Days 4 and 5 (Nassau!)

On Day 4, we made our first Port Visit--Port Canaveral. Since we spend a lot of time in the Orlando area, our family decided to stay onboard and take advantage of the smaller crowds. We went in the pools, played ping-pong and had a good time. We spent a lot of time with the Tilleys. They live there, so there was no need for them to sightsee. The Wills went to Gatorland and had lots of fun. A surprisingly favorite part of the day was when a Norwegian Cruise Ship passed right by us. We stood on our balcony and waved. There were lots of people on the Norwegian Ship doing the same. The kids yelled out "enjoy your vacation" (or something like that) and someone yelled back "you too". It was a pretty cool moment that we all enjoyed. Unfortunately, this was the day that Thomas started to feel sick. He had a sore throat and cough.

The Escape looks pretty fun! 

We saw them again in Nassau. They departed from the same port as us and followed the same itinerary.

Day 5 was Nassau! We had fun sitting on our balcony as the ship pulled to the dock. It was very beautiful and we got some great pictures.

In the distance you can see there are already 3 ships docked.

Cute lighthouse and super clear water

One of my favorite pictures

Once the ship docked, we got off the boat and walked around the shopping area. The kids picked out souvenirs (Anna got a stuffed turtle, Jack got a map, Kara got a painted scene from an artist on the sidewalk who added her name and ship information, Luke just got sunglasses). There was some sort of protest happening in front of their capital building. But, we never felt unsafe, which was good, because I have heard mixed reviews on the area. Some of the sellers were a bit aggressive, but nothing terrible. Most people were very nice (just like everywhere else, I suppose).

After the shopping it was time for the part of the trip I was most excited for. I had done some research and booked us and the Tilleys for our own private excursion. We hired a boat and the 8 of us went snorkeling. The ship's snorkeling excursion sounded fun, but Luke was too young and we didn't want to leave him on the ship by himself. Plus, we liked the idea of having a boat to ourselves. It was fantastic! Our guide was Mark. He took us to one sight with a ton of fish and some amazing coral. We were literally snorkeling in schools of fish! I had bought a camera to take underwater footage and we took lots of it, however, everything on the camera was accidentally deleted. That's what I get for buying a cheap knock-off! Anna was a little apprehensive at first, but Marta was extremely patient with her and stuck right by her side. Luke couldn't get the hang of the snorkel and only stayed out for a few minutes before returning to the boat, where Frank and Mark kept an eye on him.

We were there for about 30-40 minutes and then went to our next site. There was a massive amount of amazing coral. I've never seen anything like it (not that I've done a lot of snorkeling--something I hope to rectify). The water was so clear and it was a beautiful day. We even saw a small shark! Thomas was snorkeling with Anna and the shark was in the distance. For some reason, Thomas thought it was a turtle and he and Anna followed it, only to realize it was a shark! Not the best course of action for a nervous first-time snorkeler! Fortunately, Anna was fine. It took her a bit to relax and enjoy the experience, but once she did, she was all in! The shark must have liked us, because he swam around with us and all of us were able to see him. Luke still couldn't quite get the hang of the snorkel and returned to the boat. I felt a bad for him, so I coaxed him back in the water and we decided to just forgo the snorkel. He kept the mask and fins and then he really enjoyed the experience.

It was the best day! After the snorkeling, Mark took us over to Atlantis and drove us around. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures because were relying on the waterproof camera. Fortunately, we did get a couple and Mark got a great one of all us with Atlantis in the background.

Mark dropped us back off near our cruise ship and we went in and grabbed a quick snack. I didn't let the kids eat lunch before the snorkeling. The coordinator had advised that the small boat can sometimes make people, especially kids, sick. But, we were fine. I dabbed some motioneaze oil behind everyone's ears, but we probably would have been okay without it. We only had time for a super quick stop at Café Two70, because we had another event booked--the North Star!

We got up there just in time. It was a good experience. Thomas and Anna don't like heights and they were a little nervous, but they were fine. And, it gave a great view of Nassau. It is a very beautiful island.

By the time we got off the North Star, it was time for dinner. We were anxious to see the Wills and hear about their day. They had gone snorkeling on a catamaran and they also had a great time. I think this was the first night where we put the kids in the kids club for dinner, although I believe Jack joined us. It was a nice, quiet night after a very busy day. By this point, Thomas was feeling pretty run down. He went searching for Nyquil, but all of the ship's shops were closed (they can't sell anything when the ship is in port). He thought about going back into Nassau, but fortunately, the Wills had come well-prepared and saved him the trip.