Over spring break I went on a cruise to the western Caribbean. The cruise went through Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and Grand Cayman.
The Carnival cruise I was on had around 4,000 people on it, including; 1,000 crew, 1,000 little children and 2,000 other people. It was so interesting to observe the diverse people that were on board and the stories they had to share, whether through a direct conversation or overheard on deck.
During the cruise, we spent a day in each country. For each day, we could select an “excursion” to participate in.
In Cozumel, our first stop, my mom, brother and I went zip lining through the forest and snorkeling on the beach afterwards. Meanwhile, my dad went drift diving, which is similar to scuba diving. Even though it was cloudy and rainy, it was still surreal to see the wildlife, both in the forests and underwater.
After arriving in Belize, my entire family went scuba diving off the coast of the country. We had to take a crazy three hour boat ride to arrive at the dive spot. Because the weather was unsettled, the boat had to traverse five foot waves at full speed. I held on to the boat with a death grip the whole time. However, once geared up and under the surface, the dive was incredible. I was able to see amazing coral, a hammerhead shark and even a huge manatee while on the dive.
On Wednesday, the weather was horrendous so the cruise ship could not anchor in port. Instead of going spending a day in Honduras, we spent a day on the sea and arrived early to our port in the Cayman Islands.
In the Cayman Islands my family and I once again went scuba diving. The water was so crystal clear that you could see the boat even from 100 feet below the surface. After scuba diving some friends and I had met onboard the ship, went to a local stand and had some fresh coconut milk while sitting on Seven Mile Beach. The clear blue water and the coral along the coast made Grand Cayman by far the best stop on our cruise.
The last day was composed of another day at sea before we were back in Miami on Saturday.
The parties, activities and the cruise directors made the experience incredible and so much fun to be a part of. This cruise was overall an amazing experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
