March 9, 2012

• Bahama Cruise

  Bahama Cruise

  Mark and I have been needing some time away from the fast lane in life.   We found a cruise leaving out of Baltimore and decided to jump on board!

   

  

   

  Since we were heading South my dear husband booked us a private balcony room.   The balcony was approx. 8′x10′.  Wonderful!

   

  

   

  The room was spacious enough and became our “home away from home” for the next 7 days.

   

  

   

  We were up on the 5th deck and had a wonderful view of the ocean from our room on the front right side of the ship.

   

  
  

   

  We were actually out at sea for three of the days and then at different ports for three.   Lots of Rest, Reading and Relaxation!   Holly had just given me the first two seasons of BBC’s “Downton Abbey“  and Mark and I enjoyed watching this series together.

   

  Our first Port was Cape Canaveral.  We spent the day touring the Kennedy Space Center.

   

  

   

  I especially enjoyed this  bringing back many memories of a trip I took there when I was in the 7th grade with my parents and sister Sheila.   I remember we watched one of the Apollo’s take off.  I think it was one of the first ones but just don’t know which one.   It was in 1970 or 1971. 

  This capsule was Apollo 14.

   

  

   

  I wonder if it was the one we saw head up in space to the moon those many many years ago?

   

  

   

  Late afternoon we were back on ship.  There were three swimming pools on the top deck of the ship.  The ship was HUGE and really a floating city!   Lots of shows and night life going on.   We skipped out on most of the shows but did take in a magician who still has my head spinning with his tricks.  How in the world did he do that!!!

   

  

   

  Each evening when we got back to our room we were greeted by a different animal.

   

  

   

  

   

  

   

  My favorite was the monkey hanging from the ceiling!

   

  

   

  The second Port was Nassau and was my favorite.   We took a shore excursion that day on the Seaworld Explorer.

   

  

   

  After taking a bus tour of the city we were taken by boat out over a reef.  

   

  

   

  Our guide pointed out different location on the way. 

  ~ Alantis Resort ~

  

   

  ~ Oprah Winfrey’s Bahama home ~

  (one of them)
  

   

  

   

  ~ Tom Cruise’s vacation house , his yacht was there as well! ~

   

  

   

  Once we got over the reef we docked alongside the seaword explorer.  After boarding it we went down a flight of stairs into a narrow room that was 6 feet under water with windows all around.  It was like snorkeling without getting wet!

   

  

   

  

   

  

   

  We went over several different reefs and saw a lot of different marine life.  I loved it!   Before long it was time to head back to port.  The day we were at Nassau there were 4 different cruise ships at port.

   

  

   

  We had a couple hours before we needed to be back on ship so we hired us a taxi to take us to his favorite eating place on the Island.

   

  

   

  He didn’t just drop us off but took us inside and disappeared back in the kitchen.  When he came out he said, “follow me!”, taking us out back of the building.
  

   

  

   

  This restaurant is known for their Conch fritters.   There was no shoreline but just conch shells everywhere!  He proceeded to pull out a string of conch snails from the water and show us how they get them out of their shells while they are still alive.   They tie them together like this so they won’t get away.

   

  

   

  

   

  

   

  Taking us back into the restaurant he ordered us a sampling of fresh conch fritters.   I did NOT like them, not one bitty bit!    I did enjoy a meal of fresh fried snapper fish before heading back to the ship.

   

  Back on board there were many things that inspired me with my quilting.  This is the main entrance on the ship.   Wouldn’t that make a wonderful quilt?

   

  

   

  From this room there were three glass elevators that went up the 12 floors of the ship.  A beautiful room and simply amazing!  There were probably 3 or 4 floors below as well!
  

   

  

   

  Another quilt inspiration.

   

  

   

  I did find lots of time to snip, snip, snip away on that wedding quilt!   What a wonderful setting to work! (play)
  

   

  

   

  This post is getting way to long but I did want to show a few pictures of our fancy dining room where we had supper each evening.    I’m talking about fancy, fine, five-star dining!   We ate with the same 3 couples each evening and enjoyed getting to know them very much.

   

  

   

  

   

  Thank you Mark for this wonderful vacation!  A time I’ll forever cherish!

   

  • 12:22 pm
  • 14 Comments