On Wednesday we were up at 7, had breakfast in the dining room, and headed off the ship to Grand Turk. It is such a beautiful little island!
We couldn't afford to do an excursion, so we spent about four hours walking the beach, swimming, and laying out. We headed back to the ship for lunch- free! The ship was practically empty as everyone was on the island. No lines for food and no one else was at the pool. It was awesome. Rob headed to the gym to get his steps in while I swam and read books. Not at the same time. Rob also had a chance to chat with Alex, the producer of the movies, about his dad, so that was cool.
Later that afternoon we too another nap simply because we could. It was glorious. We grabbed a slice of pizza before worship & the speakers. That night a couple spoke and they weren't horrible, but they weren't amazing. We met a cool couple from North Dakota that night which was fun. After dinner we saw Nicole C. Mullen in concert and she was great! At 11pm they opened a Mexican buffet which was tasty! We had made good choices all day and exercised, so I ate there guilt free. The food all week was good, but not amazing. The buffet has some highlights that night.
On Thursday we woke up before 7 again, but thankfully fell back asleep until 9. We headed back up to the track and walked 5,000 steps. We attempted a game of mini-golf, but the wind was crazy and it wasn't working out so well being on the top deck. We ended up having hurricane force winds all day while it rained on and off. I sat and read, but every time the sun peaked out, I would move by the pool. I got a total of 45 minutes in the sun all day. I tried. The boat was leaning to the side and the pool was spilling out. The captain had to let the stabilizers out to steady the boat. It was pretty crazy. After lunch, we got in the hot tub while it rained. It was under a little gazebo and was shockingly peaceful. So what do you do on a ship while it rains- you nap! More sleep for us!
That night we worshiped with the band, listed to another speaker about marriage, had dinner, and packed our bags. We went to two concerts that night and just hung out. It was a great evening.
On Friday, we relaxed on the boat until 10:00 am, and then headed to the airport. By the grace of God we were able to get on two different stand-by flights, so we got home three hours ahead of our scheduled flight. Due to the weather across the states while we were out to sea, over 6,000 flights had been canceled. Some people we met in the airport had been there since Wednesday. I couldn't believe we got home as quickly as we did.
So that was life on the ship. I loved every second of it, even the rain. It was one of our favorite vacations and we are so thankful to have been blessed with such a gift.
What has been your favorite vacation?
