Cruising to Bahamas

Cruise are one of the most unique experience while traveling and for that tends to be in many bucket lists. Mine not being the exception I was more than thrill when my husband come one day with a reservation for the cruise name Gem under Norwegian cruise line. Perhaps the destination not bein one in my must visit but one that I fall to like. The destination of this cruise was Nassau, Bahamas that in my mind has been stuck like the pirate capital given the many stories about this island during the golden age of piracy (1500s to 1830s). Our voyage took place on November 2018 my first vacation after moving to Buffalo, NY from Puerto Rico. The route for this crossing through the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea begin at New York, New York stopping at Port Canaveral, Florida, Great Stirrup Cay Private Island and Nassau, Bahamas.

The excited day arrived after an airplane trip of 30 minutes and a Uber drive of 15 minutes we get to the cruise terminal. Once in the cruise terminal we got drive back in memory lane to the long lines at Disney park. After an hour and a half we get to the counter where we handed our passports and reservation papers. After the interaction of 10 minutes in the counter to get our room keys and direction to which bridge go to get on our cruise we made it to our window room. The room being one of the smallest I have ever stay offers all the basics for our week stay. As soon as we get to our room we decided to explore the cruise and see all the amenities that if offers us. Half our touring around the cruise all the passengers got called to the main restaurant of the cruise for a safety meeting in case we get in a emergency that require us to get off the ship. At the end of the meeting you get to see through the window that we were almost out of the port and heading to open waters. After the meeting we continued exploring the cruise to finish identifying where the rest of the amenities were located. It didn't took us long before we get to allocate all the amenities we needed to know. We head to our room once again and decided to get ready for dinner at Grand Pacific.

After a whole day and a half on open waters we arrived at Port Canaveral. For this first stop we didn't choose an activity so we just hop off the cruise we the sole purpose to see what was in the area. Main reason for not choosing an activity was that none of them appeal to our interest and the most acclaimed ones were actually taking a trolley either for Disney or NASA. Taking a cruise to Disney is a waist of money and time because Disney is a trip on itself and it does take a lot of time to enjoy it fully. Port Canaveral we took it as a stop to buy what we forget or didn't plan accordingly for our days under the sun.

After a whole night and morning we finally arrived at Great Stirrup Cay and this private island offer unique experiences that I recommend tagging along. The first activity that we enjoyed was swimming and feeding the stingrays. They got a conservation area were they keep enclosed section for the stingrays to get in for the experience. While we feed them squids, touch and swim with them the team take this time to educate the people in the importance of the stingrays, how to help them, why is so rare stingray attacks, why attacks happen and emphasize in the importance of respecting the nature and its boundaries.

After that 2 hours with the stingray we proceed to eat at the food buffet bungalow before we proceeded to our next adventure. This adventure get very well known after Riri uploaded a picture on her Instagram account. Yes we get to swim with the pigs and feed them apples. This team as well explained the care they gave to the pigs and how they adapted them to the beach life. Of course this activity is in a enclosed small island and here you can only get pictures taken by the crew camera they have (yes you pay for them). But is very important to follow the instructions they gave you so you can have a great safe moment. Be prepared to get your foots stomped by the pigs and to be ready to say firm no's because they would try to eat every apple that you got in your hands. Besides this behavior those pigs are quite charming as well as the sea turtle Flo.

After enjoying the warm weather, white sands, crystal clear waters and the animals surrounding this islands we took the boat back to the cruise and get settled to enjoy a nice dinner and a piano bar show. The very next morning we arrived at Nassau, Bahamas. We get to enjoy the grand entrance to the port and we get to see the whole process to get out of the cruise. In our first attempt to get through the gates of the port we encounter a sea of people waiting to sell or take care of the tourists coming out of the cruise. It was quite impactful to get to see many people paying attention to yourself at once. So we decided to walk through the different stalls that were in our side of the gates of merchants a bit more friendly and less aggressive. The time came to cross the gate to get to the trolley that was taking us to the Atlantic Hotel. We get safely to the trolley and in minutes we where crossing the bridge that connect to the touristic zone of Nassau where the hotel is located. As we stepped down we received a wrist band that allowed us to get access to the water park of the hotel (that was practically the whole hotel with exception of the rooms). As soon we get the basic introduction to the amenities and what to expect we get ourselves to the locker section to put away our belongings to start the adventure. The first ride that we did was the super speed clear tube through the sharks. Then we go to the slow speed clear tube through the sharks. Get to walk around the aquarium tunnel, moved to the lazy ricer to get to an open slide. We get to race against each other in a short high speed slide and get through the tower of terror. After riding all the slides that were available we decided to walk around the hotel. We found hot tubs, pools filled with sting rays other with sharks or turtles or star fish. After going through all of it we found ourselves in the beach we enjoyed a swim when we decided to walk back to the lockers to collect our belongings. After that we walk around the whole "downtown" and even get some Bahamian cash as souvenir as well to buy food. We took the trolley back to the port area but before we crossed the gates we walked through the area and get through all the stores including the flea market. Sadly we fell in the bracelet scam but out of that we get to enjoy our time there. Sadly the cruise started to blow the horn signaling that it was time to return to the ship.

After that day we get to spend 3 to 4 days in open waters and only the cruise amenities where available to entertain us. Justin Golan the piano bar guy was the main person in our nights to delight us with his shows. The other were the magician guy and the acrobatic couple. We get to eat through different restaurants but we mainly stick by the buffet service that was quite diverse and delicious.

Yes the cruise is a money waste trap but if you are smart enough you would be able to save quite the bucks and get to enjoy the majority of the trip. My biggest tips to have a budget friendly trip are:

1. Beware that the window in your room means a daily fee per person extra.

2. Stick to the buffet and forget about the restaurants.

3. Every carbonated drink cost an average of $6.00 per can and you can not bring your own to the boat.

4. Just pick the adventures that you actually would love and would have time to enjoy.

5. Don't go in a rush and have a lot of patience specially when you are in open waters.

6. Explore the boat bit by bit so time goes fast when you are in open water.

7. Do activities in the ship that allows you to relax and enjoy the tech detox.

Trip to California

The state of the sun California is a show stopper. This beautiful state offer from beautiful picturesque beaches to snowy mountains and iconic monuments (like Hollywood sign, Golden Bridge, Yellowstone Park, etc). During our visit to this sunny state we concentrate in the glamorous world of Los Angeles. The Hollywood glam city is full of people, culture and I lively cohesive environment. Los Angeles is one of those cities where you feel fully embraced because you get to see people from almost every part of the world. But none the less all this glam and attention to this city make it one of the most expensive in U.S.A. meaning that having a trip over there can be expensive. In this post my purpose is to share with you my experience during my visit to L.A. while sharing the decisions that I made to make this trip a budget friendly one. 

The first recommendation that I would always gave is that you do the research through different websites to try and find the best offers with the purpose to save the most. Specifically for California the state offer a city pass where you can made a bundle of different tickets to different attractions while you save a 25% to a 35% of the final purchase if you get to buy it separately. Go for that bundle of airplane ticket, hotel and car rental because it can save you from a 10% to 20% of the final purchase. Plan wisely what you want to visit this would make the tickets acquisition more efficiently.

The first place to visit during our trip was Universal Studio. For this park I recommend you try as much as possible to get your hands on one of he fast lane tickets at least the one that allow you to go throw the fast lane at least once per each ride. If you get the fast lane ticket you would be able to ride every ride in the park in just one day. Universal rides are more in to simulator ride type but they are pack of adrenaline and still they have their own roller coaster. If you are into Walking Dead the first thing to do is to get through the zombie run that is the first "ride" that you would encounter when you enter the park. The park is divided by themes the have the behind the scene section where they have live show of people competing in stunts competition or a show about how to do stunts even pet stars get a show. The other section that is a most specially for the nostalgia is The Simpsons world inside this world there is a simulator ride that is quite enjoyable and very slow. Then you got to visit the Apu Shop where you can acquire a Duff beer or a classic donuts as well any souvenir Simpson related. The other section is the children zone here they got a Despicable Minion Converter simulator ride that is oriented for small children. Next is the adventure section that got the Jurassic Park, The Mummy and the Transformers world each world with their own ride. The one inside the Jurassic Park is a most and is not a simulator one so is a very thrilling and full of adrenaline specially near the end. The section that gets most of the attention is the Harry Potter World were you can acquire your own robe, hat, books and wands. If you get a wand you would be able to practice magic around the whole section. Here you would be able to experience the Hogsmade and the Diagon alley all in one place plus two rides. The ride that is a most is the hypogriff fly through Hogwarts.

Another most and with the one that we close our day is the Universal Studio tour. This tour would get you through different areas where movies or series are or were recorded. You would get to see different sets with their own characteristics you would get to go from a small town to a big city like New York and Chicago in seconds. You would be able to see at least from outside where shows are been recorded and get to know facts about those. They would get you throw King Kong Skull Island, Jurassic Park a Fast and Furious chase and Jaws beach plus through a catastrophe at the subway (this part being the highlight of this tour).

The next stop in this trip was Warner Brothers Studio this is not a park but a full tour behind the scenes of very iconic movies and series as well. For this tour you have two languages option English or Spanish and they offer a variety of times where you can book your tour. 

This tour get you through the sets of the Gremlins movie, Pretty Little Liars, Friends, Two and a Half Men and The Bing Bang Theory (whose production were in a stop because they where in the talks to end the series). Besides that they get you to the archive.

This place is the best for those DC fans and the Potterheads. Here they safe all the props used by the actors of the main characters during the shooting of each movie. For the DC fans in the first floor is mainly about Suicide Squad and Batman but they still have their section for Superman, Wonder woman and Aquaman. 

Meanwhile the second floor is completely dedicated to  Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Here they have the Marauders map, Dobby, all the wands and robes of each character throw their different life stage. Besides all this props they got the authentic sorting hat and you can get sorted by it like Harry Potter and the other characters. If you are interested more in the Fantastic Beast and Wear to Find Them there is a whole section with pictures of each beast showed in the movie plus Newt Scamander suitcase. This section is like going back in time because it showcase every item from clothing to bed and even table and silverware for that era.

After all that excitement with the Warner Brothers Studio we proceed to walk around downtown LA and get to see the Walk of Stars, Chinese Theater and some shops nearby. Our next stop after this day was Disneyland. As our first Disney experience we were preparing our self for absolute chaos and probably blowing our money. But given that we were expecting so little actually we get to let our inner children free and get to enjoy the whole day. Recommendations for a Disney day is be patient, there are going to be extremely ridiculous long lines not even fast pass are going to make it shorter, go for the single rider line they are way shorter, DO NOT buy FOOD inside the park just get a snack to get you through the whole day until you get outside of the park, you are not going to ride all the rides so choose just 4 rides that are different and get ready to witness a lot of tantrums from children that are unable to bear with the long waits for either food or a ride. So for those parents thinking in bringing babies or toddlers to Disney beware that they would not enjoy as much as a teenage or an adult would do. In this park we get to ride 2 roller coaster, 1 splash mountain and 1 haunted mansion that way we get a feeling of all the rides because specially the roller coaster they tend to repeat themselves what change is the thematic for the ride. We just get to take a picture with Minnie Mouse given the lines for characters as well are too long.

After our surprising good day at Disney we get to drive one hour to visit the San Diego Zoo. Yes the zoo that Melman from Madagascar didn't wanted to be transfer. This zoo offer exhibitions of animals that are rare to see in other zoos (at least from the 7 zoos that I have seen). It's layout is very interesting because they take a lot of pride in making sure that you take at least one souvenir picture of your visit home. Took us quite the hours to see all the exhibitions and get the pictures with the "babies panda". Following our experience at the zoo we took the road and drove to Santa Monica. The inspirational town for all the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games. True must be told this is town have the most chic downtown that is actually designed for the best pedestrian experience. The stores show cased in this downtown are the most popular, chic and expensive to be seen in the area. The most iconic of this town is the pier that have been seen in so many movies, commercials, pictures and tourism material. This pier have it's own small amusement park and stalls that make you feel the atmosphere of a town fair. Be ware given that you are so near the water and March is still a winter month the weather can get unpredictably cold and without the proper clothing it can become a pretty cold walk. From Santa Monica we drove back to Buena Park our temporary residence at a Radisson hotel.

The next adventure of this trip was our iconic 5 hour drive through the dessert to get to the splendid blindly world of Las Vegas. This dessert oasis bring us to a new level of open mind and respect for others individuals. During  the day hours the best option is to be inside a hotel that way you get yourself entertained, cooled and surprised. The luxury hotels offer an ambient where you feel inside a whole new world that offer everything you may need without needing to go outside. The hotel that we decided to visit have a floor with a fake blue sky, small fountains and food court in one floor. The hotel have everything segmented by floor so people that where just visiting could get to experience the facilities as it offers privacy for those that were staying at the hotel s guests. The casino section occupied a whole floor. In this hotel we expended majority of the day and our lunch was here at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant. We did walk around the city and we get to see a lot of  roof pool parties being celebrated, people of swimming suits walking on the streets and a lot of dancing not allowed for a underage audience. The day passed and the night arrived allowing the light spectacles to take place. We were looking for an specific show ant that was the notorious pirate spectacle showed in Miss Congeniality movie. Through our search for that specific show we get to stumble with the "Eiffel Tower", "Fontana di Trevi" and a hotel featuring a Gabriel Fluffy Iglesias stand up comedy show. We arrived to the only place that showed pirate ships but we didn't get to experience the show. After our futile search we decided to return to Buena Park, CA back to that 5 hour drive. The interesting part of driving through the desert is to know when to take the opportunities when is showed because the waiting for another one could be dangerous. So when we get to see a gas station sign we stopped to get the car and ourselves refueled. The dessert gas stations are different that the populated cities because this gas stations are accompanied by different stalls that offer from food to accessories for your cellphone. These gas stations get a lot of people stopping not necessarily for gas but to get together with friends and either warm up to Las Vegas or to get themselves sober up to return home.

After that drive we get our selves some rest to be able to take our airplane to return home (at that time Puerto Rico). After all the experiences lived during that week we get to the bitter sweet moment where we have to say good bye to the glamourous Hollywood, the chilly Santa Monica, the hot San Diego, the convenient Buena Park and the unique Las Vegas. But aware that even when we said good bye the memories, lessons and experiences would be always with us. This first trip independently with my husband teach us four important lessons related to traveling:

    1. Always look for bundles those could save you the most of your money.

    2. Research, research and research everything related to your destination to get activities that 

    accommodated in the best way to your must see places. 

    3. Check that weather 3 times minimum.

    4. Be open minded, spontaneous and let yourself be guided by the flow of the place.

    5. Travel during the week days and do not eat at any park wait until you exit it is more cheaper.