We sailed a 4 day out of Miami visiting Nassau, CocoCay, and Key West. Normally, we sail on 7 day or longer cruises, but this winter, I could not get away for as long, but I still wanted my winter warm up. But after leaving the ship, I was not left thinking about my next cruise, I was left thinking how I can create the experience of a multi-destination vacation without the negatives that have overtaken the cruise industry.

But, I'll start by focusing on the positives: I liked the ship. It was not particularly special in any way, but it was comfortable and simple and clean and manageable. I very much dislike the "bigger is better" trend and prefer small ship cruising. The staff was outstanding. Our room steward, Winsome, was full of energy, always had a smile and a kind word, and attended to our requests immediately. Similarly, our dining room staff was very anxious to please. I even had the unfortunate experience of having to visit the medical center after I tripped on a sidewalk in Nassau and they were very attentive and helpful (though I did have to pay for the services, I am submitting a claim to my insurance now that I am home and hope to be at least partially reimbursed).

I also very much liked the itinerary. Though I had been to Nassau 3x before, it is an easy port to manage with everything one needs when looking for a winter warm up get away. I had been to the NCL private island before, but never to CocoCay and it was fantastic! The beach area was huge and went on and on and on. They have both protected "pools" for calm swimming and actual ocean front areas. They also have every form of water entertainment you can think of from snorkeling and stand up paddle board to glass bottom boat tours, jet skiis, kayaks, and even a water park. The food ashore was also varied with everything from burgers and dogs to ribs and chicken. I'd love to go back! Read more