Food + Travel | Part II: South Caribbean

Have I ever told you guys that I don’t know how to swim? In fact, I don’t even own a bathing suit. The last time I wore one was 7 years ago. But when the opportunity arose for me to partner with Carnival for a South Caribbean cruise, my answer was nothing short of YES.

No swimsuit, no swimming—no problem! I’m not a lay-out, lounge-around-the-pool-person anyways. Nope. I’m more likely to be in yoga pants and a tank top either eating, resting between eats, or looking for the next eats. And I’m not just saying that for effect, so let’s hit the list of my favorite eats aboard the Carnival Vista. 

First up: tacos. Because c’mon, TACOS! And tacos at the Blue Iguana Cantina did not disappoint, nor did the burrito, the tostada or the hot sauce bar.

Do you know what’s on the other side of tacos? Burgers at Guy’s Burger Joint. I’m pretty sure Cole and I out-ate Matt on these pound for pound. 

Another question for you guys: What pairs well with burgers and tacos? BBQ of course! Southern style BBQ from Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que to be exact. There were so many things to choose from (see overloaded plate below), but between the smoked round of beef, smoked Andouille sausage and Guy’s famous Blue Ribbon Chicken, the collard greens were my favorite. 

After what seemed like days and days of eating (8 to be exact) I figured Sunday called for a little clean up. It’s all about balance, right? So like any good mom, I filled the boys up with greens and grains. 

An hour later, they were hungry. So again—like any good mom, I let them order pizza from Pizza Pirate to our room. And as Cole and Connor reminded me with pleading eyes, “It’s vacation, PUH-leeze!” The result: 2 pizzas later + ice cream (not seen here), I officially relented to being a vacation-push-over mom. I don’t regret it. 

Between all the food, excursions and activities, I miss cruising. I miss the unplug time with the family, especially the Dive-in Movies (more on the activities onboard over in Matt’s article here). Wahhhh. I’m ready to set sail again, as are my boys. Their only request next time we head out is: I pack a bathing suit. Um, no promises, but I told them, “You never know what can happen on vacation!”