Wow! What an amazing week for me! For the past four days I have had the privilege of setting sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship with 30 other contestants for the 2008 Miss America cruise. As my first cruise ever, I have countless stories and experiences to share with you! From getting to know the other contestants to watching the dolphins train on the beach of Cozumel, I had a wonderful week of fun and even some relaxation.On Monday, November 29th, I boarded the ship, Majesty of the Seas, with my baton coach Jan Stivers and husband Larry, for a four day cruise that was originally scheduled to make two stops in the Bahamas (Nassau and Coco Cay) and a stop to Key West, Florida. However, due to Tropical Storm Noel, that hit the Bahamas, our ship took an alternative route west to Cozumel, Mexico. When I heard the news I was delighted as I have never been to Mexico and I had heard Cozumel is a beautiful place. In addition, the alternative route actually enhanced my overall cruise experience as it allowed for a little more free time to explore the seas with the other state contestants.
The first day on board flew by. Before setting sail at 5:00 pm, we went through the coast guard drill where we all had to stand on deck with our bright orange life preservers. As I stood next to my roommate Leah Masse, Miss Georgia, I couldn’t help but think of the scenes from Titantic the movie. I was glad to head back inside for the sail away party, hoping that I would not have to put that oversized orange vest back on for the rest of the trip (although that could put an interesting twist on the Miss America swimsuit competition).
The evening ended with a satisfying dinner where I had the pleasure of meeting the Jahangard Family from California. Azim, Angie, George, Elsy, Kamran, Amir, Trevor, and Anton kindly welcomed us to their table and over the next few days, I had a great time getting to know each of them. They plan to attend Miss America 2008 and promised to cheer loud for me. Thanks guys!
On day two, we arrived at Key West, Florida. After a quick morning rehearsal with all the contestants for our Miss America Talent Show, we headed off the ship to explore the southernmost island of the United States of America. All of the Miss America contestants enjoyed lunch at Alice’s Key West restaurant where we met the mayor of Key West and had a great lunch. A special thank you goes out to the owner and workers of Alice’s restaurant for opening their doors just for us at the last minute (due to the hurricane). I’m grateful for their generosity as it was here I had my first taste of genuine key lime pie, a tart treat that I thoroughly enjoyed.
After lunch, we boarded the Conch Train for a quick tour of the island. During our tour, we learned more about Ernest Hemingway, President Harry Truman, and Jimmy Buffet and why they loved this beautiful island. At the end of the tour, all 31 contestants, along with Lauren Nelson, Miss America, had some photo opportunities in front of various historical locations on the island. Before heading back aboard, we also had a chance to shop along the infamous Duval Street where there are shops of all types. I bought a few souvenirs and a pair of sunglasses (I forgot mine at home), but made sure to get back on the ship before the Majesty set sail again at 5:00 pm.
The second day of the cruise ended elegantly with a formal night aboard the cruise ship. In celebration of Miss America, Royal Caribbean had a special meet and greet where cruisers could get autographs and pictures with all the contestants. This was a great opportunity for me as I met others on board from not only around the USA, but around the world. While the waves and winds were starting to pick up at this point, making it more difficult to balance on four inch heels for pictures, the night ended with another fine dinner and group photo of all the contestants in the grand entrance.
On Halloween morning, I woke up early to watch the sunrise on the upper deck and layout in the sun. The boat continued to rock steadily as we made our way to Mexico with high winds, but fortunately I had no signs of sea sickness. I guess when you spin and tumble everyday practicing baton, your body gets use to an abnormal equilibrium. At 3:00 pm we had the Miss America Cruise Talent Show where we performed an opening number to Let’s Get Loud and each contestant had the opportunity to showcase their talent. I’m happy to say that I managed to make it through my routine without breaking any stage lights, something I was bit worried about going into the performance because of the lower than usual ceiling. My performance went well and once again I had a great time entertaining the crowd. It was also fun to hear and see some of the other contestants’ talents for the first time. There was definitely a lot of great talent on board!
By the time our show finished, the ship had docked at Cozumel, Mexico. This stop was my favorite part of the entire trip! Jan, Larry, and I made our way to a picturesque snorkel beach where we watched the dolphins as they were trained in the ocean. It was an absolutely breath taking sight and I loved every minute of it! If time would have permitted I would have jumped in and swam with the dolphins too, but instead I made friends with a little exotic fish as I swam in the Gulf of Mexico. Before leaving, we enjoyed some authentic Mexican cuisine on the beach and then headed back to the port shops to do some more shopping. My day in paradise ended as our ship pulled out of Mexico and I joined the other contestants on the poolside deck for the Monster Mash Bash where we danced the night away under the stars. For me, this was the perfect way to end a perfect day. I must say I had a very Happy Halloween!
Our final day of the cruise was spent at sea, which allowed me to take some time to enjoy the countless activities on board. After some serious dancing the night before, I enjoyed a day of sleeping in – something I haven’t done for a long time! Later, while lying out by the pool, I somehow managed to get entered in the best biceps contest with Miss Virginia and Miss Wisconsin. Despite my crazy dance moves, I missed receiving a metal from the judges by what had to be a hundredth of a point. Miss Wisconsin took home a metal though (nice work)! Don’t worry though; the emcee gave me a medal for being the craziest bicep routine he has ever witnessed – an award I felt quite honored to be presented with ;)
Later that afternoon I found myself contending for another Royal Caribbean medal with Miss New Mexico, Jenny Marlowe, in the battle of the sexes on the pool deck. Here we competed in three challenges: pass the orange with the chin contest, pass the hula hoop down the line with arms linked with teammates contest, and a swimming pool relay while trading a t-shirt with your teammates contest. Although it truly was a close race (tied going into the final challenge), the females unfortunately came up just short and received silver medals for our efforts. Nevertheless, it was quite an amusing time by the pool!
For the final night on board, the Miss America contestants had our Halloween Costume Party (rescheduled a day later due to the change in travel plans). I dressed up as Pebbles from the Flintstones with a leopard print costume and bone in my hair. There were costumes of all sorts!! My favorites included Miss America’s Outstanding Teen’s pirate outfit, my coach and her husband came as Ketchup and Mustard, and the guys from Table 120 as Mr. America’s (see photos for details). I must say I was quite proud of Jan, Larry, Kamran, Amir, Trevor, and Anton for taking home the Miss Guided and Miss Represented costume awards. Nice work and I expect to see the guys wearing their Mr. America tiaras at Miss America in January!
After a couple of days of the rough waters, we made it safely ashore on Friday morning. I’m excited to be back, but also feel as though the cruise went way too fast. I have lots of pictures from the week, so check them out on My Photo page. Now, it’s back to Iowa where I have 24 hours to repack for my 10 day trip to Los Angeles. Here, all 52 contestants will meet for a Reality TV Series Shoot. And no, I have no idea what to expect – it should be another fun and crazy adventure. I’ll keep you posted!
Best Wishes,
Diana
