I made it. I am back from my first ever cruise! Wow! It was one of the best vacations that I have ever taken! This is the route that our ship was on for the cruise.

Where do I begin? Not just being optimistic here but there is nothing bad to say about the cruising experience. In fact, the only bad thing happened after we got back. We had our flight home cancelled. Obviously, we got home ( a whole day later) but that had nothing to do with the cruise. So I say to save your cash and book one today. Just be careful on which airline you want to fly. =-)

There were two highlights that I want to feature. In reality, the whole experience was a highlight though.

The food. More accurately, the access to food. It was great being able to eat, literally, anytime you like. We visited the cafe for pizza around midnight a few times. =-) I love to eat.

The sharks. I got to swim with sharks. One of the excursions took us snorkeling with nurse sharks. I guess the stingrays and sea turtles were bonus items! What a feeling to be almost weightless and have all these marvelous (yet scary) sea creatures floating all around you! Awesome!

Again, you should just book your cruise today.

So after having been back home for a few days, the question came to mind, “Are cruise ships similar to heaven?” I had no concerns. Everything I needed was available to me without having to leave the ship. There were numerous entertainment options. In fact, I did not even turn my cell phone on while we were at sea. I turned it off in Galveston before departing and it didn’t get turned on again until back in port.

If it is okay, I will answer my own question. Yes, cruise ships are similar but not the same as heaven. I read this morning from John 6. Specifically verse 40. It reads, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

From the verse, it seems that God desires all to see Jesus and believe. If that happens, eternal life is the result. That sounds like heaven to me. Eternal life with the Creator of the Universe…yep, that is heaven. Being on a cruise ship is a small picture of what that can be like. The bible talks about no more death and suffering. No more tears. My knees won’t ache anymore. While I was on that big boat, I felt like I was in heaven but I know that it is not real heaven.

Someday, when God decides that it is the right time, I will enter the real heaven and spend eternity with Him. The best part about it is that there is no return flight (that could possibly be cancelled) because I will already be home.

I have a few more ideas that I want to share about my cruise so stay tuned. See you next week.