Most Traveled Passenger Cocktail Party

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about the party for the most traveled passengers on a Princess cruise.

I remember our excitement the first time we received an invitation to the Captain's cocktail party. The gathering for repeat passengers is held in a lounge with free drinks and snacks (sometimes) provided. The excitement was short lived. For after a few cruises we got tired of people trying to impress each other with the number of cruises they had been on. Personally we don't care how many cruises anyone, including ourselves, have been on so again and again, cruise after cruise, we've received the same invitation and again and again, cruise after cruise, we tossed it in the trash.

But on an Alaskan cruise a couple years back we received that same old invitation along with a new, different, and a bit more exciting invitation. This wasn't just any party.

We had only recently heard about these "most traveled passenger" receptions/luncheons/cocktail parties. The 40 passengers on the ship with the most days on with the cruise line are invited. 40 passengers. Out of 3,000. And we fell into that group for the first time ever. Alaska is a destination where getting on the list is easier. Alaska cruise passengers tend to be first-time cruisers. Saved up their money for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. (Hey, that was us 14 years ago!)

So what does an MTP cocktail party look like? You are checked off the list as you enter the party, introduced to the Captain, and have a picture taken with him. The officers are sometimes lined up and you go down the line, shaking hands. You find yourself a seat and the food starts arriving, the drinks start flowing, and the officers sit down and chat with you.

Oh, the food. Multiple servers come around so quickly. While we've had the menu change over the years, here are photos of the food of our first party ever.

Chicken teriyaki, fried prawns, and duck burger.

Scallops and mozzarella and basil. Fruit skewer and shrimp with caviar. The other thing on that third plate, the one with what looks like jam on top that I think they called a cheesecake? I don't know what kind of cheese they used but it wasn't cream cheese.

Desserts keep coming too. Vanilla mousse, strawberry mousse, and something green. I think hubby said it wasn't pistachio, but I don't remember. 

A cream tart with a chocolate shell. A mocha tiered dessert of sorts.

And some handmade chocolates.

Photography is amazing these days. Not because of the pictures I took with my phone (well, that technology is amazing too) but the pictures the ship's photographers took of each passenger with the Captain. Within a half hour a printed copy was in every person's hands at that party.

Here it is several years later and make the Most Traveled cocktail parties and luncheons and brunches almost every trip. We've been on cruises with the top passenger having over 2,000 days at sea so we get bumped out occasionally. Don't think we'll ever get that high a number of days, but a girl can always hope!

The Friday 15

Today's items are a hodgepodge of things from around the house. More cups and a paper hamburger fan from the Boise Hawks games. A couple shirts and a magazine. A few boards I had wrapped fabrics on. An extra pair of tongs from the kitchen. And a couple leftover tutorial project items. Adios!

5 Things to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico

It's Wanderlust Wednesday and today we're talking about five different activities you can do when visiting San Juan, Puerto Rico.

San Juan is a city close to our hearts. When we want to escape the cold Idaho winters and wish to stay somewhere so different, we pick San Juan. While Puerto Rico is a US Territory, it's seems like it's a world away from the States. The food, the people, and the language makes it seem like we're in a different country. But we're not.

1. Head to a beach for some wave watching. The colors of the water on Condado Beach will make you feel like you are in a different country. Waters can be a bit rough for swimming, particularly when the wind is a bit stronger. But the view can't be beat.

Unless you're talking about the views of the water from the street.

2. Visit the forts of San Juan. You have a couple to choose from, El Morro or San Cristobal. Beautiful Spanish forts still standing strong on the water's edge.

 You'll also find the Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis cemetery right outside the walls of El Morro.

3. Head over to the El Capitolio, the Capitol. The building houses the legislature and offers tours to the public. You can even watch the senate from above. Call ahead to schedule a tour.

4. Spend some time in Viejo San Juan, Old San Juan.

Spanish architecture with colorful buildings and cobblestone streets...

 

with plenty of shopping and restaurants and interesting people and sights. Want a banana fresh off the tree?

5. Eat, drink, and be merry. Look at all these local choices from the food truck.

How about some Mexican food?

 Or a Cubano sandwich stacked high with meats?

Whatever you choose to do during your time in San Juan, make it a great day.

Make Quick and Easy Fabric Pumpkins - Tutorial Tuesday

It's Tutorial Tuesday and today we're making fabric pumpkins. No sewing machine is needed for this project!

For each pumpkin you will need:
*10” x10” piece of fabric
*Polyester fiberfill
*Strong thread, like several strands of embroidery floss (I’m using candlewicking thread)
*Needle
*Glue (I'm using hot glue)
*Branch or stick
*Pattern downloaded from here

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Looking for other stuffed fabric shapes? Check out some of the others we've already made"

You can find the step-by-step how to tutorial video for the easy stuffed fabric pumpkins project here:

Yummy Monday - Money Bar in Cozumel, Mexico

It's Yummy Monday and we're talking about some of the tasty food and drinks to be found at the Money Bar Beach Club in Cozumel, Mexico.

Last week I talked about the snorkeling at the Money Bar. You can find that post here.

While the snorkeling is amazing, the food and drinks are pretty darn good as well.

Frozen drinks and non-alcoholic drinks.

Rum drinks and pretty drinks.

And the food. We haven't had a bad meal here. Ever. Get there early enough and you can grab some breakfast. Yep, that's on the menu, too.

Now we eat breakfast on the ship and make sure we show up to the Money Bar hungry. The food is delicious and portions large. So many things are so very good. On this day we went with the beef tacos and were not disappointed. Muy delicioso.

And the nachos are filling and flavorful. They even gave us a separate plate of additional toppings.

Amazing food, tasty beverages, beautiful views, and great snorkeling makes the Money Bar our first stop on every trip we make to Cozumel.

If you're interested in taking a look at the menu, I posted it here.

Sunsets at Sea

It's Cruise Ship Saturday and I have no words today. Instead we have just sunsets as seen from a cruise ship. Enjoy the views!

Scroll to the bottom for a video of a spectacular Caribbean sunset at sea.

The Friday 15

Today's items all come from this year's Boise Hawks games. Buy a soda, get a cup. Buy a soda, get a cup. We were half season ticket owners so we had a lot of drinks. And a lot of cups. Bye, bye!

Snorkeling at the Money Bar in Cozumel, Mexico

It's Wanderlust Wednesday and today we're talking about snorkeling at the Money Bar in Cozumel, Mexico.

I'm a snorkeler. I first learned to snorkel in the beginner's group on a snorkel excursion in Belize. I fell in love with it and spent the next year practicing my newly learned skill. A year later I went back to Belize and re-did the same excursion - in the advanced group.

Now I definitely consider myself an experienced and advanced snorkeler. The more time I can get in the water, the better. So whenever I can get to a snorkeling spot by myself, without another group around, I take advantage of it. One of the places where that can happen is in Cozumel. 

The Money Bar Beach Club is a short taxi ride from the Cozumel cruise port and fits the bill. They have tasty food and tasty drinks. 

But the snorkeling is the stand out. While there's not much of a beach, they do have both lounge chairs and tables in the sand.

And some great snorkeling. Even the snorkel boats come out to the area.

But there is no need to pay someone else to take you out there. Just take the stairs down into the water.

You'll see plenty of fish - and few people. Snorkel until your heart's content.

Magnetic Mailbox for Cruise Ship Cabin Door - Tutorial Tuesday

It's Tutorial Tuesday and today I have something I've used every single day for a full month.

Looking for more sewing and crafting projects? 

Click here to see all my tutorials!

If you’ve been on a cruise before you know you get lots of papers. Like bunches and bunches every single night. The daily paper that has the rundown of the next day’s activites, the invitations to the art auction and health seminar, the ads for the boutiques and spa specials.

On some ships there are mailboxes installed on the wall to collect all those papers. On some ships there aren’t so the steward is placing the papers in your door handle, sliding them under the door, or placing them on the bed. If you’re on one of the ship without mailboxes – like the Caribbean Princess that now has a just a screen instead of the mailbox, here is a project to help you – and your steward – find a place to put all those papers. Since the door (and the walls for that matter) are magnetic, today we are making this magnetic mailbox.

For this project you will need:

• 12” x 12” backing fabric
• 10” x 10” front fabric
• 7 ½” x 11 ½” fabric for pocket, cut 2
• 10” x 10” Fuse-N-Shape™
• 6 ½” x 10½” HeatnBond ®
• 9 ½” long strip magnet, cut 2
• 10 ½” length of ½” wide bias tape 
• Hot glue
• Iron
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

You can find the step by step how to video for the magnetic cruise ship cabin mailbox sewing project here:

Prefer a no-sew one? I have a magnetic mailbox for your cruise ship cabin door that requires no sewing right here!