Living in the suburbs of Tampa Bay means that I have direct access to cruise ships. Now, as an avid traveler I know what you're thinking, heck! I used to think it too--cruises suck. But do they really? The older I get the more I like them. With as 'on all the time' and 'plugged in' as I have to be and with all of the 'changes' I've made in my life in the past 5 years (changing time zones, careers, marital status), sitting on a lounge chair on the serenity deck of a boat that is sailing (term used loosely) through the Caribbean sounds pretty darn good.
So, when my grandmother offered to take me with her on the Carnival Ecstasy I said yes! The first day was nice.
We arrived at the Port Authority terminal early, but the line was already pretty long. A tip for you: if you plan on paying cash for your on-board expenses, they’ll zip you to the front of the line in a heartbeat and you’ll begin your vacation before the rest of the folks paying with credit cards. The workers at PA were very kind to my grandmother. They carried her 24 pack of waters over to the seated waiting area, allowing me to keep our place in line while she rested. They didn’t make the ole lady stand for 30 minutes until it was her turn to check in and for that, they get an A+ rating from me.
Once we were on board, since this was my grandmother’s first cruise, we did the usual assessment of the amenities. We toured the pools, slide, smoke stack, food!, and the mini golf course for the best view of our embarkation.
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| I was really mad at the photo bomber in the background |
After that, we went to get our muster station training. Of course there were butt heads in our group who had to be hushed several times, but that is what happens when you’re around other people sometimes. Not everyone likes to follow the rules—nor should they—except of course when it is a matter of life and death in my humble opinion. I mean, seriously, have they not seen the news lately? A cruise ship goes down every other month now-a-days ;)
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| At our muster station |
I treated my grandmother to a massage. She tried to protest, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I was determined to get this vacation started off right. Here we are waiting for our pampering.
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| Grandma Becky enjoying the Serenity Deck |
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| Beginning of what I'd do for the rest of the trip |
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| We're on the move! |
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| Forcing Becky to get a massage--it's what I'm here for! |
Dinner the first night was good. I didn’t eat everything on the menu, which is a hard thing to do while cruising. AND you’ll be happy to know that I did wake up every morning and go to the gym to do my 2-mile run.
More is to come on this wonderful vacation with my grandmother. Make life worth living everyday with the choices you make!
-Melissa
