Another retirement first was booking a transatlantic cruise last January from Miami to England. Katia and I had never been on a cruise, were honestly a bit condescending towards the idea, and really had no interest until some friends talked up their own cruise experience during a recent visit. Not for me was what I’d always thought.
The truth is we had a great time. We booked a balcony room on the NCL Norwegian Joy for the 11-night transatlantic crossing from Miami to Southampton, England. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) was sending the ship back to Europe for maintenance, so there were no stops or tours, and several of the ship’s attractions were closed. To offset this, NCL was almost giving the tickets away (the cruise was cheaper than two airline tickets to London), and the trip was through the wintry North Atlantic in mid-January.
Our ship was beautiful, and the stateroom was as comfortable as any Marriott. Food and drink options were excellent, and the ships’ entertainment venues kept us as busy as we wanted. Great gym and professional staff at all points. Cruising is easy and popular, and I had no idea what a lifestyle it was for such a large number of travelers. We regularly met folk on the decks who had done 25–30 sailings in the past. NCL is also aggressive about signing you up for your next voyage. All in all, it was a pretty decent crowd on the ship if you are a 63-year-old retired white male like me. I’m hooked and now regularly check the “promotions” for our next cruise.
What Next? 
Leave a comment