View of the Norwegian Sun from inside the Cruise Terminal

We shared a cab with another couple from the hotel who were also headed to the Port of Miami. Like us they were also going on a West Carribean cruise, though they were going on the Carnival Fascination instead. The cabbie decided to drop us off first, and oddly he informed that our half of the fare was $15 even though the meter was only at $17 and change.

At the drop off area (the time was about 11:00 AM) an NCL luggage handler gave us a tag for the one large luggage we wanted "checked-in". He mentioned the the luggages are heavy and that a tip is appreciated, so we gave him $2 for his troubles. We then followed a line into the cruise terminal with our passports and e-confirmation ready. We went through security and after about 15 minutes we made it to the counter where we had to provide all the documents and a credit card for onboard expenses. They also took a picture of each of us using a webcam device, which presumable is for security purposes. After another 15 minutes in another line we each received a cabin key card, which also acts as the "credit card" for anything you want to buy on the ship. Then we had to go to yet another line to wait for entry onto the cruise ship. This one was the longest, however, but after about 45 minutes or so we finally on the gangway!

Beautiful view of Downtown Miami from Deck 11

Since our cabin wasn't ready until 1:30 PM, we made our way with our "carry-on" luggage to deck 11. There we found the Outdoor Cafe which was serving lunch. There were burgers, hot dogs, and salad being served buffet style there. After eating an announcement was made declaring that the cabins were ready. Our room was on deck 9 and we eagerly took the elevator downstairs to check it out.

Our stateroom was very clean and well laid out. As expected it was small, but there was plenty of space to hang our clothes. Our bed was pretty much two twin-size beds tied together. My wife and I agreed that it would have been better to have a large, contiguous bed, but it wasn't a big deal. There was a sofa next to the bed, and above which is a pull-down bed which I imagine can accommodate a third guest. A small 13" TV was on a swivel stand, which was nice because it could be positioned to face bed or even the bathroom. The poorly designed remote control, however, did not work. I say poorly designed because it had the "code search" button on the top right where you would expect the power button, so it was easy screw up the programming. Next to the desk there was an electrical outlet that could accommodate both 110V and 220V (European plugs).

The bathroom was clean and tiny but has everything you need. There were plenty of niches in walls to place your toiletry. To flush the toilet you actually have to lower the lid and press the round button behind it. I presumed it's designed that way on purpose so "stuff" won't fly out of it when you flush! The shower head has some serious power, and it's great how the hot water comes on very quickly. There is liquid soap and a combination shampoo/conditioner in a pair of dispensers below the shower head.

One huge warning about the electric plug in the bathroom though- there's a small manual 110/220V switch which set the voltage of the outlet. We didn't realize it until too late. The switch was set to 220V, and we had plugged our electric toothbrush charger into it. Presumably that zapped it because we were no longer able to charge the toothbrush using that charger.

Party Time!

At 3:30 PM everyone had to gather at their muster stations for a mandatory evacuation drill. Afterwards we headed up to the Pool area at Deck 11 for a BBQ party as the ship started to sail away from Miami! It was a festive and happy scene with people dancing to the music of "Root's Link" (the Ship's excellent reggage live band) and chomping away at chicken and pork. Our Cruise Director (Linda) heartily urged everyone to join in on the fun as she and other crew members joined the party.

For dinner we ate at one of the main dining rooms called "Four Seasons" on Deck 5. There is an identical restaurant called "Seven Seas" located in the back of Deck 5. The cool thing about the "Freestyle Crusing" that NCL touts so much is that you can just about eat anywhere you'd like before the restaurant closes. We walked into Four Seasons at around 8, got a table for two, and enjoyed a nice 4 course dinner (appetizer, soup/salad, main course, and dessert). It would have been nice to get a window seat but since it was dark you couldn't see anything outside anyways.

We were not able to catch the entire main show at the Stardust Theater, but it seemed to be variety show that previewed the entertainment to come the rest of the week, so we weren't too disappointed. Then it was time to watch a comedy show at the Dazzles Disco on Deck 6. Comedian Dave Heenan, a 60-year-old-ish beer-bellied Irish guy, had some pretty funny jokes. We were not too impressed with the haphhazardness of his jokes which jumped from one subject to another, but he was good for some nice laughs. At 11:45 PM we went to the Garden Cafe (also on Deck 11) and ate some salad & meat stew. Talk about pigging out- yikes! So that we didn't feel TOO guilty we played some basketball and ping-pong on Deck 11 afterwards before heading to bed.