So yes, I decided to go to New York City in January to take 3 cruises back to back to the south. The first 9 days to the Bahamas and back, then the next 2 would be to the Caribbean and back, 10 days each. The risky part was NYC and the weather at that time of year, which proved to be true at the end of my cruises. Of course, the first question is why, but these were cheap and provided me with double points. I am on my last few cruises to reach the Ambassador top level frequent cruiser with NCL!
The first cruise was pretty uneventful with the weather being cooperative in NYC at a sunny 30F. Since I had traveled from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I spent a few days over New Years, I flew into Newark, NJ. Taking the UBER directly to the pier was worthwhile although a bit expensive, but I did not want to hassle with the Newark Airport Train. I have done this before, but it drops you off at Penn Station and then it is long walk or taxi to the Manhattan Pier.
The schedule has us leaving that day for a few days at sea along the East Coast of the United States. We end up at the first stop in Orlando Port Canaveral, Florida port of call. I have booked the NCL Tour Pontoon Cruise on the Banana River and this was a couple of hours with a couple of old timer captains. We boat around the area where there are lots of luxury waterfront homes and just as much wildlife. Some of the wildlife we see are dolphins, manatees, pelicans, birds, and alligators.
Our next stop is at the NCL private island, Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. This was the first time that we actually were able to dock here instead of using tenders. This particular stop with tenders was always a 50% chance of not getting ashore, so I welcome the new pier. This was frustrating for many cruisers, especially when the competitors had one!
Our final stop on this cruise is Nassau, Bahamas where I booked the NCL Tour Nassau By Land & Sea. It was certainly a busy day here with 5 cruise ships docked! My tour involved a drive around the small island and then a boat ride to see once again the various luxurious homes and some wildlife.
We head back to NYC after a few days at sea as I prepare myself for the next cruise, leaving the same day as the return. There are about 30 of us that must exit the ship and clear immigration and reboard. Not sure why, but this is the hassle on arrival in a USA port. We head south again and after 2 days at sea, arrive in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Having been in Puerto Plata before, I decide to book the NCL Tour Capybara Encounter and Ocean World. This is a short drive from the pier to arrive at a place that is really part zoo and part Sea World with its many shows and encounters. You can see a seal, dolphin, shark, or bird shows and then encounters with the sharks, dolphins, or capybaras. I was intrigued to see and meet a capybara because this was a new animal to me. They are like large rats from South America, but trained to interact with the people, so quite interesting creatures.
The next stop is San Juan, Puerto Rico and I do not get off the ship because I have been here countless times in the early 80s. The next day we are in Philipsburg, St. Maarten another place that I have been before during my cruise ship working days. I have booked the NCL Tour Sky Explorer & Sightseeing. The first part is to take a chair lift up to the tallest mountain for outstanding views of the island and beyond.
Even though I had visited St. Maarten many times before I did not really visit the French side of the island, St. Martin so a quick stop there to buy some French pastries was a must. Then another stop at the famous Maho Beach in St. Maarten where the airport is located right next door and the thrill of airplanes landing right overhead is special!
Onward we go to the next island, Tortola, British Virgin Island. I had also been here before it really became a common stop of cruise ships. I have booked the NCL Tour Escape to Jost Van Dyke. Jost Van Dyke is another island in the BVI and is known for its yacht anchorages, like the sheltered bay at Great Harbour. Casual bars and restaurants dot the sandy beaches here and at nearby White Bay. Bubbly Pool, a naturally foaming sea pool, is in the island’s northeast. I spend the day at the famous Soggy Dollar Bar chatting with its long time owners.
And the final stop at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands is a must! I have booked the NCL Tour Discover St. Thomas and Magens Bay. Our fist stop is the outlook area where they serve their famous Banana Daiquiris then the rest of the day there at Magens Bay chatting with the locals enjoying some island beers.
The final sunset photo is the ending of this cruise #2 and the third one will be a repeat of the last one, so I do only one more NCL Tour Discover Puerta Plata. This was a around town bus ride to see several interesting places like the General Gregorio Luperón Museum, the Amber Museum, Pink Street, and the Macorix House of Rum.
So now the fun begins! At the end of the 3rd cruise the weather takes an abrupt change in the NYC area with a forecasted Nor’easter headed there. The captain decides to forego our last port St Thomas and head directly back to NYC to beat the storm. Unfortunately, we did not and ran right into a category 2 hurricane! That night was quite interesting to say the least, especially in my 9th deck front cabin. The waves crested at 40 feet and the wind hit 93 knots during the night. I felt like it was a very dangerous situation and should have never been attempted. Of course, upon arrival the Hudson River was frozen over and we had to get icebreakers to clear our final path to the Manhattan Pier. There was certainly a lot of grumbling the next day as we were disembarking!
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