So for Christmas 2012, the Ellis and Merry families reunited for a five day cruise from Jacksonville, FL to Nassau, Bahamas. On this cruise, towel animals were made, trivia was played, bingo was a ripoff, we snuck into the 18-and-over-section (which, considering three out of five of us were UNDER 18, this was actually sneaky), and shenanigans were had off of the boat. Especially in Freeport. Senior Frogs was a hoppin’ joint with us around.
The highlight of the trip was when we got to swim with dolphins. We got off the cruise and transferred to a ferry boat that took us to Blue Lagoon Island. This was like a tiny little slice of paradise. No crowds, no noise, just a few small groups of people, a dolphin sanctuary, turquoise waters, and a private beach with hammocks and a tiki bar hut. It’s like they created this little place with me in mind. After some safety information, we were off into the water with our new dolphin friendsWe got to pet them, and dance with them, and take pictures that would eventually become Christmas cards. This was fitting, considering we met our dolphin friends on Christmas. We also each had a chance to be “dolphin foot-pushed.” This is when you float in the water, then let the dolphin swim under you, press his nose against your foot, and then swims really fast so it feels like you’re flying above the water. So basically you’re a human-dolphin-rocket. It was amazing! Our Bahaman tour guides were really cool too. They made a ton of jokes. For example, Morgan asked if it was one or two dolphins that would push her. He said, without skipping a beat, “One. If we gave you two, they’d take you halfway to Jamaica.”