night. The first formal night was on Monday night and that was the night I didn’t dress up, but forced myself to go to the formal dining room anyway because it was lobster night. Brian and I did dress up for the second formal night. It was my birthday after all.

Here are some photos…

Richard and his niece Bethany. Bethany was actually at the spa that same day. After our treatment Brian made a comment that he thought he heard Bethany’s voice. We found out at dinner that it was really her. She was in the room either next to or close to ours. I think we heard her as she was coming down the hallway.

Richard arrived to dinner late because he had a spa treatment that day as well. He had some sort of special shave treatment. They must have given him the works because his shave thing lasted about two hours, from 4 pm to 6 pm. Dinner starts at 6 pm so he had to change really quickly and head to the dining room.

Shawn and Kylie. Shawn and Kylie both work for WPTAPL in Florida. Shawn also works as a dealer at a local casino so he is probably the most experienced dealer on the trip. Kylie has been with WPTAPL for three years or so now. She is a teacher by day and a WPTAPL regional manager by night. She is the of her kind. There are no more RMs except for Kylie because all the other regions have gone to a “sanctioned league” format.

We got to spend a lot of time with Kylie because the was in the poker room almost the entire time. She was our boss when the bosses weren’t around. I felt really bad because the guys picked on her quite a bit. One night Brent and Frank (and maybe Shawn was in it, too, I don’t remember who all was in on it — I just know I wasn’t) pulled a prank on her by hiding the money envelope. They let her search for a really long time and wouldn’t tell her where they hid it. I didn’t think it was funny. They finally told her that they hid it inside Frank’s backpack.

Except for the first night when Kurt and Shane dismissed Brian and I early (by early I mean before 1 am) because there was only one cash table going, we pretty much stayed with Kylie almost every night. We didn’t want to leave her by herself. There was actually one night when we were there past 3 am. We were trying to transfer photos to each other’s flash drives after all the players had left. We finally just gave up on it because our flash drives kept running out of space and it was taking too long. =P I liked Kylie a lot. I hope we get to see her again.

This is us. No further explanation need. =P

And finally, the bosses and their wives… Kurt and Kathy.

Jen and Shane.

Brian and I didn’t really get to spend very much time with Kathy and Jen except for at the night of the private party because we all went to the Degas lounge for the Rocky Horror Picture Show afterward. Jen and Shane each performed a song for us while we were waiting for RHPS to start. They are one talented couple.

As for Kurt, this trip pretty much affirmed my first impressions from years ago when we first started playing poker at the APL HQ (before Doyle Brunson and WPT) when APL was still APL. He is a really savvy businessman and very, very smart — quick on his toes and good with words. He could probably make camping in the dessert sound like a fun vacation. Look up “intelligent entrepreneur” and you’ll see his photo. He is a pretty good boss.

Shane is a good boss too but he still kind of scares me. Most of the times I’ve seen him at the HQ, he’s looked angry. He’s just a really intimidating type of guy. From what I understand, his reputation is not exactly without merit but he has mellowed down a lot over the years. I am told (Shane actually says so himself) that the Shane today is way, way better than Shane form years ago.

Anyway, people get so busy chatting in the poker room that they don’t pay attention whenever someone makes an announcement. However, as soon as Shane says something everyone quiets down and listens. Some might say that Shane has a louder voice than everyone else, but I think it’s because he is intimidating. I know I’m thinking, “This guy is scary. I better pay attention.”

At dinner one night Shane goes, “I don’t know why people are so afraid of me. I’m really super nice.” I said, “Maybe just nice. Super nice is a bit of a stretch.” Sometimes your mouth just opens before your brain can stop it. Shane didn’t seem offended and Kurt found the comment was funny so it’s all good. I didn’t get fired or thrown off the boat or anything.

Anyway, Brian told our dining room server it was my birthday so they came out and sang “Happy Birthday” as I blew my candle. Brian tried to get a big cake, but was told that you had to order those at least 24 hours in advance to allow them time to make and decorate the cake.

That’s probably what happened to Brent’s request on Tuesday night. He asked them to bring a whole anniversary cake for Jen and Shane and they only got a slice also. I’m guessing he didn’t ask for it 24 hours before either.

Brent said he told the staff and he was told that they would take care of it so he was expecting a whole cake and even told Jen and Shane not to order dessert. Most of the crew are foreign so I’m guessing something was lost in translation. Jen and Shane got a slice of diet cheesecake (I think that’s what it was, if I remember correctly) with two candles on it.

We had a good laugh about it afterward, but I thought that was a sweet and thoughtful gesture on Brent’s part. It was great getting to know Brent more on this trip (with bunking with him and Dan in Conroe and everything). Now, he is super nice.

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Food, Travel

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Getting Raped at the Spa

Okay, not literally. Brian and I easy targets, though. He picks on me for being gullible, but he is just as impressionable as I am sometimes.

We were told that the best time to visit the spa is while the ship is at port because they offer really good discounts. The prices are so high compared to spa services back home, though. It’s almost twice what we normally pay for so even with half off, you’re still paying what seems like regular price.

Anyway, after dealing for so many hours Brian and I just had to get massages. Plus, it was my birthday so we figured we would splurge.

We had what they call a top-2-toe treatment which consists of a full body massage, rejuvenating facial, scalp massage, and pressure point foot massage. The nice thing was that even though we didn’t book a couples massage, we pretty much had one. Brian and I were assigned to massage rooms right next to each other. They removed the partition so it made one large room (I’m using the word large pretty loosely here, think in terms of cruise ship standards =P LOL). Brian actually didn’t realize it until he turned around.

I had Maureen from South Africa as my spa therapist.

Brian had Marittes from the Philippines.

They both did a great job and were fantastic salespeople. At the end of our treatment, they came back and did some kind of consultation where they tried to sell us seven items. We bought all but one. I think if they wouldn’t have tried to sell us a dozen items, we probably would have done the same and bought everything as well. How can you say no when you’re completely relaxed and high from just having had a massage?

As Brian and I were going down in the elevator after everything was said and done, we looked at each other and wondered “What just happened?” The mind wanted to say no, but the mouth went “Sure. Let’s charge all of it on the sail and sign account.” LOL.

On the bright side, our total would have been almost a grand if not for the $270 discount on our spa treatment. It was regularly priced at $530 but, since we were at port, we only had to pay $260. After the beauty products and gratuities to the spa therapists, our damage came out to about $650. Yup, we are definitely gullible. =P

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Day 5: October 30, Thursday

October 30, Thursday, was the day we were tendered in Grand Cayman. It also happened to be the day of my 31st birthday and the ship’s second formal night.

The sea was particularly rough the night before we reached Grand Cayman. We were worried that we might skip it as one of our stops. Thankfully, the waters calmed down enough that we could still spend the day tendered. The downside is that most of the shore excursions were canceled. Out of a list consisting of three pages of excursions that were initially offered, only a fourth of the page was still available. They were mostly the land-based stuff. Having been to Grand Cayman before on our honeymoon six years ago and with the skies being overcast and everything, Brian and I decided that we would just stay on the ship. We figured we wouldn’t miss much.

We ran into Marilyn and Brent that morning at breakfast.

Next, we stopped by the spa to schedule a treatment.

We figured that we deserved a massage after several days spent hunched over, dealing cards. Also, since we weren’t going ashore anyway we thought we would spend the amount that we would have spent on an excursion at the spa. We were so wrong. Over half of the money we spent on our sail and sign card was spent at the spa (more on this later).

We schedule our treatment for 1 pm so we had a lot of time to kill before then. Brian and I took a dip in the hot tub. It was nice because we had it all to ourselves. With everyone ashore, there was hardly anyone left on the ship.

Speaking of having things all to yourself, I had the waterslide all to myself that day. It was so much fun!

Afterward, I whooped Brian at chess. Without one of my horses even!

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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Our Handicapped-Accessible Bathroom

What is it with us and handicapped-accessible rooms? This is the second time this has happened to us. The first time we got a handicapped-accessible room assigned to us was on our Vegas trip earlier this year. They must confuse Brian’s mental retardation for a physical handicap or something. Just kidding, baby!

I have no idea what everyone else’s bathrooms looked like, but ours had a folding bench (which we never used because [a] we didn’t need it and [b] it looked gross; you never know whose bun buns have been on that thing) and bars along all the walls, behind the door, and even above the toilet. I guess this way if you were physically-challenged in some way, you could support yourself. I’m sure Brian had other ideas for the bars but, as for me, I found them particularly handy on those days when the ship rocked a lot.

Anyway, our shower had this string that runs from the top of the shower all the way to the bottom. I wasn’t sure what it was so, one morning, I asked Brian what it was for. Goof ball goes “I don’t know,” as he starts pulling on the string.

Almost immediately our stateroom phone rings. I guess they were checking on us if we needed assistance of the I’ve-fallen-and-I-can’t-get-up nature. Brian replied, “We are okay. Thank you.” Now we know what that string is for. LOL.

October 31, 2008 | Posted by Ching under Flickr, Travel

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