Cruise to the Bahamas! Part 2: Islands of Paradise

As promised, here is my second (and final) post about the cruise. It's hard to believe we've been back for 2 weeks now...honestly, the cruise sometimes feels more like an amazing dream than reality. Now I get to wake up every day to the cold and rain, and long days of looking for jobs (which I haven't had any success yet, just so you know).

But on a happier note, the cruise WAS real and I actually got to enjoy the gorgeous beaches and hot sun! The Bahamas, especially, were stunning and even better than the tropical island calendar you often see hanging up on office walls. The water was warm, the sand was soft and white, and the ocean was a color of blue that you can't find anywhere else. Paradise.

On the 2nd full day of our cruise, we made our first stop: The Grand Turk! This was a beautiful little island in the Caribbean, and the farthest south we traveled. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as wonderful as we had hoped...

Yes, our cruise ship with a lovely shade of gray sky.

But the gray sky didn't stop us from hitting the beaches. We got out our snorkeling gear and snorkeled in the ocean for about an hour. It was still hot and humid outside.

Palm trees and lounge chairs. What else do you need?

Well, I guess a little sun would've helped. Instead, we got the one thing we were trying to escape from: rain. LOTS of rain.

Of course, the rain didn't stop me from enjoying the island. After returning to the ship, I changed into some dry clothes, ate lunch, and then ventured back out into the rain with my mom. This time I brought my umbrella. A true Northwesterner, right?

Oh, and I love this picture that Kimberly took--it looks like a ghost ship.

We had much better luck on the 3rd day when we made our first stop in the Bahamas: Half Moon Cay! This is a small island owned by Carnival. Population: 13.

Me and Kimberly taking the ferry to shore.

Dad and Grandma enjoying the ride.

I love the way our cruise ship looked against the blue water!

Did I mention the water was blue?!?!?

Random picture of the life jackets and snorkeling gear...

Cannon?!?

We made it to shore!

The beach was amazing! Despite the 3,000 people, there was plenty of sand and ocean for everyone.

And plenty of lounge chairs! The beach was covered with them!

It felt like one giant swimming pool.

I can't believe I was there!

Amazing water...

Time to snorkel!

Rinsing out my goggles...

Putting on the flippers...

Smiling for the camera...

Ta-da! Snorkeling!

My mom took this photo. Doesn't it look like an ad for Carnival cruise lines with the cruise ship in the background?

Horses on the beach!

Beach babes

Whoever originally came up with this idea was a genius...

Map of the island. Along with the beautiful beach, we were also served lunch on the island. In fact, the staff from the cruise cooked us an amazing BBQ right on the beach!

Me in my new hat. My face got REALLY sunburned and hurt a lot in the sun, so I bought a hat to keep it shaded. I felt extremely exotic.

This was a really neat fountain lined with shells.

To get back on the ship, we had to wait in a huge line in the sun. It was miserable.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign in memory of my British Isles trip almost a year ago. This one's for you, Laura! =)

I honestly loved this beach and could've stayed here forever.

Our final island stop was Nassau, Bahamas. This was one huge city!

Off the ship

Palm trees!

There were a ton of shops and merchants here. I definitely felt like I was in a foreign country, constantly being asked by the natives if I wanted to buy something they were selling. From jewelry to shells to hats, you could find just about anything there.

Hooray for the Bahamas! Yes, Dad and I even had a taste of real ice cream =)

A Starbucks on every corner...and apparently on every island as well.

And the people of the Bahamas sure love their Burger King.

While we were in Nassau, we took a snorkeling and bottomless boat excursion!

My favorite part was the net we sat on as the boat moved across the ocean.

Dad and I enjoying the net, the sun, and the amazing view!

The family!

The picturesque island

After we traveled by boat for a few miles, we stopped by a small reef and snorkeled! There were a lot of us, but plenty of ocean to explore. And I saw some amazing tropical fish! Snorkeling is definitely one of my new favorite hobbies.

Where's Allison?

Taking off the snorkeling gear...after awhile the flippers really begin to hurt your feet! (By the way, the ocean was blue, not green.)

Smile for the camera! My eyes really stung from all the salt.

Dad snorkeled like a pro.

Hi, Dad!

After snorkeling, our excursion guides took us to a private island, where we swam and enjoyed the time away from huge crowds.

Dad, me, and Kimberly enjoying the clear, blue water.

I could've stayed in here forever!

The boat driver decided to feed the fish so we could have a closer look...

Atlantis resort: the biggest resort in the Bahamas--and also the most expensive!

They even have a huge water park! I would've loved to spend the day there, but for over $100 per person to get into park, we decided against it. Maybe next time?

Me enjoying our ride back to the main island.

I could've slept on that net--it was so comfortable! And the ocean spray felt so good!

Sisters!

After changing on the cruise ship, we went back onto the island to explore the city a little more, including the shops. Here's Hard Rock Cafe.

Here's a better shot of Nassau from the cruise ship. It was such a fun, tropical city! I can't imagine living somewhere like this. I had a great time exploring the Bahamas.

Back on the mainland, we stayed in Florida for a few extra days after the cruise. We even reached the southernmost point of the USA: Key West, FL!

The family

A neat painting on the sidewalk in Key West.

We stayed in a Marriott Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale for 2 days. It was probably the most relaxing part of the entire trip! I loved lounging on this chair and reading my book.

The pool at the Marriott! It was on the 4th floor and simply wonderful.

Even in the shade, it was hot and humid!

Me and my burnt, dry face. It was pretty painful for a few days, but after covering it with lotion 7-8 times a day, it healed fast.

The Florida beach!

More palm trees

I thought this was a neat looking building. The palm trees really add to the orange paint.

I'd trade fir trees for palm trees any day...well, at least for a few weeks out of the year =)

It was an amazing vacation and a great way to celebrate 5 years of hard work. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for taking me! It was definitely an experience I'll never forget!