Cruise: Last days and wrap-up

We didn't do too much on our cruise the last two days we were there.  Thursday was the "fun day at sea", which to us translated into a late breakfast and lying on the "Serenity Deck" (re: adults-only deck with plush lounge chairs and two hot tubs) all day.  David and I spent about three hours just lounging about, him taking intermittent naps and me reading my Kindle (I got through re-reading the entire Hunger Games trilogy on this vacation).

 

On our way back to Miami, we skirted along the coast of Cuba.  I tried to take some pictures but we were just too far away, so Cuba looks like some sort of weird, pale blue cloud formation on the horizon.

We had our last meal in the formal dining room that night.  From this picture you can see we all got quite a bit of sun on this vacation.  Fortunately, nobody really got sunburned.  This time.

The last evening, after the final show and when everyone had gone to bed, David told me he wanted to have some time alone.  It was late -- around 10:30 or so -- and we went up to the very top deck and overlooked the bow (I told him that if he started any "Titanic" jokes I was tossing him overboard), and we stood out there looking out on the water.  We could see a cruise ship off in the distance -- just its lights -- and except for that, we were all alone out on the water.  The wind was really intense and it was so beautiful.

For my first cruise, it was something else.  I can understand how people get hooked on these.  The best part of it is being able to not worry about money.  Sure, you have your drinks billed to your account and you have to settle that in the end.  But David and I had a credit card with zero balance on it, and we had put a little money aside just for this trip, so we'll be paying that off ASAP.  And a whole week's worth of drinks for two people, plus the mandatory $48 gratuity (per person, so it was $96 for both of us) cost us under $200.  We're not huge drinkers; I imagine if you really like your booze it would be more expensive.

But the absolute best part of our cruise (IMO) was spending some time with my husband, just relaxing.  I loved getting to hang out with David all the time, with nothing to do and no worries (sandal escapade aside).  It was a great vacation, and I look forward to having another one with him.  He went back to work yesterday, and I start school again tomorrow *shiver*, and having a little time off to ourselves before that was...just perfect.

Cruise: Day Three (Cozumel, Mexico)

The morning of our third day at sea, David woke me up at 6:30 AM (5:30 AM, Central Time) because he couldn't sleep.  It was just starting to get light outside, so we decided to get up on deck in our pjs and watch the sun rise over the Gulf of Mexico.

It was beautiful, and one of my favorite memories of vacation.  I think Dave enjoyed it too.

We took the morning slow, since the boat didn't dock in Cozumel until 1 PM.  The morning was spent sunning, reading (I told you I did a lot of reading), etc.  It was very exciting when we started to see signs of land.

We docked in Cozumel and spent the first twenty minutes figuring out how to get to a beach.  I got called "senorita" several times...didn't bother to correct them and say I was a "senora"!

We ended up taking a 10-minute taxi ride to Mr. Sancho's Beach and Bar, where we were able to get on the beach for free so long as we bought a drink at the bar.  Fine with us.  We bought our drinks and spread out on the lawn chairs to relax.  And I got to swim in the Gulf.

We went back to the ship for dinner, then my MIL went to her stateroom to relax while Amy, Bryan, Christine, David and I went to try to get to Senor Frogs and back in two hours.

Well, that didn't happen.  Turns out that Senor Frog's was an HOUR walk away from where our cruise had docked, and we were too nervous about missing the boat to try to make it.  So we went to Fat Tuesdays, a Mexican dive bar, and had some drinks.

And some debauchery...

Bryan was way more comfortable in the dive bar than Dave was.

"Single Ladies" came over the loudspeakers, and Bryan showed off that he "liked it" so he "put a ring on it."

Amy had a brain freeze from drinking too fast.

Amy and Christine did their traditional "double fisting alcohol" shot (we have one of these from every wedding or fancy event of the past few years).

...And Bryan and Christine got up on the ledge to dance to "Cupid Shuffle."

It was a good night, but by the time we were all pretty inebriated it was time to say goodbye to Mexico and get back on the ship, to set sail for Miami again.

Ciao, Mexico.

Final entry: sailing back to Miami and wrap up of vacation.

Cruise: Day Two (Key West, Florida)

The first night sleeping on the boat was relatively uneventful.  David and I had a king-sized bed (two twins pushed together), which was quite a bit more firm than our mattress at home, but bigger, so that was nice.  I barely felt the rocking of the ship, except if I tried to concentrate on it.  I did a LOT of reading on our vacation (but more about that later).  

When we woke up on Tuesday morning, we had already docked in Key West.  The ship was docked there from 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, so we had decided in advance to get up early and explore the area.  We decided to skip having breakfast in the formal dining room and instead got it at the continental grill on the top deck of the ship.  Bryan and Christine had booked a parasailing excursion for themselves, so they split with us, and my MIL, David, Amy and I all went into Key West via the tram that went through the naval base.

The tram brought us to Duval Street, the famous "main drag" of Key West, and left us there to eat, go shopping, etc. until the last tram left at 1:30 PM.  My MIL wanted to get a sweatshirt, and David needed to buy a pair of sandals, so we went into a little boutique souvenir shop (the name of which eludes me, unfortunately, because I'd love to tell people to never go there again).

David picked up a pair of sandals and brought them to the main counter.  They were not clearly marked with the price.  He handed over his debit card.  The saleslady, without telling him the price of the sandals, tax, etc, swiped the card as credit and handed him a receipt to sign without a price on it.  I can't stress it enough, folks: always ask the price.  David got his receipt and discovered that he was now the owner of $118 sandals.

I told him to return them.  I didn't actually need to tell him that; my husband is nothing if not frugal.  When he turned around to ask for a refund, the saleslady immediately got up on her haunches and started yelling that there were "no refunds".  She also pointed to a sign taped to the front of the cash desk that said just that -- except that it was hidden behind a rotating kiosk covered in postcards.  When David and my MIL both demanded to speak to a manager, she informed them that the manager wouldn't be coming in until 11 (an hour from now, NBD), and that my MIL "shouldn't be so ignorant".  

Yeah.

Anyway.  Long story short -- we ended up getting a refund when the manager came in, no harm was really done, but seriously, ask the price before you buy.  I'm still shaking my head about it now.

We had an hour between then unfortunate sale and when the manager came in, so we went to Margaritaville to chill out and cool off.  It was only 10:30 AM and I needed a mojito.  Don't judge.

Margaritaville interior

Unfortunately, we didn't eat at Margaritaville, partially because we were meeting Bryan and Christine for an early lunch, and they weren't back yet, and partially because the menu (while extensive) was a bit pricey.  But I can say with first-hand experience that the drinks are top-notch -- and strong.

We waited for Christine and Bryan, and we did a little more walking and shopping.  Dave and Amy discovered that Key West (unlike Massachusetts and Connecticut) doesn't have an open bottle law.  You can buy single beers at kiosks and drink them while walking down the street.  They took full advantage of this little opportunity.

We went to Sloppy Joe's Bar for lunch, apparently a hangout of Ernest Hemingway during his lifetime.  The food was good -- I had a chicken quesadilla made with chedderjack cheese and black beans, David got a pulled pork sandwich.  And my BIL got his much-anticipated conch fritters.

And for dessert, we went to the Key West Key Lime Pie Co. on Duval Street.  I had Key Lime pie the night before on the ship so I had some Dreamsicle ice cream.  My MIL had been hoping to find frozen key lime pie on a stick.  She went one better and got it chocolate dipped.  Delicious.

After that, it was time to head back to the tram, so we went back to the ship, got into bathing suits and spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves on deck and reading.  I finished The Summer Garden that afternoon (my review here).

Every Carnival cruise has an "elegant night" where the dining room has a semi-formal dinner and everyone dresses up.  Our "elegant night" was Tuesday evening, so we got all gussied up and went out to dinner on the ship.

(Left to right: Me, David, Christine, Bryan, MIL, Amy)

One interesting note: Carnival's formal dining room offered a "different" appetizer every night, something that you might not always find on every menu.  Bryan and Amy tried them almost every night.  On "elegant night", the appetizer was fried alligator fritters, which were apparently delicious (I was not brave enough to try them).

Unfortunately, David got a little seasick that night, so we went to bed early (right after dinner, pretty much).  I read until very late, and he slept all that night.  

Tomorrow: Mexico, and the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen.

Cruise: Day One (Miami)

I'm going to break this down into entries because otherwise I'll never get through anything.  I'm definitely not a travel blog like some of the greats out there, but I did get a lot of pictures and David and I had an amazing time on our first cruise.

We sailed on the Carnival Imagination, out of Miami, to Key West and Cozumel, Mexico, and then back to Miami after one whole day at sea.

This is what greeted us when we first got on board.

The Atrium.  And yes, I did think Harry Potter.  I also thought "Foxwoods Casino" because that's what this picture still calls to mind when I see it.  We went down four floors to "R" deck and got to our stateroom.

Not a bad sized room for two people.  The bed was king-sized, bigger than our bed at home.  Not as comfortable, but what do you expect, really?  Every stateroom has its own bathroom with tiny shower, which isn't good for doing hair or makeup, but there's a really big vanity table and mirror in each room for exactly that purpose.  There are also three closets and a safe in each room.

We sprung for a room with a view, which I was so thankful for.

After settling in for a bit, we explored the main deck:

...and had the first of many tropical drinks:

My FSIL, Christine, and my BIL, Bryan

My husband

My cousin-in-law Amy

We had a late lunch then lounged about the deck waiting to set sail.

Bryan, my MIL, and David

And then we were off!

Next entry: Key West!  And why you should always check for prices at hole-in-the-wall stores.