Nick's family invited us on a cruise, so we thought we'd give it a try! We had a lot of fun and got to visit a few really beautiful Caribbean islands.
Pre-Trip Notes
Nick’s family had been on a few cruises prior to this trip, so they were our personal boat experts. We had a great time but decided that cruises aren’t our style. After the trip, Nick’s parents also expressed that Carnival was their least favorite cruise company. If we were to do another, we would either opt for a long weekend marine cruise, a river cruise (i.e. the Nile), or a concert cruise. This particular boat did have some pretty sweet pools, slides, and jungle gyms, though. But, comedians used the same sets, the same people sang karaoke, and bingo definitely did not pander to the younger crowd. Thank goodness for the piano bar, nightclub, and trivia! Outside of the boat experiences, it was a great way to experience different countries.
What We Did
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Cueva de las Maravillas (Cave of Wonders): I mean, we can’t NOT go to a cool cave. I’m a sucker for clear cave pools with easily visible features beneath the water (i.e. lilypads).
Market: We may have bought something here. It’s a pretty expansive place. Beware, the vendors are pretty aggressive. They sell their wares by assuring you they are cheap by saying, “Cheapy cheapy cheapy” like tweedy birds.
Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos
Kayaking: Nick and I kayaked around a small inlet while in Turks. A great place to observe an active carbonate factory! The area is even more beautiful than I had imagined. Crystal clear turquoise waters, white sand, and conch shells everywhere. Our guide even pointed out several different species of wildlife while we paddled along.
Walked around and went to a shop: After kayaking, we went to a local shop for locally made goods, and we simply walked around to soak in the island.
Willemstad, Curacao
Curacao Liqueur Distillery: We learned about the process of making the Curacao liqueur (more types than just blue!). We bought some of the real Blue Curacao to take home with us.
Queen Emma and Queen Juliana bridges: Built in 1888, the Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge allowed for pedestrian traffic only (cars allowed before the Queen Juliana Bridge was built). It can also be mobilized to allow for boat traffic to pass through the St. Anna Bay. The colorful Queen Juliana Bridge was built in 1974 and is touted to be the highest bridge in the Caribbean.
Curacao Sea Aquarium: We walked around to see some animals in tanks, but the lion’s share of our time was spent watching the dolphin show. That was a first (and last) for us!
Restaurant & Café Gouverneur De Rouville: I had visited Curacao for a geology trip in undergrad, so I remembered this place. It has a relaxed outdoor spot to enjoy some food and drink before having to get back to the hustle and bustle of the ship.
Oranjestad, Aruba
Off roading tour (ABC Tours Aruba): This tour is still one of my favorite memories. The leaders of our trip were so much fun. They drove really fast over exciting terrain, spun the cars donut-style, and were interacting with us the whole time. The turnaround point was a beach-exposed cave. The ENTIRE time, one of the guides kept taking his hat and flapping it near peoples’ ears to emulate the sound of a bat. So of course, that’s all Nick did the rest of the trip (and still do this day…). “BATS.” It was an awesome visit, and we highly recommend it.
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