Travel

Western Caribbean Cruise with Royal Caribbean

Looking out my window thinking about the -42°C and storm we recently had, I can't help but remember that this time last year, my husband and I were on vacation. Somewhere very warm. Away from the cold. We had actually booked our trip three weeks prior, as a last-minute thing to escape that year's blistering cold winter.


Last year's vacation was all about exploring the Western Caribbean in +Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas, visiting: Falmouth, Jamaica; Labadee, Haiti; and Cozumel, Mexico. This was my second cruise with the Oasis, and I loved the ship just as much as I did the first time.

Fort Lauderdale

Our journey began in the popular port city of Fort Lauderdale. The moment we landed in FLL, a sensation of pure relaxation took over our bodies. I must admit, the first time I heard about Fort Lauderdale, I thought it was some small port town that happened to be by the water. Little did I know it was a fun tourist destination with tons to see and do. The night life is vibrant, the food is good, the shopping is cool and the beach is simply breathtaking. Our favourite was walking by the board walk and watching people swim, roller blade and just enjoy life. 




The Oasis
From the moment we reached Port Everglades, we immediately spotted our ship. It's the biggest, baddest ship on the Floridian coast and is very hard to miss. I have to say, Royal Caribbean is very organized in terms of passenger registrations, baggage control and time management. Their staff works really well together and their efficiency is incredible. It's also great that every staff member comes from a different part of the world. We met a fantastic South African yoga instructor and gym attendant, a Costa Rican cashier at the Coach shop on deck and Brazilian surf instructors. I loved getting to know a few of them.

The ship is absolutely jaw-dropping when you first enter. In my opinion, they have something for everyone. They have a full gym, a beautiful spa, several types of restaurants to choose from, organized sports in their outdoor court, a casino, comedy club, shopping, baking classes, zip lining, surf simulators, card-game room, aquatic performances, Broadway shows, rock climbing, a carousel and anything else that could attract your attention. We even got to do some Yoga on the helipad a few mornings, and that was c o o l. And to top it all off, my hubby and I even got to see the Caribbean server we met the LAST time we were on the Oasis, when we celebrated getting engaged! AND HE REMEMBERED US!!! (See picture below)


Royal Caribbean has a nice rewards program called The Crown and Anchor Society for returning customers. And since it was my husband's third time riding with them, we got an upgraded room, additional discounts on drink packages, invitations to exclusive events and more. It's worth signing up for if you think you may do a few cruises in your lifetime.







Labadee, Haiti
The morning we arrived to Labadee, my husband and I were doing our morning run on the track. It was exciting getting closer and closer to the coast while completing each lap. Before disembarking the ship, we were told that the area we would be exploring for the day was isolated from the rest of the country, with police securing the grounds. The two beaches were nice, and Royal Caribbean organized a nice lunch with burgers, pork chops and fresh fruit. The market was fun to walk through and there were nice trails to follow. 

One thing I craved from this visit, however, was to actually learn about the city's culture. When my husband and I cruised the first time in the Eastern Caribbean, we had the opportunity to explore without facing any distinct dangers.






Falmouth, Jamaica
The next day, it was Jamaica's turn. That day, we planned to go through caves and climb Dunn's River Falls! The online pictures of the falls do not do this landmark any justice. We spent a little over an hour climbing them and cooling off in the fresh water. We also got to buy cool water shoes... Those are definitely useful to not slip.








Cozumel, Mexico
This was the last stop of our cruise, and by now, we were looking forward to just grabbing a cab and going on our own little adventure. We started off by asking a taxi driver to take us to a popular tourist shopping destination, and 15 minutes later, we were there (don't ask me where that was... I completely forgot the name of the area!). We browsed the shops and the very commercial restos until we decided we wanted to experience authentic Mexican grub. 

So we asked around, and the locals eventually led us to a popular fast-food place. We tried out their tortilla wraps and homemade guacamole (which were delicious, just by the way) and continued on with our day. Since we did not have much time to hit up a beach by this point, we walked back to the port. This took us about 45 minutes. Then we saw it. A +Hard Rock Cafe. (Side note: Since we began dating in 2012, it has become an essential tradition that we eat at this restaurant and collect the cocktail glasses every time we travel to a new city and see this franchise. No exceptions to this rule. Oh, and we usually have their yummy fajitas.)








Have you ever been on a cruise before? If so, which cruise line did you go with and where did you visit? Have you been on the Oasis before? Write to me! :)

Connect with my on Instagram @ChezAlesiaDunn !

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Honeymoon Part II: Riviera Maya

To showcase part 2 of my honeymoon adventures, I have chosen none other than "throwback Thursday" (a.k.a. #tbt) to do so. After a wonderful vacation in Cabo, my husband and I grabbed a cab first thing in the a.m., hopped on a plane and made our way to the Mayan Riviera, stopping first in the historically charged Mexico City. For your information, Cabo San Lucas and the Mayan Riviera are at opposite ends in Mexico, so it wasn't a very short distance away, but we got to see a little more this way. =)
The beautiful Mexico City
By the time we arrived to the resort, this time at the +Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun, it was night time, so my husband and I did what we did best and ordered room service right when we got in. And actually, the food was slightly better at this resort than it was at the Dreams (as our travel agent mentioned when we were first scoping out different options), but the rooms were definitely not as impressive as they were in Cabo. As seen in the picture to your right, it looks like a standard hotel room, not even comparing to its Dreams sister-resort.
Excursions

The first Mayan adventure on which we decided to embark was Chichén Itzá. Its distance from the resort is roughly 2.5 hours, so our tour guide make a very appreciated effort to give us as much information and fun facts as he could to keep up entertained on the road. We learned about the Mayans, their extensive history, their cultural beliefs and practises, and also about the different areas through which we were passing. And before getting to the ruins, we stop in a nearby village to do some shopping and indulge in some traditional Mayan cuisine, which included shredded pork, a tortilla, a sort of cabbage salad and orange slices.


The Mayan ruins were gorgeous. We were hit with very heavy rain for about 10-15 minutes at one point, but the sky quickly cleared up for about an hour or so, only to introduce us to another downpour shortly afterwards. But then the hot, beaming sun came out and tried helping us dry our drenched clothes (seriously, everything got soaked). 
See those clouds? Yeah, not as innocent as they look.
The proof is on those shorts--I mean, in the pudding.

Fact: Did you know that as of a few years ago, authorities no longer allow anyone to climb the stairs of these pyramids?
One important lesson my husband and I learned that day was this: Wherever you go in Mexico, make sure to wear a bathing suit underneath since you never know when you will be taken to a cenote! This, my friends, was our second stop of the day. It too was gorgeous, and I was so jealous of everyone who brought their swimsuit, as the water looked so cool and refreshing.


The next excursion we did was the following day at the fun +Xel-Há Park. We actually bought the tickets for this excursion while we were waiting for our plane in Mexico City. They were cheaper this way (we compared the prices when we got to the +Secrets Resort). So just a little heads up to all of you who like to save a little cha-ching here and thing. This park is so much fun. Honestly, when friends and family were describing the place to me, it did not seem as appealing and it felt like they were exaggerating. But I cannot say enough good things about this place! It's like an all-inclusive EVERYTHING. (Alright, there are some things you need to pay extra for, like swimming with the dolphins and stuff, but still.) Their food is all-inclusive and so are most of the attractions (and there is a WIDE variety of inclusions). Some of the activities we did at Xel-Há were: swimming with the very sweet and adorable dolphins, the lazy river, snorkelling, eating, cenote-exploring, walking through the jungle trails, lounging in the hammock
area, etc. Seriously, it was such a great day, I felt like a child at an upgraded water park.



The Resort

As mentioned before, we stayed at the +Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun. And as I also mentioned, the rooms did not look as fancy and as "next level" as the ones at the Dreams Los Cabos. However, the foyer and the grounds of this resort were breathtaking. The decor, colour scheme and fresh flower arrangements made for a very enriching experience. Staff members were very courteous, the resort was very clean, and there was even a bar on the first floor where guests could watch their football.

The beach at the Secrets Capri was swim-safe, so we were able to swim in the Caribbean sea as we pleased. But I do have to say that the water sometimes got cloudy with seaweed and other things, so I was not as tempted to dunk my whole head it at times. On another note, they had a very engaging fitness staff that often encouraged people to play sports and participate in various physical activities. My husband and I really got into the volleyball that was offered and quickly made friends with a few American visitors. I even got to try sea-doing! It was so much fun, but we (I'll say "we" for my husband's sake, but it should really be "he") lost control at one point and got flung into the water. Come to think of it, it was pretty awesome, and we both had a good laugh at it afterwards lol. 

What was also nice at this resort is that they brought in different exotic animals for people to take pictures with. Not only that, but they also offered different types of photoshoots, and people could pick and choose photos they wished to purchase at the +Secrets Capri's professional-looking media section.







I think this has to be my favourite face to look at... <3
In all, this trip was amazing. The memories made in +Mexico were unbeatable, and I feel so lucky to have had my husband, with whom I had the privilege to share these beautiful moments, by my side. Now we are just deciding on where to go next... Thoughts?

Thanks!

-Alesia D.

Let's get social!
Come and join me on Instagram @ChezAlesiaDunn

Ever been to Riviera Maya? Tell me where you stayed and your opinion!


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Honeymoon Part I: Cabo San Lucas

Just over two wonderful years ago, my husband and I tied the knot. To be precise, the deed was done on October 13th, 2013, a.k.a Thanksgiving weekend (in Canada).

A few short hours after our reception party was the flight to Mehico, and boy were we excited! Come to think of it, I am not sure if were more excited about the "being married" part or the "going away on vacation!!!!!!" part. Regardless, we were pumped.

Since it was our first time going to Mexico, we were split on which cities to stay in, so we decided to both pick an area: I picked San Jose del Cabo, while my husband picked la Riviera Maya, both of which offer a great deal of variety in terms of scenery and attractions.

First-night order: caprese salad, chicken parmesan, a cheese burger,
chocolate cake, cheesecake (my FAVE) and some bubbly.
First up was Cabo. Can I just start by saying that this place was f l a w l e s s ? I mean, our hotel suite was to die for, the mountains and surroundings were majestic, and the turtles, well, they were my favourite part!!

For starters, we picked the +Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa. This resort exceeded all of our expectations. Upon landing and finally getting into our room, we decided to get started on some room service, since, naturally, most restaurants were closed by the time we landed. The service, the food and the selection were exceptional, and the servers were so friendly. We were so hungry after a very long day of travelling from Canada to Mexico's extremity.


Turtles

Don't mind the lashes... Post wedding face, you know?
The next morning, we woke up extremely early, at approximately 5:15 a.m., to go for a nice, romantic walk on the beach. One thing that I had been extremely looking forward to experiencing was interacting with newly hatched turtles and helping them get to the water safely. I had done a lot of research prior to our honeymoon on turtle-hatching season to understand that we would be catching it just in time. My initial reaction to them was pure joy, especially due to the fact that this happened on our first morning in Mexico... It was magical.




FACT: Did you know turtle gender is determined by the temperature of the sand at the time of incubation?

FACT: Turtle nesting season begins in July and hatching season stretches from September to December.

There were hundreds of crabs hiding in those rocks... I was afraid.



It was truly a bonding moment for us as a newly married couple, that first morning was. But little did we know, there was so much more to see and do. 


























The Resort

Again, I would like to say that our resort was amazing. Our suite alone felt beyond exotic and the view of the water was breathtaking. The tiles, the draping the details everywhere and the cleanliness of the room made us feel like a million bucks. The resort featured a nice variety of restaurants (Japanese and Italian) and even an 'Adults Only' pool. All their drinks were made to perfection and the in-pool activities were fun to take part in. But since my husband and I aren't big on the golfing thing, we did not quite explore the golfing terrain.

We decided to try out the spa one evening though and thought it would be nice to get an outdoor, sunset massage. This gave us access to the hot tub and sauna before being escorted by our masseuses to an outside cabana, where our massage beds were set up. The massage was nice (I would have personally preferred more pressure during the treatment) but the sound of the waves crashing almost put me to sleep.

See? How gorgeous is this?

If you take a look at the left-hand side of this picture, you will notice a wedding is well under way. There was a wedding celebration Every. Single. Night. It was fun to watch!!
Sunsets and palm trees make me happy. :)



Sushi Night!!
The pool where most of our drinking and sport-playing got done. :)

For some reason, my husband kept on being told he looks like +Tom Cruise by the Americans at our resort. Do you see any resemblance??
One of my favourite pictures of us <3.

Adults' Only Area

El Arco

Now, the following day, we headed out toward El Arco, one of Cabo's most known attractions. I was particularly excited about this because I had done so much research on the location and heard many great things from friends and +TripAdvisor. The ride there was not bad at allperhaps about 20 minutes away? The bus took us through the downtown area to show us what was available in terms or entertainment and food and then dropped us off at the water taxi stop to get to Lovers' Arch. There, we explored the grounds, found some cool (and I mean cool) rock formations beside which we took pictures and snorkelled with hundreds of fish.
Our first glimpse of the Arch!!



This is called "Divorce Beach" because the waves' undertoe is so strong that it can pull someone into the water. So, if two people come to this place, typically only one comes back alive haha.



A new tradition was born when we came to Cabo: Were were on a mission to eat at every Hard Rock Cafe we came across during each and every trip we took!






We felt really safe walking down the streets of Cabo San Lucas. It was a very friendly area with lots to see and do.

My husband and I are looking forward to our five-year anniversary, as we have committed ourselves to return to Cabo at the same time to the same resort, and relive the magic during this milestone. Even to this day, and with a few more trips under our belt, we still see this destination as the one that beats them all.

Join me next week to hear about Part II of our honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera!

-Alesia D.


Let's get social!
Come and join me on Instagram @ChezAlesiaDunn

Ever been to Cabo? Tell me where you stayed and your opinion!
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Good morning folks!

This is Day 2 of me throwing my blogs out there, for the world (well, only #Canada and the #USA for now, according to my blog stats lol) to read.

Once I have organized all my ideas for this section, I will give you the chance to step into my world for a little bit and take a look at the places I have visited.

Expect to hear about places like:
  • St. Maarten;
  • St. Thomas;
  • #Jamaica;
  • #Cuba (for all you American's, get ready to see #beautiful long stretches of #sand... Especially on the East side of the #island!);
  • #Cabo;
  • Riviera Maya;
  • #Cozumel;
  • #Turkey (East side);
  • #Lebanon; and
  • #Syria.
And of course, I have done some regional #roadtrips to places like New Brunswick (I even won big bucks at the Bingo :D), P.E.I., Montreal, Toronto, the Big Apple and #Florida. I've also thrown a few cruises in my #vacation mix to add some variety.

I thank you for your patience and hope you are interested in following my #adventures.

Stay tuned!

-Alesia D.
That sense of freedom you feel when the airplane you are in has finally taken off...

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