It has been almost a full month since our cruise which means it is time to make a post! We had an awesome time and recommend this trip to anyone. I will say that Carnival has the best kids program! our children were rarely with us! They preferred to hang with their friends.
We left Galveston on March 8th, headed to Montego Bay. Josh and I had been there in 1993 (YIKES!!!) and we were interested to see how much it had changed. We chose to do a Dolphin Encounter and then climb the falls at Dunn's River. It was about a 2 hour ride by "bus" to get there. I had to bum a bag for Jaxon about 15 minutes into the ride. 1. The roads were super twisty. 2. We all know he has trouble in moving vehicles. He held it together though and we made it to our destination just fine. The Dolphin Encounter was really neat. Our dolphin was named Mitch and we were only inches from him in the water. They talked about dolphin basics - hearing, swimming and all that jazz. We also got to give Mitch a big smooch. (those pictures are packed away right now) After spending time in the water, we were allowed to roam the grounds and see the other wildlife as well as have lunch before heading off to the falls.
The falls had changed so much since our last visit. Dunn's River Falls has to be one of the most breathtaking places on Earth. All of us really enjoyed the climb. It so counted as our exercise for the week! Once we got to the top, the kids begged to do it again which wasn't in the time schedule so we trooped back to the bus to head back to the ship. That evening was the first of two formal nights. We got all gussied up and went to dinner in our best attire. The kids looked so amazing. Really grown up!
The next day we landed in Grand Cayman. Our excursion was to Boatswain Park. If you are ever in Grand Cayman, please go here! This is the islands turtle hatchery. We got to see tons of green sea turtles ranging from the smallest little tea saucer sized turtle to a 600 pound behemoth! They gave lots of information on the preservation of sea turtles. After the turtle talk, we headed over to the salt water lagoon. We have 2 children who have never snorkeled before. For that matter, I hadn't ever snorkeled before! I figured this was the best way to do it. A controlled environment where Skye and Jaxon could freak out if they wanted to and we could safely reassure them nothing was going to get them.
I went in first. To be very honest, it took me a few minutes to get used to the whole breathing through a tube thing. (Give me a break. My favorite movie is JAWS) I got myself under control and Skye and headed out into the lagoon. Josh had a little more trouble getting Jaxon into and comfortable with the water. After about 10 minutes, he was great. There were some man made reef's built and they had stocked the lagoon with salt water fish. All in all, it was a good way to introduce the kids to a new sport. If we head to an island again, snorkeling will be on our to do list. We spent a good portion of the day at the park and then headed back towards the dock for a little shopping. My favorite item is my heart pendant made of black coral. It is a Bernard Passman piece and hopefully only go up in value. The kids favorite items were shirts from Del Sol. They change color in the sun!
The next morning found us in Cozumel.(We were the 5th ship to dock that morning!) What a beautiful little island! We had kind of a lazy day there. I figured after 2 days of getting wet in the water, the best thing to do would be a submarine ride. We headed off the boat for some shopping before our tour began. Everyone is very friendly in Cozumel, but not pushy like we had encountered in Jamaica. Skye got a hand made bracelet with her name in Spanish - Cielo. Jaxon opted for a wrestler's mask. LOL! After grabbing a quick bite at the Three Amigos, we headed to the sub. It was a neat experience but one that is great being done only once in your lifetime. (It was interesting to see all the underwater life while staying dry!) I have to give a lot of credit to those men and women who choose sub life as a career. We had a really nice, relaxing day.
We had one more day at sea and then it was back to Galveston. I strongly recommend this type of vacation if you have tween kids. There was a lot of things to do for both adults and kids and everyone had something they really enjoyed.
For the third year in a row, rain has been in the forecast for Easter. That kinda bites for the rabbit but it helped keep our tradition of the Easter Basket maze! For anyone who is new to this, it is really simple. The Easter Bunny takes an Easter Basket and hides it somewhere in the house. A ball of yarn is tied to the basket handle and then the yarn is strung through the house to create a maze. The other end of the yarn is tied to your child's bed or doorknob depending on how light a sleeper the child is. The level of difficulty depends on the age of the child and the length of the yarn. It adds a whole new level to the Easter Basket thing. The kids were up at 6 and ready to find the baskets. After the maze, there were eggs to be found. Skye and Jax both did really well. We are confident that by now, all the eggs have been located!
Skye and looking out of the portal.
The underwater view.
Family photo....
Skye at the Three Amigo's
Drinks being served at the Three Amigos.
Waiting for our excursions.
Dunn's River Falls
Very beautiful and not really cold. The kids loved it and wanted to climb the falls again.
Jamaican sunset.