Wednesday (November 14th) was another port day and we went to Freeport, Bahamas. While we had a great time, let’s just say it was not quite what we were expecting! They’d advertised it as this really gorgeous place, but it was pretty much a hurricane-impacted island and pretty run down. We’d purchased a package though for a tour, so that ended up being a really great idea — otherwise we would’ve been off the boat for an hour max and then with nothing to do!
For the tour, we started at a touristy company that makes souvenirs. They showed us how they make candles and magnets and soap and rum cake, and then of course all the people on the tour bought a bunch of stuff after! We didn’t, but it was still fun to see. Then we went to this nature park thing, which was much less exciting than they advertised, but still quite fun! The guide was telling us all about the different plants and their uses and it was really pretty! We also saw some fun animals, like snakes and birds. It was definitely a highlight of an otherwise kind of odd experience! There were also some Italians on the tour – they weren’t on our cruise ship but had arranged for the tour through the touring company. It was fun for Tom to talk to them, and in fact, he actually ended up translating for them quite a bit! The tour bus driver’s accent was pretty thick, so even speaking English fluently made it hard to understand him! Needless to say the Italians needed some help!
For the tour, we started at a touristy company that makes souvenirs. They showed us how they make candles and magnets and soap and rum cake, and then of course all the people on the tour bought a bunch of stuff after! We didn’t, but it was still fun to see. Then we went to this nature park thing, which was much less exciting than they advertised, but still quite fun! The guide was telling us all about the different plants and their uses and it was really pretty! We also saw some fun animals, like snakes and birds. It was definitely a highlight of an otherwise kind of odd experience! There were also some Italians on the tour – they weren’t on our cruise ship but had arranged for the tour through the touring company. It was fun for Tom to talk to them, and in fact, he actually ended up translating for them quite a bit! The tour bus driver’s accent was pretty thick, so even speaking English fluently made it hard to understand him! Needless to say the Italians needed some help!
After the nature place, we went to the city shopping center and walked around. We got a Bahamian soda, which ended up being super sweet! Then we walked around to the different shops. We didn’t buy anything, but it was still fun!
Then the tour bus took us to a beach, which wasn’t quite what we expected either! It was pretty, but it was small and the water was super rough and so it ended up being closed anyway. We had lunch and then started walking down the beach to explore. At some point, I got all excited and started picking up seashells, and that was so much fun! We’re not sure what we’ll do with them, but it sure was fun and we found some really pretty ones!
After we got back to the ship, we actually arranged for me to get a massage at the onboard spa, since we’d gotten a gift card from our room steward. It was AMAZING and so relaxing! Tom went to the gym while I was in the spa, and then we showered and got ready for dinner. We decided to eat at the restaurant again and that was nice because we were able to see our friends! Then we went to a few shows – one was a life-size board game show, which was pretty fun! I was actually trying to get on stage, but that didn’t happen unfortunately. Then we stayed for a show called “Love and Marriage” which was so funny! There was a newlywed couple who had gotten married that day, and unfortunately we don’t think their marriage is going to last. Let’s just say it was a rough game for them! The happily married couple who had been married for fifty years ended up winning, and they were so sweet! There really is something to be said for solid marriages and the good that they bring into people’s lives! After that, we watched the show “America Rocks” and it was interesting. It had potential to be good, but unfortunately it didn’t quite measure up. We then went back to our room, spent some time enjoying our balcony and the cool ocean breeze, and then packed up since the next morning would be an early one.
The sunset on our last night was amazing as well — it was a perfect way to end what was an awesome time on the ship! The water was so blue and pretty and it was definitely a great experience!
Thursday morning (November 15th) we woke up early and went to have breakfast at the restaurant before disembarking. It was quite the process, but thankfully it wasn’t too bad! We made it through security and everything and then caught the shuttle back to the airport.
We had about a six hour layover, so we walked around the airport for a bit, which was more like a mall, and then we found some relatively comfy chairs near a set of plugs, so we camped out there until our flight. We watched a movie together on the iPad and it was really good! It’s called “The Man Who Invented Christmas” and it’s all about how Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol.” It was a great show! Then we grabbed some food at Burger King before heading to our gate. The flight back wasn’t too bad at all – actually really enjoy watching a movie at exactly the same time on our separate screens so it’s like we’re watching it together. By the time we made it home, it was after 10:00. It was SO GREAT to see Isaac again though! We missed him so much! Here are some of the pics that Kelly was sending us during the trip — we absolutely loved getting updates and seeing how much fun our cute boy was having!
It was great to be safely reunited as a family – it’s amazing how much love you can have for your kiddos! We certainly had a great time together and it was so fun to have a somewhat belated honeymoon! But, it’s equally as great to be back with Isaac and feel like our family is complete again. What a fun vacation it was!
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