3 Things Cruise Skeptics Should Know

A word of encouragement for those we like to call “Cruise Skeptical”

Since we’ve been Instagramming and blogging about our recent Carnival Cruise, we’ve gotten a lot of interest and questions from readers. Really great questions, such as why an adventurous couple would go on a cruise, what the food is like, if cruising REALLY is as amazing as we claim, and why we chose Carnival. We thought we’d tackle all of your questions very openly and honestly… Because if truth be known, before this trip Bobby was what we like to term “cruise skeptical!” (Alli, on the other hand, has been on over a dozen cruises and can recite all of the deck plans from past ships. It may be a slight obsession.) From the moment we stepped inside the Carnival Breeze, it didn’t take much convincing Bobby that cruises are epic…. but let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Here are three things Bobby learned during our 6 day Western Caribbean cruise:  

1. Boredom is NOT an option

Probably the question we get the most (and one of Bobby’s initial concerns), is “What do you do all day on the ship? Is it boring?” We can confidently say that you will never be bored on a Carnival Cruise. Hey, they’re not called the “Fun Ships” for nothing!!!

Entertainment is constant. Ping pong tournaments, cooking demonstrations, aerobics classes, trivia games, 4D movies… you name it, they have it! Our problem was never boredom, it was the inability to fit everything we wanted to do in one day!! Some of our favorite cruising pastimes include Hasbro, the Game Show,

the INCREDIBLY speedy waterslides,

and moonlit movie nights on the Lido Deck!

2. Cruising is for the adventurous

As a couple that is known for their audacious travel, we've had many inquiries as to why we would pick cruising. It seems to be a common misconception that cruises limit your ability to discover and explore new destinations. We’re happy to say that we found quite the opposite to be true! We can’t think of anything cooler than waking up at a different tropical location every morning. 

Whether we were driving a Jeep through secluded beaches in Cozumel, riding a catamaran through the turquoise waters of the Grand Cayman, or getting caught in a rainstorm in Jamaica, it was a constant adventure!

3. The food is good. Really good.

...And that’s coming from two self-proclaimed “foodies!” If you haven’t already noticed, we take our dining experiences very seriously. (We’ve even been known to pick our travel destinations based on restaurants and yelp reviews!) That being said, the food being served on our Carnival cruise had a lot to live up to, especially for Bobby. Thankfully, it did just that. Every day our meals were top quality. From mouthwatering steaks and decadent desserts at the Steakhouse (Fahrenheit 555 on the Carnival Breeze),

to fresh and healthy made-to-order tacos at the Blue Iguana Cantina,

to 24 hour homemade pizza and soft serve (Alli’s favorite),

we can confidently say we NEVER went hungry. And if we were craving different dishes, like sushi and burgers, it wasn’t a problem! (Guess you could say it was a vacation for our taste buds too?!)

There you have it. From the onboard entertainment, to the memories you make in each location, to the flavorsome dishes on board, cruising exceeded our expectations - especially Bobby’s! If you consider yourself “Cruise Skeptical,” we challenge you to give it a try and book a Carnival cruise. If for nothing more than their Chocolate Molted Lava Cake, and their starlit dance parties!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

Why Cruising is Perfect for Newlyweds

Choosing a vacation as a newlywed couple can be difficult. We’ll be the first to admit it. You must agree on a location, itinerary, hotel(s), length of stay, points of interest... we could go on and on. Both of us have different views on what a vacation should look like, and we’re sure many of you can relate! This, friends, brings us to the beauty and ease of cruising… it’s all done for you! All you have to do is agree upon where and when you’d like to cruise, and pack your bags. Thanks to Carnival, vacation mode happens the minute you start booking your trip! Perfect mode of travel for newlyweds? We think so! Here are just a few reasons why:


1. You’re completely off the grid. No work, no chores, no emails! There’s no better feeling than setting an away message, turning your phone on airplane mode, and spending quality, uninterrupted time with your significant other. Sure, you can have Wi-Fi if you prefer, but we love the excuse to turn off our phones. After a couple days at sea, you’ll even forget you have a phone! You’ll be too busy gazing into the wondrous blue ocean from your hot tub.

2. You can pick your own adventure. We stopped at three ports on our Western Caribbean cruise: Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. Being the thrill-seekers we are, we lived it up at each destination. Booking excursions was quick and easy, and everything we did exceeded our expectations.


In Jamaica we took an aerial tram up to the top of a large mountain! We saw the most incredible views of Jamaica, and some of the most beautiful plants, trees, and wildlife we’ve ever seen! There were spiders. BIG spiders. But we won’t show you those.

We also went bobsledding. Bobby was stoked because he’s been a longtime fan of the movie Cool Runnings. Alli was stoked because she could say she’d “Bobsledded with Bob.”

 In Grand Cayman we took a Catamaran around the island, and couldn’t believe how warm and how blue the water was!

In Cozumel, we rented a Jeep and explored the island!

We discovered beautiful beaches, sipped coconut water on the sand, and toured real Mayan ruins. We even made a friend!

We were amazed by all that you can see and do in ONE day at each location. Newlyweds that are cruising to rest and relax, however, can go a different route. There are excursions for private island getaways, beach clubs, and massages. Maybe next trip we’ll slow down! ;)

3. Finally, cruising is extremely romantic. It seems as though everywhere you turn there are opportunities for romance!


Whether we were treating ourselves to a candlelit dinner at Cucina del Capitano, (one of the specialty restaurants aboard the Carnival Breeze - it’s intimate, candlelit, and absolutely delicious!),

 Or taking a nightly stroll along the peaceful and colorfully lit Lido Deck,

Or cuddled up next to each other watching a Broadway-quality show, it felt as though we were living in a dream!

A dream that is PERFECT for newlyweds like us. 

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over

1 Year as Newlyweds

Carnival recently invited us on a Western Caribbean cruise to celebrate our one year anniversary. Words cannot describe how excited we are to share our cruising adventure!  Whether you’re single, married, or have a family, cruising is an experience you’ll never forget. Our goal is to get all of you wanderlusters to give cruising a try… we’re sure you’ll be hooked!

From the moment we said “I do,” life has been a trip… literally! In the past year we’ve done everything from skydiving in Malibu, to wine tasting in Mexico, to ziplining in Panama! (Those who say life slows down when you get married… they’re all wrong!) All of the trips and adventures aside, it is still hard for us to believe that we’re coming up on our ONE YEAR anniversary. (And yes… we’re still calling ourselves newlyweds. It’s a feeling, not a deadline!)

Our one year anniversary had been looming in our heads for the past couple of months… we kept going back and forth on how we wanted to celebrate. We knew that whatever we did needed to be EPIC.  It needed to be unique. It needed to be adventurous, but still upscale. We wanted to be pampered, but not bored. We went back and forth for weeks about what we should do. And that's when we heard from Carnival...

A CRUISE. AN ANNIVERSARY CRUISE!

At first, I (Alli) was more excited than Bobby, who was a little hesitant. He wasn’t very familiar with cruising, and had heard mixed reviews (we’ll share more about that later). However, when Bobby did some research and saw that our ship had waterslides, 24 hour pizza, and mini golf… he was sold. We chose a six-night Western Caribbean cruise that left from Miami, and before we could say “Vacation!” we were stocking up on sunscreen and packing our bags!

It is impossible for us to share with you ALL of the highlights from our Carnival cruise in just one blog post - every single day was packed full of adventures! Over the next couple of weeks we will be highlighting some of our favorite experiences from the trip and some of the reasons why we chose to cruise. Today, we’re showing you why we think anniversaries (and any sort of celebration, really) are best spent on the open seas!

First things first, let’s talk about the Atrium. Known as the “Welcoming Area” on Carnival ships, the Breeze Atrium is more than just welcoming - it’s an experience!

Floating lanterns, live music, shops, bars… it feels as though you’ve entered a different world! When we first walked into the atrium, we stopped for a moment to take it all in. “THIS is our home for the next six days?! Is this real life?!” We knew we were in for an anniversary trip to remember.

In the evenings we celebrated “our way,” with wine and cheese on our stateroom balcony.

We would watch the tropical coastlines drift away in the distance, share our favorite memories of the year so far, and gush over the fact that we were on our own private balcony. On a gorgeous cruise ship. In the Caribbean. Six nights at sea, and the view never got old... 

 

During one of our days at sea, we planned a spa day. Because every anniversary trip should include massages, right? As soon as we stepped into Cloud 9 Spa, we felt like royalty. There was soothing music playing in the background, gorgeous tile, lavish artwork, and delicious cups of hot herbal tea. The friendly Cloud 9 staff walked us through several of the different relaxation rooms, and explained what each one does, and the health benefits that go with it. We decided our time in the spa counted as our “workout” for the day!

Bobby loved the “Thalasso Pool”… which is basically a giant sea-water hot tub! He would have stayed there all afternoon!

Fortunately, we had an appointment for a couples massage that we needed to get to… and both of us will agree that it was the best massage we’ve EVER had. Afterwards we lounged (and napped) in one of the gorgeous relaxation rooms. Can you spot Bobby?

You can’t celebrate an anniversary without food. One evening we decided to get dressed up and celebrate our anniversary in style. First stop: the elegant Blush Dining Room!

Our table overlooked the whole bottom floor of the restaurant, giving us the perfect view to scope out what was being served. ;) Our server, Wiji, brought us course after course of delicious specialty menu items, and, because we were celebrating, we ordered several of each! Our favorite? The Chocolate Melting Cake! If you’ve cruised Carnival before, you know what we’re talking about!

 

Following our celebratory feast, we had drinks and sang along at the Piano Bar, laughed ‘till we cried at the comedy show, and then treated ourselves to a midnight snack. (Hey - we’re celebrating, remember?)

 

We couldn’t get enough of the pizza from the 24-hour pizzeria on board. And if you ask us, pizza at midnight is the perfect way to start year two of marriage!

As you can see, the celebration possibilities aboard the Carnival Breeze are endless. You can tailor your celebrations based on what you enjoy - and that’s what makes cruising so fun! You can celebrate by relaxing in the spa, seeing a musical production in the Ovation Theater, or by joining a massive dance party on the Lido Deck!  Thanks for tagging along… more of our Carnival adventures to come!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over