I Knew I Couldn't Do It!
You know how it goes -- the right opportunity comes along and you just have to go for it! The other day a notice came across that Cruise Planners was having a "Seminar at Sea" on the newly revamped NCL Sky.
For a little background: the Sky used to be the Pride of Aloha that sailed around Hawaii. NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) decided that they had too much inventory in Hawaii (at one time they had 3 ships), and so they overhauled her completely and moved her to Miami for 3 and 4 night Bahamas cruises.
At the time, I hadn't paid a whole lot of attention to the transition, but I've been much more interested in NCL lately because of their new ships and the new Freestyle Cruising concept, and I was thinking about trying something out. I was on one of their old ships a few years ago and wasn' t too impressed, but since then I've had many clients return from an NCL cruise and tell me how much they loved it!
So it is time -- and the Sky is it! Our cruise is a 4-nighter that starts on a Monday. She'll sail out at 5:00, and stop the next day at Grand Bahama Island. Then on Wednesday we'll be in Nassau, and Thursday at Great Stirrup Cay -- NCL's private island. I cannot wait to get in that water -- I even have dreams about snorkeling in warm, warm, turquoise water over silky sands among the beautiful corals and fishes (and I'm all about the beaches on this cruise -- no shopping, culture, or silly tourist stuff for me)!
I just hope the "seminar" part isn't too time-intensive and doesn't get in the way of having fun! Oh, and we're going to fly in a couple of days early to drive to Key West and check it out. I plan to come back fully armed with knowledge of all the hot spots, must-see things to do, and the best beaches in the Bahamas!
I think this would make a great get-away for anyone -- it's fun, easy, and economical (I noticed that ocean-view cabins start at just $259 per person plus taxes), and the ship goes out every single week for 4-night cruises on Mondays, and 3-night cruises on Fridays.
But I also want to make a thorough test of Freestyle Cruising and see how NCL has upgraded their ships, dining, service, and amenities, so I can report back to you and make the right recommendations. After all, NCL has excellent itineraries all over the world, and we're coming up on the booking season for winter South America cruises, and next summer's Alaska and Europe sailings.
So watch this space and I'll keep you posted! And if you want to come along, give me a call!
