This is how everything went:
Day 1: Get up at 3am to get to the airport and check in for a 6am flight to Orlando, FL (with a lay over in Atlanta, GA). Once we arrived in Orlando, we checked in with the cruise "people" and waited for a bus to shuttle us an hour to Port Canaveral, FL where the cruise ship was located. This is where the non-fun began. We had our ID's checked at several points along the ramp til we arrived in a large room with a line that was about 10 miles long. This is where we impatiently waited to receive out Sea Pass (this is what you use like cash/credit card/ID/room key) for the cruise. After that we were horded to the ship where we finally found our room....now it is 4pm and I am exhausted!! Unpack, settle in and find food!!!!
Day 2: We arrived in Cococay, Bahamas. There we spent the morning, laying around and walking around the island and checking out the beach. They provided a large BBQ lunch...then the rain began. It rained atleast an inch in an hour. We had planned an excursion on a boat to look at the sea life that lived around the island. Finally the rained stopped and we boarded the boat for a "3 hour tour" ;) This is probably one of the highlights of the cruise. We saw sharks, stingrays, turtles, starfish, etc. We also had the "pleasure" of tasting raw conch! What an experience. The teenage girl held a jelly fish....we had a great time! Off to board the boat!
Day 3: We spent the day cruising toward St. Thomas. So we saw a movie, explored the boat. It has more bars than I can remember, a theatre, shops, food, food, food, food, food, 3 different pool areas (around which you couldn't find a chair in the shade unless you got up before 6am to put your towel on a chair) so, we spent the day relaxing. We had dinner in the formal dining room that night (which was dress casual night), which was really nice to take the kids to a white table cloth place to eat. I saw my man-child morph into a man that night. He had manners!!!
Day 4: We docked in St Thomas. There we decided to just explore on our own AND shop for me a new wedding ring. We found one that cost way more than I think we had planned. Eddie say just go ahead and it get, so I did (with the exception that they had to make one to fit my size. The one in the store couldn't be downsized safely)....so I left the store with tears in my eyes that I wouldn't receive my dream ring for 6 weeks. So off exploring we went. We found a little hole in the wall restaurant where we decided to eat lunch. There we ordered conch fritters.....YUMMY and the teenager had mac and cheese in the Virgin Islands!!!
Day 5: We docked in St Maarten. There we had planned an excursion of kayaking and snorkeling. After a beautiful ride to the beach, off we went. My hubby and man-child in one kayak and the teenager and myself in another. We got the hang of it very quickly. Unfortunately, it was very windy so the teenager and I couldn't make it back towards the beach without the assistance of one of the guides. He pulled us to the area where we pulled the kayak up to the beach and put on our snorkeling equipment. I almost had a panic attack (I can swim!)!! Once I got in the water and told myself to get it together, I had a great time!!! Unfortunately, we didn't see very many beautiful fish. So afterwards, we were "swimming" back to the beach and the seasickness hit me. I was floating and the waves were just throwing me around like I was a piece of driftwood. I finally made it to the beach and we kayaked back to the original beach where we were served drinks....felt much better after a Diet Coke (did I mention that colas were NOT free on the cruise ship...$2.25 per can!!!) Back to the ship we went!
Day 8: We arrived in Port Canaveral, FL at 4:30 am....how do I know this? I heard all the unloading of the "stuff" from the boat. We all got up, dressed, breakfast and waited for our time to leave the ship. We were told it could take up to 1 1/2 hours...it took 15 minutes. Then an hour back to the airport in Orlando, FL. There we had 5 hours before our flight left for home. By now we are all exhausted and grouchy. I found a Starbucks and got my fix!!!! Our flight left an hour late due to weather but, we made it home safely and now time to relax!!During each day of the cruise we saw several different shows which were amazing! We ate alot! The teenager did some "surfing" and rock climbing. We all walked/ran each morning around the ship or in the workout room.
I think overall it was a good time, but I don't think I will do a 7 day cruise again unless we do an Alaskan cruise!!
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