Fair warning: the cruise was short. This review will not be.
So we just got back from our (very) short cruise. It was good. Better than I expected. Maybe a little too short. But good nonetheless.
We took the puppies to the sitter in Maryland on Thursday night, came home, packed, and I passed out. Dear Wife packed a bit longer than I did and got a few other things taken care of while I was snoring away the night.
I woke around 430am on Friday and lazed in bed until about 5am. I knew Dear Wife needed the extra zzz’s. We left the house around 545am and made our way to DCA for our JetBlue flight to Fort Lauderdale. Upon arriving at Reagan National, we attempted to print paper boarding passes. Fortunately, there was a proactive JetBlue agent who informed us that we could just use the phone passes instead of the paper pass.
We made our way to security and I was “randomly” selected for additional screening. It was awkward but inconsequential. We made our way to the gate, but not before Dear Wife made a stop on her tour of the world’s restrooms.
Once at the gate, we found that our seats had been assigned and we were, fortunately, sitting together. We usually upgrade the seats on JetBlue to the EvenMore category. Not this time though. We had aimed to make this trip as cost effective as possible. It was the right call.
I consistently find that JetBlue has the most comfortable seats for me, at least in economy. They’re a bit wider. There’s more legroom. And the seatbelt is long enough that I don’t have trouble latching it. On American, Delta, and United domesticly, I consistently need to awkwardly and embarrassingly ask the flight attendant for a seatbelt extension. Never on JetBlue. I’m sure there’s plenty that someone could infer about JetBlue’s typical patron. I’m squarely… or, more accurately, roundly… one of their typical patrons. And I’m thankful for the extra space and longer belt.
On the plane, Dear Wife and I partook in a cheese board and a wine. Both were decent and well priced at about $10 total. Dear Wife has the JetBlue Plus card, so all food and beverage purchases are half off. We both felt that the purchase was worth it since we didn’t have time for breakfast. It may not have been worth it if we paid full price.
We eventually arrive at FLL, disembarked, and collected our gate checked luggage at baggage claim. Then it was and inordinately inexpensive Uber ride from the airport to the port.
The Miami Norwegian Cruise Line terminal at Miami Cruise Port is not the prettiest terminal, but it was pretty efficient. From the time we exited the Uber to the time we stepped aboard the Getaway only 30 minutes or so had passed.
We found our muster station immediately and checked that box. Then it was off to find some food. We settled on the Irish pub. We ordered some food and a couple of drinks and then relaxed while we waited for our friends to arrive.
While we waited for our friends to get situated, we explored the ship a bit and sampled the various bars. We settled on the Sunset Bar, which on the Getaway is a relaxed cocktail bar compared to some of the more lively spaces on the ship.
To be continued…
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