Entertaining on the Sea By Christy Rost   Cruising to exotic Caribbean ports is one of the ultimate vacations, and being waited on hand and foot is a dream come true, so when the two are combined, it's enough to make one feel like royalty. My husband, Randy and I cruised aboard Princess Cruise Line's Dawn Princess a few weeks ago with my parents, my sisters and their husbands. Gathering together ten people with ten different schedules, who live all across the United States, is a logistical miracle, but somehow, we have managed to accomplish this feat three times in the past six years. The result is definitely worth the effort. We selected the Dawn Princess based on her itinerary of islands - Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Barbados, Tortolla, Antigua and St.Thomas - but we would select this ship again for her efficient boading and disembarkation procedures ( a definite improvement over other lines we've cruised), professional and friendly dining room staff and exquisitely appointed public rooms. Our cabin stewards catered to the family's every need, and special requests were fulfilled quickly and with a smile. Randy and I even found "Happy Anniversary" balloons taped around our cabin door one morning, in recognition of our special day, and the mailbox adjacent to our cabin was filled with personal invitations and congratulatory notes nearly everyday. Flowers from both the Passenger Services Director and Princess Cruise Line's corporate office awaited our arrival the first day. Cruising with a group of ten offers a special opportunity for built-in entertainment, especially with a group of four siblings who grew up referring to themselves as "The Lemon Sisters". But, thanks to a family tradition established by my father during our first cruise, dining together each evening has become an art form we cherish as the highlight of each trip. Starting with my father, each male member of the family, with his wife, if he desires, is responsible for hosting the table one night during the cruise. As host, it is his job to select a theme for the evening and decorate the dinner table to reflect the theme. Over the course of our cruises, we have had quite a variety of themes, and the decorations have become more and more elaborate with each cruise. This year, one brother hung a huge "Senor Frog" from the ceiling and decorated the table with all kinds of frog-themed toys; another brother brought Chinese paper honeycomb dragons and exquisite porcelain cups with hand painted portraits of a Chinese warrior in the bottom of each. The highlight of our dinner ritual this year was the night our maitre d, Mr. Nicola Furlan, hosted the table. He was so intrigued with our tradition and the fun we had, he volunteered to become host for the final evening. In honor of my father's 75th birthday, the maitre d decorated the table with birthday hats, streamers, mini confetti pop bottles, bubbles, shiny confetti, Princess Cruises playing cards, and gold Princess Cruises award medals for each of the gentlemen. The table next to ours voted it the best table of the cruise, per our earlier "deal", as we told them whoever won the table competition pays for the next cruise! They held up score cards for each night, similar to scores given in professional skating competitions, and the maitre d was awarded all 10's. You haven't cruised if you haven't sampled at least one drink that comes with a straw and a little paper umbrella. Keeping that idea in mind, I arranged a VIP tour for my family of the Mount Gay Rum Distillery in Barbados. We spent two delightful hours touring the facility, learning the history of rum and how little the rum-making process has changed through the years. Then it was on to the tasting room for the "fun" part of the tour. Everyone sampled Mount Gay Rum Eclipse brand and Mount Gay Rum Extra Old brand, as well as a rum punch. I tasted a Rum Desire, which was invented by Mount Gay Rum's Christopher Breedy and was mixed for me by Chester Brown, Mount Gay Rum's international spokesperson. Perfect for Dallas/Fort Worth-area spring and summer parties, this creamy passion fruit cocktail is out of this world. Serve it in a tall, narrow glass with a straw and little umbrella, and you can imagine yourself on the deck of a Caribbean cruise ship. I am pleased to provide you with the recipe! Rum Desire 1 ounce Extra Old Mount Gay Rum 1 ounce Passoa passion fruit liqueur 2 ounces Cream of Coconut 1 ounce evaporated milk 1 cup ice dash of nutmeg Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw. Recipe makes 1 cocktail Read more of Christy Rost's articles in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com