Insights from a week at sea

One thing I love about vacations is that the downtime allows me to clear my mind and open it to new ideas and realizations. Here are several from this past trip:

1. I can plan all I want, but I need to be flexible and open to unexpected opportunities. I just need to go with the flow.

2. I need to let go of the need to control so much. Sometimes, the most exhilarating experiences can be had just by letting go.

3. If something is important enough to me, I need to pursue it with determination. There will most likely be bumps in the road along the way, but I can't let them stop me. If it's really meant to happen, it will happen.

4. I have let Facebook and it's influence dominate my life too much and it's stressing me out. While I was at sea, I actually found it a bit of a relief to not have access to it.

After giving it some thought, I have decided to deactivate my Facebook presence for the time being. I'm not eliminating my social media presence altogether, as I will keep my Instagram and Twitter accounts, as they aren't the problem. Facebook is a big time-suck for me, so ridding myself  of it will free up a good chunk of my time to pursue more productive things. If any of my FB friends really want to stay in touch with me, there are always options like phone calls, texting, and emails.

Ultimately, I believe that I will be liberating myself. :)

What an awesome trip!

• Here it is...the low-down on my recent cruise on the Norwegian Getaway.

  
  

  As I mentioned in a previous post, I had booked a Studio cabin. I figured that I probably wouldn't be spending a ton of time in the cabin anyway, so an inside cabin would work just fine. It was the least expensive option, anyhow. Connected to the Studio cabins is a Studio lounge, where solo travelers can meet up and hang out. For peace of mind, only those in Studio cabins have access to this area of the ship; a keycard is required to access the whole Studio cabin section and lounge, as well as our own individual cabins. There is a Solos coordinator who handles dinner and show reservations for those groups  of solo travelers who would like to go together;  he did a great job taking care of everything. 
  
  The food was excellent. I ate mostly at the buffet, Taste, and Savor. I did also try Tropicana and O'Sheehans. With the quality of the food at the complimentary restaurants, I saw no real need to go to the premium restaurants. One thing I would like to note is that the Tropicana can get really noisy between the live music and the ambient noise. I would've liked to have gone more than once, but as someone who has sensory processing issues, I just couldn't handle it. 
  
  As for entertainment, I saw a dance show, "Burn the Floor" (awesome), and the musical Legally Blonde (excellent). I also enjoyed an evening at the comedy club. I did go to the Glow Party and enjoyed it for a short time before sensory issues got to me and I had to leave (think loud music and lots of people dancing around waving glow sticks).
  
  With excursions, I enjoyed all of mine. At St. Thomas, I opted for the Eco-Hike at St. John and also took the sky lift to Paradise Point after returning to St. Thomas. At Tortola, I took the excursion to The Baths on Virgin Gorda; my only complaint is that we didn't get enough time to really enjoy the beauty that The Baths has to offer. At Nassau, I took the Seahorse Snorkel and Sail trip. Other than dealing with a leaky mask and a too-big mouthpiece on the snorkel, I had a good time and would go on it again, bringing my own snorkel and mask next time. 
  
  One thing that really stood out to me on this cruise was the service I got from the crew. On my birthday, I return to my cabin to find it decorated with a big birthday sign and balloons! Talk about making a girl feel special! There was also the birthday cupcake left in my cabin and a larger birthday cake I got when I went to dinner on my birthday night. Throughout the week, I would often come back to my cabin after being out to find little treats like chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate candy, and even champagne!
  
  After this cruise, I am definitely hooked on NCL and see no real need to cruise with anybody else. As a matter of fact, I've already booked another cruise on the Escape for the same week next summer.

  
  

  

  
  

  Honeymoon Beach on St. John