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Trivial Pursuits

Trivial Pursuits
 
Grants find smooth sailing on cruises

Brad and Mary Grant
Photo courtesy of Brad and Mary Grant 
Brad (left) and Mary Grant relax in St. Thomas on one of the many cruises they have taken together.

By Monique Bos
Published: Friday, January 13, 2006

For Valentine’s Day, Brad Grant, director of network services at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and Mary Grant, director of purchasing, will go on a cruise to Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Key West.

The cruise, a Christmas gift from Brad Grant to Mary Grant, is their 10th since November 2001.

“I guess it’s kind of our thing,” Mary Grant said. “Our first vacation together was a cruise; we got engaged on a cruise; our honeymoon was a cruise.”

Together, the couple has traveled to Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, the Panama Canal, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas and Tortulla.

“It gives us places we’d like to go back to,” Mary Grant said. They already have returned to Key West, which they initially visited on a cruise, and hope to someday spend more time in Antigua and Belize. “We loved both of them,” she said.

When they visit new places, they often take the initiative to explore on their own or pursue activities not available through the cruise line.

“The first time we went to Cozumel, we rented a Jeep and drove around on our own and got to see everything,” Mary Grant said. “In Belize, we bought air trip tickets to a small island, San Pedro, and went snorkeling.”

“It wasn’t incredibly expensive,” Brad Grant said. “It’s probably a 20-minute flight over there. The plane goes over all the islands. Some of them are privately owned or owned by resorts. That was a great tour in itself.”

He also enjoyed hiking up Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, he said.

“It goes from the sea up this mountain,” he explained. “People walk it together in a line so there are some parts where you have to pull other people up.”

Mary Grant added, “It’s what you want to make it. You can go on cultural excursions or shop. It also depends on how long you’re there.”

Brad Grant said that it is important to be aware of the surrounding area and observe basic safety precautions.

“Grenada was a little shady,” he said. “You just have to use street smarts. It’s just basic common sense to stay out of trouble.”

Interestingly, neither Brad nor Mary Grant was a cruise aficionado before they took their first trip together. She had gone on a cruise about 10 years earlier with some college friends; he had never been. “My parents had been on several cruises,” Brad Grant said. “That was probably a motivating factor.”

However, they both have developed a keen appreciation for the laid-back pace.

“You get out there and it’s completely relaxing, and you get to go to several places fairly inexpensively,” Mary Grant explained. “We like to sleep in, eat and lay in the sun while we’re at sea.”

They have utilized several cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian — which they selected for their upcoming trip.

“We really like Norwegian because they have freestyle dining,” Mary Grant said. “You can eat at any restaurant any time. We like Carnival a lot, too, just because of the whole fun atmosphere.”

They also enjoy going to some of the shows on the boats, she said, and they usually attend the art auctions, “although we haven’t bought anything yet!”

They continue finding new activities to enjoy. In Grand Cayman, they plan to swim with stingrays. They also have snorkeled in the Bahamas, Belize, Grand Cayman and St. Croix.

“The first time, I saw a barracuda and it scared me and I got out of the water,” Mary Grant said. “It’s very cool, very colorful. It’s like a big tropical aquarium.”

She encourages everyone to try a cruise, she said. “Go! It’s just the most relaxing thing.”

“It’s not incredibly expensive to see three or four different places,” said Brad Grant.

Being within driving distance of a number of cruise ship ports is a perk of living in Savannah. The Grants have embarked from such locations as Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa, but in February, their commute will be much shorter.

“We’re very excited because this one leaves from Charleston,” Mary Grant said.

While some people may believe they will become seasick, she said that isn’t normally an issue. “One afternoon I got a little nauseated, but crew members were even sick that day; that’s how bad it was.” Usually, she said, it’s smooth sailing.

“If you’ve never done it and don’t know if you want to, just do it,” she urged. “You’re out in the middle of the ocean, and nobody can bother you, and you just have fun.