Just Another Week in Paradise

One of the great things about living in Florida is being able to get last minute cruise deals. But an even better part is living near my sister who is so kind to watch our kids as we go on said cruise! We found a great deal on Celebrity's new ship and couldn't refuse. We drove down to Ft. Lauderdale and dropped the kids off with Jill and Richard, who are finishing up the last few months of medical school.

 I haven't been on a new boat in a while and was amazed by its design and feel.

The main lobby was 11 stories tall and had a large tree almost suspended in the air with the 8 glass elevators surrounding it.

View of the tree from above and the library. 

 Our first port was Puerto Rico where we visited the old Spanish Fort.

Standing in the fort with our ship in the background.

 Obviously, I thought this tree was amazing. This view is during the day, with the sun pouring in through all the glass windows, a peak of the lobby floor below, and a view of the Hideaway behind.

 The shopping promenade on the ship.

The dining room. That is a two story glass wine tower in the back.

 And the bathroom was equally as amazing because, if you've ever cruised before, you know a vanity with drawers and a shower with a glass door is incredible!

 Next stop was St. Marteen. The water was beautiful.

However, we took this opportunity to enjoy this day on the boat with no one else around...eating delicious fries.

 We spent a lot of time reading in these hammocks.

Yes, that is real grass on the top deck of the boat.

 And we also spent quite a bit of time reading in the "nests" of the Hideaway.

 What is a cruise without tons of delicious and beautiful food?

We definitely ate enough for the year this week. We took the stairs instead of the elevators and hit the gym every day but the scale suggests otherwise.

 Sushi on ice.

 Toasting bread in a house made of bread.

 Chilled shrimp cocktail.

 That's carved out of cheese.

And the desserts...

 Lastly, we stopped in St. Thomas where we took a pirate ship out to a little cove to swim with sea turtles and snorkel. We saw many turtles, tons of tropical fish, a sting ray, and some squid.

See the sea turtle in the middle there?

It was the best cruise I've been on! I loved everything about it. It was restful and entertaining. It was nice to spend alone time with Patrick and not lift a finger all week. But the wonderful thing about the vacation ending was we had two adorable kids to come home to, who we missed dearly. Thanks again to Jill and Richard who took such great care of Ayden and Gavin. We are looking forward to returning the favor in May!