"God Bless Texas"
Friday, February 23, 2024
Travel Day- Long Beach to Houston
Morning
It's always the worst day of any cruise and it's usually the only day with an actual alarm but the day had arrived and our cruise was officially over. We were up around 7:30AM as we had to be out of the stateroom by 8:30AM. We did our traditional Main Dining Room for our Disembarkation breakfast. TIP- We much prefer the MDR to the Lido buffet as SO many people will be towing their own luggage and in our experience, it is just a little too chaotic for our last day of vacation. The Main Dining Room is so much quieter and peaceful.
It's always the worst day of any cruise and it's usually the only day with an actual alarm but the day had arrived and our cruise was officially over. We were up around 7:30AM as we had to be out of the stateroom by 8:30AM. We did our traditional Main Dining Room for our Disembarkation breakfast. TIP- We much prefer the MDR to the Lido buffet as SO many people will be towing their own luggage and in our experience, it is just a little too chaotic for our last day of vacation. The Main Dining Room is so much quieter and peaceful.
Luke wanted to go all out with his LAST "good breakfast" as he said!
After breakfast, we went back to our room to get our bags before getting ready to get off the ship; however, around 8:15AM they made an announcement that debarkation was a little slower than usual so we walked around the upper decks one last time before getting in line to get off the ship. TIP- Due to my Platinum status, we were able to debark with the Top Tier group and was off the ship around 8:40AM. We were also able to use the Platinum line at customs which also helped to speed up the process.
A view of downtown Long Beach
We loved the Carnival Radiance?
Another view of beautiful Long Beach!
Our flight back to Houston did not leave until 1:25PM so we did not have any real plans. And that right there, was our mistake. We walked out of the terminal right into Uber and Taxi's asking where we were headed and we had no answer. Instead of prepping and figuring that part out, we got into a large van and had a guy take us to a holding spot at what would be a Dunkin Donuts. TIP- You cannot turn in luggage for a flight more than 4 hours before and you cannot get into the terminal without dropping off luggage first so we had to find something to do. The driver got us to Dunkin and then we opted to get an Uber to the airport around 10AM to drop off luggage and get checked in. It was kind of a mess and in hindsight, I will now always plan the afternoon for our flight home.
We got to the airport around 10AM and got checked in during a rush of people. We spent the next 3 hours in the small airport of Long Beach enjoying an open restaurant and lunch before boarding our plane back to GOD'S COUNTRY!
The loaded Italian sandwich from the airport was good... worth the $22 I paid for it, NO!
Seriously, I need a second job just to pay for the food in the airport!
Afternoon
The flight was delayed by 45 minutes but that did not bother us too much. The fire alarm also went off as we started to board the plane, which was a little dramatic but made for some memories! The flight itself was painless and rather quick. We ended up not having anyone in either of our middle seats which meant we could all spread out and enjoy the flight home. We got home to Houston around 8PM central time and were back at our home in The Woodlands by 9:30PM.
The flight was delayed by 45 minutes but that did not bother us too much. The fire alarm also went off as we started to board the plane, which was a little dramatic but made for some memories! The flight itself was painless and rather quick. We ended up not having anyone in either of our middle seats which meant we could all spread out and enjoy the flight home. We got home to Houston around 8PM central time and were back at our home in The Woodlands by 9:30PM.
Take me home.. To the place, I belong!
We're riding in comfort today!
This cruise was one for the MEMORY books and we all enjoyed this cruise so much. We loved being able to try not just new ports but also a new EMBARKATION port. We loved sailing from Long Beach and would sail from there again, in a heartbeat.
Our next cruise will be this summer, without the kids. Chris and I will be returning to MY favorite cruise line- ROYAL CARIBBEAN and will be heading back to their private island- Coco Cay in the Bahamas. We have been to CoCo Cay in 2015 before it was "Perfect Day at CoCo Cay" and all built up! We loved the gorgeous waters and the private mentality of the island but we are excited to see how much is has been built up during these nearly 10 years. We will be departing from Miami and Chris has never been so that will be fun as well! Just 45 more days...
BUT... Our next vacation is in just 5 short weeks as we travel to Los Angeles to check off TWO MORE MLB Stadiums on our Bucket List. This will be # 28 and #29 for me and #20 and #21 for the kiddos! It is going to be AMAZING so be sure to check back for updates!
Once again, we GREATLY appreciate your continued support of our blog. Even just clicking on the blog post links and sharing our posts with friends and family members who may be cruising helps our business! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Up Next... Royal Caribbean to the Bahamas!
We are SO EXCITED to finally get BACK TO CoCo Cay!
Perfect Day at CoCo Cay... Here we come!
God is Good... ALL THE TIME!
Carnival Breeze- September 2022 (Kellie's 40th)
Carnival Dream- June 2019
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019
The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- March 2019
The Norwegian Breakaway- November 2018
Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas- 2018
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
