Spring Break Getaway Bahamas Cruise
Spring Break Getaway Bahamas Cruise
We only have two more Spring Breaks to take a vacation as a family. This year we will Cruise the Bahamas for Spring Break! Our teenage daughter’s only request is that this Spring Break trip must include sun and fun. Well, this year we plan to deliver just that. Planning a vacation for the three of us takes more than a little bit of coordination and planning. With the travel dates set well in advance by the school system, all we need to do is arrange for time off that week.
First Things First: Cruise or Resort?
The first step was to contact our travel agent to let him know when we wanted to get away, where we wanted to go (South!), and how much we planned to budget for the trip. We have a personal relationship with our travel agent and he was able to quickly come up with three options. As much as we wanted to travel out of the country, the Mexican beach resort option was immediately dismissed because it required us to obtain passports. I know we eventually need to apply for passports but it’s just not in the budget right now. That left us with two options: a beach resort in Puerto Rico or a cruise to the Bahamas.
The Puerto Rico option fell within our budget but only included breakfast. All our other meals would have to be factored into the budget. The cruise, on the other hand, included all our meals and was well within our budget. We put down the minimal deposit and will make the final payment two months before we leave.
What Shall We Do On Shore?
Now comes the fun part! Planning what we will see and do at the two ports of call is my job. Fortunately, my husband and daughter usually go along with I plan. Throughout the planning process, I’ve kept each of our interests in mind so no one family member feels they are slighted in the “what are we going to do today” department. One thing which we quickly decided was we are going to skip the shore excursions and take advantage of our time in port to explore on our own.
After checking out Pinterest posts for our two ports of call, we came up with a game plan. The first port of call is Freeport. We’ll go ashore early, check out the Lucaya Lighthouse and the Straw Market, and return to the ship to enjoy some time aboard when it’s not as crowded.
The next day, we’ll be in Nassau which is where my husband and I honeymooned many years ago. As long as things go according to plan, we’ll spend our morning seeing some sites near the port. I particularly want to see the Queen’s Staircase. We can then have lunch at a local eatery and spend the rest of the afternoon at Junkanoo Beach. These choices cover my husband’s desire to eat good food, mine to see a local historic site, and our daughter’s burning desire for beach time.
The Countdown to Cruise Begins
As I make lists of what to pack, my mind has finally started to wrap around the fact that we’re out of here in less than two weeks. The opportunity to spend a week together as a family has me looking forward to whatever this time will bring. Memories to last a lifetime are just around the corner!
