Lucky 13- The old, the new and the best is yet to come!
(A #CruiseLikeaDavis recap and a look ahead)
November 2016
(A #CruiseLikeaDavis recap and a look ahead)
November 2016
Chris and I began cruising back in 2006 thanks to a gift from his mom and dad for our wedding. I was very apprehensive at first... hello, have you seen Titanic or read about the real thing? But I tried it anyway and have literally NEVER looked back. They are the perfect vacation as you don't have to do ANYTHING... LITERALLY! You don't have to cook, clean, drive or navigate anywhere, choose restaurants or activities. Cruises are completely at YOUR leisure. Since 2006 Chris and I have sailed on 7 more cruises and have an additional 5 cruises booked. Like I said WE ARE ADDICTED! It truly is the best way to vacation. We do plan on adding a land vacation to our yearly vacation calendar but for now we just LOVE cruising.
Here is an extensive list of our cruises and the corresponding ship. I have also linked up all of the blogs for these sailings (at the end of the post), which have TONS of tips and tricks for each ship as well as lots and lots of pictures. Thank you all so much for following along! This blog would not be near as popular without y'all! God Bless!
Here is an extensive list of our cruises and the corresponding ship. I have also linked up all of the blogs for these sailings (at the end of the post), which have TONS of tips and tricks for each ship as well as lots and lots of pictures. Thank you all so much for following along! This blog would not be near as popular without y'all! God Bless!
Cruise Like a Davis
Cruise Ship Facts & Memories
#1- “6 Davises Storm the
Caribbean”
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Conquest
Date- June 2006
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route A- Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel (2+1)
Cabin #6344- standard balcony
Pre-Cruise
Embassy Suites, Houston, TX
Formal Embarkation day photo
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Conquest
Date- June 2006
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route A- Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel (2+1)
Cabin #6344- standard balcony
Pre-Cruise
Embassy Suites, Houston, TX
The Carnival Conquest
Gross tonnage- 110,000 tons
Length- 953 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,980
Crew- 1,150
Length- 953 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,980
Crew- 1,150
The beautiful Carnival Conquest 2006- Sailing the high seas
Notes
This was our 1st cruise and 1st experience with Carnival and we loved every minute of it. This was a wedding gift from Chris's parents and we traveled with them and his brother, John, and sister, D'Ann. The Carnival Conquest had not had a dry-dock in a while and did not have any upgrades.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- waterslide
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| Embarkation day picture |
#2- “Fun in the Sun”
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Conquest
Date- July 2013 (booked March 2013- 4 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route B- Roatan, Belize, Cozumel (2+1)
Cabin #8363- standard balcony
Pre-Cruise- Southern Louisiana Trip
1- Comfort Suites- Baton Rouge, LA
2- Quality Inn & Suites- Gretna, LA
(free shuttle to/ from terminal and FREE 7 day parking)
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Conquest
Date- July 2013 (booked March 2013- 4 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route B- Roatan, Belize, Cozumel (2+1)
Cabin #8363- standard balcony
Pre-Cruise- Southern Louisiana Trip
1- Comfort Suites- Baton Rouge, LA
2- Quality Inn & Suites- Gretna, LA
(free shuttle to/ from terminal and FREE 7 day parking)
The Carnival Conquest
Gross tonnage- 110,000 tons
Length- 953 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,980
Crew- 1,150
Length- 953 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,980
Crew- 1,150
Notes
This was our 1st real vacation since Natalie was born and our 1st time to leave Luke, then 13 months, for a long period of time. The Carnival Conquest had recently come out of dry-dock and had a LOT of upgrades including the Carnival 2.0 Funship additions like Guy's Burger Joint and Blue Iguana Cantina. We loved this cruise despite it being our 2nd trip on the Conquest.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Guy's and Blue Iguana
It is with this cruise we started a tradition... A picture with the Captain and the cruise director. Cory Rogers remains our favorite cruise director of ALL TIME! He is amazing but unfortunately no longer with the company.
This was our 1st real vacation since Natalie was born and our 1st time to leave Luke, then 13 months, for a long period of time. The Carnival Conquest had recently come out of dry-dock and had a LOT of upgrades including the Carnival 2.0 Funship additions like Guy's Burger Joint and Blue Iguana Cantina. We loved this cruise despite it being our 2nd trip on the Conquest.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Guy's and Blue Iguana
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| Traditional Embarkation Ship picture |
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| The Great Western Barrier Reef- Belize- 2013 |
# 3- “Somewhere Beyond the
Sea”
7 Day Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Date- August 2014 (booked January 2014- 7 months out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route A- Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Falmouth (1 +2)
Cabin- “hump” balcony (purchased as guarantee)
Pre-Cruise
We drove to the Galveston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of.
7 Day Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
Date- August 2014 (booked January 2014- 7 months out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route A- Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Falmouth (1 +2)
Cabin- “hump” balcony (purchased as guarantee)
Pre-Cruise
We drove to the Galveston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of.
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| Quite possibly the best picture of us EVER! |
The Navigator of the Seas
Gross tonnage- 138,289 tons
Length- 1,020 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,276
Crew- 1,213
Length- 1,020 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,276
Crew- 1,213
Notes
The Navigator had just come out of a dry-dock weeks before and they were still working out the kinks. The buffet and cabin areas were not ready for nearly an hour after we boarded which left a bad taste for Royal Caribbean in our mouths but we did not let it ruin our cruise. We had just lost 210 pounds combined and were in the best shape of our lives. This cruise really started the ADDICTION.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- FlowRider and IceRink
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| Embarkation Day on the ship. |
#4- “Lifestyles of the Rich
and Famous”
7 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas
Date- March 2015 (booked July 2014- 8 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route C- Key West, Nassau, CoCo Cay- RC Private Island (1+2)
Cabin #8550- Interior (our 1st ever)
7 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas
Date- March 2015 (booked July 2014- 8 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route C- Key West, Nassau, CoCo Cay- RC Private Island (1+2)
Cabin #8550- Interior (our 1st ever)
Pre-Cruise
Quality Inn and Suites- Gretna, LA
(This time this hotel was DISGUSTING and literally made me sick... I vowed NEVER AGAIN)
The Serenade of the Seas
Gross tonnage- 90,090 tons
Length- 962 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,490
Crew- 891
Length- 962 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,490
Crew- 891
Notes
This was our first cruise to the Bahamas and we fell in love with that region. We talked a lot on our CruiseCritic group before the cruise and had a great Cabin Crawl with them. We made life-long cruising friends through this cruise. We toured all types of cabins including the ROYAL SUITE. We went all out on this cruise and we lived the life of the rich and famous (thanks to our CruiseCritic friends) and even splurged on The Chefs Table and the steakhouse.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- helicopter pad
CoCo Cay, Bahamas- Royal Caribbean's private island- 2015
#5- Do You Believe in Magic
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Magic
Date- June 2015 (booked September 2014- 9 months out)
Departure- Galveston
Route A- Montego Bay, Jamaica- Grand Cayman- Cozumel (2+1- rerouted)
Cabin #2334- cove balcony
Pre-Cruise
We drove to the Galveston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of departure.
The Carnival Magic
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Magic
Date- June 2015 (booked September 2014- 9 months out)
Departure- Galveston
Route A- Montego Bay, Jamaica- Grand Cayman- Cozumel (2+1- rerouted)
Cabin #2334- cove balcony
Pre-Cruise
We drove to the Galveston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of departure.
Gross tonnage- 130,000
Length- 1,004
Guest Capacity- 3,690
Crew- 1,367
Length- 1,004
Guest Capacity- 3,690
Crew- 1,367
Notes
This cruise started off "rocky"... literally, as we were rerouted and traveled through the tail ends of Tropical Storm Bill. This was the roughest seas we have ever sailed. We were locked out of our Cove Balcony for the 1st 36 hours of the cruise and Chris forgot all of his formal clothes. Needless to say it was the most memorable of our cruise to that point. The Carnival Magic did not have any of the Funship 2.0 upgrades at this point.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- WaterWorks and Oceanside BBQ
Embarkation Day photo
With the captain and the cruise director, James (my least favorite EVER)
Our formal pictures on this cruise consisted of crazy pirate pictures and Chris in shorts!
Ahhh- the memories!
I love these because I wore a gorgeous cocktail dress and he was in jeans and polo!
Traditional ship picture
Montego Bay, Jamaica- 2015
#6- “Triumphant Thanksgiving”
This cruise started off "rocky"... literally, as we were rerouted and traveled through the tail ends of Tropical Storm Bill. This was the roughest seas we have ever sailed. We were locked out of our Cove Balcony for the 1st 36 hours of the cruise and Chris forgot all of his formal clothes. Needless to say it was the most memorable of our cruise to that point. The Carnival Magic did not have any of the Funship 2.0 upgrades at this point.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- WaterWorks and Oceanside BBQ
With the captain and the cruise director, James (my least favorite EVER)
Ahhh- the memories!
Montego Bay, Jamaica- 2015
#6- “Triumphant Thanksgiving”
4 Day Holiday Cruise
Ship- Carnival Triumph
Date- November 2015 (booked February 2015- 9 months out)
Departure- Galveston
Route- Cozumel
Cabin #6308- Interior
Pre-Cruise
We drove to the Galveston cruise terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the day of departure.
Ship- Carnival Triumph
Date- November 2015 (booked February 2015- 9 months out)
Departure- Galveston
Route- Cozumel
Cabin #6308- Interior
We drove to the Galveston cruise terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the day of departure.
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| The absolute BEST picture EVER! Are we having fun yet? |
The Carnival Triumph
Gross tonnage- 101,509
Length- 893
Guest Capacity-2,754
Crew- 1,100
Gross tonnage- 101,509
Length- 893
Guest Capacity-2,754
Crew- 1,100
Notes
This was our 1st time to sail with the kids and we also traveled with my parents and sister, Allison. It was a Klingsick/Davis Thanksgiving cruise and began a tradition for our families. The kids LOVED the cruise despite the rough waters on the 1st seaday. The Carnival Triumph had been remodeled and had all of the Funship 2.0 upgrades.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Guy's Burger Bar and Dr. Seuss Breakfast
Embarkation day picture!
Us with the Captain and cruise director, Kirk. He was a great CD!
The Davis/Klingsick Cruise... we may have started a tradition!
Our ship, the Triumph, docked at Cozumel, Mexico.
Mr. Sanchos Beach Club- Cozumel, Mexico- 2015
#7- “Not Your Granddaddy’s Cruise”
7 Day Western Caribbean Sailing
Ship- Caribbean Princess
Date- March 2016 (booked December 2015- 4 months out)
Departure- Houston, TX
Route B- Cozumel, Roatan, Belize (1+2)
Cabin- sideways inside
Traditional formal embarkation photo!
Pre-Cruise
We traveled to the Houston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of departure.
7 Day Western Caribbean Sailing
Ship- Caribbean Princess
Date- March 2016 (booked December 2015- 4 months out)
Departure- Houston, TX
Route B- Cozumel, Roatan, Belize (1+2)
Cabin- sideways inside
Pre-Cruise
We traveled to the Houston terminal from our home in The Woodlands, TX the morning of departure.
The Caribbean Princess
Gross tonnage- 112,894
Length- 951
Guest Capacity- 3,142
Crew- 1,200
Gross tonnage- 112,894
Length- 951
Guest Capacity- 3,142
Crew- 1,200
Notes
This was our 1st time to sail on Princess and we loved the "complete escape" it allowed us. We did not do many excursions and just stayed on the ship. We loved the Caribbean Princess and the overall service and upscale of Princess Cruise Lines.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Sanctuary
Our traditional ship picture- Princess did not offer formal backgrounds of the ship, which I found interesting.
The captain did not pose for pictures.
#8- “A Legendary Trip North to
Alaska”
7 Day Alaska Cruise
Ship- Carnival Legend
Date- June 2016 (booked March 2015- 15 months out)
Departure- Seattle, WA
Route Alaska- Dawes Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria B.C. (1 SD)
Cabin #7349- aft balcony
Pre-Cruise- North by Northwest- A trip to Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C.
1- Four Points by Sheraton- Vancouver, B.C., Canada
2- Embassy Suites- Lynnwood, WA (incredible stay)
We LOVED Seattle!
Depending on the election... Vancouver, B.C. may become my new home!
*JUST KIDDING... Kinda!
Post-Cruise- Mariners Game and Safeco Field, Seattle, WA
I have waited a LONG time to see this stadium!
7 Day Alaska Cruise
Ship- Carnival Legend
Date- June 2016 (booked March 2015- 15 months out)
Departure- Seattle, WA
Route Alaska- Dawes Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria B.C. (1 SD)
Cabin #7349- aft balcony
Pre-Cruise- North by Northwest- A trip to Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C.
1- Four Points by Sheraton- Vancouver, B.C., Canada
2- Embassy Suites- Lynnwood, WA (incredible stay)
*JUST KIDDING... Kinda!
Post-Cruise- Mariners Game and Safeco Field, Seattle, WA
The Carnival Legend
Gross tonnage- 88,500
Length- 963 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,124
Crew- 930
Gross tonnage- 88,500
Length- 963 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,124
Crew- 930
Notes
This was by far the BEST cruise EVER. We loved every minute of it and are already planning another return to Alaska. The ship was the smallest we had sailed up to that point but we never felt crowded (except at the buffet on sea-days). We loved the crew of the Carnival Legend and the entertainment staff.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- our aft balcony (we stayed here most days... well worth the $$)
With all of the excitement of the cruise and Alaska's beauty we missed our traditional SHIP picture all together... bummer! I guess that means we will have to sail on the Carnival Legend once again sometime!
We LOVED Alaska and we will be back... SOON!
#9- “Give me Liberty, Give me Valor”
6 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Valor
This was a ship change from the original Carnial Liberty as in October of 2016 the Liberty was suffering propulsion issues so had to be moved to Florida.
Date- December 2016 (booked April 2015- 21 months out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route B.2- Costa Maya, Belize, Cozumel (1+1)
Cabin #9198- Deluxe Scenic Oceanview
We were upgraded to this option as our original #9260 was not available as a cabin for FOUR when the ship change happened. Carnival took care of us and were HIGHLY impressed.
The Carnival Valor
Gross tonnage- 110,000
Length- 952 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,974
Crew- 1,160
Notes
This cruise was booked as a 5 day sailing for an incredibly low price of $214/pp but turned into a 6 day cruise about 3 months after we booked... another reason to book early! This was the 2nd cruise with the kids and it was AMAZING! Hardly any hiccups... but LOTS of great memories.
Gross tonnage- 110,000
Length- 952 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,974
Crew- 1,160
Notes
This cruise was booked as a 5 day sailing for an incredibly low price of $214/pp but turned into a 6 day cruise about 3 months after we booked... another reason to book early! This was the 2nd cruise with the kids and it was AMAZING! Hardly any hiccups... but LOTS of great memories.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Inside our Scenic Oceanview Cabin.
#10- “Living the Dream”
7 Day Bahamas Cruise
Ship- Carnival Dream
Date- March 2017 (booked April 2015- 11 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route C- Key West, Nassau, Freeport (1+2)
Cabin #6360- Interior (sideways cabin at 174 SQFT)
7 Day Bahamas Cruise
Ship- Carnival Dream
Date- March 2017 (booked April 2015- 11 months out)
Departure- New Orleans, LA
Route C- Key West, Nassau, Freeport (1+2)
Cabin #6360- Interior (sideways cabin at 174 SQFT)
The Carnival Dream
Gross tonnage- 130,000
Length- 1,004 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,652
Crew- 1,369
Notes
This is always a much needed cruise in the middle of the school year for 2 very tired teachers. This was a very exciting yet relaxing cruise. We did VERY LITTLE on most sea days. We saw Freeport, Bahamas for the 1st time and were not impressed. We also experienced one of our favorite shore excursions of all time in Key West- Shark feeding! It was a great cruise and we loved the Dream.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Lanai
Gross tonnage- 130,000
Length- 1,004 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,652
Crew- 1,369
Notes
This is always a much needed cruise in the middle of the school year for 2 very tired teachers. This was a very exciting yet relaxing cruise. We did VERY LITTLE on most sea days. We saw Freeport, Bahamas for the 1st time and were not impressed. We also experienced one of our favorite shore excursions of all time in Key West- Shark feeding! It was a great cruise and we loved the Dream.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship- Lanai
STILL TO COME...
#11- “BREEZING through summer”
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Breeze
Date- July 2017 (booked May 2016- 13 months out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route B- Mahogany Bay, Belize, Cozumel (1+2)
Cabin #7282- Interior
7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Breeze
Date- July 2017 (booked May 2016- 13 months out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route B- Mahogany Bay, Belize, Cozumel (1+2)
Cabin #7282- Interior
The Carnival Breeze
Gross tonnage- 130,000
Length- 1,002.6 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,690
Crew- 1,386
Notes
This will be our 3rd cruise with the kids and their 1st 7 day sailing. This will be the largest and newest of the Carnival ships we have sailed on.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship-
Gross tonnage- 130,000
Length- 1,002.6 ft
Guest Capacity- 3,690
Crew- 1,386
Notes
This will be our 3rd cruise with the kids and their 1st 7 day sailing. This will be the largest and newest of the Carnival ships we have sailed on.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship-
#12- “Sailing in 35... the Suite Life”
5 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Valor
Date- September 2017 (booked May 2016- 15 month out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route- Cozumel, Progresso (1+1)
Cabin #7262- Ocean suite
5 Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Carnival Valor
Date- September 2017 (booked May 2016- 15 month out)
Departure- Galveston, TX
Route- Cozumel, Progresso (1+1)
Cabin #7262- Ocean suite
The Carnival Valor
Gross tonnage- 110,000
Length- 952 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,974
Crew- 1,160
Notes
This is an all girls cruise with Natalie, my mom (Gigi Shirley) and my sister (Allison). We will be sailing on my 35th birthday and living it up in a SUITE! This will be my 2nd time on the Carnival Liberty and my 1st time to Progresso, Mexico.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship-
Gross tonnage- 110,000
Length- 952 ft
Guest Capacity- 2,974
Crew- 1,160
Notes
This is an all girls cruise with Natalie, my mom (Gigi Shirley) and my sister (Allison). We will be sailing on my 35th birthday and living it up in a SUITE! This will be my 2nd time on the Carnival Liberty and my 1st time to Progresso, Mexico.
Favorite Part/ Area of the Ship-
#13- “Finding Pearls”
7 Day Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Norwegian Pearl
Date- March 2018 (booked October 2016- 17 months out)
Departure- New Orleans
Route B+1- Cozumel, Roatan, Harvest Caye Belize (NCL Private port) and Costa Maya (1+1)
Cabin #5510- OceanView
7 Day Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise
Ship- Norwegian Pearl
Date- March 2018 (booked October 2016- 17 months out)
Departure- New Orleans
Route B+1- Cozumel, Roatan, Harvest Caye Belize (NCL Private port) and Costa Maya (1+1)
Cabin #5510- OceanView
The Norwegian Pearl
Gross tonnage- 93,530
Length- 965
Guest Capacity- 2,394
Crew- 1,099
Notes
This will be a "mid-life crisis" cruise for Chris as he will be a few weeks away from turning 40. We booked this on an incredible deal featuring a FREE unlimited drink package and FREE specialty dining package. This will be our 1st time on NCL and we really excited! This will complete our "MAJOR CRUISE LINE" sailings as we will have sailed on the BIG FOUR (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and NCL).
Gross tonnage- 93,530
Length- 965
Guest Capacity- 2,394
Crew- 1,099
Notes
This will be a "mid-life crisis" cruise for Chris as he will be a few weeks away from turning 40. We booked this on an incredible deal featuring a FREE unlimited drink package and FREE specialty dining package. This will be our 1st time on NCL and we really excited! This will complete our "MAJOR CRUISE LINE" sailings as we will have sailed on the BIG FOUR (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and NCL).
The next BIG ONE...
Baltic Cruise for our 15th Anniversary in 2021 (Yep... I am planning this already). Just think... our kids will be 12 and 9 at that point... Wow, that is scary! I don't even want to think about how old we will be!
Baltic Cruise for our 15th Anniversary in 2021 (Yep... I am planning this already). Just think... our kids will be 12 and 9 at that point... Wow, that is scary! I don't even want to think about how old we will be!
Once again, Chris and I are addicted and we just love CRUISING. It really is the BEST way to vacation. There is no cooking, cleaning or even planning (once on board) really. We LOVE land vacations and hope to see some of the GREAT cities of the world but until then we will...
KEEP CALM and CRUISE ON!
Thanks for following along!
Thank You Lord for all these opportunities!
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Carnival Legend- 2016
Caribbean Princess- 2016
Carnival Triumph- 2015
Carnival Magic- 2015
Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas- 2015
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas- 2014
Carnival Conquest- 2013
Carnival Conquest- 2006
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