Experience Europe the 'Freestyle' Way!

Video is courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Be sure to book your next cruisetacular adventure to Europe with Norwegian Cruise Line! This summer Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Sun, and my personal favorite, Norwegian Epic will be taking vacation-goers around to see Europe's finest! These three innovative vessels bring a refreshing approach to cruising and have earned a number of awards and accolades since their respective debuts. Here's one great benefit to sailing Europe with NCL: if you book Norwegian Epic, you can garner as much as $300.00 in on-board spending money (limited time offer)! Now that's a deal for sure!

Having sailed two of these ships (Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sun), you're bound to have nothing but a cruisetastic time! If you're traveling alone, no worries, Norwegian Epic will welcome you with open arms into one of her state-of-the-art studio staterooms! You want to bring your kids, you say? Well Norwegian Epic will be having a special Nickelodeon 'All-Access' sailing on July 24, 2011 departing from Barcelona, Spain! The whole family is bound to have a cruiserific getaway indeed!

These ships are some of the best in the industry, and are sure to be true crowd pleasers with you and your loved ones! So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, book your cabins, and immerse yourself with the breath-taking treasures of the eastern hemisphere today! Your ship awaits, bon voyage!

Cruise Ship Wars: Epic vs. Allure

Which ship would you rather sail? Are you #TeamNCL or #TeamRCI? Share your reasons below or on Facebook! Your ship awaits, bon voyage!

Pet Peeves on the High Seas

"Explorer of the Seas is way better than this ship [Norwegian Epic]!"
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kratz/3843523668/ 

What bugs you most in your home? Does your spouse always happen to know how to make you scream at the times that are most inconvenient? Believe me, I have a host of things that make me cringe, and complaining/people who complain take the number one spot! Cruising is a luxury, and something not everyone on this planet will get to experience. When people travel thousands of miles to board a floating utopia, you would think smiles would be plastered on their faces… right? Wrong! I may be “Mr. Nice Guy” here, but why must people complain about the cruise ship, her staff, and the overall experiences (It’s seems I run into more and more people who have craptacular vacations instead of cruisetacular experiences while sailing the seven seas).

When people begin comparing cruise lines in the “this ship will never measure-up manner” I really get annoyed. I am well aware that we all have our favorite cruise lines (You all know NCL is my #1 freestyle hang-out), but if you try another cruise line, walk on board with an open mind… please! When I cruised Norwegian Epic last year, I ran into a man on the deck that was a huge Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line fan. I have nothing against RCI, they aren’t my #1, but I did enjoy the cruise I took with them back in 2007. He would not shut-up about how much Norwegian Epic sucked (putting it nicely), and it was nowhere near the caliber of his favorite ship, Explorer of the Seas. I could only take about 10 minutes of his rant before I turned to him and said, “Sir, I am well aware we are both standing on a 1.2 billion dollar vessel. If you’re going to try something new, you could at least have an open mind!” I then walked away, and realized how irksome some cruisers can be. 

Have you cruised with an annoying person, or group of people? Share your story below. If I catch you complaining on the high seas I will report you, haha! Your ship awaits, Bon Voyage!

Why pick the name, Cruise Man 3000?

Cruise Man 3000 up close with Norwegian Epic in St. Maarten.
Photo Credit: Louise Ford



Hey cruise fans--

Many of you have been asking me a question that seems to be of great interest; so I thought I'd take this time to answer it on my blog. Since June 2010, I begin going by Cruise Man 3000; and since, many of you want to know how I came up with that name, so here is the story:

I wanted to pick a name that was unique and different. I already knew names like "The Cruise Guy," "Cruising Advisor," and "Cruising Expert" were already taken, so I began to think deeper and ponder. Then it hit me, I was going to be "Cruise Man 2010!" But wait, 2010 was already half over, and I knew I would have to pick another name soon. I went back to the drawing board and thought of the "Cruise Man 3000."

I later gave meaning to the number 3000. The "3" stands for the Holy Trinity, and each "0" represents an entity of the Holy Trinity. One for the Father [God], one for the Son [Jesus Christ], and one for the Holy Spirit. Without those three I would not be able to do what I do. So, that's the story behind the name... I hope you like it!

Miami is for the...



Carnival Liberty (left) and Carnival Destiny (right) are just two ships that call Miami home.
Photo Credit: Cruise Man 3000

 Miami is for the people who enjoy multitudes of people, throngs of people, and did I mention massive crowds? Miami is known as cruise capital of the world, but it is such a hassle to sail from this cruising epicenter. Many ships can dock at the Port of Miami at once, which can pose to be a problem.

When you have high profile ships like Norwegian Epic, Celebrity Eclipse, and Liberty of the Seas that can carry over 2,000 passengers easily, and place that number of people in one central location, mayhem is bound to happen.

My advice? Avoid Miami all together (unless you have to sail Norwegian Epic). You can do many of the similar cruise itineraries offered from the Port of Miami, from neighboring Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale), Florida which is only 45 minutes north of Miami.

I am aware that the world’s largest cruise ships, Oasis and Allure of the Seas, call Port Everglades home; but they have their own separate dock (I could only imagine trying to board a vessel with a 5,000 passenger capacity... that’s another blog post). The ease of boarding your ship in Ft. Lauderdale is a walk in the park compared to Miami.

So, when picking your next Florida cruise port of embarkation, go with Ft. Lauderdale (unless you have to sail Norwegian Epic). Also, look into the Ports of Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, and Tampa, Florida. They have cruise traffic that is nowhere near the volume that Ft. Lauderdale or Miami have.When cruising, be smart, be safe, and be hassle free. I hope your next cruise vacation will begin from a port of ease! Your ship awaits, bon voyage!

The Ocean Escape 2010 Award Winners

Norwegian Epic was voted as Cruise Ship of the Year for 2010.
Photo Credit: Cruise Man 3000



Since The Ocean Escape Blog was created, in June 2010, there have been two monthly cruise award winners. Every month there is a new cruise line and cruise ship of the month. What's the purpose of these awards? Check out my previous blog post, Why Have a Cruise Line and Cruise Ship of the Month? We have 7 new cruise ships coming out in 2011, check back throughout the year to see if any of them win awards with The Ocean Escape!

Here's a recap of 2010's Cruisetacular award winners...
Month                Cruise Ship                         Cruise Line
July 2010:       Caribbean Princess          Norwegian Cruise Line
Aug. 2010:     Norwegian Epic                Disney Cruise Line
Sept. 2010:    Navigator of the Seas       Princess Cruises
Oct. 2010:     MSC Poesia                      Celebrity Cruises
Nov. 2010:    m/s Oosterdam                  Cunard Line
Dec. 2010:    Celebrity Solstice               Holland America Line

Enjoying St. Maarten w/ Cruise Man 3000

Why the cruise awards?

Norwegian Epic (The first cruise ship award winner)
Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line

Many of you may wonder why I post a cruise line and cruise ship of the month award winner every month. Well, I started giving these honors in July 2010, and I do it for solely one purpose: exposure. Many cruisers, like my close friends, cruise one cruise line or a particular ship and will not try another cruise line.

There are many great cruise lines and ships that have a plethora of things to offer for your enjoyment. When you just stick with what you know, you are limiting yourself and not allowing yourself to fully enjoy other great cruises within the industry, in a way.

So I highlight two award winners (cruise ship and cruise line of the month) every month, in order to give you some more options when trying to plan your next cruise vacation. Originally, I was a 'Carnivalholic' and would only cruise with Carnival Cruise Line. Hard to believe since I am now a 'Freestyle Fanatic' glued to  Norwegian Cruise Line. What cruise line will convert you, or which line will you now love more? Keep tabs on these award winners, and see what interesting things they have to offer that can help make your next cruisetacular adventure all the more enjoyable!

I just don't give awards to anyone, they are earned for a reason. Get ready to set sail on one of today's innovative ocean going vessels! If you don't like it, at least you tried it, right?  Your ship awaits, 'Bon Voyage!'

Bowling on the Norwegian Epic

Spice H20, The Adult Only Zone on the Norwegian Epic

My Top 10 Moments on the Norwegian Epic!



Norwegian Epic's hull up close in St. Maarten
Photo Credit: Nahshon "Cruise Man 3000" Ford

 #1 Meeting cool people, gaining a little weight, getting a tad darker, and truly realxing the "Freestyle Way!"

#2 Meeting Silas Cook (Epic's Cruise Director). We had great convos the entire week! A great person, cool guy, and awesome addition to the Norwegian Epic!

#3 Seeing the #BlueManGroup live and getting to meet them afterwards! Awesome show, twinkies, jello, toliet paper, and all!

#4 Seeing 2nd City perform live in #HeadlinersComedyClub! They've got "Whose Line..." beat by miles!

#5 Meeting the Captn and having him sign my newly purchased cruise ship model! What a treat!

#6 Catching up with some cool Nick characters at #SlimeTimeLive by the pool (Dora Waved at me)!

#7 Eating Green Tea Ice Cream and Blueberry Crepes in the Garden Cafe' while leaving St. Thomas

#8 Climbing the rock wall and going down the rapelling wall while sailing into #Nassau!

#9 Finding awesome Buffalo Wings in the casino! What a treat!

#10 Having @NCLFreestyle hold the transfer bus for me because my flight was delayed! #WorldClassService

I also enjoyed going into the 17 degree Ice Bar! That was really "cool!"

Getting Around On The Norwegian Epic

Mega Cruise Ship, Mega Crowds.

Look What The Carnival Destiny Started

Welcome To the Norwegian Epic!

The Norwegian Epic Ice Bar

The Norwegian Epic's Sports Complex

Taste Dining Room, The Norwegian Epic

The Norwegian Epic, A Voyage With Cruise Man 3000

Welcome to Nassau!