Ports of Call

We had three gorgeous ports of call on our cruise.  Our first stop was Grand Cayman.  Christi and I had been there two years before and had visited Stingray City.  Our previous visit had been magical as we had been able to interact with these beautiful creatures in their natural environment.  Unfortunately the wind was pretty strong and the water was choppy on this visit.  Each of the kids did get to interact with the stingrays, but it was not nearly as magical.  The rough water also made for a less-than-stellar snorkeling experience.

Our second port of call was Cozumel, and it was amazing.  Taylor, Parker and I got up early and went scuba diving.  The two boys had learned in Utah and certified in the crater in Heber.  Visibility about five feet.  So the almost infinite visibility of the Carribbean blew them away.  We saw sharks, barracuda, lots of tropical fish and an eagle ray.  So much fun.  Then we met up with Christi and the crew and visited the Dolphinarium.  The kids loved interacting with these amazing animals.

Our final port of call was Costa Maya.  For the most part we just relaxed on the beach, ate  yummy food and got massages.  Taylor and Parker went out on wave runners and some of the kids went snorkeling.  And of course there was shopping at every stop.

Grand Cayman doesn't have any shoreline deep enough for the cruise ships to dock, so they stay far out and you take small ferries or "tenders" to get to the island.  Here we are on our way in:

Before they met us in Cozumel, the girls got their hair braided:

Christi the contrarian:)

This craftsman quickly wove a bracelet that said "SOPHI"

At the Dolphinarium...

...we got to pet the dolphins...

...kiss the dolphins...

Lucky Dolphin!!!

...and swim with the dolphins!

Back to the ship in Cozumel!

Greeted by ancient Mayans in Costa Maya!

The beautiful Freedom of the Seas cruise ship.

Lexi and Jesi getting massages.

Hope to see you again soon, Costa Maya!!!

Well, there you have a pretty good summary of our trip.  It was the most amazing, most magical, most fun family vacation we could imagine.  We are so grateful it was able to happen!  Given that our flights were all free via frequent flier miles, we couldn't complain too much that we flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle, had a 4 hour layover, then flew home.  But we were pretty tired!

Sophi crashed on Parker's shoulder during the ride home from the airport.

We hope we have the chance to vacation like this again some day.  In the meantime, I'll leave you with two parting gifts.  First, there isn't anything much cuter than Sophi grasping on to her upper bunk side rail as she sleeps...

Second, try not to smile as you listen to Conner's "Whoa's, Oh-No's, and Oh my Goodness's" as he rides the Thunder Mountain Railroad:)