Cruises, Spirits, and Life Lessons

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Hi everyone and welcome back to Travel Time Stories.

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If this is your first time tuning in, I invite you to go back and check out my previous episodes.

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On this week's episode, I talk about my cruise on Carnival's.

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First mega ship Mardi Gras.

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Share some more about myself and offer a travel tip.

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I have put links in the description below for things mentioned during this episode.

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I am your host Shannon from Texas, and thank you for tuning in.

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So grab your favorite beverage and let's get into it.

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I mentioned in my previous episode that I consider myself spiritual and don't label myself as a Christian.

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The reason for this is based on many experiences I've had in my life, which I'll discuss in future episodes, and due to my own thoughts and research over the years.

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Spiritual for me means that I have a connection to something greater than myself and have religious beliefs that align with Christianity, but I don't confine myself to a defined set of beliefs and practices which are dictated based on a specific denomination, branch, or category of Christianity.

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A person's religion doesn't matter to me, and I respect everyone's individual beliefs.

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I do attend church services, not on the regular, and I do believe in the power of prayer as kids.

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If you're raised in church, the most times, that is the religion or belief set that you take on and stays with you as you get older.

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The same can be said with a lot of aspects of life.

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Unless you experience things outside of your family, household, beliefs, and culture, you don't develop your own thoughts, ideals, beliefs, and experiences, so you can shape your own opinions.

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Having these experiences doesn't mean that you'll waiver from your original beliefs, but it will solidify that it is your personal belief about something, whether that be religion, politics, culture, society, or whatever, and not just a belief that you have learned from your family and carried on with.

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My upbringing was different from that of my siblings.

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When I was younger, I don't remember any of my siblings attending church, even for holidays.

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Once I was older, my brother Joseph, did marry a woman who was Catholic and after years of marriage, he eventually converted to Catholicism.

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My mama had been raised as a Pentecostal.

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However, when I was little, she sent me each year to vacation Bible school at the Baptist church.

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Daddy never attended church back then.

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My friend PeeWee's step-grandfather was a preacher and he took us to the Black Church Service one time and it was a wonderful experience.

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I had never seen people sing dance and praise God like that, and they embraced everyone making you feel included.

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When we moved to Tennessee, things changed.

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My friend Kecia and her family attended church regularly.

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Her mom, whom I'm gonna call Mrs.

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S, sang and played piano in the church and had one of the most beautiful voices.

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Her mama's family was a traveling gospel group.

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Mrs.

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S was also a regular performer in the local production of Heehaw.

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Kecia would sometimes join her mom on stage to sing at church, and she was amazing.

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They invited me to attend church services with them at a non-denominational church, and when I told mama how much I loved it, she began to attend and we became members.

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Mama and I would attend every Sunday and Wednesday.

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Kecia and I were involved in the youth group, and I would sometimes get invited to sing with her and Mrs.

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S on Sundays.

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I will never forget my first song that Mrs.

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S taught me called I Feel The Rain.

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I still sing it.

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Till this day, our two families became very close.

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Not only were Kecia and I best friends, but our moms became good friends too.

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Mrs.

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S became a second mom to me, and she still calls me her daughter to this day.

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Mrs.

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S, if you're listening, I love you and you impacted my life in such a positive way.

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Your daughter, Kecia, and your husband Gene, will live in my heart always.

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This church became my first home church and is where I was baptized for the first time.

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We attended this church for several years before we switched to the Baptist church.

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When I was younger, I mentioned being tormented by my nephew, and this led to night terrors and a fear of the dark.

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I would also see apparitions and even carry on conversations with them.

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My mom just said they were my imaginary friends and it was normal.

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I believed this until after we moved to Tennessee because at that age I was beyond the imaginary friend phase.

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I have not seen any apparitions since the experience I'm about to describe.

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One night, shortly after we moved to Tennessee.

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I was in my room about to go to sleep and an apparition appeared.

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This time, the person seemed very familiar and it was a female, and as she approached me, I wasn't scared and she told me she was my grandmother.

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My mama's mom had passed away when I was very little, and I had no memories of her, but I had seen pictures and I recognized this apparition from the pictures I had seen, and we talked for a while, and then she said she had to go and reached out her hand and asked me to go with her.

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I immediately got a very bad feeling and something told me not to take her hand.

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I told her I didn't want to go, but she kept insisting, so I screamed out for mama and she vanished before mama got to the room.

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When Mama came, she said I was white as a sheet and I was crying and mama asked if I had had a bad dream.

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I told her what had happened and she told me she believed I had seen Grandma.

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She then told me that she believed in spirits.

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Demons and those with special abilities given by God to see things others could not and to even have premonitions of things to come.

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She said she had the gift of premonition and that she knew about my nephew's accident before it happened to him, and that is why she felt so much guilt over it.

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She had tried to prevent it from happening, but couldn't.

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She described it as seeing it in a dream, but with clarity and in specific detail.

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I was shocked to learn this, and it gave me a new perspective on their relationship and made me feel closer to her.

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She also explained to me how when she was younger, she attended a Pentecostal tent revival, and during the revival, the preacher was asked to pray over someone who was suspected of demonic possession.

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Before he began, the preacher said to everyone in attendance that it was imperative that everyone keep their heads bowed and remain in constant prayer during this time.

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Otherwise, when the demon was released, it could go into someone else.

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She said there was a group of young boys sitting on the hood of a car not far away, and they were cutting up, laughing and doing what young boys do, and ignoring what the preacher said.

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As the preacher began, she said she heard, sounds like nothing she'd ever heard before, and it steadily got worse.

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Then there was complete silence.

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Then she heard one of the boys screams and a thud, like someone falling.

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When she looked up, one of the boys was on the ground screaming in pain, and the others were freaking out.

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And when the boys spoke, it was not a normal voice and sent chills down her spine.

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The preacher said the demon had entered the boy.

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My mom believed it and I believed her.

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Was it real?

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Was it a trick?

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As some would say, that is for each person to decide on their own.

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I don't tell you this to convince you, I tell it because it is my story, my experience.

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Mama said she doesn't know why grandma would try to get me to go with her or why I had a bad feeling about it, but to always trust my inner voice and have faith.

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She also said she believed I had a special gift, but there would be many who would not believe it and it could cause problems for me, and this is why she didn't tell people about her premonitions.

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Later I would learn that only a few in our family knew about her gift.

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Over the years, my mama would have a few more premonitions, and the night I almost died, she was awakened from her sleep and able to connect to me mentally to help me survive the night.

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I will tell you that story in a future episode.

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The church we belonged to was good for me.

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It was in another county and most of the kids who attended were from other schools except for Kecia.

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Our church believed in the many gifts bestowed to people by God.

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We also believed in the Trinity, which consists of God the Father, Jesus Christ, his son who died to absolve us of our sins and the Holy Spirit, which is the Lord's spirit that dwells in believers and guides us and empowers us on our journey to righteousness.

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These gifts reside in each of us, but sometimes remain in the shadows of your life until you discover faith in Jesus.

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And this faith brings forth the Holy Spirit, which can then bring your gifts to life.

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God bestows at least one gift to every person.

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And yes, a person can have more than one gift.

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These gifts are not supposed to benefit ourselves or to make us better, but are to be used to benefit God by helping others and sharing his grace.

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Those who have unlocked their gift should nurture it and use it for good.

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However, there are many who abuse their gifts or keep them hidden, and there are also some who push their gifts away out of fear or misunderstanding.

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I also believe that as you grow, your gifts can change.

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There are many different gifts, but if you follow the Bible, there are a few specific gifts that speaks of, and those are administration, apostleship, discernment, encouragement, exhortation, faith giving, healing.

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Hospitality Interpreting tongues, speaking in tongues.

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Knowledge, leadership, mercy, miracles, pastoring, prophesying, teaching, serving, and wisdom.

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Most religions believe in gifts from God, although the variations come in regarding the actual gifts themselves, who and how you get them and the list goes on.

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My mama truly believed in the gifts that I just mentioned, and through my faith and following with the church, so did I.

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I still believe in them today even though I no longer tie myself to a specific church.

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My mama had the gift of prophecy through her premonitions and the ability to speak tongues, which I had seen her do in church one time.

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I have been blessed with the gift of discernment and have had the ability at times to see spirits, demons, and beyond the veil.

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I call it beyond the veil, because I believe that in this world there is a veil that separates us from the spiritual realm, and at times that veil can be lowered so that we can see beyond.

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From my experience, I think it happens at times of extreme duress, which is why so many people have had out of body experiences.

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To me, seeing spirits or demons is different than seeing beyond the veil.

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I have had my own experience of seeing beyond the veil, and I will talk about that experience in a future episode.

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When I tell you about my relationship with David, who I always refer to as the Devil and how I survived.

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My travel tip for today is for those who have cruised and maybe didn't know it, or for those who haven't cruised yet, your cabin walls and ceiling are metal.

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So I always bring magnetic hooks to use in my cabin to help organize things by hanging them up.

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I bought a pack of 10 heavy duty hooks from Amazon and use them on every cruise.

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I have a hanging toiletry bag that I love, and Anne just bought one for our upcoming trip.

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We use towel clips out on the deck, loungers to keep our towels in place.

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We bring our own straws to use on board because I cannot stand the paper straws or the candy straws from the bars.

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We usually have our customized sisters travel tumblers for our soda and water.

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Reach out if you have questions or need suggestions.

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Who is ready for some Mardi Gras?

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Fun.

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Once we heard Carnival was coming out with its first mega ship, Anne and I knew we had to try it out.

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So in August of 2022, we booked a seven night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Carnival Mardi Gras.

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This would be a new itinerary for us and our first mega ship or Excel class as Carnival calls it.

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So it was very exciting.

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We would be sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

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Another first for us with stops in Nassau, Bahamas, Amber Cove Porta Plata, Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk Island.

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We always arrived the day before our cruise, so we have time to rest before boarding our ship the next day.

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And this time was no different.

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We both flew in from our home airports to meet in Orlando.

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I do not like the airport at Orlando.

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It's very confusing.

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I finally found the baggage claim for Ann's flight so I could meet her as I had arrived.

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First, after collecting my sister and our luggage, we made our way to pick up our rental car from budget.

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I had researched and it was cheaper for us to rent a car and drive to Port Canaveral versus paying for an Uber or other car service to make the one hour drive.

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Our first disappointment with the trip was our experience with budget.

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This was my first time using them.

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Normally I use Enterprise, but I wanted to get us a sports car, specifically a Mustang, which is our favorite to drive while we were in Florida.

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'cause why not?

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It was a girl trip and we were in Florida.

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Enterprise did not have the car I wanted, so I went with budget.

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When we got to the counter, there was no one at the counter and we had to wait about 15 minutes before someone showed up to help us.

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Once the gentleman arrived, I showed him our reservation and id, he pulled everything up and let us know.

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They didn't have our requested car at this location, even though my reservation was to pick up at the airport location.

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He said he would have to request for it to be brought over and it would take about 30 to 45 minutes unless we wanted to just take a car in a different category.

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We agreed to wait as we waited.

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Everyone in the line was complaining about the long wait time and several did not get the type of car which they had requested.

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It took two hours for us to get our car and like others before us.

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It was not the Mustang we had requested.

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Instead, we were given a Camaro.

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At this point, we didn't care since it was a sports car and we just wanted to get out of there and head to our lunch destination.

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We were both starving and starting to get a little hangry.

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After leaving the airport, we drove a few miles to eat at Rock and Brews.

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The food was good, and we each had a yummy drink to toast.

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The start of our trip after lunch, we drove the one hour from Orlando to Port Canaveral.

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It took longer as we got caught in a rainstorm.

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I had booked a room for us at the Radisson Resort at the port.

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It was a nice place.

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However, they had two sections, an older part in the back where they were starting to do renovations and a new section in the front.

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Our first room was in the older section, which was fine until the roof started leaking on us.

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We immediately packed up and went to the front desk and spoke with the manager.

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They changed our room to the new section and even upgraded us for the inconvenience.

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Our new room was fantastic, and after we got settled in, we went for dinner at Zarella's Italian and wood-fired pizza, which was near the hotel.

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It was decent, but nothing to brag about.

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The next morning, our true adventure began with an amazing breakfast at Southern Charm Cafe.

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I highly recommend this place, but make sure to get there early as they fill up fast and usually have a line waiting to get in.

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The staff are very nice and friendly.

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Plus the food is the chef's kiss.

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After breakfast, we dropped off our car to budget.

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They offered a free shuttle to the port, so we took advantage and grabbed the shuttle.

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As we pulled into the port, you cannot deny.

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The beauty of Mardi Gras and the size compared to the other ships is mind blowing.

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There were several ships in port that day, and Mardi Gras really stood out, not just in size, but also with the new ship colors, the added bolt rollercoaster, and the ropes course with a zip line that partially goes off the side of the ship.

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All were stunning.

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I couldn't wait to get aboard.

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They had everyone lined up by your check-in time, and since we arrived exactly on time, there was no waiting outside as our line was already moving in once inside.

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The check-in process was very quick and we boarded the ship within a few minutes.

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Per usual, our excitement was building as we walked.

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The gangway waiting to step on the ship for the first time.

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Another jaw dropping moment as we both got our first look at the atrium or Grand Central on Mardi Gras.

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Grand Central is three stories high and is truly breathtaking with floor to ceiling windows.

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There were more people on this ship than any other we had been on, so it was overwhelming during the initial boarding, but it wasn't bad once everybody was on board.

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After we took in the beauty of Grand Central, we were trying to get our bearings so we could find our muster station.

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As we turned to head down the hallway, a family with one lady on a scooter were coming aboard, and I stepped to move out of their way, but the lady turned directly at me and it was like she sped up on purpose.

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So I didn't have time to get out of the way and just put my hand out to try and stop the scooter before it hit me.

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It didn't work.

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The lady ran right into me and over my foot.

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Thankfully, my hand being out had prevented her from knocking me down.

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I was shocked that neither the family nor the lady offered an apology or even asked if I was okay.

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Instead, they got mad as if I had done something.

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The lady backed up her scooter, and as I was trying to move away, she turned around and started coming at me again.

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Ann was able to step in front and pull me away so I didn't get hit a second time.

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She wanted to confront them and take me to the ship's doctor, but I let her know I felt okay, and I just wanted to get on with our fun, and it wasn't worth the confrontation.

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I now suffer from anxiety around scooters on the cruise ship.

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Each time I board, I'm on high alert for anyone on a scooter and I still have issues with my foot.

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We found our muster station and got checked in.

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However, when they scanned Ann's boarding pass, it wasn't pulling up her account so they couldn't check her off.

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The crew member stated it was okay.

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They had made a notation on the paper and would enter it manually later.

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It turned out not to be okay.

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As later before we left, port Anne's sign and sail card stopped working and her name was announced over the intercom to report to her muster station.

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She was embarrassed and I was angry because we had already reported to our muster station and my foot was killing me.

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We made our way back to our muster station and I informed the crew members that I was not happy as we had done our part, but they had failed to do their part.

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This crew member took the time to investigate and it was an issue with the sign and sail card, but they were able to manually sign her off in front of us and then told us to go to guest services to receive a new card, which we did.

00:23:11.307 --> 00:23:14.397
On Mardi Gras, the ship is designed with zones.

00:23:14.938 --> 00:23:19.377
Each zone is a different theme with activities and food to match.

00:23:20.008 --> 00:23:25.258
This is a nod to Royal Caribbean ships, which have different neighborhoods.

00:23:25.852 --> 00:23:31.942
There are also many more restaurants to choose from on this ship versus other carnival ships.

00:23:32.489 --> 00:23:50.878
It is a cool concept, but the design, in my opinion, has a lot of flaws and for this reason I am not excited to sail on it again, or the other two Sister Ships, Jubilee and Festival, which have the same design, but different themes for their zones.

00:23:51.393 --> 00:23:57.788
There are things that I did enjoy, but not enough to outweigh the flaws and the larger price tag for me.

00:23:58.288 --> 00:24:01.407
This cruise, we booked a Havana Cabana cabin.

00:24:02.038 --> 00:24:06.718
So those are all located in a wristband access only area of the ship.

00:24:06.718 --> 00:24:06.928
On deck eight.

00:24:08.362 --> 00:24:10.612
No kids under 12 are allowed.

00:24:11.362 --> 00:24:14.571
There is a dedicated pool for Havana guest.

00:24:14.721 --> 00:24:29.122
However, we were not aware that on Mardi Gras, they cut the size of this pool to accommodate other things, and so the pool is only big enough for a few guests at a time, and it's not very deep.

00:24:29.422 --> 00:24:32.481
So having this pool to me isn't a perk.

00:24:33.073 --> 00:24:43.002
The Havana Cabana cabins have an outdoor lanai area with seating and a swing chair, and have a lattice fence that is only waist high with a gate.

00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:51.400
You open your gate and go down a couple steps, and you have two dedicated sun loungers in your private deck area.

00:24:51.730 --> 00:24:57.339
So having this space was nice and we did use it more than when we have a balcony.

00:24:57.846 --> 00:25:04.145
I think we liked it more because it was like an outdoor patio and we had dedicated sun loungers.

00:25:04.476 --> 00:25:09.096
Plus there is the Havana outside bar just for Havana guest.

00:25:09.601 --> 00:25:19.830
The negative is people do walk by going to and from the pool or bar back to their cabins, and if your curtains are open, they can see into your room.

00:25:20.310 --> 00:25:23.131
It wasn't an issue for us, but I thought I would share.

00:25:23.730 --> 00:25:29.309
The six zones on Mardi Gras are zone one grand central or the atrium.

00:25:29.789 --> 00:25:39.210
This zone has the center stage where a lot of the shows and activities will take place and encompasses three decks with seating on each deck.

00:25:39.714 --> 00:25:43.674
There is not enough seating to accommodate the number of guests on board.

00:25:43.944 --> 00:25:53.305
So you will encounter a lot of people standing in this area on each deck to watch the shows, which makes navigation difficult in this area.

00:25:53.815 --> 00:26:00.654
So your option is to go to a lower deck or a higher deck to cross over to the other side.

00:26:01.237 --> 00:26:02.916
The Java Blue Cafe.

00:26:03.307 --> 00:26:12.426
Bonsai Sushi and Tappenyaki are all located in the zone along with the piano bar and the Punch Liner Comedy Club.

00:26:12.986 --> 00:26:22.855
The Punch Liner Comedy Club is another area that has less real estate than on previous ships, so make sure you line up early for the shows if you want a seat.

00:26:23.494 --> 00:26:25.744
Zone two is the French Quarter.

00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:36.170
The decor and feel of this area screams New Orleans Emerald's Bistro is located here, which is an a la carte restaurant.

00:26:36.410 --> 00:26:52.849
And not only was the food delicious, but the portion sizes are also enough for two to share the Brass Magnolia Bar featuring live jazz music and the fortune tellers bar with its unique, but yummy drinks are located here as well.

00:26:53.393 --> 00:26:55.553
Zone three is summer landing.

00:26:56.093 --> 00:27:08.303
This was our favorite zone and we spent a lot of time here guys, pig and anchor smokehouse and brewhouse where you can get some good barbecue and a beer brewed right on the ship.

00:27:09.113 --> 00:27:11.393
The summer landing pool was the best.

00:27:11.393 --> 00:27:17.542
It is an infinity pool with some in water loungers, and large enough that you don't feel cramped.

00:27:18.219 --> 00:27:22.058
There are plenty of beautiful places to lounge on this deck as well.

00:27:22.778 --> 00:27:33.068
The Watering Hole Pool Bar and the Heroes Lounge for our military folks is also located here along with one of the swirls ice cream stations.

00:27:33.683 --> 00:27:34.824
Zone four.

00:27:35.199 --> 00:27:39.038
La Piazza with a real Fiat car located on deck.

00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:49.058
This area has Cucina de Capitano Italian restaurant, pizzeria de Capitano, and Piazza panini.

00:27:49.808 --> 00:28:01.269
The hot panini sandwiches and pizza are always a hit and bar Della Rosa where you can get authentic espresso drinks and classic Italian cocktails.

00:28:02.169 --> 00:28:04.509
Zone five is the Lido deck.

00:28:05.318 --> 00:28:09.128
The main pool is here, along with all your familiar favorites.

00:28:09.459 --> 00:28:14.858
The Red Frog Tiki Bar encompasses two decks on this ship.

00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:22.538
Guy's Burger, joint Blue Iguana Cantina, seafood Shack, and Swirls Ice cream.

00:28:23.085 --> 00:28:31.964
Newbies include Shaq's Big Chicken and Street Eats, which is a nod to food trucks and has different daily options.

00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:39.028
The Lido Marketplace Buffet is located here, but again, this is another area they changed up.

00:28:39.449 --> 00:28:46.828
The buffet area is smaller now, so the lines are much longer and cramped, and seating fills up very fast.

00:28:47.357 --> 00:28:56.897
Zone six, the ultimate playground contains the bolt rollercoaster, the Waterworks Park, and the Sports Square.

00:28:57.484 --> 00:29:10.775
The other restaurants located on board include Chibang and Asian Mexican Fusion restaurant, Rudy Sea Grill, and Fahrenheit 5 55 steakhouses.

00:29:11.434 --> 00:29:17.825
During our trip, we managed to try every restaurant but one and give a thumbs up to those.

00:29:17.825 --> 00:29:23.420
We tried the late night buffet at Guy Pig and Anchor was our favorite thing to do.

00:29:24.171 --> 00:29:30.050
Before we booked our trip, Anne kept talking about how excited she was to ride the Bolt rollercoaster.

00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:40.904
Even though she has a massive fear of rollercoasters and usually never rides them, it may be weird, but even though I have a fear of heights, I like riding rollercoasters.

00:29:41.144 --> 00:29:44.505
So I was very excited to ride this one on the cruise ship.

00:29:44.998 --> 00:29:52.557
You reserve your date and time and pay the fee on the Carnival Hub app and then show up at your dedicated time.

00:29:53.007 --> 00:30:00.477
As we're walking to the coaster, Anne starts getting very anxious and I told her it would be okay, just like zip lining.

00:30:00.626 --> 00:30:02.217
You're going to be nervous.

00:30:02.277 --> 00:30:04.737
And then once we get going, you will love it.

00:30:05.076 --> 00:30:08.227
And I reminded her how excited she was about doing it.

00:30:08.537 --> 00:30:09.586
When we arrived.

00:30:10.007 --> 00:30:15.017
She was really panicking and I asked her, do you wanna just back out?

00:30:15.586 --> 00:30:19.847
But other people in line were encouraging her and she decided to do it.

00:30:20.228 --> 00:30:28.208
Too bad they don't allow cameras on this ride because what happened would have gone viral.

00:30:29.137 --> 00:30:43.208
If you haven't seen the coaster, it is like a two seater motorcycle, one in front with the handlebars, and you turn the bar back to go, and then there's a button you can push for a one time burst of speed.

00:30:43.717 --> 00:30:47.257
Then there's a person that sits in the back with a bar to hold onto.

00:30:47.766 --> 00:30:54.215
I offered to let Anne drive as I felt that would help ease her fear and give her control.

00:30:54.786 --> 00:30:58.776
She wanted to be in the back, so I was in the driver's seat.

00:30:59.346 --> 00:31:04.385
When the light turns green, you go and you get two loops around per ride.

00:31:04.986 --> 00:31:15.036
I had intended to use the boost for speed, however, I didn't because Anne was screaming nonstop just from the regular speed.

00:31:15.693 --> 00:31:18.124
She was screaming, oh, dear God, help me.

00:31:18.784 --> 00:31:20.013
I'm gonna die.

00:31:20.163 --> 00:31:21.663
Get me off this thing.

00:31:21.784 --> 00:31:23.344
Oh Jesus.

00:31:23.493 --> 00:31:27.153
The photos they took of us on the ride are priceless.

00:31:27.874 --> 00:31:29.253
I couldn't stop laughing.

00:31:29.493 --> 00:31:36.634
She was petrified and everyone below on the ship was pointing and laughing when we stopped.

00:31:36.634 --> 00:31:38.703
She couldn't get off the ride fast enough.

00:31:39.364 --> 00:31:43.263
She said to me, you lied to me.

00:31:43.294 --> 00:31:44.733
It wasn't fun.

00:31:45.413 --> 00:31:49.794
She said she almost died and she was never doing that again.

00:31:50.483 --> 00:31:53.394
The ship has the Carnival kitchen.

00:31:53.753 --> 00:32:00.413
This is a cooking workshop, and they have a large selection of classes to choose from, both savory and sweet.

00:32:01.189 --> 00:32:03.828
It is an additional charge, but worth it.

00:32:04.338 --> 00:32:08.298
We signed up for the cake decorating class and had so much fun.

00:32:08.719 --> 00:32:17.667
You work in teams, so if you are a solo person, they will pair you with someone and it states this on the form you fill out to register for the class.

00:32:18.178 --> 00:32:20.218
However, per usual.

00:32:21.028 --> 00:32:32.067
There was someone in our class that didn't pay attention to that and threw a fit, acting like an entitled Karen, and trying to force them to allow her to decorate a cake on her own.

00:32:32.626 --> 00:32:44.626
The problem is they only have enough workstations for the total number of paired participants, and the cakes are pre-baked based on the total workstations, not per person.

00:32:45.300 --> 00:32:53.611
But once that debacle was squashed, the class was a lot of fun and I think the cake we decorated turned out pretty darn good.

00:32:54.060 --> 00:33:04.050
No surprise though, as Anne is great at decorating and my strength lies in the actual baking, so I did learn a lot from this class.

00:33:04.662 --> 00:33:09.942
Our first port was Nassau Bahamas, and neither of us had been here before.

00:33:10.301 --> 00:33:20.172
However, we had heard and seen a lot of videos about how once you get off in port, there are a lot of people trying to sell stuff, and they're very pushy about it.

00:33:20.951 --> 00:33:25.987
We also didn't see any excursions that were of interest to us except going to Atlantis.

00:33:26.836 --> 00:33:37.605
However, the price for the amount of time you actually get at Atlantis was not worth it to us, so we decided to stay on board and enjoy a nice quiet day on the ship.

00:33:38.205 --> 00:33:42.286
We did, however, get some amazing pictures of Nassau from the ship.

00:33:42.851 --> 00:33:48.131
Our second port was Amber Cove, Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

00:33:48.820 --> 00:33:55.240
I was very excited for this port since this is where they shot part of the original Jurassic Park movie.

00:33:55.817 --> 00:34:03.406
As you're coming into the port, it looks just like the in entry on the movie Jurassic Park.

00:34:04.156 --> 00:34:13.606
There were many things we wanted to see here, so I booked a private driver through Enrique Taxi Tours to take us on a city tour and beach day.

00:34:14.211 --> 00:34:16.222
Enrique was very responsive.

00:34:16.612 --> 00:34:25.192
We communicated through WhatsApp and he sent a picture of our driver and let us know he would be waiting with a sign outside the port gate.

00:34:25.827 --> 00:34:29.157
Our driver, Juan Pablo, was amazing.

00:34:29.788 --> 00:34:39.079
He took very good care of us, treated us like family, told us so much history, and was just an overall wonderful person.

00:34:39.590 --> 00:34:44.661
In Amber Cove, not all drivers can access the port for pickups and drop offs.

00:34:45.021 --> 00:34:49.161
So if you must meet your driver outside the gates, it's a good little walk.

00:34:49.161 --> 00:34:50.181
So be prepared.

00:34:50.740 --> 00:34:57.076
We got to see Pink Street, which was so cute, and the alley with all the umbrellas was pretty.

00:34:57.934 --> 00:35:11.014
We visited town center and Juan Pablo told us about the history and we went to one of the museums and one of the churches, and then we were taken to do some shopping.

00:35:11.615 --> 00:35:22.925
After that, we spent several hours at the beach and were provided with two beach chairs and able to order some lunch and drinks that were delivered to us on the beach by one of the bars.

00:35:23.751 --> 00:35:26.840
And then Juan Pablo drove us back to the port.

00:35:27.414 --> 00:35:31.224
Our last port before returning to Florida was Grand Turk Island.

00:35:31.764 --> 00:35:36.985
We reserved a golf cart rental at this port from Max Cart Auto Rentals.

00:35:37.501 --> 00:35:43.922
Please note it is a very long walk to get out of the gate at this port where you pick up your golf cart.

00:35:44.509 --> 00:35:51.318
There are many different vendors and they sell out quickly, so I advise you to book in advance like we did.

00:35:52.248 --> 00:36:00.768
Once we found our vendor and signed our contract, he quickly showed us how to operate the golf cart and provided us with a map of the island.

00:36:01.668 --> 00:36:05.148
They do drive on the left side of the road on the island.

00:36:05.148 --> 00:36:10.548
So keep that in mind usually Ann is always our driver.

00:36:10.548 --> 00:36:11.688
Anywhere we go.

00:36:12.273 --> 00:36:16.023
And I am the navigator because I know how to read the map.

00:36:16.773 --> 00:36:24.184
However, I don't know what happened, but when we got the golf cart, she panicked and didn't wanna drive it.

00:36:25.023 --> 00:36:31.443
I think it was because it was a gas powered cart, and she's used to the battery powered carts.

00:36:31.681 --> 00:36:35.851
So it scared her to drive this one since it goes a little faster.

00:36:36.181 --> 00:36:37.800
But to be honest, I'm not sure.

00:36:38.262 --> 00:36:45.371
She has driven golf carts before with no issues, but this time she refused, so I had to drive.

00:36:45.898 --> 00:36:52.498
I had no problem driving, but the issue was trying to drive and read a map, which doesn't work out too well.

00:36:53.157 --> 00:37:00.208
So I started getting frustrated and then panicked because I was unsure where we were going or how to get back.

00:37:00.632 --> 00:37:02.193
It was very hot.

00:37:02.282 --> 00:37:05.492
We had walked a long way to get to the golf cart.

00:37:05.943 --> 00:37:07.773
Then she refused to drive.

00:37:08.163 --> 00:37:10.623
I couldn't read the map and drive.

00:37:11.012 --> 00:37:16.713
Then she was asking me questions about the map, which I couldn't answer as I was driving.

00:37:17.568 --> 00:37:25.427
And I was trying to focus since it's the left side of the road and all the cars on the island honk as they pass you.

00:37:25.427 --> 00:37:27.708
And so that like freaked me out.

00:37:28.168 --> 00:37:32.309
This all combined into me snipping at Anne.

00:37:32.795 --> 00:37:37.655
I was finally able to find the way to our first beach stop and pulled over.

00:37:38.164 --> 00:37:44.224
We took some time to soak in the beautiful water and I calmed down and apologized for my rudeness.

00:37:44.864 --> 00:37:53.054
We know each other so well and have traveled enough together that we each have had these moments of snipping at each other on our trips.

00:37:53.594 --> 00:38:06.958
So it usually blows right over because we know how much we are loved by the other person, and we take the time to acknowledge our nasty behavior, and then we just move on.

00:38:07.432 --> 00:38:11.302
After this, Anne took over the driving and things went smoothly.

00:38:11.693 --> 00:38:24.773
We drove to the farthest point of the island, the lighthouse and Anne got to feed the donkeys, some carrots, and then we made our way around just checking out all the cute places on the island.

00:38:25.273 --> 00:38:33.346
We found an off the beaten Path Beach and had the whole place to ourselves for a long time, and then we returned to our ship.

00:38:34.141 --> 00:38:39.121
We both agree Grand Turk was our favorite island and can't wait to go back.

00:38:39.751 --> 00:38:43.501
My hope is for everyone to make memories for life through travel.

00:38:43.681 --> 00:38:47.402
So reach out and let me help you make your next travel memory.

00:38:47.902 --> 00:38:57.532
Tune in again to learn some more about me, hear more about each of my trips, and meet other people in my life as they share their travel experiences.

00:38:58.311 --> 00:39:07.731
Please don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe it's free, and share this on social media with your friends so you can help me grow my channel.

00:39:08.362 --> 00:39:14.541
Leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts about this episode, what you wanna hear more of.

00:39:15.021 --> 00:39:18.472
Ask me a question or tell me about your story.

00:39:19.047 --> 00:39:23.068
I might just read it on the podcast or invite you on as a guest.

00:39:23.668 --> 00:39:24.898
Until next time.