When Make A Wish contacted us about granting Brea a wish they also inquired about Baker and asked if he had ever had a wish granted. They had already talked with Baker's cardiologist (who is also Brea's cardiologist) and since Baker had never had a wish they asked him what he would wish for. He had recently seen a commercial on Nickelodeon for the first ever Nickelodeon Family Cruise on Royal Carribean so that is what he wished for. Things happened really fast and on the 8th of August our family was off on another family adventure in the Carribean!
We arrived in Miami on the 8th and the next day we boarded our ship (The Freedom of the Seas) for our 7 day cruise to the Carribean. The kids were in awe of the huge ship and all that it had to offer. We had only been on board for a few minutes when we ran into Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Patrick and the Air Bender! Needless to say, the kids posed for photos with each of them and we signed up for our shore excursions, all the shows on the ship and headed to the water park and surf park on board!
Our first port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. We spent the day on the beach and Brooke and Baker jumped on a huge water trampoline and swam while Brea and I played in the sand! Our next stop was in Georgetown, Grand Cayman where we visited a sea turtle farm. We learned about the conservation efforts being made to save the turtles and we even held a sea turtle. We visited the hatchery and education center and then boarded our tour bus to the town of Hell where we viewed the natural rock formations that resemble flames which is how the city got its name. Some believe the rocks are from the lava of a volcano and some believe that it was once part of the coral reef. It was interesting but I was ready to leave as soon as we got there...the name was enough to give me the creeps. Our next stop was at a rum cake factory where we sampled all different flavors of run cake including coffee, pineapple and coconut. We left there with some yummy goodies. Our third port of call was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We visited Dolphin Cove where we stood on a platform in the water and visited with some of the most amazing creatures I have ever encountered. We were able to pet them, kiss them, pose for photos and watch as they did flips and tricks to entertain us. Our next stop in Ocho Rios was at Dunn's River Falls. Brea and I watched from an observation deck as Danny, Brooke and Baker climbed the falls. It was 1,000 feet of breath taking beauty and there was more than one time when I held my breath as Danny and the kids made their way to the top. Our last port of call was Labadee, Haiti where Royal Carribean has their own private beach. Haiti was beautiful and we enjoyed a relaxing day on the beach. We played in the water all day. We collected shells at the shore line and Baker and his new found friends built sand castles on the beach. The water was crystal clear and the sun was hot, hot, hot!
Our time on the ship was filled with Make A Wish meet and greets with the Nickelodeon characters, wonderful shows, plenty of time in the water park and surf park and too many other activities to name. The kids were asleep each night as soon as their little heads hit the pillows and mom and dad weren't far behind them! We had a wonderful time and we created memories that we will forever cherish as a family.
At the Make A Wish meet and greet we met many other families with children with all kinds of medical needs. Baker met some kids his age with serious heart conditions like his and Brea even met another heart transplant patient. There were also many children there with cancer. As sad as it was to see so many children with such serious health conditions it was nice to talk with their parents and compare treatment notes and exchange names and addresses. It is hard to explain but there was an instant connection with so many of them since we have all walked in some of the same shoes.
Thank you Make A Wish for everything...you far exceeded our expectations and we are forever grateful to you and Capital Pediatrics for this special, special gift!
Enjoy the photos!
