Prepare for Paradise: St. Maarten

17 Days!

image from Carnival website

Our final island on this cruise is St. Maarten!
I haven't been here in a long time (I think I was 11 last time we came) so I'm super excited!!

Here are a few fun things you can do in this tropical paradise!!

1. Snorkel
   Okay, I'm not going to lie: I am absolutely terrified of snorkeling. I tried it once with my dad when I was like 8 and the moment they mentioned jellyfish I was like, uh BYE. But now that I'm older and a little more sensible (just a little) it really seems like fun. I really think if I have time I'm going to give it another shot. Although, I'm still probably going to make my daddy go with me. I'm a wimp.
   
   
2. Stuff your face
   There is SUCH a great variety of food on this island. Want to eat the local fare? Go for it? Got a craving for some barbecue? You're set. Hungry for a hamburger? You'll be okay. In the mood for something a little more gourmet? Yup, they've got that, too. It's basically impossible to go hungry as a tourist on this island. There is just SO. MUCH. FOOD. There's also this fabulous shop that sells DELICIOUS Belgian chocolates. I don't think I have ever tasted anything so wonderful.
   
   
3. Dance
   Ever wanted to go to a calypso bar? Well, here you can! And while you're there, head on over to the dance floor to show off your moves! A word of warning: twerking is not an accepted form of dance here. (Although realistically it shouldn't be an accepted form of dance anywhere. But if you want to twerk, go for it.)
   
   
4. Shop
   Do I really even have to say it at this point? The shops here are right along the waterfront and are absolutely fabulous.

This is the final port on my cruise, so I'm definitely going to be trying to get the most out of it. Hopefully I'll have budgeted well at the other ports so I can actually enjoy myself appropriately! I can't wait!!

Prepare for Paradise: St. Thomas

21 Days!

Okay, first of all: Sorry for the late post!!

We've been having some technical difficulties with our internet recently and I haven't been able to get anything done!

But now I'm back!

On with the paradise!!

image from Carnival website

The third island we'll be visiting is St. Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands!!
I feel like we're constantly visiting this island on cruises, but I never run out of things to do!

1. Magen's Bay Beach
   Okay, first of all: Magen's Bay is absolutely beautiful. It is also, however, absolutely crowded. Don't let that deter you from visiting, though!! For a small fee you can hop on a bus and head to Magen's Bay where there are lounge chairs, fruity cocktails, and tons of activities! There are icebergs like the one in Grand Turk, in-water bouncy castles, and even jet skis! Of course, you can also go parasailing...if you're in to that.
   
2. Coki Beach
   If crowded, touristy beaches aren't your thing, Coki Beach is perfect for you. Hop in a taxi and head on over to this quaint little beach and you'll be able to relax and have fun! The sand is soft, the water is beautiful, and they offer snorkeling!
   
3. Coral World
   Love touristy attractions? Love cute sea animals? Coral World is the place for you!! It's basically a fancy aquarium, except the fish aren't in "captivity," so you see them in their natural habitat. And there are a ton of sea horses! Exciting! You can also pet turtles, sharks, and sea lions!
   
4. Explore
   Okay, disclaimer: I haven't actually done this one! But I have heard killer reviews from my friends and family. So, what is it, you ask? You take a sailboat and explore the secret coves around the island! How exciting is that? If you're up for adventure, definitely try this!! I'm definitely hoping to try it this year!
   
5. Shop
   Like I said, I'm probably going to say this about every. Single. Port. But at St. Thomas, it's a different type of experience. The shopping "center" is in the historical part of St. Thomas and is absolutely beautiful! There's also a great variety of shops for you to browse and, if you need a break, some nice spots for food!

The biggest thing about St. Thomas is to just enjoy it! I really can't wait to be back next month!!

Prepare for Paradise: San Juan

24 Days!

Only 24 more days until my Caribbean adventure!

Our second port will be the beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico!

In my opinion, Puerto Rico is more of a place to do touristy things, rather than relax. I don't quite enjoy the beaches here as much, but the historical sites and the shopping are absolutely fab.

Here are my favorite things to do in San Juan!

1. Drink (like a fish)
   Would you like to know what beverage company currently calls Puerto Rico home? Bacardi! Yes, since being run out of their original home country of Cuba, they've put down roots in this lovely commonwealth. And do you know what that means? Free drinks. If you pay for a ferry ride ($1.50. I think you can spring it) you can head over to the Bacardi factory and distillery to enjoy a tour of the facilities! It's not as in depth as it used to be, apparently, but that's not a big deal. Why? Well, while you're waiting for your tour to start, you get to enjoy a variety of cocktails made with Bacardi products!! (You can also pay a few bucks if you want a blended beverage, like a mojito or daiquiri.) The Bacardi Factory is probably my favorite part of Puerto Rico. Last year I bought at $80 bottle of rum (but it came in a fancy box, had my name engraved on it, AND came with a nice bag!)
   
2. Explore
   San Juan is absolutely beautiful. I mean, it is breathe taking. As the carnival website puts it, "this is where the old world meets the new." There's no better way to say it. You can walk around shops while also experiencing so much history, it's ridiculous. If you're up for it, there are even some tours to take you around the city and explain important sites to you! Or, you can just wander around yourself! I definitely recommend you get on of the smoothie-type bevs they serve from carts on the street. (There's a special name for them that I can't remember...) They are absolutely delicious, plus they're perfect for refreshing yourself after some intense exploring!
   
3. Night Life
   If your ship is staying in San Juan for the night (or at least part of it!) I definitely suggest you experience the night life of the island. Almost every restaurant and bar offers a great atmosphere for just enjoying the night, so just go and have a great time with your friends! What happens in San Juan stays in San Juan, right? Just make sure you're back on your ship in time!
   
4. Shop! (Again!)
   Okay, I'm probably going to say this about every port. But, I mean, it's not every day you get the opportunity to shop in these adorable shops and buy your friends and family some fabulous, authentic souvenirs, right? Budget yourself right, and you can get your friends (and yourself!) something special from every island (and still have money left over for the ship stores!)

There's so much to do in San Juan, so if you ever get the chance to go, I'd definitely say come up with a plan beforehand!

Prepare for Paradise: Grand Turk

26 Days!

Only 26 more days until I will be enjoying a fabulous cruise to the Caribbean!

Out first port is Grand Turk, which I have to say is definitely one my favorites.

The water is beautiful, the sand is soft, and the drinks are delicious.
This isn't an island where you're running around trying to see everything; you just want to relax. Okay, and maybe have a little bit of fun.

Here are my favorite things to do in Grand Turk!

1. Relax
   Yes, relax again. Because you are on a cruise; you're supposed to be relaxing. Grand Turk has a beautiful beach with chairs and cute little canopies so you can sit out in the sun (or not) and enjoy a nice, cold beverage.
   
   
2. Rock Climbing!
   Kind of! In Grand Turk, you'll find one large "iceberg" and one small one, in addition to a trampoline--in the ocean! It's a whole bunch of fun, and a great way to spend your time if you're not relaxing.
   
   
        I may look ridiculous, but I'm having fun!
   
   
3. Surfing
   Okay, it isn't real surfing. But Grand Turk has a FlowRider surfing attraction, so you can try it without all of the terrifying sea creatures to worry about! This is also right by the pool, barely off the beach, so if you don't want to deal with the sand--you don't have too!
   
   
4. Margaritaville
   Basically, I don't consider it paradise unless there's one of the following: Señor Frogs or Margaritaville. Grand Turk boasts the latter! Stay in the cool, air-conditioned restaurant enjoying an ice cold margarita and some "gator bites" while the rest of your family is in that nasty sand and sweltering heat. And of course, there's the shop attached, so you can go ahead and buy some souvenirs. Or a ridiculously large margarita glass. I'm not judging.
   
   
5. Shop until you drop!
   This is probably one of my favorite parts about every place I've ever visited. But I couldn't NOT include it, right? Grand Turk has a ton of cute, local shops as well as some mainstream ones, like a fabulous Ron Jon Surf Shop. If you don't get any souvenirs at Margaritaville, you'll definitely want to check out the Cruise Center: they have everything you could possibly imagine. Including alcohol. SO much alcohol. It's duty-free, so I bought a ton of Caribbean rum to bring back to my friends last year (I swear I gave it to my friends. Promise.)

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful paradise that is Grand Turk, make sure to try everything on the list! And if you've been, you should definitely tell me your favorite things to do! Since I'm going again in less than a month, I'd love all of the tips I can get!

Prepare for Paradise: Day at Sea, Part 1

28 Days!

Only 28 more days until I will be enjoying a fabulous cruise to the Caribbean!

And to start off this fabulous cruise, we have a lovely Day at Sea! These are actually some of my favorite days, because you get to explore the ship and do so much.

Here are some of my favorite things to do at sea:

1. Relax
   Obviously, a Day at Sea is always a chance to relax, because you don't feel pressured to see every sight and do everything you can possibly do in the few short hours you ave ashore. I love to have a nice breakfast in the dining room, then take my tea (or coffee) to the Lido deck to enjoy the morning breeze and a good book before the crowds get out to the pool. Then I'll head back to the cabin, grab my towel and sunscreen, and I'm out by the pool (still with the good book, of course)
   
   
2. Spa Day
   Another wonderful thing about cruises: the on-board SPA. The spas on Carnival ships offer a variety of different services, but my favorites are the Swedish massage and the Hand ritual (which features a manicure!) The services vary from acupuncture to detox wraps to teeth whitening, so there's something for everyone at almost any price point. (But I mean, you're on a cruise. You're going to splurge a little, right?)
   
   
3. Eat Around the World
   On the Lido deck, there are tons of different style foods to try, and I like to try at least one new thing a day. I'm very picky, so the fact that I can just try a little is definitely a big deal to me. Carnival has tons of different food options, ranging from American to Mongolian to Mexican, so it is entirely possible to eat something different for every meal! They also have this great thing called the "Taste Bar," where you literally just get to taste a delicious new food every day!
   
   
4. Shows
   There is never a shortage for entertainment on a Carnival cruise. They offer shows, music, cocktail parties; it's absolutely fabulous. I love to stop by the piano bar right before dinner and enjoy a cocktail while listening to the pianist play jazz pieces and even some top 40 hits! I also love to check out the comedy shows and dance performances they have on stage.
   
   
5. Get Fit
   There's no reason to fall off the bandwagon on a cruise, because they offer so many different ways to stay in shape while you're aboard. There's a fabulous track, wonderful gym facilities, and even group classes! I'm a fan of the elliptical, but sometimes I'll take a walk around the track in the morning. Even if you're just wandering around the boat, you're getting exercise, which is pretty nice, considering all of that food you scarfed down at lunch! 

So, there you have it! My favorite things to do while out at sea, waiting to reach paradise! 

Cruise Countdown!!

30 Days!

That's how long it will be until I will be boarding the Carnival Liberty for 8 days of relaxation and fun!

This is a "Friends and Family Celebration Cruise" to celebrate all of the high school and college graduations, as well as the 3 family members/friends who turn 50 this summer! It's going to be super exciting.

I haven't been able to buy any new cruising outfits (damn you, unemployment!) but I have a few pieces picked out and ready! (I did find a cute swimsuit for a good price online that I might go ahead and get...we'll see!)

But I am just so excited to be getting away from it all.

We're going to 4 ports and spending 3 days at sea, so I'm going to do a series about all of my favorite things to do in the ports and, when we're at sea, on the ship!

Carnival offers so much stuff to do it is literally impossible to get bored.
(Unless you eat questionable burgers in Honduras that give you food poisoning and you stay in your cabin all day trying not to puke. Then it is entirely possible to get bored; entirely too possible.)

If anyone has any suggestions for what I should do on this cruise, let me know! I love to try new things (not a big fan of new food, however) and I'm super excited to open myself up to a ton of new experiences on this vacation! We leave South Carolina on July 18th and board the ship on the 19th!

Pool Day!

After so much waiting, it is FINALLY pool time!!

In case you couldn't tell, I'm pretty excited.
I'm not exactly what I would call "bikini ready," but right now I don't even care!

This is my favorite swimsuit and, while it doesn't entirely match, I love to wear this sunhat anytime I go to the pool. I mean, how cute is it??

















As you can obviously tell, I'm pretty fair. And by fair, I mean downright pasty. (Look at me glow!)
Which means I'm a huge advocate of sunscreen.
And reapplication.
And aloe vera.
And also cute sunhats. Duh.

But aaahhhh, finally some pool time.
Things you always need to have at the pool, besides yourself and your sun screen:
A good book
A good drink
A good towel

I love this towel my mom got me last year; it hooks onto the pool chairs so that it doesn't get blown or slid off and it has a nice little pocket where I can put my phone and my book when I'm not reading it.

All-in-all, I'd say today was pretty successful!
I may have even gotten a little tan!
But probably not. (I can be a wishful thinker, right?)

I hope everyone else has gotten the chance to get out and enjoy the warm weather, whether it be at the pool or anywhere else!!

Summer On My Mind

There is no way to deny it; I cannot  wait for summer.

The hot weather, the bright sun, the cute clothes; I love everything about summer. Everybody around me hates summer because of the weather, but that is only one of the many reasons that I love it!

The hot weather just gives me one more excuse to wear shorts and sandals! (For the record, I hate winter because of the cold and the fact that I cannot wear such things)

And the dresses. Dresses are such a fabulous item of clothing. They take almost no effort to wear, and yet the instant you have it on it looks like you actually put a lot of effort into your appearance.

I mean, look at this dress I want from J. Crew:

It's so classy, and yet all I have to do is slip it on! (I also, of course, have to actually buy it first. That's where the real problem lies.)

And then there's this:

If I could have this outfit for my cruise in July, I would be ecstatic.

I mean, look at that Kate Spade bag.

I NEED IT.

But seriously, guys. I just cannot wait until summer.

In my opinion, summer is the most wonderful time of the year!

Is there anybody else who's as excited for summer as I am???