Cruise Recap

We're back from the birthday cruise and we had so much fun in such a short amount of time that I can't remember it all in sequence! Luckily for you, I kept a ship's log! I was pretty seasick on Day 1, but here are the entries from Days 2 through 4. Stay tuned for photos and video.

Day 2

Hello from the high seas! It's Day 2 of our cruise and we are really enjoying ourselves. Yesterday was a nice introduction to the cruise lifestyle, and we did some cruise-y activities like roulette lessons, a scavenger hunt, and a tasty and unpronounceably fancy dinner. When we set sail, we hit some rough waters, so sadly we missed out on swing lessons because I was driving the porcelain bus! We spend the rest of the evening getting some much needed rest.

Because of some stormy weather, we bypassed Royal Caribbean's private Bahamian island to spend a day at sea. We should be returning to Coco Cay on Thursday [Day 4]. Instead, we climbed the rock wall, came in second in Name That Tune and the Nerd Word Trivia Contest, and watched the crowd favorite win the men's sexy legs contest. His primary talent consisted of scooting back and forth on his electric wheelchair. Really!

Now we're getting ready for the formal dinner this evening. I think I'll have the duck! Later tonight is karaoke (always a favorite) and a stage show, maybe some dancing at the ship's nightclub. Tomorrow is our day in Nassau. We have a shore excursion scheduled (snorkeling and sailing) and we plan to visit some local historic attractions like the Nassau Library, the Queen's Staircase, and a historic Bahamian fort. Should be big fun for my birthday!

We are feeling much better today on smoother seas. We also got some extra seasickness precautions. In addition to the nausea medication, I now have the very stylish drug-free arm bands that use the principles of acupuncture to reduce nausea symptoms. Very natural. All in all, today has been much more comfortable than last evening!

Day 3

Today has been lots of fun so far! Our snorkeling excursion was amazing -- we can't wait to make a video of our findings. After lunch onboard, we went back to Nassau to take in some historical sightseeing. It was a little overrated but still interesting and
educational. Then we did some haggling at the Straw Market. They have things other than straw there, but we sure did come out with a straw hat for me and a [straw surprise for someone's birthday]. And Eric got a conch shell horn thing which he hasn't stopped blowing since we reboarded! Dinner tonight was delicious, and after an already decadent dessert, a birthday cake came to our table! That sneaky Eric :)

AND we won Family Quick Draw, which is basically iSketch in real life, so I've had a lot of training. We're resting up after a round of Deuces Wild to get ready for salsa lessons, the Love and Marriage game show (which I'm pretty sure is a rip-off of the Newlywed Game), an ice sculpture demonstration, dancing under the stars on the pool deck, and, of course, the midnight buffet, since we haven't had enough food today. I could get used to this lifestyle! [I ended up not doing any of that stuff from the salsa lessons on because, you guessed it, I fell asleep.]

Day 4

Today has been a beautiful day in paradise! Ashore at Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay, we started exploring along the beach and ended up at the other end of the mile-long island! After some hammock time, we were ready for crafting, more Name That Tune, and a little exercise back on the ship. In store for tonight are line dancing, more karaoke, a PJ party, and one big scavenger hunt! Our last night should be a fun-filled one and tomorrow we're back home. Hope all is well back on land!

So now we're back in the real world doing what we do. Eric is already excited about our next cruise, and I really enjoyed the vacation, but I, the porcelain bus driver, am glad for now to be back on land.