Booked for 2012

The cruise was ahhhhmaaazzzing! I've never had such a good time in my life....well maybe, but this one is definitely in the top 5. I needed that 2 weeks to just relax and do nothing. I am so energized and feel like I can accomplish anything.  WARNING:: Please be prepared, there are a TON of pictures!

Typical Castle shot

We flew to Florida and stayed at his retired partner's in-laws for 3 days (wed-fri) before getting on the cruise. Thursday we spent the day in Disney World (Magic Kingdom). Chancho had never been so it was a great experience for him. He loved everything about it and he wants to go back! Score! We went on the main rides, space mountain, it's a small world, etc... The GPS took us in through the employee entrance so we managed to get in without paying. That was a bonus. Plus his retired partner (Joe) had extra tickets for us so we didn't have to pay anything for our visit! Extra bonus! We also were able to slip in a quick trip to Epcot before it closed. My favorite ride there was the Test Track. I would recommend it for everyone. However, it did hurt my neck. I'm not supposed to go on anything that jerks your neck around because I hurt my neck sledding a few years back, but this ride was worth it. We stayed to watch their firework show and that was definitely worth it.

Epcot

Saturday we boarded the ship (Disney Magic). We had a buffet to start off the day while we were waiting to disembark. There was a party by the pool while we were leaving and our luggage was in our rooms by the time we were having dinner.

Our room for the week.

Our first animal! 

We were in Key West for our first stop. We spent the day at the beach. Rented some bikes and soaked up some of our first rays of sun :) On the way back we stopped in a few stores, but didn't get anything. The stores were still priced the same as back at home.

The bikes we rented.

Monday was a day at sea. I burnt my arms. I fell asleep for about 2 hours. I was a lobster. A couple of people commented on how red I was, but I kept putting lotion on them and I was fine. I wasn't going to let it get in the way of fun. Monday was also Captain night, aka formal wear. Chancho wore a suit and I wore the dress I wore as a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding. Dinner was always great. We had the best waitress. She was always asking if the food was up to our expectations and it always was. Chancho was ordering 3 main courses at a time it was so good. If he couldn't decide what he wanted, he would order all of it. If I didn't like something, I just said so and picked something else. It was great service. After dinner every night we attended the show and I loved every single one.

Tuesday we docked in Grand Cayman. We had to take tenders in to the island because the ship would destroy the coral reef. On Grand Cayman, we shopped. Got some great discounts with a VIP pass from the ships shopping expert and duty free! Spent close to 4 hours in Diamond International speaking to the 2 managers picking out my engagement ring!!! We found the perfect one :) I am beyond thrilled! Now to get him to actually propose. One step closer. After shopping we spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach.

They had these like we have cows in nyc

Wednesday we were at Cozumel, Mexico. I loved Cozumel. We booked an excursion for clear kayaking and snorkeling in Uvas. It was an amazing experience. The waters there were so crystal clear. We were able to see a ton of fish through the kayaks. It was my first time snorkeling and the first time I went down, I almost drowned. I came sputtering up out of the water smacking Chancho because I thought I was dying. I told him I couldn't do it and I'd see him back on land. He told me to give it another try and sure enough I was able to figure out how to breath with a snorkel. I loved every second of it once I got the hang of it. We saw a HUGE sting ray, a puffer fish, a lobster, and a few other brightly striped fish. We took some underwater pictures that thankfully came out. I'm so glad we decided to do the excursion. The excursion included a free fresh fruit buffet and 2 free drinks.

Then Thursday was a day at sea again. It was pirate night so we were given bandannas to put on and told to dress up. All the Disney characters dressed up as pirates as well. There was a party on the main deck and to end the night they had fireworks. We had to make a short detour that evening because someone got really sick and needed medical attention on land so we diverted back to Key West where the Coast Guard met us and took them back to the States. It put us back about 5 hours, but at least they were getting the attention they needed. We also bought a Wall-E print from the auction that they had on board. I know you're probably thinking Really?  but Wall-E has special meaning to Chancho and I. When we both saw the print we stopped, looked at one another and said "We have to have this". Wall-E was the first Disney movie we saw together, it was also the first night we had our "unofficial" date, held hands for the first time...etc, you get the point.

Friday was our stop at Castaway Cay, Bahamas, Disney's own island. It was absolutely gorgeous! I could have stayed there forever. We laid in hammocks, had drinks brought to us and the water was again, crystal clear. There weren't any kids to be seen or heard because we were in the adult only section and it was beautiful.

Here are a few pictures of the Final Farewell show Friday night. We packed our bags that night and had them taken so we didn't have to lug them ourselves to our destination. Saturday morning we had an early breakfast before leaving the ship. A lot of kids were crying and hell I would have been too if I didn't have any control. I really didn't want to leave, but we booked another one for 2012 so I have something to look forward to. We spent 2 extra days in Florida relaxing before returning to ugly cold NY.

Sad that it's over, but looking forward to the new adventures with the house.

Quote of the Day: "Here you leave today, and visit the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." - Walt Disney