If you book it, they will come! August 2015 - Day 15 - The Last Full Day - Pool Day / Bahama Breeze

[JoJo88]

If you book it, they will come August 2015

INDEX

Day 15 – The Last Full Day – Pool Day / Bahama Breeze

Wednesday 19th August 2015

It’s the last full day. Gulp! As I mentioned at the end of Day 14, there’s always that weird contradiction at this stage of the holiday for me. Firstly, where on earth did those two weeks go? But then at the same time, it seems a life time ago that that the holiday began, setting off from home with it all to come. Clearwater was most definitely a distant memory, it almost felt like part of a separate holiday, and our time at the Caribe Royale seemed like it hadn’t even happened.

I tried my best to not dwell on the holiday being almost over, after all, we still had a whole day to go, and it would be a shame to waste it on feeling sad. Easier said than done, but I put a brave face on and we all headed down the corridor for the usual breakfast pit stop.

Daniel had woken up with some serious bed head….

We had no plans for the day. Nobody felt the need to head back into the parks, but the one thing we hadn’t yet done was crazy golf, so we pencilled that in for later on in the evening, when it would be a bit cooler.

Breakfast done, we gathered our things and headed for our usual spot around the pool, where we stayed pretty much all day, it was bliss!

On our way through the Orchid Court I had a peep in at the breakfast things and snapped a photo of the prices, just in case anyone was interested.

The boys enjoyed themselves just bobbing around in the water

Interspersed with the odd game of pool volleyball

We then all had a game of sharks which was a lot of fun. Basically hide & seek in the pool. Now, I’m useless at hide and seek, I’ve mentioned in previous reports that I absolute hate being jumped out on, and so to be sitting hiding – most likely in a dark place, only to have someone creep up on me is not really my idea of fun, I’m more like to expose myself (easy! ) before I’m found. And if I’m the seeker, it’s pretty much the same thing, pulling back a curtain to find someone stood there like something out of the Blair Witch Project is likely to send me running away screaming!

However, in the water, it’s not quite so tense. It’s pretty tricky to hide in water! Simon, however, managed to disguised himself in amongst a huge cluster of beach balls and it took forever for us to find him – we thought he’d got out and gone off to Islands of Adventure! It was only when I eventually spotted a couple of legs poking out from the bottom of the balls, at that familiar ten to two position, that I knew we’d found him!

The weather was glorious, just a few fluffy Florida clouds keeping the sun company, and relaxing on the water’s edge, then jumping in the pool for a cool down was pretty much enough to keep me entertained for the day. I’m not good at sitting still on holiday, I would be no good on a remote beach holiday as I need things to do (never mind the boys), but this holiday had been a perfect mix of ‘doing’ and ‘relaxing’ and as I knew it was only a matter of time before we were back in the swing of home routine, I was happy to embrace the relaxing!

We took it in turns to pop upstairs for cans of fizzy pop, in amongst the water available around the pool. Remember, keeps some cans in your room in your icy cool box as the ones in the club room aren’t cold. There is ice available to cool them down, but I prefer not to have ice

It seemed really quiet around the pool, although I would imagine that most people head to the parks first thing, understandably, and that it would get busier later on, which it did but only slightly.

Daniel and Grandad had a water battle on the Royal Bali Sea

I don’t think I ventured up there once! The water is very cold and I’m a bit of a wuss. We have an open air pool near us that is absolutely freezing, and in around 20 visits, I’ve never done more than dip a toe in, and probably never will!

Despite having fuelled up at breakfast, after a few hours we were getting a bit peckish, and having seen lots of delicious food being devoured around the pool over the last week, we decided to push the boat out and have some ourselves rather than head up to the club room for snacks.

We had nachos, chicken tenders and a cheese toastie, along with two smoothies and a soda.

It was all really good, and the nachos were huge, we couldn’t manage them all, despite Grandma & Grandad trying to help out too!

Seems expensive when you look at our bill from our evening meal later! However, it was all really good, and we’re on our holidays

After lunch it was time for some table tennis

Until that all became a bit too much like effort and we all retired to the sun loungers

At 1pm the entertainment kicked in, and of course, when the first game was announced, Daniel was over there like a greyhound……… you know how it goes

It was a relay race. Each team had to fill a bucket with as much water as they could just using a sponge. Daniel is very competitive, no matter how much school try and tell the kids ‘it’s the taking part that counts’, (nope, Daneil likes trophies, it’s trophies that make him happy ),and I could see him watching the others, who would run out to the marked point in the pool, soak up the water, and then run back to the bucket whereby their sponge would be virtually dry.

That obviously wasn’t working, so instead Daniel ran out to the pool, dunked his sponge very quickly, ran back and then filled his sponge up as he got to the bucket, thereby depositing ten times as much water. Of course, the others soon cottoned on, and by the end of the race it was a very close call!

However, after a tense few seconds the judges determined that Daniel’s team had won and they were all given a bouncy ball on a string thing that broke within the first few minutes of him playing with it! Oh well, it’s the win that counts

Plenty more relaxing, swimming, and general nothingness happened until we were all thoroughly exhausted! At some point during the day we had agreed that we would go to Bahama Breeze for our last meal. That’s despite our last two visits being slightly disappointing. However, it had an over 50% success rate due to previous visits, so we were giving it another chance.

Showers all round, and a Toxic Waste, or War Head, or some other disgusting sweet for Daniel…

What is it with kids and these awful things? Adam had something in the past that ripped his tongue to shreds! There has to be something wrong when it says on the packet not to have more than one at a time. In fact, I was in a local sweet shop the other day, looking for something nasty for the boys (to film for a YouTube video), and the shop keeper pointed out that he had something even worse than those already mentioned. I asked him if it would rip their tongues apart, to which he replied ‘yes’! I didn’t buy them…….

Of course we stopped off in the lounge first for a bit of an appetiser and a drink and then made our way back down to the car.

Pool shot from the lift lobby…..

A quick photo stop

I actually filled my Dad’s phone up with selfies of me as I was taking this photo, I won’t trouble you with any of them

I snapped this little fella on the RPR bridge. He looks very proud of his, er, lipstick?!

Daniel spotted his favourite number plate in the car park

We were at Bahama Breeze on International Drive around ten minutes later, which is the same one we went to in 2014, and wasn’t that great. I wonder if perhaps we should try a different branch? The one at LBV has never let us down, whereas we’ve had one good meal at Rolling Oaks, and one not so good one.

The problem with Bahama Breeze is that they keep taking our favourite things off the menu! I know, I know, I need to get over the removal of the chicken kebobs (kebabs?!) but nothing on the menu will ever live up to them. And then Simon had a lovely chicken wrap thing that has since gone. I suppose knowing how good those things were, it’s always going to fall short of expectations

Anyway, we gave our order to our server, who seemed to have had her personality removed, possibly at the same time as the kebobs, or maybe because of the kebobs?!

We then killed some time taking silly photos, as seems to be the norm.

It must be the light about my Dad making him that colour, surely?!

Same as the blue light above me makes me look ill!

Eventually the food came out, and it was good. Not great, but good. Jury is out as to whether or not we visit again, but it’ll no doubt have a spot on the reserve bench…

The bill (for the four of us) was $65.62 + tip which wasn’t bad, especially when you compare it to our bill for pool food earlier in the day….

Next up was crazy golf, and we stopped off at Pirate’s Cove on I-Drive. This is always a risky pursuit as it can, and usually does end it tears, but I’ve told Simon if he can’t get a grip, he won’t play again….

The course was good fun, we try not to take it too seriously (some of us anyway), and are generally rubbish at the adding up at the end, so the three Howard boys usually end up with the same score. Funny that!

It started to drizzle a little bit but thankfully it didn’t come to much, and we got round the course without too much drama.

Captain Jack/Pugwash/Deodorant Dodger kept appearing at various stages throughout the game, and was there waiting for us at the end of the game for a photo. He must’ve heard about Daniel’s team’s triumph in the soggy sponge race earlier in the day…….

Daniel got into the swing of the photo but I think Adam would’ve preferred to have been anywhere else but there at that moment!

He’s like me, very camera shy, which goes someway to explain why Daniel features a lot more in the holiday snaps than Adam does. Of course, like me, he always regrets it when we get home and are looking through the photos and realise it looks like we weren’t there!

Crazy golf checked off the list, next stop was Coldstone Creamery which we’d spotted on our way down I-Drive.

The boys each had something, and someone else did but I can’t remember who, and I had a fudge milkshake, it was like heaven in a cup, it was seriously good.

Piling back into the car, we made the journey back to Royal Pacific Resort for the last time.

We took the familiar route through the lobby and out towards the Tower 3 lifts, and up to the 7th floor.

Picking up the cards, we made ourselves comfortable in the club lounge for one last game of Blob. I have no photo, nor recollection of the score, but I’m pretty sure the game would’ve been a subdued one as we all reflected on the happy days that had gone before, unsure as to what our holiday plans were for the following year. (We know now! )

I was delighted to see a familiar face in the club room when Dibber Joanna23 appeared. They were just checking in and I was so pleased to see her and catch up before we checked out. We’d overlapped by a few days the year before and had spent a bit of time with her in the club lounge at various times.

All too soon it was time for us to pack up the deck and trundle back to our rooms. Sleep came easily that night, as we all settled down into the most comfortable beds for the last time in however long it may be……

[codym]

Lovely day, I'm so excited to try RPR this year, love your reports of it!
I know that feeling at the end, feels like your only there but also like your there ages all at the same time, its so sad going home but I try not to think about it until we are in the airport.

[Redrach1903]

Hahaha loving your fear of hide n seek! That's hilarious, but I get it

Good on Daniel! Nothing wrong with being competitive! Why would anyone not want to win I ask you? Can you tell I'm competitive myself? I get it from my Dad

Wish you had shared the selfies

Ooh I hate it when fave things are taken off menus! Bahama Breeze did that to me too!

Fab last full day Jo! xx

[disneytrio]

Wonderful relaxing last day, it's been great reading along!

[Deggs]

Guten Tag!

Lovely faaamleee photos in this episode!

I hate anyone jumping out on me too, it makes me want to kill (again!). And no cold water for me either, heat is the way forward, which seems to be lacking this summer! It's just not good enough is it!

I can lay in one spot all day if it's warm. I'm an ex-hardcore sunbather, not much time these days. Regards your 'greyhound' phrase, I found one by accident on tinternet the other day which I thought was brilliant, never heard this before! 'Big enough to wallop a dog out a tripe shop', let's just say it could be used for that unfortunate frog statue! You wonder if they do these things on purpose!

These sweets sound like something out of The Demon Dentist, that my daughter is reading at the moment. Why on earth would they sell tongue shredding sweets?

So that golf man did pen 'n' ink did he? Daniel is pulling a bit of a disgusted expression!

When do you set off again then? We're off to Cornwall in just over a week, it had better improve on the weather stakes by then!

Deggs x

[mick]

A great last day never tried Bahama Breeze we keep looking at the menu and saying no!

Joan

[Sparksy72]

All your lovely RPR pics bring back such lovely holiday memories - especially the pool ones! We love Bahama breeze but have only ever been to the one in LBV, I agree though, it makes it difficult when they change the menu. A lovely day 😊

[Ariel princess]

Great last day, i always find it so difficult too I think my fave day of the entire holiday is the day before going to the airport LOL! Glad you had a good mean at BB xx

[Gusgusmummy]

That frogs lipstick 😳
The boys look so happy in the pool it looks great fun 😀
Those ice creams look great xx

[JoJo88]

Originally Posted by codym

Lovely day, I'm so excited to try RPR this year, love your reports of it!
I know that feeling at the end, feels like your only there but also like your there ages all at the same time, its so sad going home but I try not to think about it until we are in the airport.

See more...

Oooh, you'll love it, or at least I hope you do! Not long to go now

Thanks for reading

Originally Posted by Redrach1903

Hahaha loving your fear of hide n seek! That's hilarious, but I get it

Good on Daniel! Nothing wrong with being competitive! Why would anyone not want to win I ask you? Can you tell I'm competitive myself? I get it from my Dad

Wish you had shared the selfies

Ooh I hate it when fave things are taken off menus! Bahama Breeze did that to me too!

Fab last full day Jo! xx

See more...

Hide & Seek Not fun!

Honestly, all this 'it's the taking part that counts' nonsense. Some kids will never learn to lose graciously... And, while I'm on my soap box, why shouldn't the kids who are good at sport be recognised for that, after all, those that are academically gifted are... I was neither, so it didn't apply to me anyway xx

Originally Posted by disneytrio

Wonderful relaxing last day, it's been great reading along!

See more...

Thank you! Great countdown

Originally Posted by Deggs

Guten Tag!

Lovely faaamleee photos in this episode!

I hate anyone jumping out on me too, it makes me want to kill (again!). And no cold water for me either, heat is the way forward, which seems to be lacking this summer! It's just not good enough is it!

I can lay in one spot all day if it's warm. I'm an ex-hardcore sunbather, not much time these days. Regards your 'greyhound' phrase, I found one by accident on tinternet the other day which I thought was brilliant, never heard this before! 'Big enough to wallop a dog out a tripe shop', let's just say it could be used for that unfortunate frog statue! You wonder if they do these things on purpose!

These sweets sound like something out of The Demon Dentist, that my daughter is reading at the moment. Why on earth would they sell tongue shredding sweets?

So that golf man did pen 'n' ink did he? Daniel is pulling a bit of a disgusted expression!

When do you set off again then? We're off to Cornwall in just over a week, it had better improve on the weather stakes by then!

Deggs x

See more...

Deggggggsssseeeeeeeeeey!

Guten Tag! How very appropriate! We were in Belgium last week celebrating Simon's birthday. And Germany is pretty much the same as Belgium, right?!

Big enough to wallop a dog out a tripe shop? Shall I try and get that into the next report?

The sweets are awful. Honestly, Adam poked his tongue out at me (in itself not unusual), but it was literally peeling, like it had sunburn, it was awful!

In 5 weeks time we'll be there, I have no idea exactly where as we have no itinerary, no plans, we will just wing it. That should make for a brief trip report!

Sun is shining for you today, hope it continues into next week and Cornwall for you!

Jo xxx