Hello ViBride Sisters,
I thought I'd start a topic for those of us who are approching our 1st, 2nd, 3rd, ect.... wedding anniversaries. I thought it would be a good idea to share the planning and get great tips and ideas from each other. 

I'll start with mine....

DH and I booked a 4 day cruise out of Miami FL to Nassau, Cococay, & Key West. This will be our first cruise. We are gonna fly into Miami 2 days earlier so we can spend some time there sightseeing and shopping. DH is really excited about Atlantis in the Bahamas (but I know its only because of the huge casino. LOL). 
So, who's planning? what or where?

We just got back from Nassau a few weeks ago.
Warning: Food is HIGH!
We stayed at Breezes resort and Sheraton Hotel (we gave up our room friday night since they'd overbooked, so they will pay for a 4day/3 night stay good for a year at no charge!). The beaches are beautiful. Take snorkeling gear so you can swim or look underwater (very clear waters) at the fish! And a waterproof camera. We are going back, and DH already found a waterproof camera he likes!
Its pretty easy to get around. When you arrive at the airport go to the Booth for Atlantis Hotel, and they will shuttle you to your hotel. You will have a nice (fast) ride-I think you guys go through downtown, then I was told you all take a ferry to Paradise Island. We didn't make it there (very $$ to eat if not already staying there), but next time we know better.
To get to downtown it was a short Busride for us for 1.25/pp. Have exact change because they don't like to give change. Some will let you pay after you get off the bus, some want their money up front. Downtown Nassau is right by you all. Make sure you visit the Straw Market to shop for souveniers. You can negotiate a good price. Also visit the downtown shoppes for your favorite stores like Coach and Gucci. (Of course the Straw Market Sells the knock-offs but I don't believe in fakes).
Also make sure you eat some conch. Being from S. FL I am used to it, but my DH wasn't. So visit the Fish Fry (a little ways from downtown-pay attention to this stop on the way to the hotel from the airport). Fish Fry area is a strip of seafood restaraunts that specialize in Seafood-especially conch. I prefer conch fritters. But of course there is the conch salad and other conch delights. Your meal is likely to be about 20.00/pp.
Buy a nice wrap or sarong too! They cost 12-15 and make great souveniers for your girlfriends!
 
Have fun! Be adventerous, and take lots of pics!

Hello Ladies,
 
It's been quite some time since I've been on the boards.  I hope you all are doing well.  I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary.  We're planning a trip to Savannah for just a days.  I have had wonderful time being married so far, and I look forward too many more years to come.

Hey Brownskin!
I can't believe you're already hitting the 2 year mark too! We are 2 years and 2 months ourselves. Still enjoying each other! We didn't do anything big for our second anniversary since we were working so much. We actually went to the Bahamas for his 30th birthday (May 10th) and may 1st was our 10 year anniversary for being together so it kind of all fell in place!

Thanks Bumble, very informative. I was wondering about the straw market. I've been reading a lot of boards and that seems to be one of the "must go" places along with Atlantis. Did you go there? I hear its awesome as well. We definetly will do the snorkeling. We wont have to worry about spending extra on the food to much since we'll have it on the ship. But I will be cautious of it (because I know me).
The Coach and Gucci stores are a must for me. I promised my daughter that I will buy us a new bag this year. I can't wait, I think it's gonna be fun.

cmt, we didn't make it to Atlantis. We should have went-we took enough $$ but hubby just couldn't swallow the 35.00/pp for the breakfast buffet, 52.00/pp for the lunch buffet, or the 65.00/pp for the dinner buffet. Its also like 110.00/pp to spend a day there visiting the aquariums, shows, etc, I'm not sure if it includes food. When we go back to the Bahamas for our free trip, we'll go to Atlantis. My girlfriend had comeback right before we went and said the food at Atlantis was worth it....its actually a buffet spread with these world renown chefs. So We agreed since there is likely to be a next time with our free trip, its a go.
 
We went to the Coach and Gucci store and the prices are about the same...No savings...maybe no taxes....Thats about it. Its worth the visit. Its in Downtown Nassau, so since you're docking there its a short walk from the dock.
Straw Market was nice. Get the sarongs, they make great gifts. I oly bought one, but I should have bought like 5. Negotiate, negotiate! Get something personalized with your name on it...They'll do it right there.
I hope you have fun! Well, I know you will!

Well, We really enjoyed our 1st Anniversary.... The cruise was WONDERFUL. The Bahamas was even better. We flew in two days early so we could spend some time in Miami. We had a blast. The beaches are so nice. (Nothing like Houston beaches. LOL) The Ship was amazingly beautiful and the service was first class. My DH is so special to me. He had a different gift and suprise planned for each night. I was so amazed at how much time he spent on planning. We had a blast!!!!

Welcome back, CMT what ship was it? I love cruising.  we booked through Priceline to get the lowest fares and we went 3 times a year before I got pregnant. It was an easy way to relieve stress and there was no need to drive anywhere if you didnt want to!  Miami is always a great port because there is so much to do if you fly in a few days earlier!
Your DH is SOOOOOO romantic! How thoughtful to give a gift everyday. Ladies, think of Atlantis the way you would Walt Disney World or Sea world. It isn't just a resort. it's more like a destination.You can snorkel with Giant Manta Rays, Go to the water Park, Be an Aquarist for the day. It's really awesome.

Atlantis Hotels in the Bahamas: Save up to 35% + get $650 in extras
!

We sailed Majesty Of The Seas. The Ship was beautiful. It was my first cruise and it was much more than I imagined it to be. Atlantis was amazing. DH loved the Casino.  We didn't snorkel but we did do the parasail excursion and it was a blast. I have loads of pics, maybe I'll post a few of them later. We really enjoyed it and has already booked another cruise for June.
My daughter is a senior this year and for her graduation gift she wants to cruise to The Bahamas..WORKS FOR ME!!!! CANT WAIT GO BACK!!! LOL

Yeaaaa, Pics! I am so addicted to cruising, it's insane. I just love it. Life and children and the store keep me land bound. My fisrt daughter was on a cruise at 6 months old. The new baby hasn't even been on a plane yet. But there will be time enough for playing once the work is done! Congrats in advance for your little genius. What great parents you are to give a CRUISE as a graduation present!

I love cruising too! Hubby and I had a mini anniversary weekend trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware this year to celebrate our first anniversary with intentions to do something else later on. The months went by very quickly, and we were extremely busy. I organized a global day of service for the university where I worked  having very little help that was held last month and needless to say I was exhausted! I thought to myself, we need a vacation! However, we hadn't had time to plan anything. So, anyway we started considering where we would like to go, and I started doing some research and contacting travel and tour agents. The idea was to go someplace meaningful and totally different than our other vacations. So, next month we'll be spending 2 and half weeks touring Egypt, Jordan, and Israel! We can't wait! What a dream come true to see the pyramids and other ancient monuments. We will also be taking our Bibles for this Christian tour following the path of the exodus from Egypt and into the Holy Land. I know I've always wanted to see these places that are mentioned in the Bible....the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee, climbing the mountain Moses climbed to retrieve the 10 Commandments, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. It's truly a blessing. I know it will be spiritually and emotionally enriching to us both.

How exciting! I am totally jealous of you right now! I had a friend that went this Summer on the Egypt, and the Middle east cruise. She had a blast. She took her 8 year old and her 80 year old mother. I know you will LOVE it.  You had better share your pics with us!
Love ya and miss you on here.

Hi, Rosie! Oh, I bet your friend did have a blast. Except for a Nile dinner cruise one evening, we won't really be cruising. After flying into Cairo, we'll be travelling by motorcoach and staying in 9 hotels along the way. We wanted to be able to take our time at the sites and explore the cities as much as possible without having to worry about rushing back to the ship. Would have loved for my parents to come along but it's supposed to be a belated honeymoon/anniversary trip. I'll have to bring them along another time.

WOW Viprincess!! That's going to be an awesome trip. My Co-Worker went to Egypt last year and they had a blast. Her and her DH did the same thing, as far as staying in different hotels ( only three though) But they had a blast. I saw the pics and was totally blown away. I know you and DH will have a wonderful time.

How exciting and adventourous! Let me know if you see another VI resident there. We seem to travel a lot. But your trip sounds like the trip of a lifetime! How romantic. Better show off with some photos when you get back!

Yep! It's a full itinerary (no long days at sea) which is perfect because we want to make the most of our trip. The longest we'll stay in any one hotel is 4 nights, but they are 4 star hotels with breakfast and dinner included everyday...such a great deal! We may need a vacation after our vacation,  but since it's the holidays, it's the perfect time. My boss already told me I can work from home the week we return, "checking emails" LOL! Oh, most definitely taking a lot of pics and hubby's bringing his camcorder. There will be other couples on our tour (we don't know who), but the size of the group is limited to 30 people. God willing it will be a wonderful adventure for the both of us, with great memories to last a lifetime. We're packing light, but I'm ordering some packing cubes to make the packing and unpacking easier.
Large Packing Cubes - 3pc Set

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