The Palmer's Adventure: Thanksgiving Cruise to the Holy Land-Part One

I can't tell you how excited I am to blog about the past two weeks! With over one thousand photos to go through and edit, it will take me days. Then to try to decide which ones to put in the blog takes me hours. I just can't wait another minute, so I will have to drag this out into several parts. I hope you don't mind and that you'll check back every day or two to take this journey with me through my words and photos.

Jerusalem

It really was a trip of a lifetime. Let me start at the beginning. We were looking for a cruise to do over Thanksgiving break. Our friends, the Shumates, were planning for quite awhile to do this Costa cruise to Israel. Israel was the deciding factor for them and for us as well. I just couldn't pass up a chance to travel to the Holy Lands even though it was a long trip, many days of missed school and a good chance that Mike wouldn't be able to come. The price was fantastic, too! So, I booked a window cabin and hoped we'd all be able to make it. As time went by, many other families from our ward decided that they couldn't pass up this great opportunity either and we ended up with quite a group. We ended up with over 10 families and about 70 people of which half were small kiddies. We chartered a bus so we could all go together (except Shumates who had to pick daddy Shumate up in Garmisch on their way down to the port).
The night finally arrived and Mike ( who couldn't get work off) drove Travis and I to the base to meet up with everyone and board the bus to the port in Italy. We drove through the night and although the bus was full and there were lots of tired babies on board, they were such good little angels! It was a quiet drive down and I even slept a bit. We arrived in Savona about 9 a.m. We waited in the terminal until noon and were in the second group onto the ship, the Costa Pacifica. It is really a beautiful ship! We headed straight for the buffet...of course! Then we explored the ship and checked out our room.

The Pacifica

A fruit stand in Savona, Italy

Part of our group waiting at the Terminal

Savona marina taken from the top of the ship.

Travis and Dallin check out the view of Savona

The water slide

Looking down at the main lobby of the ship

Travis in our window

We unpacked and I took a little rest. Travis was happy to hang out with his group of friends. There were about 8 teenagers from our group...lots of built in friends! We sailed away in the dark and it was cold, so I didn't stay out on deck long but I did get a couple of shots as we pulled out of Savona.

In order for our whole group to be together in the same dining room, we had to have late seating for dinner. 9:00 p.m.!! Well many of the younger families realized there was no way this would work for them, so they switched to early dining and we ended up in late dining with only two tables..one for the teens and one for the adults.

The next day was a sea day and we all relaxed, ate, visited, ate, slept, ate, played nertz and pit, ate, had formal dining and ate. It was a great day!