I'M BACK!!! Plus - the Start of a New Topic: Planning a Cruise Vacation!

It was sunny the whole time we were in the Caribbean... This pic is from Grand Turk, BTW.

My husband and I usually take a vacation in winter - usually in December, right before Christmas. This is because our wedding anniversary is on December 9 - so we usually take a cruise as a combination Anniversary/Christmas gift to ourselves.This tradition started as a massive surprise from my husband for our 10th anniversary: He booked us a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas.It was our first cruise, and we weren't sure if we would like the experience (or not). I like to tell people that the experience of taking a cruise doesn't inspire ambivalence in people - either you'll love it, or it's not for you. When we took our first cruise - we were hooked. Now we joke that we're working to support our cruising addition, and when we're not on a cruise, we're thinking about (or planning) our next cruise.

(In the 5 years we've been cruising, we've taken a total of 7 cruises.)

We were on the Carnival Sunshine - this ship, the Carnival Glory, pulled into Grand Turk at the same time we were there. Yes, the water is THAT blue - and lovely.

This year's getaway was a bit different - we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, so we wanted something a bit more...epic. We took a 10 day cruise, starting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and ending in Port Canaveral, (Orlando), Florida. The ports we visited were St. Thomas,(USVI), Antigua, Dominica, Martinique, St. Croix (USVI) and Grand Turk. It was...amazing. Hectic, fast-paced, jam-packed and AMAZING.

I'm going to start a new topic: how to plan a cruise vacation. I'll talk about EVERYTHING related to the cruise planning process - including topics like:

• Should I plan my trip myself, or should I use a travel agent?
• Which cruise line should I use?
• What should I pack?
• What kinds of activities are available on board? How about in port?
• Should I take a cruise, or go to an all-inclusive resort?

(and other topics, I'm sure).

Don't worry - I'll still continue talking about my obsession with all things beauty related. That won't change at all.

One last pic (yes, still in Grand Turk): 

C'est Moi! Lounging at the beach in Grand Turk. I get relaxed just looking at this pic!