Escape to the Caribbean this holiday season

December 12, 12:06 PMAustin Twenty-Something ExaminerKelly E. Lindner

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Carnival cruise ship next to promotional pirate ship 

Over Thanksgiving my new husband and I took a 7-day Carnival cruise through the Caribbean for our honeymoon. We stopped in Jamaica for four-wheeling and zip-lining, the Grand Cayman for snorkeling and parasailing, and Cozumel for swimming with the dolphins. No it wasn’t cold, yes there was a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, and yes this was just after hurricane season so when we returned to the Galveston port, our car was where we parked it. 

But besides the amazing shore excursions, one of the best parts of the cruise was the ship itself. When cruise-goers have been close-lipped in the past about what’s aboard an actual cruise ship, I always assumed I wasn’t missing much, when the truth is they just didn’t want to make me feel bad. I was shocked at the amenities of the Conquest that kept us busy those first 3 days at sea.

Water slide on deck

For younger people there are daily activities like water fights, spiraling water slides on the deck, and putt putt golf courses next to that famous red tail. For adults there are R-rated comedy shows, karaoke, casinos, art auctions, dancing, bars, spas, gyms, and running tracks on the deck. For all ages there are ice-sculptor demonstrations, volleyball and  basketball courts, ping pong contests, shows every evening with early and late performances, and fancy restaurants where the waiters dance and sing for you. There is also every kind of food available at varying hours (including sushi), complimentary room service, and in-room movies. Another unexpected perk was the towel animal that usually adorned my bed when I returned from dinner, left there by my room attendant who cleaned my room twice a day.  

I would recommend a cruise to anyone who would like to escape the cold and stimulate the Galveston economy, a once beautiful port that has been the victim of some horrible weather this year (otherwise know as Ike). Cruises are also reasonably priced considering everything they provide and they’re cheaper this time of year since it probably seems strange to the causal observer to sit on the beach sipping a margarita while everyone else is caroling and drinking egg nog. But I assure you, a cruise is just as fun now as it would be in the summer. In fact, it may even be more so, since you’d know the only people enjoying warm weather in this hemisphere would have to be near the equator like you.