I should have known brining my computer on this trip would be a waste of carryon space, but alas I brought it anyways. And as I sit here in the Miami airport awaiting my delayed flight back to Boston, watching the lightning strikes in the distance, hearing the rolls of thunder over the hustle and bustle of the Centurion Lounge, I have cracked it open for the first time to try to capture the essence of the last week in words.
Peaceful, relaxing, rejuvenating, sweaty, hot, and humid. It was exactly what I needed, when I needed it.
There are some definite pros and cons to taking a cruise solo. One of the pros is doing whatever your heart desires, even if that is staying in bed until noon on the first full days at sea. After the travel to Miami on Saturday, the half day spent exploring Miami Beach on foot Sunday morning, and then all the festivities of opening night I just could not bring myself to function before 1pm on Monday and having high tea followed by a 2 mile walk on the top deck track. And that was just about all I had energy for that first day, and it was gloriously lazy.
Tuesday was ushered in by docking in Costa Maya early in the morning. My excursion of choice was a Mayan Wellness Ritual that started at 1pm. So..I took advantage of the near empty boat. Had a slow breakfast followed by a soak in and lounge by the pool. The Wellness Ritual itself was unique, different, and ultimately, an experience I am glad I had. I capped off the day with dinner at the Test Kitchen where I was sat with another solo traveler and another couple. We spent the evening drinking too many Old Fashioneds and trying not to stare at the Peyton Manning lookalike across the bar.
Wednesday was another full day at sea as we moved from Mexico to Bimini Beach Bahamas. I chose to spend this day with a pass at the Thermal Spa where I had 3hrs all access to the soaking pool, ice baths, hot tub, sauna, steam room and mud room. I followed this with perhaps just little too long of a lay in the sun at the very back of the boat, and another great family style meal at the signature Italian restaurant called Extra Virgin. Also delish…
Wednesday night was the infamous Scarlet Night…the full ship party with all of the cast and crew culminating with a pool deck soiree! I joined a young couple from Chicago on the mezzanine above for the best people watching of the trip. I called it a night about an hour into the party to ensure I could leave the ship bright and early the next morning to grab prime real estate at the beach resort for our day at the beach.
The sand was soft, the ocean beautiful shades of turquoise and clear as clear can be. The pools were large and cool, and the service impeccable. It was also insanely hot and sunny. I made it about 4.5 hrs before heading back to the boat for a little siesta!
The final night was spent packing up, and taking an evening stroll along the decks watching the thunderstorms off in the distance.
Writing this makes the trip feel depressingly short…but the most wonderful part of the trip was how slow time seemed to move. A fact I am eternally grateful for.
Now…I head back to New Hampshire and begin the countdown to my next adventure…which will be as different from this trip as one could imagine...and I am so excited to share it with you all. Let the countdown begin!