I’ve returned from my Carribean cruise and it was a great trip! My girlfriend and I spent three days in Miami and then seven days on the Carnival Glory. Miami was fun, but the cruise was the highlight of the vacation. There was an abundance of food, various amenities on board the ship and three exciting excursions we enjoyed off the boat. Below is a collection of photos and videos showcasing key highlights from the trip.

MiamiMiami was brief but fun. During our three days there we lounged by the pool at the hotel and visited South Beach. For those that haven’t been there, South Beach is a high-energy location – especially on New Year’s Eve – and the art deco architecture is colorful and captivating. Grand CaymanIn Grand Cayman we swam with stingrays and dolphins. Despite my smile in the photo above, I preferred the dolphins. Call me crazy, but knowing that a creature could potentially kill me at any moment doesn’t exactly put me at ease, regardless of how docile I’m told it is. The dolphin we swam with was named Copernico. He’s from Jamaica, very well-trained and strong. By strong I mean he pulled me across the water at an incredibly fast speed (see the photo below) while I held on to his fins. He also pushed me forward at a very fast pace while I was on a boogie board. He performed various tricks with all of the people enjoying the excursion and we left with several great photos.

RoatanOur second stop was in Roatan, where we planned on enjoying a day on the beach. However, it rained all day, so our time on the beach was limited. We made the most of it and snapped the picture above in between the raindrops.

Comedy ClubDuring our time aboard the ship, we attended eight comedy shows, most of which were gut-wrenchingly funny. My two favorite comedians were Al Ernst (above), who is a former pro wrestler, and Manny Oliveira (below). Al had my girlfriend and I laughing so hard at his material that we went back and saw him multiple times. His southern accent and self-deprecating humor are not to be missed. And Manny’s intense and interactive comedic style had me in tears. They were both excellent. BelizeIn Belize we went cave tubing, which entailed going on a nice hike through the jungle and being led through massive caves that pictures don’t do justice. If you’re visiting Belize, it’s definitely worth doing. CozumelIn Cozumel we rented a wave runner, which wound up being more stressful than we initially realized. The water was choppy, so it felt as though we were going to fall off the vehicle at any given moment. This resulted in me frequently stopping and starting the wave runner to ensure that we didn’t tip over. Thankfully, everything went well and there were moments where we enjoyed a smooth, fast ride on the water. That said, I’m happy to not get on one of those things for at least another five to 10 years. Rather than go snorkeling, Stephanie and I opted to lounge at the beach club for the rest of the day and enjoy the beautiful blue water. It was a nice respite to what was otherwise a pretty jam-packed vacation.Karaoke

For those of you that read my posts regularly, you know I love music. Therefore, I regularly particpated in the karaoke on board the ship at night. Below are three videos. The first is me singing “Even Now” by Barry Manilow. The second is “To Make You Feel My Love” in the style of Billy Joel. And the last one is from an event called “Karaoke Live” where I was backed by a live band for my karaoke song. My choice? “Separate Ways” by Journey. Mind you, the band was really loud and I didn’t have an ear monitor (of course) so I had no idea what I sounded like. All in all, I think I did a decent job, and it was a blast performing with a real band.

Showtime!

Speaking of music, every night in the dining room, before dessert was served, the wait staff would take part in a musical number called “Showtime” where they would put on outfits, climb atop pedestals and dance to a song while the crowd clapped along. It was a fun time, and below is a video showing the last “Showtime” on our cruise.

Prior to this cruise, I had only been on two other cruises and they were both with KISS. Being that this was my first non-themed cruise, it was a blast. It was great spending time with my girlfriend in tropical locations, eating a ton of excellent food, seeing great comedy shows and musical productions, and simply having a terrific time. Above is a photo of me with the cruise director, Mike Pack, who was absolutely fantastic. He was a bundle of energy and every time someone saw him they smiled. If you have the opportunity to cruise on a boat where he’s in charge, do so. My time on the Carnival Glory was great and I look forward to my next sea-bound voyage.