Discovery Day Cruise

Recently I had the opportunity to embark on a crazy adventure with my significant other to the Bahamas for his birthday. I can't even begin to tell you about the phenomenal time we had but I'll try. We arrived at Port Everglades at 6AM on Sunday morning after staying in the Hilton, located in the Fort Lauderdale Marina and enjoying the glorious 4th of July fireworks from the night before. Even though we only planned to venture into the Bahamas for a day we still had to go through the strenuous paperwork and customs frisking.

***Note to the wise: Complete as much paperwork as you can online first and bring it with you for this part, it will help to expedite the amount of time you spend trying to board the ship!***

Once finished we were able to join our fellow cruise goers on the ship to enjoy a Champagne Breakfast (a very worth it upgrade, if you ask me). If you do not select the Champagne Breakfast you can join the rest of the passengers for a buffet style breakfast instead.

The ship experience was absolutely wonderful and gorgeous to say the least. The waters were a beautiful cobalt blue and the ship's activities left nothing to be desired. All that you wanted/needed was right there at your fingertips. They had casinos, game rooms, a pool, tanning areas, plenty of bars (both liquor and snack), and so much more.

If you are enjoying the day cruise be sure to sign up for the Beach and Shopping Tour. This was an absolute dream for us as we were guided to a beautiful, private beach where we enjoyed a gourmet lunch and a walk in the water and finally to the Freeport Port Lucaya Marketplace for shopping. If ever there make sure you find the two separate stands that serve Conch Salad and Gully Washes. Trust me, you will regret it if you don't!

We had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves, our only wish was to stay the night but sadly we had to board the ship again. The Gourmet Dinner is another well worthy upgrade, should you choose to go that route, otherwise a buffet dinner is available to you as well. All in all, the trip was a blast and, are you ready for the kicker? YOU CRUISE FREE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH!

That's right, if you're birthday falls in July, all you have to pay for are the port fees! Not bad for a day in the Bahamas if you ask me! I highly recommend this trip to anyone thinking about going. Book your trip today!

LMSA - Rum Race

Last night I was lucky enough to participate in the weekly Rum Race that is held every Wednesday, like clockwork, on Lake Monroe in Sanford, FL by the Lake Monroe Sailing Association (LMSA). If you are into boats, sailing, chilling with good people, and knocking back some beer this is definitely the event for you.

You do not have to be a member to race, nor do you have to own your own boat. Simply show up, possibly email the Commodore ahead of time, or let me know, and they will put you on a boat to crew for. However, becoming a member isn't that difficult either. It only costs $50 bucks for your first year and $100 every year after. If you are a student it will simply be $50 every year.

Below are a couple of pictures I was lucky enough to get last night:



























By the time the moon started to show it was like you were in a different world. Very peaceful, very fun! There's something about sailing, and you will hear me say this often as I am an avid sailor, that just relaxes the soul, even if you're racing.

Last night's winner took home a bottle of rum, hence the name. They do not take the Rum Race too seriously as there is not even a race committee boat. You simply keep your time and turn it in at the end of the race. They trust you. They honestly just do it for the fun of it anyway so if you are not experienced that is not a problem!

Hope to see you out there one Wednesday!