Ready For #Cruising

It's #RandomThoughts #Thursday in #BeyondPhotography so; I was checking my folder once again to pick a random photo that I love. I choose this picture which was taken in Bahamas. That's The Atlantis in Paradise Island on the background. When the Norwegian Cruise Ship dock in Nassau, hubby and I decided to roam inside the famous Atlantis World Class resort.

This place is truly awesome! If I am rich, I would love to spend my vacation every month ... right here. That's quiet expensive huh? I know and that's the reason I said "IF" ... Hubby and I are so ready to do another cruising so; I need to renew my passport. Gosh! It will be exciting. How about you? How many times did you do cruising?

Boat Ride From Atlantis to the Port of Nassau

When we arrived Nassau at the Island of Providence in Bahamas, my husband and I decided to go and see the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island. We took the ride of the van paying $5/person and we went shopping in the Atlantis Resort. The prices are expensive so; we just bought some souvenirs which are made locally.I told my husband that on the way back to the Island of Providence where Nassau is, we will be taking a ferry ride. The fare is affordable, just $3/person. The view from the ferry ride was awesome! The water is so clear and clean! It takes few minutes ride all the way to the Port. Everyone will pass inside the Festival Place for checkpoint. Always bring your passport, ID and the card from the ship.I would recommend that you should try the ferry ride. There was a Bahamian who kept us entertained with stories about the buildings that we saw during the ride. It was really fun. We gave him a small amount of tip/donation. The bridge above connects the Island of Providence and the Paradise Island.In the picture (above) shows the happy faces of tourists. We listen attentively to the man who kept our ride a very interesting one. Do not forget, if you visit Nassau, take the ferry ride or you will miss a lifetime *wink*!

Cruising in NCL : Norwegian Sky

Our Cruising to Bahamas for the first time was not planned at all. We have a family who stayed with us for two weeks and both came from Spain. I was browsing my bank account at that time and they gave me a promotional offer for $250/person for a last minute cruise. We only have 2 days to prepare our documents and everything went smoothly.We traveled to Miami since our Port of Call was at the Miami Port. My husband hated this city because of the traffic ... oh, I like it alright. Our two visitors were having a grand time. We leave and park our car in the port parking lot for 4 days. It was a rainy cruising but, it was fun and certainly did not ruined the trip.Norwegian Sky is a huge ship with 934 crew and majority are Filipinos. The processing of papers were fast and they only look for my State ID, hubby's passport, and the other two's passport also. The party, activities, programs and food started right away as we boarded the ship. Of course, it was almost 2PM so; we are famished. We dine in the garden buffet and the food was truly great! It seemed like I was in PI again. I bet their cooks are Filipinos too. They served variety of food and all of us enjoyed the food a lot!After we ate, we went to the 12th deck to see the other ships departing the Miami Port ahead of us.It was fun because there were live bands in the pool area, food was served lavishly considering this ship has a freestyle dining. Eat what you can eat is the thing here.4 days is not enough! I would love to do it again and for longer period of time. Thanks to my bank for giving me such awesome deals!

Mini Photo Shoot

I have series of pictures about the two lovers down below. If I post it together, it can surely make a long story LOL. They were taking photos in every single corner of the Port. People passing by were looking at them because sometimes, the passing people had to stop both ways. The are just taking their time as if it is a photo shoot. One time, the girl almost fell of the water. Oh that would be fun if she did huh? This picture was taken at Nassau Port in Bahamas.

Fun Activities

What's up you guys? Are you excited for Spring? Any vacation plans? If the price of gas doesn't bother you then, have a vacation to Bahamas. If you think it is expensive to cruise, it is not. Just check out your credit card company. Sometimes, they offer travel rates at low price. That's where I got mine you know. So ridiculously low as in 4x lower!
While we were on the cruise ship, we got acquainted with some cruisers. They are veterans in cruising all over the world and they told us, NCL cruise line is the best because of Freestyle Cruising.We took Norwegian Sky cruise ship and I recommend it.If  cruising is too expensive then, just spend time with your family in land. Go to the beach or have a camping vacation. It should be fun!

Favorite Photo

This is one of my favorite photos taken when we are on board of the Norwegian Sky Cruise Line. We just came from Atlantis at the Paradise Island and we are watching the passengers/tourists walking towards the cruise ships. Some tourists from the other cruise line that just arrived the harbor were heading out to the beaches and to the Atlantis.

It was almost 4 PM and we are on our way back to Miami. There were activities inside the cruise ship but hubby and I prefer to watch the commotion down below. It was interesting especially when we saw a family running towards the ship when they saw the gangway being lift up. The gangway was put back again, giving the late comers the passage in. There were announcements, calling the passengers who are not on board yet. When we leave the port of Nassau, 3 names were being called and they did not return to the ship...we leave them behind.

Just Having Fun

When we were waiting for some passengers to board the cruise ship, hubby and I went to the top deck. Some cruise ships started to head their way to their destination.I took some pictures and for fun, I did these:The passengers waved to us and some were cheering for excitement.Miami is an awesome place and the port is full of cruise ships. The long highway near the port is so familiar because it always featured in CSI Miami. From the Norwegian Cruise Ship, the view of Miami is beautiful.I took some pictures and mingle with some passengers. Then, we went to the garden cafe' and had snacks before our ship depart to Bahamas.For real, cruising is fun and I want to do it again. Hubby and I wanted the same cruise line because we love the free style cruising.Anyway, I am just having fun taking these photos and I love sharing it.

Norwegian Sky Poolside

The 4-day cruising to Bahamas that we have last year was fun. If you visited all my blogs for the last few days, I posted some of the cool shots that I took. I was using my camera phone and the digital camera but, I was proud of my shots. All of these pictures was taken on the poolside of Norwegian Sky.The poolside is located on the 11th Deck and it has a good size pool and 5 jacuzzis. I was not able to use this pool because it's very crowded and people are drinking alcohol.Though it was not a perfect sunny day, people enjoy their tanning moment. Restaurants are open in free-style dining so; when you take this cruise ship, you will never get hungry.I love staying on this area where I took these pictures because I can see everybody down below.There are bahamian music and delicious food so; crusing is truly exciting and fun! A good time to relax and unwind!I made my tour on this deck and when hubby and I got tired, we go down to 5th deck to listen to a jazz music in one of the music lounges on the ship. I would love to recommend that you take Norwegian Sky Cruise Line next time.

The Atlantis

October 17, 2011- We drove down the Florida Coast towards Miami. It was a gloomy and chilly day but, four of us were excited for our Bahamas Cruising via Norwegian Cruise Line. It was drizzlin' as we park our car in the rental garage near the Miami Port. Then, off to the Port area. There were so many tourists and guests in line systematically and we found our way fast on board the Norwegian Sky. This is Nassau Island of Bahamas and from the ship, this view will welcome your eyes!I was indeed dumbfounded by the blue water and the blue skies of Bahamas. This place is truly enchanting and the wonderful scenery will continue to amazed you every second of the day.From the Port, we took a van and paid $5/person towards Atlantis and I was blown away by its grand and luxurious architectural design. We explore the main hallway inside Atlantis and it was so huge complete with all the amenities: shopping center, movie theatre, restaurants, ballroom and more. We explore the Marina and it was absolutely gorgeous. The locals were charming and friendly and no one approached us to beg for money. On our way back, we decided to take a boat ride which cost only $3/person and it was an amazing experience.The Atlantis is a world class hotel and if you travel to Atlantis this week, the cheapest room rate you can get is $612 up to $2500 a day. So expensive right? Well, I can only stay in Atlantis if Bill Gates or Warren Buffet can provide me a FREE stay in this hotel (*-*) LOL. Not in my lifetime will I ever afford this hotel/resort. Dang! It would be awesome to stay one week and just enjoy the view and waking up with this enchanting scenery. Of course, I can dream can't I? I would love to travel and stay here with my family and that includes my mom and my brother with his family. That's it! I am now wide awake hahahaha. God bless you everyone! Remember, If you can't feed a hundred people then, just feed one says Mother Theresa.

The View of Nassau Bahamas From the Deck of Norwegian Sky Cruise Line

Exactly a month ago, we travelled to Miami Florida to board the Norwegian Sky Cruise Line which was heading for Bahamas. The weather for that week was cloudy but, it was not a deterrent to cancel our trip for four days. It was an instant booking because we had a family from Spain and we wanted them to go with us too. We arrived at Freeport Grand Bahama Island on the next day and we stayed there from sunrise to 5:30PM. The port is clean and there were transportation waiting for the tourists. I admire the systematic accommodation that they have and we feel at ease when we transact the ride to our destination because the fare/rates were posted clearly on the information board of the port. We paid $10 each (back and forth rides) towards Port Lucaya and the Marketplace. It took us maybe 15 minutes ride towards that destination and it was a long ride really.The place is beautiful and no one approached us to beg for money. I am sorry but, I cannot help but compare it to my experience in Bohol when the bus driver charged me double than what we agreed upon. Anyway, the place we went to is beautiful and clean. It was pleasing to the eyes of the tourists!The next morning, we arrived in Nassau Island. This is Nassau, the home of the world famous resort --> Atlantis and the Paradise Island. Did you know that I was looking for trash on the port and found none? There were temporary tents built along the port, selling for local goods but when I look at the water, it was very clean and so blue. Most of the tourists noticed that too. You can access the Internet for free from the Port connection. But, if you stayed on the ship, the access is not too good because of the strong wind. Some of the cruise staff who were Filipinos took advantage of the free wifi. I saw them occupying one small sitting area inside the Port building and chatting to their families back home. I would recommend that you should visit Bahamas and see Nassau Island. I heard from the locals that the most expensive room in Atlantis costs 25,000/day and you can only book it for 4 days and more. I tried to search for it but, the highest rate available to public costs less than $800. I don't know if that $25K/day is true or not but, the view in Nassau is worth a million! I love Atlantis and it is really huge and grand!

Beautiful Port Lucaya Marketplace

We live near the coastal area of Florida and even in Mississippi so; to visit the island of Bahamas give us the idea of what is great in the island. This is the International Marketplace with good size souvenir shops located at Lucaya in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. It is nice and a clean place with full of charm. The architectural design of the buildings in the marketplace is almost the same when I went to Saint Augustine, Florida. If you visit the Old Town somewhere in Kissimmee area of Florida, their shops are build like the picture below.Port Lucaya at Freeport has a place where tourists and guests can have a peek of a Dolphin Adventure along UNEXSO. The water in the island is truly beautiful though and I must admit. At the Port, I did not see trash on the water. And honestly, I did not encounter beggars and street kids in the tourist area such as this marketplace.The UNEXSO offers the tourist a Dolphin encounter and you can actually swim with the dolphins in the open ocean. If you love scuba diving, Bahamas is a great place to have that experience and swim on the wreck and reef. If you are not afraid, get the shark feeding dives too. Well, I do not want that risky adventure, LOL!It is fun and exciting to visit other countries and Bahamas is relatively a nice place to have a short vacation. Their hotels are world class, beautiful and contemporary. Again, I am pleased with the beautiful place along the Lucaya area. They have the Ritz Resort, Flamingo and Pelican Bay Hotels and more.
They have world class restaurants and you can shop at duty-free prices. Because we are paying dollars, their prices are affordable and reasonable especially when we went for a ride from the cruise terminal to Port Lucaya for only $5. Boy, it was a long ride. This is the van that we have and most of them have ID's. At the cruise terminal, the prices for a particular destination are listed clearly. It was well organize and so far, they are trustworthy. No one scam us and they are very polite. The van has the capacity of 13 and it was full from the tourists. We did not sign up for an excursion and we only pay $10 for each person for a back and forth ride from the cruise terminal to Port Lucaya area. The beach is just a walking distance in this area. Bahamas is truly an awesome place!

Grand Bahama Island

Before we woke up, the Norwegian Sky Cruise Ship arrived early and already dock at Freeport, Grand Bahama Island in Bahamas. We went to the 12th deck to see the sunrise at 7:18 but, it was so cloudy and the sun refused to shine. We thought that this day would be boring because of the rain but, it wasn't bad at all. We went to explore one place in the island and that's the Marketplace and Marina at Port Lucaya.I already love the view of this island. The water is so clean and so blue! When we go to the gangway, we need to swipe our keycard and when we go back, we do the same thing. The prices of the transportation is posted clearly on the big information board. To the Marketplace, we paid $10/person and it's already back and forth. Sorry for the blurry images. It was so windy and I am using BB phone. Anyway, we rode in a van and we are about 10 on it. We told the driver that we will drop by in the Treasure Bay Casino. Since it was so early, there were only few people in the casino.Freeport is district and a free trade zone in the island of Grand Bahama of the North-West of Bahamas. Freeport has become the second most populous city in the Bahamas. The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) operates the free trade zone so; in Freeport area they will pay no taxes before 2054. I noticed that most hotels on the island are located along the southern shore facing the Northwest Providence Channel.

Sailing The Norwegian Sky

As of today, I am sailing the Norwegian Sky. We will have a 4-days cruising to Bahamas and we will stop by three islands: Great Stirrup, Nassau and Freeport. This is my first cruising trip to Bahamas and I am with my husband, his daughter and her boyfriend. They are having a vacation in the US for a month so; having this cruise would be fun!

Wish us with a safe trip everyone!

Last Minute Caribbean Cruising

With passport all set, our Europe travel will be on scheduled. I told hubby that before we live for Europe, I would like to have a Carnival cruising to Caribbean first. I just can't get enough of Bahamas. We cruise on Norwegian Sky last October and it was a fun 4-days experience for both of us together with hubby's daughter and her boyfriend.

We drove to Miami Port and that was tiring for hubby to drive. So; on the next trip, Port Canaveral is a good port of call to choose since we live nearby.

Checking of proper documents while taking the cruise is not bad at all. It went smoothly. If you do it online and check the necessary docs that they want you to show, nothing could go wrong.

The picture above is the city of Miami. You've seen it many times if you watch the TV show CSI:Miami. The place is gorgeous but, if you hate the metropolitan lifestyle, Miami is not your place.

Miami Port is one of the busiest port in the World.

I took on these pictures on the first day while we tried to familiarized the amenities of the ship. Cruising has last minute reservation and it is definitely cheap. If you hate planning your trip, check out the cruise lines today and you will surely get a good price.