Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Only a Few More Days!

Today is Tuesday.  We leave super early Saturday morning.  That is less than 4 days away!  I have a ton to get done before then, but I wanted to jot down how excited I am that our cruise is almost here - finally!  We're going on Princess cruise lines on their Eastern Caribbean 7-day cruise.  We're going on this cruise with Rob's parents and his sister, Christine, and her husband, Scott.  We went on Royal Caribbean's Western Caribbean cruise with them 5 years ago and had a blast.  A couple of years before that, I went on a cruise to Mexico with my mom on Carnival.  I enjoyed the places we went and being with my mom, but Carnival cruise line isn't really for me.  Cruising is a wonderful way to vacation, especially when you're with people you enjoy being with and especially when you go long enough that you have plenty of time to relax and see fun places! 

Saturday: Wake up practically in the middle of the night so we can be at the airport by 6:30 a.m.!  Fly out of SLC to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with a brief stop in Cincinnati, Ohio.  (Tons of time to read, listen to my ipod and relax without kids interrupting.)  Check in at hotel, dinner out, stay overnight in Florida.
Sunday: Get on the Emerald Princess (pictured above) some time between 1:00 and 4:00.  It departs at 5:00 p.m.  Bon voyage!
Monday: Arrive at Princess' "private island" in the Bahamas.  Hang out there from 9-4.  We have a "Clam shell" reserved for Rob and I - lounge chairs with shade on the beach for the whole day.  Read, nap, repeat.
Tuesday: Day at sea.  Sleep in, enjoy ship activities.  EAT like there's no tomorrow!
Wednesday: Day at St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.  Arrive at 10:00, depart at 6:00.  We're planning to do the "Fly Zone" zip lines here, but they don't take reservations in advance, so it's possible we won't get in.
Thursday: Day at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.  Arrive at 7:00, depart at 4:00.  We're going to Snuba on this island (see photo below).  Snuba is a combination of snorkeling and scuba diving.  You go underwater with a mask that give you air, but you're attached to a 25-foot hose that runs to an air tank floating above you.  This will be a completely new experience for me.  After Snuba-ing, we'll be shopping.
Friday: Dat at Grand Turk, Caicos Islands.  Arrive at 1:00, depart at 7:00.  We don't know what we're going to do here.  I am excited to see the historic sites, with its 18th- and 19th-century architecture, but apparently no one else in my group shares this interest, so who knows?
Saturday: Day at sea.  (repeat Tuesday's activities)
Sunday: Arrive at Ft. Lauderdale at 7:00.  Disembark, head to airport, arrive in SLC around 5:00 p.m.

Monday: Try to return to "real" life. 

Note: If you're thinking of robbing me while I'm gone, think again!  People are staying at my house!

Snuba!  I hope we see a sea turtle!