Freeport

The first Bahama island we stopped at was Freeport.  The itinerary included snorkeling and shopping.  There was a bit of confusion getting off the ship but we found our way eventually.  We found the group that was heading over to the snorkeling excursion and got on the bus.  Marion is not a swimmer, so she had been telling us that if this does not work out for her, not to let it ruin the event for the rest of us.  She would be happy watching us from the boat.  We listened to the captain give instructions (as much as we could over one of the loud mouth jokers next to us).  We suited up and got ready to get in.  Marion was very brave and got right in.  And promptly kicked out of her flippers.  :(

I was able to get to her and (thank goodness for the swimming and lifesaving lessons at the YMCA) I pulled her back to the boat.  The captain was upset.  He said he asked if there were any non-swimmers since they have special gear for them.  I guess the loudmouth was cracking jokes during that part of the instructions.  Marion made me go back out to snorkel.
There were a lot of fish.  Really, everywhere.  Zillions.  I was not expecting that.  We were in deeper water than I expected too.  Rob, who is a strong swimmer, could not make it to the bottom.

I got back on the boat after a short time (I am not a strong swimmer) and gave the underwater cameras to the kids.  Did I mention that there were a lot of fish?
Marion and I washed the salt water out of our mouths with the water I brought, and purely out of concern for saving the other bottle of water for the kids to do the same, I switched to drinking the beer they were serving.  :)
Marion is looking forward to giving snorkeling another go.
We got back, walked around the town doing shopping and headed back to the ship.
A good day on the cruise!

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.