Recently we went on our first holiday cruise. I had never been away from my hometown at Christmas before, but Jon and I lost a lot of family members in the past few years, including our little girl dog who loved Christmas, so we decided to escape to warmer climes.
After looking at several different possibilities, we decided on a Club Balcony Suite with Larger Balcony on the Norwegian Breakaway. The cruise covered many holidays leaving Miami on December 23 and returning on January 2, so I was excited to see how Norwegian Cruise Lines would celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, and other important cultural/religious moments.
We arrived in Florida a few days before the cruise in order to spend time with one of my dearest friends and her family. She and I hadn’t been in the same state for Christmas since the early 1990s, so it was a special treat to make pasta with her and her son and spend time with her parents, whom I dearly love.
After my friend dropped us off at the port, we had little time before we were ushered on to the ship. Key cards newly printed and ready, we went to one of the complimentary restaurants, O’Sheehan’s for lunch. Although we tend to dine more at the main dining rooms, O’Sheehan’s is always a favorite for pub food—and far less crowded than the buffet on embarkation day.
From that moment on fun flowed like the drinks in our Unlimited Beverage Package. We met many people who enriched our voyage (Jim, Toni, Jon, Donn, Phil, Tiffany, Amal, Artie, Leeanna, Alice, and Jamie were just a few). The service from the staff, especially the bartenders at the Pour House Waterfront and the dining rooms, was excellent. For 10 days and nights, we called the Breakaway our holiday home.
I worried that it would be too different from the norm and that would make my grief worse, but I traveled thousands of miles to find familiarity among thousands of strangers. Although I missed my family and friends, especially my life-long bestie and her (my adopted) mom/family, I was surrounded by holiday cheer and revelry. The Christmas Extravaganza show brought tears of happiness to my eyes as I listened to a gorgeous rendition of “Oh Holy Night.” Later that evening, we joined our voices with hundreds of others to sing carols in the atrium. (Truthfully, I just mouthed the words—it was my gift to those on the ship as anyone who has heard my singing voice can attest.) Surrounded by gingerbread houses,…
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