The Siberian American: Cruising
Showing posts with label Cruising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cruising. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Quick Thoughts: Our British Isles Cruise


Hey, friends! We're back from our trip, and I am so excited to share it with y'all. I have all of these posts in my head I want to share, so hopefully I will get to at least some of them before our next baby is born (just being realistic here. Haha). This pregnancy has been rougher than my first (and my pregnancy with Anthony wasn't easy), so I usually take things one day at a time. Anyways, today I just wanted to share a few random things about our trip before I get more into the specifics.

I have been asked often if I think a cruise is a good way to see these spots, and in this case, I do. We were in each port for about 12 hours, so there was plenty of time to explore. Plus, we sailed to new destinations while we were sleeping, so it worked out better than having to drive from one place to another. The time at each port is what really sold me on this cruise, though. Honestly, we were both so exhausted from our adventures by the end of each day that we were thankful to get on the boat, relax, and watch a show. Plus, we really enjoyed the beautiful views when we sailed away from the different locations!

Speaking of exhaustion, I was a little worried about keeping up with our excursions, but thankfully, I did well! I did have to rest more than usual after climbing a bunch of stairs, but overall, I was able to do everything we wanted. The most difficult part of the cruise was when the boat rocked. It had more to do with the placement of our cabin than anything (we didn't have a choice with cabins since we had to book late due to not knowing Christopher's schedule), but I was really thankful I had just gotten over the severe nausea/vomiting I had for the first 22 weeks because I would have wanted to get off the boat. We did have one super rough night due to a storm where we barely slept, but overall, it was manageable. 

It was so fun to get to celebrate our big milestones in some stunning places! Chris got to celebrate his 30th birthday in Edinburgh, a city he has always wanted to visit, I celebrated my 30th birthday at Mont Saint-Michel in France, and we celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in Guernsey! 

Chris and I both admitted that this trip was just about the right length for us, and we wouldn't have wanted it to be longer. We saw so much and truly enjoyed it, but we were both exhausted by the end of it and ready to see Anthony. The jet lag was much worse than normal too, but thankfully, we're finally feeling adjusted back to Texas time!

Friday, August 4, 2017

Eight Favorite Experiences in Eight Years of Marriage

Chris and I celebrated eight years of marriage while we were in Maine, and I love using our anniversary to reminisce on all the special moments we’ve had throughout the years. Today, I thought it would be fun to share eight of our favorite experiences in our years of marriage. These are off the top of my head and in no particular order.


Celebrating Our 21st Birthdays and One Year Anniversary in Las Vegas
We had so much fun on our first trip to Vegas together! We saw Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE and KA and ate at so many amazing places. Vegas is still one of our favorite places if we only have time to get away for a few days.


Related Posts: 
Best Shows in Las Vegas, Best Buffets in Las Vegas, Hiking Through Valley of Fire State Park, Best Things to Do in Las Vegas if You Don't Gamble or Drink

Studying Abroad in Europe
There’s something special about being married and getting to study abroad in Europe together. We went with a group of about 40 other students from Baylor and were definitely the “mom and dad” of the group, but we had the best time! Our study abroad program was heavily focused on travel (Fridays off and lots of holidays), and we took advantage of it by seeing 16 different countries. I’m so glad we were able to do something like this before the craziness of medical school.


Related Posts: 
European Train Travel Tips, Three European Travel Stories I Will Never Forget, Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, Via dell' Amore, Cinque Terre, My Top Five European Travel Moments, Three Cities to Visit in France (Besides Paris), Three Great Day Trips from Paris, 24 Hours in Strasbourg, Eight Ideas for the Best Romantic Getaway in Paris, 24 Hours in Stresa, Italy, Three Relaxing Destinations in Italy, 24 Hours in Bath, England, Five Things You Must Do in Marseille, France, Five Places in Europe I Would Love to Visit Again

Discovering a Love for Cruising
I hadn’t been on a cruise in the United States (we did a month long cruise from Russia throughout Europe when we lived there) until we got married, but we’ve done six together since then! (two to Alaska, one Southern Caribbean cruise from Puerto Rico, one Eastern Caribbean cruise, one Western Caribbean cruise, and one fall color cruise). We haven’t been on one in almost three years mostly due to Zika, but I am definitely planning on going again when the baby is old enough!


Related Posts: My Three Favorite Caribbean Cruise Ports, Cozumel, Belize River Cruise, Belize Lamanai Mayan Ruins, Maya Key in Honduras, Emerald Princess Review, Saint John and Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Bar Harbor and Acadia, Maine, Portland and Kennebunkport, Maine, Brilliance of the Seas Review, Seven Reasons I Choose to Cruise, A Crab Feast Excursion in Ketchikan, Alaska

Graduating Baylor
Baylor will always be a special part of our story: we met on our first day on campus, spent that first semester falling in love, and got married the summer after our sophomore year at a gorgeous spot on campus. All of that made graduating together from the university we love even more wonderful. We were in different colleges, so we got to watch each other’s ceremonies. It was such a great day!


Related Posts:
Seven Years: A Short Version of Our Love Story, A Waco Weekend

Watching Chris Become a Doctor
I’ve never been one to sugarcoat medical school. It’s not easy (though it’s a cake walk compared to residency). Still, there was nothing better than watching my love fulfill his dream during those four years. I was so proud as he crossed that stage and officially became a doctor in 2015. Now we’re making our way through residency, and it’s hard to believe that day was over two years ago!


Related Posts:
Match Day ProcessMatch Day Results

Celebrating the End of Medical School with a California Road Trip
We’ve been blessed to visit many amazing places in our eight years of marriage, both in the United States and abroad, but our California road trip ranks as one of our favorite trips. We were celebrating such a big occasion in a place full of incredible views and so many fun things to do. I loved visiting La Jolla and the San Diego Zoo for the first time, and our drive up Highway 1 was absolutely incredible. Someday I’ll get around to finishing up my recaps of that trip, but it’s definitely a trip I will always treasure.


Related Posts:
Seven-Day Itinerary from San Diego to San Francisco, Old Town San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego Zoo Tips, San Diego Zoo Private Tour, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, Hearst Castle Views, Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour, Hearst Castle Upstairs Suites Tour, Pacific Coast Highway Tips, The Most Beautiful Place in Big Sur, Five Things You Must Do in San Diego

Our Year in Chicago
Y’all know the story by now: I moved to Chicago kicking and screaming…and then I fell in love on basically the first day. Intern year was hard, but living in Chicago made it so much better. That year ended up being one of my favorites of our marriage so far. I loved exploring a new area of the United States with my love, and you better believe I left Chicago with tears in my eyes when the year was over.


Related Posts:
Best Weekend Trips from Chicago, Three Great Day Trips from Chicago, Best Places for Brunch in Chicago, Best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago, Wendella Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise,  Seven Things You Must Do in Chicago During the Holiday Season, Shoreline Sightseeing Classic Lake Tour, Best View in Chicago, Lake Michigan Circle Tour Itinerary, The Field Museum, Sunset Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Our Journey to Parenthood
Of course, I had to include the last few months in my favorite marriage experiences. We have been so excited since finding out we’re going to be parents, and it’s hard to believe we’ll be mommy and daddy in just three short months! As much as I have loved all of our adventures, I know this one will be the best one yet!


Related Posts:
Our Announcement, All About Baby, Pregnancy Confessions, Gender Predictions, Gender Reveal, How I Told Chris About Baby

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Monday, October 19, 2015

My Three Favorite Caribbean Cruise Ports

As many of y'all know, I am obsessed with cruising, so today I thought it would be fun to share my three favorite Caribbean ports we have visited so far.
Grand Turk 
Grand Turk was the port that made me fall in love with the Caribbean. The water at Grand Turk was absolutely beautiful, and we had an amazing time exploring the island and enjoying the beach. Even my husband, who normally hates the beach, loved the beach at Grand Turk. Since we visited, all we can talk about is going back.

Saint Lucia
For me, Saint Lucia had it all. I loved visiting the lush rainforest and botanical gardens, seeing the Pitons, and taking a boat ride to a beautiful snorkeling spot. I left the island feeling like there was so much more to explore.
Roatan, Honduras
I visited Roatan on our New Year’s Caribbean cruise, and we loved our shore excursion so much we would do it again! Maya Key was the perfect way to spend our day. Other than the nice beach area, they had a pier perfect for snorkeling, an animal sanctuary where they led tours on how they rehabilitated the animals, a sea lion habitat, and a replica of Mayan ruins with a museum. There was so much to do that I wish we had more than one day to experience it!

Have you been on a Caribbean cruise? What were your favorite ports?

Monday, August 17, 2015

Catching Crabs: A Crab Feast Excursion in Ketchikan, Alaska

On Wednesday I mentioned that I love crab, so today I wanted to tell y’all about one of the neatest shore excursions I have done—pulling out crab pots in Alaska….and eating them at an all-you-can-eat crab feast!


The last time we were in Ketchikan, my in-laws surprised me with an excursion that was right up my alley—learning about how locals set up crab pots for Dungeness crabs. We set off on a small boat, surrounded by the incredible scenery of the Tongass National Forest. Our guide told us all about setting up the crab pots and even had us pull crab pots that had caught crab.


We learned that a crab would stop moving if placed on its back, so the guide flipped the crabs over and handed them to us. I may or may not have squealed as she handed one to me. Then, we headed to the George Inlet Lodge with our crab pots in tow to feast!


There is nothing like eating fresh crab. It was so sweet and practically melted in my mouth (though that might have a little to do with all the butter I used!). It was seriously one of the best meals I have ever had.

After eating all the crab we could handle, we had a crab shell-stacking contest. We kept cracking up as we attempted to make the tallest tower.


I am up for any opportunity to eat crabs, but the scenery and the beautiful George Inlet Lodge made this excursion an experience I would love to repeat.


Have you ever been to Alaska?

Monday, May 4, 2015

New Year’s Caribbean Cruise: Playa Mia Beach Club in Cozumel

After our long day in Belize, all we wanted to do was relax. We decided to go on a boat cruise that took us to a snorkel spot and then to the Playa Mia Beach Club for a few hours. My only regret is that we didn’t have more time to spend at Playa Mia.

Playa Mia had everything we could have wanted: lunch, a snorkeling spot, free drinks, a beautiful beach with lounge chairs, kayaks, a floating park, sail boats, hammocks, and more. I split my time between lounging on a chair and swimming. My only complaint was that the ocean floor was extremely rocky, but it was fine for swimming! 

I was definitely not ready to head back to the ship, but the dance party on the way back made it more fun. Chris and I both loved Playa Mia, and next time we are in Cozumel, I would love to spend a whole day there.

Catch up on our New Year's Caribbean Cruise:

Monday, April 27, 2015

New Year’s Caribbean Cruise: Lamanai Mayan Ruins in Belize

Today, I wanted to switch gears a bit and share more about our day in Belize. Chris and I have always wanted to see (and climb on) Mayan ruins, so it was a priority for us to find an excursion with a ruins visit. We picked the Belize river cruise and Lamanai Mayan Ruins because it seemed like a great way to see as much of Belize as possible.

The minute we stopped off the boat (which was a huge relief after that crazy ride!), I knew I was going to like this tour. The whole area was lush, and our tour guide was both interesting and informative. One of my favorite facts was that the name Lamanai means “submerged crocodile,” which makes sense since there are crocodiles in the river by the ruins! The hardest part was that they told us to wear long sleeves and bug spray because of all the bugs, but it was super hot…and I still got a massive bite on my toe.

We visited the Mask Temple, Jaguar Temple, and High Temple. We learned about Mayan life, and the boys climbed to the top of the High Temple. I really wanted to do it, but my toe was killing me at that point…and I’m glad I didn’t because it started pouring as soon as they got halfway up (and I was on the ground under cover).
Other than the temples, it was interesting to walk through an area that was once a sprawling city but is now covered in forest. Our guide pointed out that the majority of the ruins were still unexcavated, and we walked by several places we didn’t know were building until our guide pointed them out.

At one stop we were shown a court where the Mayan’s played a game like a cross of basketball and soccer. Though legend has it that the losing team was executed, our guide assured us that the Mayans at this complex did not follow this practice. While at the court we got to see some of the local “wildlife”— the boat driver snuck up on the group with a five-inch hairy tarantula in his palm!
Our trip to the Lamanai Ruins made us eager to explore more Mayan ruins in the future. We are definitely hoping to book a similar excursion on our next cruise!

Catch up on our New Year's Caribbean Cruise:
 

Monday, March 16, 2015

New Year’s Caribbean Cruise: Belize River Cruise

After our New Year’s Eve celebrations the night before, our 6 a.m. wakeup call for our all-day shore excursion in Belize came way too early. Even so, I was excited to go on a river cruise and visit the Lamanai Mayan Ruins.

The tender to Belize City from our ship was long (about 25 minutes), but our excursion was through the boat, so we were on one of the first tenders of the day. (I have heard others complaining about not being able to get on an early tender if your excursion is not through the ship, so we kept that in mind).
We jumped off our tender boat and got straight on a bus headed to the river. On the bus, our guide shared facts about Belize, such as its education system, places to visit, and biggest exports. I was surprised to hear that Belize has a large Mennonite community that is a huge factor in the country’s economy.
After over an hour on the bus, we were eager to get on the boat. When I first read the description for the river cruise, I thought it would be a leisurely boat ride to the ruins. It turned out to be a 25-mile speedboat ride with many narrow passages, with our boat tilting to the left or right just to squeeze through the passage.
Our boat driver was entertaining but also prided himself on being the wildest of the group. He loved taking fast corners and passing as many boats as possible. The other drivers knew this about him, so they let him pass as quickly as possible. I was seated in the middle seat with nothing to hold on to, so I kept flying up in the air when he turned a corner. On the way back, he got there so much faster than the other drivers, so he decided it would be fun to do donuts…and I literally thought I was going to fall out of the boat. I think I would have had more fun if I had expected a speedboat ride because I usually enjoy speedboats, but I thought it was going to be a calm ride. No wonder they had me sign a waiver!
Although most of the time we were going way too fast to take photos, the scenery on the river cruise was beautiful. The area was extremely lush with gorgeous trees and flowers. Our boat driver did stop a few times to point out birds and plants, but it would have been more interesting if we had time to admire the landscape. The devil's gut cactus on one of the trees really stood out to me.
We took the river cruise because it was the fastest way to get to the Lamanai Mayan Ruins, which deserve their own post because they ended up being one of the highlights of the cruise.

Catch up on our New Year's Caribbean Cruise: