Cruise by Kelsey O'Bryan

         Last spring break my family and I went on a cruise to Florida and the Bahamas. The reason my family and I went on this vacation was for my older brother. He got to pick anywhere to go for his graduation gift from my parents. My brother, Chase, chose to go somewhere tropical.

         My two brothers, my parents and I had a blast on this cruise! It was probably the best vacation we have been on yet. Towards the beginning of the cruise the weather was pretty chilly. When we began to get closer to Florida I could tell that there was a dramatic change in the weather. The fluffy white clouds soared across the bright blue sky. The sun sat peacefully in the sky and I could feel the warmth of its rays on my skin.

         The best part of this amazing experience was spending the day at the cruise line’s private island. It was perfect there. You could hear the workers on the island shouting “Get your fresh cut fruit!” I can still smell the salty air and coconut lotion. The sand was as white as snow in the 88 degree weather. The sun sparkled like jewels as it reflected off the surface of the clear turquoise water. My whole family was so peaceful and relaxed. That was a stress free week for all of us.  I would do anything to be back in my paradise.

         The cruise had lots of opportunities for entertainment. They had comedy performances, live music, movies playing, bingo, card games, and contests by the pool. It was the most beautiful sound listening to the steel drums playing in the distance. They had the best food in the world on this ship. They had fresh cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their fruit was so delicious. They had just about any fruit you can think of: Blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, fresh cut mango, watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and more.

         The work crew on the cruise were all very friendly and would ask my family and me every day, “Is there anything you would like right now?” They would also ask us, “Is there anything we can do for you to make your stay more pleasant?”

At our stop at the Straw Market in the Bahamas, all the vendors were shouting and hollering to get our attention. They would say, “Hey mon! Look here, look here!” as they held up their items for us to see. My family and I had fun bargaining with the vendors, trying to get the best deal. I brought home hand made goods such as earrings, a necklace, a backpack, and a Christmas ornament to remember the Bahamas and the wonderful time we spent there.

         When I was on my cruise I learned that the workers often are from different places throughout the world and have to leave their families for months at a time to make enough money for their families to live on. My favorite worker on the ship was our waitress, Gloria from the main dining room. Gloria was from Ethiopia and hadn’t seen her children in 4 months.  She missed them but she knew that the money she was making was going to help not only so they could survive, but also better their lives.