Caribbean Cruising

Simone's hubby, unhappy with the unseemly amount of snow that had fallen on their city, booked a five day cruise in the Caribbean.

Be warned: cruising in the Caribbean in December and January does not mean you will have good weather. In fact, when they arrived in Tampa, the weather felt... chilly.

"No worries," the cruise director reassured them. And sure enough, the next day, the sun came out to warm their chilled bodies. It was a lovely, holiday like feeling. On day three, they went to Grand Cayman. The kids tried jet skiing and although the water felt initially cold, the warm sun and breeze more than made up for it.

Day four? Cold. Raining. Nobody was out on deck save for a hardy few in parkas and leg warmers.

Day five? More of the same. The cruise staff was handing out warm, fuzzy blankets to people who, driven wild by cabin fever and tossing seas, ventured outside. The shops were empty of any sweaters, sweatshirts, long sleeved anything and pants. Some women were spotted with their stateroom's bathrobe on the ship. Unfortunately, Simone's hubby informed her that this was not a fashion statement. Too bad. She might have stayed warm if she'd worn a bathrobe...