Sick at Sea…NOT Sea Sick!! From NOLA to the Caribbean

When the idea of a cruise was first presented to me, I just did not think it was going to be “my thing”.  For some reason whenever I thought about cruises I thought of older married couples, like people going to celebrate their anniversary Etc. I thought that I would enjoy going to a destination for a longer period of time rather than just a stop along the way. Oh how naive I was, I’m glad I was forced to go on my first one in 2012 as a college graduation gift. from that point on I never looked back, cruises are totally the way to go!!

My mom organized this trip for a group of about 20 people, as she does most of our family vacations or gatherings. This is why we call her our “Minister of Entertainment”.

Unfortunately, just a day before getting ready to go on this particular vacation while sitting at the nail salon I begin to feel sick. The plan was for me to pick up my cousin that evening for her to sleep over so we could catch our flight in the a.m. together. After leaving the nail salon I called and broke the news to her that I felt like I was coming down with the flu. Her exact words were “just pick me up in the morning, I don’t want to catch your cooties right before vacation” LOL.  I think she must have forgot that we would be rooming together the entire trip, no escaping me… or my “cooties”.

New Orleans Louisiana

We were embarking on a 7 day cruise that was leaving out of New Orleans, Louisiana. I had never been to NOLA but I heard so much about all there is to see and do on Bourbon Street and I was excited for that and the food! Bring on the beignets!

Upon landing my head began to pound, at first I didn’t know if my twists were too tight, the altitude from flying, or a flu symptom. I popped DayQuil, took a power nap, and geared up for the night ahead.

Our hotel, Crowne Plaza New Orleans French Quarter was located right on the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets. Can you say perfect location?! All we had to do was step outside and we were immediately in the middle of all the action and nightlife.  My cousin and I grabbed some drinks and wove in and out of most of the bars along the strip. We caught up with the rest of the crew at a place called Fat Catz where a band was playing live oldies music. Now, I have an old soul, so I thoroughly enjoyed myself, headache and all! Mind over matter is what I kept telling myself.

Day two-  The weekends in New Orleans really pick up! I’m actually glad we arrived on a Thursday because the atmosphere really changes! The weekends get really busy, loud, and crowded. Arriving on a weekday allowed us to peacefully take in the scenes and attractions. On day two we had a walking food tour planned, one word… AMAZING. This was my first walking food tour and I enjoyed it so much, I now try to build it in on my agenda everywhere I go if it is available.

Of course it rained on this day and I mean rained cats and dogs. However, that did not stop us, we put on ponchos and kept it moving. There were many stops along the way and the portions were huge. I would highly recommend this food tour if you ever take a trip to New Orleans.   Check out their website here Oak Street Food Tour by Destination Kitchens.
Note: most food tours can accommodate special preferences, for example if someone is a vegetarian or lactose intolerant if you let them know ahead of time they will adjust the menu for you accordingly.

Cruising

Our pre-stay in NOLA came to an end and it was time to board the ship for our week long cruise. The name of the ship was Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas and it cruised to 3 islands, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. The first cruise ship I was ever on was the Oasis of the Seas and at the time it was one of  the largest cruise ships ever built. I do not know how smart it was to go on one of the largest ships as my first cruise because all ships I go on after that I will hold to high expectations. I could tell that the Serenade of the Seas was smaller but it definitely did not make too much of a difference. The ship was so extravagant and offered so many activities and things to do that there was no way you could ever be bored during the week.

I have learned to love cruises because it is like you get a little bit of everything. You get the all inclusive food, although drinks are not included there is enough to go around! (You can always pay for a drink package as well) You get the hotel room experience with the option of choosing a balcony view or inside cabin, there are endless activities and entertainment on the ship, and you also get to make stops at the different ports of call that you signed up for and stay just long enough to get a taste of what it is like there. I usually choose the places that I like the best and put it on my list of places I would like to go back and visit. (Tip: Always keep a list of places you’d like to travel to).

You can check out some of the features of the ship here Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas.

1st stop: Jamaica (the land that I love)

Upon arriving, we linked up with some family and friends and did a self guided tour. We were traveling with some people who have never been to Jamaica before so we tried to make sure they were able to see some of the hot spots. The port was in Falmouth so we rode past Usain Bolt’s school, stopped at Scotchie’s for some authentic jerk chicken, stopped at my grandmother’s house in Montego Bay for some more food! Then hit the Hip Strip (a popular tourist street with many shops, restaurants, clubs, and bars) and Margaritaville.

2nd stop: Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is the largest of the 3 Cayman Islands. However, I went on a tour by van and quickly learned that the island is very small, I think I saw most of the island in the few hours that I was on the van.  It is about 22 miles long and its widest point is about 8 miles. Nevertheless, the island is beautiful and the people are very friendly. One of the highlights was visiting a section of the town called Hell. This area is known for it’s black limestone and ragged edges. Not sure if I would return to the Cayman Islands for a full stay… the iguanas that roam around are way too big for my liking.

3rd and final stop: Cozumel Mexico

I have always heard so much about all the fun you can have in Cancun, but I was not too familiar with Cozumel, so when we pulled up I definitely was not ready! This is a place where you definitely do not have to B.Y.O.P (Bring Your Own Party) because they sure know how to have a good time! After my cousin and I roamed around a bit and got some food at a nice local spot on the beach, we stumbled upon Senor Frogs (a Mexican themed franchise bar and grill). Let me tell you how we almost lost track of time and got left in Mexico fooling around having a good time! The large frozen Margaritas probably also played a part. Needless to say, Cozumel has been added to my travel list.

Glass Half Empty: Spent an entire week long vacation with the flu
Glass Half  Full: I didn’t let the flu slow me down, I formed a strong and very special bond with DayQuil during that week. Oh… and my cousin didn’t catch my “cooties”