February 2008 - Caribbean Cruise

Leaving New Orleans the next morning, we headed east across Louisiana, the full extent of the Hurricane Katrina devastation still very much a visual presence. We drove the Gulf Coast shoreline, passing through narrow portions of Mississippi and Alabama before crossing into Florida for the long run over to the east side. We stopped for the night in western Florida, then spent much of the next day traversing the state to arrive in the Port Canaveral/Titusville area the evening before the cruise departure.

After very nearly blundering into the WRONG area of Kennedy Space Centre, we found the Carnival Cruise line terminal the next morning and boarded our ship, the Carnival Glory. Our stateroom on the Riviera Deck easily exceeded expectations....complete with huge window! So began our one week romance with all things culinary - non-stop food, all day every day, of all imaginable varieties. By the next morning we had reached Nassau, the capital of the several islands that make up the Bahamas.

We disembarked the ship and wandered downtown Nassau - an interesting place, but rather flat and warm for we of the fair-haired variety. I was, however, overjoyed to learn that consumption of alcohol in the streets was perfectly legal, providing that your beverage was "hidden" inside a brown paper bag, conveniently provided by the variety store where the beer was purchased....

After finding the ultimate seaside bar patio (Senor Frogs) for a few drinks, we boarded the ship again and headed out for a day at sea, en route to the US Virgin Islands.

Paddlewheel Riverboat in New Orleans

Nassau, Bahamas