Cruise Chaos Recap...Part 2

Part 1 is here...

Wednesday was a sea day. Mike and I slept in a little then headed to get breakfast and grab a cabana on the Serenity deck. Adults only. Yes please. We read for a while because it was a little dreary and headed into the hot tub. The hot tub was probably cooler than the weather outside, unfortunately. Not much of a hot tub, so we napped for a while in the cabana. A few hours later we headed to lunch and while we were there it started to rain. Luckily the Guys Burgers and Blue Cantina Burritos are amazeballs.

After lunch we said "eff it" and went into the pool anyway. We're wet no matter what so might as well make the best of it. After about 7 minutes that got old so we did one of the 2 things we do best. NAPTIME!! (the other is drinking, of course) After nap time we got up and got ready for dinner. We wanted to make a quick one because they were showing Divergent on the pool deck that night and we needed to get good seats.

My favorite thing about cruises is the amount of food you consume. And, since you can order however much you want, I usually go for 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. Then dessert. Don't judge me. It's the only time I get legit high end food all year. During dinner, however, our lovely captain came over the intercom. Apparently a crew member suffered an injury and we would need to increase speed to arrive in Grand Cayman early so that he could receive the treatment he needed. "Hey, at least it's not skipping the port."............................

We headed down to the pool deck to get our seats after dinner. Divergent was awesome! So glad I got to see it. And on the pool deck in the middle of the ocean was pretty cool, too. It did rain a bit, but Mike and I borrowed some pool towels from the towel boy and hid under them. We were the only idiots out there, but that gave us awesome seats! Plus it gave it a little bit of adventure.

I'm aware this isn't Divergent. This isn't the night i was talking about. This isn't even our cruise ship.
Unfortunately, because this cruise, sucked we didn't take many pictures. But you get the idea.

We arrived to Grand Cayman in the middle of the night and disembarkment was scheduled for 8:00. Mike and I decided to sleep in to like 9 because we figured We had Fast to the Fun which allowed you to tender first, so we wouldn't have to wait in line anyway. Around 8:30 we heard something over the intercom about getting the tenders ready but didn't pay much attention to it. 9:00 came an announcement in our cabin......

.....Unfortunately, due to rough waters, the tenders would not be able to operate safely so we were skipping Grand Cayman and heading back out to sea.....

Great.....

Cruise Chaos Recap...Part 1

Yup, you read that correctly. Cruise chaos it was. I have to preface this with the fact that we have had 5 awesome cruises without any real issues, so I figured it was time. But....and thats a big ole' but...this one was just a little too much for me.

Mike and I have travelled with Carnival 2 times before and loved it. The food was always awesome and they definitely catered to the younger crowd with parties and entertainment. We loved it. Their comedians are the best and there is always something to do. This year's vacation will not change our minds about cruising. But...it might make us rethink when we decide to book.

We drove 17 hours to Miami. We left at about 6 on Friday night and stopped for some sushi. Then headed on our way. Snapchat was rocking that night as I documented my travels with my lovers. Sorry guys...but Mike and I always have a blast driving to Florida and this time was no different.
(Don't mind the spray tan residue...)

It's prescription, calm down. I'm legit crazy ADHD.
For rizzle. Ask my mom. Luh you Ma!

Miami was great and we ate some Cuban sandwiches and parties with the Cubans. Well...until about 7 that was. Then, we headed to bed...

We got to port on Sunday morning at about 10:30 and headed in to be interrogated. Lots of questioning due to Ebola, which was nice but....I didn't really want to be reminded of possible consequences. haha.

The embarkation process wasn't that bad. We paid an extra $50 to get the Faster to the Fun package, which pretty much allows you to board right after priority and your stateroom and luggage is there when you board. That alone I think was worth the $50. Considering Mike and I always smuggle alcohol on the ship it's a lot less stressful when you don't have to wait all night to see if you have been sent to the "naughty room" for your indiscretions.

We boarded the ship and headed right to Guy's Burger Joint and Blue Iguana to get our burgers and burritos. (You're going to read a lot of stuffing face in this post.) Then, we went and got the unpacking out of the way for the week. We had the muster drill and attended our meet and greet to get the dranking started. Dinner and entertainment that night was awesome...as usual...and we finished off the night by getting stupid drunk and watching Ride Along on the big screen on the pool deck. That's right...under the stars in the middle of the ocean. Doesn't get much better than that.

Here's how our itinerary was supposed to go...

Cruise itinerary was supposed to be as follows:
Sunday - Board the ship
Monday - Key West: 8-4 (Key West Pub Crawl)
Tuesday - Sea Day
Wednesday - Grand Cayman: 8-4 (All Inclusive Beach Day)
Thursday - Cozumel: 8-4 (Cozumel Bar Hop)
Friday - Sea Day
Saturday - Off the ship to head home

We got off the ship in Key West a little late. I think I might have overindulged a little the night before. But, hair of the dog master her had it all figured out with a bar hop through Key West. We tried to meet up with Jess, but unfortunately, didn't get the chance. I may or may not have been a little hungover in the heat and the drinks weren't helping. lol. But we really didn't have a lot of time to get back to the ship anyway. Between Jess and Key West itself, however, I'm sure Mike and I will be taking a trip there soon enough. Awesome!!

We woke up Tuesday morning all ready for our sea day. Mike and I actually don't mind sea days. It gives us time to lay out and lounge in the pool. We started off today no different only it was a little dreary outside. That doesn't disturb us, however, and we lounged about anyway. About 11 in the morning we got an announcement that there was a medical emergency and instead of going to Cozumel on Thursday we were increasing speed to get there today. Disembarkation would be about 2:00.

At about 3:30 we were allowed to get off the ship. Not sure if you know much about Cozumel but all the resorts where you can pay $50 and get all inclusive drinks and food close at 5:00. It's just no competition for the downtown Señor Frogs type clientele. So...there wasn't much to do unless we were willing to spend about $200 on a few drinks and some food.

No sir. Not when we have free shit on the ship. So, we walked around in the rain for about an hour and headed back to our sanctuary.

Oh well...At least we've got Grand Cayman left...

...famous last words...

Cruise Must Haves

So, we leave tomorrow to head to Miami for what's probably going to be our last cruise for a while. Mike and I have finally had the "baby talk" and we think we might be ready to start thinking about trying. We have a time frame in mind and figure that by the time we get pregnant we probably won't be able to make it on any more cruises. We were lucky to even be able to go on this one it just so happens that the price was right and I was able to get off work.

If you haven't heard me talk about cruises before, I am in love. They are, by far, the best vacation my husband and I could ever afford. The cruise we're going on next week is a 6 day cruise and between the 2 of us we paid $1100 total. That includes our room, entertainment, meals (and as many as we want a day), and the trip to Key West, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman. We have to pay for the excursions and alcohol, but it's still so affordable. What else can you do for that price including 4 course meals and outstanding chefs for a week? And actually, our cruise just dropped down to $200 per person the other day. WITAF?

Hopefully, I have convinced you all to take a cruise now, but before you go check out this list of must haves so you can live it up the right way!

1. Bring your Tumbler!!! - Mike and I always bring a huge "drankin cup" with us. I found this one on Etsy. The only thing they have available are the little hotel glasses that you use to rinse your toothpaste out. They also have small plastic cups but you have to fill up two at a time to be able to actually quench your thirst. But, if you bring a large tumbler, you can fill it up and be good to go. Which brings me to...

2. Rum Runners!! - Rum Runners are the best way to smuggle alcohol on the cruise. They remind me of the bag that wine in a box comes in. You fill them up with your favorite alcohols and they are undetectable to X-ray machines. I put mine inside a shoe box with my shoes and we stick a few under some clothes or mixed inside my makeup bag or toiletries bag. Just don't put them on your carry on because they get searched. You can order them here...

3. UNO - Bring some playing cards. Mike and I always try to get to the entertainment early so we get good seats. They are usually playing BINGO but you have to pay to play and we never win. There are some good prizes though so you might want to try. UNO usually helps us pass the time while we wait. We also love to go sit in the atrium and listen to the musicians while we get our drank on and play some cards.

4. Extra sunglasses - It's so easy to scratch or lose your sunglasses on a cruise. Mike and I always bring an extra, cheap pair just in case. That way when you're drunk laying out on the deck and forget to grab your sunglasses when you head back inside, you have an extra pair to take with you.

5. eReader - Bring it! You might not think you will have time to read but it's always better safe then sorry. Mike and I always have our Kindles with us. We take them up to the pool deck when we lay out and I can usually get a fews books in during the cruise. Mike also always reads while I'm getting ready. Especially if you have a balcony room, sitting out there watching the waves and reading is so peaceful. 

6. Waterproof watch - You miss the ship, it's on you to make it home. Get a cheap waterproof watch to take with you so you always know what ship time is. That way you don't have to worry about figuring out the ship time when you're in a different time zone. And, since it's waterproof, you don't have to worry about leaving it behind or having it slow down.

7. Sunscreen and After Sun Lotion - This might seem like an obvious one, but I can't tell you how many times Mike and I forget to buy it. And, of course they have it available on the ship, but it's expensive as hell. It never fails I get burnt the very first sea day and we always forget the after sun lotion. Then I'm in pain the entire night and can barely move. I got the Hawaiian Tropic stuff in a Influenster VoxBox and have fallen in love with it. 

Got any cruise must haves of your own??