I had intended to get off the ship and walk around Georgetown, Grand Cayman a little, but instead, I stayed on the ship. I have some onboard credit to spend, so I figured no matter how cheap the liquor is in Grand Cayman, I could get some on the ship for “free.” Tomorrow is a sea day, so I’ll get to walk around the shops and see what else I might like to buy... read more
I got a late start today, so lunch was my first meal of the day. I had the same lamb and barley soup I enjoyed on the Escape a couple of weeks ago, but augmented it with some sautéed mushrooms from the burger station. I also revisited the key lime bar that I enjoyed on the Escape... read more
I started my day around 9am at Taste for a sit-down breakfast rather than brave the crowds at the buffet. The menu was slightly different than on the Escape. One of the featured items was a dill and spinach pancake served with smoked salmon and sour cream. Overall, I enjoyed this dish though the smoked salmon was oddly dry and tough. I also ordered some sausage and hash browns just in case I wasn’t crazy about the pancakes and salmon. The decor in Taste is a little mixed read more
By the time I felt like having breakfast, most of the Garden Cafe had closed, but there were still a few items available, so I had raisin French toast, fried potatoes, sausage, and the salmon mousse I had become so fond of on the Escape. While I was dining, L, one of a group of Canadians I had met the night before walked by, so we chatted for a bit. This was a relatively slow start to a day full of activities... read more
After having gotten off a cruise ship just a week ago, it was a little surreal to be packing for another cruise. On the upside, I really knew what I wanted to pack, so it didn’t take long. I arrived at Port Canaveral around 11am and found several spots on the ground floor of the parking garage and easily walked to the terminal entrance. After checking in, I waited in the terminal for about a half-hour until my group number was called. Then I walked on board and directly to Shakers martini bar... read more
If you’ve ever seen cruising in the news, there is an unfortunately high chance that you heard about an outbreak of Norovirus (gastrointestinal illness) on a ship. This leads many to believe that this is the result of unsanitary conditions and “cruise ship illnesses.” The reality is that the story is frequently reported inaccurately, and based on data provided by the United States Centers for Disease Control, you’re far more likely to fall victim to Norovirus on land, than you are at sea... read more
One of the things I prefer about a cruise vacation over traveling by air is that your luggage travels with you. The risk of getting separated from your bag is much slimmer on a cruise than on a plane, but that doesn’t mean the risk is zero. Plus, you may be transferring bags from cabs, hotels, shuttles, and planes just to get to the cruise terminal. Luckily there is a simple step you can take to reduce the risk of being separated from your bag... read more
Just one week after my cruise on the Norwegian Escape, I’m cruising on the Norwegian Epic, and for the first time, I’m cruising solo. After Hurricane Irma, cruise prices started dropping a lot, and NCL was offering solo cruisers balcony cabins with no single supplement. Usually, booking solo in a cabin other than one designed for one person comes with an increased per-person cost... read more
In the middle of the night, around 3:30am, I woke up and decided to take one last tour of the ship before I had to say goodbye. This may be a good time to mention something I left out of the Day 7 blog post. When SP and I were touring The Haven ship-within-a-ship suites area, the Hotel Director’s Secretary, Pamela took us out into The Vibe sundeck. While there, she offered us... read more
By day 7, SP and I were feeling a bit of cruise fatigue. I didn’t want the cruise to end, but at the same time, I missed my bed. On the other hand, I don’t have a balcony with a view of the ocean at home. When I gave SP the outline of what I wanted to do in Nassau, he balked at the amount of walking, so we decided to have a very slow day on the ship... read more