I'm Back! An Update from June 11-23

Hello blog readers! Glad to be back! My first update as a married man:

The wedding in Plano, TX was awesome! The reception was held at the Infomart building in Dallas, TX. It was amazing and I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us make so many memories.

Shortly after the wedding, my new wife and I traveled to Galveston, TX to board the Carnival Conquest cruise ship bound for the Western Caribbean. Let me just say, the honeymoon overall was great; however, I’ll give you the good, the bad, and the ugly of some things:

The Good:

Everything about Carnival as a company was first class. The entertainment, plethora of activities, etc was great and made for an enjoyable trip. The staff overall was funny, interesting, and very personable. In addition, the stop in Cozumel, Mexico was my favorite because Carnival has their own pier right in the downtown area. Cozumel was very clean, entertaining (Senor Frogs!), and cheap. $5 t-shirts, hats, etc..

We swam with the dolphins in Cozumel which I highly recommend if you get the chance. In addition, go swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman. The trip was relatively cheap and a once in a lifetime opportunity to hold and feed stingrays in their natural habitat.

The food at dinner was exceptional and is included in the basic cruise package.

The Bad:

They certainly are master marketers aboard the ship simply because you have nowhere else to go. If you want something, get ready to pay for it. The all inclusive trip is a joke. Expect to spend a lot of money f you plan to do any offshore excursions, drink alcohol, gamble, pictures, etc… In addition, gratuity is included in everything (food, drinks, and daily room service).

The Ugly:

It was sad to hear the stories of many of the workers on the cruise ship. Most of the workers are foreign and we discovered they are paid next to nothing, and operate mainly on tips, so they are very good at “selling” you.

The stop in Jamaica was a little rough—especially their driving skills! We almost had “human hood ornaments” in the taxis because they simply don’t stop for people. Also, they honk their horns constantly. It was a little scary traveling through the streets.

Overall, I would definitely cruise again. If you are like me and need a vacation with numerous activities, a cruise should satisfy your needs. There is something for all ages and 8 days was a perfect amount of time.