One of the biggest regrets that I have about living in Florida is that we rarely take the time to explore the state and do activities that are available around us. I know one day I will spend a year exploring all that Florida has to offer, but right now our travels seem to take us much further away.
That is why when Island Queen Cruises in Miami invited us to come cruising with them, I gathered our friends and family and said “Let’s do it!”One Sunday morning, 12 of us took a 2 hour drive to the other coast to spend a day on board Recess Yacht by Island Queen Cruises. If you’re ever in Miami, look these guys up.
Island Queen Cruises in Miami
Island Queen Cruises and Tours is a premiere sightseeing tour guide company that provides both land and sea tours around Miami. They pride themselves in knowing the ins-and-outs of this amazing and robust city. They have several different options depending on what you are looking to see and what kind of activities you want.
One of the most popular cruises is the Millionaire Row cruise. This cruise takes you along the bay where billionaires and celebrities reside. The crew will tell you all about the homes you are passing and which celebrities live there, giving amazing insight into the rich and famous of South Florida. Other cruises include the Bayside Blaster Cruise, the Party Cruise, fishing cruises, and holiday cruises.
In addition to cruising the bays of Miami, you can also take other tours like water taxis and Big Bus tours. Island Queen Cruises and Tours also offers tours to Key West and the Everglades. If you’re looking for some day time activities, you can also rent yachts and boats, and even go parasailing.
Our tour on the Recess was a private yacht tour which I highly recommend, especially if you have a large group. It was wonderful to have the entire boat to ourselves, spending the day reconnecting with family and friends. We were able to eat, swim, play, and even nap whenever we wanted without other people on board. They have several different boats and yachts at your disposal so if you have a larger group (more than 12) you can definitely find something that fits your needs.
Our Yacht: Recess
Recess is a sports yacht with a 12 person capacity. We spent 8 hours sailing around, and it was fabulous. Our captain and mate were friendly guys from Miami, who not only did a great job navigating but made a mean ahi tuna that we devoured immediately. We came prepared with snacks, but that wasn’t necessary as there was plenty of food on board: croissants, vegetable skewers, pastries, hummus, cocktail shrimp, open bar and of course that freshly made ahi tuna with an amazing wasabi aioli (I want that recipe!).
The yacht had 1 bathroom and a full cabin with a bedroom which got quite a bit of use, between tired grandpas and rambunctious kiddos.
Cruising Miami and water fun
The first 3 hours were spent cruising the bays of Miami checking out all the mansions and hearing stories of who lives where, and all the local gossip on the millionaires homes. There was lots of knowledge to be shared as we sat on the deck pointing at cool houses with infinity pools and over the top sculptures.
The kids, however, would not stop asking when we could jump in the water, so finally we dropped anchor in an open bay across from the cruise ships and all jumped in. The water was perfect; cold enough to cool you down but not freezing. The boys were doing backwards flip competitions and Lexi and I just jumped for fun over and over again!
After being exhausted from all that jumping and swimming everyone retreated to the cabin to get out of the sun and eat. The kids were often too occupied with their shenanigans to pay attention to anything that was going on and some people took naps.
After a while as the sun was setting, Lexi and I jumped again, and just floated and played. I wanted to make sure we got some quality time together despite all the people around us.
As the yacht was making its way back to the marina, we all sat on the bow watching the sunset and talking about how we rarely do these things together (everyone is so busy) and how important it is to take the time to just enjoy your life, your friends, your family, and reconnect.
I feel the theme of connection is quite a frequent one for me, especially if you follow me on Instagram. As I get busier and busier with each year, I have to make a conscious effort for connections with everyone around me because my mind is always somewhere else planning world domination ( haha, kidding) and being productive.
This trip allowed me to it all: take beautiful photos and videos, spend time and connect with people I love, and have fun myself!
If you are in South Florida and are looking for a fun day out with your family, Island Queen Cruises are an awesome option to consider. Enjoy the video and the photos:
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I can’t help but applaud the co-parenting!
Thank you! I appreciate it, it means a lot to me! I feel like we have a great handle on things right now.