In April, Chris and I celebrated our six-year anniversary. Six years? Wow!
We decided that we needed a Mommy-and-Daddy-only vacation far away from Indiana. So we took a five-night cruise to Key West, Cozumel and Costa Maya. I think we both were a little nervous to leave Avery for nearly a week. But we both quickly adjusted to being childless as soon as we arrived in Fort Lauderdale! (And I’m pretty sure all of the grandparents liked having her at their houses!)
We took a cruise for our honeymoon, so we knew we’d enjoy this cruise as well. And for anyone out there who hasn’t taken a cruise, we believe it’s the only way to travel! Try it, and you’ll probably agree!
Just after our ship left the home port, I came across Lucy’s Vitameatavegamin episode on the ship TV. So I knew we were in for a great trip if they had Lucy on TV!
Here is the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. This massive ship has more than 20 decks and can accommodate nearly 6,000 passengers.
Our first stop was Key West. We stopped here on our honeymoon cruise, too. We had just enough time in port to walk around a little, eat lunch and stop by probably our favorite place in Key West, Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shop. We enjoyed a chocolate-covered piece of key lime pie on a stick. It may sound weird, but it’s absolutely delicious!
The next port was Cozumel, Mexico. On our honeymoon, we didn’t participate in any excursions provided by the cruise line. But we decided to try one this time. So we chose snorkeling and a beach lunch in Cozumel.
In case you don’t know me well, I’m more of a wader than a swimmer. So I was expecting to go snorkeling near a beach where I could still see or touch the bottom of the gulf. But as you can see from the above picture, we were dropped in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico in 30- then 120-foot water. Needless to say, I was really nervous. But I was determined to at least try snorkeling.
Thankfully, the water was pleasantly warm. But the waves were a lot more turbulent than I expected. So Jonathan, one of the dive masters, helped me by giving me a life preserver and staying with me the entire time. I snorkeled for about 35 or 40 minutes and saw some really beautiful fish and coral. Chris even saw a sting ray! But when the group moved to the 120-foot water, I decided to bail out and stay on the boat.
Chris took this picture of Jonathan, my personal snorkeling partner. He wanted to show you why I choose to stick with him in the water! :o)
Chris wasn’t too far behind me. His legs started cramping, so he didn’t feel comfortable going any further. When he got back on the boat, he hugged me and said I did a good job, even better than him. Then he showed me his left hand.
At some point during the snorkeling time, his wedding ring fell off.
Between that and the fact that I somehow survived a snorkeling adventure, I broke down and cried. I just expected that he’d wear that ring for 50 or 60 years! But instead it now lies at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Unless some fish has eaten it!
He was in extra trouble because just that morning he asked me if I needed to leave my wedding rings on the cruise ship. I assured him that they weren’t too loose and that I wouldn’t lose them. Then he lost his ring! Once we got home, we bought him a new band, and I’ve reminded myself that our marriage isn’t based on a piece of jewelry!
Look! Picture proof that I snorkeled in the Gulf of Mexico and survived!
On our way back to the cruise ship, we stopped at a quiet beach to enjoy a little sand time and a light lunch.
It was a little hot. I guess this is the only way Chris could handle the heat that day.
Our final port was Costa Maya. It pretty much is made up of lots of small shops that sell nearly the same items. We did get a cute dress for Avery, and Chris got an official Mexico soccer jersey. But we didn’t stay off the ship too long here. We were quite disappointed with this locale. And I guess Royal Caribbean is too because our dining room waiter told us that they’ll no longer stop at this port.
Our last day of the cruise was spent at sea. One of the big events on the ship that day was the crew’s parade of nations. I believe they said that the crew represented more than 50 nations.
Here’s the ship’s captain. He seemed like a very likable guy, but he needs to work on his dry sense of humor!
And finally, here’s a picture of our dinner companions. The couples were from Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore, Atlanta and Quebec City. Quite a mix of cultures!