"" Writer's Wanderings: A Mini Cruise on NCL

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

A Mini Cruise on NCL

We were up for a new adventure and since our kids were going to use our condo for a few days, we decided to go on a mini cruise. Originally we were going to go home and let them close up the condo but we wanted to put things back the way we found them--or better, and didn't want them to spend their vacation time doing that. We've never been on a Norwegian Cruise ship and there was one available for four days at a really good price. Of course it was an inside room but, hey, it was only for four days. We hadn't had an inside cabin since we first started cruising. It would be an adventure.

The adventure it turned out was not in that we were in a very, very small stateroom but that we didn't count on their being so many college students. Sure, we knew it was spring break and we'd taken a cruise once before where it was tough to find space in the hot tub but this--this was something else.

The fish on the hall carpet swim to the front of the ship.
Apparently there was a great package deal offered through a travel agency or two because there were a few private get-to-know-you parties for the kids. As Bob put it, the dress code was bikini, cover up optional and to save time, most of the kids were already in their swimwear as we checked in.

We were probably the oldest on the cruise ship or at least close to it. We did see a few other gray heads in the crowd. Undaunted we boarded with our carry-ons (only four days worth of casual clothes since NCL is not a dress up affair unless you want to) and checked the bags while we roamed the ship, grabbed lunch and waited for our rooms to be available.

The Norwegian Sky is an older ship and probably in need of some refurbishing but it was clean and presentable and ready to be well used by hundreds of college kids celebrating spring. The only thing that loomed large in my head was the fact that part of the special package NCL was offering included beverages--except for water that was $3.25/small bottle and $4.25 for a large. All the alcohol and soda was included in your cruise fee. Hmmm. I wondered how well this was going to go. 

Bob had made reservations for all of the restaurants even though it probably wasn't necessary. Our first night was in the Crossings which was one of the complimentary restaurants. We were given a table in the back of the restaurant that was by a rear window with a view of the Miami skyline as we left port and the sun was setting. Not only did we get a wonderful meal but the view was spectacular. 

The show was a bit disappointing. They had to move it from the theater to the center nightclub area because of a problem with the stage and the comedian had an awful time being heard over all the kids who were standing at the bar and talking and drinking. He made the best of it though and we did laugh through it.

The good news was that we were in bed before anything wild was going on and we were up so "early" the next morning that the ship was quite quiet and we didn't have any crowds as we exited to enjoy our first port of call, Freeport, Grand Bahama.

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...