It is hard to believe the trip is over already. It seems to take forever for the trip to happen and then it just flies by.  First thing the pictures are up click the link to see them Photos by Aargh

We left Seattle with snow falling and while it looked beautiful it was not fun to drive through and we feared delays due to the weather. As it happens we did not have any delays and arrived in a warm and sunny Miami on Sunday morning. After getting settled into our hotel we headed out to explore Miami’s South Beach. Wandering the streets of South Beach was interesting with the mix of characters on the streets and the high proportion of tattoo shops we found. I would be interested to know the number of tattoo shops in the local area. After a day of  exploring the downtown and the beaches we prepared to board to Carnival Destiny on Monday. After a leisurely breakfast and a nap in a hammock we headed for the port of Miami and a date with the Carnival Destiny.

After boarding, which was quite a painless process due to the kiosks Carnival uses to streamline the process, we headed up on deck and to the Sun and Sea restaurant for a bite to eat and a drink. After exploring the ship and spending some time on deck it was time to get ready and head for dinner. We were seated at a table for 8 but there was only 4 of us at the table, we were joined by a couple of young ladies from Philadelphia. Over the next five days as we enjoyed some very good food we also enjoyed getting to know the ladies and enjoy their company. After dinner was the Welcome show which is a song and dance presentation hosted by the Cruise Director Brent (From Canada by the way) and the singers and dancers who perform in the Las Vegas style shows held throughout the cruise. Tuesday we would land in Nassau in the Bahamas (See Part 2)

Tuesday found us docked in Nassau The Bahamas, after a a quick breakfast we headed ashore for a historic tour of Nassau. We waited while the tour operators organized us into groups and then we were shoe horned into a van for our trip around the island. We visited a couple of the forts built by the British to protect the port from pirates who roamed the Caribbean. After we completed the historical tour we were dropped at the Pirate Museum which provided a history of pirates and some details into real life pirates. After lunch of Conch and Snapper where I discovered a delightful local soft drink called Goombay Punch. We wandered the shopping area and I must say I cannot believe how many jewelry shops there are in such a small area. It seems like every second shop was a jewelry shop. Great prices and variety of jewelry if you like jewelry or have someone that likes jewelry. After our day ashore we headed back abaord and headed for dinner and one of the Las Vegas style shows.

Wednesday we were off shore of Half Moon Cay another island in the Bahamas chain which is privately owned by Carnival. Today we would be swimming with the Stingrays which I have done in the past when I was in the Cayman Islands. After taking the tender ashore we waited for our group and headed for the area where we would swim with stingrays. The area was surrounded by a fence so no predators could go after the stingrays so it made it pretty easy to see them. after an hour or so of frolicking with the stingrays we headed for lunch which consisted of a BBQ put on by the cruise staff. Typical buffet style food and quality and then we headed for the beach and some relaxation. Back aboard we relaxed for the rest of the day until dinner and then spent sometime at the bar in the main lobby. Above the bar is a piano and throughout our cruise we were serenaded by a young lady, Alison who we were to discover is an extremely talented classic pianist who would ask for suggestions and we enjoyed several hours of show tunes and some popular songs played by a very talented and delightful young lady. (See Part 3)

Thursday we sailed into Grand Turk and were greeted by white sand beaches and palm trees. Our mission today was snorkeling along a coral reef and swimming with the fishes. After heading ashore we were loaded onto another boat to head out to the area we would be snorkeling. After a short ride we were in the water swimming along the third largest barrier reef in the world. Very spectacular and some incredible sites which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing up close. After sometime we moved to another area which had a large variety of fish including a Barracuda which has very scary teeth when he is up close and personal. I saw some incredible sea life including Yellow Tail Snapper and Blue Tang which in the crystal clear waters looked so colorful and vibrant. I am always thrilled when I get the chance to experience the world under the ocean. After our snorkel adventure we headed back aboard to change and when we left the ship we were greeted by a tropical rain storm which lasted about half an hour. The area around the cruise terminal is quite small and has some shops and restaurants which cater to the cruise ships. After sometime wandering we headed back aboard for another fun filled evening of meeting new people, dinner and drinks. Due to a change in the weather the wind picked up making the trip a little choppy and walking on the decks a little interesting.

Friday was our full day at sea which was a relaxing day of wandering the ship and taking in the some of the multitude of events that are going on throughout the ship. As the weather had turned into some rain and wind there was no sitting out on deck so we stayed inside and the day passed with no great drama. Friday night found us at another show followed by dinner and drinks at our favorite bar being serenaded by our favorite pianist Alison. It is quite a pleasure to sit at the bar trying different drink concoctions, meeting new people and listening to some live music.

All too soon our adventure was over and after a quick breakfast on Saturday morning we were off the ship by 8am and heading for airport for our flight back to the real world. I have been asked why I enjoy cruises as much as I do. I guess I like to keep moving and with a cruise you are moving and stopping at different places everyday. Also you get to meet a great cross section of people and share your adventure with your new friends.