The Cruise!

All cruise pictures HERE !!!

It's hard to think that last week I was lying in the sun, on a boat, sipping on a strawberry something-or-other. Sigh. Joe's very generous parents offered to send us on a cruise! We went last weekend, and had an amazing time.

We flew into Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday, then drove to Miami to stay the night (Note: never, ever rent a car from the Hertz in the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Consider yourself warned.) We were able to stop by the real-life condo that was used in a TV show we love (Dexter). Since the show is now filmed on a set in L.A., this condo is obviously now private property...but we were able to sneak in a few pictures!

We were really excited to see a Grand Lux Cafe nearby, (we've been to the restaurant in Vegas and L.A.) and enjoyed WAY too much food that night! Calories don't count on vacation, right?

Using bookit.com, we paid for a "Three Star Miami Beach Mystery Hotel with a Spectacular
Pool", and ended up at the Habana Libre. Our favorite part was the red light and mirrors in the elevator.

The pool WAS pretty spectacular, but we decided against a morning swim.

We spent Friday morning in South Beach, and enjoyed the views and weather.

Joe gawked at a few of the nice cars cruising by.

We also went to the Red Bull traveling Can of Art exhibit.

We boarded the Norwegian Sky cruise ship Friday afternoon, and were impressed with our room and view.

After a welcome BBQ, we waved goodbye to the condos lining the port. Joe yelled: "Bye! We're going to the Bahamas! Have fun in AMERICA!" and made all the drunk people laugh.

That night we had a fun time playing bingo,

and watching this lady that I kept thinking was my mom.

We disembarked (cruise term, you know?) in Nassau the next day, and were encouraged to take a tour with one of the locals. For $30 we got to see most of the island in two hours; it was great!

Some scenic shots:

This is the highest point of the island.

Final stop: The Atlantis. The open-access parts reminded me of a Vegas hotel...just in the Bahamas.

 

 

After our tour, we went exploring on our own...we got some conch fritters and fresh coconut milk at a cute stand on the beach,

and got a kick out of The Bahamas' Senate building parking spots:

Back on the boat, we enjoyed this lovely view from our room,

then laughed A LOT during the "(Not so) Newlywed Game Show" that night. The couple married for 56 years won :)

Sunday was supposed to be spent on the private cruise ship island, but the weather would not allow it. Instead, we enjoyed relaxing on the deck. You can't beat that view!

 One of our favorite meal-time treats were fresh crepes:

That night we took some photos around the boat:

After we got off in Miami the next day, we zipped down to Homestead, FL to see the Coral Castle before our flight. The Castle was built by a man as a monument to his true love. You can read more about it HERE. It was very impressive to see in person!

A huge THANKS to Barb and Lew for making all of this possible! We have a few other trips planned this year, but nothing for just the two of us. It was very neat for us to do something so special, and we would have never thought of it on our own.