Embarkation was very easy, although Steve and I didn't realize that it would be a few hours before our luggage would be delivered to our rooms. The weather was warm and sunny, but unfortunately we didn't pack our swimsuits in our carry-on bags. Note to self for next time! We toured the ship to check everything out, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon eating lunch on the deck and enjoy some fun adult beverages. A steel drum band performed some Bob Marley tunes, and we relaxed in some comfy chairs in the sun. Going in April was such a great idea! We snickered a little bit about the fact that many of our family and friends were dealing with snow and chilly weather. ;)
We dressed for dinner and met our table mates. We really lucked out because all 3 couples were so much fun! Of course we were officially the loudest table in the dining room. Seems to be a trend no matter where I go...hahaha. I had already made up my mind that I would be ordering whatever I wanted at dinner, with no care about how "healthy" it might be. I could eat healthy at breakfast and lunch, but dinner was my chance to enjoy myself! The first night I ordered crispy fried shrimp with a plum dipping sauce and baby back ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and onion straws. OMG, they were both sooooo good! Then I finished the meal with Carnival's famous warm chocolate melting cake. To die for! (And yes, I ordered two scoops of ice cream to go with it!)
After dinner, Steve and I both needed a walk, so we toured around the ship and then relaxed for a bit on the deck watching the water race by. It was very strange to finally start moving, because we realized our ship was a little smaller than most. You could feel it rocking at different times, which was the only part of the cruise we didn't like. That evening we listened to karaoke for hours in one of the lounges, and let me tell you, this was SERIOUS karaoke! People from across the country were singing, and most of them were really good. One kid could honestly win American Idol if he tried. I was impressed! We collapsed into bed pretty early after a long day of travel. The state rooms were small, like I expected, but they were very nice with plenty of closets, a vanity, a comfortable king-size bed, and a flat-screen TV. For as much time as you spend in your room, I thought it was perfect. We always looked forward to the towel animals we would find each night after turn down. :)
Our second day was spent docked in Key West. Southern Florida was experiencing record high heat and humidity for April, so we spent most of the day sweating like crazy! We wandered the streets checking out the sights and shops. It was 10am and everyone was drinking! :) We decided that we needed to find the Mile 0 marker and the Southernmost point of the U.S. A lady told us to "just walk 5 blocks that way" which turned into over 2 miles! Definitely well worth it though. We met some fun people along the way and passed some really neat houses and buildings. Funniest moment of the day:
Crystal: Hey look! It's Ernest Hemingway's house!
Steve: Who is Ernest Hemingway?
Crystal: Seriously?
Steve: Yeah, I don't know.
Crystal: Um, he's a very well-known American author.
Steve: Well that's why. You know I don't read.
I love my husband. :) Here's some pics from our walking tour:
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| Renoir statue in front of the Art History Museum - this thing was HUGE! |
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| Entrance to the "Little White House" |
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| A bed & breakfast almost completely entangled within a bayan tree! |
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| Mile Zero! |
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| A great kapok tree! Had to take a picture because it's one of my favorite children's books. |
I will write about the rest of the trip soon!
