Our Caribbean Cruise

Now that we've been back on land a few days, our heads have stopped swimming and we've had time to reflect: the Norwegian Cruise Line has sent us an overall impression questionnaire that's put me in rather a nostalgic mood.  With below freezing temperatures back here in Austin and a perpetually overcast sky, Will and I are yearning to be back on board that carefree ship - sipping cocktails while working on our tans... Nothing in the world to worry about... expect for which of the 8 restaurants we would choose for dinner!

As I answered Norwegian's questionnaire (with positives across the board), I realized how much we'd loved our cruise!  It was such a great way to unplug from work and our daily routines.  We had no internet connection almost the whole time, so were kind of forced to be together and really be in each other's company.  Of course, I loved this... but although Will struggled a little with not knowing what was going on at work, in the end he was thankful for the respite and came back refreshed. Some other major highlights were:

* our sweet little room (that turned out bigger than expected)

* our enthusiastic room attendant for whom no task was too much trouble... and the different, adorable towel-animals he left on our bed every day: 

* the helpful, happy, friendly, smiling, dancing staff all over the ship - as far as the eye could see!  Here they are at the Costa Maya port in Mahahual, Mexico, awaiting our return with a red carpet and refreshments:

* dressing up to attend the nightly entertainment in the super grand theater!

(the atrium was also v.grand and showcased nightly entertainment)

* the plethora of activities. 

True to form, I geeked out and immersed myself in education! Namely the art and Chinese medicine -
while Will gambled, lay poolside, or joined new acquaintances for pub trivia!
Here I am with one of my fave works of art from the ship: Without Borders by Peter Max

* deck games 

* the amazing shore visits (that I will blog about separately, later)

* the endless dining options - including the biggest buffet either of us have ever seen.
We were eating allllll the time!  And yet, we didn't even gain a little bit of weight because it was really good, healthy good!  It was brilliant!  By the third day, we had a joke about saving room for 'second and third dinner.'

* those elaborate signature cocktails that changed daily - obviously we had to try them all :)

* and of course, those breathtaking sunsets!

I'm really not sure why people say cruising is for oldies.  Sure, there were plenty of old people on board (the majority if I'm honest), but there's so much to do for peeps our age - and even the teenagers (that all formed a clique by the end) had a blast.  Although our cruise was more about the destinations and shore excursions than the actual ship itself: I'd always pictured cruising to be more like the posh and glamorous portrayal of the Titanic movie, and less like the crotchety, sailing-nursing home I've heard others compare it to... I wasn't disappointed.   

Over the next few days, I'll be blogging about the shore excursions themselves.  There were four in total - Cozumel, Mexico | Belize City, Belize | Roatan Island, Honduras | and Mahahual, Mexico - each unique and exceptionally wonderful!  For now I just wanted to praise the cruise, the program, staff and everything about Norwegian Cruise Line.  Will and I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our marriage.