Blogs from Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Oceans and Seas - page 3

Most Carnival guests are aware that behind the scenes of a cruise vacation there’s a bustle of activity to deliver fun memorable vacation experiences, but few have gotten an up close look at these inner workings. The ship tour was an exclusive opportunity to experience an array of ‘back house areas’ that are vital to a ship’s daily operations. We were to be given a unique opportunity to explore way beyond the public areas with visits to the ships Bridge, engine control room, main galley, staff dining areas, storerooms, laundry and other spaces for a rare insider’s view of many areas typically seen only by the ship’s crew. The tour was extremely exclusive, it was only offered once during the cruise, on the last day, and only to the first paying 16 passengers. The group was ... read more

We love to cruise! You can't beat the bang-for-buck and the ability to wake up every day and be some place new. 13 of us all got together and decided to take a fun 5 day cruise to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico on Carnival's Elation. Jason and I cruised with: Greg & Mel (first time!), Laurie & Devin, Alvie & Kristie (First time!), Megan & Jeremy (First time!), Dana & Ryan H, and Ryan T. Elation is a smaller ship compared to some of the monsters out there, but she's a fun ship nonetheless. I've been on her sisters: Sensation, Fascination, and maybe one other? We decided to cruise out of New Orleans because of the price, and also to stay an extra day afterwards. (There will be a separate entry on that later!) The Itinerary: ... read more

(I'm writing this blog entry in 2014, but wanted to share as much as I can remember along with the pictures!) The Oasis of the Seas is HUGE! We had a blast on this ship. We cruised out of Ft. Lauderdale on our honeymoon. There are multiple areas including the pool(s), central park with real trees, and a carnival area complete with a carousal. It even has an ice skating rink. Most ships have a single tower of rooms, this one actually splits the room blocks into two so that you have complete open air in the middle of the ship. The result is balconies that can face the action, or face the water. There is a zipline and 2 flowriders (waves / boogie boarding), putt putt, rock climbing wall, dive show theatre... it goes on ... read more

Not only did our wildlife list expand today, it did it with serious style. We dropped anchor at 7 o'clock this morning just off George Town, the capital of Grand Cayman, one of the British West Indies. That meant we got a fun ride ashore in one of the ship's lifeboats and then we killed time meandering around the shops. And Grand Cayman is famous for being a tax free island so it is a haven for jewellery shoppers. I actually managed to resist all temptations to buy but I have indulged in a fabulous trying on day. At one point I had a diamond and emerald bracelet around my wrist that had a price tag of $39,500.00! That's well on the way to paying for two round the world cruise tickets so I didn't take ... read more

October 2-9 marked a cruise I had really looked forward to. I finally got to return to my favorite ship (Carnival Legend) and my favorite itinerary. Jason and I had another couple join us for all the fun. Ryan and Dana came along for their first cruise ever – and it was Dana’s first flight ever to get to the port in Tampa. I have some other blog entries for each of the ports: Oct 4 – Cozumel (Bar Hop) Oct 5 – Belize Oct 6 – Roatan (Beach!) Oct 7 – Grand Cayman (Sting Ray Sandbar) The ship had actually changed a little in the 2 ½ years since we’d been on it. The firebird lounge had a new backdrop making it a comedy club (Punchliners) and the Serenity area had some great lounge areas ... read more