MONDAY DECEMBER 17: GRAND TURK!!

While we have been here multiple times, it's always nice to have a "free" day. This is a super easy port where you can go and not have to spend any money unless you want to eat and drink here. (We brought our own drinks) The beach and chairs (for the most part) are free at the cruise center and the pool is free to use with the beach chairs around it. They do have cabanas that you can rent but for the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would. They are located right there by the pool with all the other people and no seclusion. We are just active people and don't stay put very long and it would be a waste of money for anyone like us to ever rent anything like that...especially at this location where there's really no benefits to renting one and you definitely don't get away from the crowd here.

Since we were planning on doing activities that cost in the other ports, we decided to just make this a free day and forego going to any of the other beaches or renting a golf cart. Had Kendra's fiance been with us, we might have considered getting golf carts and exploring because it's always more fun with a group of people...especially my group. 😉

Grand Turk is one of those early to rise open you eyes ports. We would be in port from 7-2pm (I hate those hours).

We were up by 6am and immediately headed to breakfast at the buffet.

I got my normal runny eggs and pieces of crisp bacon from the bacon police and I was satisfied enough for the day knowing that it wouldn't be long before we were back on the ship and could get lunch. I did notice that this cruise, the eggs seemed to get runnier and runnier as the cruise went on. I'm not sure what's going on. I spent my mornings going from buffet station to buffet station trying to locate non-runny eggs. HOWEVER, I did discover that on this cruise they would have shredded cheese out and that was an added plus! I always want cheese on my eggs and that has been one of my gripes in the past. 

The bacon police are still in full force on Carnival and you have beg and promise your first born son to them to get more than 3 pieces. I did notice, the entire cruise, when people would go up and ask for bacon, they'd say "crispy". Well, crispy usually meant the popo was digging around in the tub of pig to locate those fully cooked pieces and you'd end up with chopped up small pieces. It was ok...it all goes down the same.

Kendra and her crew were late to breakfast and didn't show up until 7:30am. I guess it's a good thing we didn't have anything planned. Her excuse? Her alarm went off and she laid back down. But, it was ok seeing how they had made an announcement that we couldn't even get off yet because there was another ship coming in and docking beside us and we needed to make sure that they were docked before they'd allow us off. I want to speak to the docking manager about this discrepancy please! Who did the scheduling?

We waited and waited and waited. IT WAS AFTER 9AM WHEN THEY FINALLY TURNED US LOOSE! 9AM!!! That's 2 hours of missed beach time for us. Now normally when this happens, they extend your time in port but not this time. This would be a first for us. This was also the first time we have ever been here with another ship too!

When we were standing in line, Sakari has her mermaid tail with her and a couple in front of us started talking to her. This lady was a real mermaid as well! Like a real one! She's in a group of mermaids who travel and do parties and shows and so on. Sakari knows the group well and asks about some of the people by name in it and this lady knew them all. Mermaid Melissa has always been Sakari's favorite and this lady informed us that Melissa had sold off all of her tails and quit the business recently and moved away. Sakari was sad although I can't find anything online to indicate that this has really happened. She's probably the most famous known mermaid. We discussed her "profession" and I guess there's hope for Sakari yet. They really do make a lot of money and hey, Sakari already has the mermaid swim down pat and she can hold her breath forever. (Melissa holds her breath for over 5 minutes at a time). Her husband was really into it as well and told us about the cost of the real tails and it would be beneficial to wait until she's done growing to get one (she's been begging for one for years). He also does a lot of the photography for the mermaids (in and out of water). They were excited to show us. It made the long wait for them to release us in port tolerable and I'm sure those around us listening in thought we were bat sh*t crazy at this point.

So off we went and stopped to take our picture by the paparazzi.

To read our day in port, click the following link:

Headed back to the ship after a wonderful day.

Carnival has really stepped up their game and are doing things like NCL has been doing for years. They are playing music and welcoming you back and serving drinks. WTG Carnival. There's nothing like making you feel welcome to come back to the ship and continue your cruise with them. 

While we were in port...a photographer came along the beach area and was taking pictures. He took several of Sakari. I only purchased one of them (there were just too many). 

But I did do a screenshot of a few of them to show you what your pictures look like when viewing them on your phone or on the ships ipad in the pixel studio. They put their logo across them so that they are unusable. 

I knew that Pig & Anchor was open on port days during certain hours and I wanted to take advantage of this so we headed there to eat lunch. 

The last cruise we were on, we didn't find it to be too good (with the time before that, it was awesome). I'm not sure what happened. But, this time it was wonderful...so wonderful that we all went back for seconds! LOL  There really wasn't much of a line either and they had lines going in both directions (which they always do).

They do have tables outside along the P&A area to eat at as well. 

It wasn't too long before we were pulling out and I caught the reflection of the whale tail on the other ship. We arrived on time but didn't get off the ship for 2 hours after we were supposed to because the Oosterdam ship was coming in, and we still have to pull out on time and they get to stay. Go figure. 

After getting our bellies full, it was time for a little vegetation in the "whirlpool" because Carnival doesn't have hot tubs. 

After that, we were now bellies full and waterlogged and decided to get dressed and go to the Thrill Theater for a little fun. We arrived and used the kiosk to pay for the "Level 1" movie only to get in there and they ran the "Level 2" movie. Either way, it was a blast and I love these types of things. Kam, well, she wasn't so sure about the moving seats, water splashes, and the air being blown on her legs and face. LOL She immediately ended up in Kendra's lap. 

On our way out, we decided we needed a snack. And by snack, I mean overly priced candy from Cherry on Top. I ended up with a bag full at around $7+ and the hubby had a bag at $8+. Yikes! After exiting the candy store with the deer in the headlights look on our faces at the price we just paid for a sugar high, they were passing out tickets for the "Grand Opening" of Victoria's Secret on the ship. We stuck around for a while...and a little bit longer, then put up with the silliness of the people strutting their stuff on the make-believe runway they created before they allowed us in the "brand new" store that "just opened" (even though I'm sure it's open on every cruise like this duh). We thought they were going to pull tickets to win something and the store was packed. We were hopeful, only to find that they pull ONE TICKET!!! Just one! The winner got a bag and I have no idea what was in it because they never showed. What a waste of time. I'll never get suckered into that again but I figured they'd at least do a few. I mean they even had a spin the wheel for heaven's sake. 

Since we had so much candy, we decided to hang out on the deck and go into a full-blown sugar coma at this point. We got one of the round bed chairs (I love these because I have one at home and love to pull it in front of the fireplace and just vegetate). 

After the sugar adrenaline rush was kicking in, it was time to play a few games at the sports square to burn off this new found energy and then we managed to talk the kids into a little "school" time (kids club). Sakari was begging not to go. I don't know what has gotten into her lately and not wanting to go. She's growing up on me and can't wait to get into the teen club. She decided to go ahead and spend some time in there but threatened "I'm not going to the baby part with Kam this time!" Kam went on her own and there's hope in the future for Kendra being able to drop her off for our port day in Curacao with scuba diving!

Back to the Punchliner we went for a little bit of humor. This time around they ask for people out of the audience that could speak different languages. We had several different people AND......the Guys fry boy from the deck games that wouldn't sit down. He said he could speak Spanish. The games went on and the comedian had them say different things and it was hilarious. They got to the boy and they would tell him what to say and his reply "I don't know how to say that". Next thing "I don't know that". On to something more simple "I don't know how to say that". Ok, DO YOU KNOW SPANISH OR NOT? At this point, I'm thinking he's just an attention hog because he couldn't say anything.

After the show, we attempted to get back in line only to find that it went all the way down the hallway to Pixels. There was no getting back in for the adult show, that's for sure. They really need a bigger venue. 

Next best thing...the casino. I ended up donating my $39 I had left from the first day on the cruise and decided to pick the kids up from the kids club and go eat.  Off to the buffet we went but there really wasn't much there and I ended up at the deli for a grilled cheese. According to my notes...my camera card was messing up so I guess that explains why there were no pictures.

Back to the room to pack for our day tomorrow in La Romana and we had a dinosaur friend on our bed that night. Sakari worked on her phone drawings and we called it a night. 💤