Time to say goodbye...

 Although it is hard to believe, our time together has come to end.  After an amazing week at Disney, and an incredible cruise, we are headed back to Franklin!  We all gathered this morning to, sadly, leave the boat.  We then rode a shuttle to the Tampa airport.  On the ride over, it was so nice to eavesdrop on conversations of "what was your favorite moment" and "I can't wait to go back!" 

Once at the airport, we camped out while waiting for our flight.  For lunch, we dined at Hard Rock Cafe and continued to talk about highlights from our adventures.  It was nice to dine together one last time as a group.  I even teased them that we should meet for breakfast tomorrow so I do not miss them all!  They all assured me that they would be sleeping in!

Lunch at Hard Rock to celebrate a successful trip

After more lounging, reading, and people watching, a few students decided to complete their coursework with Dr. Fonstad by sharing what they had learned and how tourism has changed their perspective.  I can not go on enough about how wonderful Dr. Fonstad is at incorporating learning and fun into every element of this adventure.  Through readings, discussions, behind the scenes experiences, and his vast knowledge- base, he challenged the students to look at travel differently.   He is so dedicated he even created a board game for them!  Based on a "Ticket to Ride" he made a Caribbean Cruise version of the game the students enjoyed.  They played it on the ship, and had a chance to play again while we were waiting in the airport.  Ian was the big winner!

Brayden, Ian and Andrew battling it out in the Tampa Airport

Everyone is exhausted and ready to be home in Indiana, but I am a little sad to be leaving all the fun and adventures behind.  But as Walt Disney said, "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  Here's to a wonderful travel abroad experience and that all of our paths will cross again someday!

Thank you to everyone who prepared the trip (Brad...we missed you!), supported us along the way (Jenny we appreciate you!) and to all of those who followed along with us on our travels.  This is Kandra with the last blog.  However, no final blog post would be complete without videos of Andrew dancing!  

Final day at sea!

 Hello friends I'm Ian and i have the pleasure of righting to you on our last day at sea. It started of a little bumpy in the early hours of the morning as the swell caused the ship to sway pretty badly the entire night and a majority of the day. but that didn't stop us from enjoying our last day on this trip.

We started the day off right with a tour of the Grandeur of the Seas that took us behind the scenes and showed us how the cruise works. the tour started off at the deck 5 galley which has the bakery and the room service kitchen as well as the windjammer buffet and the deck 5 dining room. The smell of the bakery made me so hungry in the morning because of the freshly made croissants. The next stop on our tour was the depot where all the food and drink are stored and refrigerated until some chef needs the ingredients it is stored on  deck 1 below the kitchens.

The environmental control room was next and they talked about how the cruise ship filters out waste in water and then dumps it and the waste get treated and then dumped also. They also talked about how the sell all the metal scraps e-waste and broken glass and put it towards a foundation that helps crew members who have been affected by a disaster.

The bridge was the best part of the tour it was interesting to see the where all the magic happens. They let us use the spotting glasses and there was three other ships that you could see and which I was surprised because you could see the lanes in which the ships travel in. As the tour came to an end we got our final assignment for the trip. 

With our remaining time on board we split our ways me and Andrew took a little nap while Brayden and Graycie went to participate in a belly flop contest in which he got second place. At dinner time we reconvened and had our final dinner with Mohammed and Sikh which Andrew joined the servers in dancing. The day ended with Emi and Graycie went to get their hair done while me and Andrew went to the final comedy show. 

Ihope every on of us has enjoyed this trip as much as I have. So I wish you all the best.

Day 12: Cozumel, Mexico

 

Today we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico after traveling from Honduras. It ended up being such a relaxing and enjoyable day. We spent the day at an all inclusive beach, which was perfect. Even though we were not able to get into the ocean because the currents were too strong, we still made the most of the day and enjoyed spending time by the water.

After ordering lunch, we had some time to relax and even met some cool new friends while waiting for our food. Some of us walked along the beach and took in the scenery, while others laid out in the sun and enjoyed the warm weather. It was nice to have a few hours to unwind and appreciate the view before heading back to the port.

Kandra with her friend Jalapeño

Once we returned, a few of us decided to shop around for a bit, while the rest of the group went back to the ship to get ready for dinner. One of the dinner options tonight was lobster tail, which most of us chose and it definitely did not disappoint. Dinner was even better because of the sunset view as the ship prepared to set sail for our sea day.

Lobster Tail!

After dinner, everyone split off to do their own things for the evening. Andrew and I went to watch the early tango show, Ian and Dr. Fonstad learned how to play a new board game, Kandra and Dan attended another show, Drew relaxed, and Graycie and Brayden went to the later tango show and Latin dancing. I really enjoyed watching the tango show because there was so much energy and movement in the dancing. The frequent costume changes also stood out to me and helped change the mood throughout the performance, making it even more entertaining.

Tomorrow is a sea day, but for our class activity we have a really exciting opportunity to go behind the scenes of the cruise ship. I’m looking forward to learning more about how everything operates and experiencing a different side of what we have seen this week.

-Emi

Dinner Sunset

Impromptu Sea Day

This morning we were  jolted awake by an early-morning announcement crackling through the cabin speaker, informing us that the sea conditions were too rough for us to safely go into Honduras. The captain explained that strong swells and high winds made it impossible to safely use the tender boats into shore, and as a result, our original plans had to be scrapped. Instead, the cruise team had to quickly come up with an alternative plan within a very specific timeframe to keep the day enjoyable for everyone on board. While it was disappointing to miss the port we had been looking forward to (we were going to play with monkeys and sloths), it was impressive to see how efficiently and creatively the crew adjusted the schedule and organized new activities despite the sudden change.

(Leaving Honduras)

After the announcement, most of us decided to go eat breakfast at Windjammer Cafe. While we were there we could see the beautiful island of Roatan, Honduras.  After eating some breakfast we all went back to our cabins and went back to sleep, grateful for the chance to get some much-needed rest without the pressure of an early excursion. When we finally woke up, the disappointment of missing Honduras had faded, replaced by a relaxed, go-with-the-flow mindset. Some of us headed up to the pool deck to soak in the sun, enjoying the warm breeze and the slower pace of the day. Laughter and cheers filled the air as we settled in to watch the women’s cannonball contest, where contestants competed for the biggest splash and loudest crowd reaction. It ended up being a surprisingly fun and memorable way to spend a day that hadn’t gone as planned. While some of us were at the pool, the rest of the group worked on finishing their countries scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt has the guest go around the ship and get signatures from as many countries as possible. It's a really cool way to see where these crew members are from and how they got to their job.  

After a fun day in the sun and around the cruise ship, we headed to The Great Gatsby Dining room for group dinner. Tonight, group dinner ended up being one of the highlights of the day. Everyone gathered around the table sharing stories, laughing about the unexpected change in plans, and replaying moments from the pool and the cannonball contest. The food was great, but what made it really fun was the energy of the group inside jokes, nonstop conversation, and the feeling of being fully present without any rush. Even though the day hadn’t gone the way we originally imagined, sitting together at dinner made it clear that the best part of the trip was being able to share these experiences with the group. After dinner we headed back to the room to get changed for an evening of disco, when we entered the room we were met with our daily towel animal. These might be the favorite part of the day, we are always so excited to see the cute animals sitting on the end of our beds!

(Towel Animal)

After dinner, we all split up again, each group chasing a different kind of fun. Some headed off to play games, ready for friendly competition and lots of laughs, while others made their way to the dance floor, letting loose and enjoying the music. It was nice knowing that no matter where everyone went, we were all ending the day on a high note. Even with the unexpected change of missing Honduras, the day turned into a reminder that flexibility can lead to some of the best memories, and the post ended up being about making the most of the moment and enjoying every part of this experience. Tomorrow we are heading to Cozumel for a much needed Beach Day! We can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us!

-Graycie Branham

(Brayden and I at the disco)

Day 10: To Belize we GO!

 
    Today we arrived at Belize, and it was another early morning for the class. We all met together to get for ready for our excursion of today, a classic cultural cooking experience. However we weren't able to simply walk off the boat the time. Belize is home to one of the largest coral reef systems in the world. Due to the extensive reef system the cruise ships aren't allowed to pull all the way up to the mainland. So in order to reach the port, we had to catch a ride from a tender boat. That ride from the ship to the port was probably a 15-20 minute boat ride. On the boat it was a very bumpy with a few of us getting very stressed out over the ride. However, even with it being bumpy we were all able to safely make it to port.

    Now that we were in port it was time for us the get our chef on. We got on our bus and our tour guide set us off. As we drove through Belize our guide spoke about life in Belize. Even though it's a small country, nobody is able to escape inflation. Our guide told us able how gas can run usually $6+ and that's at the low end. Combining the high price of gas and the host cost of living in Belize, our guide told that he had to hitch a two hour ride to make it to work on time. Once we arrived we were greeted with live music. They were playing traditional Belize music on the drums. As we all starting to get into the music another man came out dancing. The dancer grab Andrew, and I still you what, Andrew started getting jiggy with it.

 After our Music we went and began cooking a traditional Belize dish. While we cooked our guides taught us about the significance of the instruments and articles of clothing our performers were wearing. Each element was a culturally relevance dated back to the colonial times. We then prepared our dish call Hudut. It was a dish that contained fished basted in a coconut soup, with a type of mashed plantains on the side. It was a very unique tasting dish, much different then the fast food us Americans are used to. Once we finished we headed back to port. A few of us decided to go around the port and explore, while the rest decided to head back to the ship.

    Later we all met for dinner where we debriefed on the day. As a class we spoke about portrayed culture and actual culture. Portrayed culture is what is shown to tourist in the ports and actual culture is what their culture is actually like when you take away tourist. I thought the Mexico and Belize were drastically different in the means they used to portray their cultures. In Costa, Maya the port was very flashing and made to catch your eye. Their didn't feel like much of any culture was being shared, but rather felt like a show being put on for us. However, Belize had a different feel. It felt like the entire city was teaming with life and vibrant colors. The surrounding house used all sorts of colors and vendors were everywhere selling different foods. We even passed by several schools and our guide spoke about how the students uniforms are used to distinguish them. Belize portrayed their culture in port in a more authentic way and hadn't been overtaken by tourism.

    Tomorrow we travel to the Roatan, where we will go through the nature of the Island. We are splitting up as a group tomorrow and some of us our going to an eco-park while the rest are heading to a sloth and monkey encounter. When we get back together tomorrow some of us plan to meet together and go snorkeling. Each and every day of the trip has proved to be unique and loads of fun while learning about how tourism transforms every nation.

-Brayden Millick

Port Day in Mexico

 What a week, huh? It's been pretty non-stop here. That doesn't stop the Drewster though.

Today, the call to adventure took us to Costa Maya in Mexico, a port city designed specifically to provide a stopping point for cruise ships. The vibrant resort area is filled with shops, swimming pools, bars, and dining opportunities meant to entice the more urban tourist - but we are adventurous, and had plans that took us well away from the comfort of the city.

We boarded a bus with our local guide, Reggie, and set off into the heart of the jungle to go to our true destination: the Kohunlich Mayan Ruins.

During our two hour trip we passed through several local villages, as well as the city of Bacalar. As Reggie said, this was a great way to view the REAL Mexico, not just what we see in Hollywood or at tourist destinations. Alongside the road there were convenience stores, restaurants and fruit stands advertising their wares to travelers. Despite how remote the villages were, they were still able to get water and electricity. The journey was a much needed break from the hustle and bustle of the cruise

  

 

While we traveled, Reggie explained the history of the Maya civilization to us, as well as Mayan culture in modern Mexico. The Maya prospered from around 1400 BC to 1600 AD, with the height of their civilization spanning from 250 AD to 650 AD. They had countless cities all over Central America, with the ruins of many still hiding in the jungle. Even though their ancient cities are gone, the Mayan language and culture lives on through the modern Maya people who still live in parts of southern Mexico.

 

After two hours on the bus, we finally arrived at our destination; Kohunlich Ruins.

 

 

The ruins themselves are very overgrown, surrounded by thick jungle, but still extremely remarkable. The city itself was constructed out of limestone, a plentiful resource in this region of Mexico. On some of the buildings there are still traces of the red stucco the Maya used on many of their buildings. During our journey through the ruins, we were able to walk through and climb the stairs of buildings that, thousands of years ago, were lived in by people just like us.

 

As we explored, Reggie explained to us how the ancient Maya built many buildings in their cities based off the positioning of the sun. Many of the buildings, such as the royal palace, were set facing towards the east. He also explained to us how the city was built in such a way that rainwater would run down from the city into a large moat, providing the city with a source of water all year.

 

All of this is very impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the towering Sun Temple, the tallest building in the ruins. The Sun Temple was built for the purpose of making offerings to the gods, so that they might bless the harvests and provide fair weather. The architects designed it in such a way that climbing up the steps was easiest if you were walking sideways - not turning your back on the altar, but also not staring directly at it, as a sign of respect. During the solstices, the sun shines on either the leftmost or rightmost corner of the upper platform, as a way to tell what season they were in. The most impressive part of the temple, though, as the carvings.

 

Four of the original masks carved on the temple's front have been preserved and protected from looters, and are still able to be seen by tourists. The masks still have traces of the red pigment used to paint them, and still bear many details.

 

After taking in all the impressive sights of the ruins, it was back on the bus and over to the port once again. I didn't spend a lot of time in port because frankly it was very loud and overwhelming and everyone is trying to sell you something. A very far cry from the peaceful countryside we had just passed through.
 

Back in the ship, I needed to rest off the long journey. It's been a very long and busy week. While I was snoozing, my fellow travelers decided to go to line dancing class and had a very fun time. We met for dinner again, where I decided to make the brave choice of trying Escargot. Conclusion: snails are meant to be friends, not food. After dinner I once again retreated to the safety of my cozy internal room, while Andrew and Brayden went rock climbing under the stars. 

That just about sums up the day! I'm absolutely worn out from adventuring. If I could, I would sleep the rest of the week, but we still have plenty more to do! So this is Drew, signing off for the night.
 

                                                                       Day at Sea!

Today was an eventful sea day as it was our first full day at sea. The majority of the day was spent soaking up the sun and splashing in the water. The girls were relaxing in the sun while us boys had a blast exploring what the ship had to offer. Our highlight of the day was dancing to various genres of music at the silent disco event. Brayden and I were able to get a good workout in. I was able to swim in the pool today, which was very well needed. I have been looking forward to swimming on the cruise for a long time since it has been so cold in Indiana. There were lots of good NFL football playoff games on today that were fun to watch. Emi and I were able to explore the ship even more today and appreciate its wonderful features.

In the evening, we all joined for dinner at 5 pm. Tonight was dress your best theme so you know I had to impress. The menu was very delicious, consisting of: escargots, baked French onion soup, crispy buttermilk calamari, herb-crusted salmon, chicken, steak, beef bourguignon, curried lamb, seafood linguine, apple cobbler, and créme brúlée to name a few. I really enjoy the time we spend together as a group at the evening dinners to discuss our different experiences from the day. We have really gotten to know each other well over the duration of this trip.

As a group, we started working on our search for nations scavenger hunt today. The objective of this assignment is to gather as many worker’s signatures from other countries as possible. We were able to get a good start on the scavenger hunt by collecting signatures from Croatia, Indonesia, and Mauritius. Luka from Croatia serves in the main dining room on the ship. He is a waiter and takes care of guest’s needs at dinner. Dandi from Indonesia is our cabin steward and takes really good care of our rooms for us. We are very grateful for his hospitality and generosity. Lastly, Fabio from Mauritius is an in-transit monitor for the ship. He helps track the ship’s current location and ensures that it is traveling in the right path. This position is crucial to make sure us guests arrive safely at the right location on time.

A very cute towel made by Dandi; he's the best! :)

I learned that the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas cruise ship we are sailing on is home to 794 crew members from 57 countries worldwide. This is amazing to know that cruise ships like this one provides so many people from all around the world jobs. It is also very interesting that some jobs hold a strong correlation with a nationality. For example, people from India or the Philippines are very good cooks on the cruise ship. To end the day off right, we were able to enjoy some good pizza and relax by watching football before going to bed. In conclusion, it was a very much needed day of relaxation to prepare for a long and exciting tour of the Mayan Ruins tomorrow. I am so glad we got to enjoy the ship and get a head start on our scavenger hunt assignment.

-Andrew Spomar