Our roadtrip was reasonably straightforward - taking in approximately 250 miles heading south to the Port of Miami.The boarding process was relatively simple, the 'Oldies' behaved extremely well and it did not prove necessary to engage in any physical restraints or acts of violence !
On boarding the Cruise Ship we become aware of the vastness of the vessell - it boasts 14 Bars, 6 Restuarants, 2 Theatres, a Casino, a Shopping Area, 3 Swimming Pools, 5 Hot Tubs, & 2 Basket Ball Courts. Given that our stay is only for 3 nights, we have decided to concentrate our 'research' into the bars & restuarants !! We headed out of the Port of Miami, relaxing on the sun deck at the aft (that's the back to you "land-lovers") with drinks in hand, bar-b-q food in ample supply and the tunes of a live musician rining out. This is the life !
As Miami disappeared over the horizon, it co-incided with a spectacular sunset, with the orange blaze of the sun shining through the clouds & reflecting over the open seas ! After a hearty meal (from the buffet restaurant), we attended an informative presentation on Nassau - or so we were led to believe - this was actually an introduction to Whitney Fox, our personal shopping assistant to advise us of the best deals to be found on fine jewellery and precious gems in Nassau. Whitney encouraged "enthusiasm & participation" from her audience, and promised that she had gifts for the best audience members.....................I believe that she soon regretted making this statement (Rachael certainly did !).
I was hollering, whoooping & clapping maniacally and was rewarded by a lanyard and a colour-changing T-Shirt !

After retiring for the night in our cabin, we awoke bright and early the following morning with a spectacular outlook of 'Paradise Island' - we later discover that the residence we are overlooking is Mick Jagger's sun pad. We disembark our Cruise Liner and are booked onto a 'Sea & See' Tour of Nassau. Our tour begins with a boat ride courtesy of Leshand & Big Junior past Paradise Island and Atlantis to our second leg of the trip. Leshand was really entertaining and informative, his personality was contagious, helped along by his authentic carribean accent and his enthusiasm. The second leg of our tour involves an underwater experience - the hull area of our ship includes a seating & viewing gallery allowing excellent views of the marine life. We see a variety of different fish, including sharks and Lion Fish, as well as a turtle (but only a little one).When we return to the shore, we board our minibus taxi for a tour of the City. We take a walk around the Fort, taking in views over the entire City and also take a walk down (& up again !) the Queens Steps. After a number of hours in the boutiques and stores we have allowed sufficient time for me to have a dip in the crystal clear Sea. The sand is powder soft underfoot (a real b***** to get off your feet !). We return back on board, having worked up a sufficient apetite to do battle with the buffet. Our entertainment for the evening is a live rock act featuring a repetoire of numbers from the 70's, 80's and 90's.
We awake on Sunday morning to the sound of the anchors being dropped at about 7am. We are moored 1/2 off the shores of our Private Cay - Great Stirrup Cay. This Cay is owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line for the sole benefit of it's guests. The Cay has a population of 27 people who are our hosts for the day. Various activities are available, including jet-ski tour, kayak adventures, beach games and bar-b-q - however we opt for an eco-tour boat ride. We cruise around the shores of Great Stirrup Cay encountering starfish, crabs, jellyfish and even sharks (although our guide opted not to hold the shark for us to stroke !). The area is totally idyllic - the colours of the ocean are amazing. The weather is (of course) fabulous, however the sea is a little choppy (I guess we have Hurricane Paula to thank for that) - which makes my afternoon swim (Rachael joined me in the Ocean) interesting, however the snorkelling was 'impeded'. Following our return to the Liner, we freshen up prepare for dinner and then attend the evening's performance - the Ship's comedian. I could get used to this "Sweet Life on Deck" !

For more photos of our travels to date check out the following address (also check out my Surfing photos !) :-

www.picasaweb.google.co.uk/tonytobin33