A Vacation of a Lifetime - My Family Travels

A Vacation of a Lifetime

Article By: Ana Llambias

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The summer of 2011 my family and I boarded the Carnival Liberty cruise ship and sailed towards Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was the very first time any of my family members or myself for that matter, had cruised the ocean in such a monstrous invention. The sole purpose of this trip was to celebrate my fifteenth birthday. Overall, this was going to be a very special trip just because it signified that I was becoming a young woman and also the fact that we were traveling to such beautiful and exotic places.

The first stop was Cozumel, Mexico, which was absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love with the clear beach water, the pearl sand, and the delicious authentic Mexican tacos. I was lucky to go snorkeling; swimming with the fish was an experience I will never forget in my entire life. At first I feared that I would be bitten, but after I noticed that they were not dangerous I was able to enjoy the moment. It was truly magical and every now and then I dream about experiencing such sensations once again. My father accompanied me in such adventure, but the others decided to just enjoy the sun and some virgin margaritas. I will never forget when my toes felt the crystal clear water and the pictures I took to try to treasure that moment forever.

That night at the ship we all went to dinner at one of the most luxurious restaurants. The service was great, the food appetizing, and I was pleased to not sense that I was aboard a large moving boat in the middle of nowhere. The following day we didn’t leave the ship. Throughout the entire day we just explored the ships’ cute little stores. I was disappointed about the entertainment during the night. There was no movie theater or basically any other place to pass the time besides the casino, where children are not allowed, so my younger brother and I were mostly bored.

The following day we arrived at Grand Cayman and took a tour around the small island. Our tour guide was a lovely lady who took us to beautiful places and gave us plenty of time in each one of them to truly enjoy our visit. My favorite stop was the beach. The ocean was beyond striking, it looked like a mirage. At the beach we rented a banana boat, which made me laugh tremendously as my mother feared for her life while the driver kept speeding up. That night after returning to the ship we all had dinner and rested. The next day we spent it on the ship and I was just beyond bored, what kept me going was looking at pictures from the previous days and looking forward to our last stop in Jamaica.

Jamaica was astonishing. I never thought it was going to be so stunning; there was lots of wild life, rivers, and the people were just so attentive. We climbed a waterfall then went down a river on rafts, it was a thrilling adventure. The food was delicious and the environment was candid and welcoming.

The remaining day we were on board, my family and I spent it reflecting back on our memories of the amazing trip. This vacation changed my life because I was able to experience things I had never experienced before. I saw beautiful sights I never thought I would see, but most of all I got to spend a wonderful week in different places with my wonderful family. 

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