The weatherman was issuing snow warnings as I retired to bed last night. Today, as you settle in for an icy blast to top off the wettest winter on record, I’ll be relaxing on Virgin Atlantic flight VS005, returning to the warmer weather of southern Florida.
Tomorrow I will be boarding Norwegian Getaway for a week in the Caribbean – and what a week it’s going to be.
I’ll have a chance to spend more time exploring the ship on which I spent a couple of days in Southampton in January. Another opportunity to marvel at the magic show in the Illusionarium, and to wonder at the size of the ribeyes in Cagney’s Steakhouse.
I’ll probably get to see the musical Legally Blonde for the first time and if I’m brave enough, throw myself down one of the ship’s waterslides or venture onto its ropes course where I can walk the plank, a dizzying 180 feet above the sea.
Most of all, I think I’ll be getting swept along with thousands of other cruise passengers, young and old – America is gearing up for Spring Break.
I will definitely not be alone. Getaway is one of five ships embarking passengers in Miami tomorrow. With Carnival Liberty, Carnival Breeze, Celebrity Reflection and MSC Divina also alongside, more than 17,200 people will be making their way to the port … as soon as the same number have left.
In Philipsburg, on the island of St Maarten, Getaway and Divina will be joined by Celebrity Eclipse and Independence of the Seas – about 14,000 in total.
At Nassau, Bahamas, we will have Carnival Victory, Carnival Sensation and Disney Dream for company; about 11,250 at a conservative estimate.
But the busiest day of the week will come on Wednesday at the so-called shoppers’ paradise of Charlotte Amalie on the US Virgin Island of St Thomas – there will be substantially bigger crowds than were there to greet Christopher Columbus when he rocked up in 1493.
Enormous as it is, Getaway will be dwarfed by Allure of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world. For company, we will have Royal Princess, Carnival Conquest and Celebrity Eclipse. With 19,000 passengers in town, I hope the jewellery stores and duty free shops will be fully staffed and ready for the onslaught.
I might just spend the day in Getaway’s salt cave.
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