Bahamas Cruise Vacation: Day 5

The fifth day of our vacation involved a relaxing day at sea, which included some of the following:

miniature golf

towel animals

more shows

(I told you the decor was a sight to behold!)

a Romanian encounter
(this server, Liliana, was quite delighted
to meet someone who spoke her language!)

drunk Grandmas who became
self-designated back-up singers

and some after-hours
sugar-packet blackjack in the dining room.

Bahamas Cruise Vacation: Day 4

Day 4 of our trip brought us to the capital city of the Bahamas, Nassau!

We began with a water taxi to Paradise Island.

The tour guide pointed out the homes of the rich and famous.
I believe this one was once owned by Charlie Chaplin,
and is now owned by Nicholas Cage.

We toured the grounds of the unbelievable Atlantis resort.

The "bridge" part of the hotel (above Aaron's head) is called the Michael Jackson Suite. It costs $25,000 a night to rent it out with a minimum 4-night stay. The suite is booked for the next five years!

The resort was incredible...

with amazing aquariums,

and beautiful grounds

with lots of sharks!

This was part of the water park.
Can you see the rider floating down the enclosed tube?--
With sharks swimming all around him!

Another perfect day at the beach

Followed by a tour of the world's largest pirate museum

Maddie was a little concerned when she saw this picture of Aaron.
She asked him how he ever got out of there!

A little shopping at the straw market,
where we picked up some cute purses for the girls

Then back to the ship

We loved the Bahamas!

Bahamas Cruise Vacation: Day 3

Our first stop on our Bahamas cruise was Freeport island in the Bahamas.

Our day began with a taxi ride to Lucaya Beach.

Aaron enjoyed a little snorkeling
while the rest of us sunbathed on the beach.

Nate and Andrea got the crazy idea to go parasailing! We rode along in the boat to a platform that was floating in the ocean.

Nate & Andrea high up in the sky

Aaron decided he wanted to go too, but I was
far too rational to go with with him!

Aaron is the speck in the clouds in the middle of the picture below.
When passing the beach, the driver of the boat
would make the parasailer drop down to barely touch the water.

After a day at the beach, we enjoyed lunch and shopping at Port Lucaya.

Then, back to the cruise ship. . .

for an elegant dinner.

Bahamas Cruise Vacation: Day 2, Part II

Before boarding the ship, Nate and Andrea were kind enough to share their motion sickness patches with us. Aaron couldn't help teasing Nate about how funny they looked, but he ended up putting one on himself a few hours later!

the lifeboat drill

enjoying our first of many meals

Once we got settled into our rooms, Andrea and I attended a shopping seminar held in one of the lounges. The designated shopping expert shared some advice on shopping in the Bahamas. He held a raffle at the end of the show for the hundred or so people in attendance, and my name was drawn! I won this 1/2 carat diamond and sapphire necklace!

I was especially excited since I thought this might make up for Aaron losing his wedding ring at the Cocoa Beach hotel. Luckily, we found his ring several days later in my makeup bag! I have no idea how it got there. . .:)

our first dinner

I discovered my nightly dessert of the famous Chocolate Melting Cake, which made an excellent fondue dip when paired with a tropical fruit plate. As any cruise veteran knows, one of the best parts of a cruise is the food! And you can order as many appetizers, entrees, or desserts as you would like. Right, Nate?:)

After dinner every evening, we enjoyed a show in the lounge, which mostly consisted of comedians. Some were better than others, and we only heard two Mormon jokes (something about polygamy and non-drinking).

Although our ship, the Carnival Sensation, was plenty big and spotlessly clean, the decor was a sight to behold! We learned that our cruise was the last for the ship before being dry-docked for five weeks and undergoing $70 million in renovations. So the ship's next passengers should enjoy the upgrade.
Soon to come, Day 3. . .

Bahamas Cruise Vacation: Day 2, Part I

Our second day began with a morning at the beach.

The cooler ocean temperatures didn't stop Aaron from enjoying a swim.

Cocoa Beach wasn't crowded at all in January.

We found a live jellyfish on the beach that was moving
all over the place! Check out the video clip below.

As the designated trip planner/accountant, I was able
to get us this awesome Buick Enclave at a ridiculously low price.
We loved driving around town in it and were sad to give it up.

Still more to Day 2, with soon-to-be-posted Part II, when we board our cruise ship!