I contemplated doing a cruise for many years, but always procrastinated. In May 2018, I finally got the push I needed to go on my first cruise when I received a “free” cruise offer from a local casino. I was skeptical of a free cruise offer from a casino since I am by no means a high roller, but I did some research online. My research showed that the main caveats to the offer is the recipient must pay the taxes and port fees for the cruise, the cabin is the lowest tier (which the cruise company will try to get you to upgrade), and finally the casino company receives a finders fee to send known gamblers on a ship with a casino. The cruise offer was for two people so i decided the associated cost would be worth it.
I had two months to book the cruise with lengths varying from 5-10 days, sail dates from 10 days out to a year out and destinations ranging from Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean amongst other places. Once again I hit the research to find the right length, ship, destination, and time of year. After searching the web and reading way too many articles on everything cruise related a month had passed and I still hadn’t made a decision. At work I had applied and interviewed for a promotion and shortly after I found out I had gotten the position, so a summer cruise was definitely out of question with starting a new position. So more research was done this time looking at January for a possible cruise time. So with two days left to book the cruise, I decided on sailing on the Norwegian Bliss out of Miami, Florida in mid January to the Eastern Caribbean. Another issue that came up is that the cruise was for two, so I contacted my friend Jared who had since moved to Missouri and I told him, I’m going on a cruise and it’s for two so meet me in Miami. Booking a flight and hotel for nights when in Miami was another step in a long list of things to do in preparation, but it was well worth it.
Day 0 Friday, January 18, 2019 Travel Day to Miami
So after waiting months and worrying about potential seasickness, it was time to pack a suitcase and do final preparation. I packed a suitcase with clothes for most situations and hoped for the best. After a short Uber ride to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, it was time for travel day. Going through TSA was a pain as always and the agent was a bit aggressive with his pant down, at this point I started to wonder if I should get TSA Precheck.
My flight on American had a short layover in Charlotte, North Carolina, but otherwise an uneventful flight. I arrived in Miami a couple hours before Jared, so I tried to keep myself entertained while I waited. Finally Jared arrived and we took an Uber to our hotel. It was a long travel day and all we wanted to do was get something to eat and sleep. We asked the Uber driver for suggestions on a nearby restaurant, but his only knowledge of the area was of nearby strip clubs and an unwarranted fact as we drove by a flight school that some of the 9/11 terrorists learned to fly there. Our hotel was a simple La Quinta Inn with good reviews and a decent distance from the airport and Port of Miami. Luckily when we arrived at the hotel they had menus for a local pizza place that delivered. So after pizza, we turned in for an early night to prepare for the excitement coming tomorrow.
Day 1 Saturday January 19, 2019 Miami
An odd coincidence happened when Jared and a friend, Amanda, of his from Texas realized that they were both in Miami. We had some time to kill until embarkation, so she picked us up at our hotel and we drove around Miami. We stopped at Bayside Marketplace to find Jared a pair of sandals and do some last minute shopping. The Bayside Marketplace is right next to a marina so we stopped and took some photos of the boats and water like we wouldn’t see water again.
So after a quick trip around Miami, Amanda dropped us off at the cruise port so we could start our boarding process. So with Jared and I both being new to this process beside what I read online, we decided to just be observant and let common sense take the wheel. We were greeted at the curb by a porter that confirmed our ship and swiftly labeled our bags. I tipped the porter and told him to keep them safe, which in hindsight is an awkward thing to say. He simply nodded and directed us to the door as he grabbed our bags and loaded them on the cart. So now we headed to the building to check in.
As we were walking to the line, we got our first glimpse of the Norwegian Bliss, our floating home for the next seven days. Even though we both knew it was going to be a big ship, in front of your own eyes is a lot bigger than in your head. We got in line and slowly snaked our way though the building as the line moved at an orderly pace. At our first checkpoint in line a worker checked our boarding documents and passports and sent us further into the building. Our next checkpoint was security as we put our carryons on a conveyor belt for screening as we stepped through the metal detectors. No issues with security, so our next checkpoint was a health screening where we have to answer a questionnaire about various conditions mostly about contagious diseases and gastrointestinal issues. We had no such issues, so filling out the forms didn’t take long. Our next checkpoint was the last, we took our health questionnaires, boarding documents, and passports to the Check-in desk. The agent at the checkin desk took our health questionnaires, asked a few follow up questions, and then scanned our boarding documents, and passports. The agent handed us our room keys (RFID cards), maps of the ship, and a copy of Freestyle Daily (Norwegian’s on ship daily newsletter of events and information). She told us the rooms would not be immediately available, but that an announcement would be made when the rooms were ready. She also told us that our luggage would not be delivered until possibly 7pm, which was fine since I had read about that before. She said besides those two caveats the ship was ours for exploring and recommended trying one of the restaurants or bars in the meantime. So with that we headed to the ship.
So as two Midwesterners outside of our comfort zone, we explored the ship to get ourselves acquainted with our new surroundings. A reoccurring event started on that day, where when one of us would ask the other “How do we do this?” or “Where do we go now?”, and the other responding “I don’t know, I’ve never done this before?” But besides getting lost and having to review the paper map or the interactive maps located throughout the ship, we slowly got the lay of the ship. After some exploring, our stomach started growling, so we ventured to find a restaurant. We ended up stumbling across a sports bar themed restaurant call The Local. The Local was a sit down style restaurant, so we walked up to the host to request a table. They asked for one of our room keys to scan for our table and then a few minutes later we were seated. Our waitress came to our table and asked us if we would like a drink to start, she also relayed that since we were still in port we would be charged local tax on the drinks. With my cruise came one included perk, which I had to chose upon while booking my cruise. I had chose the Ultimate Beverage Package which included all drinks beside the very top shelf alcohols. With the drinks being included the local taxes didn’t stop us from starting our trip with a drink. We ordered some delicious appetizers, a sandwich each, and a few more drinks all of which were enjoyed. When we completed our meals and drinks our waitress asked if we needed anything us and we responded that we didn’t need anything else. As normal land dwelling Americans we sat at our table waiting for our check at least expecting to have to sign something. We started to notice other tables of people get up and leave after finishing their meals. It was at that point that we realized this is how things work on the ship when you go to an included restaurant.
So after lunch we continued exploring the ship until we heard an announcement that the staterooms were now ready. We decided it was a good time to find our room and at least drop off our carryon bags. We were located on Deck 8 midship and found our room # 8154. We entered the room and realized how big a 250ish sq ft stateroom is for two people. But as we settled in a bit and checked out the amenities of the room, we realized that the room would fit our needs. Originally I was given an interior room, but I decided to splurge and upgraded to a balcony room a few weeks before the cruise. So we walked out on our balcony and were greeted by two chairs and a small tables. In the following days we would spend a decent amount of time on the balcony.
So after lounging in the room for a bit it was time to go to the mandatory safety drill. We headed to our muster station for the drill which wasn’t that far from our room. The safety drill for our area was at the District Brewhouse, which was a craft beer themed bar. The safety drill lasted about a half hour where they went over all the pertinent information in the case of an emergency. After the safety drill was dismissed we grabbed a couple drinks and headed back to our balcony.
After sitting on the balcony for a little bit while enjoying our drinks, we noticed the ship was moving and we were slowly on our way. Unfortunately we were on the shady side of the ship, but that didn’t stop me from taking lots of photos as we sailed out of Miami. As the sun started to fall, we ventured in and explored the ship some more. We visited the video arcade and played some games for a while, before it was time to explore again. We stumbled across what would become our favorite bar on the ship, The Cavern. The Cavern was the outside section of The Cellars Wine Bar, offering a bar and seats on the waterfront on the ship. We sat out there drinking as the sky darkened and we could only see dark waters to the horizon. As we sailed out of those Miami waters into the seas ahead we could see nothing except for another brightly lit ship from time to time.
With stomachs growling again, we made our way to the Local again for a nice dinner. With such a long day of new experiences we decided to head back to the room where we were greeted by our bags. After about a half hour of sorting and putting away clothes, it was time to sleep. Since I was the one that got the cruise I took the main bed and Jared took the sofa bed. With all the subtle movements of the ship on the sea, we decided at least for this day we weren’t susceptible to sea sickness. And with that our first day on the ship was over.
Day 2 Sunday January 20, 2019 At Sea
Waking up at sea was definitely a new experience. First thing on the agenda was stepping out on my balcony and seeing what was out there. The first view was mind blowing seeing nothing but water, just miles and miles of dark blue ocean as far as my eyes could see. So most this day was spent lounging about the ship and drinking at as many bars as I could find. The drink package was starting to show itself as a good bargain as I decided that drinking on vacation can start at anytime. Already starting to display a pattern, we venture to The Local for lunch and dinner.
The Kansas City Chiefs were playing the New England Patriots that night and as a faithful Chiefs fan , Jared found out were the game was being shown. So a little before game time we ventured up to the pool deck where the game would be shown. Before the game was over, we had to leave to head to the Bliss Theater to see the musical Havana. It was a good show. After a fun packed day at sea it was time for sleep so we could have more fun the next day.
Day 3 Monday January 21, 2019 At Sea
Another day spent at sea and more exploring of the ship. On this day I noticed that the Garden Cafe was the ship’s buffet, so breakfast was enjoyed there. A bonus to the great selection at buffet was that there was also a bar. Normally I don’t drink at breakfast, but vacation and being at sea comes with different rules. Also during this day we stumbled across the Observation Lounge on the ship which offered great views of the ocean around us and plenty of spaces for lounging about on a calm sea day. Another perk of the Observation lounge was the bar and buffet style snack available during the afternoon. On this sea day Jared ventured to the cigar lounge and I ventured to the mojito bar. After having a great variety of different mojitos, I joined Jared in the cigar lounge. In the cigar lounge was a colorful cast of cigar connoisseurs smoking away while sipping their favorite drinks. I’m not a cigar guy, but special occasions are well within my domain and being out to sea definitely fit the criteria. So I asked Jared to select a cigar for me as I placed a drink order for a double whiskey on the rocks with the waitress attending the cigar lounge. So as we puffed away at the cigars and drank our drinks, we once again spoke on the amazement of being on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. From time to time, we conversed with the others in the cigar lounge and we all appreciated the joys of our current place in life.
Day 4 Tuesday January 22, 2019 Tortola, British Virgin Islands
After relaxing at sea for the past few days, it was fun to wake up and see the beautiful Caribbean islands for the first time. It was an early morning as we grabbed a quick breakfast and made it to our separate meeting points. Being my first cruise, I didn’t book excursions until I was on the ship. The excursions I wanted unfortunately only had one spot each. So for the day Jared had a trip to the beach and I took an Explore Tortola by land and sea tour. So we each packed a day bag and departed the ship.
Upon leaving the ship they scanned our room cards for accountability. After that I followed the signs for the meeting point on the port of Tortola. Along the way I took a few photos of the ship and the port. After a short wait, we were loaded onto open air vans and started down the roads of Road Town Tortola. As the van winded up the roads of the tropical island, I got a few incredible views of the harbor below. We stopped at many points of interests including a roadside stand where I got one of the ubiquitous rum based drinks and utilized the free WiFi to make a phone call home and posted a few photos to Facebook. After a few photo stops we descended the many island hills back to our origin point at the harbor. We unloaded from the vans and boarded a boat. I somehow picked the seat that got the most water splashed onto the boat on the way out, at least the way back to land was dry. One of the reasons I bought my Pentax K-50 was because of its weather resistant capabilities which was great to have on this occasion. After the boat ride around the islands we head back to port. I decided to check out the shops in port and ran into Jared. He remarked how the beach he went to was beautiful and relaxing. I told him about the various things I saw on my excursion. So once we finished a little shopping we headed back to the ship. After an adventurous day, the evening was a relaxed one with dinner at the Garden Cafe and a few drinks. We called it an early night since the next morning we would be in a different port.
Day 5 Wednesday January 23, 2019 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
An early morning again as we arrived into the turquoise waters of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A quick backstory, wanting to go to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a long time was the main reasons I pick the Eastern Caribbean cruise. We packed our day bags and made a quick trip to the Garden Cafe for breakfast and then headed to our meeting point. For St. Thomas we had a common shore excursion on the Legendary Kon-Tiki Beach & Sightseeing tour. The Kon-Tiki boat was a two level boat with a steel band playing island tunes and included a bar that served rum punch. The Kon-Tiki also had glass bottom section that allowed us to view the reefs below. After a short ride on the Kon-Tiki we docked on the lesser known Water Island of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Upon our arrival we debarked and ventured onto “Honeymoon Island” that humor didn’t sway us. It was a lovely beach with plenty of lounge chair across. We then spent some time swimming in the clear waters of Water Islands. Jared rented a snorkel, but wasn’t able to see anything special. A couple people further out were able to see a sea turtle, but we weren’t so fortunate. Once again we got a slight sprinkle of rain, but nothing to dampen our spirits. After an awesome time spent on the beach, we loaded up on the Kon-Tiki to head back to St. Thomas. Once on board we took a tandem photo upon request of Jared’ s mother, since at that point we had only take selfies. It was an uneventful ride back to St. Thomas as we listened to the steel drum and enjoyed more rum punch. Upon reaching St. Thomas we ventured out to the various shops in the port area to purchase souvenirs. After our shopping we headed back to the ship to get a nap before the night’s activities.
After showers were taken , we headed to Savor for dinner. A nice sit down dinner was had, then we grabbed a few drinks, and headed for a show to conclude the night. The night’s show was Jersey Boys, which was a very good show. That night as we headed back northeast we felt more waves and movement, yet the show went on without a hitch. I’m not a huge fan of theater shows, but I was very entertained by the performance and I would recommend it to anyone. Our showing was late, so we went to sleep even though the next day was at sea. With the increased movement of the ship, t felt like being rocked to sleep.
Day 6 Thursday January 24, 2019 At Sea
I woke up early due to being rocked to sleep all night by the waves as we ventured back across the ocean. We had breakfast at the Garden Cafe with drinks at this point being almost mandatory. The day was spent lounging about in the Observation Lounge, napping in the stateroom, having drinks on our balcony from the District Brewhouse or drinks at the Cavern Club on the Waterfront. Dinner that night was at Taste. Then we made another trip to the cigar lounge, Jared enjoyed a cigar while I enjoyed my drink. After that it was an early night since the next morning we would be venturing onto land again.
Day 7 Friday January 25, 2019 Nassau, Bahamas
Another early morning again as we woke up in port, but this time it was Nassau, Bahamas. We packed our day bags and made a quick trip to the Garden Cafe for breakfast and then headed to our meeting point. The excursion for the day was a Blue Lagoon Island Beach Day. We boarded a two level boat and headed out of Nassau to our destination on Blue Lagoon Island. As we traveled through the waterways we saw many lavish yachts and seaside mansions lining the shorelines of the main island and the surrounding islands. Upon arriving on Blue Lagoon Island we found great beaches and plentiful lounge chairs. A good portion of our time was spent lounging around on the beach or swimming in the clear waters under an overcast sky. A buffet lunch was also provided as part of our excursion, so we enjoyed a delicious island lunch. After a little more lounging and then walking around taking photos, it was time to head back to the boat to make the trip back to Nassau. After another scenic boat ride we arrived back in Nassau. We walked around Nassau and picked up a few souvenirs before heading back to the ship. Upon arrival back to the ship we showered and prepared for a last dinner on the Norwegian Bliss. It was a casual night so we had dinner at the Garden Cafe followed by drinks and retiring early for the night.
Day 8 Saturday January 26, 2019 Return to Miami
The last morning on the Norwegian Bliss was an early morning as we prepared for disembarking to Miami and heading to our time killer excursion. We went to the Garden Cafe and enjoyed a light breakfast before heading to our meeting point for our excursion. As we departed the ship our first stop was the Immigration screening. Immigration screening was a simple facial recognition and then we proceeded to the luggage claim in the cruise terminal. After we claimed our bags, we headed to Customs which involved a single Custom agent standing around looking mad, this was probably due to the Federal Shutdown which meant he had to work without getting paid. From there we proceeded to our excursion bus under a rainy sky that loaded up our bags and then set off for the headquarters of the Miami Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour.
The bus tour headquarters were by the Bayside Marketplace, relatively familiar surroundings far as Miami was concerned. From there we hopped on the first bus which was for the Red route which is the city loop of the tour. The bus was a double decker bus with a open air top floor. Especially with it being a rainy day, we were only able to find seats on the top level which was okay since they provided us with free rain ponchos. The tour also provided us with headphones since the tour also had a guide giving us information as we traveled the city. The tour guides were very knowledgeable about the Miami area and the tour was very informative and fun despite the rainy weather. Normally the seats on the top level of the bus have no issues being so high up, but on a rainy day we were often given the signal to duck because the rain had made the branches of the numerous tree hang down into our headspace. Ultimately we exited unscathed, but a little wetter. The rain never stops my combo of cameras, so I took a multitude of photos as we explored Miami. The points of interest along the City Loop were Coconut Grove, Little Havana, and Downtown Miami. Because of the inclement weather we stayed on the bus until the City Loop was over. We returned to the bus headquarters and then hopped onto the Beach Loop which took us through the South Beach area.
So another interesting tour was ahead of us, as we went through the more exclusive areas of South Beach. We were greeted with various sites of the glamours of South Beach such as Wynwood Walls, Fontainebleau Hotel, and The Riveria. It was definitely nice exploring a new city and we would have explored it even more if it was a little less wet and a lot more sunny. After the South Beach tour was completed, we enjoyed a nice lunch at a restaurant in the Bayside Marketplace. We then retrieved our bags from storage and took a Uber ride back to the La Quinta.
Once again we ordered pizza from the same local place from our first night in Miami. After that we called it an early night since Jared had an early flight in the morning. Early in the morning I woke up to the noise of Jared gathering his things to head off to the airport. I bid him farewell until the next time our paths crossed. After a few hours passed, I arose and got ready for my travel day back to Phoenix. After a shuttle ride to the airport and a decent amount of time in the TSA security line , I finally boarded my plane. Almost two hours later after boarding the airplane, we finally departed after a sizable delay due to a couple malfunctioning seat cushions. The flight was uneventful and I safely made it to my destination. Jared also made it back to Kansas City in one piece. For the following few weeks we often spoke about the great times we had on the cruise.
Vacation Recap
This vacation was incredible. My only regret was that I put off going on cruises for so many years. I highly recommend cruising, especially in the Carribean. Make sure to comment and share this post on your social media of choice.
