Cruisin’ Cousins, Part One

As I mentioned before, I spent last week aboard the Carnival Dream with my brother Jeff and our cousin Brian (a.k.a. Cub). It had been 20 years since we first cruised together, so we figured it was time for a reunion trip.

We got to the cruise terminal just before noon and were on board the ship about an hour later. We sat down to have our first meal and beer on the Lido deck while we waited for access to our room. It was my first time cruising with a stateroom balcony; the natural light and fresh air were so nice to have. 

We unpacked, changed clothes, and went back downstairs to the Encore Lounge for our mandatory safety briefing. After that, we went back up top to claim a spot on the port side of the ship. QP, James, Kenny, Riley, Rory, Nola, and Nopsi were out on the rooftop of QP and James’s building waiting to wave to us as we cruised by. It was really hard for us to see each other, but QP sent me a pic of the boys holding up the sign she made. And Kenny later told me that although they couldn’t see us, the boys loved seeing the huge ship go by.

Shortly after that was when I started to feel crappy. While I shivered in my bed, the boys went to dinner at our table for the week in the Scarlet Restaurant and then out to the piano bar afterwards. That was when they first met Mark, the piano player, and Mignon, the piano bar bartender, both awesome individuals. They had a grand time.

The next day, Jeff was feeling the effects of the night before and I was just trying to feel normal again. We both laid low while Cub carried on at his usual pace. He is one impressive specimen.

 

However, we all made sure to attend dinner: it was prime rib and lobster night! I got to meet our wonderful waiters, Alex and Harry, as well as our dining room bartender, Juvy. All three were phenomenal all week long. Alex brought Cub a total of two prime ribs and 5 lobsters that night.

Like I said, he’s an impressive specimen.

More cruise recaps next week…..have a wonderful weekend, everyone!