Cococay, Bahamas

The last port day we arrived in the Bahamas- Cococay to be exact... a tiny tiny island in the archipeligo just north of Nassau and directly east of Miami. It's a private island owned by the Royal Caribbean cruiseline.

While they're completely right in their description of the island's beauty-- see the bright sun shining through the palm tree below-- the downfall is that you're a captive audience and it's the last chance for the cruiseline to make a ton of bonus money before they bring you back to port.

As we arrived by ferry to Cococay (the water's too shallow and the island's too small for the ship to dock at any pier)... we didn't have a plan. We hoped to check out the kayaking or wave runners to try something a little different... but the wind was strong that day and the kayaks were not being rented, and Royal Caribbean was asking a rediculous price for the wave runners... so once again, we created our own "free" itinerary, and had a blast. Lots of people tried out the excursions though as there were long lines for snorkeling and parasailing and the like. The time at the island seems to get mixed reviews though in online blogs and reviews.

No matter your opinion of the ultimate vacation (and what it should cost when you're there) Cococay provides a great beach day and we had some awesome sunshine.

We decided pretty early in the day to take a walk out into the water and onto some of the sandbars and were AMAZED by the life we saw right under our feet. I went back out with my camera later... but there were bays and coves and tide pools of stingrays, starfish, sand dollars, sea slugs (they were gross), sea urchins, fish and conches. Below's a picture of a bright orange starfish we found hanging out in one of the tidepools.

We touched everything (no one told us not to) and explored the water around the island for an hour or so, followed by a nice nature hike back to the lunch barbeque.

Mom found a sand dollar:

Me, Mom and Brian in a gorgeous cove. I love the colors of the water and sky in this picture.

We made Dad cram in the photo opp too. For Brian's first do-it-yourself shot, I think this one came out pretty well.

Starfish and clams as we explored. Literally almost every step we found

something cool.Mom, Dad and Brian getting some sun.

Heading back to the ship.. another great day at sea.

Cruising 101

Seemingly every college student takes a Spring Break on a cruise ship now-a-days, but it's now well beyond my college days, and I just stepped onto my first massive boat last week (still considering myself super fortunate--- and please in no way should you feel bad for me as I enjoyed some awesome experiences during Spring Breaks in college). Our boat, called the "Grandeur of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean, it's actually one of the smaller ships out there carrying onboard last week about 2,200 passengers.I went with my family- yup that's right, a bonefide family vacation-- with 4 adult family members. Below is a photo of my family at dinner on "formal" night... the food service, quality and quantity on the cruise was outstanding. It was so nice not to think about cooking and preparing or even where to go to dinner, everyday all choices were made for us, and it was truely relaxing.

Our boat was pretty cool, and provided us lots of options for entertainment. We woke up and went to the deck for sunrise almost every morning; spent many hours sunbathing, dancing, reading, cards and game playing; and our evenings often spent here watching sunset... it was an incredible experience to be on the open waters like that, something i've never done before.
One of those magnificent sunsets I was talking about...

Day 1 arrival on the boat: Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades. Our 5 day cruise included port stops in the Florida Keys, Cozumel (Mexico) and the Bahamas.

Mom and Dad nice and tan on our final night on the ship.

Brian, Me and Mom checking out the view as the ship leaves port in Cozumel.

We loved the whole experience and would if given the chance, choose another cruise... though we did things a little out of the ordinary, in the end taking our own path in each of the port stops versus the planned excursions. I loved the whole social aspect of the cruise and mom and I spent tons of time talking to new people and making friends. The vacation also really felt like a full vacation-- the first I've taken in a long time: we were relaxed, not worrying about a thing- and completely disconnected-- no cell phones or internet for five days. I'd give this cruise and the Royal Caribbean Grandeur staff my stamp of approval.

The one caution I'd provide though...

While the cruise pricing can seem super economical (as they advertise all-inclusive)... there's a lot they can be pushy about purchasing while on board... all alcohol, shopping, soda, some games and activities and workout facilities cost, and at the ports they dropped us off in very touristy locals with pre-arranged activities which could be great snapshots and activities to participate in, but with a little extra research you could duplicate the same experience for a fraction of the cost.

All in all though, again, we had a great time exploring and tasting the flavors of the Caribbean. Enjoy your vacation! (and thank mom and dad for subsidizing this great trip for us)