If this boats-a-rockin’
After my last Vegas trip, I realized I needed a *real* vacation (not just long weekends), so in January 2004, I went on a cruise with some of my closest friends; Arlene, Matt, Lisa, Jennifer and Jennifer’s brother Rob.
Arlene and I flew to Miami the night before we set sail and just relaxed. Matt, Lisa, Rob and Jennifer arrived late that night. We sailed Sunday afternoon and headed out to sea. Monday was a day at sea, and Tuesday we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Arlene and I had signed up for a shore excursion to Ocho Rios (on the other side of the island). The drive there was crazy! Riding with a Jamaican in Jamaica is probably like riding with Johnny Knoxville during one of his stupid stunts in which he attempts to drive blindfolded- in either case, it involves driving way to fast, “overtaking” other vehicles (Americans call it “passing”), and getting back into your lane a split second before you would have crashed head on with oncoming traffic. Our tour guide on the bus was hilarious- Ar and I were suckers and liked her so much that we let her con us into buying bracelets that she claims her daughter makes and sells so she can afford lunch at school. There’s probably about a negative 10 percent chance that story is actually true, but the bracelets were like 2 bucks so we didn’t mind.
After several “spectacles-testicles-wallets-and-watches” and flat out cries for Jesus, we finally made it to Ocho Rios safely. We enlisted ourselves to climb Dunns River Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall in Jamaica.
Once we got there, we realized that participants were expected to wear their bathing suits. Looking back, I can’t believe Arlene and I didn’t anticipate that, but regardless, here we were- waiting to climb up this waterfall and no bathing suit. *LUCKILY* we both have great fashion sense and we had (as we always do) coordinated our bras with our shorts (we both wore tank tops, so our staps had to match our short bottoms). When we got to the falls and everyone else stripped down to their bathing suits, Ar & I decided to take off the tanks and just wear our bras. They were Victoria Secret bras, so they were high quality and they covered more than most bikini tops, so we went with it.
Climbling the falls proved difficult, but it was a blast. Fortunately, I latched onto an older man who helped me climb my way to the top.
Our next port of call was Grand Cayman. I don’t recall much about the Island, but I remember that night Arlene and I decided to dress up for the formal dinner. We had each received onboard credit and decided to use it at the ship’s salon to have our hair done for the evening.
After Grand Cayman, we stopped next in Costa Maya. In Costa Maya, we mostly shopped. In a weird act of weirdness, Lisa and I (who hadn’t seen each other all morning while getting ready b/c we weren’t roommates), wore almost exactly the same thing- a coral colored tank top and khaki shorts.
It was in Costa Maya that Ar came out in true form 
Ar is known for being gullable, and as we were walking through the markets on the island, a man stopped her saying “ma’am! Ma’am! Please come back, you dropped something back there.” Arlene, confused but attentive, retraced her last few steps, looking intently at the ground for whatever dropped….and after several steps, the man smile and said “come right in here to my shop! Come see what I have for the pretty lady.” *hehe* Poor Ar.
Lisa and I got hairwraps and then we boarded the ship. It was that night that we decided to splurge a bit and have dinner at one of the specialty restaurants on the ship. This particular cruise was freestyle, which means cruisers are not assigned dinner times or dinner tables. You can eat where you want, when you want, and with whomever you want. If you choose to eat at one of the speciality restaurants, there was usually a $10 surcharge.
We had decided to dine at the Italian restaurant on one of the floors near the top of the ship. That night, the seas were knocking and our boat was a-rocking. Dinner was less than enjoyable simply because none of us were very hungry. The rough waters had forced our stomachs into our throats a few times and we decided to call it an early night.
Our final stop was in Cozumel, Mexico. It was in Mexico where we all did a catamaran ride and snorkeled. It’s the one and only time I’ve snorkeled! I brought a waterproof camera and was able to shoot some great underwater shots.
Arlene and I also took some time to kick back and relax.
I forget which night it was, but one evening the cruise hosted a deck party for the guests. After the cruise staff introduced themselves and showed us how much fun they were, the band began playing. So, all at once, the entire cruise staff jumped into the pool. It was like 10PM, freezing cold, and they all just cherry bombed right into the pool. Next thing I see is this black streak fly by me and then Arlene nearly belly flops into the pool, too! Of course, I didn’t need a written invitation to know what to do next…I, too, took the plunge. In my dry clean only shirt and see through skirt.
Many things make this cruise one I’ll never forget. I had the best company (well, Craig would have completed the bunch), I took advantage of great shore excursions, and I made lots of memories that I still remember to this day. After this cruise, I swore the only way I’d travel again would be on a big boat.
I’m currently in the process of making my first scrapbook ever, and I decided to use this cruise. I have so many pictures and keepsakes that it’s perfect for a beginner like me.
Love these photos! We cruised to Alaska in 2004 and it was great!
Comment by Eugenia | March 25, 2006