"What a great vacation!!!", I should say.
We had so much fun and enjoyed our 5 days of vacation totally in a different universe. It's a MINI WORLD on the SEA. It had everything, I mean everything you ever wanted. It was a total fun time except with some toddler touch.
This vacation is been long due. It's my first ever real long vacation since I started making money(15 years) . Not to be mistaken, I been to India many times for vacation but they aren't really vacations. You go to India and endup working hard visiting relatives places and doing other stuff and never get to enjoy or have fun a lot. You end up spending lot of time shopping and eating. So I needed a real vacation and we plan to do one this year.
As I been hearing lot about crusing which really pumped my enthusiam to try it. So I decided my next vacation would be going on a cruise and it finally happened. We booked way ahead of time and got real good deal. Just $380 per person for 5 days including all boarding, lodging and stopping by 2 carribean islands. What else you can ask?! Isn't that so cheap? You would definetly agree with me if you had got crusing. There is so much to eat all the time, lot of fun things to do and . Let me sketch it out day by day for you guys.
First Half Day
We all packed 2 suitcases & 2 more bags(with all toddler stuff) and left Saturday afternoon. We drove down to the nearby sea port which is just 1 and half hour from my place. We parked the car in a paid parking lot and started our vacation. Since we had too many bags, we checked in big ones and took just the cabin bag with us.
We got on the ship after finishing some legal formalities. Before we entered the ship, they took embarkation pictures and sold it later. They took lot of pictures on every situation they get in all 5 days and made money. We only bought few of them.
When I first saw the ship, I expected to be big like Titanic but it wasn't that big.
It was big enough to excite me though. This s our Carnival Ecstasy Ship cruised from Galveston to Cozumel & Progresso, Mexico. See 2 lines originating from the top and ending in 2 places in the below map.
Another view of the ship from the port of Cozumel.
Once we got into the ship, we finally found our cabin which is just the size of my bathroom(12X6). The cabin had small kingsize bed and also attached bathroom. It was so small and compact. That's pretty much sufficient for just 2 people to sleep-in as we are not going to spend whole day in the room. They also had 2 upper beds for 2 more people which we didn't use. We started venturing out the ship after checking the cabin.
It really amazed and exceeded our expectation. It was almost 9 story high. It had everything from big dinning hall, 3 swimming pools in open decks, 17 bars, mini-golf, running track and lot more. It took us one day to just to get used the route and find out where we are and where are the other places to get around.
A view of the Atrium from the top most floor.
Big Dinning Room (24 hr Pizza place inside too)
We also checked out on my son Ashwin's day care. Evening we went to check out the first welcome musical show and after that we had good sit-in dinner.
Second Day
It's fun day at the sea on the ship. It gave us more time to check out more fun things. We had good full breakfast, checked out the pool for Ashwin to play.
I played Bingo game and luckily won $150. My first ever win on the game. I immediately gave $100 to my wife to do whatever she wants and spend rest of it in Bingo games on other days. We spent rest of the day roaming around and checking things out. Today was also little rocky day and we felt bit uneasy and motion sick. We say an excellent boardway type show in the auditorium that night.
Top view of the big swimming pool filled with salt water.
Running Track on the top deck.
Side view of the swimming pool on the open Lido Deck.
Third Day
We reached Cozumel, Mexico a bit late at around 10am. As I planned, we took the taxi and gone to a beach named Paradise Beach which is like 6kms from the terminal. We had a blast. As many of you know, i am fun seeker and like to adventure. We did Kayaking with my son without even knowing swimming. Hope somebody will rescue us as we had life jacket.
We did Water jet skiing. I also try to climb the tree much faster than anybody. I guess its in the gene.
We had so much we didn't want to come back. We had good mexican food on the beach. My wife totally enjoyed it. We took the cab back and boarded the ship back. That night was Formal Captain Dinner night. If you wish, you can wear formal dressing and attend the party. We already planned for it so we wear the formal dressing and attended the party. See me and my son.
Fourth Day
Next day we went to Progresso, Mexico on the way. As planned, we got off the ship little late. Took the shuttle to get to the town. Checked out the city tour and then fetched a cab to go a historic place. It's "Dzilbulchtan" which has some Mayan Ruins from 1300's AD's. It was hot, so we couldnt' spend much time.
This is the old temple from 1300's AD which had some special importance to it.
We got back to town, had lunch and spent good amount of time walking and doing some road side shopping. I had a cool tender coconut after long time. We got back to the ship at 4pm. I came to know there is Talent show and I signed up to do my DRUM show. Check out my drum show and I got some standing ovation for it.
Fifth Day
It's the last day. Again Fun day at sea. We took every chance to enjoy the things we wanted. Spent good time together in the pool, played some more bingo but didn't have much luck this time.
Food Decoration Picture taking by On Board chefs
That night, we took pictures and spent our night up on the open deck a bit to check out few things..
We reached back Galveston on Thrusday morning. It took 2 hours to get out after Immigration which is too long with a Toddler. Overall, it was an excellent trip. We saw 2 places, we experienced lot of new things and we were taken away by the courtesy of the people who work there. We plan to go again next time after my son grows up so he can enjoy.
I seriously recommend people in Texas to check out and try going cruise which is so much fun and really affordable too. I even plan to put a website for first time cruisers. I will let you know when I host it.
I also learned few lesson while I was crusing. Check out that part of the story at my Money website at www.moneyreallymatters.com.
I just made a whole new website for the purpose of helping the first time cruisers. Check it out guys firsttimecruising.com
Close
Hey Mel,
Thanks for checking it out. I wanted to email since I didn't see your comment but somehow you got it.. Plan to go.. don't just keep postponing.. Actually I just made a website to help first cruiser called, www.firsttimecruising.com. I am still yet to finish it.. Check it out when you get a chance..
Tanushri,
Yeah, its so much fun. You have go to experience it.. Thanks for comment..
VIJAI
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Hi Vijai
Nice vacation you had. What you say about Indian vacations is true - not much of a vacation. I haven't been on a cruise so far. Carnival and freestyle cruises sure look like a lot of fun. Someday maybe I will also go on a cruise...
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Wow...I've always wanted to go on a cruise...AFter reading your post, maybe I'll book myself on a cruise...
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Wow!! I see lot of comments in my blog after a long time. Thats really good. My mailbox got flooded with sulekha comments intimation emails. Thats nice feeling after a long time. The blog also got featured after a long time apart from the fact that I been busy and not posting many blogs like long ago. Its all adds up and you made my day.
Anyways, I am happy that you all enjoyed the ride with me on my cruise vacation. I didn't write to get featured. I wrote to share my thoughts and fun experience thats all about sulekha and blogs. I am glad you all liked and went along with me..
Thanks for my fav. regular visitors of my blog Indu, Kiran, Kalyanee, Yash, Ehaas, Ranjini.
Welcome to the new visitors of my blog. Glad you also enjoyed it..
Thanks again you all..
VIJAI
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Vijai : Nice pictues, looks like you guys had a great time on the cruise. I have always wanted to go on one but never got around to one, with summer approaching there will be many cruise lines operating.
I have heard food and entertainment on these cruises are non-stop.
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hi Vijaianand,
hehe
Looks like u had a wonderful time.
I want to take a cruise....mostly for the sake of being floating on water 24 hrs.....
Pics r gr8. Cud not watch the drum performance.
Kalyanee
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Hey man!!
Awesome recap!! Looks like you had a blast! A whale of a time. Enjoyed the pics as well as your performance on the drums!! You got a really good deal on the cruise fares....And you are so right about India vacations..they end up being more hectic than usual days...
Enjoyed reading about your vacation..now I am going to plan for one..REAL vacation...:) and we have the little tyke too( 3 yrs)...
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Whoaaa Vijaianand Sir...
tat seems like a worthwhile trippp.... enjoyed readin ittt & d picss r also nice... :))))
rgds
Bhavna
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vijai
So you had a ball of a time on a cruise! good! I never knew the fairs are that low! I am glad you made it a holiday on a ship.
Regards
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Hey Vijai,
Sounds like you had a blast!
I particularly liked the palm tree climbing pics. You look like a professional coconut picker
Drums wasn't so bad either! I will have to read this in greater detail later. Surprised that it took you 2 hours at the immigration. How many people were processed altogether? Anyways, your observation about taking one honest to goodness vacation is true. Trips to India feels more like work under the supervision and fulfilling numerous formalities. We too are planning a couple of trips with no obligations to worry about. We all deserve a break!
Ranjini
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