danasglobaltravel's blog

"baby let's cruise away from here..."

 abuse

It has been a few weeks since my last blog, but I’ve been out having new travel experiences I hope will inspire some great topics! Most recently, my mother, aunt, cousin, and some friends and I went on a cruise together. I never pictured myself as the cruising type – always preferring to stay with friends or family, or at least somewhere with a kitchen that feels a little more like a home. But I was really surprised by how much fun I had cruising, and even more surprised at how inexpensive this great vacation was.

We set sail on the February 25th sailing of the Carnival Inspiration – leaving from Tampa, Florida. I’ve been on a Disney Cruise before, which I really enjoyed, and heard that Carnival had a bad reputation in comparison. Now having been on a Carnival cruise, I really can’t say anything negative about it – I had a fantastic time. The staff and crew aboard the ship couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful. We were constantly being greeted with a smile.

My first full day at seal was great - I got up very early to get my pool side seat, because I knew those limited seats would fill up fast, and they did! I was up, sun screen on, book in hand, at the pool by 8:45 – and I took one of the last seats! So my words of warning to fellow cruisers- if you want to get a seat by the pool on days at sea….be there nice and early. If the sun is not your thing there are plenty of other options including but not limited to: shopping, presentations, movies, games, a library, etc. At any given time there are dozens of things going on aboard the ship that you can participate in. I personally was there to relax and that is just what I did.

Our first stop was Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands. I had never been to the Cayman Islands before, but have heard only great things. The boat dropped us off in a commercialized shopping district, and I signed up for the excursion to 7 Mile Beach to continue my relaxation and see the island. I loved napping on the beach, swimming in the clear water, and watching the little fish swim by. There are a wide variety of both land and water excursions offered on Carnival – my mom opted for a tour of the island, which she loved!

The next day we woke up in Cozumel, México. I love México and was thrilled to be exploring a new island. My friends and I took a taxi to the downtown area to do some shopping and bartering which is a real blast and gives the bargain shopper a great sense of satisfaction. Bartering in México is really an art form and deserves its own blog! ;-) Just remember – when shopping in México, never pay full price for anything. We had a fantastic lunch and grande Margaritas at Pancho’s Backyard (Avenida Rafael E. Melgar 27) a Cozumel must! It is a fantastic little restaurant in the downtown area, about a 3 mile walk from where the ships come in.  

The last day at sea was equally fun; I of course opted out of the activities and enjoyed my last day of relaxing by the pool. Over all I had a fantastic time. The food was excellent and there was certainly plenty of it. There were several restaurants offering meals or room service around the clock.  The best part is that everything is included and paid for up front, so budget conscious travelers can just sit back and relax. I also love that cruising allow you to see multiple countries or island without the hassle of changing hotels or arranging transportation. You really should consider a cruise for your next vacation!

If you have any questions about cruising or travel in general, feel free to contact me at danasglobaltravel@gmail.com, and to plan your next cruise visit www.danasglobaltravel.com

Peace, Smiles & Sunshine,

Dana