We reached the British Island of Tortola before 7am this morning. The girls were eager to escape the ship and enjoy shopping. The island did not fail us in the shopping department.

The rain was starting to come down really hard so we escaped into a little supermarket. The supermarket was owned by two British ladies as you could tell with their accent. I made a comment about their accent and they said “Thank you, we have been practicing it for a while.” Quite the humor on the island.

This store is where we purchased four Christmas crackers. Little gifts that each person pulls apart to find a little surprise. This is a tradition on the island and we are going to share in the tradition on Christmas morning back in NC. The girls are a bit excited.

Once the rain slowed down, we made our way into town to start our shopping excursion.

We have learned from others on the trip with us this week, that bargaining is welcomed on the island. Some store owners are happy to bargain with you while others will put their nose up to you.  My big find of the day was a beautiful dress for only $10!

I was stoked. L was able to bargain a toy dolphin for only $1. The store owner joked with L. She said, “is that really the only thing  you can find in the whole store.” L also scored a Tortola island purse for only $4.  You could purchase shirts for $4 and $5 but there were no shirts that caught our eye. As we were shopping, chickens and baby chickens were all around. Of course, L was over the moon.

There were an abundance of homemade items on the island. The ladies work hard to make a living for their family and the talents proved to be awesome.

Neon colors seems to be the color of choice for business owners on all the islands. The store fronts really stand out so that may be the reasoning behind their color choice.

Our hearts were filled when we walked by the store fronts and Silent Night was playing loudly through a speaker. It is Christmas and it is hard to remember that on these islands. There is not a lot of celebrating on the island but it warmed my heart to hear Silent Night as the song of choice. We found this island was not as poor as Antigua but all of us really feel as Antigua was our favorite island so far. I really believe we all felt a connection to the people of Antigua. Our hearts really go out to them.

After shopping, we visited the government center. A nice government worker took her time to give us the history on the center. Most government employees have their office in the center except the governor. A person acting as a type of Prime Minister has their main office in the center. This trip has provided such great learning for the girls in how each island runs their government.

The island proved to be absolutely beautiful with the scenic seas and amazing architecture on the housing. Several huge houses and hotels were surrounding the entire island.

After touring and shopping, it was time to head back to the ship as M was itching to finally conquer the sky course on the Carnival Breeze.

As we were walking back, we were trying to ignore all the high pressured taxi drivers. We had managed to walk past most of them until this one that placed himself right in front of my husband. We only had about a 5-minute walk left back to the ship, but the taxi driver told my husband that we should not be making our girls walk. They will get tired and we needed to take a taxi. Hubby’s face was priceless. Needless to say, we continued to walk. I could not hold back my laughter. This was definitely the laugh of the day.

Once we arrived back on ship, it was a mad dash to the sky course. The adrenaline was pumping with our precious M. She is such a brave child and wants to try everything. Ambitious is definitely a great word to describe her. The harness was placed.

The time had arrived for M to take her walk. I will have to say the sky course is very safe. If a person happens to fall, the harness will save them from falling. The course is closed as well if winds get above a certain point. It was a little windy and M said that did make for a scary ride but nothing will stop her.

The best part about this course is each individual is able to choose between the easy and hard course. The individual is also allowed to change courses after each section. Very fun addition to the cruising experience. All ages have enjoyed the Sky Course since we have been on the ship. I believe I am going to challenge myself and attempt to do the sky course with M.

Since we had worked up an appetite, it was time to head down to the Lido Deck and enjoy a late lunch. We chose the Blue Iguana Catina Taco and Burrito Bar.

This place on the ship is very popular among guests. There is no charge for any of the food. The burritos are made to order and the tacos are make your own after the chef gives you your meat on the soft shell. The food is simply amazing. We are going to miss all the delicious choices.

While hubby and the girls enjoyed pool time, I escaped to the Cloud 9 Spa on board the ship. If you need to experience true relaxation or enjoy a spa treatment, Carnival has definitely rolled up the red carpet for the guests.

Name a specific treatment and more than likely Cloud 9 Spa provides the service. Hair service, massages, manicures, pedicures, body detox, acupuncture, waxing services and tooth whitening treatments are just a few of the treatments that guests are able to enjoy while on the ship. Each day, the Spa offers deals to the guests. The deals are very affordable and lets you escape to a bit of serenity while on vacation.

I enjoyed the thermal suite which is based on tradition Turkish Baths. This suite provides herbal steam and sauna grottos that cleanse the body with gentle heat. Heated chaise lounges and tropical shower features make this suite a cleansing and relaxing experience.

After the Thermal Suite, guests can enjoy the Thalassotherapy Poll. This is a healing and relaxing experience that many cultures provide. The pool is a therapeutic oasis that has been based on the concept of a natural bubbling spring. As I told my husband, all my worries are definitely gone on this trip. We both are not experiencing any stiff or sore joints. Perfection!

The cruise experience can be busy but very enjoyable. I highly recommend to take a break from it all and head to the Cloud 9 Spa.

After my time in the Spa, it was time to relax in the jacuzzi with the girls and Hubby. We spent an hour in the jacuzzi sharing so many laughs and wonderful conversations. This cruise has allowed me to disconnect from the technology world and really enjoy the one-on-one time with my family. I am on day 6 with no cellphone and I really do not miss it. Could my addiction be gone? One can hope!

Another packed-fun day that ends in the Italian Restaurant – Cucina Del Captiano. I will share pictures and commentary soon. Amazing experience with the food and the arts!

For now, I leave you with a picture as we set sail from Tortola…..

We were off the boat bright and early this morning. As we awoke, 5:45am ship time, the day was bright and awaiting our arrival to take on the island of Antigua. Antigua received it’s name because when it was first found there was thought to be lack of water. England use to own this island so it was named Antigua for lack of water. As we all know, the lack of water is not the case.

We jumped aboard a tourist van and drove east to west to take in all the sights of Antigua.

Our tour guide was fantastic. She really knew her history as she was born and raised in Antigua. The island use to be known for their sugar cane agriculture but this is no longer true. Tourism is their big money maker now.

My heart was conflicted with happiness to see the island but also shadowed with sadness. I just have this yearning feeling to share the news of Jesus Christ. I hope one day, I will be able to get more time on the islands to spread the good news. We would drive through villages and see very poor housing along with very rich houses but those houses were spread far and between in between the villages.

See the above tank beside the house? This tank filters the water so the residents are able to have clean water in their houses.

This tour really spoke to my heart. It really makes you think how blessed we are in the United States. We all take things for granted such as medical care. Here on the island they have clinics spread out throughout the villages. One doctor will visit the clinic only once a week. The clinics are very small.

There are two hospitals located on each sides of the island. The hospital was built well and the size was large.

Supermarkets are plentiful in the United States and stocked with plenty of foods. The supermarkets on the island are very few and very small.

Fried chicken is considered a huge favorite among the island people. There are officially three KFC’s on the island and each location always stays very busy and crowded.

After the Antigua Tour, we did get to visit one of the 365 beaches of Antigua. Long Bay was absolutely beautiful. White sandy beaches surrounded by such a beautiful color of water. We were able to swim and enjoy the lovely beach for just over two hours. The girls were having such a wonderful time and once again, we felt like we needed to pinch ourselves. This is just an amazing opportunity and we highly recommend to at least do one cruise trip with your family.

Our tour also led us to a much visited area of Antigua. The devil’s bridge. The water has caused so much erosion in the area that a bridge has formed. It is not advisable to walk on this bridge as you could get swept away easily. The view was still very beautiful.

During our drive back, we passed several tent vendors. These vendors are allowed to set-up only through Christmas to sell toys to families for Christmas presents.

Such an amazing island with so much history. A great day that helped the girls see how life is in other parts of the country. I am beyond happy the girls were able to experience this in real-life.

As we made our way back to the boat, we all were reflecting on the day as a family. Great conversations were had between all four of us.  This was an excursion that you can book through Carnival on the boat. I highly recommend you at least take one excursion when you visit the different islands as you get a better in depth look.

The girls wanted to take a dip in the pool and enjoy the water slides in the water park back on the ship. How could we say no? We enjoyed for a few as it was almost time for dinner.

Tonight at dinner, Hubby and I enjoyed another new food. Lamb!

I was highly impressed. Very delicious. See why the cruise experience is amazing? You are able to try new things that you would probably never have the chance to try before or even take the leap to try them on your own. Amazing!

M was not a fan of the lamb but really enjoyed a comfort food – chicken pot pie.

During dinner, we were treated to another fun dance by our waiters. One of our waiters asked M to dance. Her face turned a bit red but she was smiling ear to ear.

Priceless! We are going to miss our wait staff so much. I feel like we have become family.

We ended the night in Ovation Theater to see the Latin Show. The girls were so tired though, we left early. A super-packed day wore them out and they were fast asleep not too much longer after we arrived back in our stateroom. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

We are headed to the British Virgin Island – Tortola tomorrow. Excited to see what is in store for us. Talk soon!