Rock the Boat

Bobby and I went on a cruise! About a month ago. Nothing like timely news, right?!

We had the opportunity to vacation with some of our best friends on board the Carnival Triumph for a 4 night cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel, Mexico. My parents agreed to watch the girls for us so we could get away on our own without the kids, something we had not done since May of 2007! Had it really been that long?

We started planning the trip about a year in advance of our departure date, and as it grew closer, we grew more and more excited. I had never been on a cruise before, so I was somewhat apprehensive, but it really was a great time! I must have liked something about it, because I find myself on the Carnival website on a weekly basis these days looking at future cruise opportunities!

So we left on a Thursday out of New Orleans. We spent the first day exploring the boat and the scenic sailaway from our hometown.

That night, we had our first on board dinner. Everything you have heard about dining on a cruise is true. There is food EVERYWHERE. And it's good. And you will eat a lot. And no one cares!

It was quite a sight to wake up on Friday morning to blue water! We were certainly no longer in the Mississippi River!

Friday was our first day at sea. We enjoyed sleeping in (a treat for us in itself!), laying out on deck, and exploring the ship some more. The girls and I participated in a digital scavenger hunt and took home first place. That's right, we claimed the coveted Carnival Triumph Ship on a Stick. Be jealous.

Friday night was elegant night on board, so our group got all dolled up for some photos!
On Saturday morning, we were in Cozumel!

We had booked an excursion to go snorkeling that morning. It was called the Deluxe Sail, Snorkel, and Beach Party. We boarded a catamaran and headed into open water for some snorkeling. When we reached the drop point, we suited up and took a dive to see various tropical fish in the water. After we snorkeled for about an hour, we were taken to a private beach to play in the water for about an hour. Then we boarded up the catamaran and headed back to the mainland.

After our excursion, we all went back to the cruise ship to clean up and change clothes. We decided to take a taxi downtown for lunch and shopping. We went to eat at Pancho's Backyard. There is one of these located on the pier as well, and it was amazing! We all enjoyed a margarita with our meal and then did a little shopping in the Forum Shops.

After our trip downtown, we headed back to the pier area for some more shopping and sightseeing. We were back on board with time to spare for our return voyage.

We began to disembark at around 5pm from Cozumel. We watched from our balcony as the ship pilots led us from the dock.

We also got to see the Carnival Ecstasy leave the dock at the same time. This ship sails from Galveston. As we left the island, it was fun to wave and shout back and forth to the passengers on their balconies across the dock.

Later that evening, as we were sailing back home, I looked out of our cabin window and saw their ship sailing in the distance. Being so used to seeing nothing but open water, it was quite a sight to catch it!

Sunday was our last day on board. We went to the towel making class that morning, to learn the magic behind the fun Carnival towel animals.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the ship and packing up since we had to have our luggage out before we left for dinner. We also got to see the stage production The Big Easy that night, which was pretty good.

After our final dinner, it was time to say goodbye to our pal and waiter, Marty. He was awesome and we were so sad to say goodbye!

It was definitely a great vacation, and having such great friends on board with us made it even better. Thank you all for coming with us, and I look forward to doing it again soon!