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Escape/(Not) Live/Solo


sid_9169
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Good morning / afternoon / evening, or whatever it may be where you are... I've just about had as much "cancelled" and "refunds" and "when do you think they'll sail" threads, so I dug up one of my old cell phones that contains photos from cruises around 2015 / 2016... This was my very first time on the Escape, and I've subsequently sailed her three more times... I'll go ahead and say that this was in fact, my "best cruise ever"... At the time, I was the leader of the Cruise Critic meet and greet, and this was their biggest turn out ever on the then new Escape... Also, the first time ever that Sean, the hotel manager gave me the full treatment... The photos only exist on this old Motorola Droid Maxx phone, and I'll have to try and put the story together from the pictures... Let's see if this old hunk of junk can still upload photos...

 

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Well, it appears that I've erased a great deal of the actual ship photos, and the next set is from my very first adventure over to St John, via the Red Hook ferry. I ended up spending the day at Cinnamon Bay, which is just a bit further than the famous Trunk Bay. I was only one of maybe a handfull of people on the entire beach, and the water was a spectacular blue...

 

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In order to give some context to the many "missing parts" of this story, I'll copy and paste my "Master Text Version" of the review I posted on Cruise Critic upon my return... It gives a day by day run down of the travel day, as well as the "story" of the trip itself... Back then, I didn't even know how to upload photos, so this ended up being just the narrative for the sailing... WARNING: This entry is going to be lonnnnng...

 

 

Before we begin, I'll give you a quick summary of my overall impression of the Escape, and the service provided by NCL in general... The short version, it was AWESOME! Also, there will most likely be no pictures, as my lack of computer skills is only rivaled by my lack of writing skills... What you are about to endure is merely my experience, and will be told from the point of view of a mostly boring, not very outgoing, maybe just a bit odd, solo traveler. 

The Escape is a beautiful ship. Easily NCL's greatest to date. Whomever has been perpetrating negative reviews of her deserves to be banned from cruising altogether. From a solo point of view, Norwegian sets the standard for the industry with the advent of the single occupancy cabins and lounge provided. And, as the group leader for this sailings' Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, they literally treated me like royalty... Bvlgari soaps and lotions from the Haven, check. A plush robe and slippers in my cabin upon arrival, check. An invitation to the Captains reception in the Haven, and access to the premier mixologists on the ship at the Haven Bar (More on that later) check. Treats in my cabin every day, often more than once a day, to the point where they started piling up, check. They truly went out of their way to do so much for me that I felt undeserving of the attention at times.

With the preceding introductory bits out of the way, lets get this journey started... After a mostly sleepless night, I was up at 04:45 to make my way to Miami from Atlanta. In a cab by 06:00 to the Marta station to try to catch the first train of the day. The news reports of late led me to believe there would be long lines at the worlds busiest airport. A quick 25 minute subway ride later, the accounts became reality when I exited the station staring down the longest security line I had ever bared witness to. Luckily I had an ace up my sleeve with my newly minted status of TSA Pre-Check. I presented my boarding pass to a representative, and was swiftly whisked past the throngs of plebeians to a short 5 minute wait, whereupon my shoes remained on my feet, and I was not looked upon as a potential threat to national security. I made it to the gate with a full hour and forty five minute wait for boarding, thinking to myself, that was the best $85 I've ever spent in my life for the TSA Pre-Check program.

After a routine, uneventful flight, I was deplaning at the Miami Airport at 10:20. An expeditious cab ride later, I found myself at the port in mere minutes. I was issued boarding group 8, and after a brief wait, I was making my way up the gang plank (or, long, glass enclosed ramp thingy. Not sure of the correct nomenclature.) It was right about noon, and I had finally made my way onto the beautiful decks of the new Norwegian Escape. 

Rooms were not yet ready, so I made my way down to Savor; suitcase in tow, for the my first meal of this epic journey. A blackend grouper sandwich and cajun shrimp salad later, and the announcement was made that the cabins were prepared for occupancy. I went directly to cabin 12539 and visited my new home for the week in the Studio Cabin sector. Relieved of my bags, I set out for my first drink of the day at Tobacco Road. First a Grass Clippings, a specialty drink I had not yet experienced. Next, a Mango Meltdown at Spice H2O. Then several others at various bars, and I was well on my way to a foggy afternoon. 

My muster station was in the Escape theater on deck 7, and was soon followed by more exploring (and more drinking) I knew that I wanted to attend the solo gathering at 18:00, but needed some food to absorb my indulgence of adult beverages. I showed up at Food Republic at around 17:20 to try to be the first customer and make it out in time for the solo meeting. Ordering here is accomplished via an IPAD system, by the way, they are not on a swivel as I quickly learned as the IPAD loudly crashed to the floor in the quiet restaurant. My embarrassment was concealed by my intoxication, and food soon started to arrive. Buffalo-style rock shrimp followed by brussels sprouts, and duck and pumpkin dumplings. 

I made it out with 3 minutes to spare to make my way to Tobacco Road for the solo gathering. Now this is where things started to get a little foggy for me. I remember having a few more drinks, and we made our way back to the solo lounge. Sharon Waugh was the solo travelers' host. Introductions were made, and afterwards everyone went their separate ways. Now, I am a bit of a weird dude, and the solo gatherings have never resulted in any real or imagined companionship for me. This would be my one and only appearance at the solo meet up...

According to my notes, I then made my way up to the Garden Cafe, however everything else that happened on this long travel day were getting to become very blurry at this juncture. Also according to my notes, this was the point when I walked face first into a wall and decided that the UBP had gotten the better of me, and set out to locate my cabin. Thus ending day 1 on the Escape...

Up next: The Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. A monumental Bar Crawl followed by the Captains reception in The Haven...


After a decent nights rest, I tried to shake loose the cobwebs of the previous days drinking. I headed up to the Garden Cafe and had an omelette and some orange juice to try and get ready for the day. I did some further exploration of the ship until it was time for the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet at Cagney's... Though I am not really the outgoing type, I had taken on the task of being the "group leader" for the event. At first there were only a few present, but after a while people started filing in by the dozens. Pretty soon the numbers increased to well over 100, and I thought "what in the hell have I gotten myself into?" 

Members of the crew, including Sean, the Hotel Director, Tyler, the Cruise Director, and others gave a brief presentation on what it takes to operate a floating city at sea. I knew that soon the microphone would be handed over to me, and I would have to at least attempt to articulate a few comprehensible sequences of words, while hopefully retaining a shred of dignity... My time came, and to be honest, I don't really remember what I said, but from the number of people who took time out of their day to be here, it was already a great success.

Immediately following the meet and greet, about 30 or more people lined up to participate in the slot pull. I didn't take part, as I am not a gambler, but at 14:30 about 30 or so of our group met at Tobacco Road for a bar crawl of legendary proportions... The bartender, Raj and his assistant didn't know what hit them, but handled it with the fortitude of a warrior. Eventually the drink orders were filled and the large group of strangers were intermingling like old friends. Next up was the 5 O'clock Somewhere bar on the waterfront, where Clarence, the "Chocolate Cowboy" was taking care of an already busy bar. Soon, more drinks flowed, and one intelligent participant had the forethought to go to the next bar and try to prepare them for a colossal group of now drunken revelers. 

Next was the District Brewpub, where at least most of the drinks only required popping the cap off of a beer bottle. Finally, we descended upon the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, where they had whipped up a large batch of raspberry guava mojitos for easy dispensation. Right about now, everyone was having a pretty good time so far as I could tell... 

Earlier in the day, I received an invitation to the Captains Reception in the Haven courtyard. It obviously had something to do with my group leader role, as I have but Silver Latitudes status with NCL. I knew that I would feel extremely out of place at such a formal event, but had heard legends of the mixological skills of the Haven bartenders. Also, being a solo, I would feel just a bit unsettled in a room full of Haven dwellers. So I enlisted the support of one of my fellow (female) "bar crawlers" to accompany me at the event. This situation was made slightly more awkward by the fact that said companion was traveling with her family, and was also much younger than I... Details aside, we retired to our quarters to don appropriate attire for such an event, as swim-trunks and a T shirt would most likely be judged as uncouth. 

A few minutes before 19:00 my stunningly attractive acquaintance and I made our way to deck 17 to attempt to gain access to the pinnacle of the Norwegian Escape, The Haven. I figured that there would be a sentry outside checking credentials, however we gained entry by simply following someone else inside. The officers were decked out in their dress blues and fancy canape were brought around on silver trays, but my main goal of this escapade was to sample the bounty of exotic adult beverages available only in the Haven Bar... The bartender Marc McArthur from South Africa expertly assembled several of his signature cocktails using handcrafted infusions and precise measurement. Firstly, my friend was served a concoction made with vodka infused with dragon fruit. I went for the top of the line margarita made with all fresh ingredients. Next up was the most memorable drink of the evening, Smoke and Fire, made from mezcal and jalapeno infused something or other, served with a stainless steel straw. Spicy on the front end, but finishing with a smokey essence. 

Our time inside the Haven flew by much too quickly, and soon we would have to depart. I could see myself staying in there one day. If only I made about five times my current income...

After spending nearly the entire day drinking, it was definitely time for a good meal. My drinking companion suggested I join her and her family, but it seemed kind of strange to have a formal sit down meal with near complete strangers. However, I like to keep things weird, so dinner it is! We made our way down to Savor, and were soon grazing on some of NCL's fine cuisine. The situation was less awkward than expected, as we chatted, ate, and laughed our way through the meal. 

After dinner we settled into an entertaining performance of Howl at the Moon, the dueling piano duo (or trio in this case.) This was my first time attending a show on a cruise ship, as my usual modus operandi while on vacation revolves around eating and drinking and getting sunburnt and such... This was quite the whirlwind of rapid fire, comedy infused, entertainment that I had been missing out on all these cruises. We stayed all the way till 01:00, which is way past my bedtime, but I was having a ball, even if I don't sing out loud and clap along to every song. Soon, we were making our way back to our respective cabins, and hopefully a good nights sleep for whatever may come tomorrow on the NCL Escape...


I was just re-reading my prior posts, and it appears that my "review" is more akin to the ramblings of a gluttonous, habitual alcohol abuser, with tendencies toward perversion... But I digress...

I don't have many notes for day 3, so this chapter will be short... After being up far beyond my normal bedtime, I tried to sleep in a bit. A quick coffee and breakfast was followed by sunning up on deck 19. Lunch time came around quickly this day, and I decided to use one of my SDP dining credits at Pincho Tapas Bar. With the dining plan you can pretty much order as many dishes as you wish, so challenge accepted. I began with boquerones (anchovies), scallops, shrimp, and lamb. The portions here are small, but each dish is artfully plated and oh so good. I also tried one of their specialty drinks, the "tie me up tie me down." (sounded kinky enough) It was okay, but not life altering. Next, I went with the crab montadito (excellent) and the iberico secreto. these turned out to be the superstars of the show for me. I would have had more, but was trying not to wreck my already abandoned diet...

The afternoon on this day was spent mostly drinking and hanging out with a couple of my bar crawling comrades I'd met the day before. Many libations were had, and mirth and merriment was enjoyed by all... Pretty soon it was getting to be time for dinner, and this night we would kick the awkwardness up another notch, adding yet another fellow (female) bar crawler to the family who adopted me for dinner the previous day. The conversation this night (with the help of alcoholic lubrication) drifted from lively to downright salacious... 

Afterwards, our now drunken trio made our way to Spice H2O for, you guessed it, shots. Fireball for the ladies and Don Julio tequila for me. The details become foggy at this point, but I seem to recall ruminating on the meaning of life, and some other things best left to your imagination... 

Thus concludes day #3. The parts that I can tell you about or remember, anyway... 


Another late night out led to another morning of sleeping in. I had planned on being up and ready as soon as we were docked in St Thomas, however humans require more than just a couple of hours of sleep to function optimally... I slowly regained my composure, and headed out alone at around 10:30. After having been to St Thomas several times before, I wanted to check out the sights and beaches of St John. I eventually found a taxi / safari bus to take me to Red Hook on the East end of the island. I had just missed the hourly ferry, so I ended up having to wait 45 minutes for the next one. I had a beef patty at one of the roadside stands, and soon enough it was time to board the ferry.

Once on St John I found another taxi to shuttle me around the Northern perimeter of the island. Everyone in the taxi ended up getting off at Trunk Bay, which is the most popular beach, however I opted to continue on to Cinnamon Bay a bit further up the road. The beach was absolutely gorgeous and nearly void of people. Just my kind of place. I explored and swam for a bit in the cool clear water. It was quite possibly the most idyllic beach I have ever been to. After I'd had my fill of sun and sand, I went out to find a taxi back to Cruz Bay. I wish that I had spent more time exploring the downtown area, but sunburnt and exhausted I opted for a quick bite at a place right by the ferry dock. 

Back on land in St Thomas, I caught a cab back to the port, and soon enough I was heading back on board the Escape. Another shower was in order to wash away the salt and sand, and shortly thereafter I was out at Spice H2O sucking down mango margaritas. (like a mango meltdown, but with tequila instead of rum) My notes claim that I went to the Garden Cafe for dinner this night, but I have no actual recollection of it. During one of my wanderings afterwards, I ran into my adopted cruise family and went to Howl at the Moon again for a bit. I knew that tonight would have to be an early night because I had to meet in the theater early the next morning for my excursion to Jost Van Dyke. 

Wow, 4 days down already. I always hate it when I'm past the halfway point in the cruise. Soon enough they'll be throwing me off the ship in favor of a whole new group of passengers...


Wednesday morning I was up at 06:00 for my excursion on the Rebel Yell catamaran to Jost Van Dyke. I went up to take some pictures of the sunrise over Tortola as we pulled into port. This was the one thing I was most excited about doing this voyage. Last time I was here I did The Baths of Virgin Gorda. It was a true bucket list destination, however, with my "been there, done that" attitude, I wanted to see what else the British Virgin Islands had in store...

Our meeting point was in the theater at 07:00, and I arrived just as people were filing out to the gangway. I found our meeting point, and soon enough we were boarding the Rebel Yell, helmed by Claudia from Australia and her 3 deckhands. Waivers were signed and brief safety instructions were given, and in short order, we were on our way. The journey to JVD is very scenic, and you can see just how close we were from our previous port, St Thomas. Heading West along the coast of Tortola, we were flanked by St John closely on our port side. Shortly after that, White Bay grew closer on the horizon. We were the very first boat to make landing on this day, and we departed the catamaran into knee deep water close to shore.

At this time of day, the Soggy Dollar is the only thing open, so everyone made a bee line in that direction for some of their famous Painkillers. I stopped by for my first one then set out exploring. First to the East, over the rocks to Ivan's Stress Free Bar (closed at this hour) Then back by for another Painkiller before heading West towards Seddy's One Love Bar and Grill (also closed this early) I took a swim in the calm cool waters and basked in the serenity of a nearly empty beach. Everyone else was still hovering around close to the Soggy Dollar, and I had the entire area to myself. A couple of more Painkillers, and another swim later and I was feeling pretty good...

Our meeting time to head back was at 11:15, and the now merry cast of characters loaded up one by one for our voyage back to Road Town. On the way back rum punch was poured, as if I needed any more to drink at this early hour. But, when in Rome... By the time we got back I was getting a bit hungry after a morning filled with rum and sun, so I headed into Road Town on foot to a local restaurant I discovered last time I visited. The Roti Palace (aka Ruby Roti Queen) A very quaint (6 tables) establishment, known mainly by the locals, and serving up some fine Indian / Caribbean fare. When traveling, I like to steer clear of the touristy port area and explore the tastes of the islands. Bollywood videos droned in the background on a small TV above the counter, and in minutes I was dining on the unique flavor of East meets West cuisine. Chicken curry roti with some homemade habanero hot sauce with a nice kick.

I made my way back through Road Town towards the port area bypassing the new shopping area completely, and found myself back on board Escape in minutes. Back on the ship, still salty and sunburnt from the day, I decided to try out the water slides, something I have never done on a cruise ship. First, the Aqua Racer with the inner tubes. Then I wanted to try out the free fall slide. They don't allow any jewelry whatsoever on this particular slide, so I was wearing my T shirt to conceal my nipple ring. I knew they would not allow me otherwise. He said I would probably get stuck with a shirt on, but I told him I was had sun burn and he let me go... The floor dropped out from under me and I felt the rush of gravity as I plunged downward. I made it almost to the top of the loop, but soon found myself sliding backwards to the bottom. The only thing I could think at this point was that I hope they don't send anyone behind me. I searched and found the emergency hatch above, and felt a rush of relief to make it out unscathed.

I went back to my cabin and showered again to try and shake off some of the mornings earlier than usual drinking. Afterwards I met up with a couple of the girls from the bar crawl and headed to Spice H2O. The last thing I needed right now was more drinks, so it was just water for me at this point. It was still early and had reservations at Cagney's later, so I needed to maintain my composure.

I was able to convince the young lady down the hall to join me tonight at the steakhouse. I had made this reservation months ago, knowing that a sea day followed so I could fully enjoy this giant meal. The SDP allows for unlimited appetizers, so I went with the shrimp trio, crab cake, and the slow roasted pork belly. Feeling better, I had a couple of glasses of cabernet to accompany dinner. The bone in veal chop for the main event, with truffle fries, asparagus, and brussels sprouts. The lady had the bone in ribeye with a side of? "What, just steak?" I asked... Yep. Just a giant slab of medium rare meaty goodness for her... Each to his own, but I love variety, and proceeded to stuff myself to capacity. Dessert time came, and I was just about to give in, but decided that I could handle one more shrimp trio.

Afterwards, we headed to the smoking area at the upstairs Waves Bar so my companion could get her nicotine fix. This area overlooks the main pool area, and tonight they were having a teen pool party. The party MC announced that it was almost time for the teen wet t-shirt contest, which turned out not to be what I was thinking when he said it. After that, we made another appearance at Howl at the Moon for a bit until I was plain worn out from the long, long day.

Another great day was in the books upon the beautiful Norwegian Escape... 


I slept in until about 09:15 on this day and realized that my vacation was rapidly coming to an end. I went to the studio lounge to partake of a couple of shots of espresso from the fancy dispensing machine. This was really the only part of the lounge experience that I ever utilized. A custom omelette at the Garden Cafe and I was ready to conquer the world... At this point I had the sudden revelation that I had not been in a single hot tub this entire journey. I'd been so busy eating and drinking and running around that I neglected one of my all time cruising traditions. Now, I do have an issue hanging out in a hot tub, marinating with dozens of people of unknown personal hygiene. (among other things) However, first thing in the morning, while the water is still sanitary, I do like to relax and reflect upon the meaning of life and whatnot.

I first took a dip at Spice H2O, then went all the way forward on deck 19 to take in a soak with a view. My skin beginning to wither, I retreated to a lounge chair to take in the sunshine. Now dry, I noticed that there was no line at the ropes course, so I went back and retrieved my shoes and strapped in for a go of it. Only one of the zip lines was open this week. (which is the funnest part) The rest is okay, but not challenging. I did walk the plank, but didn't pull the cord, as I had no intention of buying a $25 picture. With that accomplished, I showered and took in a nice sit down lunch at Taste. 

On a mid-day walkabout, I happened upon one of the bar crawlers and took in a round of Big Bang Theory trivia in the Atrium. (We got 23/30, a solid B minus...) Afterwards, we ran into the rest of my adopted cruise family, and I joined them for (2nd) lunch. It then hit me that it was early afternoon and I had not yet partaken in any adult refreshments. To catch up, I headed to the Spice H2O bar for mango margaritas, then Sugarcane Mojito bar for a jalapeno cucumber mojito. Next to Tobacco Road for a grass clippings, and finally back to Spice for more straight tequila...

Now caught up on drinking, I prepared for round 2 at Cagney's Steakhouse. Tonight I would be dining alone, so I could feel free to pig out even more than my usual. Shrimp trio, oysters rockefeller, crab cake, wine (obviously) For the main, filet and lobster with asparagus, truffle mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts. Tonight I would go for the 7 layer chocolate cake for dessert. Now burdened by a couple of pounds of food in my belly, I stumbled back to my cabin for a bit. I couldn't reach any of the others on the I Concierge this evening, so I wandered back to the Glow Party solo for a few minutes. Booming rave music not really being my thing, I retreated back to Sugarcane for a jalapeno cucumber mojito to go, and meandered back "home" to 12539... 

This was the point when the pre-post-cruise depression struck. Knowing that there was but one day left... I would have to make the most of it. 

I took my sleeping pill and installed my foam earplugs and drifted off into dreamland...


Friday morning. The last day of the cruise. I awoke relatively early, knowing that my vacation time was growing short. A quick coffee and breakfast at the buffet, and it was time for another hot tub tour. I contemplated my week on the Escape, and the people I had met. The late nights out. The wonderful variety of food and beverages I'd consumed. The solo adventures out into strange distant lands. I thought about my friend in Heaven, hopefully looking down upon me and joining me in spirit.


After the hot tub tour, I soaked up the rays on this last full day. I met up with my adopted cruise family for 2nd breakfast. They would be heading out into Nassau today to enjoy our final port of call. I've seen as much of Nassau as I have a desire for on prior cruises, and opted to stay on board a mostly empty ship. I went back to my cabin to get the bulk of my packing done. I like to just get it out of the way early so I can savor my last day on board. I tipped Uriel my cabin steward for his hard work this week, even though a clean freak like me doesn't leave him much to do. I went down and paid up my tab in cash at guest services so I wouldn't have to worry about any further credit card debt.

With the heavy lifting out of the way, I headed back to Spice to get some use of my final day of the UBP. After a few drinks, I decided to debark to get some exterior pictures of the ship. With only one other ship in port today, I was able to get some decent shots from a distance of one of the empty berths. With that out of the way, I returned to my cabin and did my final packing and showered. Less than a half a day left now on this magnificent vessel, what would I get into next.

Alone and bored, I had the idea to try to get back into the Haven for another Smoke and Fire cocktail from Marc, the master mixologist. I went down to guest services and told them that I had neglected to take pictures for the review, and that it would be great if I could get back in briefly. An agent escorted me up to deck 17 and I found myself back inside the fortress of luxury. (and fancy handcrafted drinks) I photographed the courtyard, bar and Haven restaurant. I then told him it would be great to get a picture of one of Marc's master creations. He said I would need permission from the other patrons of the bar, as I was merely a guest in their opulent lair. So I sidled up to the bar and inquired of the guests. They were intrigued by my reporting and agreed to have me join them in a drink. A nice couple even invited me to dine with them this evening in the Haven if I wished. I reluctantly declined their offer, as I was hoping to spend time with my adopted cruise family this last night on the Escape.

Again, I couldn't reach anyone on the I Concierge this afternoon, so I headed to Moderno at it's 17:30 opening time for one last dinner. I piled up a plate from the ample salad bar and flipped the card to green. Soon, cuts of meat began to appear before me at a rapid fire pace. Filet, lamb chops, chicken, and beef ribs were scarfed down, along with a couple of baskets of the cheeses rolls. I tried not to over do it as I usually do at my local Brazilian steakhouse back home.

After dinner, I went for a wander about the open decks to soak in my last night on board, and ran into one of my fellow (female) bar crawlers. She had a good head start on me in the drinking category this night, so I tried to catch up. It was the eve of her birthday, and she felt lucky, so I went with her to the casino and watched as she tore up the roulette table. Another one of our companions found us at the casino and the roll continued. Turn after turn, she was hitting on every number. $100 soon turned into over $500 and she decided to cash in her winnings and run rather than slowly lose it back to the house. Next, we found ourselves back at Howl at the Moon for one final show.

It was around 23:00, and she realized that she had not yet packed and left her bags out for debarkation. We made a dash back to her cabin where she literally threw everything into her two large suitcases and tagged them for pickup. (Also known as the "chuck and zip" method) I walked with the the other girl back towards our respective cabins and we said our goodbyes. It's a weird thing about cruising. You meet and hang out with total strangers who over the course of the week become like old friends. Then the end of the cruise comes, and you realize that you will probably never see nor hear from them ever again. That's the way it's been for me, anyway. But, like I said at the beginning, I'm a bit of an odd dude...


As with all great journeys, this one too, must come to and end... After a mostly sleepless night, I tossed and turned until I just gave up. Normally, I try to get up early on the last day to be one of the first to debark, and beat the lines. At 07:00 I wearily sprang from bed and went to the solo lounge for a double shot of espresso. A quick breakfast at the crowded Garden Cafe before showering and gathering the last of my belongings. I ran into my adopted cruise family as they were heading out to breakfast, and we said our final goodbyes.

I grabbed my suitcase and took one more look at what had been my "home" for the week, and I was off. Or, so I thought... I made my way down the stairs to deck 7 where I was met with a line snaking all the way down past the casino. I heard rumblings and rumors of a weather delay, or fueling delay. No one really knew, but this line was not moving at all. Slowly, we began to finally start to move, and about 30 minutes later, we were dinging out one last time. Members of the crew sang and cheered as we passed, but this was a somber moment for all those debarking the beautiful Norwegian Escape.

Minutes later I was in a cab headed for Miami International Airport, but my days journey had just begun. Normally, when I have a late flight home, I store my luggage at the airport and take the bus to South Beach for the day to round out my vacation. With little sleep, I just didn't have it in me to walk around like a zombie all day in the heat and humidity. Time felt like it was standing still as I paced up and down the terminal awaiting my now-delayed flight.

Finally, the time came to board the plane, and the long travel day was at least moving again. As I sat in window seat 21A, it appeared that my neighboring seat may go unoccupied as the last passengers made their way on board. About that time, a drop-dead gorgeous (and, I mean supermodel gorgeous) woman approached, and took a seat beside me. I thought to myself, "great, I'm going to be spending the next 2 hours in uncomfortable silence all the way home." We taxied out towards the runway for what seemed like forever, and I said "it looks like were just going to drive all the way back to Atlanta." She laughed out loud hysterically, and thus began a pleasant banter between us that lasted the whole way home. Her name was Desi, from Persia. (better known as Iran) It turned out that she had just graduated med school, and was in Miami celebrating with friends. She was easily the most pleasant seat mate I had ever encountered on the not so friendly skies...

Safely on the ground in Atlanta, we said goodbye as if old friends, and she was off to catch her connecting flight. I made my way through the airport towards the subway station knowing that my long journey home was not over yet. On the train ride home, we stopped at the Peachtree Center Marta station, where apparently the Mexico vs somebody soccer game had just ended. Throngs of revelers filled the subway car to maximum capacity. When I finally made it to my stop, the crowd had thinned enough to allow me to exit. I was now within a mile and a half of home, where I usually catch a cab after a long travel day. I had not eaten since breakfast on the ship, so I dragged my bag over to a local Barbecue place. Afterwards, growing tired from the long day, I decided to just walk the rest of the way home. Lord knows, I could stand to burn more calories after a long week of eating and drinking.

Back home, I was welcomed by a mailbox stuffed to the gills with bills, and reality had begun once again.

Thus concludes my wild and crazy week on what turned out to be one of the greatest vacations of my life...

For everyone who made it all the way to the end with me, thank you so much for following along. I guess this turned out to be less of a review, and more just my personal experience... It's strange how through my good friends passing, that I have learned how to live... I look forward to taking her on my next adventure on the NCL Getaway in 114 more days...

Again, thank you all so much for reading...

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As you can see, Cinnamon Bay is absolutely stunning... Probably the nicest beach I had ever been to at the time. I remember swimming in the clear, calm water, and letting it wash away all the troubles back home. My entire existance back in Atlanta disappeared completely, and I was one with Mother Nature... No work... No traffic...  No worries at all...

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Ok, this old phone is starting to act funny, and not funny "ha ha"... Hopefully, it'll hold out until I can upload these other photos... This day was my second time visiting Tortola, and my first time heading to Jost Van Dyke on the Rebel Yell... This was back before the hurricane, and features the original Soggy Dollar and One Love, back when they had the Christmas tree on the beach... I don't usually do this, but here's the one picture of me from this journey...IMG_20160525_074011846_HDR.thumb.jpg.1374f88e24d97028357249889b670023.jpg

 

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Here's a few from the interior, and the only other pics from this sailing... Man, I hate it when the cruise comes to an end... I would do anything just to be on board for even a single day right now...

Who's house?... Doug's house...

 

 

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These next few are from inside the Haven... On the last sea day, I decided to go down to guest services and ask if it would be possible to go inside and take a few pictures for my review... What's the worst that could happen? Next thing I knew, I was being escorted up there by the guest services manager... Man, that was easy... Remember, I had no such luck on my Encore sailing last December, no matter how many times I asked...

 

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While I was up there, I figured that I would ask if it would be ok to order a drink at the famous Haven bar... She said I would have to ask the other guests present. So, I did... And, next thing I knew, I was enjoying the greatest cocktail in the history of Norwegian Cruise Lines, Smoke and Fire... There are only a handful of bartenders in the entire fleet that know how to make this drink, and there I was, enjoying it inside the Haven... This cruise was memorable for many reasons, but right now it seems all the more memorable... I would do anything to just cruise on an old rickety Carnival ship right now... Hopefully, sooner than later, we will all be able to enjoy a cruise to get as far away from this crazy year we're all having to endure right now... If everything goes right, I'm ready to pull the trigger on the first ship that sails... Until then, I hope you enjoyed this little trip back in time with me.........

 

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41 minutes ago, InsertWittyUserNameHere said:

As a member of your "adopted cruise family" this was fun to relive, thanks.  (My younger sister was the one you were closer with and brought to Cagneys/Haven, I was the quieter one who organized the bar crawl.)

Holy moly!... Fancy running into you here with a four year old review...

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13 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Holy moly!... Fancy running into you here with a four year old review...

 

I've read your reviews.  Just more of a lurker then a poster.  Saw my father and sister for father's day today and we're trying to plan a cruise for next year when things are (hopefully) back to normal and this was nostalgic so decided to post. Hope you're doing well.

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8 minutes ago, InsertWittyUserNameHere said:

 

I've read your reviews.  Just more of a lurker then a poster.  Saw my father and sister for father's day today and we're trying to plan a cruise for next year when things are (hopefully) back to normal and this was nostalgic so decided to post. Hope you're doing well.

So, you're one of the "lurkers", which I appreciate even as much as those who participate... I still can't believe that out of everyone who might run across this, that someone who was actually "there" would see it... My Virgin Voyages cruise has already been cancelled and rebooked three different times now, and God willing, the Carnival Mardi Gras cruise will happen in November, although there are rumors that it's going to be cancelled due to delays at the shipyard...

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Thanks so much for this great review.  I got off the Encore on March 1st and while it hasn't even been 4 months yet, it seems like a lifetime ago.  The longest Post Cruise Depression I have ever had.  Hope we all get to cruise again sooner rather than later. 

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