I had so many things planned for my trip last August. First I had a trip planned to go to Australia, that fell through. Then I had a Croatian cruise (on a sailboat) booked with EF, they ended up cancelling it. I was getting very frustrated. Amy is a good friend of mine that I met on my Belize trip a couple years ago with EF, she’s also the one I visited in Pittsburgh last year. She loves to travel as much, if not more than I do. She’s my idol, she went to Europe for a month (or two?) by herself a few years ago, I’m jealous that she has that much vacation (she’s a teacher) and that she feels comfortable enough to do that by herself, I do not. Anyways, I was talking to her about all my mess of travel plans this year and somehow we got on the topic of cruises. She said she would love to join me on one, so we started planning it! It was kind of tricky because she has been to so many islands on cruises (her fiance actually proposed to her on their cruise in Belize last year) and I didn’t want her to have to go to the same island again. Eventually we found this one, she had been to two islands that it was going to visit and I had been to none. We booked it and counted down the days! I am very glad that we went, it was a good time! Hope you enjoy my summary below!

Saturday, August 3rd

We flew down to Miami to meet the ship. This was my first time using Spirit Airlines, I wasn’t too fond of it. It is definitely cheap. It started out by not having a gate location labeled at the airport so I had to go to every gate and look at the screens to see if that was the right one, it was one of the last ones I checked, of course! Luckily CMH is not that big! Then, the flight got delayed but they didn’t tell us, they just let us sit and sit and sit, until it was past our flight time and everybody was asking questions. I remember them saying, “We are having some technical difficulties with the plane and we do not know when we will be ready, so why don’t you go get some coffee and a muffin to wake you up?” I of course sat there because historically, whenever I get up to go do something at an airport, that’s when they start boarding, no matter if it’s delayed, on-time, or early. I’m glad I stayed though because they didn’t give a warning, they just started boarding, people were running from down the hallways when the last of us were boarding because they didn’t know that it was time. The flight down there wasn’t too bad, there were no snacks or drinks given on the plane unless purchased and the seats were smaller than normal planes (I hear you can upgrade to a “big chair” if you want though).

Landing in Miami and trying to find Amy, was a mess. We ended up being in different terminals and we couldn’t find which ones we were in to tell the other, plus service was spotty! We eventually found each other and happened to see a Carnival Cruise Line check-in booth. We thought, let’s try it…. If you ever go on a cruise, CHECK IN AT THE AIRPORT!!!! I can’t stress that enough, it didn’t cost anything and we got priority access to everything! So again, DO AIRPORT CHECK IN! We checked in, got our bags tagged and headed to the cruise terminal, even though we were almost 4 hours early to the terminal… We got there and they took our bags immediately, we had special seats away from the big crowds, and we ended up getting on the ship 3 hours before we were originally scheduled. All because we checked in at the airport!

We got on the ship and wandered around and explored a bit. We couldn’t get to our rooms yet so we got some lunch before the crowds came on. By the time we finished eating and talking, our room was ready! We put our stuff in the room and then went up to the top deck to watch us sailing away. We didn’t really do much else that night besides wander the ship and explore.

Sunday, August 4th

Our first day at sea. We woke up, ate at the amazing breakfast buffet and headed to tan on the top deck. I wore my glasses, like always, and took them off to spray sunscreen on myself. I set them down, where I thought they wouldn’t get stepped on, and when I turned to pick them up, they were gone! Like gone, gone! I cannot see a foot in front of my face without my glasses but we searched and searched all around where we were at. I figured the wind might have caught them and they blew down the deck so we looked down there, we looked under chairs, and even asked the people sitting near us, we couldn’t find them. Amy walked me down to the customer service desk and we asked if they had seen them, they had not, Luckily I had my contacts with me (for snorkeling) so I put those in and we went back up to our tanning chairs. We looked around some more, since I could see now, they still were nowhere to be found. I was panicking inside. We layed out for awhile, ate lunch, and checked with customer service about my glasses again, still nothing.

We went back to the room later and started getting ready for the first fancy dinner night. We got all dressed up, ate dinner, and then headed to our first show. It was really cool! We decided to check customer service one last time for my glasses, they showed me three different red pairs before they brought mine out. But they found them! I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders! I honestly cried a little because I was so relieved. Overall, besides losing my glasses, it was a good day!

Monday, August 5th

Our first port day: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Our excursion was snorkeling and holding sting rays, how cool is that??? We headed off the ship, waited for our excursion to start, and then went out on the boat! They took us to this little peninsula and gave us our gear. The workers went out and grabbed some stingrays for us to hold. I kept putting it off and letting people in front of me, while trying not to get stung by the tail. Amy ran up, held it, and acted all natural like it was no big deal (she had done it before). She described it feeling like felt. I, on the other hand, freaked out a bit when they out it in my hands. It was slimy feeling to me. They held it behind my head for a picture and it spit water on my head! Then, to go completely out of my shell, I tried conch. Conch is what is inside a big conch shell. I do not like seafood but I decided that since we were here, I should at least try it. My Grandma taught me to try everything at least once before I decide I don’t like it! It was…. absolutely… disgusting…. I struggled not to spit it out. It was gooey, slimy, and crunchy all at the same time. I’m grossed out just thinking about it again!

After everyone held the stingrays and tried conch, we went into the bay to do some snorkeling. We saw quite a few different sea animals and a lot of sting rays. After a short time snorkeling, we headed back to the port. They made some Rum Punch for us and let me tell you, it's a heck of a lot stronger than what you get in Ohio! It didn't help that I had multiple cups in a short amount of time either, haha. It was a fun time. We got back to the beach and hung out for a bit, enjoyed the beach chairs and swam in the ocean a bit more before heading back onto the ship.

When you we got back on the ship, we went straight to our room to shower and get cleaned up. Ate dinner right after that, I was starving and forgot to take a picture of my good before I ate it, therefore it's half gone in the picturbelow… oops. By the time we finished, the sun was going down so we headed to the back of the ship to watch it go down. It was extremely windy back there! Then we headed down to watch the karaoke singers, the comedians, and the musical show. It was a really cool day, extremely tiring too!

Tuesday, August 6th

Island day #2 is Puerto Rico! We decided to do an excursion up into the rain forest for the day, because you know, we were in a rain forest and why wouldn’t you go see it? The first stop on our drive up was a small history center for the forest. I liked all the facts they had about it, very interesting! Our second stop was an overlook tower. From the top you could see the ocean and most of the rain forest. The third stop was a small waterfall. Amy got courageous and climbed up to the rocks, I, on the other hand, decided to stay at the bottom like the good little girl I am… hahaha. On our fourth stop, we took a hike through the forest and down to a river. It was really cool! The tropical feel was awesome and it was also a calm little place to be. Of course it started raining on us when we were there but that’s expected! The fifth and final stop of the day was a beach. We ate some authentic fried food (empanada-didn’t have much flavor) and then walked out to the beach for a bit. The tour guide was telling us that since Hurricane Maria in 2017, most of the country is still without power and a lot of the buildings are still demolished. The locals can’t afford to fix them and the government can’t afford to fix all of the electric. It’s devastating! After a long day of exploring a gorgeous rain forest, we headed back to the ship for movie night on the top deck! I was kind of dragging my feet to see Mary Poppins Returns, because I am tired of all of the remakes and sequels that Disney is making nowadays. I miss when they actually came up with original movies. Anyways, it ended up being really good and I highly recommend people watch it! Seeing it at night in the open air is a plus as well!

Wednesday, August 7th

This was my favorite island. We went to Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As soon as we got into port and I noticed all the sailboats in the ocean, I was in love! I was personally not feeling well when we woke up but I took some medicine and powered through! I couldn’t miss a day of exploring! We got off the ship and onto this open air bus that took us to our excursion for the day; kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling. Both of our tour guides for the day were U.S. residents that decided to move down there. We kayaked through some channels and ended up at this small island. It was cool to see how the channels were lined with plants that had special roots grown in to help not take damage from a hurricane. Nature is amazing! When we got to the island we hiked to a blow hole (marine geyser). Stayed there for a bit, but know that I’m thinking about it, it wasn’t like a geyser, it was more like a small, rocky area that looked awesome when the waves crashed against the big rock in the front… Oh well, it was still cool! After that, we went snorkeling in the water near there. I personally didn’t see much this time, except a couple small, sunken boats. Then we kayaked back to the kayak rental place, which felt very tropical and thrown together, but in a cool way haha. It was a few wooden benches with a cloth tarp over them and wood poles holding it up on the sides.

When we got back to the port, we walked around the local shops. I found a Harley Davidson shop and had to get a shot glass for Nick. Little did I know you can get poker chips from each location and if you ever get all of them, you can turn them in for a prize. I wish I would have known that beforehand because I totally would have bought one! Granted, we probably won’t make it to all of them, but just in case haha. Anyways, after we shopped, we got back on the ship and went to the top deck. This was the first time that we watched the boat pull away from a port, it was actually very interesting. I’ve always wondered how they get the GIANT ships in the tiny ports, they make it look so easy!

It was another formal night for dinner, so we got all dolled up and went to see the show. My favorite part was they had a circle of fans around the woman singing and she had this big ribbon cloth floating around her throughout the whole song, it was astounding! Then we went to dinner, I had steak and wine, because why not? Haha. Then we went to a comedy show again. I was a lobster at the end of the day, I was so sunburnt but it was worth it! Saint Thomas was in my opinion, the prettiest island we went to on the trip.

Thursday, August 8th

Amber Cove, Dominican Republic. We decided to stray away from the water this day. Personally, I can only be sitting at the beach for so long before I go stir crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the water, but I want to explore new areas! We did a cultural tour through Puerto Plata. The tour started with seeing their cultural dance, merengue. I got chosen to go up on stage and dance with them, if you know me at all, you know I can’t dance, at all. It was quite entertaining to watch, I’m sure haha. Then we got on our tour bus and headed to a rum distillery. We were fed some sort of exotic soup, I don’t remember what was in it, but I thought it was gross. Then we toured the land, we saw a cow, ostrich, chickens, Chevy Square Body, and a lot of exotic trees. It was cool! Then of course, we got to taste the rum…. I did not like it plain, but I bought a bottle home for my upcoming graduation party and Nick and one of my poor friends said it was very strong! After that, we went into town to a cigar shop. We watched their process of making the cigars and then we had the chance to roll one ourselves. Not for everyone, but I did it because it very well could be a once in a lifetime opportunity! Then we walked around the town square, toured a historic church, went souvenir shopping, and then headed to a local chocolate shop! All of their chocolate was made from local cocoa beans. If you know me, you know I’m a choco-holic and I was in heaven! We got to taste hot chocolate, brownies, and we could buy chocolate bars. When we went back to port, we hiked up to this “sky bar” and took a few pictures. We found two small lizards on the railing, too cute not to take pictures. Then we headed back onto the ship. This was our last island of the cruise, and I’m really glad that we got to see some local culture and try some new stuff!

Our night on the ship consisted of, watching the sunset from the top deck, which was beautiful, seeing another show, and watching them thank some of the crew members for their hard work on the ship. Most of the crew, works non-stop. Our dinner host was also our breakfast host and the karaoke leader was also in training to be the next Cruise Director, just to name a couple. They work their butts off and they spend months away from their family at a time, I can’t thank them enough!

Friday, August 9th

Our last day on the ship… We did a whole lot of nothing this day, besides me get even more sunburnt (just to turn back into a ghost the next day #palepeopleprobs). We laid out on the deck a lot, watched a hairy man contest, and went to a tea party. The hairy man contest was disgusting, I am so thankful that Nick is not nearly as hairy as the guy who won the contest, the guy looked like shag carpet. The tea party was quite nice, got to sit, sip tea, and eat some tea time desserts. We went to an early dinner, they sang, danced, and celebrated for us, it was cool. Then we went to watch the very last performance they were hosting, which was a lip sync battle. They had been hosting contests all week long to narrow down guest singers. Yes, these people were guests on the ship just like Amy and I. The final two were a girl and guy that had worked their butt off all week to earn this and prep for the stage performance. They were both very good, but the guy ended up winning. After that we went to watch the balloon release. They had filled up these balloons earlier in the week, guests got to stick a note inside each one and then they hoisted them up to the very top of the ship. When the balloon release happened, we decided to stand on the shop floors so we didn’t have to deal with all the people on the bottom floor. Anyways, it was awesome. I’m glad that we got a chance to watch it, there were so many balloons! It was a very calm last day. I wish that we would have had a chance to go to another island, but I understand we need a day to get back, and many people enjoy the lazy days on the ship. Oh well.

Saturday, August 10th

The day we left the cruise ship behind. We decided to hang around Hollywood Beach for the day. We had lunch, walked up and down the boardwalk, people watched, talked, and then headed back to the airport. Both of our flights were late flights with Spirit Airlines. My flight was delayed, but her flight was canceled and she had to spend another night down there and fly out the next day with a different airline! That’s crazy! She will vouche for them, she loves them and their cheap flights, but I am personally not fond. I would gladly spend a little bit more money to get taken care of better, I usually don’t have an extra day to spend the night at an airport! Anyways, this was another chill day. I’m glad I got to go on a cruise with my friend and explore new countries! Thank you for going with me Amy!

Overall this was a good trip. I’m glad that I went! If you have never been on a cruise, I will usually recommend going on at least one in your lifetime. There is 24/7 food of every ethnicity, unlimited ice cream, bar drink packages so you can have unlimited drinks, room service, a lot of different things to do for every person including clubs, performance shows, comedy shows, tea time, swimming pools and hot tubs, karaoke, piano bars, and SO much more. There’s a couple downfalls of a cruise, your rooms are usually very small, the showers are ridiculously small, potential sea sickness, sea legs (I had them for over a week after I got home, I thought I was always moving), so much food you gain ten pounds, too much to do sometimes, and sometimes if you’re like me, you could get bored because they don’t have anything going on that interests you because you really want to be exploring new areas instead of being stuck on a ship. I also have to mention that the formal and themed dinner nights are very cool, it gives you a chance to dress up when you might not have the chance to back home. After all those run on sentences, the summary is, try everything once. Cruises are a very easy way to see a lot of places in a quick time, but also you don’t get to see very much of the place before you have to move to the next one, pros and cons, just like everything. Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!