Places of Port

So we had 3 places to stop and 3 full days at sea on our cruise. Destinations were Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. All gorgeous in their own right with their own unique charm. I'm not sure there can be a poor experience with any of the islands in the Caribbean. So it was a good time all around.


leaving port


On the bus

Jamaica was our first stop after 2 straight days at sea. It wasn't so bad on the boat for the first 2 days because the staff go out of their way to take care of you and that includes trying to entertain different people's tastes. From comedy should to skits and contests. It was a good 2 day at sea.

Once in Jamaica though it was a relief to be able to stretch ones legs. The Carnival Conquest is one of the biggest luxury cruiser out there, but it still feels restrictive. So once we got back on land it was a minor relief. Our chosen destination in Jamaica was the beach of Negril. Now I'm not one to try to exaggerate, but this had to be one of the best beach I have ever seen. The water was crystal clear blue, and the sand was pure white. Picture perfect.




Margaret



Next was the Grand Cayman. This was my favorite stop for the shear fact that we got so see and explore a little more than our other stops. We got so see the biggest sea turtle farm. The number of turtles there blew me away, and there was not a picture that did the magnitude of the project justice.


turtle farm

petting the turtle

Jeanette @ the turtle farm


mom with her new baby

After the turtle farm was Stingray city. This was my favorite stop for the entire trip, even though it was a short stop. We took a 30 minute boat ride out to the middle of a sandbar. Here in the middle of the ocean, the sandbar is extremely shallow. There are kiddie pools I"ve put my ankles into with more depth. Amazingly in this area is a whole platoon of stingrays waiting to be fed. The only thing more stunning than the number of stingrays is the number of people who out number them 100 to 1. Beautiful and amazing.




Last on our stops was Cozumel. Unfortunately the sunshine did not hold up for our last day of port. Cozumel was definitely more of a party place, and nothing else should have been expected for a city in tropical Mexico. It was a slower pace on the last day of port for our family. We took a short tour of the island and then had lunch at an "authentic" Mexican restaurant. Outside of the margaritas, I'm not sure there was much that was authentic. It was none the less good food.




And so on our last day onboard the boat, we took the opportunity to relax all in our own way. My folks took time with each other to reflect on this first family cruise. My sisters took the day to soak up some more rays, and I decided to eat it up. Who knows when I will get the opportunity to eat like that again. It was a relaxing trip indeed, and a wonderful family vacation.