Magic, name of the cruise line we went on last summer, have one thousand feet long as much as twenty seven length of school buses combine and fifteen decks above of surface sea water, and because of a imagination, my kids called it by “big boat”. We were very excited, and my kids had been asked about the trip every night since spring. Also, we were join a group had five families were going to. Wow, group vacation on cruise sounded like it could have a lot of fun, or at least I would hope I could.
After the Magic took off the Galveston’s port, we have our first group dinner at North Restaurant on deck three, that how it called because there were a South Restaurant on the other side of the lobby. Big group with a lot of small kids we were usually had three adults waiting at the line, while the rest of us watched our children at lobby.
Then after thirty minutes of waited, the waitress led our group to the tables on the side off restaurant next to the window, where the kids could looked out to see the big ocean and the ship was moving, were have a big table, but with twenty people, the table could not hold enough seats.
Then, we had to separate into two small groups: three families at table next to the window and the other two families sat at the table next to it. My family was at the table close to the middle of restaurant with the other family, Tue, Hac and there two kids, Ronan was three years old as same as my second son Justin, and Summer was twenty two month olds which was four months younger than my daughter Julia and my five years old son, John.
Pretty much all-next dinners we were sat at the same table with the same waiter and waitress, and later I were know that were how the restaurant want to set up table as the same everyday, so they can keep track easy. For breakfasts or lunches, we were called each other that were there, the Lido restaurant buffet on deck ten, first to reserved tables for the whole group because it was always crowed. We were helped each other to get food for our kids, because there were lots of people, almost four thousand passengers on board plus employees, tried to have breakfasts or lunches made all the lines was very long.
There were the Mongolian stir fry boot, I was had to wait forty- five minutes to get my turn, so I told the chef that I would like two dished of stir fry noodles instead of just only one I had been want from beginning. At the same time, Kevin, one of my friend, got pizzas and cheeseburgers after thirty minutes of waited, or Hac got a pancake after twenty minutes waited… So, to void the hunger of our kids, we were usually shared foods with every one, and whomever stayed at table had to take care the kids.
It was a nice thing of group vacation. Although, that were first time our kids met on board, but they were seem click together really fast. They were almost same ages. There were had two more boys same as my older boy was five years old. They were all like to swim and play at the water park a lot. There was a salt pool at open deck ten with four feet deep seem like dangers to all of our small kids, then we told them to go to the fresh water park on deck twelve. Most of kids, they are like to play with water, so our kids were the same.
Although, water park were just almost size with basketball field, and not really have a big and high water slide like the one at Slash Town up north Houston, but our kids really loved to running around. My husband had taken my oldest son, John, got in line waiting for a big water slide. He was really loved it, but he did not want to go again. Because they were have to wait forty-five minutes, and he was just want to have more fun running around with his friends, his brother and sister. Instead of waiting at the line, there were still had a small water slide for under three feet tall, and they were very happy to just play there.
Also on board had camp for all kids ages with no extra charge, and our kids loved to go there. At room from two years old to five years old was most our kids went to. There were three teachers in class with a lot of activities such as sing, read, draw, dance… just like at Kids r Kids day care. They were also had a lot of toys that made our kids loved to be in there too. Although, camp have a lot of things kids like, but of course kids were always want to go with parents. However, to all of our kids if they heard the other go to camp then they all want to go such as when I asked my kids, John, Justin and Julia, that they would like to go camp.
The first thing, they were always asked that the other, Ronan, Jefferson, Alan, Elaine…were at camp too, then they would go. This was happened all the same way to my all friend, and we were told each other that our kids to hang around than us. Of course, they were five years old and younger, their simply thought fun were just mean be playing together. The camp was open from eight o’clock in the morning to three o’clock in the afternoon, and they open back from five o’clock in the afternoon to ten o’clock in the evening. With that time frame I could have little time for my self.
One day after drop off all kids at camp, all of us were walking around deck ten. We found at one side of the ship were not had many people, our group kind of little lousy, and we sat there and started to plan what should we do with no kids at that time. Then all ladies started playing cards, and all men were want to play basketball on deck twelve. We were made joked and laughed to each other. The weather was clear blue sky with little wind, and sometime we could taste a little salty from the wind. We were sat there and look out distance just only blue sky, seawater and wind… we felt so peaceful, relax and stress less.
I had been thought the wind blew all pressure of life off, and dropped it into the big blue ocean. While all ladies sat there relax, then all men were having fun with basketball. I did not know how much fun that they had but turn out one of our men got leg hurt, and they had to stop after fifteen minutes. So they were came back, where we were and sat with their wives, and when the ship still going and none of us could know where was the ship head. While kids were at camp, all moms and dads were laid on the chairs enjoy time with lots of joked and laughed on a beautiful day were remarkable vacation for us.
Vacation for a family with three small children like mine was has never been much fun before, but this cruise trip was a best summer vacation for every one of family members. Especially travel with group have children as almost same ages were help our kids got company, then we, moms and dads, were really could have free time to relax our self. We were also can looked each other back to help other parent or they could help us. Although our trip we did not do much things special, but every one of our group, kids, moms and dads, were had seized our great time for our self and together that just simple of happiness.