Cruising to the Bahamas
During the middle of March I went on my first ever cruise to the Bahamas via Miami. Going to the Bahamas and on a cruise were items that I had on my Bucket List, but never really thought they would happen. But on March 20-March 23, 2015 my dreams turned into reality and I set off for the trip of a lifetime with my friend Stefanie from Making of a Mom. We met at the Kansas City Airport bright and early and headed out on our adventure. The flight from Kansas City to Charlotte was an ordinary flight! But when we made it to the airport we quickly decided it was time to eat breakfast!
It was delicious and the perfect snack to help keep us fueled up for the next leg of our trip. We loaded up on the plane and flew onto Miami without incident which was nice! We arrived in Miami, hailed a taxi and headed out to Port to board the Majesty of the Seas. But all of my research, preparation and planning couldn’t prepare me for what was about to happen next. We got out of the taxi, and started walking toward the building and anxiousness started sneaking up on me. It was the fear of the unknown, heat, excitement and the start of a panic attack. (I haven’t had one this bad in a few years, so it was a bad one!)
So, here are the series of events to help you ward off a panic attack while preparing to set sail on a cruise ship!
So when you get out of your taxi you will be told which direction to go to access the ship. After you walk through the first set of doors, you are greeted with security officers checking your passport/ID’s to make sure you are who you say you are. Then, you go through another security feature that includes an xray machine and a metal detector, so everyone is safe while on the ship. Then, you make it to the ticket counter line where everyone collects to wait their turn to board the ship. In that room, is where my panic attack hit me full force. It was very warm, lots people waiting in line and of course the fear of the unknown all hit me like a ton of bricks. We finally made it to the counter where we checked into the cruise ship, and the person there checked our ID’s, passports/birth certificates, made the appropriate copies, gave us our Seapass card and sent us on our way.
We went through another doorway where the person there glanced quickly at our ID’s and SeaPass Card and we started walking the plank so to speak. I was about to get off the ship and I hadn’t even made it to the ship yet! I was hot, panicked, and scared of the unknown but kept walking, but when I walked into the atrium area I was quickly in awe of the beauty.
But it quickly passed because we had to get to the mandatory muster drill. Each person has a number on their SeaPass card and that number is your “Muster Station” Number and ours was 9. So while having the biggest panic attack of my life, I was stuck in a HOT room with hundreds of strangers listening to what to do if we had an emergency. When that was over we headed to our stateroom and I quickly realized just how small the hallways and cabins were! I’m only 5 foot 2 inches and I could almost touch the ceilings, this wasn’t starting out well at all.
I wanted off the ship, literally! We dropped our bags, I dug out a panic attack pill, swallowed it and declared my hate of the room and wanted outside. So we walked up to the open deck on floor seven where it was cooler, more open, and of course lots of fun things to see and do while we left Miami. While my panic subsided I still wanted off of the ship literally, and was dreading staying on the ship for the three nights 2 days I would be gone. But then, a calm took over me, I had wind in my hair and I realized that the Majesty of the Seas was moving. It would either be a fun 2 days, or the worst 2 days of my life. But we would find out one way or another!
But with a view like this at my fingertips it had to be good right?? I literally could have sat on the deck and watched the water float on by for hours on hours. Over the course of the cruise I saw lots of water ranging from a gorgeous aqua/turquoise that turned dark Royal blue. It was an absolutely amazing blue that looks dark but not black. But, for the next hour or so decided that we needed to do a little ship exploring before dinner time. We walked around the ship aimlessly with no real agenda in place other than to become more familiar with the ship.
On each floor in the middle of the ship is a sign like this one. It will help you navigate the ship and tells you what is on each floor. They were a life saver more than once, because I found myself getting turned around on the ship, not really knowing which way to go. But while on the ship there is always lots to see and do. Some of the activities aboard the Majesty of the Seas include:
Rock Wall Climbing
Shuffleboard
Relaxing by the Pool/Hot Tub
Exercise Deck
Casino
9 Bars
Basketball Court
Arcade
Fitness Center
Shopping
Shows, Trivia and More! Check out the video to see lots of the ship!
The time passed rather quickly and it was time to enjoy our first meal aboard the Majesty of the Seas. We went into the dining room area, found our assigned table and quickly received service. The first night’s meal wasn’t anything like I had expected, but it turned out ok. I had visions of fresh fish, seafood and more in my mind but what I got wasn’t like that all. But it was decent, so I survived. My menu consisted of:
Chilled Pineapple Lychee Soup which was different to say the least, after a couple bites I decided it wasn’t for me.
Pan Seared Baby Scallops and Chorizo was delicious, but it left me wanting more!
Fish, Seafood and Mash wasn’t at all what I expected but my favorite part was the peas and carrots and I usually dislike peas!
After dinner we went back out to the deck and watched the night pass by for a little bit. After that we continued to explore the ship and retired to our stateroom for the night. All in all in wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, but the rooms were still tiny for two people! I quickly decided that I was having fun and that it would be better the next day because I would be visiting Coco Cay. Stay tuned for more details about the cruise, helpful tips and more!
This trip was provided by Tours4Fun and Cruise4Fun but all experiences and opinions are my own.
Maggie says
I am so glad you wrote this article! I’ve never been on a cruise ship and I’m claustrophobic so now I’m not sure I could go on one. I realized the hallways and cabins may be small and narrow but I never realized how small they were! LOL! Thinking a resort vacation instead of a cruise is in order!
Heidi says
It was fun, but it was a challenge at first to say the least!!
Stefanie says
That first day was rough, but it got so much better!! LOVED Coco Cay!