TSUNAMI

(Last of Two Parts)

Having barely escaped the tsunami tragedy, going on a cruise trip in December 2004 was actually a fun and meaningful journey for all of us. I would really recommend taking a cruise if you plan to go on a vacation with your family. It is a great way to relax and spend time with them without being too stressed out. The family was aboard the SuperStar Virgo by Star Cruises as a gift from Mommy and Daddy.

The ship has everything you could imagine you would ever need on a cruise and more! They have activities for all family members including the kids. It's a beautiful and elegant ship and the best part is that the majority of the people working on the ship were Filipinos. This made me feel so at home and safe... We even got the chance to meet the highest-ranking Asian officer of that ship who is also a Cebuano, Officer Pono, who gave us a tour of the bridge, which is only exclusive to officers and staff. What a memorable experience! You could see and feel that our kababayans were very happy to see us on the ship. Our friendly Pinoy crew was very nice, friendly and accommodating! They even informed us about the best time to register for the "Gala Night" so we could have the best table location!

It was interesting to have a huge movie theater with the latest films being shown on the ship. We were able to watch two new movies but I enjoyed their nightly production shows even more! The first night was an acrobatic show by guest performers mostly from China and they were amazing! Some of their acts included balancing plates, juggling straw hats and contorting their bodies to fit into a small can. We were shocked and thrilled how they were able to do those stunts! Our kids kept on asking us how they could do what they were doing and we told them that they've been practicing that for many years and probably since they were about their age. The second night was a production show called "Sorpresa", a combination of Star Cruises' dancers and acrobats. Modern and classical dance, opera and really fantastic acrobatic performances made the show come together. The kids especially enjoyed watching one of their performers named "JR" the Giant (the smallest 22-year-old man) from Shenyang, China. He is so cute! He is about the height of Cian that time. We've had our picture taken with him. He was the "star" as far as the kids were concerned.

For their onboard kiddie entertainment, they have a video arcade where we would always hang out and play games with them. They also have a pool exclusively for kids called "Neptune's Wet & Wild" with waterslides! Super enjoy sila dun! When we brought our kids to their nice and clean childcare center - Charlie's Child Care Area, a playroom and nursery, Yong and I had the chance to walk around and tour the ship… just the two of us! No adults are allowed to go in except for the one in charge of watching over the kids. There is a minimal charge per hour but it was all worth it! Belle, Cian and their cousins had so much fun there!

You can actually find out more about what the ship has to offer by going to their website at www.starcruises.com.

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD! That I must say is the best part of the entire cruise! Round the clock buffet - breakfast, lunch, dinner and endless snacks! The Mediterranean Buffet (where we would always eat) is an indoor/outdoor restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. What I liked most of all was the kiddie buffet - seriously! You know, the usual kiddie food like French fries, chicken nuggets, sausages, noodles, pancakes. Oh how I enjoy attending children's parties! Another favorite of mine was their ice cream parlor. We would take our kids for ice cream everyday for the entire cruise. You'd really gain weight if you can't control yourself! The food was absolute temptation and in different cuisines at that - Chinese, American, Italian, Japanese. Not only will you have a hard time choosing which type of food to eat but where you would want to eat your meals as well! So, to just truly enjoy our vacation, I forgot about dieting and the existence of calories and yet they remind you about it because right there is a state-of-the-art gym and a spa to help you burn those calories! But, what made our vacation truly special was having these meals with the whole family. After all, the purpose for that trip was to bond more with each other and by eating together; we were able to do just that. Masaya pag palaging magkasama!

Having the chance to have such a lovely trip with the entire clan brings a warm feeling in your heart when it was time to go back home and embrace the lovely memories for years to come. It was indeed wonderful to be back home in Cebu, happy and safe…together!

In behalf of the whole family, I would like to thank Mommy and Daddy for bringing all of us on this memorable trip. Until next week! God bless!

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