The Ship - as Promised!

dis my boat [which i sadly did not swim out to touch]. still working on getting that full angled photo, but i have more fun things to do than capturing the perfect close up for this ship haha.  

i will say that +Norwegian  [below] had the best artwork for their fleet

B~A~H~A~M~A~S

i'm in the BAHAMAS!! i never imagined myself going on a cruise to a tropical island for my birthday weekend, especially at 23! for the most part, i'm not a big celebratory person when it comes to my bday. even when i was three, all i wanted were the gifts   i just wasn't a big party person. yes, my parents still splurged on the skatium a few times, but that wasn't for me. 

when "sweet 16" hit, i definitely tried to turn this around, with plans of going all out on a tent/band/100+ people. sadly, the rents declined my +MTV inspired fantasy. the whole idea of a big bash was postponed to "semi-sweet 17." though the house party was great for a bubble child [small group|iTunes|rents "sleeping" upstairs], i began to consider accept that maybe, just maybe, a big celebration wasn't for me.

- Definitely not feeling 22 - [2014]
c/o: Priya P.

fast-forward to a year ago, i finally leaped into my bday-partizzay niche: flying solo, literally [seriously, look how i flew into 22^^]. 

what? how does that even make sense? who wants to be alone on their birthday? why am i using 90's slang?? apparently, i do. now technically, i was not entirely alone [had le-besties of le-besties with me for an ATX adventure], but i didn't have a huge crowd either. at that time, i realized that to enjoy another year of life means enjoying my life, for me. so! i set out to to carry this new mantra on daily instead of once a year. aka #treyday was born - eventually evolving into #treycation after my first solo trip

now to the present - here i am, freshly docked in +Nassau, ready to kick-off T23, party of one. am i nervous? not as much as my LA trip, but nervous nonetheless. standing at the edge of the pier, taking everything in, tears began to flow. that's right - tears. living in that moment of self-accomplishment/realization/mild dehydration [this is when i realized i lost my water bottle] completely overwhelmed me - and i was not prepared. it hit me hard and fast, but i could feel a weight off of my shoulders and an amazing sense of relief; a lot of self-doubt has built up over the years that could no longer be contained. i will always remember this moment - especially my hair

real-talk aside, it is time to explore this amazing city! check-out my tips for getting on/off the cruise ship below 

T-Tips:

• Driver's License and ROOM KEY
• security will not let you off of the ship without swiping your room key, however, your driver's license will be what gets you through customs
• you could bring your passport instead, but it is not necessary. you run the risk of losing it or water damage if you plan on when you go to the beach. 
• if you have a passport ID/card [like i did], that will work best
• eat breakfast and dinner on the ship. yes there are plenty of places to eat on the island (including McDonald's), but food is included in you cruise. why not eat for "free?"
• Carnival Ecstasy has a 24hr buffet, so load up a bag with fruits and other snacks for your day trip
• BRING A WATER BOTTLE - i almost died without mine
• cash. though major credit cards are accepted on the island, there's no guarantee that everyone uses them. many vendors are cash only, and accept US currency [i am not sure about other currencies, but there are exchange areas]
• how much? that is entirely up to you. i brought around $150 because i knew my excursion [post coming soon] souvenirs would cost near to that amount, but i was extremely nervous carrying around that amount with me. mainly because i am not a cash person, was alone
• $50-$100 should be pretty solid, unless you plan on doing heavy shopping
• sun glasses/hat/visor/breathable clothing - the weather that day was not entirely humid, but the sun is direct.
• sunscreen/block as well, though i didn't have any
• hand and beach towel - Carnival includes beach towels with every cabin, so feel free to bring them along
• sling bag for all above items
• i used a runner's arm band/phone case for my passport ID and room key, along with my phone. this way, my most important items are always on me
• keep your phone in airplane mode - APM
• unless you your cellular plan is not brutal for international calls/data/text, you will want to keep you phone in APM to avoid any surcharges
• with my carrier, incoming texts/calls are charged at a higher rate - so even if you have told your mainland peeps to avoid contact, it is better to be on the safe side
• also [if you have the capability] turn off mobile data before going into airplane mode. this ensures that if you accidentally turn off APM, your data will still be nixed [data charges are at their highest when going internationally]
• if you absolutely need to tap into the interwebs or need to make a phone call, the cruise ship does offer cellular/data plans utilizing their personal towers, but this usually costs more than what your carrier would charge
• leaving you phone on the ship would be best, but this only works if you don't plan on taking any photos or if you have a separate digital camera

Booze Cruise!! [not really]

guess who's going on a cruise!!! i'm extremely excited to be sailing on the high seas for the first time evaaaaa. i never realized just how complicated i can make things  it can be getting onto a cruise ship! good thing is, +Carnival  is excellent with logistics, especially with their shuttle service readly available to transport you from the airport to you docking area. without this (and some other tips below), i would have surely arrived to my ship late and/or gotten lost on the way. destination?  let's just say....this B island ain't fo yo mamas! 

T-Tips:

• set-up your account and complete initial check-in on Carnival's website at least 2 weeks before your departure. 
• You automatically do this when booking directly with +Carnival, but i used +Expedia for a better deal on excursions
• make sure when booking to pre-pay for gratuity if you can 
• at the end of the cruise, you will be asked to pay an additional gratuity/tip for the maid services, staff, etc. that amount can vary a lot BUT pre-paying gets you out of that [i decided on $30 for 3 nights]
• if you are sailing solo [like i did] be sure to have your bed converted to a king size, unless you like switching beds [no judgement]. to do this: you can either call or check the box online 
• print everything! boarding pass, luggage "tags" [actually just slips of paper] and anything else you may need a ticket/pass to get into, since there's no guarantee of cellular reception, internet access and/or printer access
• the luggage tags are crucial to getting your luggage on board safely and to your cabin. 
• if you are flying in, check-in at the airport ground-transportation area. this ten minute stop will save you an hour or more instead of checking in at port.
• this is also where you take the reserved shuttle to port. +Carnival recommends reserving a spot on the shuttle at least 3 days in advance in case shuttle fills up, but i waited until i got there haha. [$16 one-way and i believe $30 for round-trip]
• this is also where you take your first photo [not the glamour shots above] for identification purposes by all of the cruise staff, so freshen up in the restrooms! 
• when you arrive at port, your luggage will be loaded onto the ship separately [just like airport baggage check] so take a photo of your luggage tags, and make sure they are secured! 
• if you completed your initial check-in online: you get to zip on through the express security lane! 
• there is a priority express as well for those who purchased preferred tickets, but they both lines went by pretty fast. 
• this is also where you will receive your room key. room key = your life. 
• after passing through security, check for any missing loose items on the belt. i sadly did not do this, and was without my trusty water bottle for my entire trip.
• if you are still in bedroom-chic/airplane attire, you might want to change in the restroom before moving forward. pre-cruise photos [above] will be taken here
• if you did not complete the initial check-in, you will go through the general boarding area. 
• this section was beyond crowded. think of TSA delays at an airport, times 10
• after security comes check-in. again, this area was extremely crowded, more so than the security check point. there were 32 lanes but the projected wait time from entry was still an hour. 
• once you are on the ship, ask someone where to find your room and relax! any of your over-sized luggage that was checked-in will be sitting outside of your room roughly an hour before departure.

• do not lose your room key!! not only is it expensive to replace, but it is also the one thing that will get you on/off the ship and proves your identity. Carnival security does a good job of reminding everyone of this, but be responsible
• your key is also how you access and pay for anything extra on the ship [souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, etc.]
• T A K E    A    N A P!

Alll Aboard!!!

South Beach Harbor

i'm officially on board this magnificent cruise ship, though my photos of the ship upon boarding were not as magnificent. just thought i'd share a quick view of South Beach - full details of the cruise thus far are in my previous post, so check it out!

also, this towel animal literally gave me a delayed min-heart attack! i walked into my cabin, turned on the bathroom light whilst searching for the main light through the darkness [window curtains were installed with no window, harty har har]. when i found the switch, i noticed the animal, but my body took a second to fully register this thing [with eyes] and i definitely did a shriek-back-pedal-cat-swat combo. 

i get that it looks cute in the photo, but the thing was made using beach towels aka semi-life-size animal on my bead. as a person who does not scare very easily, this was highly upsetting. 

2 | | 3

guess what day it is......my birthday!

excited to say i have crossed into the realm of almost old-personess with a giant smile. not because this is my special day (although that is part of it) but because my passport arrived in time for my bday trip! a very special gift to ipse, from ipse!

where to? let's just say this B island ain't fo yo mamas.........keep an eye out tomorrow :)

JOY Macarons - YUM!

chocolate chip | rose & lychee | raspberry | vanilla bean | pistachio | honey & lavender

it may just be me, but i have found that Dallas is seriously lacking in the macaroon department. yes, there are a few grocery stores and donut shops that offer them, but few actually specialize in this delectable treat. enter Liz, creator and founder of +JOY Macarons. she recognized this as an opportunity to officially "import" the pastry into Dallas - and she has done a +Beyoncé level job!  

located a few minutes south of downtown near Kessler Park, this petit shop has wide array of flavors and colors sure to tickle everyone's fancy. not to mention the are mobile! typically announced on their social media pages [i prefer their instagram] you can find them at the farmer's market, opening events, and more! 

if you are ever in Dallas/live in the DFW area (or Texas in general) you should  need to stop by! definitely my one source of these treats :)

839 West Davis Street, Dallas, TX

 Store Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-6, Sunday 12-5

 214.434.1922

info@joymacarons.com

T-Tips:

• order 6, any flavor, daily :)

Man-bun Monday | Attempt I

cheers to this bunning trend, and cheer to me actually having enough hair to do so! ok, this is more of a ponytail ponytuft, but not bad on the first try. i don't think i will be rocking this hair style outside the confines of my room anytime soon BUT you never know. i can definitely see this as a go-to workout style

T-Tips:

• carefully smooth everything back
• if you're feeling fancy, use an oil
• don't pull back too hard - the goal is to keep the hair that is on your head
• with your trusty ribbon-hair tie, wrap around once, then twice and bun!