cassie_KY Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Welcome to our Mega Vacation Trip Report! This will be a multi-part trip report as Nathan and I did so many things. In the end, we traveled for ten days and a few thousand miles. As a brief overview, this is what we did: Day One- Left Worthington and stopped at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green then drove to Montgomery Alabama. Day Two- Boarded the Carnival Holiday for our 5 Day Cruise to Mexico. Day Three- A Fun Day at Sea and Formal Night of the Cruise Day Four- Port at Cozumel where we rode ATV Rhino’s, visited an Ecological Park , climbed a lighthouse, snorkeled (both our first times!) and shopped in downtown Cozumel . Day Five- Port at Calica. We visited Chitzen Itza. One of the new seven wonders of the world. Day Six- Fun Day at Sea Day Seven- Disembarkation from the ship. We toured the USS Alabama and the Military Park that surrounds it. Stopped off at Priestley’s Pecans and drove to Atlanta Georgia . Day Eight- Georgia Aquarium and their Titanic Exhibit. World of Coca-Cola. Dinner at the Hard Rock Café. Day Nine- Six Flags over Georgia Day Ten- Headed home. Stopped at Smokey Bones in Chatanooga. Stopped at the Lost Sea in Sweetwater Tennessee . A link to our Photo Gallery will be Post #2. The story of our trip began with a present. This year was my 30th birthday. Nathan combined my birthday and Valentine’s Day into one and purchased a cruise trip for us. We began planning all the details even though we had months before the cruise. We had to order birth certificates. Passports were another necessity as we were leaving three weeks after the rules for traveling to Mexico changed. Most importantly, we spent hours pouring over web forums to determine how to get the most bang for our buck and minimize “First Timer” mistakes. Day 1- Getting to Alabama Nathan and I left my house on the morning of July 28th, Our cruise didn’t leave until 4PM July 29th, but we wanted plenty of time to get there and explore a little on our way South. I took the first shift driving as this was a familiar route for me having driven it many times. Nathan is from West Virginia and hadn’t been in Kentucky until we met, so I played tour guide along the way. We stopped briefly in Versailles so he could see the Castle. I had told him about it in the past, but I don’t think he really expected to see an honest to goodness castle plunked down in the middle of Kentucky . We snapped a few pictures and then drove on to Bowling Green . Most people don’t know I am a big car buff. I love working on cars and have been restoring an old Monte Carlo as time and money allows. It only made sense to take a brief detour at the Corvette Museum . According to the website, “the National Corvette Museum is the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit museum ever dedicated to a single automotive nameplate—Corvette— America ’s premier sports car and an international symbol of U.S. automotive innovation.” I had driven past Bowling Green many times on road trips and had noticed the odd architecture for the Corvette Museum . We pulled into the parking lot and I was taken aback at the sheer size of the place. The building covers 68,000 square feet. That must be floor space as the soaring ceilings made the place appear much larger. The walkway up to the front doors were lined with bricks bearing the names of people and car clubs from all over the world. I learned people can purchase these personalized bricks. (I found my dad his Christmas present!) Once inside, we were greeted with a row of cars in the lobby. Get this- if you wish, you can order your Corvette and arrange to have it delivered to you at the Corvette Museum . You have your picture taken to commemorate the passing of keys as that brand new car becomes all yours. Admission is $12 ($10 with a AAA discount.). A short film documents the history of the Corvette. Then, you begin the tour. The evolution of the car is documented as you progress through the museum. Sections are dedicated to research and development, another to racing, and still another to concept cars. The final stop is the “weird architecture” part that is easily visible from I-65 (the yellow and red section). Here a display of more than 30 cars shows changes in the Corvette from one year to the next as well as modifications some people have done. One row was nothing but Indy 500 Pace Cars. I fell in love with the blue 76…. but that is another story! We wandered through their gift shop and found prices to be high. However, all money goes back into the building instead of lining someone’s pocket. We snapped a few more photos and headed out. The Corvette Museum is a nice way to spend an afternoon. Even if you are not a car buff, learning about the people who loved and drove this car is interesting. We continued on to Montgomery Alabama and arrived there around 10 PM (we took our time and made plenty of stops for stretch breaks). We stayed at a Day’s Inn just off the Interstate. We were only an hour and a half drive from our destination! Day 2- First Day on the Boat We got up super early. Our paperwork had stated we could not board until 12:30, but we wanted to be sure we were there with time to spare as we really weren’t sure where we were going, we had to get the luggage unpacked and park the car. We arrived at the cruise terminal at noon. It was so exciting to see the huge red smokestack and know we had finally made it. We pulled into the lower level of the parking garage and unloaded our bags. We had placed ribbons (the curly kind you find on presents) on our luggage so we would be able to identify it easily. We entered the parking lot and were one of the last people able to have a covered parking space. After securing the Prius (and kissing her goodbye for a week), we grabbed our carry on bags, passports, and cameras and headed for the next leg of our vacation. It took an hour to get processed through line. Then, we crossed the gangplank (or whatever you wish to call it) and we were on board. The Holiday is the smallest ship in Carnival’s arsenal, but we didn’t care. It was big enough for us and all ours to explore for the next five and a half days. Of course, we hurried off to see our room. We had booked an inside cabin and instead of something the size of a closet, it was really nice with a big bed, a faux window, chair, nightstand, and a goodly sized bathroom. While there, we met Suphola, our steward. He is from the Philippines and would be taking care of us that week. We chatted at him for a few minutes and then headed out to explore. We went to the main lounge and listened to the travel talk. We met our cruise director, Tory, who was an extremely hyper British woman. She described all the places we would be going and what to expect. We also listened to the various other excursions. I was a little upset as some that were mentioned had not been included on us to choose from, but I am still glad we pre-ordered ours. After, we headed back to our room and grabbed our life preservers for the muster drill. Before the cruise, I had no idea what this was. In a nutshell, if people have to abandon ship, you have a predesignated meeting place. Here is where you are grouped up to board life rafts. During muster drill, you take your life preserver and head to your station. There, you are shown how to put it on the right way and informed about safety precautions Carnival has taken to keep us safe. I could see this being fairly boring. We took turns snapping pictures of each other and looking at all the gadgets on the vests. It was like the Swiss Army Knife of vests with a whistle, flashlight, and other things attached to it. At that point, it was time to set sail. With a sounding of the horn, we were off! We headed up top and watched as Mobile slowly got smaller and smaller. We chatted with people around us and took more pictures. I don't know how long we lingered; Watching the wake from our ship had us lose all track of time. By 5, we tore ourselves away from the view as we were starving. We really didn't want to get ready for a formal dinner, so we headed to the Wharf Grill which is casual dining. I don't know if it was because we were truly on our cruise, the atmosphere was that awesome or what, but that was the tastiest burger I had eaten in my life! We chatted and watched the scenery change. We carried our life vests back to the room and put them away. Here began the love affair I had with the towel animals. A cute little frog was sitting on the bed waiting for me! Yes, I am thirty years old, but I jumped up and down when I discovered him. Many photos ensued. As our luggage had arrived, we unpacked everything because who wants to iron on vacation? Then, we rested for an hour as we read the Caper (a guide for all the activities on the ship). We wandered around the ship and checked out all the different nooks and crannies. We listened to music in one of the clubs (a cover band playing Southern Rock). A storm had blown in and we were treated to an awesome lightning show. Nathan wanted a snack, so we headed back to the Lido Deck and grabbed a slice of pizza. As it had been a long day, we turned in early. I couldn't wait for what the next day would bring! Day 3-A Fun Day at Sea Today was called a "Fun Day at Sea." We were cruising at 20 knots on our way to Cozumel. We got up and headed out for breakfast. Like yesterday, we didn't feel like going to our dining room and having table service. On the Lido deck, they offered pancakes, breakfast meats, grits, hashbrowns, toasts, bagels, fresh fruit, and made to order omelets. After, we found a chair on one of the decks and watched the ocean. We couldn't believe the shade of blue that it was. Never had I seen a color like that outside of a Crayola Box. We wandered around the shops and took a spin through the Art Auction to see what works of art were on display. We considered staying and watching until Nathan reminded me of the Ice Carving Demonstration and Hairy Chest contest back on the Lido deck. Art Auction or watching grown men act crazy? There was no debate there. We headed to the Lido deck. We arrived in time to watch the Ice Carving. In minutes, using only some chisels, two angels holding a heart emerged from a block of ice. It was quickly whisked away and would be displayed at the Midnight Buffet that night. The Hairy men were next. I really had no idea what to expect. Middle-aged men dancing up the stairs, ripping their shirts off, sliding down the waterslide, and dancing with a trio of bikini clad women wasn't it. One after the other, they danced, stroked their chest hair, and shimmied to the music. It was hilarious. After, each man had to display his best Tarzan call and wrestled a towel snake (like the real Tarzan did in the movie). After displaying their talent, a winner was chosen. We knew we had to head back to our room in a couple hours to get ready for Formal Night. Wanting to relax, we found a deck chair and took a nap in the sunshine for an hour and a half. Refreshed, we got dressed in our best and had pictures taken before the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception. Promptly at 5:15, we were ushered into the American Lounge to meet our Captain, Roberto Leotta. We enjoyed complimentary ****tails and a live band. I had a good time people watching and admiring all the pretty outfits people had. Some couples danced on the stage. Once couple was even swing dancing. After a half hour, our Captain came out and greeted us. Then, he introduced the Senior Officers. We had an international crew with people from Italy, the Philippines, Britain, France, Germany, Ecuador, and others. Then, we headed to our first formal dinner. It was excellent! A salad to start, lobster and shrimp for the main course, and the heavenly chocolate melting cake for dessert. Our wait staff was wonderful and they all sang for us before we headed out for the evening. We didn't want to remain in our formal clothes for the evening show, so we hurried back to our room and were greeted with a cute little puppy sitting in our (faux) windowsill. More jumping up and down and clapping of hands occurred. Suphola was wonderful! We went back to the Lounge and found a good seat overlooking the stage. The show was wonderfully done. Multiple stage and costume changes highlighted music and how it changed through time. Accompanied by a live band, we clapped our hands and stomped our feet for an hour. After such a fine dinner and show, we straggled back to our room and knew no more. Tomorrow, we would be porting in Cozumel! Thanks for reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 Photos of Corvette Museum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
standbyme Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 You certainly get around to a lot of different places...do you even remember what your home looks like?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 I travel alot for work too and don't think I would know what it is like to not live out of a suitcase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Very nice report, loved the Corvette pictures. Did you know that if you park your Hummer in a spot marked Corvette, they will ask you to move it! Boy the stuck up people in this world. (Yes that was sarcasm, before you get your hoochies in a bunch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 Yeah, "Corvette Only" spots were a nice touch and funny! I considered parking the Prius there for kicks, but could see a bolt of lightning strike her dead for placing such disgrace on the facility! Monroe, we are editing the photos of the USS Alabama right now to upload. We have so many pictures of the older aircraft they have there. I actually thought of you (your avatar stuck out in my mind) as we were going through them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Enjoyed the pics. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violakat03 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 My husband and I took a Carnival cruise for our honeymoon back in 2006. We were on the now-retired sister ship of the Holiday, the Celebration. If I hadn't known it was the smallest and second oldest (it's a year newer than Holiday) in Carnival's fleet, I'd have never guessed it, until we docked next to the Valor in Freeport! Holy cow that thing was monstrous! But they did a fantastic job in keeping the ship feeling new and making sure you still had an amazing experience even though it was the 'little' ship. I hope you guys did eventually eat at the formal dinner. The food was absolutely outstanding on Celebration and I'm sure it is on Holiday as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast79 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I have been wanting to take a Disney Cruise since I watched a show about it on the Travel Channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 More Photos! (I will be working on captions for days!) Alabama Welcome Center Traveling to Mobile Alabama Our First Two Days at Sea Thank you so much for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragsterfan420 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Great pics! My favorite on is of the "whale tail" with the ominous looking clouds over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Yeah, "Corvette Only" spots were a nice touch and funny! I considered parking the Prius there for kicks, but could see a bolt of lightning strike her dead for placing such disgrace on the facility! Monroe, we are editing the photos of the USS Alabama right now to upload. We have so many pictures of the older aircraft they have there. I actually thought of you (your avatar stuck out in my mind) as we were going through them! I can't wait to see the USS Alabama pictures, I have not been there yet. I have seen some of the planes that are in the hanger before, I think there is a B-24 can't remember the name though. The people that owned it said they had sold it to a battle ship museum, so I am assuming it is the same one, this has been a while back though. As for my avatar? That is a P-51D converted to a TF-51 by the name of Crazy Horse, you know, what they were going to name Diamondback before they got the crazy idea of a snake. (Ride sally ride!!) The plane holds a very special place in my heart, one that very few people have been able to experience. Here is the web site for the plane. http://www.stallion51.com/aircraft/aircraft-crazyh.aspx You two on the other hand...WOW what a trip of a life time this summer. You know my grandmother told me that you can tell that two people belong together just by looking at them. I saw it with my parents and some say they see it with my wife and I, but I really can see it with this picture: http://www.where2next.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=5160 What a great couple. I whish many, many happy days to both. Oh and your avatar? It gives me joy to see yours, I had a boarder collie with miss matched eyes and a white stripe down the nose. I do miss my Ethel so, but am reminded with joy when I see your avatar. Monroe who can't get enough of every ones trip reports, but has a special surprise coming to all in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I am enjoying reading your trip unfold and the pictures wow. I don't think I have ever seen somebody so happy about having crab in their bed. I almost did not recognize the two of you in the formals, I got used to seeing you guys in T-shirts. Thanks for sharing I am truley enjoying the read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 Monroe- Thank you so much for your compliments. I really don't have words to describe what it meant. I think Mr. Nathan is pretty special. It is sweet others see it as well. And, I will give Miss Stormy a hug for you! Avatar- Thank you so much! I was showing pictures to my mom yesterday and she didn't recognize me at first either! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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