On September 10th, a group of 12 Travel campers and 4 staff boarded the Celebrity Equinox Cruise ship! In the morning the group woke up early to catch our flight. The campers were super appreciative of Dalton and Skye for driving us. After making it through our first flight we had a layover in Atlanta, Georgia where we picked up subway. After eating the group hopped on the last flight to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Upon arrival we were able to get all of our luggage and board a shuttle over to the cruise terminal. Once the group checked in everybody went to check out their rooms and explore the ship. For dinner the group ate at a buffet on board and enjoyed various activities going on. Everybody was pretty tired and we all ended up going to bed early.
The Travel group spent a day at Sea aboard the Celebrity Equinox. The group split up and did different activities. Such as watching a hilarious murder mystery play and checking out an art auction where a camper bid on a Looney Tunes painting and won. Other activities included eating gelato, drinking cappuccinos, and going shopping onboard.
In the evening everyone changed into nicer attire and attended a Broadway Cabaret show and then dinner at a nice restaurant. Right before dinner a kind man helped one of the campers fix his tie, then we all sat down and ordered. After the three-course meal everybody was stuffed and headed up to bed excited to visit Grand Cayman tomorrow!
The third day on the cruise was a beautiful day spent in Georgetown Grand Cayman!
In the morning the travel group hopped on a smaller boat that brought us over to the island as the cruise ship is too big for the tiny port.
Upon arrival the campers did a lot of shopping in the port and checked out the beach which had beautiful water.
Once everyone had their fill of the island we all boarded the cruise ship where we ate lunch. Afterwards most people went swimming, sat in the hot tub, and played putt putt.
In the evening we all got dressed up again to attend a comedy show and eat a nice dinner. After dinner everybody turned in for the night they were all super excited for the Dolphin swim tomorrow!
The 4th day on the cruise was spent in Cozumel, Mexico! Upon arrival in Cozumel everybody went shopping. After getting their fill of shooing the travel groups headed to the Dolphinaris excursion. Everybody in group donned a life jacket and stood on a shallow submerged platform to interact with dolphins. The campers were able to receive a kiss on the cheek, pet, tickle, and watch the dolphins dancing and jumping out of the water. Everybody loved interacting with the dolphins it was definitely the highlight for many.
Once we were done with meeting the dolphins the group sat down to eat Mexican food. Afterwards we all took a picture with the huge Cozumel sign and boarded the cruise ship. After getting cleaned up and taking a rest, the group met back up to watch an acrobatic performance in the theatre. Dinner was delicious as usual, the group turned in for the night afterwards.
The 5th day was spent on the sea for the Travel group as we cruised to the Bahamas. The campers loved swimming in the pools and the hot tubs. The campers played bingo, went shopping, ate delicious food and drinks. In the evening everyone dressed up to eat at a nice restaurant and watch a magic show. Afterwards everybody headed off to bed excited for the Bahamas tomorrow!
The last full day on the Cruise ship for the Travel campers was spent visiting Bimini, Bahamas and checking out the shops and beaches. After the group reboarded the ship, we ate a buffet lunch and then hopped in the pool. After a dip in the pool and the hot tub it was time to dress up for the evening.
Once everyone was dressed up it was time for dancing and watching a musical performance. One group attended a VIP Party at the art auction which was fun. Another group hung out at Cafe El Bacho where they drank teas and coffee. Everybody met up again to eat a nice meal at the Silhouette restaurant. The group took a picture with the nice waitstaff that have been helping us all week and wished them the best. Once the delicious meal was consumed we all went our separate ways for the night to get some rest. Tomorrow we will be catching a flight back to Iowa!
On Saturday morning the Travel group had a final meal aboard the Equinox cruise ship. After the delicious meal, the group disembarked the cruise ship and headed to the airport. Upon arrival the group checked in for the first flight and went through security. Due to a bad storm the flight to Chicago ended up being delayed by 2 1/2 hours which caused the group to miss their connecting flight into Cedar Rapids. Luckily for the group, Craig was willing to drive 4 hours to pick us up in Chicago. The airline provided the group with meal vouchers that were used for a late dinner and then everyone hopped on the bus. When we arrived at camp everybody headed to bed for the night.
This morning the group got ready for the day, and we drove over to eat at McDonald’s for breakfast. Once full we headed to the Cedar Rapids airport to pick up the luggage. Most campers were picked up from the airport and the 4 campers left were picked up from camp after a great trip.
