This last week (January 31- February 7) we were away on a family vacation. Our entire family traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to set sail on the Jewel of the Seas- a Royal Caribbean ship. To say it was amazing would be the understatement of the year.
It. Was. Amazing.
This was my first cruise and it was definitely a daily adventure, especially with our two little sand monsters. The girls had a great time and thought they were hot stuff the entire week.
There were 16 of us total. <Surprisingly enough, I didn't get a picture of everyone. I think maybe someone else did.>
Two parents, four siblings plus spouses, and six children.
Needless to say with our circus group, a lot of people recognized us by the end of the cruise. Getting on and off of elevators was quite a sight. Clown car anyone? Yeah, we're awesome.
DAY 1- January 31
Day one started with our flight out of Salt Lake City to the beautiful city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. We arrived very late
that night. The minute we got off the plane and walked through
the airport- in air conditioning, no less- I don't think I
could have prepared myself for what lay ahead...outside.
Humidity. Oh, sweet humidity. I hate your guts.
I lived with you when I was in St. Louis, but since moving to Utah I have not thought twice about you. You suck. My hair and I were not impressed. The minute we stepped outside, my hair curled in unruly spurts and we were instantly hot and sweaty. Talk about a shock to your system. We then stood in line for a good 40 minutes before we got a taxi and went to our hotel for the night.
DAY 2- February 1
We woke up this morning ready to start our day. I think we were all excited to start our new adventure we had been talking about for over a year. We had breakfast downstairs in the hotel and caught up with the rest of family who had arrived the day earlier in the afternoon. We had some time to kill before we had to board the ship. We headed to the beach which was just down the street from us.
The girls each got a new swim suit and were thrilled when we told them they could put them on. They also couldn't wait to wear their flip flops. We walked down and took up our spot right near the water. The waves were quite strong so we didn't really get in the water. Kaitlyn wasn't sure about the water and sat on my lap the whole time we were there. Emma loved running from the waves and playing in the sand. Sand is the worst. Especially with small children. When we got back to the hotel room and got both girls in the shower, there was sand everywhere.
And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. It was amazing.
We cleaned up, had lunch in town, and then proceeded to the ship.
The check-in process was pretty easy. They had a ton of check points. I guess they want to make sure you are who you say you are...six times. Once we got on board, we headed straight to the buffet. For those of you who have never been on a cruise, expect to eat your weight in buffet food. There is food readily available at all times. All. Day. Long. No joke. I'm still having withdrawals as I type this. From here, we go to our stateroom- which is smaller than you would think. There was a queen bed (two twins pushed together) and two bunk-bed-like beds that folded out from the ceiling. The girls loved these beds. And, good news, no one fell out. That was always a relief waking up and seeing both girls tucked snugly in their beds. Or, in Kaitlyn's case, sitting up looking at me- willing me to wake. We had dinner in the dining room that night and then went out to the ship deck to watch us push off. This was quite a sight. They brought in these huge ropes that were attaching us to the dock, they sounded the horn and we embarked on our 7-day cruise. After that, we danced with the kids. By now, it was quite late so our children went to hang out with their cousins and a few of us went to Karaoke. Ben and I performed "Love Shack." Sadly, no pictures were taken. However, take it from me, we both looked amazing and sounded awesome. :) We slept quite good that night. I think it was the best night sleep we had the entire week. I felt a little nauseous, but when I woke the next morning, I was feeling great and ready to take on St. Thomas.
And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. It was amazing.
We cleaned up, had lunch in town, and then proceeded to the ship.
The check-in process was pretty easy. They had a ton of check points. I guess they want to make sure you are who you say you are...six times. Once we got on board, we headed straight to the buffet. For those of you who have never been on a cruise, expect to eat your weight in buffet food. There is food readily available at all times. All. Day. Long. No joke. I'm still having withdrawals as I type this. From here, we go to our stateroom- which is smaller than you would think. There was a queen bed (two twins pushed together) and two bunk-bed-like beds that folded out from the ceiling. The girls loved these beds. And, good news, no one fell out. That was always a relief waking up and seeing both girls tucked snugly in their beds. Or, in Kaitlyn's case, sitting up looking at me- willing me to wake. We had dinner in the dining room that night and then went out to the ship deck to watch us push off. This was quite a sight. They brought in these huge ropes that were attaching us to the dock, they sounded the horn and we embarked on our 7-day cruise. After that, we danced with the kids. By now, it was quite late so our children went to hang out with their cousins and a few of us went to Karaoke. Ben and I performed "Love Shack." Sadly, no pictures were taken. However, take it from me, we both looked amazing and sounded awesome. :) We slept quite good that night. I think it was the best night sleep we had the entire week. I felt a little nauseous, but when I woke the next morning, I was feeling great and ready to take on St. Thomas.
