FMF Cruise Review, Part 3

This is a follow-up post to part 2.

Today we're going to get into the heart of the cruise as we leave home (Michigan) and head for warmer climates.

Thursday, January 12

I took a day off work today to help with packing, planning, house details, etc. There's so much to do when you're going to be away from home for almost two weeks!

Friday, January 13

Yes, we left for our trip on Friday the 13th! ;-)

It snowed five to six inches last night/early this morning, so I found myself snowblowing in the morning to clear our drive. Boy was I anxious for warmer temps!

We had debated whether to fly from Grand Rapids or Detroit on our trip. Grand Rapids was an easy commute to the airport (10 minutes) and meant we could leave our car parked at home (a friend could take us to the airport). But it was more expensive. Detroit was a two-hour drive and meant we had to leave a day earlier (we would stay overnight at a hotel and get to leave our car parked there for free while we were gone. We'd done this when we went to Disney and it worked out great.) Plus you never know whether or not you can drive two hours in Michigan in January -- the weather might do you in. But Detroit was a cheaper flight (roughly $100 per person cheaper) plus it was a direct flight -- no chances of missed connections.

Ultimately we decided to leave from Grand Rapids. It was the wrong choice.

There weren't really any delayed flights due to the weather, but our incoming plane had some sort of trouble and was late arriving. Then we waited FOREVER on the tarmac while the time slowly crept by. Then we had to go for de-icing. By the time we took off, only a miracle would help us make our connection. In the end, we missed it by 10 minutes. And no, Delta didn't hold it for us. Ugh.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my wife asked for compensation and we received $12 each ($48 total) in meal vouchers from Delta. We ate dinner then caught the next flight to Ft. Lauderdale. When we arrived, only two of our three bags had made it. So we had to go fill out the proper paperwork, which further delayed us. Thanks again, Delta.

One thing to note here. We checked three bags, which should have cost us $25 each. But since I had my new Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, they were free. This saved us $150 round-trip -- a nice amount. Also, I believe you're supposed to pay for the flight with the card in order to get the bag fees waived, but I didn't. I paid for the flights with my Chase Sapphire card (for which I'd received $625 in flight credit). But when I checked in at the airport, I used my Delta card to login, which then granted me the savings.

Since we were three hours late by this time, our shuttle from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami cost us an extra $15 (late night fee). We arrived in our downtown Miami Hampton Inn close to midnight (FYI, I paid for the hotel with reward points, so the first night was free).

Saturday, January 14

Ahhhh, the warmth of Miami. ;-)

We left for vacation a day early for two reasons. First, you never know when a freak snowstorm will hit and cancel all flights. So if you have to be somewhere tomorrow and all airports are closed today, you miss the ship and it costs you a fortune (we had decided to forego traveler's insurance.) By building in an extra day, you have a cushion in case this happened. Second, why not spend an extra day in Miami? A January day in Miami is better than a January day in Michigan, right?

It was a warm day (roughly 70 degrees) and we spent it seeing different parts of Miami. We took the tram that runs downtown (very nice and free) and walked along the water, visited some shops, and generally just enjoyed being outside (knowing back home they were digging out of a snowstorm.) We also hit the pool a bit to work on our base tans, and went to Publix to buy a case of water ($4) which we took with us on the ship the next day.

Around 6:30 pm that night our bag FINALLY arrived (we were starting to worry about it.) Thanks, Delta, for stressing us out when we were supposed to be relaxing.

Sunday, January 15

We were up early and had breakfast at the hotel. Hampton Inns are great IMO because they are nice, clean, moderately priced, and have great amenities like free breakfasts (which are decent) and free wi-fi.

We skipped the hotel shuttle to the port of Miami (they wanted $8 per person or $32 total for us) and took a cab for $20. We arrived around 11:45 am (you could get onboard at noon), dropped off our bags with a handler, and walked into the port building. We showed our documents, filled out our forms saying we had no colds/flus, and went through security.

Once we cleared security, there were two paths. Most of the people went into huge lines similar to what you see at an airport when there's a rush to check in by a large number of people. They had to stand and wait to check in. Because we had a suite, we were escorted to a VIP room with drinks and snacks. We sat at a desk (no line!) and the clerk checked us in quickly. We then sat on the couches and visited for ten minutes or so. Then a Norwegian crew member came in and escorted us to a holding area for the first group to get on the boat. We walked right past all the people who were waiting to check in the "normal" way and into a preferred boarding section. This was the first of the extra privileges we were to receive because of the room we booked.

FYI, I hope I'm not sounding snooty (and don't in the future either.) I won't be telling you about the special service we received to brag or to put other people down. Quite frankly, we ourselves were surprised by the level of service we received (remember, we had never cruised before and knew NOTHING about the extras that came along with our room -- we just "lucked" into them). Of course, we paid for those extras (remember, we had paid a pretty good amount for the two-bedroom cabin we had), likely much more than what most paid. But I do want to share with you what we got so you get a complete flavor of the trip we had.

Ten minutes later the first groups to get on were: 1) us (the people who had suites and "higher-level" rooms) and 2) members of Norwegian's frequent cruising program who had achieved a certain status (what status, I don't know.) Once we got on the ship, group #1 was taken to the 13th level and sat in a concierge lounge. Group #2 was left to wander the ship, I suppose. The rooms were not ready yet, so perhaps they went and ate at the buffet. I don't know.

We waited in the lounge for ten minutes or so and met our personal concierge, David. He then took us across the hall to Cagney's, the Norwegian Dawn's steakhouse. Cagney's is one of the upper-level restaurants on the ship which, I believe, costs $25 per person to eat at (yes, it's in addition to the fee you paid to cruise to eat at certain restaurants.) We had a complimentary lunch there. And, as we found out when we got to our room, the suite we purchased enabled us to eat there every morning for breakfast and lunch for no additional fee. We took advantage of this several times as eating there was much more upscale and quieter than the main buffet area.

After lunch we went to our cabin (which I showed pictures of on the last post.) The rest of the evening was getting settled in -- unpacking, walking around the ship, safety training (of course), eating (of course!), and enjoying the warmth (out on our balcony) and fun (we went to a comedy show that night.) Oh, and our suite gave us special seats in the theater, so we had great spots waiting for us every night.

Needless to say, we went to bed happy that night.

That said, we did have moderate (4 to 7 foot) waves and cloudy weather that night (and the next couple days). We didn't get sea sick, but it was cool (70 degrees and windy) and rocky this evening and wasn't what we'd pictured as a calm, warm vacation. The cause was a cold front in our area. Lucky for us, it moved through over the next couple days as it went north and we went south.

That's it for this post. Come back next time to see how our first full day at sea and first on-shore experience went. For now, enjoy these pictures from the trip -- our views pulling out of Miami. (click pics to enlarge.)

Click here to read part 4 of this series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Keith]

January is a great time of year to be out of the upper mid-west.

[Kris @ Everyday Tips]

I always fly out of Metro, and I will do everything I can to have a direct flight in the future after having to totally alter vacation plans one year due to my flight not arriving in time to meet the connecting flight. So much time and money goes into vacation planning that I now err on the side of caution every time.

Your pictures are great. I have never been on a cruise and I vacillate on if I do want to take one. (Especially when I read about Norwalk virus and sinking ships. :) ) I am anxious to read more about your trip!

[MattC]

I'm wondering why you didn't do the travel insurance. Not only could it have protected you if your flights had been delayed (which the airlines will reimburse your tickets, but not your missed cruise) but also if you had a medical emergency and had to be airlifted out. It might also have kicked in something for your lost bag.

[FMF]

MattC --

Read the whole series -- I think I cover that towards the end. If not, remind me and I'll respond then.

[jim]

"We showed our documents, filled out our forms saying we had no colds/flus, and went through security."

Are they really worried about a cold or just the flu/fever? What happens if you DO have a cold?

[FMF]

jim --

I'm not sure what they are worried about and not sure what they would have done if we had had a cold or flu. Anyone else know?

[sasha]

I think it is really good that you are sharing all the perks of buying a higher class within a cruise. I remember (years ago) the first time I flew business class (paid for by my employer). I finally understood why people spent more. It is more relaxing, and the perks definitely matter.

Now, if I can upgrade - I do. It gets you the shorter security line at the airport, access to comfy lounges (with yummy free snacks) and the ability to arrive at your destination more ready for work (or fun).

Knowledge is power.

[Sallie's Niece]

Can't wait to read the rest. I've never been on a cruise and have been reluctant to go on one but yours sounds good so far.

[MattC]

If you have a cold/flu they'll have you seen before you can board the ship, they may let you on but quarantine you and/or your group to the room until the doctors clear you. Or if you're bad enough they won't let you on the ship. I think they are more worried about the Noro virus getting on board and spreading.

We were seated with a family at dinner when their son came down with the flu about 4 days into a 10 day cruise. They ended up staying in their room for almost 3 days. The staff was great and brought them food and whatever they needed to the room, but at that point they were almost so stir crazy they considered getting off the ship at the next port and flying home.

[Harm]

I do find this article interesting. I've only been
on one cruise in my life, and it was courtesy of
the U.S. Navy. It WAS warm (western Pacific) and
it WAS free (in a way)....and it was 9 months....
I had never considered a cruise for a vacation, I
always thought they were too regimented and expensive
for what you got. Sounds like you had fun, though,
maybe I'll take a closer look at the possibilities.....
Thanks for posting this.

[Kay Lynn @ Bucksome Boomer]

I'm enjoying reading the perspective of a first time cruiser. It's been so long I take some of these details for granted and wouldn't think to mention them.

Can't wait for the next installment.

[Catherine]

Enjoying this series.

We were on a cruise the same week as you, but departed from Fort Lauderdale. We live on the East Coast, within two hours drive of three ports. When we fly to take a cruise, we only take carry-on luggage. We spent a month traveling through Europe with carry-on luggage and a Rick Steves' clothseline, and perfected the in-sink laundry routine. Nearly every ship I've been on has had a retractable line in the bathroom for hanging your swimsuit, and we take full advantage. When we're on a ship with a laundromat (Princess!) we feel like royalty. The other bonus with smaller luggage is express departure.

Like you, we tend to fly in a day or two early. Also like you, we arrange for a case of water in the room.