Here are a few brief highlights of the trip:
We were able to board the ship early, around noon. We couldn't get into our rooms yet, but they had a large buffet available for everyone. So we started the cruise off by eating (a lot) and never stopped. The food was really good and they had a lot of variety. Like prime rib, mahi-mahi, roast duck, etc. Patrick and Emily really liked the roast duck.
The first full day, we stopped at Key West, Florida. We bummed around town for an hour waiting for our Glass Bottom Boat Tour. The wind was blowing pretty hard and the seas were pretty choppy. We went our a few miles to the reef. None of us had too much or problem with the trip, but there were several people that got sea-sick. It was pretty neat seeing all of the fish in their natural habitat.
The next day we went to Cozumel, Mexico. We took a taxi to the Chankanaab Park. You can swim with the Dolphins there, but it looked pretty hokey, especially when you consider the price of $150 per person. We had a great time there anyway. We snorkeled (saw lots of fish and some lobster), ate lunch at a fantastic authentic Mexican Restaurant and took a short walking tour seeing lots of Iguana.
The third day we were at Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Here we had a nice tour that included stops at Hell, the Turtle Farm, snorkeling on the reef and a visit to Sting Ray City. Sting Ray City was the most amazing part of the whole cruise. We are a few miles from the island, but the water is only 3 - 4 feet deep. There are sting rays everywhere. We were able to hand feed them and Patrick got seven years of good luck for kissing one. It was very exciting.
The fourth day we were at Montego Bay, Jamaica. This is the stop that always makes me the most nervous. I just never feel in control while there. We went to a place called Doctor's Cave Beach. It was very nice. You had to pay admission, but that eliminated all of the pushy vendors that you normally find on the free beaches. Things worked out pretty well, we had a great time there and got the girls hair braided in the Jamaican Style and I only had two people ask me if I wanted to get high.
The fifth day was a relaxing day on the ship. Patrick and I tried our hand at the rock climbing wall and then we lazed around the kiddy pool watching the girls swim.
Most days, Patrick would hand out at the Teen's Only club. Generally, we would go to bed around 10 PM and Patrick would generally arrive sometime around midnight. He had a really good time.
Finally, on the sixth day we traveled home. This didn't go so well, what with delayed flights and all. Basically, we were out of our rooms by 8:00 AM and didn't get home until 1:15 in the morning the next day. At one point, Patrick crawled under our seats and went to sleep.
