In case you missed it, we’ve been commemorating Eleven Pepper’s eleventh year in business. And even though our official “birthday” was on August 3, 2023 – we’ve been celebrating all year long on social media with an 11:11 video, sizzle reel, and our milestone series. But that wasn’t enough for our owners, Kristen and Bryan. They decided to bring everyone, and we mean EVERYONE (including families and significant others) on a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas!

You heard that right – 133 Peppers headed to Orlando and then Port Canaveral to board the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. And while we were on our four-night vacation we enjoyed a ton of free-time along with some company-organized events that provided amazing opportunities to create life-long memories.

After flying down to Orlando in two big groups, we jumped on shuttles that took us directly to the dock for check-in. Once everyone boarded the boat, it was time to find our rooms and get to know the ship. Some Peppers opted for downtime after a very early flight, while others headed to the pool deck for drinks and dancing during the “Set Sail Celebration.” Our competitive Peppers got together for a scavenger hunt across the entire ship where they were able to scout out all the fun places to hang out during our time onboard. Then it was time for dinner and evening events, and as you’ll see from the pictures – we wasted no time getting into vacation mode.

We woke up in the Bahamas at Royal Caribbean’s private island, Cocoa Cay. Before everyone headed off the boat to enjoy the many different activities available to us, we got together for a company breakfast in the dining room. Everyone was able to catch up about their first night at sea and prepare for a fun day ahead. After our bellies were full, groups headed out to the pool, the beach, to swim with pigs, snorkeling and more! Then we all headed back to the boat and enjoyed another night full of live music, karaoke, trivia, and of course way too much food and drinks.

Our ship made it to Nassau, and we spent another day enjoying the city and the ship. Some Peppers went on an off-roading excursion, others went sightseeing on their own, and a big group ended up at the pool enjoying the warm weather. Then we set sail and began our journey back to Port Canaveral. While we cruised that evening, there was more live entertainment, shows, dancing, and as a bonus, they played the NFL playoff games on the giant screen by the pool!

Cruising all day was a ton of fun. Some Peppers enjoyed rest and relaxation, while others played mini golf, laser tag, rode water slides, went surfing in the simulator and more! In the afternoon, Kristen and Bryan treated everyone to happy hour in a private area on the ship. A professional photographer came to get some group pictures, and the kids managed to still have a lot of energy to run around and play together. It was the perfect time to reminisce about the memories we made and the favorite activities we got to do.

When we arrived back in Maryland, there was a surprise waiting for us! Snow had come and gone and was coming again. We ended up getting TWO more days off to really ease us back into reality.

Not a lot of companies take over 100 people on an all-expenses paid vacation. But here at Eleven Peppers, we are family and that is something that will never change whether we are in business for 11 years or 111 years.