Happy Kids!

There was never any doubt that the kids would love the daily swim breaks.

I love this shot of Ashlynn jumping off the lower deck.

This one of Max from Florida is pretty cool, too.

Jump!

On Monday, the Nikola headed towards the national park. Along the way, we stopped for a swim break in a beautiful cove. Jimmy was able to convince a bunch of guys to join him jumping off the side of the ship.

No idea when the videos will be edited and uploaded, so in the meantime these photos will have to suffice. Sorry, missed getting photos of the girls jumping as well. Sure that it’s no surprise that I wimped out and used the ladder to get in the water.

Our Upside Down Cruise...

Unlike traditional cruises which sail overnight, we only sailed during the day, making ours an upside down cruise. A group of die-hard athletes got up early each morning to go on runs or swims, while the rest of us slept in. Jimmy made sure that everyone was back on board each morning before we set off.

There were several places scattered around the ship to enjoy the amazing views while underway. I never did manage to sit up on this top deck, which was a favorite of the kids.

Bob and Jan, friends we met at the American Women’s Club in The Hague, enjoyed getting some sun.

Our First Night...

Most of the adults took a walk to the beach across from the ship. The island was incredibly thin at this point.

Bill, our old San Diego Hash buddy who now lives in Switzerland, is known as Webfoot for a good reason: he loves the water! After our walk, he gave his wife Nina his clothes and jumped into the water to swim back to the Nikola. Throughout the week, he swam at every opportunity.

Carl decided to join Bill while the rest of us walked back.

Jimmy convinced me to walk back to the beach with him at sunset. It was eerie out there after dark.

Our First Overnight Stop: Sipan

That first night we spent the night in Sipan, the largest of the Elaphiti islands with a population around 450. Another ship tied up to us, as is usual at most ports. Pirate ships are typically full of party animals, but luckily this one didn’t keep us up all night.

There was a sign in town for a historic castle, but we couldn’t find it. The church was locked shut, so not much sightseeing on this sleepy island.

Our First Stop: White Sand Beaches of Lopud...

We cruised for about an hour to our first stop: the white sand beaches of Lopud, one of the Elafiti islands with a population of just 220.

We had about two hours for a swim and to enjoy the only white sand beach we’d visit that week. The kids and a few of the adults were happy to swim from the ship to the beach, but some of us walked instead. I was thrilled to see Sally in the water since she’s very sensitive to being cold and usually avoids getting in.

Jimmy smuggled our four large inner tubes into our luggage when I wasn’t looking and they were a big hit with the kids.

Setting Sail...

It was hard to contain our excitement about finally boarding the Nikola after all the years of planning. Here Jimmy is wearing the new family shirts that Bill and Nina had made for us.

Before setting sail, we were called into the dining room for a quick safety briefing with the crew. That first evening, we had dinner aboard. The other days, we had breakfast and lunch on board and ate dinner ashore.

Everyone gathered at the front of the ship for a photo just as we were setting sail.

And so the White Girls’ Milestone Tin Can Barefoot Upside-Down Croatia Cruise began on Sunday, July 28 in Dubrovnik.