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When we picked our cruise dates, we didn't really think about what impact spring break might have on our plans. To us, it was a convenient week because our daughters would be out of school, so they could visit their grandmother without causing any disruptions. Unfortunately, being spring break meant that there were no discount airfares to Florida available. We were looking at $400 per person round trip to fly down for our cruise. In other words, we would be paying almost as much for airfare as for the cruise itself (which was a travel club promotion). Instead, we decided to make the long (almost 1100 miles) drive to Miami.
In order to be sure we didn't get delayed and miss the ship, we left early Friday morning and drove all day, stopping about 7:00 that evening in Melbourne, FL (just south of Cape Canaveral). Traffic volume was pretty moderate, though we got a bit delayed by rush hour in Jacksonville. The northbound traffic was awful! There were three separate accidents that closed the northbound lanes, leaving backups that stretched for miles. Each time we past one of these, we exchanged glances, hoping we wouldn't find ourselves trapped in one of these monster delays ourselves.
After spending the night in a decidedly cheap motel (the best I can say about it is that the bed wasn't uncomfortable), we got an almost leisurely start on Saturday morning. We made one quick stop at a discount department store to pick up a couple of last minute items for the cruise, and arrived without incident at Port Miami by about half past Noon.
The parking garage was easy enough to locate, and after paying for the week, we found a parking space on the second level, grabbed our suitcases and locked the car. When we arrived in line at the cruise line terminal, they had just opened the doors to begin boarding, but several buses of passengers had also arrived, so we had a bit of a line in front of us. We chose to carry our own suitcases onto the ship, to the surprise of many of our fellow passengers. It was a decision we would be thankful for later, when we talked to people days later who were still missing bags! It really wasn't difficult to get on board with the bags, and we were able to settle into our stateroom and unpack before most people had even received their first bags.
After unpacking, we went up to the Lido Deck to listen to the reggae band and wait for departure. We had great views of the Miami and Miami Beach skylines (Miami seems to be undergoing a bit of a boom at the moment...I counted more than 20 cranes above the skyline, indicating a similar number of new high-rise buildings under construction). As we watched, the other Carnival ship pushed away from the pier and sailed away, followed by the two Royal Caribbean ships. Finally, it was our turn. We smoothly left the pier and sailed out the channel, past South Beach and into the Atlantic, where we turned south. The broken clouds left gorgeous shafts of sunlight streaming down on the Miami skyline just before it sank below the horizon. We stood on deck until the skyline disappeared and it was time to head to the dining room for dinner. In spite of the long drive, our cruise was off to a fun and relaxing start.
Carnival Triumph
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
South Beach
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
Miami Skyline
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
In order to be sure we didn't get delayed and miss the ship, we left early Friday morning and drove all day, stopping about 7:00 that evening in Melbourne, FL (just south of Cape Canaveral). Traffic volume was pretty moderate, though we got a bit delayed by rush hour in Jacksonville. The northbound traffic was awful! There were three separate accidents that closed the northbound lanes, leaving backups that stretched for miles. Each time we past one of these, we exchanged glances, hoping we wouldn't find ourselves trapped in one of these monster delays ourselves.
After spending the night in a decidedly cheap motel (the best I can say about it is that the bed wasn't uncomfortable), we got an almost leisurely start on Saturday morning. We made one quick stop at a discount department store to pick up a couple of last minute items for the cruise, and arrived without incident at Port Miami by about half past Noon.
The parking garage was easy enough to locate, and after paying for the week, we found a parking space on the second level, grabbed our suitcases and locked the car. When we arrived in line at the cruise line terminal, they had just opened the doors to begin boarding, but several buses of passengers had also arrived, so we had a bit of a line in front of us. We chose to carry our own suitcases onto the ship, to the surprise of many of our fellow passengers. It was a decision we would be thankful for later, when we talked to people days later who were still missing bags! It really wasn't difficult to get on board with the bags, and we were able to settle into our stateroom and unpack before most people had even received their first bags.
After unpacking, we went up to the Lido Deck to listen to the reggae band and wait for departure. We had great views of the Miami and Miami Beach skylines (Miami seems to be undergoing a bit of a boom at the moment...I counted more than 20 cranes above the skyline, indicating a similar number of new high-rise buildings under construction). As we watched, the other Carnival ship pushed away from the pier and sailed away, followed by the two Royal Caribbean ships. Finally, it was our turn. We smoothly left the pier and sailed out the channel, past South Beach and into the Atlantic, where we turned south. The broken clouds left gorgeous shafts of sunlight streaming down on the Miami skyline just before it sank below the horizon. We stood on deck until the skyline disappeared and it was time to head to the dining room for dinner. In spite of the long drive, our cruise was off to a fun and relaxing start.
Carnival Triumph
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
South Beach
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
Miami Skyline
Originally uploaded by ResQgeek.
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Date: 2007-04-12 09:38 am (UTC)