The next morning we woke up right next to the island that Royal Caribbean owns. It looks like true paradise and really was. We got off the tender boat and walked right to an area of lawn chairs that were right on the beach. We layed there for a bit soaking it all in and then decided to walk around and explore the beautiful island. After a while it was time for us to get to our first excursion which was swimming with the sting rays! We loaded up on a super fast boat and rode over to where the sting rays were kept. It was so cool because we literally stepped into the water and the rays were surrounding us! It is the weirdest feeling to have them swim up against your leg! Andy and I each had a chance to hold and feed them. We also had tons of time to snorkel around and play with fish and just enjoy being in the ocean, the water was crystal clear!! After a few hours we had to head back so other people could have a turn. Swimming with those amazing animals was a great experience! We spent the rest of the day eating and enjoying the sun. We brought our own snorkel gear so we snorkeled the afternoon away and stayed on the island until the last possible minute and enjoyed being the last ones on the area of beach we chose to stay at for the day.
The next morning we awoke to beautiful St. Thomas! The island from the boat was beautiful, I couldn't wait to get off the ship. The great thing about this stop is that it is a U.S. Virgin Island so we had cell service! Of course we were calling home asap to talk with the kids and check in with Grandma KayLee. After we chatted with home we got off the boat and hurried to catch a taxi to head to the Tree Limin zip line. Driving on the islands always scares me, there is so much traffic and people always seem to be in a hurry. We were just a tad late to the zip line and were the last in the group, but we made it anyway. The zip line course was super fun and scary! I am afraid of heights a little bit, so jumping off the platform into the air was hard for me. Once I was out there it was okay because I could feel the seat of the harness under me, it's just the initial jump! We had the most amazing view from every platform, it was paradise. We didn't have much time after the zip before we had to be back on the boat, so we just walked around a bit.
Our final stop was St. Maarten and by far my most favorite. It was such a beautiful place and easily a place I could vacation to for more than one day! The island was the cleanest we went to and just so colorful and full of life. There was a lot of dutch influence on this island as well. We had heard through some friends to set up a tour with Captain Bob, so we just went ahead and went for it. We had to walk quite a ways to the dock to meet Captain Bob, but found it just fine. Lucky for us he had just recently purchased a new speed boat, so it was amazingly nice and fast. We loaded up on the boat with a few other couples and started our boat tour of St. Maarten. He drove us all around the island, making our way to a private beach where we were making our first stop for snorkeling. We jumped into the water and started looking at the ocean floor and BAM! There they were, sea turtles!! They were just eating the grass at the bottom of the ocean, and occasionally they would come up for air. I have never seen anything like that before. At one point one turtle decided he needed air and was swimming right at me, I have to admit that I was a little freaked out, I am pretty sure Andy caught all of that on video as he was a professional GO Pro camera man, the entire trip. We had about an hour in the water with the turtles and then it was time to move on to our next stop which was lunch on another island. I think this was my favorite thing of the entire cruise. We pulled up to this picturesque island with neat looking buildings and colored umbrellas and chair lining the beach, all surrounded with crystal clear water. We swam to the shore and ordered our lunch and then played in the water, sat on the sand, and truly just tried to soak in as much of the beauty as possible. Lunch was ready and was so delish! I had a huge plate of fresh fish, rice, and a salad, oh, and of course a pina' colada on the side. After we ate we had more time of island playing, getting back on the boat to leave was so hard!! We had more island tour time in the boat and made another stop for snorkeling at of course, another beautiful spot. This last spot had more coral reefs and crazy colorful fish. There was so much to see, Andy and I were swimming all over the place. The last planned stop of our day was to watch the planes fly into the island, so we had to speed over to the runway to make sure we caught the last few flights of the day. The boat ride was a little crazy, but super fun! Being in the ocean as the planes literally fly right over your head is crazy!! It is so loud and close that the whole thing makes you think about how amazing airplanes are. After the plane experience we had some time for chillin' or doing whatever we wanted, so Andy and I opted for swimming in the ocean. We just jumped right off the boat, and I know it sounds silly, but it was just so freeing. Like nothing else mattered but being in the moment with Andy and soaking in everything that was surrounding us. The water there is so clear that you can see right to the bottom, which was perfect for Andy as he is minority afraid that Jaws is after him! And again, getting back on the boat was the hardest thing ever. I knew the day was coming to an end and I just didn't want to accept that. We just had the best day with Captain Bob and his son. They did an amazing job of showing us St. Maarten and making sure we were happy. So with that we had to get back to the ship before it left us. Oh, and as we were about to get back on we ran into our friends Dan and Diane again. They were getting off the boat and staying in St. Maarten for a week. It was great to be able to say goodbye to them, we just had a great connection with them, like they could be our parents.
Our last day and half of the cruise were spent on the ship heading back to the states. Earlier in the week we also met another couple, who happened to be from Utah, Andrea and Merrill. We instantly hit it off with them and had been hanging out with them the entire cruise. So the last two days we were with them hanging out doing the wave rider, lounging, eating, etc. It really was nice to just have some time to rest and do anything we wanted. We had a great last few meals in the dining room and enjoyed our waiters and the amazing food. I love having the creme brûlée, it is all I need in life really. I also really loved the sweet lady who cleaned our room, Charmaine. She was so funny and happy and really made me think about life, she just had the most positive attitude. Andy and I really met some great people on this trip, people that I hope to never forget.
Oh and in the airport on the way home, Andy fixed a little girls nurse maids elbow!
Being able to go on this cruise with Andy and to have all of the time we did together was so amazing. We really needed some time away and to be able to go and just have fun and laugh until I cried with my best friend, was so special. Andy is an amazing man, father, husband, and friend and I truly feel so lucky to be his wife. Also I need to express my most sincere gratitude to my in-laws for coming and taking care of the kids so that Andy and I could go and do this. The kids had the best time and never once did I worry about them, they just adore Matthew and KayLee. I loved this opportunity to travel and to see more of the amazing world we live in and I can't wait to figure out what and where our next big trip takes us. Until next time my wanna be cowboy.
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