Key West Wind & Wine Sunset Sail - Danger Charters

I had an incredible time during my girls trip to Key West. Keri, Tara and I had a relaxing (and fun) long weekend while in town running the Key West Half Marathon. It had been nearly 10 years since our last trip down there together and it was interesting to see how much we've changed in that span. We didn't find ourselves running to Duval Street to bar hop and we were in bed every night before midnight. #Adulting.

My favorite experience while in Key West was the Key West Wind & Wine Sunset Sail by Danger Charters. We did a bit of research on the various Key West sunset sailings that are offered and Danger Charters came out on top due to the fact that they served upscale wines and had amazing reviews.

We tried to find out which wines were served prior to boarding but later found out they frequently switch them up. Our particular sailing offered varietals of Brut, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Cabernet. If you aren't in the mood to do a wine tasting (they give you as much as you want), you can opt to drink your favorite, like I did - Grenache for the entire sailing.

From the moment we boarded the historic Key West Schooner to the time we stepped off, it was an incredible experience. From the wines to the staff, everything was top notch. They serve small bites on the sailing (crudites, caprese, etc) along with 3 reds, 3 whites, 1 sparkling and craft beer. For those who don't drink alcohol, they had soda and water. Although I was there for the wine, I was very impressed by the selections of craft beer offered.

The two hour sunset cruise sails around the harbor waiting for the sun to go down. There is nothing like experiencing a Key West sunset - except for being in the middle of the ocean while experiencing it. We passed yachts, parasailers, cruise ships and even a few dolphins.

If you are prone to getting seasick, don't be too concerned. I usually cannot go on a boat without taking Dramamine or an entire bottle of ginger pills. However, I went on this sailing without being medicated and didn't feel sick once.

I would do this sailing again in a heartbeat. In fact, I made my family book a sailing later that week. It was truly a magical experience. It's no wonder that this sailing has been rated the #1 Thing To Do in Florida on TripAdvisor.com for three years running. It was also named one of the top two Sunset Sails in North America by Coastal Living Magazine

I received complimentary sailings through The Florida Keys. As Always, all opinions are my own. 

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Key West Half Marathon Recap

Hello from freezing cold Florida. Seriously, it was in the 20's when we woke up this morning. I am back from a recent girls trip to Key West. It was an amazing 5 days and we did not want to come home. During the girls trip, we ran the Key West Half Marathon. I will share all the other amazing activities we did while on the trip but first, let's talk about the race!

The girls trip included by best friend Keri and my former roomate Tara. We have been friends for over 20 years and know how to have a great time together. This was Tara's first half marathon since she had her daughter and being the 20th anniversary of the Key West Half Marathon fell on her birthday weekend, we decided to make a girls trip out of it.

My Outfit: 

Shirt: Help Me I'm Sober by Buy Me Brunch - Similar

Leggings: Asics Printed Capris

Shoes: Asics Gel Nimbus 17

FL has been hit with a few crazy cold fronts over the past month (including what I'm experiencing right now). While I realize it's nothing like my friends up north are experiencing, this is not weather Floridians are used to. On Sunday morning, we woke up with 20mph winds with temps in the 50's. I will take 50's all day for running but not the headwinds. We rode our bikes to the start line and we were freezing. 

We did not bring throw away clothes so Keri and I ran our first few miles of the course with our race finisher shirts on. I will NEVER again give anyone a look for wearing their race shirt before they finish a race. Being the first part of the race was on Duval St, we were luckily able to ditch our shirts at our hotel!

Keri and I were running the 13.1 miles for fun. We did a 1:1 and took a ton of pictures, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and had a great time together. We chose the 1:1 over other intervals because we've had success with it in the past with not being tired or sore following the race. Since we were on vacation, that was important to us. Tara came with another plan as she wanted to leave the island with a PR. 

The first few miles were on Duval Street and brought us out to A1A. We passed The Southernmost Point, South Beach, and other popular spots. Those headwinds decided to join the party and we had them until the turnaround point at mile 7.

Around our mile 5, we saw Tara who was with the 2 hour pace group. She needed to finish under 2:04 to PR and I knew at that point, she was going to do it!

Oh this shirt......we had an average of at least one person a minute commenting on our shirts. I will say, this shirt brought more attention than any other we've worn during a race.

Between miles 9-10, we got the text from Tara that she had finished with 2:03! She did it!! We ended up running down White Street Pier for mile 10, ran back to the Southernmost poinnt and found ourselves on Whitehead St. Keri wanted to grab our shirts from the house and made another detour. I told you we were in this for fun!

Before we knew it, we were at Mile 0 with a mile left to run. We ran into my Mom and Aunt who had located Tara. Tara crossed the finish line twice so we could get at least a few race pics together (which all came out god awful lol).

Overall, I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Key West Half Marathon. The course was gorgeous and flat. The course had a ton of entertainment on it and the volunteers were incredible. I would 100% come back and do this race again.

If this race is on your bucket list (which if it isn't, it needs to be), I suggest signing up for 2019 as they have a limited time race registration discount for only $73.99! Next years race day is Sunday, January 20th. Click here to head over to the 2019 Key West Half Marathon registration page.

Disclosure: I received a free entry into the Key West Half Marathon. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Visiting Cozumel Occidental Grand Beach Resort, Carnival Conquest

Never in a million years did I think I'd be back in Cozumel this year. When we went in January, I was very sick (and it wasn't from drinking). I had a fever, flu symptoms and didn't want to look at Mexican food or margaritas, which is how you know I'm truly sick. Although I made the best of the day, truth be told I was pretty miserable.

Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria put me on a path to visit Cozumel twice in a year. On our recent cruise on board the Carnival Conquest, we were supposed to stop at Turks and Caicos for our last port - instead we were Mexico bound (in the meantime, Turks is close to reopening their port)! I personally love Cozumel and was excited that Gabe would get to visit it for the first time.

Since this was Gabe's first visit to Mexico, we decided to book an all inclusive. I did quite a bit of research and found the Occidental Grand Beach Resort. Since we had a last minute port change, the only way we were able to book excursions through Carnival was on the ship - so we ended up booking through Shore Excursioneer.

I am usually a little hesitant about all inclusive resorts. They water down the drinks, the food is not great, they're over crowded. NOT the case at Occidental Grand Beach Resort. There were multiple pools to lounge at if the beach wasn't your thing (including an adults only pool).

The food was good!!! There was a wide variety of options including Mexican food, pizza, salad bar, hot dogs, fresh fish and grilled burgers. I was very impressed. We consumed more margaritas than we probably should have. They were delicious and made with premium tequila. Although we both took a 3 hour nap and missed dinner, neither of us woke up with a headache.

We nearly had the beaches to ourselves. We went swimming and could have gone snorkeling - but preferred more margaritas. Overall, Occidental Grand Beach Resort WAS GORGEOUS. The staff was beyond polite and we had a really great time and we would consider coming back and staying for an extended period of time. The only negative, which became a positive, was no wifi. We would have had to pay for a package. This annoyance turned into a blessing as we were able to 100% shut off, something I haven't done in a very long time.

The taxi ride was $20 each way and this isn't a common place for cruisers to visit. We paid $60 a person for the excursion. Considering the amount of margaritas we consumed, we more than got our money back. I strongly suggest Occidental Grand Beach Resort as an all inclusive option while visiting Cozumel!

Once we got back to the Puerta Maya, before we headed back to the boat we made a quick stop to  stopped at Pancho's Backyard for a margarita. I am quite partial to the margarita's at Pancho's, made with fresh lime, cointreau and premium tequila. Their food is pretty decent too. On my first visit here, we were hesitant it was a tourist trap with the proximity of the pier, but it isn't. I suggest a stop in here if you are at the port.

Special thanks goes out to Carnival for hosting me and my husband on this cruise. I was not compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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Visiting Grand Cayman Stingray City - Carnival Conquest

So I'll start this blog post off by saying I was not expecting to be visiting Grand Cayman again so quickly. The Cayman Islands are my absolute favorite place to visit by cruise ship. After Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, our itinerary while on the Carnival Conquest changed. Instead of going to Dominican Republic, we ended up at Grand Cayman. I instantly booked an excursion to do Stingray City. While I typically would suggest others to book excursions through their cruise ship, we didn't have the option due to being in two new ports. We had to wait until we got on board - and the excursion desk was bananas. You can book a similar Stingray City excursion through Carnival.

We booked a tour that brought us to Stingray City then snorkeling at Coral Gardens and Barrier Reef. The weather was AWFUL. When we got there, the city had already sold out of ponchos as there were 4 ships in port that day. I honestly didn't think we'd be able to do the excursion.....but after a 30 minute boat ride:

You guys!!!! I was freaking OUT. The waves were pushing these giant sting rays all over. They were very friendly but omg. We did our photo shoot, fed them then I quickly went back on the boat waiting for our next stop.

We did purchase the photo packet for $50 which came on a USB card. When else will I be up close and personal with a sting ray of this size! I strongly suggest a visit to Stingray city while in the Caymans.

We were unable to visit Barrier Reef due to the weather which bummed me out but I was happy to at least snorkel in the Caymans. The coral gardens were very pretty and it was nice and relaxing while in the water.

There wasn't much time from the end of our excursion to getting back on the boat. Our visit to Stingray City was an experience we will always remember.

Sadly, it rained pretty much all day while at Grand Cayman and Gabe didn't get to see the beauty of 7 mile beach. Looks like we will be planning another trip back so he can see this beautiful beach (Taken on Carnival Vista, 2017):

Special thanks goes out to Carnival for hosting me and my husband on this cruise. I was not compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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Visiting Ocho Rios Jamaica - Carnival Conquest

Our first port while on the Carnival Conquest was scheduled for Ocho Rios Jamaica. Flashing back to January, while on Carnival Vista, I was scheduled to visit Ocho Rios and go horseback riding in the ocean then climb Dunne's River Falls. Well thanks to the weather, I never got to step foot in Jamaica.

When we booked the Carnival Conquest and I saw Ocho Rios was the first stop, I got very excited. Although part of me was apprehensive as I already went through one Jamaica heartbreak. Plus my husband said 110% no to Dunne's River and I had no clue what we were going to do and made the decision the night before.

We booked our excursion while on board and decided upon Mystic Mountain Jamaica Bobsled Experience which included round trip transportation and a ride up (and back down) the mountain on the Sky Explorer lift. Note: As you see b y my husbands ankle above, they sell mosquito anklets for $10. You can get these at the dollar store in the US. Grab some before you go on any cruise, this will save you money!

The Sky Explorer takes you 700 feet above the Jamaican rain forest. It was beautiful, giving us views of Ocho Rios you couldn't get otherwise.

The description stated we could also see nearby Dunn's River Falls from up above but we somehow missed that. We did see some small waterfalls before going up the sky lift though!!

from Kristen Bell Instsagram

Once up the mountain, we stood in a non moving line for quite a bit waiting on the Bobsled. I found out later on that Kristen Bell was there the same riding the Bobsled! She was in Ocho Rios filming the upcoming Netflix Movie, Like Father. I'm assuming that was the reason for the delay because once the line started moving, we quickly got through the wait.

I'm sure everyone knows the story of the famous Jamaica bobsled Olympic team - which inspired the movie Cool Runnings. Well that is pretty much what we experienced. A high-tech sled going down a 1000-meter long track installed into the side of the mountain. And gravity is your driver!

After you go down the mountain, you are brought back up the mountain on an elevated tramway. You go down the mountain over 3,000 feet - pretty cool system they have to bring you back up! You can purchase photos and souvenirs when you get off the bobsled. We decided to purchase a photo and go have lunch.

We had lunch on top of the mountain - a chicken curry wrap, while enjoying stunning views. Although the day was a bit gloomy, we still were blessed with some gorgeous sights.

After lunch, we took a dip in the infinity pool and went down the water slide. All of these amenities were included with the chair lift. Overall, we were both very pleased with our excursion. As I mentioned above, if we were to do it again, no Bobsled. It reminded us too much of Disney's Space Mountain (with an amazing view).

We took the sky lift back down the mountain and it poured on us. We luckily had a carnival towel on hand - those are great ponchos FYI! We didn't get wet at all.

We had two stops to make before heading back to the ship - I wanted a coconut rum drink. This one was not near as good as the ones we got in Belize and it was a waste of $10. Then we went to Margaritaville because it was raining and I wanted a margarita and nachos. Although both the food and drink were good, we spent $60 after tip. We should've just gotten back on the ship and made Nacho's at Blue Iguana Cantina!! Oh well, both stops made for a good photo.

If I find myself in Jamaica again, I would likely do a beach experience. From the views we witnessed, Jamaica is beautiful and there is more to explore.

Special thanks goes out to Carnival for hosting me and my husband on this cruise. I was not compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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Carnival Steakhouse on Carnival Conquest, Sneak Peek of Carnivals new Steakhouse Menu

Whenever we book a Carnival Cruise, the first thing I do is make reservations at Carnivals Steakhouse for our first night at sea. Having a delicious, memorable experience is the best way to to kick off your vacation.

The Steakhouse on Carnival Conquest is an additional fee of $35 per person. This will get you a starter, salad, main entree and desert. Not a bad deal at all!!

If you're a wine lover like yours truly, I strongly suggest booking your meal on the first night as they offer a free bottle of house wine OR half off any bottle of wine. That's right friends - this lovely bottle of 2012 Silver Oak only set me back $55. Carnival Steakhouse is the proud recipient of the coveted Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine, bestowed upon approximately 2,400 restaurants each year.

STARTERS

For our starters, I ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare. It was delicious dices of sashimi grade yellow fin tuna belly, full of flavor and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves tuna!

Gabe got the Beef Carpaccio which consisted of thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin and shaved Parmesan cheese. This particular one had unadvertised truffle oil on it - um yes please!!!!! I stole a small bite and it was fantastic.

SALAD/SOUP

Carnival Steakhouse will allow you to substitute a salad for an additional starter and Gabe did just that with the Lobster Bisque with Vintage Cognac. My husband is a lobster bisque connoisseur and said this was top in his book (I agree 100%).

I went with a Classic Caesar Salad which was prepared at table side. It had the perfect amount of flavor and not too much dressing. This was not a soggy salad my friends!

ENTREES

While I was very excited about dining in the Steakhouse, I had one problem....I am not eating steak at the moment. I didn't turn vegetarian or anything like that - but steak and I haven't been the best of friends lately. So instead of ordering my go to at the Steakhouse (surf and turf), I ordered the Australian Double Cut Lamb Chops and for the first time in a while, I was thankful for my steak aversion. This was hands down the best lamb dish I've ever had!!!!!

Gabe ordered the Cowboy Ribeye, a 18oz monster piece of meat. It surprised us a bit when we were told the recommended cooking temp was Medium - this was to do with the amount of marbleization. Gabe was very happy with the outcome of a cooking temperature we would typically never order.

For our deserts, we both ordered the cheesecakes to-go which I may have had for breakfast the following day. Never, I repeat, never skip the dessert. They offer it to go and many of the cruise ships have mini fridges in their rooms.

Overall, this was a fantastic meal. On this sailing, I overheard a people people say they wouldn't pay additional for a meal since the food on the ship is free. However, if you're a fan of going out to dinner, this experience is well worth the minimal cost. We've spent over $200 for a meal that wasn't near this quality and quantity. Plus the dining room is just like a normal restaurant and you have a nice quiet night to yourselves.

Lastly, Carnival is in the process of revamping many of their menus, steakhouse included. I was able to snag pics of the new Steakhouse Menu to be rolled out over the next few months.

I was happy to see they kept the Tuna Tartare. There are quite a few new additions and modifications to the starters - the Beef Carpaccio is being replaced by a Bone Marrow & hand cut Beef Tartare. There are now Oysters (!!!) but most impressive is on the entrees - 10oz A-5 Wagyu!

I WILL be over my steak aversion by the next time I cruise on Carnival. What do you think about the new menu offerings?

Special thanks goes out to Carnival for hosting me and my husband on this cruise. I was not compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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