Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas #CruisingCarnival

During our one year anniversary cruise, my husband and I got to visit Half Moon Cay, the private island owned by Carnival. This was both of our first trip to Half Moon Cay and I had no idea what to expect.

We pre-booked the horseback riding by land and sea excursion which was our anniversary present from my parents and planned to spend the first half of the day relaxing on the beach. This was also the day we learned about Hurrican Joaquin's track to the Bahama's.

Upon arriving to Half Moon Cay via dingy, we found a piece of paradise that pictures will always remind us of. Half Moon Cay was absolutely stunning. The water was crystal blue and you truly felt like you were in paradise.

There were quite a bit of white caps in the water and the waves got rougher by the hour. Due to this, we were unable to go on our horseback riding by land or sea. I am still pouting a month later about this.... I want to ride a horse in the ocean (arms crossed, bottom lip out) but thankful that Carnival cared enough about our and the horses safety.

Throughout the Island, there are these alcoves - overlooking the beach but away from the crowd. I had my kindle, a bottle of beer and spent some time relaxing with an incredible view. My husband was pretty content as well.

After we had a BBQ lunch (no charge), we found a really cool bar - the Captain Morgan Bar, inside of a pirate ship. Honestly, when I saw this from afar, I believed it to be a playground. With a stage, DJ and a huge selection of cocktails, I guess one can call it a playground.

Although we didn't get to swim with the horses, we had an overall relaxing and beautiful day. We headed back to the boat a little early as the winds were starting to pick up and I was anxious to hear an update on the storm. With no line in site, we ate a second lunch at Guy's Burger Joint.....

We fell in love with Guys Burger Joint. Hand cut fries, a wide variety of toppings and delicious burgers. All at no additional cost. Guys is not open for dinner and closed everyday at 5:00. This was such a great addition to cruise food. Or as Guy would say, "Money".

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10 tips for Marathon Training while on a cruise #CruisingCarnival

You guys, I leave for Ireland 2 weeks from tomorrow!!! I cannot wrap my brain around the fact that the Dublin Marathon is less than 3 weeks away. My husband and I returned home on Friday after being at sea for 5 nights on board the amazing Carnival Sunshine for our 1st year anniversary trip. The Sunshine was by far the best cruise I have been on.

I have had to learn how to marathon training while traveling. Between being on the road for work and a few getaways, my training schedule had to be modified. While working, it is likely I will have dinners following work and will not get home until after a 12 hour day at work. I am not a morning person, no matter how hard I have tried. My once least favorite word, Treadmill, became my best friend.

10 tips for Marathon Training on a Cruise

1. Create a training schedule before you depart, Print it out and bring it with you. Prior to leaving, you will be aware of your itinerary by choosing which days you will run/workout/stretch, etc. Tape this on your mirror so you see it everyday to keep yourself accountable. 
2. Room Service: Order room service on days you are training. Set your breakfast for 45 minutes prior to your workout. The room service attendants will be sure you are served (they called my room 4x) therefor, you are sure to wake up. Speaking of room service, while you are able to order from a limited menu, they have a runners smorgasbord. My favorite: bagels and you can write in a request for peanut butter!!! Include bananas, honey and other runner happy items are available! If you bring on protein shake powder, be sure to get your milk of choice.  
   
3. ALWAYS Take the stairs. Let's face it, cruises have a lot of things you can cheat on. Between boat drinks and 24-7 eats, you are likely to gain a few pounds on a cruise. The stairs will help, trust me. 
4. Scout out the gym or running track prior to the first run. While I LOVED the Carnival Sunshine, the outdoor track ran around the kids camp section (which we were frequent visitors to, hello giant twister and Putt-Putt!). I decided to do my training on a treadmill. Thankfully Carnival has Lifesfitness machines and I ran the Grand Canyon while at sea. 
   
5. Bring ziplock bags and ask your room Stewart to bring plenty of ice. If you ask nicely, they will bring a plastic bucket of ice, twice daily to your room. Make yourself ice packs after doing your training run - and reward yourself with a trip to the hot tub, with a margarita in hand :) 
6. Schedule a Yoga class - cruises have multiple classes which you can take part of. A nice stretch at sea is a wonderful treat.
   
7. If you have a long run scheduled, carb load with Italian food. If you don't see anything on the menu, ask your server if there is anything they can offer you (tell them you are training for a marathon). On the Carnival Sunshine, we were lucky enough to have an Italian Restaurant onboard. I will be sharing my review from there shortly!
8. HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE. Carnival recently changed their beverage policy and by doing so, they will allow you to pre-purchase a 12 pack of water for $2.99 prior to boarding. We bought two cases and were sure to drink our water. 
9. RELAX don't do it, when you want to go to it: Cruises can be overwhelming. You can overdo it and need a vacation from your vacation. Take an hour out of each day to relax, however you see fit. I am not a napper - in fact, I only nap when I am sick. However, I took a nap each day of our cruise and I finally felt relaxation. The Serenity deck on Carnival is a great option for those not wanting to sleep at sea. 
10. Book a massage! The spa's services available on the ship are amazing. They have daily specials, especially during days at sea.

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Cruising Carnival - Visiting Grand Lucayan, Freeport Bahamas

I was first introduced to Grand Lucayan two years ago while our cruise ship was in port at Freeport Bahamas. When Keri and I picked the itinerary of our post marathon cruise and saw Freeport was on the agenda, we both instantly agreed a return trip to Grand Lucayan was in store for us.

Grand Lucayan is a 15 minute cab ride when you get off your cruise ship. There are plenty of taxi's to take you to the resort and they charge $10 a person, round trip. Grand Lucayan charges you $15 a day to use their resort and it is well worth every penny.

There are a ton of pools to lounge at Grand Lucayan along with white sand beaches. Make sure you bring a towel because there is a towel fee to use one of theirs. The first thing we did was grab a cocktail and head to the poolside bar.

That's when "it's a small world" happened. We were laying on our beach chairs, reading our gossip magazines and there was a group of 6 women next to us. I heard one of them say "Daytona Beach" and we instantly asked if they were from Daytona. One of the six lived there while the others had relatives residing in the area. We chatted for about 10 minutes and the conversation turned to a family friend. From there, we realized that one of them (Terri) is a friend of my Mom's and used to work with her. In fact, she was with my Mom the day she announced to her office that she was pregnant with me. They were on a girls cruise as well and happened to be on our ship! We spent quite a bit of time with them over the following days gambling and drinking cocktails. You never know who will be on your cruise ship!

After we took a million photos of the beach, Keri and I decided to go grab a bite to eat. During our last cruise to Freeport, we Billy Joe's Fish Fry was right outside of the gates. It was one of the best meals Keri and I have had in the islands. Our return visit didn't let us down - we split the platter ($25) plus two very strong drinks. Our lunch set us back around $50 after tip.

With full bellies and strong drinks, Keri and I headed back to check out the resort. This place is massive. On almost every angle, you will find coconut palms. Both visits there, we have had a very relaxed time with no crowds. It's truly the definition of the Bahamian culture. They have an amazing fitness center, spa, plenty of dining options and a casino. 

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Crusing Carnival - Post Marathon Relaxation

This past few weeks have been insane. It's hard to imagine that two weeks ago, my best friend and I were in Orlando for the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon. It was Keri's first full marathon and we needed to celebrate in style, so a week after we crossed the finish line we boarded the Carnival Sensation for a Bahamas cruise! The week was a blur, just like most of our girls cruises are.

I will talk about what we ate and what we did on the two ports we visited in another post. Today, I wanted to discuss the benefits of going on a cruise post running a race. Weather you ran 26.2 miles or a 5K, you have trained hard for a goal and there is no better way to reward yourself than days at sea with no worries.

RELAXATION! You just put your body and mind through months of stress with training. It's time for a break. I always have a hard time relaxing and during this trip, sitting on the balcony with nothing to do was my favorite part of the trip. Keri and I had a balcony room on the Carnival Sensation. This was my 10th cruise and I am now balcony spoiled. The first time I had a balcony room was during my Bacherlorette Cruise a few months ago but we didn't spend much time in the room. Since Carnival allows you to bring on one bottle of wine per person, we had nightly sunsets with very nice bottles of Chardonnay. I mean - this view, seriously!?

TIP-WAIT A WEEK TO CRUISE! If you are looking to book a cruise after running, my first piece of advice is to put a week between the day you cross the finish line to day you board the ship. Keri and I made this mistake a few years ago, cruising the day after we finished a half marathon. We hobbled all over the ship, refusing to take the stairs and spent our first two days in pain. A week is the perfect amount of time to reward yourself and be able to walk like a human.

NO STRESS! One of the best things about going on a cruise is convenience and the one thing you want after running a long distance is to be pampered by everyone. From the moment you board the ship, everything is planned out for you. Your level of participation is up to you. Everyday, you receive a daily activity guide letting you know everything from the weather to what is going on around the ship and even at port. Also wear a race shirt on the ship - it is a conversation starter. One thing runners love to do is talk about running!

FOOD AND DRINK! You don't have to cook or clean for days! Plus there are bars at every corner. The Carnival Cosmo is hands down our favorite Cosmo on earth - they make it with limoncello. We aren't going to discuss how many of these Keri and I consumed on this trip. If cosmo's aren't your thing, not to worry - whatever you want to eat or drink is at your fingertips. Plus you just ran off a lot of calories off so you owe yourself that extra trip to the ice cream machine or pizza at 4am.

BEING LAZY! You trained for months for this and at times, you wanted to quit. It's time to pay back those muscles of yours by being lazy. There are plenty of lounge chairs (on the ship and off the ship) to fall asleep in the sun on - just make sure you're wearing sunscreen! Nothing is better than mending marathon legs like laying on a beach chair with this view. Plus in January, the water is still cool - not ice bath cool but cool enough for your muscles to say thank you.

photo from carnival.com

MASSAGES! You can book a massage at the Carnival Spa to work out your lactic acid. On our day at sea, they had a limited time $59 massage for the first 15 people to visit the spa. That's a deal I've never heard of before so it may have been a one time thing but Carnival does offer daily spa specials including hot stone massages. Trust me, your muscles will thank you.

Keri and I always cruise the month of January. It is very affordable to cruise in January and we have always had wonderful weather. This trip was perfect!

How do you celebrate your races?

 This post was created as part of my affiliation with Carnival Cruise Lines. As always, all opinions are my own.

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#WeddingWednesday Bacherlorette Cruise Part 2 - Nassau

Last week I posted about my fabulous Bacherlorette Cruise aboard the Carnival Sensation. Today, I want to tell you all about what we did in Nassau. I have been to the Bahamas more times than I can count on my fingers and toes. The company I used to work for had a development on Grand Bahama Island and I visited frequently for work. I also go on a girls cruise every year and the Bahamas is always on our itinerary. I feel like I know the Island of Nassau by heart and have done everything one could possibly do while there. Yet this trip was different.

There were 6 of us girls on this cruise. After getting off the ship, we walked down to the British Colonial Hilton and attempted to pay $60 a person for a beach day which in my mind was very expensive, even with getting $40 back for food and beverage.

Upon walking inside, we were turned down due to day passes being sold out. Their loss - our gain. This was the best thing that could have happened to us. We were told there was a public beach a short walk down the road and we ventured off and found Fat Tuesdays which happened to be adjacent to the Junkanoo Beach.

We ordered a few cocktails, marveled over how clear the water was and headed out to spend time at the beach. This was a much different experience than any other I have had in Nassau. This was a public beach, there were tons of shacks selling food and renting water sports. However, there was a ton of broken glass and you had to watch everywhere you stepped.

We rented a paddle board for $30, spent sometime in the water and I got a fresh coconut spiced rum drink for $7. If only I could transport myself back there right now, coconut drink and all.

Everyone was getting hungry and we found out we were very close to the famous Arawak Cay Fish Fry. I have heard so many great things about Fish Fry but have never been in my million trips to Nassau.

We ate at Twin Brothers Seafood and Steakhouse which has been on multiple shows including Top Chef. I was super excited. The food was good but it was far from cheap. Keri and I decided to split the most expensive item on the menu - the mixed Seafood Platter for $40. The batter was light and airy but I wouldn't spend $40 on this dish again.

After our belly's were full of fried fish and Kalik Gold beer, we headed out to continue our adventure. We found ourselves another beach, this one without any broken glass. We laid out, spent sometime in the perfect water and truly relaxed.

We had to be back on the boat by 4:30 and we couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit Sr. Frogs for a cocktail and obligatory chair photo. I literally have 10 different versions over the years sitting in this chair.

Sadly it was time to leave Nassau. I wish we had more time on the island because this day was absolute perfection. We walked a total of 3 miles this day on our adventure. It helped with the amount of fried food and adult beverages we consumed :)

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Girls Cruise Day 3 - Nassau

After another uneventful night following our day at Freeport, Keri and I decided to go to bed early and be ready for our Snorkeling day in Nassau for our third day out. Although I have been to Nassau more times than I can count on my hands, I have never been snorkeling there. We tried last year, only to arrive on the Island during an awful storm, which led to an entire day of day-drinking. Oops.

This time around, I was not too thrilled to get into the water, it was very wavy and cold. We already paid for the excursion so I forced myself into the water. We were joking that we could have saved our ice bath for this day. It was so beautiful with fishies everywhere you looked. I have never seen anything like this and I live in Florida. Keri and I found ourselves saying "Hi Fishy!!!" over and over.

We house hunted a little on the way back. I will take this one please, boats included.

Once off the boat, we ventured over to Senor Frogs, as is our tradition. This is the first time I have ever liked a chair shot at this location although I cannot figure out why my dress is over my knees.

We found ourselves a crazy bartender:

Who made us a very lethal drink, it was a long island with cranberry juice, aka a Long Beach, aka a Frog Buster.

We decided to feast on some table-side guacamole. It's pricey at $12 but worth every penny. He used two whole avocados and it was the best guac either of us have ever had.

Then, felling really good thanks to the long beach, we got some additional Senor Frog shots, just because.

Our too short visit to Nassau was over, although it is never too late for one more Kalik Gold.

Here is my tip if you are in the Nassau port during dinner time: Even if it is the night of your Captains dinner, go over to Paradise Island (Atlantis) and dine at Nobu. Seriously the best sushi you will ever have in your life, thank me later. That has been our tradition over the years but we could not go this time around due to the fact we left the dock at 3:00.

For dinner that night, we had jerk pork loin, which was a little spicy for my tastes but had a delicious Indian influence to it.

Keri got the Roasted Red Fish.

For dessert, we had Tiramisu which was pretty good. One thing Carnival had going for them this cruise was amazing desserts.

This night, we went to the midnight Mexican buffet, danced like we thought we were rock stars and did a little gambling. I didn't want to do too much since we still had a few additional nights left on the ship. All in all, day three was a pretty fun day.

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