When we last left our geeks, they were floating in the water spinning tales about Wayne Brady and not paying too much attention to the time. Well, thank goodness this geek thought to purchase a waterproof watch at Target for $10 before this trip, because otherwise she might have missed her 2 oclock massage!
If youve been with me from the beginning, then you know I booked my first
Castaway Cay cabana massage on a bit of a whim. See, we had the REAS package, and there I was at midnight 105 days out, my hand hovering over the keys. I could have anything I wanted. ANYTHING. So I got a little carried away and booked everything.
And then? Stuff started going awry in our lives. Nothing too crazy, just some work stress and health stress and such. I toyed with the idea of canceling the massage, because Sarah and I had decided to do a spa day together IN ADDITION to everything else I had booked. It seemed
I dont know, too indulgent? If there is such a thing?
And here is where every lady on the DIS falls in love with my husband: he told me if I cancelled my special cabana massage, he would sneak behind my back and book another one for me.
You are NOT canceling that massage.
But, its $130 dollars!
You are NOT canceling that massage.
But we could-
YOU ARE NOT CANCELLING THAT MASSAGE!
Ok, ok! Sheesh!
Can I tell you how glad I am that I listened to him? Because little Isabelle from South Africa melted all of my remaining stress away. I swear, that girl not only found every single knot on my body, but she got rid of it GENTLY. Someone tell me how that is possible?
I have to admit, I was initially a cabana massage skeptic. Lovely views of Serenity Bay, my tookas youre on your back or your stomach the whole time! My views were of the ceiling and the floor, when I could will my eyes to open. But do you know what? The atmosphere was still amazing. Yes, I admit that I got a little paranoid taking my clothes off in front of that GIANT OPEN WINDOW, even though there was no way anyone could have seen in over the 10 foot tall shrubs they planted there. But there was something about the smell of the ocean and the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze (and the raindrops on the roof Ill get to that) that made me never want to leave that little cabin. The only thing that kept me from holding Isabelle hostage there was the fact that (a) I am not exactly a formidable presence, even to people shorter than me and (b) I was really jonesing for a pina colada.
An hour of Heaven later, I stepped outside into a tropical storm. Or at least thats what it looked like. Wind, rain, people running for shelter
..the only thing missing was pieces of carports tumbling by. I saw Lionel and crew huddled over at the bar with our bags and two very wet friends.
Hot tub and drinks? He asked. I nodded hazily, still smiling like an idiot.
It was good, huh?
I nodded again.
So, what youre saying is, I was right?
Enjoy this moment, baby. There wont be many more like it.
Back to the boat we headed, where we saw the same old guy at the Quiet Cove Pool bar. AGAIN. Same seat and everything. Looking around, the weather was still a bit nasty so we headed for the rainforest room instead.
The womens spa locker room on the last day of a 7-day journey looks like a disaster area in need of federal aid. No slippers. No robes. No towels. Wait, I take that back. All of those things were there, they were just balled up and strewn about all over the floor, sinks and benches. The hampers? They were empty.
Come on, people. You can still get your moneys worth from this cruise if you pick up after yourselves. It aint THAT bad.
Anyhow, we enjoyed our last time in the wonderful sauna and steamrooms, and showered off in the scented stalls. I was warm, cozy and smelling like a tropical rainforest. I was officially ready to pack, without tears. Our time on the ship had been wonderful, and I didnt regret a thing.
Back in the room, I got everything pretty much ready to go in record time. Sometimes Lionel makes fun of me for being super neat and tidy, but I have to tell you anything that makes packing up to go home easier means more time spent enjoying the last moments on the boat. Am I right? Here are my tips:
- I packed all of my secret mickey and fish extender gifts in Rubbermaid containers. That way, they didnt get crushed in the suitcase. Since we didnt really plan on buying anything fragile, I put all of our FE and SM gifts in them as we received them. When it was time to go? I put the lids on and threw them in the suitcase. Packing made easy.
- I had an extra bag for souvenirs, which I filled as we bought them. I kept it in the cabinet above the television, which is also where I kept our boxes of loot from the fish extender. When it was time to go? I zipped it up and threw a tag on it.
- I kept all of our dressy clothes on the hangers, even after we wore them. They all went right back in the garment bag the way they came in.
- Everything else got thrown in the big suitcase. Since all of the new stuff was accounted for already, and the Rubbermaid totes took up the same amount of space as before, there was no worry that it wouldnt all fit. Throw it in, zip and done!
I estimate it took me about 20 minutes to pack everything up. Now we were free to enjoy the rest of our night, and to linger around at the dinner table for as long as we wished. Win, win!
We had our final dinner at Lumieres. I remember still feeling smooshy from my wonderful massage, and ordering off the menu for the first time in many days. Sameer made curry for the boys again, and surprised Sarah with a giant bowl of gelato from Palo. Hes so sneaky!
And then? They rolled in the baked Alaska.
Ok. I am about to go on record here, and admit that I dont get the appeal of baked Alaska. Granted, Ive never actually HAD any. It just doesnt appeal to me. Sure, it gets set on fire and I suppose thats impressive. And I know its a pain in the butt to make. But honestly? It sounds less appetizing than the dessert menu at Animators Palate. Which, lets be honest, needs some updating. Strawberry shortcake? You can do better than that.
Eh. The chefs enjoyed the oohs and aahs as they tempted fate by lighting fires on a cruise ship. After dinner the servers came out for a final show, waving flags from around the world and getting some well-earned applause. Sameer carried Canada. Sarah was ecstatic.
I dont have many photos from the final night, and the few I do have were blurry and not that exciting. I do, however, have one last one of my and my honey in the lobby. Note: I am wearing my drunk sweater
..
I can smell the booze from here!
After dinner, we parted ways with Mat and Sarah and spent some time on the verandah. It was strangely quiet. The boat was winding down as we clipped through the water, back to our home. I thought I would have felt sad at this point, the end of seven days on our beloved boat. But honestly? I had never felt so refreshed. I was ready to get back home. To see our dog. To show my parents the snorkeling photos. To tell everyone at work how wonderful it was. To think back upon the memories.
We stayed out there for about an hour, listening to the sound of the waves, smelling the salt air, holding hands and feeling like we were the last two people on earth.
Up next: I have a change of heart. Do we really HAVE to get off the boat? WAAAAH!