So, here I sit, trying to figure out how to describe the vacation we honestly never imagined we would take.
Day One, 6/7/14:
We left our house at 9am. We were so excited! This day had been anticipated for months.
We flew to Tampa, Florida and stayed the night in a really nice hotel near the airport, not far from the dock where the Carnival Legend would meet us the next morning.
Day Two, 6/8/14:
Embarkation was a breeze! By the time we made it to the check in area, our state room was ready for us, so we were able to immediately check out our room, the balcony, and make our first exploratory trek of the ship.
Before we could leave Tampa, we had to have the safety instruction. (We now know not to be some of the first people to line up.) We were packed like sardines on a deck with about 500 other sweaty vacationers while we listened to the crew talk to us about life jackets and life boats. If we cruise again, we will take our leisurely time making our way to the muster so that we're not smooshed against the wall by four rows of people.
As we left Florida, locals were lined up on the shore and in their own boats, waving and shouting, "Woohoo!" It made the send off even more enjoyable.
Troy checking out our balcony.
First of many balcony moments.
Leaving Tampa...
Still Leaving Tampa.... :-)
Sailing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Day 3, 6/9/14:
Sea day. Troy and I spent the day exploring more of the ship, sitting in the sun on the "Adult Only" Serenity Deck, and admiring the view from the balcony. Totally enjoyed this relaxing cruise time.
Finally, no land in sight.
Faint, but beautiful Caribbean Rainbow
Day 4, 6/10/14:
My choice of excursion day!!! And since I'm such a go-gettter, adventurous type, I planned a day of hanging out on the beach of a private resort in Cozumel, Mexico. :-) We were pampered and waited on by an amazing staff at the La Casa En La Playa Resort. One of my favorite days of the whole trip.
Yes, that is a bed on the beach. Yes, I used it to catch some rays.
Awww, the good life.
Drink in my hand and....
Toes in the sand!
After a bit of shopping (for a floppy hat), we headed back to the ship.
Walking back to the ship. Three ships were docked in Cozumel. Busy day!
Day 5, 6/11/14:
Troy's choice of excursion day: Exploring the Mayan Ruins, lunch, and a tour of the River Wallace in Belize. This was our most strenuous day. But I felt so proud that I was physically able to enjoy the whole experience.
Our ship was anchored a thirty minute tender boat ride from Belize. The tender boat ride was an experience. I felt like I was riding along with the pirates in the movie "Captain Phillips". Troy told me to look at the face of this woman riding with us. She looked panicked: pursed lips, wide eyes, and pale face. He then told me that I looked exactly like that. And yes, I was a little worried about the safety of this crazy tender trip.
We arrived in Belize city and immediately boarded a bus that took us to the Mayan ruins. The tour guides were very honest about the poverty in Belize. It was eye-opening to see the makeshift shack/homes along the ride. One of the guides asked us how much we paid for a gallon of gas in the US. One of the passengers said, "Four dollars." The guide pointed out that the gas stations in Belize don't advertise the gas prices because they don't want to scare customers off. (She never told us how much it was.)
The Mayan Ruins were arranged in two "courtyard" type areas, next to each other. There were large and not so large structures around the perimeter of these huge courtyards. We were encouraged to climb to the top of two structures during the tour. The last structure was the Temple of the Sun God. A little intimidating, let me tell you. But I DID IT! Climbed to the very tip top!
After the humid, hot, mosquito infested (thank goodness we brought bug spray), but very exciting and interesting Mayan Ruin tour, we boarded the bus and made our way to the Black Orchid Resort to eat a local favorite lunch of beans, rice, and roasted chicken. So yummy!
We then boarded the River Wallace tour boat to see the wildlife along the river. We saw two monkeys rolled up in little furry balls sleeping in the trees, three crocodiles, storks standing in their nest, the hanging/swinging nests of the Montezuma Oropendola birds in the palm trees, and several iguanas making themselves at home along the river bank.
After a full day of adventure, we were glad to be back on the ship to relax as the ship traveled to Isla Roatan.
First and smaller structure to climb.
We made it. The Temple of the Sun God is in the background.
Our guide in front of the Temple to the Sun God.
Look closely and you can see one of the faces carved in the temple.
At the top!
View from the top of the temple.
Black Orchid Resort for Lunch
The River Wallace before boarding the tour boat.
Sleeping Monkey
Crocodile
Storks
Hanging Nests
Chillin' in some body's back yard.
Day 6, 6/12/14:
Initially, we had planned not to get off the ship in Roatan. But our very informative cabin steward, Elena, encouraged us to give it a try. And we are glad we did. Mahogany Bay is a Carnival exclusive stop. We rode the "Magical Beach Chair" to and from the beach and strolled along the shopping area. Such a pretty, un-rushed experience.
View of Roatan from the balcony.
Another view from the balcony.
Not my favorite picture of me, but oh well.
Riding the "chair"
The ship as seen from the "chair"
Almost to the beach
Such vibrant colors on the Islands.
Day 7, 6/13/14:
Yes, it was Friday the 13th. AND there was a full moon. The sea was a little choppy, Troy says that it wasn't rough. I kept waking during the night of the 12th, rocking back and forth in bed. Troy said it was soothing to him. Not so much for me. I was very, very sleepy the next day which is why there are so few pictures of Grand Cayman. We took a 3 minute tender boat ride to the island, did some souvenir shopping, and sent postcards from the Grand Cayman post office. I have never seen more beautiful clear, turquoise water as I did in the Cayman Islands.
Me in front of the famous Stingray Fountain.
Finally found someone to take a picture of both of us.
The fish next to our tender boat
Day 8, 6/14/14:
Sea day. Heading back to Tampa. We spent the day totally relaxing and packing. Each night, as we were at dinner, our cabin steward would turn down the bed, leave us a schedule for the next day with two chocolates, and bless us with a towel sculpture.
Admittedly, I had to ask Elena what this sculpture was. It's a rabbit.
I think it's doing a Playboy Bunny pose. :)
Day 9, 6/15/14:
We arrived in Tampa, ate breakfast and readied ourselves for debarkation. This process was a little long, but wasn't unbearable. We had a long wait at the Tampa Airport before boarding our flight to Charlotte, NC. Then we finally boarded our flight to Denver at 10:30 Eastern Time. Thankfully, we were both able to doze during the three hour flight to Denver. After baggage claim, a shuttle ride, and a fast grocery stop, we arrived home to our tail-wagging dogs at 2:30am Monday morning. And we've been in a blissful daze ever since.
Like I said before, we never imagined that we would be able to take a trip like this and God has blessed us far beyond our expectation. We may never get to take another one. But we have such good memories. Some of our favorites were: sitting on the balcony at night, listening to the ocean, and feeling the warm breeze as the ship sailed; the Studio VIP musical show in the Follies Lounge; the ability to go for a midnight soft serve ice cream cone run; experiencing new places and new cultures; and making these memories together!
1 comment:
Thanks for the vicarious vacation I've just enjoyed through your pictures and blog post! All your photos are great - -you both look so relaxed and happy! Loved the elephant towel sculpture!
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