When Katie and I got engaged, the first order of business was reserving a date and time at the temple.
The second order of business was reserving our honeymoon cruise. So glad we've had our priorities in the right place from the start.
After spending our second day of marriage in airports and airplanes, Day 3 was aboard the Norwegian Sky in Miami. We were both cruise virgins and had heard nothing about Norwegian for better or worse prior to our trip, and it all turned out to be a very stress-free experience. The price was right, the dates were right, their "freestyle dining" policy was convenient (more on the food later), and the fun and sun of the Bahamas was right in our wheelhouse.
Oooooooooo.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.
Ehhhhhhhhhhh. (Actually, I was more impressed than depressed with the size and amenities in our room. We knew what we were signing up for with a standard room below the main deck, and it served our purposes just fine. Free room service. Towel animals. Ample closet space. Large porthole. Roomy (enough) bathroom facilities. Comfy bed.)
As you can see from our sunset picture, Miami was plenty sunny but plenty windy, so we felt a little strange eating our chicken and ribs on pool chairs in sweatshirts at the Welcome Party and BBQ. But a good start to the cruise all around.
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Port No. 1: Freeport, Grand Bahama Island
Not much to tell about Freeport. It looked nice enough from the ship. We had no pre-paid excursions for the day and a chilly breeze to deal with, so we opted to take it easy and explore the ship rather than wander from one gift shop to the next in town. We hit the buffet, jogged around the track, sampled one of the restaurants, took in a movie and a comedy show.
A view of Freeport from our room. Wondering what you're looking at? So were we.
Waiting for the comedy show to start at the ship's theater. I've never been to a show at one of the hotel's in Vegas, but this matched what I envision those to be like. We also saw a Broadway tribute show the next night. Again, nothing to compare it against, but not bad for cruise ship entertainment. You could clearly tell they were singing and dancing to numbers from Jersey Boys, Wicked, Mamma Mia, Swing, and Movin' Out (with some slight help from the musicals' billboards posted along the stage wall).
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Port No. 2 : Great Stirrup Cay
You won't find this place on any Google map since this island is property of the cruise line. The weather was vastly improved and just in time for us to hit the beach and take a kayaking tour around the back side of the island. We found out who really wears the swim trunks in our relationship (only kayak in the group featuring a female guide) and how important it is for Katie to navigate the water in a straight line.
My job was to point out sea life in the water - which I did magnificently - while enjoying the scenery. Sadly, there are no pictures that captured the experience. Someone in the back of the kayak was very worried about the camera getting wet and did not want it brought along for the ride.
Can't remember if this blog's new editor approved this picture. Guess I'll find out soon enough.
The sand and water looks particularly appealing right ..... about ..... now.
Easily one of my favorite spots on the ship was the eating area at the back of the boat near the buffet. The wind was partially blocked by the shade cover during the day and pretty well secluded away from our flamboyant cruise director "Richard" and the ship's nightlife activities. And, oh yeah, it was 10 feet from the 24-hour buffet. Katie took about six more trips there than she cared to, but she was a good sport and let me pig out.
Given all the wonderful things we had heard about food on cruise ships, Norwegian did not live up to either of our expectations. The orders were always right in the dining rooms/pre-paid restaurants and nothing was bad, but nothing was a-maz-ing. I think that was part of the reason I liked the buffet so much. The food was just as good as anywhere else on the ship, and you didn't have to wait for it or deal with a waiter.
Port No. 3 : Nassau
Another day at the beach? Yeah, we didn't mind either.
This day's excursion took us to a Blue Lagoon "private island," a short boat ride away from the port. We got a great mini tour of Nassau in the process, including a good view of the Atlantis hotel/waterpark/golf resort. One day, honey. One day.
Though our island didn't boast too many luxuries, it had what we were seeking. Calm water. Soft sand. Peace. Quiet.
"Private" turned out to have about a 60-person occupancy limit, and we had no issues sharing it with the 30 or so people who joined us that day.
Until I saw the doors on this dock house, I had hardly given any thought to the special occasions around the corner. Which leads me to ...
