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Published: February 22nd 2008
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Jacksonville--The Departure
It is funny how things work out sometimes. Neal and I planned our cruise last year for Feb 4 because we planned on getting married on Feb 2. But in a whirlwind of unexpected events, we ended up tying the knot last year, and taking the cruise just weeks before we leave for Korea (which should be around March 1).
We drove down to Jacksonville, FL the night before and stayed downtown at the Omni Hotel. What a beautiful city. It was pretty eerie how abandoned and quiet it was, I guess because it was a Sunday night, We ordered room service which was great because they had Argentinian food! It was the most gourmet meal I'd ever had, and was muy delicioso 😉 .
There was also a heated pool on the roof, although it was not quite heated enough and we froze our tushed off when we tried to go swimming. I loved the hotel though, as there were so many little details that just made the experience great, like apples and iced water with lime in the fitness center.
We also tried this great Argentine wine called a Malbec. It was full bodied and rich, and
left our mouths nice and purple for the rest of the night.
Sailing Away
The cruise was pretty fun, but Neal and I had a hard time finding a lot of activities on board that really interested us. There was a lot of bingo, and things like talent shows for the guests and hairy chest contests. We did meet a nice couple from Alabama who are in the military and just returned from Afghanistan. It actually didn't take all that long to get on board either. The best part was mostly just lying in the room with Neal and relaxing, as we had spent the last two months drowning in beaurocracy and this trip was an opportunity to get away.
Key West and the Angry Sea
We LOVED Key West! Regretfully, we didn't have much time to explore, as we had booked a catamaran snorkel trip (can't just lay down for 5 days straight, I suppose). When we got on the catamaran, the crew said something to the affect of "The sea may be a little rough, so you can get off now if you're prone to seasickness." Well, Neal has a stomach-o-steel and I was armed with dramamine, so
I figured we'd be fine. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Things were going swimmingly (haha) with just a little bounce action on the way there. Then I got the brilliant idea to go to the bathroom before we reached the snorkel place. It smelled like chemicals, was hot and damp, and it exagerrated the bobbing of the boat. And I think someone may have been sick already. I almost ralphed by the time I got out.
By the time we got there, the puking had already started. I managed to keep the contents of my stomach, but there were ladies hanging over the edge. The waves threw a little boy against the steps on the boat, and so I decided to just jump in. Every time we stopped swimming we'd get dragged away. It was really pretty, as we were snorkeling a reef about 7 miles out at Sand Key. The problem was the waves. Key West has some of the saltiest water in the world, and about every 2 or three minutes, I was brutally reminded of this when a wave would crash over my head and I'd breathe in seawater. Then I'd pop up and cough and empty my snorkel,
which was pointless since when I went to stick in back in my mouth, a wave would crash right in my face!
Ah, quite an adventure. I'd love to go back. When the sea is calm. There were all sorts of sick people on the trip back, and very few people took advantage of the open bar (yes, Neal was one of them!).
I thought that I was going to have to go back to the room and get over my sickness, but I actually felt completely fine once I got off the boat, so we walked around for the remainder of our time. We found a little shop where everything was on sale for $5 and went crazy. One of the coolest things about Key West were all the chickens running around. Not sure how or why, but they were very friendly.
The best part? A genuine meal of conch fritters with key lime musturd, key limeade, and the cream: a slice of key lime pie.
Nassau
Nassau was so beautiful from the boat: pristine beaches, palm trees, the sun glistening down on the crystal clear water. But then you get off the boat and your senses are assaulted
with the sounds of the big city: car alarms, police sirens, car horns, and yelling. We were going to rent a scooter, but after the "secret charges" were all added on, we found we didn't have enough cash, so opted to walk around. There were maching gun-laden militia in front of the banks, and Neal and I got shooed off of a road by a cop as a large bus full of convicts drove by. We were also numerously accosted by people offering us various tourist services ("Get your hair braided! It's not too short!").
It was definately not the pristine scenery I had imagined, but I could definately see all the locals trying to make a living. It wasn't our cup of tea, but we'll give it another chance sometime when we have time to plan beforehand, and have more than a day to explore.
We ended up going back to the ship early and enjoyed the empty pool and having a coctail.
About our favorite thing about the ship was actually the service. The employees were from all over the world: a room steward from India, a server from Bulgaria, and a head waiter from Romania. Over
the days, you get to know and appreciate the subtle things these people do, and learn about their hopes and desires.
It was difficult for me to sit back and let another wait on me, but they all seemed so genuine in their kindness that it really stood out as the best part of the cruise.
I was pretty happy to get back, and we managed to get back to the truck within an hour or so. Definately a fun last adventure before travelling halfway across the world to Korea!
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