In anticipation of our 15th-anniversary Holistic Holiday at Sea voyage to the Caribbean, we put out a call for our 2018 Cruise Photo Contest. Our guests most definitely met the request! Wow! We were so inspired by all the pics. Thanks to each and every one of you who entered using the hashtag #vegancruise. We saw snapshots of food, romance, blue waters, friends reunited, new friends made aboard, and well-known plant-based speakers.
We’re excited to announce that our winner is (Instagram and Facebook handle) @jaxvegancouple. This account is run by Ubaid and Safura, an inspirational couple living in Jacksonville, Florida, (“Jax”) who are on a healthy quest together. After becoming certified in Forks Over Knives Nutrition Cooking Classes, Ubaid and Safura prepared an e-book with more than 70 recipes. “We are passionate about spreading the message about this healthy lifestyle. It has been a rewarding experience to feel connected to the foods we eat,” they write in their blog’s About Us.
Trip Highlights
Ubaid and Safura (Jax Vegan Couple) wrote several blog posts on their first Holistic Holiday at Sea adventure on trip highlights, cooking demonstrations, and the plant-based doctors they met onboard, including Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Michael Greger, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Michael Klaper, and Dr. Joel Kahn.
“We loved the vegan cruise,” Ubaid and Safura (Jax Vegan Couple) told us. “It was an amazing experience as we mingled with so many fellow travelers of like mind who were eager to learn more about optimal health.”
“F?R?U?I?T?S & ripe oats, barley, amaranth, and quinoa for Breakfast daily on the vegan cruise: apples, papaya, grapefruit, oranges, bananas, pineapple & watermelon oh my! ?????” Photo by @jaxvegancouple
“Our anniversary dinner, chef’s special???indian basmati vegetable biryani, cauliflower, cumin chole chickpeas, papadum and chutney!! ??” Photo by @jaxvegancouple
“Dessert anyone? ? ?Cinnamon Roasted Apple with Dried Fruits & Toasted Walnuts with Cashew Sauce ??? Photo by @jaxvegancouple
“Absorbing all the beauty in the islands of Guadeloupe under the coconut tree ?” Photo by @jaxvegancouple
Their favorite port was Martinique because of all the colorful homes, crystal blue waters, scenic excursions, and wonderful people.
Jax Vegan Couple in Martinique.
The couple even celebrated their anniversary onboard and were presented with a special Indian vegan meal. “(We enjoyed) meeting the chef and talking to him about the vegan cuisine and the process to get meals ready for 2,500 vegans,” says Safura, who adds that this was the only cruise where they didn’t gain any weight! “We ate delicious, healthy foods daily and participated in superb lectures with cutting edge plant based leaders in the health field. It was so awesome to meet these doctors that we had been following for a decade. Sandy and his team were exceptional; we feel like we are part of their family and friends.”
Join Ubaid & Safura (Jax Vegan Couple) in 2019!
We asked Ubaid and Safura (Jax Vegan Couple) what stood out for them about this experience, and they replied, “What stood out for us was everything. Our first Holistic Holiday at Sea Caribbean cruise was an exhilarating week filled with wonderful wholesome plant-based food to nourish our bodies, informative lectures by renowned doctors to stimulate our minds, and the opportunity to network with like-minded people coming from around the globe. We are already signed up for next year to relax, rejuvenate our mind, body and soul.”
Next year’s cruise will be 11 nights and we’ll be cruising to a new continent with the introduction of Colombia. It’s not too late to reserve your spot for our next Holistic Holiday at Sea Voyage to Well-being. Book today and travel to Jamaica, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico from our port of Miami. See you soon!
