Cruisin’ with DJ Nyke: Central America Through His Lens [PHOTOS]

Vacation is always something to look forward to, especially if you're a workaholic, like myself. Sometimes, you just need to leave everything behind, including our wonderful state of Wyoming, and head to a more tropical climate.

Vacationing with the family

That is exactly what I did for the second week of September (2025). My younger brother and I were invited to a 7-day cruise with our aunt and uncle, plus their children and spouses. The cruise was like a small family reunion/birthday extravaganza, as three of my family members were celebrating birthdays literally days apart.

The festivities actually begin in New Orleans, which I had never been to before. My younger brother, Grady, got us a hotel in the French Quarter, less than a block away from Bourbon Street. No matter how many movies, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok videos you've seen, I can assure you, none of them do it justice. It felt like an endless block of bars, street musicians and local food spots that would make anyone never want to leave.

That was just the first night.

The cruise was on Carnival Cruise Lines and stopped in three countries: Honduras, Belize and Mexico (the last of which I've actually been to several times). I did quite a few things with the whole of my family, but for some excursions, it was just my brother and myself.

Regardless, the entire trip was a blast. The next to the last day of the cruise, there was a ship-wide, all white dress party, complete with a dance competition. For those that have never been a cruise before, there are a plethora of bars, restaurants and even clubs on the ship, so by this time, my brother and I had already built up a reputation of being party-ers/dancers/singers. Maybe that was why I got bullied into being in the dance contest by a myriad of my fellow shipmates. I didn't expect to actually win it though.