All Aboard--A Mother and Daughter’s First Cruise

My daughter Cindi and I had always dreamed of going on a cruise. The excitement of even thinking about the rest and relaxation thrilled us. We decided to celebrate my 60th and her 40th birthday on a cruise to the Bahamas.

As I reflect on the memories, it’s as if we are still on the ship enjoying a nice facial and massage, relaxing in the sun, and eating all the delicious food.

Cindi picked me up early in her red sports car, all dressed in a straw hat, shorts, and sandals. She said, “Hey Mom, let’s stop at the Waffle house and eat breakfast.” After eating a delicious waffle, we were on our way to Port Canaveral, Florida.

I had made reservations at the Holiday Inn for our first night in Florida. The ocean view room was breathtaking and the weather delightful.
After checking into the Holiday Inn, I said, “Let’s eat lunch at the Cove, a nice little sea food restaurant.” We ate a delicious lunch filled to the brim with shrimp, clams, and fish. After eating, we shopped at a mall across the street from our motel.

We settled in early as we were both tired from the drive to Port Canaveral and excited over boarding the Carnival Fantasy Ship the next day.

Woke up bright and early and got ready for another great day. We stopped and ate breakfast at a small restaurant near the cruise line.

“Oh, Mom, look out your window,” Cindi pointed at the great, big ship with a huge red fin on top. Wow! We were ecstatic! Arriving at the Carnival Cruise line by 9:00 and couldn’t board until 1:00, we enjoyed checking our luggage in early. Also found a close parking place. I laughed, “We have the whole parking lot.” We found a nice cool area to sit and dream of our next few days.

Our travel agent had our room upgraded to deck 7 and our cabin steward was there every morning to greet us and take care of any needs. The stewards placed neat little towels folded like cute little animals on our bed each evening with little pieces of chocolate on our pillow.

While the ship was docking in Nassau, I was enjoying the spa. We ate a delicious breakfast in the Jubilee dining room.

Cindi and I, all dressed in our shorts, halters, and straw hats, went by boat to the Blue Lagoon, a beautiful island with the prettiest blue-green water. After eating a $4.00 hamburger on the island, we walked the sandy beach for awhile, and then boarded the boat back to Nassau.

We shopped at the straw market and bought a few souvenirs. After taking a picture of Cindi with one of the native Bahamians, I said, “Let’s go back to our ship and get ready for the Captain’s dinner.”

We dressed up in our beautiful black and gold evening dresses and went to dinner early. The crew always makes plenty of pictures so we had special memories of a most delightful journey.

Later during the evening we enjoyed a delightful Broadway musical. It was great entertainment! This was a magical moment watching all the dancers so full of life dressed in their dazzling, bright-colored costumes.

Then of course, the midnight buffet was “a sight for sore eyes” my grandmother would have said. We took plenty of pictures as no one would believe us if we told them how much food was on the buffet. A striking sculptured ice ship shaped like the Carnival Fun ship, an iced carved turkey and the delicious desserts were worth staying up late.

The next morning, while Cindi was enjoying her two hour spa, I sat by the pool relaxing in the sun and enjoying the beautiful scenery. The weather was absolutely beautiful the whole time at sea.

Our last night on board we ate steak and lobster. The dessert was delicious baked Alaska. Everyday was organized from start to finish. What a blessing our first cruise was and we both look forward to another in the future.

The ship docked at Port Canaveral at 6:00 am. We were up early, dressed, and ate a delicious breakfast of eggs, pan cakes, sausage, bacon, OJ and coffee at the Windows by the Sea. We saw the huge ships including the Disney Cruise ship on the dock.

This was truly a wonderful trip full of memories. Our birthdays will be remembered forever as a time of celebration, reflection, and most of all, the love of a mother and her daughter.