My Mom, Bob, and I had seen some busy days. We had toured Miami, Key West, and Cozumel. I had even more frenetic traveling coming up at the end of the trip. So it was nice to have one nice, full day to spend dripping around the Imagination cruise ship and doing little to expend much energy on our final day at sea: Thursday, February 10, 2011. I started off the day about as leisurely as possible, by sleeping in, grabbing breakfast, and lazing around the cabin for a few hours, then summoning the energy to shower and get into my swim trunks and make my way to the pool area for two hours of laying out, catching some serious rays, and listening to the iPod.
At the bottom of the water slide, near where we laid out in the sun
Mom, content with the sun and a good (?) book
Bob begins the standard vacation abuse of his skin, by reading a car magazine that will put him to sleep
By the time I had fostered a bit of a sunburn and perhaps dozed off a time or two, it time for a 2pm lunch. I opted to eat rather lightly, having some clam chowder, broiled fish, and a couple of chicken fingers. After lunch I checked the internet and was ready to chill out in the Dynasty Lounge for the 2:45pm ‘Game of Love’ – a blatant on-stage version of the Newlywed Game. It was fairly amusing.
The Game of Love participants
Mom and I decided to hang out in the Lounge and try our luck at a $1000 cover-all game of Bingo. Bob, incidentally, was nowhere to be found – much to Mom’s chagrin. We plunked down $20 for three Bingo cards, but alas, didn’t win a thing. I never win.
Optimistic that we would be winning $1000
Not surprisingly, we didn’t
4:00 rolled around and Bob still hadn’t shown up and it was time for the big watch blow-out sale in the lobby outside of the Dynasty. Mom and about 50 annoying women opened and shut about 50 boxes to check out the watches that were being sold at some outrageous discount. I spent this time hatefully glaring at some dude’s ridiculous shoes. Bob eventually showed up; he had fallen asleep by the pool.
Mom elbows her way through the masses to try on various watches
The most hideous shoes I’ve ever seen…and yet I couldn’t look away
We all scurried back to the room to put on a bit nicer duds for our final dinner on the ship. Before the meal itself, we attended the Fun Farewell Party at 5pm – which is a must-do because it is the only time during the whole cruise where the alcoholic drinks are free. As if I had been challenged, I downed about 6 or 7 of them in the hour that this deal was going on. Although relatively light in alcohol, the combined effect of the drinks and the sunburn was making me sweat. Therefore, I got a picture with the ship’s mascot (seen at the top of the posting).
Double fisting it during ‘free drink time’
We convened in the Pride dining room for what was the best of all of our dinners. I wasn’t shy at this dinner about ordering multiple entrees – going with the Hickory Smoked Alaskan Salmon and Crab Cakes for the appetizer, and the Penne Mariscos (seafood pasta) and Grilled Fillet of Fresh Norwegian Salmon for the main course. Dessert was Baked Alaska. Someone had tipped off our waiter Bob that it was Mom’s birthday the day before, so they brought her a special birthday dessert.
With our fun waiter, Bob
Shannon, Alena, and Chris – three of our tablemates
Vanessa, Ricki, and Deana – the other three
With my camerawoman pal Raisa. She scored points with me when I talked her into convincing Mom that she had located one of our photos in the garbage. Not surprisingly, we’re Facebook friends now.
Mom receives her dinner birthday treat
Me, Mom, and Bob – sun-kissed with Baked Alaska
Now tipsy, burnt, and full of food, I quickly went back to the room and got into my most comfortable shorts and t-shirt to attend the rest of the evenings events. At 8:45 was the biggest and most elaborate show of the week, simply titled Showtime. It was also by far the lamest in my estimation. To be fair, it was just corny enough for the older crowd, resembling the type of musical show (basically covering the different eras and styles of music) that one might find at Kings Island.
Bob and Mom enthusiastically prepare for Showtime, while I unenthusiastically prepare to nap during the show
I was seriously ready to go to sleep after this – and during it – but I agreed to attend one last show. The 11pm stand-up show of Frank Del Pizo in the Xanadu Lounge. Again, he was quite funny, reminding me a bit of Eugene Levy. After the show, I talked to him for a minute and got a picture with him. He made the joke that it would be ten bucks for the photo, but warmed quite a bit when I told him that I had noted his little homage to Jackie Gleason in his act from Tuesday.
With comedian Frank Del Pizo
And thus, the cruise was virtually over. We went back to the room and I got most of my stuff packed and separated for the next morning. I had really enjoyed the cruise, our ports, and spending time with Mom and Bob. But I dreaded the whole rigmarole of facing customs, shuttles, and airports, but a traveler’s got to do what a traveler’s got to do.
Memories of our room – with the nifty towel animals on the bed. I slept in that fold-out bunk on the left.
The trip will continue in California…
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