Breakaway Live Blog, Day 5: Nassau

There’s nothing like waking up, stretching, throwing open the curtain to look out your balcony to check the weather in order to determine what to slip into… and realize that the ship has arrived in Nassau and you are greeting the people on the ship next door in your skivvies. Good morning, Anthem of the Seas! Sorry about that…

It was a gorgeous day as we arrived in Nassau, a perfect morning for shopping and a little Senor Frog action… but instead, I headed to the Vibe Beach Club. By this point in the trip, I’ve accrued a nice selection of folks who hang out there each morning, exchanging tales of the night before and enjoying a little of the proverbial hair that bit the dog. My favorite bartender, Courtney, makes a mean spicy Mary that hits the spot.

It’s easy to forget what day it is or even where you are when on board a ship, but today there were various displays wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. (My favorite thing about the displays in the buffet? The big sign saying, “For Display Only.” Because you know without them, guests would be saying, “Hey, this would look great with the towel animal my room steward made last night” and making off with pieces of the display.)

Not-Quite-Clean Sweep

Speaking of room stewards, I’ve come to the realization that mine is… okay. I’ve had great stewards and awful ones, and this one falls smack in the middle. And it proves that it’s the details that count. Yes, I’ve been getting the towel animals (including the absolutely awesome turkey who greeted me this evening), but in other areas, the service is definitely lacking. But by this point in our joint voyage, you know my attitude: I’m on a ship, I’m happy.

I could bore you with what I did all afternoon, but it basically involved walking from one bar to another, talking to complete strangers. For Thanksgiving dinner, I joined about 13 members of our Cruise Critic roll call in the Manhattan Supper Club. You can measure the skill of a wait staff by how they handle a large party, and our server, Danny, was spot-on.

After dinner I headed to the casino for my version of a nightcap — bourbon and gambling – followed by a one of Norwegian’s signature events, the Glow Dance Party, held under the open sky at Spice H20. If the previous night’s 70’s/80’s party was in my wheelhouse, the Glow Dance Party sort of left me feeling like one of those old dudes who yells, “Turn down that crap! Does every song involve chanting either ‘shot shot shot’ or ‘jump jump jump’”? (Not that that stopped me from hitting the dance floor, ginormous glowstick in hand and jumping like a fool… for about 15 minutes.

Finally, it was off to Maltings for a final drink (or three), where I had another of those encounters that helped make me fall in love with cruising a few years ago. These were folks I’d never actually cross paths with, let alone engage in an extended conversation, in the real world. From complete opposite ends of the political spectrum, we had an incredible discussion about the recent election, a topic I’ve avoided with a passion since Election Day. At one point, the wife looked at her husband and I and said, “We should have set one of the debates on a cruise ship. It brings out the best in even people who agree on absolutely nothing.”

In other words, she – a first-time cruiser – had discovered what many of us learned long ago: Cruising really can make the world a better place.

Check out the other days aboard my cruise!

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