Come Sail Away With Me......

I'm Sailing Awayyyyy..... 

Well actually I sailed away, if you want to be more specific about it. This past January (2013) I went on my 3rd cruise ever. I had a blast! Every time I get home from a cruise I always say the same thing. "OMG that was the Best Vacation Ever!!" and then I immediately start counting down the days until I can Sail Away again.

My First cruise was in 2007 with my Aunt C, and her family. We left out of Mobile, AL. on the Carnival Holiday, Mardi Grass week. Our ports were Costa Maya, and Cozumel, Mexico. We saw the shows every night, played games, the kids swam, my cousin D stills says the one thing he wishes he would have gotten on that trip was the ever rare Golden Ship on a Stick trophy. You see you have to win a game in order to get one of these and unfortunately we didn't win any games :( Guess we will have to go on another cruise so he can try to win one again!! 

In January of 2012 My sister C and I along with her friends C & M took a 7 day out of New Orleans on the Carnival Conquest going to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. we had so much fun. It was a girls trip and you know those are always fun. we slept late, laid out by the pool reading books, went to the Comedy shows (a somewhat new addition by Carnival and I must say a very good one) and partied the night away in the various bars and clubs on board. Our most talked about incident was in Jamaica. We opted to sort of do our own thing in Jamaica instead of doing one of the shore excursions. So we got on the "Hop on Hop off" bus right there at the cruise terminal that brings you all over the island. The stops were a shopping mall, Margarita-ville, and Dr. Cove Beach. After walking around the shopping mall we decided to go eat at Margarita-ville so we went and stood in line for the buses. If you know me you know that you CANNOT bring my sister and I anywhere and not expect us to make friends. Well the people in line in-front of us were from what we here in South Louisiana refer to as "Down The Bayou" after about 15 minuets of chatting the buses came and people started getting on. Well they cut off right before the family in-front of us and told us that the next bus would be along in a few. So to make sure we would get on the next one we kind of adopted the people from "Down the Bayou" and told them that we were all together. Low and behold the next bus had room for only 4 people..... So we ditched them. Come on they were a big group, like 8 people. As we walked away they started heckling us in a way that only people from south La can. lol

If there is one thing I can say about Jamaica it's do not get brave and walk around on your own. Just take my word for it people. Stay with the group. Do not stray off! We learned this the hard way. (Don't ask)

I cannot say much about Grand Cayman, because I stayed on the boat. It looked pretty. But it is one of those ports where you have to get on a tender to get to the docks and I have a legitimate fear of small boats so I stayed on-board while my sister and her friend went Para-sailing. When they got back they said it was awesome but that there was no way I would have done it for 2 reasons. Reason 1- the seas were kind of choppy that day and getting on the tender boat was a little scarey even for them and #2- you went from the tender boat to another boat to an even smaller boat to do the para-sailing. So yea. No. Not happening. Ever.

My last cruise was actually a Birthday cruise for me. We did a 7 day out of New Orleans on the Carnival Conquest

The Ports of Call were:

Key West................ AMAZING! That is all I can say. My words could not do it justice. If you ever have the chance to go there. GO RUN FOREST RUN! Let's just say that when we finally had to get back on the ship I called my boss and told her I was not going home, I was staying in Key West and she needed to look for my replacement.  (I think she is still laughing about that one)

Freeport.......... It was ok. One of those places you go and you get off the ship to nothing but shopping places. Unless you book a shore excursion there really isn't much to do there. 

Nassau....... It was a great place. Lots to do and see. and that is where the Atlantis resort is. They offer it as one of the excursions. C went. She said it was awesome. She got to swim with the dolphins there. 

Again with my sister and friends. First off let me say, you never know who you will run into even on a ship of 3000+ people. Our first night on board we walked into the Piano Bar. The Piano Bar Entertainer was really very good (Wicked Good to be exact). So awesome was he in fact that we were in there just about every night that week. Well as people are sort of going in and out he is asking everyone where they are from and stuff like that. We were sitting up at the bar right next to the piano and there were some people sitting on the opposite side from where we were. We knew that they were there but could not see them. He asked where they were from and we heard the man say "We from South Louisiana, Down the Bayou from New Orleans."  My sister and I just looked at each other and both said, "No it can't be!" Well we stood up and sure enough it was THEM! yep it was our long lost family from "Down the Bayou" At that point there was a lot of OMG and it's yall. They recognized us to because the guy was like "Hey that's our kids that ditched us in Jamaica last year!" I am still pretty sure the Piano Man thought (and likely still thinks) that we were totally nuts. I mean come on have you ever been in a bar with a bunch of loud, rowdy, slightly drunk cajuns. It was definitely interesting.

So every night that week we met them in the piano bar, we sang back-up, we hung out and had fun. 

My birthday was the friday, which was a day at sea. Thursday at 12am we walked into our rooms and it had been decorated for my birthday my my Sister and Friends! How awesome is that. I was sang to at every meal. And had HBD sung to me in the piano bar. But by far the best was after dinner Friday night before we went to the comedy show. I had to run into our room to get something and we found this...

Yes that is a person... made out of Towels, a robe,  my sisters hat, sunglasses and shoes. It scared the Begezus out of us. At first we thought it was a real person. Lord knows we likely woke up anyone in earshot. He was holding a note that said "Happy Birthday, Ms D. From your room steward G" It was awesome! So to all those people with pics of the cute little towel animals from their cruises. I see your towel animal and raise you a towel person..... Boom!!

It did make me start thinking though about the people who work on the ships. While we are all having fun on vacation they are working. Sometimes 6+ months at a time. Away from their friends and families. They work hard while we play and have fun. Always with smiles on their faces. So of course you know me, I'm going to ask questions. Like how long have you been on the ship? Where are you from? What do you miss most about home? Really the people on board these ships are from all over the world. Some from the U.S. but mostly they are all from every corner of the world. Miss? Well technology, being able to pick up a cell phone or computer, google something and have it right then. Basically having to wait to get to a port to be able to have a connection with the outside world. I was told though "It's great. I have the best job in the world. I love this!" and isn't that what life is all about ... Loving what you do.

So I have to say... Cruising gets 5 out of 5 suitcases for being the best vacation I have taken to date.