A Caribbean Honeymoon- the beginning of happily ever after

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Tippetts!

February 11th was a beautiful day. Blue skies and warm weather welcomed Jason and I out of the temple the day of our wedding.

So many emotions were felt that day.

I reminded myself multiple times throughout our engagement that I am/was preparing for a marriage, not a wedding. It's easy to get sucked into the hype of a beautiful wedding and completely forget what it means to live happily ever after. So when our special day did not carry out exactly as I had planned, I did my best to remember what a marriage really means.

This is what it's all for- to be married to the one you love. And now that's a reality for us. :)

02/11/2011 flew by. Before we knew it Jason and I were wed and waved goodbye. As a wedding gift, an amazing friend of ours booked us a room at The Grand America- Utah's only 5-star hotel, and by far my top pick for our first night.


With the stress of the wedding finally behind us, I expected to sleep far into the following day, but surprisingly enough The Captain and I were up and checked out by 10 am Saturday morning.


As Jason went to tip the valet, I waited in the lobby with our bags. Passing women must have seen my dress draped over my arm, because they approached me in flocks with excited banter, "Oh my gosh did you just get married?? What a beautiful dress! What an exciting time!"

Checked out of the beautiful Grand America, we headed home (yes our home!) We invited family over to munch on the loads of leftover hors d' oerves and cake as we opened our lovely wedding gifts. Then that evening we flew out of Utah to embark on the honeymoon adventure of a lifetime.

It was a surprise honeymoon destination, and Jason kept it that way until I couldn't take the suspense any longer.

When he told me, I was thrilled to hear we'd be spending an entire week in the Western Caribbean! I had never been on a cruise, let alone heard of MSC, (a mostly-European line)but I was more than excited to fly out to Florida and board our ship!

After a day at sea we found ourselves in the Florida Keys for the first stop.

When we lived in Florida two summers ago, Key West was the source of many weekend road trips. Who knew the next time we'd walk its' streets we'd be on honeymoon!




Familiar with the streets of the island, Jason and I vetoed the excursions of the ship to venture out on our own.







Margaritaville is a must in Key West. This would be our third time visiting Jimmy Buffett's for their amazing volcano nachos!

I was determined to find the biggest floppy hat I could in Mexico, but as soon as I stumbled upon this beauty I had to have it. Lovely isn't it?

Even Jason seemed to like it! haha

We checked out the famous Little White House.

A crazy sand statue of Truman.

Rum raisin ice cream at a local ice cream parlor. I've never had anything like it!

After a long day perusing the streets of Key West it was back to the ship for a romantic evening of dinner and dancing for Valentines.

Another day at sea and we approached the shores of Jamaica early Wednesday morning. The skies were gloomy, but we booked an excursion anyway. After all, you can't leave Ocho Rios without a trip tothe famous Dunn's River Falls!

With the help of water shoes and the person next to you, tourists hike the 1,000 foot waterfall in a gigantic human chain.

Geologists describe Dunn’s River Falls as "a living phenomenon" because they are continuously rebuilt from deposits of calcium carbonate and sodium from the river water as well as one of the very few waterfalls in the world that empties directly into the sea.

The falls get thousands of visitors every year, as well as frequent visits from Hollywood. Both Tom Cruise and Sean Connery have filmed movies there.

The next part of our excursion was a beach bash at Dolphin Cove. With another couple from the ship, we grabbed burgers and drinks and settled down to watch the waves.

When Jason spotted stingrays off the dock, he begged like a baby puppy. Please can we go touch them Shan??? The local advertising the adventure assured us it was free, but as with anywhere in Jamaica, free means "No cost, tips required."

As soon as we stepped off our bus, a couple of locals covered us in beaded necklaces, dousing us with compliments and questions. "Free, free," they kept insisting. But as soon as you accept their kindness, the truth comes out. "A man's gotta eat mon, he's gotta provide mon. "Four dollars, four dollars mon to help us out mon." We learned really quickly that if you don't put your foot down, the locals will walk all over ya.

Anyways, in this rare case free did in fact mean free. The only catch was that I couldn't go with him to snap pictures, as they want you to buy pics from their photographer. So I stayed on the dock and practiced my camera's super super zoom to capture the best part of Jason's day. He loved it. :)

These locals put on a show with a couple of bullsharks.

Dolphin Cove was such a fun place. The ocean-side stores resembled those of Pirates of the Caribbean and locals hobbled around on peg legs, hiding behind corners to jump out at unsuspecting passers. During our stop we noticed numerous Jamaicans missing legs, and we chalked it up to the frequent use of machetes and little health care. Seriously, we watched a guy 'trim de hedges' along a street with a machete. Can you imagine how easy it would be to miss the bush and go straight through your leg?? Good for them though, to use such a tragedy to their advantage. That's humor right there, to lose a leg and become a pirate. :)

Driving on the wrong side of the road sure took some getting used to! These are real street signs!

These birds were so cool! They were talking and whistling on cue, then the parrot ate a seed right from Jason's lips!

After the beach bash we went into town for souveniers at the Taj Mahal shopping center. We had to get authentic jerk seasoning in Jamaica of course!

Having never been away from the United States, I was immediately struck by the level of poverty in Jamaica. This barbed wire fence seperated the cruise ships from the city of Ocho Rios. You must pass through heavy security before getting past it.

With an hour left at our stop, our friends Mark and Kelly suggested we try authentic jerk chicken at a nearby restaurant. As we waited for a server I left the table to snap pictures of the view. All of a sudden a creature emerged from the water and lunged himself toward me. He was missing teeth as well as shirt and shoes, and he scaled up the dock like a crazed water monkey, dangling necklaces from his dirty fingers. "Jewelry for the lady??" he crooned. I swiftly backed up and relocated to Jason's side, but he continued to whistle and croon through the slats in the wood. His friend had joined him now, emerging from under the dock like hobos under a bridge.

He had marijuana, and was happy to share. We turned back to our menus, ignoring their catcalls until one visitor caught my attention. He was the youngest of them all and not as scary as the others. He was motioning to me, and I rudely brushed him off with a wave of my hand. "Not interested, can't you see?" But then he pulled at my heart.

The motions he made weren't for drugs or money, but a universal sign we don't often see in America. He rubbed his belly and brought a hand up to his lips.

He was hungry.

Twenty minutes had passed since we first sat down and our server had not yet come to take orders. In fact, she hadn't made it to our table at all. Short on time, we decided to head back to the ship without jerk chicken. I was bothered by that boy in the water though, and so were Mark and Jason. So we called him over and gave him a job. For a few American dollars we asked him to take a bottle and fill it with sand, a souvenier Jason and I collect at each vacation spot.

He was thrilled with the request. We watched him for a full 5 minutes, carefully scooping only the best grains from the dry sand of the beach.

For days that little boy was engrained in my head. As this boy begs for food in cold water, we board a ship overflowing with fortune. I know it happens every day, poverty all over the world, but it doesn't sink in until it calls out your name.

How grateful I am for the life I've been given.

Every place we stopped seemed better than the one before. The Cayman Islands were bustling with tourists eager to explore.

The only excursion Jason really wanted to take was a trip out to Stingray City, a popular destination known for the amount of stingrays in the area. So as soon as we stepped onto the island Jason and I tracked down some locals selling tickets. It was 80-something degrees, and perfect for a day of frozen lemonade and ocean breeze.

Sailing out with the locals was a whole different experience than taking a ship excursion. A small boat made for a small crowd, and an intimate one at that. We made friends with a couple from Phoenix and then I met a woman from Utah, and Ogden at that! In fact, of all the people I met in the Cayman Islands I found out that she literally lives down the street from me!

Now would be an appropriate time to sing it's a small world!

Jason was off the boat as quick as can be, but I took my time, warming up to the water and working up the courage to swim with sea creatures as big as bathmats.

I climbed onto Jason's back and looked over my shoulder for approaching dark shadows sneaking toward us in the water. For the sake of pictures I eventually held one in my arms, gritting my teeth and avoiding its' beady black eyes. It was slimy, and so heavy you think it'd sink right to the bottom of the ocean. As soon as the last picture was taken I handed the ray off to the next tourist and swam back to the boat where I wouldn't be in danger of stepping on massive sea creatures. It was neat to see, but I was much more comfortable with the second part of our excursion- snorkeling far away from the swarming group of rays in Stingray City.

On the boatride out to Stingray City we passed a neighborhood of gorgeous homes right on the ocean. How amazing it would be for your backyard to lead right into the sea! Unless you had kids of course. Then no bueno.

Just as I was imagining how amazing it would be to live on island, I spotted a HUGE iguana sunning itself on the rocks of someone's backyard. But there wasn't just one, but another and another, until I had counted a full 12 in a matter of minutes! Scratch that, I aint livin anywhere with lizards as tall as me!

Following our snorkeling/stingray excursion we returned to town for souveiners and sand. I was happy to find a pretty shell picture frame where our stingray snapshot would fit nicely.

Cozumel! Our final destination was by far our favorite. Rumored as the best snorkeling in the Caribbean, we booked an excursion with Fury, a company we'd snorkeled with a couple years ago in Key West.

The catamaran was a lot smoother than the little boat we'd been out on the Cayman Islands, but it was also much more crowded. The woman who took this picture of this quickly became a good friend of mine on the cruise ship. After the excursion we'd meet up at the ship hot tub and the ship restaurant at dinner to visit. We talked about her work as a Stella and Dot representative (love their jewelry- check it out!) and her family's property rentals in Florida. Melissa was such a spirited, determined woman, and I really enjoyed her company. It's hard though, to get close to such good people and then turn around and say goodbye a matter of days later. We exchanged contact information though. Maybe one day I'll be lucky enough to see her again.

Following an hour of crystal-clear snorkeling we got back on the catamaran for a trip to Fury's private beach. It was a party for sure- bumping up the island music and passing around free soda and margaritas.

My favorite part of the day was definitely the beach. It was a mecca of fun-filled activites and relaxation. Feel free to sleep in a hammock, or take a nap in your very own beach bungalow.

Jason's favorite part was the water toys where he could tumble down the blow-up slide and into the warm ocean.

We even got to kayak! Now that will test your communication skills!

We were sad to leave the beach, but it was time to head back into town. On the way we started to hit rough water, and I got sicker and sicker by the minute. By the time we docked I was incredibly nauseas, and in a lot of pain. It didn't take long, though, to discover that I wasn't seasick, but that I'd been surprised by a monthly visitor. :/

As soon as we got into town we tracked down a drugstore to find some Midol. Surprise surprise though, everything was in Spanish! Jason found a little pink box with 'femin' scrawled across it and I couldn't have cared less what was in it as long as it'd take away the pain.

We were both eager to find some authentic mexican food and since I really just needed to relax, I thought a bite to eat would be good for us. Honestly, I have never tasted better tacos in my life, but I was feeling worse by the second, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold down more than a few bites.

It was getting bad. Really bad. I hadn't had cramps that bad since my first year of girls camp when I had curled up on the floor of the lodge and cried for my mom. This time wasn't much different. I remember thinking, "Omg I'm going to die in this little mexican restaurant!" I felt as if the only thing that would make me feel better was to lay down. And now. So halfway through our meal I got up and stumbled out of the restaurant and across the street looking for somewhere to lay down. But my vision was going in and out, and I tumbled into a patch of grass face first, where I stayed for 20 minutes.

Either my mexican midol had kicked in or laying down had helped, because 20 minutes later I was good as new. Jason helped me up and we headed down the street. One mexican man had watched the whole scene unfold, and when he saw us hobbling away he yelled, "Seniorita seniorita! No more tequila for you!!"

:)

With an hour left in Cozumel, we went on the hunt for playing cards and a magnet for our fridge. On the way though, I came across a little store selling designer bags and I had to stop. The good thing about this is that selling these bags are legal, unlike our experience on Canal Street in New York, and you can barter with them. I'm happy to say that I walked away with two gorgeous Coach bags for $35!

Since I'd never heard of MSC, I was a little wary. But at each meal we'd older couples who'd been on 15+ cruises, and their opinion was always that MSC is up there in rankings with Royal Caribbean, if not better. Being an international cruise line meant every annoucement was made in four different languages, but we met a wide range of people, mostly from Canada, but a lot from Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Chicago, etc.

Since I get airsick, seasick, and every other kind of sick, The Captain was sure to get a room with a balcony suite. We used it often, taking drinks and pizza with us as we enjoyed the breeze, or discussing excursions to take in the company of the setting sun.

I loved our cruise. There was always some kind of entertainment listed on our itinerary, and my only regret is that we didn't take part in more of it! We went to shows and movies on the deck as well as dancing and karaoke night, and we did a lot of hot-tubbing, suntanning, and gelato-tasting, but there was so much more to do! Aerobics and crafts were two things I wish I would have joined in on, as well as $5,000 bingo and Disco night.

Since the ship was relatively new, it was very well decorated. Each room had some kind of theme. My favorite was the Zebra Lounge were we met Mark and Kelly for raspberry coladas and watched Mr. Italy, a hilarious show where men competed in challenges that ultimately voted them the best man- or Mr. Italy. The best thing about it though, was that every man that competed was 50 years or older. Highly entertaining when they were asked to share their best strip tease! Haha

Shows were held every night following dinner. Sadly we only went to one, but it was highly entertaining with all the dancing singing, lasers and balancing. At one point these two young men did a balancing act closely resembling Cirque de Soleil. Seriously, I went to Mystere in Vegas, and these guys were just as good, if not better. They were very impressive, and even more so when the ship is rocking!

This was the late-night movie on the deck. We had never seen Whiteout with Kate Beckinsale, so we wrapped up in blankets to watch it, but the night was windy and so we retired early to pack up.

I don't think I have ever slept or eaten as much as I did on our honeymoon cruise. Following the wedding I was sleeping from 10 am to noon the next day, with a nap later on. I was so tired and so hungry all the time, and it felt as if my body were detoxing from months and months of built-up wedding stress. That's okay though, because when you're on holiday, coming back 15 pounds heavier is no big deal! ;)

Dinner was my favorite part of the day. At 8:00, we'd report to Le Fontane, where we were served a beautiful three course meal every evening. It was amazing to be expected to eat bread, salad, an entree and a dessert, then walk away with your wallet still intact.

Seriously, the food was incredible. We had steak, salmon, crab, baked alaska, cheesecake, etc., all the time, and the service was great. We had the same server every night, and boy am I glad we did. He was a sweet sweet man from Singapore, and one of the hardest working people I've ever met! When we asked, he told us he'd been working on the ship for three years. When we asked if he had a family, he told us about his wife and child back home that he occasionally gets to see via Skype. I was heartbroken. Because of this man's hard work and sacrifices, his family can live comfortably off his wages, but in order to do so they cannot be together. To me, that is the ultimate meaning of love.

Bad picture, but it's the only one I have of him.

That night when we said our prayers, I found myself asking for this man to be reunited with his family. But soon that prayer turned into a prayer that our Andy be guided to this man's family, for them to be taught that 'families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father's plan.'

I'll never know what happened to that man and his family, but I can only hope that one day he'll learn the beautiful truth that we enjoy every day.

Just some of the amazing food we enjoyed. My favorite was the fresh salmon and incredibly caesar salad. (I ordered the salad every day) Every evening there was a new kind of cheesecake to try. Blueberry Crumb, chocolate chip, etc, among other incredible choices such as tiramisu, baked alaska, gelato or the chef's Valentine treat- a tulip made of philo dough with mascarpone cheese and whip cream and a strawberry on top. Mmm!

Jason was all about the unlimited amounts of steak, burgers, lobster tail and cheesesticks. Big surprise there! ;)

The view of the sea in the cafeteria for lunch.

On the second to last night at sea was "Meet the Captain" night. Every dressed formal, quite a few in huge prom dresses and tuxedos. Among a very nice dinner and show was the famous Buffet Magnifique, where the kitchen spent all week preparing incredible treats to see as well as eat. Can't say that I tried the caviar, but it would have been a good opportunity!

It was amazing what they could do with a little bit of cake or fruit! I would have liked to bribe one of the chefs to teach me their art! What a hit that would be at a party back home!

Soon it was back to dry land to return home to the snow. But Jason hadn't booked our flight until later in the evening, so we called cab and went into the city to our favorite spot on Fort Lauderdale beach. On the way we kept saying, "Remember that Papa Johns where we got pizza that Sunday and went to that beach??" of "Remember that Ross where I got those great shoes?" It was surreal, returning to Florida. Two years had passed since we'd been there together, but in the Sunshine State you feel right at home.

A marathon was going on along the A1A, so we went out onto the beach and got comfortable in the sand where we read The Languages of Love thanks to our good friend Marie. As simple as it sounds, laying there on Jason's chest was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip. We were so content and happy. :)

Walking along the coast we came across the famous Bahia Cabana, where we settled down for lunch. Apparently their pina coladas are famous, so I ordered one virgin and determined that ourselves.

Everyone says that their honeymoon was amazing, but I think that ours was definitely the best. ;) There is nothing better than cuddling up to your honey in a tropical destination.

This is what it's all about to- to be married to the one you love. And now that's a reality for us. :)