Dear my loyal readers,

I just wanted to let you know I will be unable to update my blog for the next few days. Right now as we speak, my ship is departing from the port on it’s way to the Bahamas.  In case you didn’t know the picture is of my ship. I will be relaxing by the pool enjoying a pina colada and thinking of you. Of course I will be taking great notes, video, and pictures of this excursion to share with you- my best friends.  I hope you enjoy your weekend and find it relaxing and wonderful.

Love,

@travelgirl521

Ok so people have me a little freaked out. In only three short days I will be leaving on a cruise to the Bahamas. Yes I am very excited as this is my first ever cruise. But I keep hearing the naysayers talking about how whole cruise ships come down with the flu, or get salmonella or food poisoning- or my personal favorite about all the people who go mysteriously missing on cruise ships. If you know me personally at all you know I’m a person who gets anxiety and hearing stuff like that freaks me out a little. I keep telling myself it’s only a three day cruise and I really won’t be spending a ton of time on the boat.  My husband is really patient and telling me how good of a time we are going to have and that everything will be fine. So in keeping with the relaxed demeanor and to keep me excited not nervous-here is the breakdown of our trip:

We will be staying the night in Atlanta on the 22 and then taking an early flight to Miami on the 23rd

Possibly do some sight seeing in Miami during the day and board our ship around 2 pm. The ship departs at 5:00 pm. We will be doing a video boat tour, and then eating and lounging by the pool.

We will arrive at Nassau on the 24th where we will be taking a taxi over to the Sheraton for a property tour to do a honeymoon destination post, then the pirate museum and hanging out at the beach. Our boat departs at 6 pm.

On the 25th we will be porting at the Great Stirrup Bay which is Norwegian Cruise Line’s own private island. Our plan is to snorkel and visit the lighthouse and take tons of gorgeous pictures.

Then sadly because all good things must come to an end on Monday we will be heading back to reality. Our boat docks at 8 am and we will likely be taking an early flight out.

My goals for this trip will be some very quality blog posts, a nice tan, a few extra pounds, and a good time with my husband. I’ve heard great things about Norwegian Cruise Line and I have no other experiences to compare to- so it should be awesome! If you have been on this cruise or these ports and have recommendations on what we do, or tips on cruises- please let me know!

I’m going on a cruise! My husband surprised me with one for Christmas! We are really very excited. Can’t wait for the sunshine, the food, the relaxation- and the best part is it is only a few weeks away! It’s a three day Caribbean cruise stopping at Nassau and Great Stirrup Bay. We leave out of the Miami port. We have decided to do one excursion on our trip- we just haven’t decided which one yet- any ideas?

This will be our first cruise ever- that’s right we are both cruising virgins, so any tips, facts or comments would be appreciated.

photo credit goes to Norwegian Cruise Lines

I have never been on a cruise, but have always wanted to go. A few of my friends are die-hard cruisers and they come back raving about the food, the sun, and the cool places they got to visit. I like the idea of the all inclusive aspect of cruises. Not having to worry about food, hotels and transportation seems like it would be very relaxing. We are planning on going on a cruise this January or February so suggestions would be very much appreciated…. hint hint.

I stumbled across this article on MSNBC that I found pretty interesting regarding cruising that I wanted to share. It is about overcrowdings of cruise ports and how it affects the overall travel experience. They make a pretty good point because the peak travel season is during the summer and it should be something to be made aware of. That’s why my personal peak traveling time is during the spring/fall and winter. This is because I believe that in order to get the best experience of a new place you need to be able to see and do many different things, and if it is too crowded then it puts a damper on being able to pick up the culture and beauty of your new surroundings. That and honestly I find myself being inpatient in large crowds.

Back to the article, I can’t imagine paying so much money for a cruise that you expect to be so relaxing, romantic, fun for the kids, and then you get off at a port into a new place and it’s so crowded you can’t even do anything! Just an FYI for those of you who may be planning a cruising trip in the future, something to keep in mind at least.