A B757 CAPT RPTED CONFUSION WITH ZMA WHILE TRYING TO REMAIN CLR OF WX ON A FLT TO ATL.

Narrative

SCHEDULED FLT FORM KRSW TO KATZ (SW FLORIDA INT'L TO ATL; GA). NORMAL DEP OFF RWY 6 WITH A CLRNC OF DIRECT LAL; SZW; LGC; LGC RWY 8 ARR. DEP GAVE US DIRECT LAL AND SWITCHED US TO ZMA. ZMA CLRED US TO FLT LEVEL 230. BOTH VISUALLY; AND ON RADAR; SHOWED A LOT OF WX BTWN US AND LAL; EXTENDING TO THE E A LONG WAY. WE COULD SEE CLR SKY OFF TO THE W TOWARD PIE. WE REQUESTED DIRECT PIT THEN DIRECT SZW(SEMINOLE) FLT PLAN RTE. ZMA SAID FLY 330 DEGS AND HE SEE WHAT HE COULD WORK OUT. WHILE ON THIS HDG; WHICH WAS WORKING FINE FOR WX AVOIDANCE; MIAMI ASKED IF WE COULD GO E BECAUSE OF HOLDING OVER PIT. I ASKED IF WE COULD STAY AT A LOWER ALT. RESPONSE WAS; OK; AND MAINTAIN FL180. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS; ZMA ASKED WHEN WE COULD TURN BACK TO LAL? ALSO; HE NEEDED TO CLB US 'SINCE WE WERE GOING THE WAY HE DIDN'T WANT US TO GO!' WE WERE CLRED AND CLBED TO FL230. COUPLE MINS LATER; NOW; IFR; LAL LOOKED FAIR FOR ABOUT 40 MILS SO WE STARTED TO TURN WHILE INFORMING ZMA. THEY RESPONDED WITH CLRED DIRECT SZW. REFLECTING ON THIS EXCHANGE LATER; WE FELT; BY ASKING FOR A LOWER ALT; WE COULD STAY ON 330 DEGS. PERHAPS ZMA FELT WE WOULD TURN TO LAL WITH A LOWER ALT. STAYING TOWARD LAL WAS NOT REALLY A VIABLE OPTION; SINCE AN ACR FLT WAS ASKING NOT TO HOLD THERE BECAUSE OF WX. WE WERE NOT SURE IF THIS COULD LEAD TO A VIOLATION FROM ZMA OR JUST LEFT AS A MISUNDERSTANDING.