And We're Off!!!!

Sunday morning in Miami was a warm RAINY morning. Yes, rainy. Are you kidding me? I get to take my first ever cruise and you’re going to RAIN on me?? Sigh. 

The hotel recommended a shuttle company to take us to the ship, and y’all, we both thought we were going to die during that ride and never even SEE the ship. It was a 15 passenger van, transporting yours truly and the hot husband known as Ryan, and we were pulling a trailer that carried the luggage. That driver was all OVER the four lanes of the road…speeding, cutting corners…and our prayer lives increased significantly. He was in a HUGE hurry to get us to the ship by 11:15 so we could make it on board for the 4:30 sailing, apparently. LOL!!!!

 The next part was a little hairy for me. I don’t really like crowds all that much…mean security people scare me…and being in situations where I don’t know what’s coming next really unnerves me. So pretty much boarding a cruise ship for the first time is the trifecta of nerves.

After getting yelled at by the suitcase Nazi {we did not want to surrender any of our bags because we’re territorial like that} and having my personal space invaded more than some doctor’s appointments, we made it through security and sat in the waiting room for our chance to board the ship. 

We actually got on the ship fairly quickly and were able to see our room for the first time. Want a little tour? {Just in case you've never been on a cruise and might be curious what their rooms look like!}

I took this picture standing in the hallway looking into the room – the bed and our balcony straight ahead…the closets/TV/refrigerator to the left and the bathroom to the right.

Our bed took me back to the days when my own bed at home was made up of two twin beds pushed together…big ole crack in the center. 

Our couch…not the most comfy thing in the world, but it was really nice for the times we wanted to eat in our room!

Our closet/getting ready space – and our TV!

And the bathroom. {With me. Probably the only time I’ll ever invite you in the bathroom with me. HA!}

And if you don't like the still version - howsabout the video version:




We were hungry, so we grabbed a quick lunch on board the ship and spent the entire afternoon exploring our new home for the next week. 

The water park area. {Where Ryan may or may not have REALLY enjoyed spending time...}

The theater. {Loved the little couch seating option!}

Ryan trying his hand at stand up comedy. {Not really. It was a photo opp.}

 Guy Fieri’s burger joint. {Probably our biggest source of withdrawal, post-cruise.}

The pool.

The adults-only deck. {YES!!!!}

And then after our exploration was complete, it was time to set sail. We discovered, during our exploration, that there was a little open-air deck on our same floor, right at the front of the ship, so when it was time to set sail, we went out there…and enjoyed a great view with just a handful of people. Way better than the masses on the main decks, I’m sure. The view was great – right out of Miami and into the ocean.

And that was how Day One of our cruise came to be!