The Love Boat!

We boarded the cruise ship Serenade of the Seas for our Anniversary Cruise in Fort Lauderdale.  We strolled around the ship, checked out our dining room table seating, and went to our cabin before the muster drill.  Dinner our first night was at Chops where we enjoyed some delicious steaks and outstanding service.
Our first day was spent at sea....so we relaxed in the Solarium most of the day and enjoyed our first formal night on Valentine's Day....everyone looking great in their formal attire. Dale and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary at dinner!

Another day at sea and more relaxing and meeting people from all over the US and Canada.  We hit the gym and attended the Meet and Mingle.

Our first port was Antigua where we had booked an excursion with Creole Cruises Antigua.  We boarded their boat in the harbor and were off for snorkeling, boat riding, swimming, hiking, and a wonderful, yummy lobster BBQ on the beach.  It was fun zipping along the coastline with two
300 hp motors on the boat. We had a great crew and they made sure we had a fantastic day in Antigua.

St Lucia,  was our second port and were we had booked a day pass at the Rendezvous Boutique Resort! We hailed a taxi and quickly were getting settled in to this lovely resort.  We grabbed a shady spot on the beach, relaxed, enjoyed a fruit juice before booking a Hobie Cat for a sail.  Captain Dale sailed the little boat like a pro and we zipped along the coastline.  Lunch was served buffet style on the veranda.

Calabaza Cruises and Barbados were next on our itinerary.  We boarded a lovely catamaran and were greeted by the crew with coffee and warm banana bread.  Two snorkeling spots included three shipwrecks and the turtles.  Drinks were served nonstop and snacks were plentiful.  Sailing along the coastline was fantastic on a perfect Caribbean day.  A delicious lunch was served on board with a dip in the ocean to cool off before sailing back to the harbor.

Grenada was next and we hadn't really planned anything....so we walked off the ship and joined a small group for a tour of the Spice Island with a local taxi driver.  He showed us some of the highlights of the little island.....a beautiful waterfall, a volcanic lake, a spice shop, and a old fort.....plus the most beautiful beach on Grenada.

Our next stop was the port of Bonaire.....an island we have visited many times in the past.  We strolled off the ship, shopped among the local vendors, stopped for a drink at a bar over the water, and ended our visit with a stop at a gelato shop.

Our final port was Aruba....one of our favorite Caribbean islands.  We took the local bus to the beach and spent the day at Moomba Beach Bar.  We grabbed to beach chairs in the shade and relaxed while watching all the people.  I walked the beach, went for a swim and took photos.  It was a beautiful day, the water turquoise blue and the skies were clear.....a great way to spend our last day.

The last two days were spent at sea heading back to Fort Lauderdale, so we had lots of free time to relax, eat, read, eat, swim in the Solarium, eat, and workout in the gym.  Our last formal night we enjoyed dinner with the great folks at our table...Phil and Arlene, Carl and Rosemary, Bill and Carolyn, and Ken and Georgieanne...taking a photo to document this awesome group.

Our cruise ended, but the memories we will cherish always.  We were blessed with absolutely perfect weather, amazing excursions, interesting dinner table mates, and six beautiful Caribbean islands. It was a great way to celebrate our ninth wedding anniversary!