For some reason, taking a family cruise had always felt a little out of reach to me. It was one of those things I thought would be fun to do someday, but I never really imagined us making it happen. The kids, however, were thrilled with the idea! With Shiloh's ongoing health struggles, we hadn't been able to take much of a family vacation this year. So I decided to plan a little further ahead and book a four-day cruise during their fall break, hoping that by then she would be feeling much better.Unfortunately, as the trip approached, her health hadn't improved as much as I had hoped. To complicate things further, I had experienced a health flare of my own just a week before we were supposed to leave.
Having to change or cancel big plans because of health challenges was something we had experienced before, and I hated the thought of disappointing everyone again. But after talking it through, we decided to rally and give it a try, praying that the Lord would sustain us and give our bodies the strength we needed along the way. We chose a cruise departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, since it was the closest port to us and within driving distance.
The kids did great on the drive, although they weren't nearly as enthusiastic about my need to take pictures at the Florida Welcome Center. Cheers to Florida's complimentary welcome juice!
A huge bonus of this trip was getting to spend the night with Beach's aunt and uncle along the way. The weather was absolutely awful, but we enjoyed such a sweet evening visiting with them. What a blessing to have that time together!
After dropping our stuff off, our first stop was the buffet, which was HUGE! It took us a little while just to explore all the options and figure out what everyone wanted to eat. There was certainly no shortage of choices!
The soft-serve ice cream cones quickly became a favorite for certain members of our family.
After lunch, we spent some time exploring the ship and checking out the pools. 
And, naturally, some people needed another ice cream cone.
There was something so exciting about finally being on our way, watching the shoreline disappear and realizing that we were actually doing this!
Our balcony quickly became a favorite spot for enjoying the views and, of course, taking a few fun pictures.
Apparently, a few silly drinks may have been secured while I was off tracking down some motion sickness patches.
After dinner, we made our way to the evening entertainment. Ezra and I went back for jackets, stopping for a few more pictures along the way.
Both were fantastic!
We seriously considered canceling.
The kids did great on the drive, although they weren't nearly as enthusiastic about my need to take pictures at the Florida Welcome Center. Cheers to Florida's complimentary welcome juice!
A huge bonus of this trip was getting to spend the night with Beach's aunt and uncle along the way. The weather was absolutely awful, but we enjoyed such a sweet evening visiting with them. What a blessing to have that time together!
Our heart buckets were full before we even stepped onto the ship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, we got on the road a little later than I would have preferred. Teenage girls. Need I say more? By the time we arrived at the port, there was plenty of traffic, followed by quite a bit of waiting outside in the sunshine. I'm not sure arriving earlier would have actually helped, but it was definitely something to keep in mind for next time!
The next morning, we got on the road a little later than I would have preferred. Teenage girls. Need I say more? By the time we arrived at the port, there was plenty of traffic, followed by quite a bit of waiting outside in the sunshine. I'm not sure arriving earlier would have actually helped, but it was definitely something to keep in mind for next time!
Despite the waiting, my excitement was growing. As we stood in line, I couldn't help taking pictures of the enormous ship towering above us. We were all a little in awe of just how massive it was.
And once we finally started boarding, I continued taking pictures along the way. Everything was so new and exciting!
There was so much to see and take in!
And, naturally, some people needed another ice cream cone.
Before long, it was time to set sail! A hurricane had been threatening to complicate our departure, but thankfully, the weather had cleared enough for us to head out.
Our balcony quickly became a favorite spot for enjoying the views and, of course, taking a few fun pictures.
Apparently, a few silly drinks may have been secured while I was off tracking down some motion sickness patches.
After dinner, we made our way to the evening entertainment. Ezra and I went back for jackets, stopping for a few more pictures along the way.
We managed to catch two shows that first night. One was in a smaller, more intimate setting where we were right up close to the action, while the other was in a much larger theater.
Both were fantastic!
By the end of the evening, I was already so glad we had decided to go.
After all the uncertainty leading up to the trip, and a few stressors along the way, it felt like such a gift to be together, exploring something completely new and making memories as a family.
After all the uncertainty leading up to the trip, and a few stressors along the way, it felt like such a gift to be together, exploring something completely new and making memories as a family.
