The CV1 was very unusual in that it was both a cruise and an auto trip. I will do wrapups for those two portions separately.
The Carnival Paradise cruise
This was a short, 6-day cruise with ports in Honduras, Belize and Mexico. It left from Tampa and returned there.
Highlights:
- The excursion to the caverns in Belize. It was a unique experience, tubing on an underground river. The guide was very informative. A memorable and very entertaining excursion.
- Food and drinks. We had some very good meals in the dining room and lots of free drinks in the casino.
Lowlights:
- The casino. I lost more money on this cruise than any other. Ditto for Marlene.
- The cruise director. I can’t even remember her name, which says a lot. Just not a very interesting cruise director.
Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico, were both very nice. But nothing other than what I expected from two of my favorite ports. The entertainment on the ship was good, but not great. The ship was weird in many ways, but weird didn’t make it bad. The weather was fine throughout and the seas were relatively calm. It was a good cruise. But not a great cruise.
The auto trip
By the numbers:
- 11 days, 10 nights, 1775 route miles in 6 hops (296 miles per hop).
- 159 extra miles in Charleston and Coral Springs.
- 63.5 gallons of gasoline consumed (30.5 mpg).
- Total fuel cost: $210 ($3.28 per gallon).
- 4 hotel nights (3 in Charleston, 1 in Orlando), total cost: $409 ($102 per night).
Highlights:
- Charleston. What is not to like about this city? It was Marlene’s first time there and she liked it as much as I do. And she found a Goodwill store.
- Marlene’s grandson’s high school graduation. It is a big life moment, of course, but it was also a nice, very efficient ceremony in a comfortable venue. Well done!
- The short stop in Savannah. It rained but we were in one of Marlene’s favorite dress shops.
Lowlights:
- Hop 4. This was the longest hop and we encountered both heavy traffic and detours due to construction. Miserable.
- Coconut Creek Casino. It took our money. Marlene at least had some wins but I had nothing but losses. No fun at all for me.
Planned and actual routes:
This trip evolved into something far different than what I originally planned. This was due primarily to my last-minute decision to go to Charleston rather than Pigeon Forge. I decided Pigeon Forge was just too far. Besides, Marlene had never been to Charleston. There were many other lesser changes, too. The “plan” really evolved on this trip.