Chamber of Commerce Week Recap

Fridays Tips:

We went over some travel tips for our virtual cruise around Maitland to celebrate Chamber of Commerce Week, but these can always apply to life after the cruise, for any weekend you want to reminisce about the fun we had. Our packing list consisted of business cards, hand sanitizer, face masks, and your cell phone. Daily essentials no matter where you are, always better to be prepared. We met our Official Cruise Booking Agent: Stef from The Travel Superhero who will have your back when travel planning. She helped us narrow down food tours, we really wanted to do them all! Financial needs continue after the vacation as we get back to work and there are some banks that will help you settle back in (and exchange currency for the next trip we plan). Visit MidFlorida Credit Union, PNC Bank, Valley Bank, Iberia Bank, First Colony, Gulf States Credit Union, or Fairwinds Credit Union. Our ports of call hotels are still available even after the trip is over. Hilton Garden Inn Winter Park, Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs, Sheraton Orlando North, and Courtyard by Marriott Orlando are a quick call away for the next staycation. We met our Official Cruise Photographer: Dawn Aiello Photography. She helped get all our good sides, and she will help you with any moment you want to remember. If your next trip will be taken on the road, check out Peacock Ford, Holler Hyundai and Genesis North Orlando, and Pico Bros Company LLC. Our super speedy internet on the ship was thanks to Summit Broadband and they can help you out for home internet too. Our cabins were designed by KBF Design Gallery and furnished by CORT Furniture. Check them out for some new ideas to remind you of the best style: vacations!  

Monday Itinerary: 

No Monday haters here, we set out to make the start of the week our best one yet. It definitely helped that our first stop was for food. We raced off the ship and divided into our groups. We went to either Brick and Spoon, Cafe Vecino, or Midici’s. All good options, we had to convince our groups to just pick one. Our shore excursion today was the Maitland Public Library. We almost wanted to spend the rest of the day reading, but we’ll catch up at night before bed. We caught up with our Entertainment Directors: Mary from SYNC Financial, Brian from the State of Florida, and Kevin from Money Tree and Me. We felt a little sluggish so we checked out some local fitness services. There’s Eat the Frog Fitness, RDV Sportsplex, and Functional Fit Club. All of them offered a great change of pace from running down the street. The kids were safe and sound aboard the ship in a choice of three schools: Park Maitland School, Maitland Montessori School, or Celandine Life-Preparatory Academy. Before we knew it, it was dark out so we invited everyone to help us pick between the Winter Park Playhouse, Enzian Theater, or The Venue on the Lake. Everyone was interested in something so we split up with the promise of meeting the next morning. Cheers to day number one! 

Tuesday Itinerary: 

Round two! Someone in the group mentioned burgers and beer and our minds were seriously speaking to each other because this combo could not have sounded better if it tried. We narrowed the options down to Teak Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Duffy’s Sports, and Sanford Brewing Company. None of us could decide so we ended up going to each one, an even better decision. Glad to have made friends on the cruise so quick that they were on board (cruise humor) with splitting so many burgers with us. Our shore excursion was the RDV Ice Den, and we made a promise to return once it’s open again, the chilly air will be calling our name by then. We met up with our Entertainment Directors: Lori from Certified Mortgage Planners and Sean from MidFlorida Credit Union. We invited them out to try the Cruise’s Drink of the Day from Brick and Spoon which couldn’t be any more influenced by the local weather here (thankfully not on this trip though) because the Hurricane drink was amazing, 10 out of 10. Some of us went back to the ship for some reading on the deck and some went to the local religious services offered at Maitland Presbyterian, Jewish Community Center, Asbury United Methodist, Anchor Church, and Elevation Christian Ministries. 

Wednesday Itinerary:

It’s the middle of the week but our energy hasn’t run out yet! We looked into some quicker dining for a change of pace at Chick-Fil-A, Subway, and Jerimiah’s Italian Ice Cream for dessert. Our shore excursion was the Maitland Wellness Center to check out their services for holistic health and wellness and help up our self-care game. We for sure could have spent all day there, so much to choose! We caught up with our Entertainment Directors: Gary from All About People, Deborah from Poindexter Law, and Stef from The Travel Superhero. We had a great time with them during the Bingo Game Night on Zoom, it was fun seeing everyone's competitive side and our winners were super happy with their drink coupons from Duffy’s Sports Grill. Our pets were safe on the ship at Must Love Dogs Boarding and Daycare. We aren’t sure who had more fun, us or them! Maitland Animal Hospital was also on board, helping out with any pup that got a little too seasick. Don’t worry, they all got lots of love afterward. We absolutely had to reach out to the wonderful cleaning services, we wanted all their tips for our homes after vacation. Melanin Magic Hands and Shondra’s Valet Trash and Landscaping Services helped us out and showed up how the pros work. Half-way through the week but it’s not over yet!

Thursday Itinerary:

Second, to last day, we don’t want it to ever end! We started out with a Networking event called Coffee Connections. Our sponsor for the meeting was Next Step Orlando and we learned more about their 11th annual Walk-N-Roll-A-Thon happening in Orlando. It’s virtual this year but the fun won’t be any less than previous years. Don’t miss out on the Red Carpet event, the walk, the live auction, or the raffle. We started to get hungry and looked to get started with the international dining options planned for today. We ate at Eden Bar (at the Enzian Theater), Francesco's Ristorante & Pizzeria, and Boku Sushi & Grill. We simply can’t compare them, they all took international cuisine to a new level (deck?), we’re sure you get our point there, but be sure to check them out yourselves. We learned more about Florida wildlife and conservation in our area at the Audubon Society, a fresh update from seagulls flying above on deck. We met up with our Entertainment Directors: Patti from American Ballroom Decor, and Dawn from Dawn Aiello Photography. They somehow managed to rope as all unto a Conga line through the ship, though we probably wouldn’t have done it had it not been for the Robert’s Rum Barrel drink at the Eden Bar for Happy Hour. What happened in the conga line, stays in the conga line… All the dancing gave us a craving for something sweet so we headed over to Nothing Bundt Cakes for some red velvet Bundtinis. We barely made it to our cabins before falling asleep, this was a packed day and we were stuffed!

Friday Itinerary:

All good things normally come to an end but the fun doesn’t stop after this cruise, we promise. This last day was the finale of our dreams (and hopefully yours too). We started the day at Houndstooth Kitchen & Eatery. We’re still thinking about those pork tacos, I think some crew members are tired of our reminiscing by now. We stared, and stared, and stared, inside the Maitland Art & History Museum, so much we were almost behind schedule. We met up with our Entertainment Directors: Angela from Creegan Realty Group, Jennifer from Modern Business Associates, and Karla from Duke Energy. We had a great chat with everyone and got to know everyone better. Our excursion group didn’t run wild off the ship, but in case you did and had a little too much fun, we’ve got some lawyers ready to help you out: Kendrick Law Group, The Troum Law Firm, The Virga Law Firm, CPLS, Poindexter Law, Clayton & McCulloh, and Nardi & Nardi. We prepared for National Grandparents Day by making some crafts with the crew on deck. We made extra for the residents at Savannah Grand of Maitland too. Our ship was docked at Lake Fairview Marina which offers storage, boat rentals, and sailing lessons. Perfect for a day on the water when you’re missing the cruise vibes. Our family at home mentioned how excited they were for the souvenirs we collected during the trip...and we definitely forgot to buy some. We raced over to Hollieanna Grove, Winter Park’s Office Depot, and Maitland’s Publix for some souvenirs to share with family and help convince us to do this all again!

We hope you had an amazing experience. Be sure to follow our social media channels for continued updates around Maitland!