This past week, me, Brent, Sarah, Josh, Mom and Dad went on our first family cruise. We had a blast, and we can't wait to go on our next vacation together. This week was Spring Break for all of us, and it was also a celebration in honor of Sarah who just took her boards on the Friday before we left. (She's just one step closer to becoming Dr. Farmer). Brent and I went to McGehee on Friday where we picked up mom and dad and headed for Clinton, Mississippi. It's a pretty easy drive from McGehee to New Orleans, and Clinton is in the middle. The next day, we met up with Sarah and Josh, and continued our journey to NOLA. Before we got into New Orleans Proper, we stopped at Kenner at the Fisherman's Cove. This is a hole-in-the-wall place near the airport that has FABULOUS seafood. The oysters were amazing, and it was a good start to the vacation.
Once we reached the dock, we all got in the line to get on the boat. It wasn't too bad, but it took about 2 hours to get from the end of the line to our rooms. The Carnival Fantasy was an older and smaller ship, but the rooms were nice. Mom and Dad were at the very back of the boat, and we were at the front. The first night was spent cruising down the Mississippi, and we had a nice sunset. The weather was nice - a little cool after the sun went down, but still nice.
On Easter Sunday, we had breakfast in the dining room. This was the first time that we had not been at church on an Easter Sunday ever (for my dad too). This was our first full day at sea, and we spent it laying out by the pool and listening to "Kool Runnings," the Calypso band that played on the Lido deck. That night was the formal night, so we were all dressed up for pictures and dinner. (Unfortunately Brent had burned that day, so he looked like a lobster!)
Our two stops on the trip were Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico. In Cozumel, we all did separate things. Brent and I went to Playa Mia beach (with 500 other people) to have our beach day. Unfortunately it rained part of the morning and was cloudy most of the day. It did warm up that afternoon enough for us to get in the water for a little bit, and Brent even rode a waverunner! In Progresso, we all went on the ruins excursion called Dzibilchaltún. It was about a 20 minute drive there, and was neat to see. Mom, Dad and I have been to the Mayan ruins in Copan, and it was similar to what we saw there. It was a pretty quick trip there because didn't get to go in the museum or anything. Our next stop was the beach, and it was beautiful. The water was cold and green - and it was windy that day too. We all got chairs and visited - but our time there was short. Not sure why they cut the excursions so short, but they wanted to have us back to the boat by 3, which only gave us 90 minutes at the beach. We enjoyed "un picquito cervesa" and then headed back. Progresso is a newer port that hasn't quite been taken over by the tourists yet, so it looked very similar to what we have seen in Honduras.
Our last day at sea was smooth sailing. We all laid out at the back of the boat for a good part of the morning. Brent and I went in during lunch and watched the Newlywed game and played another round of bingo (which we did not). That night we enjoyed dinner and we got to the mouth of the Mississippi early, so it was another beautiful sunset on the river. Our waiter during the cruise were Martin, who just happened to be from Honduras, so it was very fitting.
We got back to New Orleans earlier than expected, which made getting off the boat on Thursday even quicker. We were in the car headed to the French Quarter by 10:30. Brent had never been to New Orleans that he could remember, so we went to Cafe Du Monde to let him have his first beignet (which was fabulous). It was nice outside, but just a little humid for the Cafe Au Lait. Right across the street is St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square, which is always fun to walk around. Heading north, we then walked down Bourbon Street, but you can imagine how calm it was on a Thursday morning. I would like to go back to New Orleans sometime and stay a few days - I love the culture and history.
Hope you've enjoyed this synopsis of our trip. I told Brent on Thursday that going to see new places is fun, but there's nothing like going home. We have a busy April with his birthday, camping excursions, wedding showers, golf tournaments, and finishing house projects.
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