Last month Cory's parents blessed us with a Caribbean Cruise for a week. To say it was amazing, glorious, beautiful, one of the best vacations ever...would be an understatement. It was the first vacation with the Hartmann's beside a weekend beach trip we took last June.
It was a great experience to see sights and countries we wouldn't have seen otherwise. It was so nice to be with Cory's parents and my sister and brother-in-law for a relaxing long week in the sun.
We started out in Florida, then Half Moon Cay, then Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and finished it off in Key West.
Ready for a photo dump? Here we go!
HALF MOON CAY (LITTLE SAN SALVADOR)
We spent a relaxing day on the beach. Soaking up sun, white sands, and having absolutely nothing to do. We rented these floating devices to just lie in the water. We even rented sailboats for an hour. That was so fun!
JAMAICA
In Jamaica we went on a little Bobsled adventure, hiked up a waterfall, and ended the afternoon with some local food. The scenery was very similar to Kauai. Luscious green and flowers everywhere.
CAYMAN Islands
We docked at Grand Cayman of the Cayman Islands and started the day in full tourist mode. We hopped on a bus/boat and drove around the city. We had a spunky tour guide that told us the history of her town and some historical sites. (One fun fact: in Grand Cayman, at least the area we were in, the homes don't have mailboxes. There is one post office and you have to go and get your mail.)
One of the highlight stops was at the only Rum Distillery on Grand Cayman. We were shown around the place and then were able to try out their rums. My favorite was the banana rum. So sweet!
We ended the tour going into the water and feeding some fish. The bus we were on was like a Transformer. Land or sea it went. First time for that! After the tour we walked around a bit and swam for a bit to cool down before heading back to the ship.
Around The Ship
You can say I've been converted to a cruise believer. I've never thought much of cruises and never thought that I would actually go on one. Everyday there was something new to see or do. They had a new movie playing in the theatre every other day, there were comedy shows, magic shows, other performances; you could go on a Pub Crawl to all the bars on the ship, test your luck in the casino, or read a book in the library. You could lounge by one of the two pools all day, play ping-pong, or eat and nap to your heart's content. Every night coming back to our rooms we had little towel animals waiting for us. During the day you could play shuffleboard outside on the deck. Every night we had dinner together and two nights of the week there were formal nights, including photographers to take prom-like photos. I actually wore my 5 year old prom dress.
(I never had a date for prom so this time wearing it was even more special.)
Key West, Florida
Our last stop was the Florida Keys. We went on a Trolley ride and saw some historic sites around the city, including the Hemingway House and an old Civil War fort. We had ice cream, ate cuban food, and learned about the old Conch Republic (once a name for the island).
The vacation was truly magical. It made me appreciate, even more, the beauty of our world. I loved exploring new sites and meeting new people. This may be my first and last cruise, or it may be the first of many. Whatever it may be it was an experience I'll never forget and one I'll always recommend.
This last photo is my favorite. It was the last night at sea. The sunsets every night were breathtaking but this one took the cake.
Sun and vacations,
xo leah
