~~Mrs._F~~

Two*True

Tell us about your vacation!  Was it wonderful and warm?  Did you enjoy a whole week with the family? 

Entertain us on a Monday morning...pleeaasseee...

Mrs._F

Ugh, Mondays after vacation are way worse than regular Mondays!

We had a really nice time.  It was hot and sunny with a few raindrops here and there.  We did lots of swimming in the pool on the ship and at the incredible beaches on the different islands.  I learned that when you try snorkeling for the first time, you should probably try it in calm waters as a strong current makes it much harder!  And we ate lots and lots of delicious food.

It was a lot of fun to spend time with my family - aunts and uncles and cousins who we don't usually get to spend much time with.  And a cruise is a great trip to do with a group because everyone can do their own thing when they want to and then meet up and hang out together other times - so it wasn't too much togetherness if you know what I mean :-)

A real highlight was that the entertainment one night on the ship was Charo!! We're not like huge Charo fans or anything - but it was exciting that a celebrity we had heard of was there, and man did she put on a great show!! She came out into the crowd and since we were in the front row, we got great pics of her dancing with some family members.

The beaches were really gorgeous with clear water that's a lot warmer than the beaches here in New England.  On one beach, we saw a couple of huge iguanas and I was very nearly attacked by a caribbean seagull (they like french fries!).  We lost a little money in the casino, played a lot of Name that Tune and had plenty of delicious frozen cocktails.

So it was a great trip and then we came home to a cold and rainy day. Yuck! It was tough getting going this morning without a giant breakfast buffet ;-)  The party is totally over, ha ha!

Two*True

Sounds like a great trip!  Was this your first cruise?  I've never been on one and don't really have a desire to go, except for that everyone I know who takes one, loves it. 

cymru

Glad you had a great time!

~Kennedy

Mrs._F

It was C's first, my second.  It is not the kind of vacation I would take again and again because of the incredible amount of waste and harm to the ocean - on my first cruise (with my grandmother) I didn't know anything about the environmental effects, and on this one, it was a once in a lifetime chance to go on a trip with my entire family on my stepmom's side (40 of us!) so we weren't about to refuse - but it is really nice.  I did notice that they have made some efforts to cut down on the food waste - there is only a late night buffet on one night, rather than every night like they used to, for example - and I did see some "greener" practices popping up.

The really nice thing is the all-inclusive element. You don't have to think or plan much - just decide what you feel like doing, and it's there for you.  It's also nice that cruises attract a diverse crowd - in age and ethnicity.  Also the service is amazing and the food is delicious (at least with Royal Caribbean).

It also isn't our first choice vacation because of the destinations - there are a lot of places we'd rather visit than the Caribbean.  The islands are amazing, but just not as much our "thing" as say, a trip to Scotland or Spain.  For us, it was about the beaches and the scenery, as the shopping and tourism are basically the same on every single island and we weren't looking to buy fine jewelry, designer knock-offs or more seashell and beaded necklaces than you can shake a stick at. The islands are beautiful, but many (not all) are mostly poverty-stricken except for the tourist areas, which are pretty manufactured and not very unique to each island.

So we tried to do excursions (on-shore activities that you book through the Royal Carib. but are operated by other tour companies on the island) where you spend the day at the beach, or go on a bus tour that shows you the best views, or snorkel, etc.

I guess that's a really long answer to a short question, and of course it is all just my opinion :-)

ctbride08

glad to hear you had a good time! sounds amazingly relaxing and fun

Two*True

I'm sure the waste on a cruise ship is outrageous, but I'm glad to hear they seem to be making an effort to be 'green'.  I just don't really like the ocean so I'm not sure if I'd like being trapped on a big floating building for a week.  But, having everything you want right there and at your finger tips does sound very enticing. 

Mrs._F

Janet - you can feel the boat rock most of the time, but since it is so huge, you can't feel it much.  Unless you stand on deck and look out - you almost forget you're at sea.  And on a 7 or 5 day Caribbean, you only spend one day completely at sea - every other day is docked at a different island - just to give you an idea :-)