Cruises
Where there is none stop eating, partying and sites to see. There is nothing like a cruise, out in the middle of the ocean and all you can see is water. Every now and then you can see the lights from other cruise ships or lights on the shore from the homes nearby. The sunrises and sunsets are breath taking. To enjoy these views from the comfort of your own cabin, you have to have a balcony, not an ocean view or inside stateroom. Although it costs a little more, it is worth every penny.
You can take a 2-day up to a 2-week cruise, depending on where you want to go, when and how much time you have. We have traveled on the Carnival Cruise Line and the Norwegian Cruise Line. Carnival is more of a planned cruise with time settings for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Where Norwegian is known as the "Free Style" cruise with no set times for doing anything. We have been fortunate to experience both lines. Rob prefers the laid back do what I want Norwegian and, of course, I like the planned Carnival but did enjoy the Norwegian as well.
Our Norwegian cruise was our "Jazz Party At Sea" cruise hosted by the Jazz Club at Sea aboard the Norwegian Sun. There was an entire week of jazz performers each day ranging from 2-3 shows. You were actually able to mix and mingle with the performers during and after the shows. Some of the artists were Fathead Newman, Joey De Francesco, Stu Katz, Heath Brothers, Willie Pickens and a host of others. It was really a moving experience to be surrounded by all this talent.
The cruise aboard the Carnival "Sensation" was hosted by Magic Moments Travel Club out of New Jersey. We kept it a secret from friends traveling on the cruise except for our planner, Melinda. There was my Auntie Lex, friends from J&A's Club and the Twenty Grand. They were really surprised to see us. This was a short cruise to the Bahamas with a stop in Nassau and Freeport.
For my birthday in 2009 we took the "Mexican Riviera Cruise" from the Port of Los Angeles located in San Pedro, CA aboard the Norwegian Star. On this cruise we decided to upgrade to a Penthouse Suite which provided a living area, private balcony (you could actually have a small party if you wanted), dining area, bedroom with queen-size bed, CD/DVD library and luxury bath, shower with robe and shoes along with concierge (Simone) and butler (Dilip) service. Our cabin was located on the 10th floor in the front of the ship where we could see everything as we pulled into port. It was truly fantastic and worth the money. You have priority embarkation, expedited check-in, escort to room, if tender service is required from the ship to the shore you have an escort and your butler service is available for anything you need. All of this happens with no waiting in lines including when you disembark at the end. There are actually three more levels up that we haven′t tried but plan to try the Owner′s Suite on one of our future cruises, but until then, this is the way we will go from now on.
If you've never been on a cruise and not sure if you will like it, I recommend your first cruise to be between 2-5 days. Once you sail, there is no "I want to get off." Most people think the ships are not steady and they rock back and forth the entire time. You are talking about a "SHIP" not a "boat". When you place a class of water on your table at home, the water doesn't move, it′s the same on the ship. There is so much to do on board: spas, entertainment, exercise rooms, bars, lounges, pools, library, movies, casinos and I'm sure I have forgotten something. The only difference is you don't have to drive to any of these places, just take the elevator or stairs and you are right there.
Each night you are given an itinerary of the next day ship activities and port information of tours, shopping, etc. The tours are an additional charge, so pick and choose what you really want to do, explore on your own or just stay onboard and relax, because there are still activities going on whether the ship is docked or not. Happy Cruising!!
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