Again… I was up earlier than everyone else and, you know… made my way to Deck 10 for photos.  Was a major downer to see that we were docked right back at Port Canaveral. 

The thing with cruises, it’s all like, “Welcome aboard!  Let’s have fun! How can we serve you?” until the last morning.  Then it’s like, “Don’t let the gangway hit you on the way out.”  Or something like that.

Because we’d had late dining we weren’t expected to eat breakfast until 8:30 A.M.  Which was good, because no one was eager to get up.

We’d put out all of our major luggage by 10:30 P.M. the night before and only  had what fit in two carry-ons.  So we got dressed and visited around the ship some more before breakfast.  Look at my crew.  ♥

Tab embarked on her own Princess Gathering walk down the staircase to the Atrium. 

And I finally took some photos inside Lumiere’s.  It was a little more brightly lit for breakfast than for the two dinners we’d eaten there.  It was very pretty. 

Then it was time to go.  But not without our sunscreen in place.

So… since we were on the “Space Coast” I’d requested complimentary tickets to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center from our congressperson’s office six months in advance.  What can I say?   We were allotted four tickets for my household and four tickets for my mother’s household.  We only had to pay for one ticket for Johanna.  It was (are you sitting?) $43.  American.  Um – can you imagine paying that amount for EVERYONE?  

The weather was gorgeous and we really did try to make the best of it. 

But – you know – if this isn’t your thing it is hard to pretend it is your thing. 

After a week of outstanding behavior poor Katriel was more than ready to let us know she didn’t care one iota about the history of the space program.  I think she wondered where the big mouse went, or something like that.  For about forty minutes I was that lady with the disruptive kid.  Sorry fellow bus riders. 

We did see a real, live, uncaged alligator.

We got out for a while and wandered around things that meant nothing to us. 

Okay – I know what this is for.

This was a staged photo.  I said, “John, point to a sign like you are teaching them something.”  I think he was saying, “Kids, look here so it looks like you are learning something.”  We were punchy.

My sweet space cadets?

It had been almost 18 hours since we’d done a family photo so we got our act together,

and snapped a few.

And a few more.

After an outrageously expensive lunch most of us went and watched a IMAX movie about the Hubble Space Station.  Okay – that was kind of cool.  Then we went to a “new” building to see a movie about how they worked toward building a new kind of space travel vehicle (what we all know now as the shuttles).  And the movie was pretty good.  And then the big movie screen turned translucent and ta-stinking-da – behind it was the real, honest-to-Betsy retired space shuttle Atlantis.  Okay – NOW you’re talking.  This was pretty cool. 

She didn’t find it quite as fascinating as I did. 

There were some do-dad thingies the kids could play in.  But not Stewart.  He was Too Old. 

I think we called it a day at 5ish and went back to the vacation house.  I don’t remember if they swam or not, or if we just called it an early night.  I think it was the latter, honestly.