Our 13th wedding anniversary this year was definitely one to remember. We spent it on a luxurious relaxing cruise to The Bahamas on the Carnival Cruise Line “Sensation”. With this being our very first cruise we really didn’t know what to expect. All I know is that I wanted to do something that we’ve never done before and I wanted to do it away from here. Last year was rough for us. I lost my job early in the year and my husband lost his dear mother about a month later. My husband and I wanted to take this trip to renew our vows, to take our minds off of our troubles for awhile and to reconnect. We couldn’t have chosen a better option than a cruise. This truly was a vacation that we will never forget.
We got to spend an entire 7 days alone together. To my knowledge this hasn’t happened since we got married and blended our families in 2001. We started out by hitting the road early to make the 7 hour drive to Cocoa Beach, FL. We left a day early so that I could spend some time with my family in Florida before boarding our cruise. I just love taking long drives with the hubby. It reminds me of the road trips that we used to take when we were engaged and living apart. Him in Atlanta, Ga and me in Fort Wayne, IN. We got a room for the night at the beautiful Cocoa Beach Hilton right on the ocean front. The views were amazing and the beach access from the hotel was so convenient.
Later that evening we met my cousins at Sublime Sangria and Lounge. This eclectic lounge is located in Cocoa Village and is housed in a converted bank building. It was very cool. Sublime Sangria and Lounge is of course known for is refreshing Sangria’s and Tapas menu.
Oh we had such a good time! The place was packed and Jazz musicians Tony Wynn and Cameron Brown kept us swaying to their smooth acoustic sounds. The food was awesome and so was the service. But the drinks are what sealed the deal for me! Loved trying all of the different Sangrias! We really enjoyed ourselves.
Embarkation
After a comfy night at the Cocoa Beach Hilton, off we went the next morning to sail the ocean blue on our very first cruise! I was both scared and excited as we boarded the massive Carnival Sensation. Looking up at it was like looking at a building on the water. The boarding process was fairly simple as long as you had everything you needed (proper id, etc.) We were eager to get to our room, unpack and let our vacation on the seas to the Bahamas begin!
It took no time at all getting acquainted with what would be our accommodations for the next few days. Our luggage was promptly delivered and the fun began immediately as we walked around and became more familiar with the ship. It was so exciting to see all of the amenities and activities that were available to us, but to be honest that first night was rough for me. I was a tiny bit sea sick and wiped our from our previous days drive and nerves. My husband and I turned in early to recharge. After all our 13th wedding anniversary was the next day and we wanted to be ready!
Freeport, Bahamas – Taino Beach
We awakened early to a gorgeous sunrise and enjoyed breakfast and coffee on the deck before getting ready for our Taino Beach excursion that we pre-selected through Carnival.com website. Once the boat docked in Freeport we were so immediately enamored with the beautiful and culturally rich surroundings that we missed our shuttle to our excursion! After a very rude encounter with a shore excursion person in an orange vest and with the help of a very nice young lady and Larry the cab driver we were able to get to Taino with more than enough time to still enjoy our anniversary!!
((Taino Beach))
oh my God this place was so magical and surreal. The beach was pure bliss. The sand, the sparkling water, the people, the sun, the drinks all perfectly placed. It was the vacation of my dreams already and we were only 1 day in. We spent the entire day in and out of the water and running together in the sun. We renewed our vows using the sun and the sky as our church, some guy named “Chris” as our official non official officient plus photographer and the seagulls as our guests. “I love you”, my husband said. “I love you”, I said. “Happy anniversary.” we said together.
We got back on the Sensation at sunset that night exhausted, tired, and totally in love. After a quick shower we were off to eat and explore the Sensation some more! Lucky for us we found a comfy adults only spot on the forward deck where we could enjoy great convo over some drinks with some folk that we met from Georgia that were aboard for a wedding. We laughed and talked with complete strangers for hours and in the wee hours of the morning we finally dismissed ourselves and returned to our cabin. The next morning when we woke up we were pulling up to beautiful Nassau.
Nassau
We wanted to be certain not to miss our excursion transport this time so we got off early so that we would have time to see Nassau before boarding our private boat to Balmoral Beach. There was sooo much to do and see and so many ways to do it. Whether by, foot, horse, bike, car, scooter, or boat there was something for everyone. The people were so beautiful and I had an awesome time taking it all in.
Balmoral Beach
The Balmoral Beach Excursion was a fun party trip to a private location. We got there by charter boat full of fun party people and gorgeous young Bahamian men that kept us laughing and singing all the way there. We were treated to a little bit of the history of the Bahamas, on the way. It was cool seeing Eddie Murphy’s private island.
The music was live and the party was jumping when we arrived! A quick bite to eat in the comfy cabana covered dining area and we were off to our reserved spot on the beach (loungers, umbrellas, lunch, drinks included). We got to see the dolphins and sting rays and lounge lazily on the beach ALL day. Not a cloud in the blue sky.
After another PERFECT day off the ship we got back on and enjoyed a nice evening at the tiki bar. Can I just say that we LOVED Wee Jimmy!? Somehow we ended up in a karaoke bar later that night. I remember laughing hysterically and eating turkey panini’s at 1am in an elevator with my husband. I don’t remember much else.
Day at Sea
We spent an ENTIRE day on the ship at sea! By now I am no longer wobbily and starting to feel at home. We had met a few couples along the way and some kids too. So it was like a neighborhood now. Everyone greeting one another, kids playing everywhere. We spent the day on all the decks waving and speaking to our new friends. We spent the evening, going to shows, shopping, dining and you name it.
Disembarkation
Aww its our last morning aboard the Sensation.. Thanks to all of the instructions given by Wee Jimmy and the ships crew, leaving the ship was a piece of cake although time consuming. We chose to carry our own luggage and get off early and we did this with NO problems.
We left the Carnival Sensation with many things including souvenirs, nice tans (yes black people tan too) totally rejuvenated and awesomely in love. But most importantly we left with memories that will last us a lifetime. Carnival is now part of our history together and we will never forget. We wished for a perfect vacation and that’s exactly what we got. It was honestly just what we needed to recharge not only our lives and spirits, but also our marriage. We look forward to creating many more memories together in celebration of our union.
Have you ever been on a cruise? If so, Where did you go?
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