#BloggingChallenge Part 1 // Day 9 // Best Trip of Your Life

Today I will be writing about the best trip of my life. This would have to be the cruise my wife and I went on for our honeymoon.
All photos by me, and my wife.

Leading up to our wedding we were having trouble deciding on a honeymoon. We didn’t have a whole lot of money, so it couldn’t be anything too extravagant. At the same time, we wanted to really do something special. My wife finally suggested a cruise. She had been on one as a kid, and I never had. I was skeptical at first because I thought it would be way too expensive. To my surprise though they can actually be quite affordable.

After our wedding, we drove to Atlanta, Georgia, and stayed the night. Then in the morning, we drove to Charleston, South Carolina where the ship was docked. We chose to cruise with Carnival Cruiselines because they are the most affordable option where we live. The ship's name was The Fantasy. Upon arriving your larger bags are taken to your room on the ship while you work your way through customs. This is a pretty long process of showing ID, waiting in line, showing your boarding pass, waiting in line, getting an onboard ID card made, and more waiting in line. Then after an hour or two you finally step onto the ship.

You can’t access your rooms until a few hours after boarding, but the cruise ship has all of its amenities open, so there is plenty to do. Most importantly there is plenty to eat. One of the best parts about the cruise is the food. There are always multiple buffets open. As well as a sandwich and pizza restaurant. There are also ice cream and frozen yogurt machines open most of the day. The best part is everything is covered in your ticket price other than a few fancy food options, alcohol, and soda. My wife and I paid a little bit extra to have unlimited soft drinks on the cruise. After relaxing for a while, and looking around the ship we headed to the room.

If you are claustrophobic, cruises might not be for you. The rooms are small. There is just enough room for you to store your things, and to get ready between activities. For our honeymoon, we sprung for a room with a balcony. A little before the ship sets sail there is a mandatory safety briefing to show you where to go, and what to do in case of an emergency. It’s a little boring, but definitely stuff you should know. After that the ship sets sail, and your vacation truly begins.

Our first day of the cruise was a day at sea. We sailed down the East coast enjoying all the food, and sun. There were games on the top deck and a quieter area of the ship that kids weren’t allowed in. We spent most of our time laying out in the sun and reading. Dinner on the ship is a bit fancier, though the buffets are still available if that’s not your thing. You go to a large dining area where you are seated with other passengers. They bring out menus with all sorts of good foods on them. The most fun part of these dinners is trying the more exotic options that change each night. Like sushi, duck, alligator, or escargot.

On our second day we arrived in Half Moon Key, a small island jointly owned by a couple of the cruise lines. This place was beautiful. White sand beaches from one end of the island to the other. They took us over in smaller boats, and we spent the day enjoying the beach, and the good grilled burgers they had for our lunch. This island, since it isn’t lived on, is pristine. The water was so blue and clear.

Our third day was a stop in Grand Turk. A nice little island with lots of amenities, and souvenirs. We relaxed on the beach for a while and then headed to Margaritaville for lunch. After lunch, we went paddleboarding and snorkeling for the first time. If you don’t already know, paddleboarding is hard work. We didn’t realize how tough it would be, and I ended up having to pull my wife’s board behind my own. We still had a lot of fun though.

Our fourth day was a stop in Amber Cove. A small cruise destination in the Dominican Republic. The cruise terminal had just opened when we went, but there were still a few shops and pools to check out. We didn’t have much time to stay there though, because we booked a beginners scuba diving excursion. I can’t recommend Scooba enough. This was easily the highlight of the trip for me. We explored reefs of beautiful plant life and fish. We even found a sand dollar.

Our last day was another day at sea as we headed back to Charleston. We spent our time eating more good food and relaxing. After arriving back in Charleston the next day, we went through customs again and were on our way. It was a great trip, and one I will remember my whole life.

This turned into a long one. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to read it.