Winter Break 2011: Bahamas

Assalamualaikum

Lepas beberapa hari sampai rumah, setel laundry, kemas barang-barang last quarter dan bersedia untuk quarter baru yang akan bermula 3 Januari ni, barulah terasa bersemangat untuk update pasal trip Florida hari tu.

Okay mari bermula dengan first week.

As I mentioned in the previous post, we went to almost the whole Florida, from north to south (although we missed some attractions). Florida is known as the sunshine state, and it is really blessed with a lot of sunshine. As the temperature mostly above 20 degrees, winter in Florida is just warm and windy. Tepi pantai dia janganlah cakap. But overall, Florida and Bahamas are beyond awesome. They are beautiful and people there called me "Honey" :D

Our very first destination was Bahamas. And yes, it was my first time being on a cruise. :)

This is our ship. Time ni kami atas boat nak balik atas ship lepas seharian berjemur di private island Norwegian Cruise. Ramai yang tanya, macam mana naik cruise ni sebenarnya? I had the same question too on my first day. Basically what we did was something like this. Around 5.00 pm kapal akan boarding and pukul 7.00 am camtu sampai pulau. Bila sampai dekat pulau, it depends nak turun or stay on kapal. Begitulah selama 4 malam.

First stop! Grand Bahama Island. Time ni still pening-pening tak biasa tidur atas cruise. 

Second day, Nassau. Ada massage therapy betul-betul tepi pantai. So cool. Bahamas ni ada banyak pantai, boleh pilih nak public ke private. Kalau private kena bayarlah.  

Nassau (sebut "Nasso") adalah capital city Bahamas. Basically, Bahamas is still developing but the country itself is very nice. The natives speak English fluently and know how to treat tourists. Since Nassau is the capital city, dia agak maju compare to Freeport and ada banyak gerai, kedai, even Starbucks and Hard Rock Cafe. I wonder how much money the country earn from tourism.

Last destination is Stirrup Cay Island, the private island owned by Norwegian Cruise itself. Perhaps my favorite one. Air dia cantik, biru, bersih, and not that crowded, so dekat sini tewas dengan godaan air laut, lalu terjun bermandi manda di gigi air.

Basically, here are some tips to go to Bahamas/cruise

• Sila google dan print out segala information tentang Bahamas and what you really looking for there. Sebab atas cruise tu nak bayar internet sangatlah mahal and Bahamas is outside US so kena roaming data which is fairly expensive.
• Make sure you bring semua identification documents. Passport, I-20, debit card etc. Secure everything in a safe and easy-to- reach place.
• Prepare cash yang secukupnya sebelum naik cruise bagi mengelakkan cas outside bank. Bahamas ada matawang dia sendiri, but they accept US Dollar everywhere so it won't be a problem. Cash pun cuma untuk transportation ke pulau je. Kalau nak shopping atas cruise, you can link all your expenses directly to your credit or debit card so it is not really an issue.
• Make use of everything you have on your cruise! Pergi setiap activity yang ada, guna setiap facilities, and snap a lot of pictures haha. You've paid a lot so you deserve everything that is considered 'free on board'
• Bawa compass qiblat and make sure check everytime before nak solat sebab kapal bergerak kan. Jadi kena make sure kita menghadap arah qiblat yang betul.
• Bawa satu botol penuh sunblock ye jangan lupa. You don't want to get that kind of free souvenir from Bahamas.
• Enjoy your cruise and trip! Sometimes weather kurang nice, hujan or ombak mengganas, but be positive and look at the brighter side. Observe and think about everything you see. Compare and analyze the culture, lifestyle etc. It is fun and meaningful.

Overall, being on a cruise is an awesome experience. Give it a try and you'll have a memorable experience!