Last month over the holidays, my boyfriend and parents, and I were able to take a trip of a lifetime with Carnival Cruise Line. I wanted to share this simple travel journal that I’ve been keeping along the way! This is the first time I’ve kept a travel journal for a trip and highly recommend it! It’s such a good way to remember all the fun memories and have as a keepsake item from your vacation. Plus, it’s something my family and I can refer back to later when wanting to relive all the fun memories with Carnival!

I picked a journal that represented my travel: rainbow for the happiness the trip brought me, fluffy for the comfy bed in our cruise room, and bright colors for all the sunshine we saw!

The cruise ported from Miami, so we all flew down to the Miami airport from Atlanta. Michael and I traveled a few days before my parents to enjoy some of the Miami fun we just love so much. From there, we boarded the Carnival Victory and headed to Key West, our first destination. Key West is such a quaint little town; and we really enjoyed the time spent there. We got brunch at one of the city's quirky restaurants off Duval Street and it did not disappoint! After some delicious eggs, orange juice and banana bread for breakfast, we walked around town and got some super fun pineapple drinks (see photo below)!! I even found the cutest pink #happyhousedreams on our Key West stroll.

After Key West, we headed to Cozumel, Mexico! We boarded a ferry to head to the Mainland to explore the Mayan Ruins in Tulum via our Carnival Shore Excursion. When we got to Tulum, we kayaked, swam in a cenote and had an authentic Mayan lunch in the cutest Mayan village.

After our lunch, we tipped the Mayan descendants for their amazing hospitality and homemade food. I guess they aren’t used to receiving tips because they gifted me with five handmade bracelets (see above). It was the most precious keepsake item and something I will treasure forever! Special thanks to Carnival for all the memories! I can’t wait to relive my trip to the Western Caribbean via my travel journal for years to come. Until next time…!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

By now, you should know that I am the ultimate foodie. I love, love, LOVE trying new foods and going to new restaurants. So when I boarded the Carnival Victory for my Western Caribbean cruise last week, I was super excited to try out all the food aboard the ship! There are multiple dining options onboard this ship: 24-hour room service, pizza bar, salad bar, two main dining rooms, Taste Bar, comfort kitchen, Off the Grill and more! Between all the options, I basically had 24-hour access to pizza, french fries, salad, comfort foods like hot dogs and meatloaf, ice cream swirls, chicken wings and more. YUM YUM YUM – this is my kind of food heaven!

Each day, I would wake up to some fresh fruit, coffee, fluffy pancakes and eggs. Then I’d indulge in the lunch buffet at the Lido Deck for some cheeseburgers, salad, french fries and chicken by the pool.

I was so impressed with the amount of food options aboard the ship. From handmade omelets for breakfast to delicious fried rice to BBQ chicken wings, the Carnival Victory seriously had it all.

Each night for dinner, we went to the Pacific Dining Room, one of the ship’s two main dining rooms. The set-seated dining room was filled with the cutest sea-themed décor, like stoic mermaid heads, seahorses, fish murals and more. Most of the food is included in your cruise fare, but we opted to splurge for the steak and lobster each night. The lobster was DEVINE!! I had to order it each night because I craved it so much each day!! Hats off to the chef!

One of my favorite foodie items of the ship was the 24-hour, unlimited ice cream swirl station. After a hot day lying by the pool, it was so refreshing to indulge in some ice cream each afternoon!!

The Carnival sippy cups were also a fun little treat. Each day, the ship has a special beverage that comes with a fun sippy cup. I collected two of these and boy, were the drinks DELICIOUS!! I love all things fruity so the pineapple pina colada sure was my go-to beverage for the trip.

I now understand the saying “Eat Your Heart Out” thanks to Carnival!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

All Aboard: Sophie’s Travel Journal

Chow Down!