Travel After Divorce

It is 9pm at night and I found myself sitting at one of 15 bars located on one of the biggest cruise ships on Planet Earth. As the ocean is passing by faster and faster, I decided to reflect on just how epic the last week of our lives were. This was our first cruise, and certainly not our last. And now to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly on this voyage at sea.

GETTING TO THE PORT

If you have read any of the other posts on this page, you already know that when it comes to going on vacations, we like the commute to the vacation to be as easy as possible. Just like the other locations, we decided to take the commuter train to Brooklyn. The sun was shining, and before we knew it we found ourselves in Atlantic Terminal awaiting our ride-share to the boat.

I found myself laughing at my beautiful girlfriend as she made references to the fact that when we travel, she has to think about absolutely nothing. I guess spending her life with a soldier takes the planning and logistics out of any vacations.

As you may presume, there was at least one bottle of champagne consumed to celebrate our first cruise vacation. Even though there was traffic, it was only about twenty dollars to get across Brooklyn to the cruise terminal, which was one of the most efficient places we’ve ever encountered while on a vacation.

THE PORT ARRIVAL

Some inter-city zigs and zags put our car in a very industrial part of Brooklyn. There was no grand signage announcing where we were headed, and as we drove there was a feeling of anticipation never felt before. It was around a small corner when we all got our first glimpse of the vessel. This was the first time any of us have taken in just how massive these cruise ships are. After working my entire career in Manhattan New York, the sight of a boat 19 stories high left me breathless as we got closer and closer to the terminal.

The minute we were out the car door we were greeted with a very friendly porter who gathered out luggage, wrote our room number on some tags, and ensured us that the bags would all be dropped in front of our doors upon check in time that afternoon. I remember feeling really assured with how efficient that all sounded being that we never experienced a port cruise check in.

SECURITY, AND CHECK-IN

At first it seems like the lines were long, especially since everyone has staggered check in times for the trip. After getting on the line we were quickly at ease once we realized that the lines never stopped moving and we were constantly walking in the direction of the security point (completely unlike an airport).

Once at the security point there was almost no friction getting through, and I realized that it was much more of a process going to a professional football game weeks earlier. Being that we followed all of the websites directions that week, out pre-check in while uploading documents made us eligible for the boats version of TSA Pre-Check. Within minutes we were at the front of the counter.

A quick check of the kids birth certificates and there we were already at the gangway onto the biggest boat we have ever seen. I would say that the complete time from curb to gangway was about 30-40 minutes. Again, the efficiency of this makes an old military man like me rested and happy.

WELCOME ABOARD!!

Stepping from the metal gang plank onto this giant boat was an experience like no other. The second you step into the atrium, you are met with 3 stories of Sworovski Crystal Staircases. The calypso music is being played by live performer on stage in the lounge directly in front of us. The environment was festive and happy. Pretty much the opposite of what is to expected when four thousand people arrive on a boat. After doing our Youtube homework our first destination was the 15th floor food buffet.

BUFFET, AND TIME TO SAIL!

The other crazy thing to take in after the boat itself is the Food Buffet. Spanning half the ship taking up almost an entire deck the buffet has thousands of seats, and hundreds of tables. Grabbing our plates it became effortless to find tons of food at our fingertips. That first day I limited myself to some vegetables and a hot dog, but there is no limit to the styles and amount of food available. This particular boat was even famous for making its own Mozzarella Cheese and homemade pizza!

That first day onboard the lesson learned was the extent that the other people on board will go to when it comes to food. We found ourselves being bumped and nudged all over the place as we tried to get food on our plates. There honestly seems to be no length that some of these patrons will go through when it comes to the buffet. It seems as thought there are certain people that behave like the food in front of them is the last opportunity they will have to eat.

Just like at every other buffet we’ve been to, I found myself constantly laughing at my girlfriends 3-5 plates of food as I know she will be eating 3-5 bites and leaving the rest. Still she always “likes choices”. Shortly after meal one it was time to explore.

The back of the buffet is actually in the direction of travel of the boat (meaning the front as you are moving through the ocean). After filling up on the first meal of the trip, it was time to make our way onto the main deck where the pool and biggest social area of the boat were located.

POOL(S) AREA

Walking out of the buffet doors there is a huge deck filled with about 100 tables and as monster TV Screen over a big pool. Directly next to me I realize there is an additional buffet with pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers and all the other fun kids food available most of the day. The music is blasting, and now we find one of 2 outdoor bars. The energy was amazing, and before we knew it we had drinks in hand, and dancing to a live DJ. The fun has started and after randomly looking overboard I realized “Hey, We are Moving!!!”.

The coolest experience when leaving New York is definitely the moment you pass the Statue of Liberty and head under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Realizing the moment, the DJ starts blasting the song “NY Anthem, by JZ”, and the spans of the bridge appear overhead. There is some sense of NY pride filling the entire boat as everyone finds themselves cheering while heading under the bridge. It felt almost ceremonious as we all sang and danced our way down the East River. Definitely a moment in time that won’t be forgotten.

After a brief time on deck while looking for the bathroom we realized there is an indoor pool with retractible roof. Inside we find another huge bar, multiple hot tubs, an equally big pool, and games for kids to play on the second floor. Knowing this makes sailing during the winter months of NY make sense. It was time to make our way downstairs to see if the rooms were ready. This next moment of efficiency makes a soldiers heart warm.

CRUISE CARDS READY….BAGS ARE AWAITING

The porter at the car was the first person to tell us that our cruise cards will not only be waiting upon arrival, but will be nicely placed on our room doors when we get inside. Once we found this fact to be 100% true, a feeling of happiness continues now that every aspect of this trip the crew has given us has come to fruition. The keys are used for just about everything on board. From purchases, to grabbing a bottle of water, your entire trip is tracked by our room cards. Opening the door to our room was another unsuspected joy to our trip.

Being that we didn’t purchase a big state room with a balcony, the expectation we had of an interior room with no windows was very low. What we were met with was that the rooms were actually big with enough room for multiple people to be inside. There was two twin beds linked together to make a queen (or separated if you would like). The desk/ makeup put on station (girl lingo I don’t know), is connected to a nice sized closet with a safe

The other nice surprise was the bathroom within our interior room. What at first seems very small (about 4’x4′) was actually plenty of room for a person to get ready. To my surprise the shower was very spacious (yes at some point we both fit in there), and the water was the hottest shower I have ever experienced. Getting ready for every night was actually a pleasure in this space. Also I could look at the reflection off the wall mirrors next to the bathroom to catch glimpses of a beautiful blonde as she gets ready in the main cabin!

COCOA BEACH AND ELON MUSK?

Unfortunately due to a medical situation we were limited to just going to to Cape Canaveral and to the MSC Island Ocean Kay, but that wouldn’t stop us from going to one of our favorite beaches in the world. A short 5 minute ride-share after getting off the ship brought us back to Cocoa Beach. What makes this place so special is the environment, but really its the ocean itself.

Renting surfboards with chairs and an umbrella was easy. Maybe 10 minutes after our arrival the kids and I were flying through the amazing surf on this breathtaking beach. Once out of the water it is a short flight of stairs and my girlfriend and I find ourselves looking over the vast ocean landscape while having a few cocktails. The bartender couldn’t have been any better, and even taught the two of us the reason why his “Mai-Thais” are made the real way.

The kids had plenty of entertainment all day with the beach, and even ran into one of there friend from the boat we were on as well. That’s one observation that I made is that one aspect of this cruise included the kids making friends the entire time they were on the trip. That makes adult time a lot easier.

An early afternoon snack at our favorite beach pier and we were whisked back to the boat within a few minutes and ready to start another night of activities. The next activity was a once and a lifetime event.

Before long we noticed a big gathering of people to one side of the ship overlooking the railings. An actual “Space-X” rocket launch was scheduled, and everyone was waiting in anticipation. To be honest I thought that there is no way that we would be that lucky to be in that exact location at the exact time of a rocket launch to space, but It was worth staying around just in case.

“FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!!” the croud starting yelling and there it was. The most beautiful rocket blasting from the earth into the atmosphere. At first the sight really made me shocked, and then my brain comprehended what it was seeing, there was laughter and joy. The crowd was cheering loudly at that point, and then the noise hit our ship like a missile. It was one of the most wonderful and proud things that I have ever had the honor of witnessing. Politics aside… good job Mr Musk!!!

DAILY POOL PARTIES

During the day the pool experience was by far the funnest part of the cruise. We quickly made close friends with this lovely Canadian couple (Hi Jim and Joyce!!), and the daily music and activities started by 10. We would reserve our lounge chairs early, eat a small breakfast, and be poolside relaxing before the activities started. Lets just say the activities were more fun than I anticipated.

The entertainment crew on board this boat had us engaged and almost busy at times the entirety of the cruise. I would go from line dancing one minute to playing miniature golf the next. I can now say I know at least 3 latin dances and will one day win “Dancing with the Stars”. The cocktail servers keep the party flowing and there is very rarely a time when we found ourselves sitting still.

WAIT, IS THAT A WATER PARK??

To our surprise on day 2 there was a water park at the highest point in the back of the ship. This includes a splash park for the kids, a ropes course, and three amazingly big water slides. On a tube built for two, my beautiful girlfriend and I were laughing our way down the slides which at some point even hang over the side of the ship!!

CASINO ROYALE

I have never experienced a cruise ship casino before, but all I can say is that I was very impressed. The choice of slots were numerous. The table games had the lowest limits ever (one dollar), and the casino bar stays open until about 4AM! we even found Video Poker which made my blonde and me very happy. From the first time we went to the Casino all the way thought the last night onboard, we won money. I have to say that at no time when we were playing was there a feeling of unfairness that others have reported when in a cruise casino.

THE BEST NIGHTCLUB AROUND

It was around night number three when the love of my life found me to describe the scene going on at the back of the ship. Apparently at around 1030-1100pm the back pool bar transformed into a night club. There is a DJ spinning amazing music and the atmosphere was amazing to sat the lest. Returning from a bathroom trip my sweetheart already made friends with a wonderful couple from New York (Hey Matty and Josh!).

It wasn’t long before everyone was dancing the night away and really enjoying time together with new friends. Just as we thought the night was over after last call, we were informed that the casino bar remains open later! The fun didn’t seem to end, making for very late nights and headaches in the morning. Allegedly making a wrong turn out of a European Bathroom can end up with a person being locked out of there room, with no clothing. Again “Allegedly!” and I regret nothing 🙂

OUR FAVORITE FOOD

After the first night is when we discovered our assigned dining restaurant on the ship. From minute one my girlfriend, the kids, and myself were confused on how the system worked. The question we asked our waitress was “how much does this food cost?”. The reason we asked that was because there was Filet Mignon on the menu amongst other amazing looking gourmet options.

The food cost nothing and was like eating in a gourmet New York establishment. With the drink package we had the waitress continued to refill our glasses. We even lucked out and had our own 4 person table right smack in the middle of a porthole to watch the swooshing water go by outside. I realized what it was about this restaurant that made us feel so special and it hit me… Eating in that environment made us all feel like we were upper class passengers on the Titanic, MINUS the icebergs of course.

OVERALL EXPERIENCES

I could go on for another three thousand words as the thoughts are coming back to me about this amazing experience. Did my girlfriend, my friends and I win the pool olympics and get a gold charm bracelet? Yes we did.

Did I sing Karaoke to a packed house after a silent listening club dance where everyone hears the music through headphones? Yep!! I can go on forever talking about the amazing entertainment and experiences while onboard the MSC Meraviglia.

This review is quite simple. The trip was cheap even with bringing the kids and having the drink packages. The commute to the boat in Brooklyn was simple. The entertainment and fun was more than we ever would have anticipated. We made what seems to be lifelong friends. But most importantly, we spent a week traveling to the Carabean together to create memories that will last a lifetime.

This fantastic voyage was made possible only because of the love of my life. She continues to make me smile and remind me why we started the “Travel After Divorce” movement. Oh, and P.S. Cruise paid for by selling the jewelry of our previous miserable marriages 🙂 See you in Florida!!