For our 2nd wedding anniversary and Jeff's 31st birthday, we did a 7 day cruise around the Eastern Caribbean, and spent 1.5 days in Miami (South Beach).
The Caribbean is absolutely lovely.
The ocean is so clear, and the water is so pleasantly warm. It is also very very warm, humid, and sunny.
We were actually lucky because just 1 week prior, there was a hurricane (hurricane Irene) that terrorized the entire Atlantic coast, but our cruise was unaffected by the hurricane.
Sadly, the cruise ship itself did not live up to my standards.
(My standards were based on my prior cruise on Royal Caribbean. We booked the Carnival cruise ship this time).
Food service was terrible (the staff barely spoke any English, and do not appear to be trained in waiting tables). The food also tasted and looked terrible.
The housekeeping did not do the best job either (we are provided beach towels that we cannot take home; if we do, we will be charged for the beach towels. Housekeeping removed the beach towels from our room, almost risking us getting charged! Luckily, I noticed the missing towels before we were billed or accused of stealing).
I also was sea sick the entire week because the dang boat was swaying so much. I did not get sea sick on my last cruise!
Also, the ship simply did not have as many amenities as Royal Caribbean, but that was not a big deal to me.
After our 7 day cruise was over (dry land! woohoo!), we stayed in South Beach, Miami for 1.5 days. The water in Miami is WAY warmer than the waters in the Caribbean, but the water was very dark, dirty, and murky in comparison.
The neighborhood of South Beach was lovely. I loved that I was able to get anywhere either on foot, or by taking the local shuttle for 25 cents.
The best part of South Beach is that everyone is super toned (the rumors are true!). Almost every girl I saw had a 6-pack. I felt so inadequate.
Our flight back to Los Angeles was on the evening of September 11. We did not realize at the time that we booked the airfare, that we were flying back on the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.
Oops.
Oh well. I figured that since our flight was at night, if there were any terrorist attacks, they would be during the daytime, so I was safe.
You should be happy to know I flew back safely. =)
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The following are the photos from all our destinations! Enjoy:
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas - September 4, 2011
Half Moon Cay is a small island in the Bahamas that is entirely owned by Carnival, so all the visitors on the islands were all Carnival patrons. All the food and drinks served on the island were all imported from the Carnival cruise ships.
I think this island was my favorite port on the entire cruise. The waters were super clear, and the sand is so fine (almost like baby powder). Unfortunately, Jeff and I got terribly sun burned.
Half Moon Cay
We also did a shore excursion, where we snorkeled with STING rays, and got to feed them. They are super cute! Sadly, hurricane Irene blew away 5 of 9 sting rays.
Sting ray. So cute!
To view the complete Half Moon Cay photos, go here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jenandjeffyang/HalfMoonCayBahamas
St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands - September 6, 2011
The next port we visited was the island of St. Thomas, which is one of the islands in the U.S Virgin Islands.
I thought it was amazing that this island is so small and so secluded, yet, it felt like I never left the states when I set foot on this island. Everyone spoke fluent English (with no accent!) (this is unlike Puerto Rico), people drive cars on this tiny island, the U.S Dollar is accepted, and there were regular shops, diners, and bars.
We also did a shore excursion on St. Thomas, to the beach called "Magens Bay". This was on the opposite side of the island from the port, so we had to take a bus there.
I loved that the beach was very small and quiet. I actually was reminded of Hawaii when I was at Magens Bay.
View of Magens Bay
Magens Bay
Wild iguanas roam free in St Thomas
Port of St Thomas
San Juan, Puerto Rico - September 7, 2001
We did not visit any beaches in Puerto Rico. The only thing walking distance from the port was the town of Old San Juan. I am proud of myself that I walked through the entire town despite the unbearable heat and humidity. I did it by frequently stopping into stores for shade and a/c.
It was great to see familiar shops in Puerto Rico like CVS, Walgreens, Payless Shoe Source and Starbucks. It was like I never left home!
Old Town San Juan
Colon Plaza
Castillo de San Cristóbal
See the entire album here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jenandjeffyang/SanJuanPuertoRico
Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos Islands - September 8, 2011
The Grand Turk island is a very tiny island, surrounded by crystal clear waters, and lots of rocks under the water! We were able to walk from the ship to the beach, so that was nice. I hate having to take a tender or a bus. Sadly, we brought our snorkel, but there was nothing worth seeing in the water, except for rocks and sand.
Breathtaking View
I couldn't find the conch.
Missing conch = hurricane!
Crystal clear
See the full album here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jenandjeffyang/GrandTurkIslandTurksAndCaicosIslands
South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida - September 10-11, 2011
Lincoln Park - the premier shopping area in South Beach.
The moon over the ocean during dusk
The view of Fisher Park from South Point Park
View of the Miami skyline from South Point Park
Coconut trees
