It's Day 3 (an Internet glitch prevented me from blogging yesterday) of our
non-traditional Thanksgiving aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Epic. I'd like to say that the highlight so far has been our stateroom (ingeniously cool), the food (belt-bustingly good) or the activities and attractions available to passengers (exceptionally diverse and high caliber).
But for me, so far, it was bumping into a girl named Daiquiri. Literally.
My oldest daughter and I were headed to the ultra-modern Pulse fitness center in an effort not to become another cruise line statistic (the typical passenger on a seven-day cruise gains between 7 and 14 pounds), when we hit a roadblock of pre-teen children getting ready to paint the ship red. It was slow maneuvering, and I was doing my best not to run over a kid. That's when a little girl bumped into me, prompting her mother to say: “Watch out, Daiquiri, you need to scooch aside so the people can get through ...”
Daiquiri. I heard it quite clearly, and I have to admit that I broke out into a grin as soon as it registered in my brain. That may be the coolest name ever. I mean, doesn't that name just come with all sorts of party/fun/happy connotations?!
If anything encapsulates the good-time spirit of life on the Epic, it's that there's a girl named Daiquiri running around on board.
(True, I don't know the exact spelling of this little girl's name. But it was close enough to Daiquiri for me.)
* * *
Here's a sentence I thought I'd never utter: We went bowling on the high seas.
Epic has a three-lane bowling alley on board, next to O'Sheehan's Pub. You get shoes, a good selection of balls and three flat-screen TVs tuned to ESPN. A cold drink is never far away, a there's a pool table and air hockey table right around the corner.
There's so much to do on this ship, you could easily emerge after seven days without ever stepping out into the sunshine.
* * *
The staterooms on Epic are truly amazing – a stunning feat of engineering. Somehow, the designers managed to create a comfortable, welcoming haven with enough room for all your luggage and clothes in less than 300 square feet. And there's actually room left over for three people to sleep.
The staterooms depart from the traditional rectangular shape in favor of a curvy, wave design. It may sound odd, but it definitely works. It feels less like a cookie-cutter hotel room, and more like a trendy, hip Manhattan apartment. Aesthetically and functionally, it's hard to imagine a better designed personal oasis of calm.
And doesn't hurt that the gentle rocking motion of the ship will lull you to sleep in a way that you haven't experienced since you were a baby.
* * *
Another reason to love Epic? I watched the Raiders-Steelers
NFL game on the ship's giant, wall-sized TV in the Atrium lounge. It's like being in my living room – except there are about a dozen cocktail waitresses walking around, and I don't get to hold the remote in my hand. But it's all good.
I wonder what my kids are doing … climbing the rock wall? Testing their mettle on the rappelling wall? Playing on the bungee trampoline? Grabbing a slice of pizza from the buffet?
Enjoying the good life on Epic, I'm sure.