Two days of lots of walking and waiting in lines at Universal had us ready to head to the cruise ship and relax for the second leg of our trip. We climbed aboard the Enchantment of the Seas in Port Canaveral and set sail.
We were joined by our parents (all of them) my brother, my niece, my sister-in-law and her mom. It was a big group, but we managed to balance togetherness time with time apart. The kids loved having their whole family there. Especially after 3 days of just us, I think they were ready to spend some time with other people. Although, there were several people that saw us on the ship that totally understood why our t-shirts said Team Chaos.
Our room had a great balcony, so we spent a lot of time out there, including meals. Room service was included, and it was easier to manage the kids through a quick meal on the balcony than to sit through dining room service. And, who doesn't love to eat a meal staring at the beautiful ocean?
Our first port was Coco Cay in the Bahamas, which is Royal Caribbean's private Island. It was amazing!
Fletcher got to swim in the ocean for the first time.
And so did my niece Macie.
All of the kids had fun playing in the sand and swimming.
And the adults had fun relaxing in the water and enjoying the delicious drinks they had for us.
We were also fortunate to see a real, live conk. I wasn't expecting it to come out of its shell when I lifted it up, but we did get some good photos in the process.
The next day, we were in Nassau, Bahamas. We spent the day on a Blue Lagoon beach and then went back to walk around and do some shopping in Nassau. The kids loved this beach even more, because it was more secluded and so there were less fish and other animals around (sharks and jellyfish specifically). It still took Barrett a while before he wanted to be in the water, and by then it was time to go back to the ship. Fletcher needed a nap, and naps were definitely a challenge when we were at the beach all day.
Barrett and I did some paddleboard and kayaking. He loves doing it at lake of the Ozarks, and in the Lagoon, the water was pretty still so I wasn't as worried about him not being able to make his way back.
The boat ride to and from the ship was also a great experience. Fletcher took his nap there on the way home, and it was great to see some of the Bahamian Islands from the water. The water is just so clear and has so many shades of blue. We even saw some dolphins jumping while we were cruising along.
Audrey was a bit overwhelmed by the shopping. The bartering back and forth really made her uncomfortable, so after just a little shopping for some souvenirs, we headed back to the ship.
The last day we spent on the ship. The kids swam in the pool, the adults enjoyed a few cocktails, and we all had dinner together. It was fun to watch Macie and Fletcher "play together," even if that was really just them being side by side playing in the water. Audrey and Barrett both got some one on one time with different people too, which is always great to see. It doesn't get much better than fun in the sun with family!
All in all, we really enjoyed the cruise. The kids want to know when we're doing it again. I want to know when we're doing an adult-only version!
No comments:
Post a Comment