Our 1st Anniversary Cruise to Bahamas

To celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary, we embarked on a cruise to Bahamas and landed in Key West :) Well, this is what happens when you go on a cruise to Bahamas in a hurricane season! But then, we got married in August, so we 'decided' to celebrate our 1st anniversary a year later in August itself (it makes sense, no?). We both wanted to go on a cruise and since we stay in Phoenix, the choice was easy. Book a 4-night Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bahamas with stops at Coco Cay (cruise's private island) and Nassau (Capital city). Nothing complicated, right? So we thought.

As we entered the ship (Monarch of the Seas), even before we could actually settle in,the Captain spoke those deadly words. "Due to signs of a hurricane, we would not be able to stop at Coco Cay. At the moment, our itinerary is undecided though." Weren't we disappointed? Then, we saw a wedding party on board and hoped they did not plan their wedding in Coco Cay, the private island.

Our Cruise Ship - Monarch of the Seas
Come morning (Day 2), we landed at Nassau. 'White sandy beaches with turquoise waters', Oh man, people weren't lying when they said that. Having only read and never seen turquoise waters before, we were excited. The beach had beautiful crystal clear waters but lots of people. We sighed at the thought of the private island we were supposed to be on that day instead of here. Spent a couple of hours and returned to the Ship for lunch. As a side note, if you happen to board 'Monarch of the Seas' of Royal Caribbean, don't forget to check the Indian counter for lunch at Windjammer Cafe. I am from India and I must tell you it is good.

Welcome to Bahamas
 
Turquoise Beach @ Bahamas




We bought 'Rainbow Reef snorkeling' tickets on the ship for the afternoon, and they took us on a ferry from the Ship to a coral reef where we did snorkeling for about an hour. It was my first time snorkeling and it took a while to get used to the equipment, but once inside the water, it was amazing to see the underwater world of beautiful and colorful marine life. While we were not equipped to take any underwater photographs, we do have some photos of the majestic hotels and houses that we took on the way to the reef (see below).  When we came back, it started pouring. I mean the rain. Quickly boarded the ship, had dinner and danced under the stars at the pool party on the Ship.

Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
 
Oprah Winfrey's houses in Bahamas
Next day afternoon (Day 3), guess what, we were taken to Key West, Florida. It wasn't a part of our trip, but as we learned towards the end of the day, rarely hurricanes can bring luck too. We loved Key West and the 2 hr jet ski tour we took that beautiful evening amidst the warm green ocean waters (with Barefoot Billy's) ranks among the most memorable times of my life. And witnessing a rainbow in that perfect setting! What more could you ask for. Forget the private island!

This is where we started our 'Jet Ski' tour
Resort in 'Key West'



Most popular place for photo shoot in Key West

Another popular shot in Key West
The last day (Day 4) was spent on the ship and it was no less fun. Wonderful games (Scavenger Hunt, Adult Quest Game etc), great performances (Music, dance, comedy shows, quizzes etc), amazing food and drinks made our day.

Attending a performance in the Ship
See below some of the stuff we had to do for one of the games on the ship (where we almost won) :)



All in all, it was an excellent trip which included amazing beaches & water sports, great food & on-board entertainment (Thanks to Royal Caribbean, for the latter part).

Made by the staff of Royal Caribbean for us!
P.S: You would not find a mention of shopping as much, 'coz I am not a shopping freak (we did buy a couple of tees in Key West), but there is a decent amount of shopping you could do in both places. Try braiding too in Bahamas!

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