Riding on the City of New Orleans - well not exactly.

Spring Break for the Bakers (and Youngs)

This time of year (February) we are usually preparing to hop on the Southwestern Chief for our pilgrimage to Las Vegas and points southwest. This year we took a look at our Bucket List and decided to finally cross off "Cruise".

Booking

My wife and her sister started talking about this - in their daily phone chats - and we decided it would be fun if she came along. She's always wanted to take a cruise, too, and this way we can ride share to New Orleans and share some of the cost.

Cruise route.

So Wife contacted her friendly travel agent (not me this time) and put together a Caribbean Cruise from New Orleans to the Yucatan Peninsula, down to Honduras and then back to New Orleans.We'll be sailing on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Jewel.

I was afraid we'd get on one of those monstrosity ships that look more like a skyscraper than a boat so I was pleased - and greatly relieved - to see this 'small' and very streamlined ship. We are booked onto the 9th deck in a room with a private balcony. Our travel agent was relieved when we told her we wanted a balcony right off because she wouldn't have to waste time convincing us it was well worth the extra cost.

Norwegian Jewel

For reference, deck 9 is just above deck 8 which is the life boat deck and the balconies on deck 8 have an obstructed view (if they are balcony rooms at all). Our room is located in the forward section on the port side (get used to these terms - matey). Sister has booked a separate room that is near to us - three rooms down - but inside (much cheaper and will only be used for sleeping anyway). We will have plenty of room on our balcony for the three of us.
This boat holds 2376 passengers and 1100 crew members (pretty good ratio). It's 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide. I have no idea what that means - no point of reference. Football fields? Yeah, but when's the last time I rode on a football field - on the ocean (okay, this is only the gulf - so...).

No trains or planes

They say that getting there is half the fun. We'll see. Instead of flying we've decided to drive to New Orleans. I hate flying and refuse to put up with all the hassle and insult to my humanity, and pocketbook, and my dignity that flying has become. I would have preferred to take the train (it really is "The City of New Orleans" - like in the song ) but the cruise is costing us enough already so reason prevails. Wife and Sister have already made this drive a couple years ago to celebrate a friend's retirement from the Marines. These folks still live around New Orleans and have invited us to stay with them while in port (matey).

It's a two day drive to New Orleans - the way we travel. [ I'm trying to write this in the car and it's making me sick ]

(to be continued)