Bon Voyage! - Cruise Day 1

So, finally I'm getting around to posting about our cruise. We've been home over a week... but what a busy (and sick) week it's been.

Sunday 2/24/08

We started out with a VERY long day. We booked a flight requiring us to leave for the airport by 7am. It doesn't sound too early... until you consider the fact that we usually don't wake up until 7:30/8am. An alarm going off at 6am did not make for the happiest start. But, after a long day, we were in Miami, on the Carnival Valor, freshened up and dressed for dinner, and enjoying the view from the balcony in our room. The balcony room we did not book. The balcony room the we were expecting to be a 1st or 2nd deck interior that ended up being an 11th deck balcony. We did not question what ever stroke of luck brought us our balcony... we just enjoyed it.

Our balcony view of the Miami Port area.

Zoe checking out our view... and the long way down to the water.

Bon Voyage! Here we go!

Our first of many 24 hour self-serve soft serve ice cream cones. And yes, we had ice cream BEFORE dinner. Cruising involves decadent behaviors... even for 2 1/2 year olds. (No naps were involved the whole day and Zoe usually naps for 2 hours. I think this ice cream saved the day!)

After walking around the ship a little we enjoyed our first dinner. After dinner the photographers were set and ready to capture the perfect shots with their Caribbean Pirate.

Nick was quite into scowling with the pirate.

Zoe on the other hand was not the least bit interested in being anywhere near the pirate. We couldn't resist buying this shot though because it just makes me laugh every single time I look at her face. A while after dinner we stopped in to catch the Camp Carnival orientation meeting. We filled out our paperwork and settled in to see what we needed to know. Zoe was not happy with our seat choices though and proclaimed "I need to sit by that girl!!! I said "OK" and off she walked, barely glancing back to see if we were joining her. I don't know where this social butterfly came from (Nick and I are certainly not the most extroverted people) but I am so happy that she finds it so easy to make friends, and I hope this part of her personality sticks.

She went right up to this little girl and informed her "I need to sit by you!" Zoe and Marissa were best camp buddies for the whole cruise.
I will admit that after the orientation we returned to our cabin, settled in, and were asleep by about 9pm. I'd like to blame this on the fact that we were sharing one room with Zoe. I'll be honest, though. If Nick and I were alone... we may have been in bed even earlier with no reason to have stayed up for the camp orientation.