Here’s a link to the pictures of our cruise to Key West and the Bahamas.
We dropped off the boys with our parents on Sunday afternoon, Brenden with mine and Jonathan with hers. There wasn’t really a good way to fly Southwest to Fort Lauderdale on the day of the cruise without a narrow margin for error, so we flew over the day before to be safe.
Monday
Monday morning we relaxed at Miami’s Haulover Beach before taking a shuttle to the port to board Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas. Embarkation was a breeze. I guess nearly everyone was already onboard because we had NO line at all. We found our room, small but comfortable, and began exploring the ship. Majesty of the Seas is an older ship that received a major renovation a few years ago, so she was in nice shape. Although each ship is a little different, so far they all feel very similar – lots of cabins and hallways, a casino, dining rooms, a theater, etc. After the mandatory safety drill, we bought some fruity adult beverages and sat on the Sun Deck to watch us sail away.
At dinner we got a pleasant surprise – a private table, as we’d requested. On both previous cruises, we always got paired with some random couple and forced to make small talk with strangers. Very annoying. Our two-top by the window made one of the highlights of the trip. Royal Caribbean offers My Time Dining, which allows you to pick a specific time to eat in the main dining room or to vary your time from day to day. It’s very handy if your after-dinner plans vary. The food was good, the gourmet cruise fare that helps make cruising my favorite way to vacation. We both enjoyed excellent prime rib and two desserts each. (why not?)
Then came the lowlight of the day – watching the Cowboys game in our room. Not only did we lose the game, but we also lost our multi-million-dollar quarterback to a broken collarbone. But hey, we were on vacation, and at least we didn’t have to listen to the Facebook whining about how much the Cowboys suck.
Tuesday
On Tuesday morning we reached our first port, Key West. We didn’t have any specific goals other than to wander the town and hit the Key West Winery, which sells wine made from fruit other than grapes. The wines were delicious – mango, key lime (of course!), blueberry, carrot, orange – and we bought four bottles. Otherwise, we simply walked around checking out shops, dodging the random roosters that roamed free throughout the town, and passing by the home of my boy Ernest Hemingway. We didn’t go inside, partly because admission was $12 each, and partly because it’s apparently overrun with weird six-toed cats, which sounds a bit like a custom-tailored version of hell. Key West seems like a party town. The locals were gearing up for a big Halloween parade that sounded like a cross between Mardi Gras and Spring Break in Cancun.
Back on the ship, we took a long nap (aaaaahhhhhh….), got dressed up, and then enjoyed another fine meal at the same table. My filet of beef was among the most tender cuts of beef I’ve ever tasted. Both our waiters were excellent and very nice – Supardi was Indonesian, and Luis was Columbian. Thoroughly stuffed, we attended our first show, a song-and-dance performance with surprisingly good renditions of old favorites.
Wednesday
After breakfast at the buffet (eggs, bagels, yogurt, etc.), we decided to work out to burn off the pair of desserts we kept ordering at dinner. Jenny went to the fitness center and hit the cycling machine for a while. I fought heavy winds to run 10 laps on the promenade deck. Then we cleaned up and stood outside to watch us pull into our second port of call, Nassau. Four other ships were already in port, and I took lots of pictures of them and the fabled Atlantis hotel on the way in.
Nassau was the only port that persuaded us to book an excursion. After much debate, we decided on a minibus tour of the city that visited a couple of rock-hewn forts and a cool zoo that featured a flock of marching flamingos. I recorded their performance for you and hope to post the video soon. The zoo was the highlight of the tour for me. Although small, it was beautiful and held lots of animals. And they sold a great Bahamian soda called Goombay Punch, which tastes like Tahitian Treat only better. I really liked the forts as well, but the tour guide rushed us through both of them instead of giving us time to read all the signs and go down all the hallways like I wanted. The island overall was quiet beautiful and colorful. Since the Bahamas are a former British colony, they drive on the wrong side of the narrow and crowded roads, so I was happy not to be in the driver’s seat.
That night for dinner we visited Johnny Rockets, a 50s-style diner that has a few locations in the Dallas area. I ordered a massive double cheeseburger with grilled onions, french fries, onion rings, and an Oreo fudge shake. (Hey, I was on vacation!) Then we burned it off (hahahahaha) with our first attempt at the onboard rock-climbing wall. I’d wanted to try a wall for years but never made the effort to go. It was a lot of fun, a bit easier than I expected. I used the easy path for my first attempt, so maybe next time I’ll try a more difficult path. The attendant didn’t really give us much in the way of instruction, so once I rang the bell, I just hung out up there for a while like a doofus.
Exercise achieved, we went up the champagne bar to watch the Texas Rangers play in their first-ever World Series game. We met a few other fans and enjoyed a cocktail while enjoying three innings of the expected pitchers’ duel. Then we retired to our cabin for the rest, and the wheels fell off. As a consolation prize, we ordered our traditional milk and cookies from room service like we do at least once on every cruise.
Thursday
On Thursday we stopped at our favorite port of the cruise, the beautiful private island called CocoCay. It’s maybe a square mile or two at most and offers lots of beach area, food, jet ski and snorkel rentals, shopping, and a great nature trail. We walked the trail to the secluded end of the island before returning for lunch and then chilling on the beach for a while. Not much else to report; it was simply a nice, relaxing day.
After a final delicious dinner in the main dining room (strawberry bisque, Caesar salad, tasty pasta, and a great Pinot Grigio), we took in a second show in the theater, this one a tribute to the 70s. The performers really seemed to enjoy their craft and were quite talented. Then we returned to the room to pack and watch Game 2, which also didn’t go well. But hey, I was on a cruise ship with Jenny and watching the Rangers in the Series. Even a bad game was great!
Friday
We chose the Early Departure option, which let us handle our own luggage and get off the ship by 8am. It could hardly have been easier. Then we took an RCI shuttle to the Fort Lauderdale airport. The flights home were packed, and I had to ride in the extra flight attendant jumpseat on both legs. Jenny barely made it on the FLL-HOU leg and got bumped from the HOU-DAL leg. I flew home, picked up the kids, and came back to DAL to pick Jenny up.
Overall, we had a great time with a balance of activity and relaxation. The sporting events kept me from sleeping as much as I should have, but I couldn’t help but watch the Series this year when my Rangers were in it. The four-night length felt right – enough to feel like a real vacation, but not so long that I got restless and tired of being away from home. Royal Caribbean is a solid cruise line, comparable to Carnival, although I slightly prefer the latter. Having some time just for myself and Jenny really renewed our spirits. It was nice to see our boys when we got home, though.
For other highlights, see my Top 10 Items of Note from the Cruise.