Guest Blog: Honeymoon Cruisin'

I've never been on a cruise and I've never really had any interest in going on a cruise until my sister came back from her Honeymoon in May. I was so in love with her pictures and stories that I asked her to share them with you! So here you go folks, welcome to Brittney’s Guest Post.

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To me a vacation isn’t a vacation without the ocean and a fruity drink. So there was no better way for Shane and I to start our honeymoon than by boarding a cruise ship and drinking a “Fun Ship”, I’m still not sure what was in it but man, was it delicious. Our first night on the boat we explored everything. Shane is not content until he knows everything about where we are staying...sounds like a good plan until you realize how big a cruise ship actually is. We were on Carnival Ecstasy, which has 12 decks! It was a long exploration, but so cool.

 The first whole day was spent on the boat was at sea. You would think being on a boat for that long would make you go crazy but there is so much to see and do that we almost ran out of time. We spent a little time in the casino and a little by the putt putt course, but for the most part we laid by the pool looking out into the ocean. At night there were all kinds of things to do. We chose to go to the comedy club. I have to say, for cruise ship comedians they were so funny. I was a little skeptical at first, I thought they would be a little boring but I was proved wrong. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.  

Half Moon Cay was the first port we docked at. I use docked figuratively because we just anchored off shore and took a little boat to shore. Half Moon Cay is Carnival’s private island. How cool is that - a private island with 2000 of our closest ship mates? The water in the Bahamas is unbelievably blue. I have never seen anything so beautiful. Shane and I were floating in water well above my head deep and could still see the bottom.  Not only was the water great to look at, the temperature was wonderful, a little chilly at first but as the day went on it couldn't have been better. We enjoyed the day playing in the sand, floating in the water, and drinking Bahama Mamas. What else do you drink on an island in the Bahamas?! The whole island was gorgeous.

Our next stop was at Nassau, you know, where Atlantis is. We could not pass up an opportunity to visit the slide that goes into a shark tank. Plus, Shane has wanted to go to Atlantis since he was little so there was no way we were missing it. Our day at Atlantis started out rocky, there was a 40% chance of rain but we were going to get wet anyway, so off we went. Half of the ship didn't go because of the chance of rain. Well, guess what?? NO RAIN!! Since so many people stayed on the ship because of the rain there was hardly any lines. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a slide. We had the best time.

Our third port was Freeport. This was by far the best port, I’m a little biased because this is where we got to SWIM WITH DOLPHINS! One of the things on my bucket list was to swim with dolphins. I wasn't really sure what to expect because I have only ever seen it in the movies. I could not wait to jump in and swim with them. I didn't realize it would be just me and Shane in the ocean with 2 dolphins, but that’s what happened. Shane and I swam with Coral and Exuma. They were so beautiful. The best way to explain swimming with them would be like they were puppies. We swam at our own pace and they just followed us around. If you dove under water they went with you if you went right so did they. We got to kiss the dolphins with was so cool. One of my favorite memories was after Shane kissed Coral he trainer asked her how his kiss was and she spit water at him, that’s what he gets for kissing another lady! It was one of the most amazing times of my life.

I am a huge food person so the trip would not have been complete without good food. Dinner every night is a story in its own. There is one sure thing about a cruise, you will never go hungry.  If the 24 hour buffet isn't enough, there is a dining room every evening with the most incredible food. There was always something new to try!! After dinner if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth and the cheese cake, chocolate melting cake, or plate of fresh fruit (in case you are like my mom) weren't enough, there was a 24 hour ice cream bar. THIS GIRL WAS IN HEAVEN! Finally, for people like Shane who need their midnight snack but don’t want to get out of bed, 24 hour free room service. You read that right, 24 hour room service, and man was it delicious. It is true what people say about gaining weight on a cruise. If you aren't careful you could eat all day.

Have you ever been on a cruise?

Where did you go?

What was your favorite part?