Miami - Cruise Capital of the WorldToday was a beautiful day in Miami – 68 degrees, bright blue skies, and a gentle breeze from the south.

This is the type of weather which reminds me why I live in Miami.

My family decided at the spur of the moment to drive over to South Beach.

All afternoon long, jet – after – jet flew over Miami Beach filled with passengers ready to head from the airport over to the port to board a cruise ship or take a taxi to the beach to unwind and party for the week.

We had a nice lunch at the Lord Balfour hotel, on the front patio, between 4th and 5th street.  My boys then headed over to the beach, mentioning something about looking for the topless beach.  Mommy said no way.  I said take my camera.  We reached a compromise and headed to “SouthPoint.”

“SouthPoint,” where South Beach ends, has a nicely developed board walk where tourists can watch the cruise ships sail up Government Cut and head south to the Caribbean.  Thousands of passengers, tiny specs on the top decks, waive to the tourists ashore who waive back.  You can hear the music pumping from the ships and you know everyone aboard is excited to be beginning their much deserved vacation cruises.

Today, four cruise ships sailed by.  Carnival’s Destiny and Liberty, NCL’s Norwegian Pearl, and Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas headed out to sea from the port of Miami.  I took a photo of the Liberty and caught my older son running along the jetty after the cruise ship passed by.

Miami is a beautiful and exciting place to live.  More cruise passengers sail out of Miami on a weekend than live in my hometown back in Arkansas.

We had a nice afternoon.

I hope I don’t hear from any of the passengers Monday morning when I return to work.

Miami - Cruise Capital of the World

 

Credits:

Photographs         Jim Walker