Miami Cruise 1

Last December, before X-mas, I skipped town to fly very far -- Tokyo --> Chicago --> Miami. I went with my favorite travel friend, Ms. Y, where we met up with my parents to enjoy a 7-day cruise together.

Before the trip, I got an early Christmas gift -- a new camera. My red Nikon came with many features; a fav being the monochrome and color filters. I enjoyed playing with the camera while at the airport....

Monocrome postcards:

Photo by cutenekko. Taken with a Nikon Coolpix P600.

Blue filter at Miami Port: 

photo by cutenekko

In Miami, the cruise ship we chose was the Norwegian Epic. The reason? I found an extremely cheap deal online; our 7-day cruise to three ports cost only $345 per person (inside cabin), including a $100 onboard spending credit. The ship is a "mega-class", holding over 4,000 passengers. It first went into service in 2010.

Postcard shopping /Miami hotel

Our cabin on the Norwegian Epic:

All photos : Cutenekko

Our cabin was smaller than the one we had experienced on Costa cruise lines; however, the very modern furnishings inside, including an amazing shower, won us over quickly. 

We had an hour in port before departure, so we explored all the decks of the ship. Americans love their toys, and the pool deck had plenty -- a music stage, numerous pools, three water slides, a rock climbing wall, basketball courts, a big screen TV nestled between two hot tubs, shops and small track. During the cruise this pool deck proved to be "the" place to be; it was often packed with people dancing or enjoying pool side parties. 

Norwegian Epic:

Norwegian differs from other cruise lines in its laid back dining style. While most cruise ships demand formal dress for dining, Norwegian is casual, all the time. Also, the unique concept of "freestyle dining" allows guests to eat whenever and wherever they like. There are no assigned dining rooms, nor dining times. My father loved these points, especially. 

Various restaurants on the ship: 

Bottom row: Miami beach view.

Cruising out of the port, we were treated to fantastic views of the famous Miami Beach. 

I have more photos to share from onboard the Epic and the various ports we experienced. I hope you will return for more. 

Happy travels!

Information:

Norwegian Epic 

From April, 2015, this ship's home port changed from Miami to Barcelona. 

The ship's Norwegian Cruise Lines website is HERE. 

Cruises on this ship are found HERE. 

Miami Cruise Port 

A tour guide said 50% of all employment centers on the cruise industry. 

Check the port's website HERE for terminal and access information. 

Top 5 hotels close to Miami Port

From TripAdvisor - HERE.