Embarcation In Miami

So Carole and Jim drove us from Coral Springs to the Port of Miami, and with little ado, we boarded the Norwegian Epic and checked in...then had lunch, moved into our cabin on the 10th floor, explored a bit of the ship, found our travel companions and guides, Norm and Marie (Vicki's sister and her husband...on their 8th cruise in the past year), watched the ship's departure, and settled into our 11-day routine at sea. All excitement, since this is our first cruise of any significance, and despite being somewhat atypical--a re-positioning cruise, getting the boat back to its summer waters, the Mediterranean, with only one port of call--we are regarding it as a foray into yet another style of travel. The cruise is a little atypical too in that the Norwegian Line's "freestyle cruising" is a departure from customary notions of cruising (formality, propriety, dinner-seatings, dress code, etc.) The Norwegian Epic is the third largest cruise ship in the world, nearly 1100 feet long, displacing 155,000 tons, with the usual amenities, and all that added to the excitement.

View from the jet-way (boat-way?); perhaps all cruise ships
are on the colossal side, but parked along Miami's nearly mile-
long quay, with two Carnivals and a Disney for comparison,
the Epic seemed quite as immense as the billing suggested

Us, boarding

The Epic is apparently 4th for take-off; the two Carnivals
are off...

Followed by the Disney Wonder...

Panoramic view of downtown Miami, from the port; Vicki
and I both were born in Miami, and I was raised there; she
returned to South Florida for high school; and me

And a bit of south Miami Beach, and some of the 1920s
islands dredged up from Biscayne Bay

The Julia Tuttle Causeway, connecting Brickell Avenue and
environs with Key Biscayne (think: Richard M. Nixon, Bebe
Rebozo, et al. (if you're old enough); well, maybe best not to
think of any of this, regardless of age)

We have embarked and are heading for Government Cut...
more of south Miami Beach and the islands

A bit of South Beach...some serious Art Deco in there

South Beach itself..."well I been thinkin' 'bout/ all the places
we surfed and danced and/ all the faces we miss so let's get/
back together and do it again"...well, actually I didn't surf
all that much (like, none) nor dance...but it's nice to regard a
place like South Beach somewhere in one's life portfolio

Our jet-ski escort has departed, we are past the jetties and
out into the Atlantic

As we turn northwards, views of North Miami Beach,
Aventura (right, Carole?), and

Sunset over south Florida