touring the cruise ship - again

I am still reeling with my meeting with my blogging friend Stacey. I still can’t believe that we finally met and talked in person after having met online through blogging about a year ago. It was very nice and kind of her to invite me and my family over to see the ship, see the show and dine for free! I am forever grateful for the unforgettable experience. 

~ Stacey and me on the front bridge with Dubai on the background ~

Everything was perfect but I had a little hard time dealing with Pristine wanting to swim in the pool or asking over and over, “Why the ship isn’t moving, mama?”

~ the pool ~

M was not able to come with us because of work the first time we went to Port Rashid, where the ship is docked and Stacey was kind enough to invite us over, again! I went there again yesterday with M because I didn’t let him sleep with my talks about meeting Stacey and seeing the ship. He has to see in his own eyes!

The lovely hostess gave another tour again. The ship has several lounges, a disco house, bars, cigar room, internet cafe, sauna, spa, pool, tennis court, casino. It is really like a big hotel at sea.

~ the casino was silent; as gambling is not allowed while the ship is docked in Dubai ~

This is really embarrassing but I thought, if I/we won’t do it now, we’ll probably never be able to do it aboard any cruise ship for at least the next 20 years so, unashamed, we did *cough* what every couple does at the front bridge:

Ha.

Ha.

Ha.

Are you still laughing? I am.

After the tour, we had an early dinner. Stacey has to do rehearsals with her band so she had us wait at a lounge where we had drinks. I had sex on the beach - stop grinning…it’s a name of a cocktail drink!

It’s been almost a year since I had alcohol so I felt lightheaded after a few sips and fell silent (recovered a few minutes after I finished my drink). Yeah, now you all know that the only way to silence me is have me chug alcohol. LOL!

There was a show at 8:30 pm to welcome new passengers. Did you know? Cruise ships have godmothers! Crystal Symphony’s godmothers are Mary Tyler Moore, Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote) and Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins).

Stacey’s band played in the background again and last night’s show was bigger than the previous night’s. There was a broadway-like production called “Grand Hotel”. We had a grand time! If the little girl was there, she would have shouted, encore!

Finally, as in all meetings, the time to say goodbye comes. It’s amazing how it seems like we have been friends for years (Stacey if you’re reading this, at least that’s how I feel!) when we just communicated through emails and our blogs. Thanks for the invite, the time, the tour, the drinks, food and the wonderful experience.

That’s the ship all lit up in the background and us taking a picture (with my undesirable point and shoot camera) before saying goodbye. I didn’t look back at the ship nor at her when we pulled over from the parking lot (she was with us until the parking area) because they say, it will make you miss the person/place more but guess what, I am missing her already because I don’t have that much friends physically present — they all reside in my PC and it’s very rare that they come to Dubai and I get to meet them in the flesh.

Till we meet again!

The Crystal Symphony leaves for Salalah, Muscat before midnight tonight and onto Egypt passing the Suez Canal.