First Big Adventure: Royal Caribbean Yucatan Cruise

I've kicked off the New Adventures this year with a 5 day cruise on Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas to Cozumel and Costa Maya with the Hubby! We had planned to leave Saturday to start our adventure but the ATL had a looming winter storm headed in so we changed our reservations with Spirit which they allowed with no fees! (Surprising) Booked a room on South Beach at the Princess Ann hotel via hotels.com and flew out Friday morning. We flew in to Fort Lauderdale and was excited to start vacation early but something unexpected made our vacation not just a pleasure trip but one of revelation.  When we landed all was well we claimed our baggage and caught the shuttle to the tri rail and headed to check in our hotel and walk on the beach.  But as we sat down on the train I got a text from my sister checking on us and a call from my friend asking where we were and if we were ok?!?! What we found out was there was an active shooter at the airport and that 13 people had been shot (later it was reported 5 dead and 8 injured)...talking about God's Grace my Hubby and I in that moment decided that we needed to Live and Love this vacation and Life! None of this is promised and all the worrying and trying to figure out when and how you can go on vacation shouldn't be an issue.  Sometimes you just have to say fuck it and go! We work hard and take care of everyone else we need to make sure to enjoy life!

Day 1 of Vacation 

Day 1 started off less eventful but with so much excitement cause we were on vacation! We toasted and ate the complimentary breakfast at the hotel which was alright, caught a lyft to the boat and boarded Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Sea.  Once on the boat we rush to get us a spot near the pool to catch some rays, and get acclomadated to the ship and a drink! First night we meet our fellow diners at our table in the dining room and find out more cruising secrets (like you can bring 2 bottles of wine aboard and a case of bottled water per stateroom) every cruise we find out something new! 

Day 2 

Day 2 wasn't a good day for the Hubby and many others on the cruise...it was a day at sea and the waters were real choppy and the rocking of the boat had him and others left with motion sickness. I on the other hand was not affected by so I did some activities solo and eventually the Hubby joined me on some.  The ship had a brunch with complimentary Mimosas and Bloody Mary's that I enjoyed! Then the Casino had $1.00 Mimosas and some gaming and we both participated in it I ended up winning on the Roulette table and at the Penny Slots!  So I pressed my luck and tried some Bingo later in the afternoon that didn't fair so well but I did have fun and sipped on a Bingo Smash that came with a keepsake glass! The rest of the day we just chilled and ate!

Day 3

Day 3 we docked in Cozumel and we couldn't wait to explore and be on land for a little while!

We booked a bike tour and snorkel excursion through Shore Excursions prior to sailing at a discount.  We left the pier and walked to Beach Bum Bike which was less than a 10 minute walk.  When we got there we were given detailed instructions on how to operate the electric bikes a brief overview of the tour by our guides Suri and Gabriel and then we were off....along our route to the snorkel site we visited a Mayan Sinkhole and roadside Museum of Mayan culture and Tequila history. (Also did some Tequila tasting! Yum) Once we reached Skyreef Snorkel, Restaraunt, and Bar we were given more instructions on our snorkel equipment and the rules of the water we suited up and took to the water.  It was an amazing experience to see the underwater sea life up close and to be able to swim and enjoy it!(being that last year I took swim lessons just so I could do these kinds of water activities, talking about new adventures! I even surprised my Hubby with my new skill) After snorkeling we ate lunch at Skyreef which was delicious and they served a great frozen margarita and the prices were reasonable.  After we dined we rode back on the electric bikes and said our good byes and did some souvenirs shopping.

Day 4
Day 4 we were supposed to dock in Costa Maya for the day but due to the surf and waves we couldn't.  Another rocky day aboard the boat made for some cabin fever! I made the most of the time by just relaxing by the pool and reading some inspirational books and the Hubby laid out too listening to music and napping.  We ate a lot on the cruise and had some stimulating and funny conversations with our fellow diners Nick and Tori from Indiana and John and Debbie from Jacksonville who were expert cruisers.  The stories and jokes we shared with these guys were legendary and somewhat inappropriate but above all fun! We talked about relationships, food, and shared colorful experiences about our pasts.  We might have been the loudest table in the dining room...I know we were the one having the most fun!  Nightly we count how many times they sang Happy Birthday to other guests and came up with the crazy idea we will make it Tori's Birthday to have them sing to her. (Against her wishes but she played along and took one for the team!) Our dining experience was truly the highlight of cruise!

Day 5
Day 5 was another onboard day and our final day spent cruising back to Miami...there was a brunch and complimentary Mimosas and Bloody Marys (just 1 this time). I napped and laid out on the deck finished up my books and went to the Casino and won a little money on the slots again and at the roulette table.  Our final night of dining with the Gang was bittersweet. So we all said our goodnights and goodbyes with the hopes to cross paths again.  We went back to our cabin and packed and tucked in and prepared to dock back in Miami the next morning.

Day 6
Day 6 back on land in Miami and ready to head home to ATL!  The vacation was just what we needed to recharge our spirits and to get us excited to try NEW ADVENTURES all year long!!

Love & Beauty ❤️💋