Kelsey & Max’s Babymoon at Sandals Royal Curaçao
A singular picture comes to mind whenever Kelsey and Max think of their babymoon at Sandals Royal Curaçao. It’s a forever shot among dozens of forever shots. There’s one of Max kissing Kelsey’s glowing baby bump in front of the ocean. There’s one of Kelsey as a motherly profile in front of a Heaven-sent moonrise. There are backdrops of pools, beaches, and Curaçaoan landscapes that blend nature with perfection.
Each picture is a masterpiece holding a memory.
“But our favorite, the one we look forward to showing our daughter someday,” Max says, “is Kelsey kneeling on the bed with her belly out.”
It’s an interesting select until you understand the deeper meaning. Max was the photographer. The setting is the Sandals suite where he and Kelsey came to realize, babymoon-style, that their life change on the horizon can exist here, in blessed peace. With the moment captured, they also captured a note to go with it:
The second Max turned his camera around to show me, tears streamed down my face. So many emotions hit me. “This is really happening … I’m going to be a mom.”
It’s one of many photos and messages that will be as timeless as the babymoon itself.
“This is the last trip for just Max and me before our whole world changes.”
Kelsey’s sentiment will resonate with any mother or soon-to-be mother. And any father or soon-to-be father will easily relate to the way Max described the weeks leading up to the trip.
“We feel like we’re hamsters running on a wheel,” he said. “Working our jobs, caring for our animals, building a nursery, checking things off our long list. And we’re putting a lot of energy into preparing to become parents.”
You can understand why Kelsey and Max wanted to take — no, they needed to take — one last amazing trip before they’d become “Mom and Dad.” Travel had been a central part of their relationship since they began dating. Costa Rica. France. Greece. Italy. Argentina. And a whole string of Caribbean islands from Antigua to St. Vincent.
One more “just us” escape would satisfy their need to step off the hamster wheel.
“A babymoon would be our chance to relax and reflect on our six years together, before our daughter arrives,” Kelsey says.
The trip needed to be more special than all the special trips they’d taken previously. For one, the destination had to be new to them. And second, it had to be stunning for their most important photo library of all.
“We knew it had to be Sandals. One of our first trips together was to Sandals Montego Bay. We honeymooned at Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia. Among all our travels, Sandals jumped out as the ideal place to unplug.”
Kelsey, Max, and Sandals Royal Curaçao were a perfect babymoon match.
“Little girl, I can’t wait to hold you and hear your first giggles. But at the same time, I’m soaking in this chapter where it’s still just the two of us sharing every moment and every breath together.”
Kelsey and Max landed in Curaçao, rode like royalty over to Sandals, and caught a glimpse of the brand logo in the lobby. At that moment, the wheel stopped spinning underneath them. It felt as if the earth stopped spinning, too. This is exactly what they needed.
Just … total … peace.
The simple arrival made a six-months-pregnant Kelsey feel weightless. She and Max forgot about burp cloths and crib construction, and allowed themselves to be overwhelmed with tropical air, ocean views, and the island’s vibrant colors. They also heard voices.
“Relax.” The soothing voices of Sandals staff. “Allow me to bring some snacks to your room from your cravings menu.”
Kelsey didn’t have to ask for non-alcoholic champagne. It was already there. So, too, was a pregnancy pillow. It became a subplot to the babymoon, how their loftiest desires were met before Kelsey or Max even thought of them. Fresh fruit platters. Mood music. A shady spot for two on the beach.
“One night we came back to our suite and our butler, Nick, had set up rose petals along the floor, leading to a bubble bath,” Kelsey says. “They made the trip ours, yet baby focused.”
Each staff gesture reminded them of the miracle of love and of the miracle to come.
“Life is about to change in such a beautiful way, but I know I’ll always cherish the time we’re living in now, when it’s just us.”
Minutes at Sandals Royal Curaçao never rush. The care-free moments have a way of consuming couples. Kelsey and Max would rise with the sun because it felt good to embrace each of those moments together. Breakfasts at their private pool. Dinners on the beach. Chill afternoons in the infinity pool. A Caribbean sunset on a catamaran.
During one after-dinner walk, they came upon a heart-shaped cabana, as if it had been set up specifically for them. Kelsey and Max crawled inside. Just the two of them in one heart under billions of twinkling stars.
“We sat there for hours, reminiscing about our life together and where the future will take us,” Kelsey says. In that cabana, full of appreciation and anticipation, they could clearly envision their best life.
“We will always cherish that night.”
“One day we’ll show you these photos and we’ll tell you how loved you were, even before we met you.”
The Sandals DNA must have saturated Kelsey and Max. The two of them are ever closer to becoming three, yet they’re less stressed, more serene. They can even say with precision and honesty:
“From dating to honeymoon to babymoon, Sandals has been with us every step of the way.”
On this trip, the first step to contentment began at the logo in the lobby. There really was no final step.
“The staff even gave us to-go pizzas for the ride to airport,” Kelsey says of a practical gift before mentioning a few lasting gifts. “We came home refocused, with new energy before our little girl arrives.”
She and Max will have something ageless waiting for that little girl: a real-life babymoon story. She’s in the story, and she’ll want to hear it told again and again and again.
