Back in March I took my very first cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. We traveled to Belize, Cozumel, Honduras and NCLs private island in the Caribbean called Great Stirrup Cay. The Pearl is ‘Freestyle’ cruising – you can create your own vacation; you can get on and off the ship when it suits you (of course when the boat is in dock); And, you can eat where you want, when you want, with whom you want. Because this is my first experience on a cruise, I did not mind ‘Freestyle.’ However, several veterans said, “Though freestyle is nice, they’d rather have a scheduled trip.

As I walked onto the ship, I was greeted with a glass of champagne and antibacterial spritzer. Yes, they spray you when you get on and off the ship, and before you eat – waiting for you with a squirt bottle. They even have antibacterial machines scattered throughout the ship; near elevators, bathrooms and doorways. I’ve heard this is now a standard in the industry, especially, if one person gets sick, you are doomed. Though, I didn’t mind at all. In fact, I had brought my own, however, other people complained when the employee gave them a squirt.

I’ve heard from many sources, “Put a bottle of alcohol in your suitcase and just buy pop.”  So I did…I smuggled on a gallon of Captain Morgan Private Stock. Boy was I thirsty when I got on board but our bags had not been delivered to our room yet so we walked around to soak in the view of the ship. Later on when we returned to our room, I had a note on the door. “Hmm, what could this be?” It read, “We need to search your luggage and need you to be present. Please report to the something/something deck.” OH MY GOD, I was scared. When I arrived, I found a line of people out the door waiting for their luggage. I immediately felt at ease and started to plan my defense; as in lie. When they opened my luggage, the gentleman was really nice – at first I thought he was going to let me keep my bottle but then someone higher ranking walked in and said, “You can claim this the night before the ship returns,” as he tagged my bottle with my room number. THE NIGHT BEFORE. Oh well, at least I didn’t get fined, or worse, sent to jail – as I originally thought out of not knowing what the hell they do with people like me. I was a bad girl. To say the least, I had plenty to drink. And, here’s a tip…Put your alcohol in PLASTIC, SMALLER bottles. I found out later that several people who did not get busted,  seemed to have those two things in common.  Next time I’ll know.

First stop was Honduras. What a beautiful place but so much poverty. We went shopping in a small town. The people had their huts filled with manufactured-island styled-made in China bobbles. It reminded me of a flee market. The only thing I purchased was a gift for my sister and removed the ‘made in China’ stickie. She’ll never know. The poverty was sad; living under their huts. We were hounded by locals wanting us to take excursions – the more you said no, the lower the price. Everyone struggling to make a living. I actually felt rich and didn’t care that our economy sucked.

Next stop Belize. We took an hour bus ride to Aeriel Trek. This was an excursion we purchased through the NCL. The zipline tour is constructed of eight platforms built around the trees. The course is over 1000 feet in length and the highest platform is over 100 feet with the longest zipline cable running close to 300 feet. It was unbelievable. I felt like Spiderman. On that same tour they took us tubing through caverns. A cool trip also but not as exciting as the zipline.

Next stop Cozumel. Here we also did an excursion where we swam with the dolphins. This was my second time and it still made me cry. The dolphin’s name was Eva. She took us for rides while we held her fins or she would push us by our feet as we laid on a boogie board. Dolphins are amazing creatures, and if you ever have the chance, you need to do this. Afterward, of course, we did some shopping and some much needed drinking. We hung out at Senor Frogs. We were having such a good time that we almost missed the boat.

Next stop Great Stirrup Cay. It’s pretty much a big beach party. We snorkeled, went parasailing, ate and drank. This was another first for me; parasailing. Another cool adventure. The water was so clear and blue – I can still taste the salt air when I think about it. The Boy’s father even went and he’s 80.

We were at sea for a day between each port. I hung by the pool – drinking a bucket of Corona, sucking in the ocean air, listening to a band playing poolside, and feeling the hot sun on my skin. We’d go to dinner at a different restaurant each night – you do not need to dress up for most ‘Freestyle’ dining. One night we ate at their Japanese restaurant and WOW I had the best sushi. Our chef made us a surprise sushi dish…I can’t remember what it was but I still savor the taste. The Pearl also has nightly and daily entertainment which we did see a few shows and enjoyed. Our cruise director was Simon. He greeted us via intercom several times a day informing us of the upcoming activities. The pools were filled with saltwater complete with water slides and several jacuzzi.

It was a different type of trip – I like spending much time, especially in different countries, exploring their culture. But overall I enjoyed myself immensely. “Would I do it again?,” I was asked. Yes, in a heartbeat.

On the last night, I went to get my gallon of Captian Morgan Private Stock from the ‘bad people area.’ Again there was a long line out the door as people went in and came out with their alcohol; smiling at each other with embarassment. Do you know that was in March and here it is almost July and I still haven’t touched it. What was I thinking…