Richards Cruise part one

We counted down for months, and now, it's all a memory. But what memories! Two weeks ago, the extended Richards family went on a Caribbean cruise.

We started by parking the car and taking Trax to the SLC airport.

Then we waited with cousins at the airport for the overnight flight.

Did I mention it was a redeye.

We arrived at 6 AM Miami time, then took several transfers of airport and Miami public transportation and then walked a lot to get to the docks. We had plenty of time to kill.

I felt like I was constantly counting little blonde heads and luggage to make sure we were all together. In this picture, I keep checking on baby James, while uncles Seth and Jeff laugh at two ladies fighting over their advice to where we needed to exit the train.

 

When we finally got on the ship, hallelujah! All you can eat lunch, and all you can take swimming.

Until sleepiness caught up.

Andrew is the cutest little alligator at the muster station for the life jacket drill.

And we sailed away from Miami!

We went to the show that first night. It was Frank Sinatra songs in the big theater.

JB took this picture. On his other side, Andrew was already asleep on Papa's arm.....and Papa was asleep with his head back on the red velvet chair. As the show started, JB nodded off too. DID I MENTION THE RED-EYE. Meanwhile, the Sinatra singer then started to move among the audience with the spotlight following....and he stopped right by the sleeping Richards family for his big moment:  "I did it, MYYYYYY WAAAAYYY!" I cannot think about this moment without giggling and guffawing.


Max and Ben slept on the couch bed in Nonna and Papa's cabin; the little boys slept on the couch bed in our cabin around the corner. Well, James ended up in our bed more often than not (we are now sleep-training him back at home).

It took us all of the two days at sea to explore the ship and figure out its secrets in those 16 levels. It was the MSC Divina, a different cruise line than any of us have taken before, but by the end we felt like it was home. Cousin Emily knew her way around better than any of us, and would often lead the kids as they went to and from Kids Club and the pool and the buffet.

We dressed up one of those sea days:

And we went back to another show. Same singer, different songs, different costume. Each night. I also got the giggles over this.

The cousins had the best time together, whether it was playing games, playing in the pool, or playing at Kids Club, where they were the majority of the kids there. Much better than a Disney Cruise, which would have been full of kids. This way, our kids had lots of attention from the staff.

Next posts talk about our stops in the Caribbean!