Up until this past November I have always avoided cruises because I get really boat sick. I'm fine in cars and on planes but boats have always made me so sick!! It has never been worth the risk of the money when I could stay on dry land.
But when one of your favorite friends calls and says, "Let's go on a cruise for my 30th!", you say, "When do we leave?!"
So I did some research on seasickness and I actually ended up being fine! I wore the acupuncture bands and took Bonine, which is like Dramamine but less drowsy. We definitely had some turbulence (some of the seasoned cruisers were even saying it was the worst they had ever had!) and while I could feel the rocking, I didn't get sick, which I am SO thankful for!
We sailed on the Carnival Liberty out of the Galveston port. The boat itself was so fun to see and walk on for the first time. Of course it's bigger than you can imagine and it was really cool to experience it for the first time. There was a group of six of us and half had cruised before and half it was brand new. I think this was a good sized group and I really enjoyed getting to know the other
girls.
The rooms were so much better than I pictured. They were roomier and brighter than what I was thinking in my head.
The bathroom was still pretty tiny. And the toilets flush like airplane toilets, ha! One thing we didn't anticipate is that there was only one power outlet in the room. So we had to take turns with charging our phones.
When we first got on the ship we had some time before embarking, so we got a little lunch and I took some pictures by the pool we were next to. This is the adult-only only pool and hot tubs. It's the only time this area was empty :).
Our dinners were really fun. We had the same waiter every night, Benny. He was really funny! We enjoyed talking and joking with him every night. He is from the Philippines and has been working on a cruise ship for 17 years. He has a wife back in the Philippines and two sons.
Because we were celebrating Tash's 30th, I brought along a little room decor ;). And then we surprised Tash with some extra dessert one night and sang to her.
Our ship sailed to Progresso Mexico. We didn't go on any excursions,but I did get off the boat and walk around the shops there. It gave me a good chance to get some pictures of the boat and see a little bit of the coast. I didn't really feel like I was missing out too much on the excursion. I've seen Mexico before and honestly, none of the excursions seemed worth the money at this particular port.
The food and buffets were everything I dreamed of. Guys burger joint serves some of the best burgers I have ever had. They were so amazing!!
And this. This right here. A fro-yo machine with 24 hour access? Yes please. I want to install one in my house. I'm not normally even that big of a fan, but it was delicious and so hard to say no to since it was right there all the time!
My favorite part of the experience was laying by the pool and reading. We did this for a good portion of the days.
There was another adult-only area and it was awesome! The chairs are more cushiony and it's kind of set up and away from everything else. They have a couple hot tubs and hammocks and comfy lounge chairs.
On the inside, the prominade had some ships that were fun to walk around and browse through. Also the casino was a big draw for a lot of people, even though it's not really my thing.
We made good use of this candy shop! Ha!
Several places on the boat there were live music stages. This was another favorite part of mine. I really like sitting and chatting and listening to the music with a tasty drink in hand.
Here are some things I learned on the cruise:
1. You have to pay extra for internet and even then, it's limited depending on what plan you get.
2. It's totally worth it to buy the "bottomless bubbles" to get cokes when you want them vs. paying ala cart. I'm not sure about the alcohol option, whether it would be worth it or not! I only had one drink while on board because even one drink gives me a headache and I was trying to do everything I could to avoid seasickness!
3. Be prepared for it to be cold sometimes! I only brought shorts, dresses and a swimsuit and it rained the first day and was so chilly!!! Next time I will at least bring a jacket!
4. Even though there was designated smoking areas, it was really smoky! I'm pretty sensitive to smoke so I tried to avoid those areas as much as possible, but sometimes there wasn't a choice.
5. The shows are the cruise were as awesomely cheesy as I wanted them to be. My favorite was the Newlywed show where they played a game with three different couples: newlyweds, married 10 years, and married 50+. It was hilarious.
6. This particular cruise was definitely a party cruise. It wasn't as kid/family friendly as I would like to feel comfortable bringing my kids on. This could very well depend on the cruise itself and other factors. I have a friend who just went with a BIG group of family and her kids loved it.
7. I will definitely cruise again! Honestly, I still probably like land vacations better, but I did really appreciate the experience and want to go again! I had so much fun celebrating my sweet friend!
Let me know if you're interested in planning a cruise and would like some help! I'd love to help you! Visit www.travelbysisters.com to find out more about the kind of services I can offer you.
I can tell you had an awesome time, Carrie! Loved the photos, and glad you could celebrate with your friend.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!