Can you say SUCCESS! What a great trip we had on the Olinger - Thompson Family and Friends Cruise. As the anticipation of our trip approached, many statuses were posted on Facebook from anxious cruisers ready go on their 1st or 15th cruise.  No matter how many cruises you take
the anticipation never ceases.  I find that I am even more excited about going on a cruise now than when I first took my virgin cruise in 2001.  I would love to share this with anyone that
would like to know what it feels like to take a cruise vacation.  Visiting the Islands at each port
gives you a chance to experience an unforgettable adventure.  This trip, I found myself re-living
the "first time" of everything through the eyes of my parents and other virgin cruisers.  The looks on their faces as they saw the ship sail away, the ocean, the sunsets and all the other amenities that the ship had to offer, brought back  nostalgia.  So on our trip we visited Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Cozumel, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Maya.  We flew out of Dayton Airport on Friday morning so that we could be in Merrett Island a day before the cruise.  I always recommend flying out a day ahead just to avoid any problems at the airport the day of  the cruise. We stayed in the Clarion Hotel and we took a shuttle to the Cruise Port.

Once we all cleared the embarkation process it was time to eat lunch and catch the first welcome aboard show in the Encore.

 

During the first formal night of the Ship, our groups dressed to impress, dined like the rich and famous and took in a show in the Encore Theater.

 

There is so much more to see, stay tuned for the full slide show of pictures.  I will also be posting a special treat for you all.  So stay tuned for more posts about the trip.


After our cruise we stayed 2 nights in Cocoa Beach, FL at the Wakulla Resorts.  The accommodations were much like regular 2 bedroom apartments.  Our rooms were on the garden level with a view of the pool.  There were gas barbecue grills located in the garden areas and we did have a big cook out the night we returned from the Cruise.