On the Ship

We stayed the night just outside of Charleston, and made an early trip to the port.  My anxiety was high over all the preparation, but the moment we stepped on board that weight was lifted.

Oh, the drinks may have helped a bit, too.
We spend time getting familiar with the ship.  The casino does not open until we are at sea.  We did the mandatory safety drill and waited for our luggage to get to the room.
Our room steward, Marvin, was a great help.  He greeted us all by name and really made it clear he was there to make our stay as pleasant as it could be.
The towel animals were awesome (more on these later).
We visited the various food venues, did some window shopping and tried not to look like country bumpkins in the city for the first time.  But I think I stared gape-jawed at the central atrium with all it's neon lights.  :)

A walk on the ship to see out first sunset.  It was just a bit chilly, being March and all.  The rest of the trip was in the mid 80's though, so starting out cool was not a problem.
Next up, the Islands.

Spring Break 2012 Bahamas Cruise

My first cruise.
I promised the kids that I would do something for an early graduation present (both are about 2 years away from finishing college).  My early ideas for an island stay morphed into a cruise.

We drove down to Charleston for a 6 day cruise on the Carnival Fantasy.  Marion does not like small spaces, so I got us larger rooms (the largest room that does not include a butler).  The balcony and extra space were really nice.  Rob and Molly had the next room, an ocean view, but we could share the space.
A day at sea on the way down, Nassau, Freeport and a day at sea on the way back.
I'll post some pics of the trip over the next few days.

Start of my Vacation Blog

So, first post on a new blog.  I plan on tracking my various vacations that I am planning here.
I have several past blogs:

• Bike Week Vacation 2009
• Bike Week Vacation 2011
• 2011 Fall Bike Trip

I'll post some info on my 2012 Spring Break Cruise with Marion and the kids.
And I'll track the planning and execution of various vacations as the occur.