laurieal

And now, for a cookie update. I think I have found the bakery people have been talking about. It’s right where we enter and it says “Bakery”, so I’m pretty confident that’s the place. I was feeling a bit silly that I had missed it with the whole Bakery sign. But when I returned at lunchtime to look for warm cookies, the Bakery sign was gone! It was now a beverage counter! So I’m not very confident, but I will look again a bit later in the afternoon.

Day 9 - continued I had some time to kill before my 20:00 appointment at NextCruise and watching people riding the bumper cars had made me a bit peckish, so I decided to see what Sorrento’s has to offer. I went for the Caribbean Dream because I’ve never had pineapple on a pizza before and I thought a “free” slice would be the perfect way to try it. So, did I settle the debate? Does pineapple belong on pizza? I don’t know, maybe it doesn’t belong on that particular pizza, because I wasn’t a fan. But I’ve had cantaloupe on a pizza and absolutely loved it so I don’t feel any credibility in telling people what they can or can’t have on their pizzas. I realized there was a comedy show with Richie Minervini starting in five minutes in the Royal Theatre and I rushed to see that. It was fine, not really my style but I had some good chuckles. Then, it was time for my NextCruise appointment. Originally, I had been hoping to book an Icon crossing to Florida, but with that not happening anymore I had no idea what to book. While waiting for my appointment, I spotted four crossings that looked interesting, but one of them didn’t exist anymore and the others didn’t have any accessible staterooms left. I could do Symphony, but I just did a similar itinerary on a similar ship this spring, so I wasn’t too enthusiastic about that. So I left the NextCruise desk with a hold on the last Radiance Alaska cruise of 2023, which some of my friends had booked while we were on the Wonder. My plan was to check with them to make 100% sure I was booking the right thing and then go back and confirm the next morning. There was a virtual concert in Two70 that I could hear from NextCruise, so I went to check that out when I was done with my appointment. While I was there, the wheels in my head were already turning: how could I expand that Alaska sailing to make it at least a two weeks vacation? Stay tuned to find out! (I’m not good with spoilers. I booked the Alaska sailing + the Pacific Coastal sailing that follows)

Day 9 - continued Speaking of the Seaplex, it looked like they were setting up bumper cars, so I went inside to check it out. On the way, I had a look at the arcade. Bumper cars looked like loads of fun. There weren’t many people there, so those who wanted to could stay on and ride over and over again.

Day 9 - continued Then, I went up to Deck 15 to get some pictures of Halifax. From up there, I could see they were removing the flag from the aft of the Norwegian Pearl, so I decided to hang out there and watch it sail away. It didn’t so much sail away as disappear into the fog like it was the Black Pearl or something. While I was on Deck 15 aft, I decided to take a closer look at the facilities. This is where you’ll find the Flowrider and iFly, but if you can’t do stairs those are only accessible by platforms that you can’t operate on your own. If my parents had been there, I would have asked an attendant to get me up there in order to see my step dad do the Flowrider and iFly. However, with no one I know to watch, I won’t bother. It would have been nice to be able to get up there on my own, like in Two70 or the Seaplex.

Day 9 - continued The tour cost me $50 CAD for an hour and I’m very happy I did it. Once the tour was done, it was only a slow 15 minutes walk back to the ship. I found a candy store on the way, so of course I had to stop and get some weird snacks. The ones that look like dog treats aren’t from Canada, but the Cheezies are and I’m not sure we have them at home. The last time I remember eating them they were from my Trick or Treat haul when I was growing up in Ontario, so…it’s been a while. I ended up having a lovely day in Halifax and despite the fog I think we were very lucky with the weather. It didn’t rain, it was warm enough for a Canadian to walk around in short sleeves and everything looked slightly spooky. Win! Once back on the ship, I decided to go for some bar food at the Brass & Bock Pub. I had a Cherry Orchard to drink, which I didn’t fancy as I found the taste to be a bit too close to the cough syrup my parents used to give me when I was a kid. To eat, I ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese Wedges and the German Soft Pretzel Sticks. The Pretzel sticks were the same bread from Chops and if I had known in advance I probably would have ordered something else. It’s very good bread, but I had had some the day before at Chops and I would have liked to try something new. The Wedges could have done with more lobster, but they were really good and the sauce served with them was delicious and just the right amount of spicy. They would make a great snack to share.

Day 9 - continued We ended up leaving a bit later than expected, but once we got on the way it was clear I had picked a really fun tour. The guide was informative and hilarious, which is my favourite combo for a tour guide. We saw some of Halifax I wouldn’t have been able to see on foot and what I saw made me eager to return one day and see more. We almost couldn’t get into the water because of the fog, but it had lifted just enough to allow us to do it. I ended up seeing what I had already seen during my morning walk, but from the water and with some added information. Also, there were a bunch of seagulls floating around us, and I absolutely love seagulls. And pigeons. And ducks. Moving on, because I could be here a while.

Day 9 - continued On my way back, I stopped at a place that had several food booths. Around half of them were closed (not sure if they only open on weekends or if they’re closed for the winter), but there was still some variety. I grabbed a Beaver Tail because exercise, even a slow walk on an even terrain, should be rewarded. The spot with all the food booths is very close to the meeting point for the Harbour Hopper, so when it was time to check-in I was only a couple of minutes away. Also, there were accessible public restrooms in the area, so really it was an ideal place for a short break. I think there is only one of the Hoppers that’s accessible and once it arrived it took a while for them to get it ready as they have to remove a couple of benches for a wheelchair to fit in. Then, they brought a lift similar to what they use to get me on trains when the platform is too low. It was pretty easy to get me up into the Hopper and secured.

Day 9 - continued More from the Halifax Harbourwalk

Day 9 - continued More from the Halifax Harbourwalk

Day 9 - continued My plan for the day was to stroll along the Halifax Harbourwalk, which I had heard was lovely. Then, I had booked the Harbour Hopper for early afternoon. Here are some pictures from my morning stroll.

Day 9 Hello from the indoor pool! It was a very foggy day in Halifax and as I went up to the Solarium, I could hear they were sounding the horn regularly. I couldn’t resist going up to Deck 15 to see what it looked like from outside. It was almost spooky not being able to see anything. We could have been close to Halifax or still in the middle of the ocean and it wouldn’t have made a difference to me. Even Gigi seemed confused and she’s seen a lot. Hoping we wouldn’t end up on the news as that cruise ship who hit something because of the fog, I returned to the Solarium and assembled my breakfast. I’m glad I tried the beef thing, I liked it a lot. It reminded me of a local dish we have called tourtière. If I hadn’t felt the vibration as we were docking, I would have been surprised to hear the captains announcement saying we could go ashore. We didn’t look closer to land than when I had woken up, but I took the captain’s word for it. I made a quick detour to my stateroom to check what was happening on my virtual balcony. It was a bit of a mess because of some water on the camera, but it was funny to see another ship so close to us. I would soon learn it was the Norwegian Pearl.

Day 9 Compass

That’s interesting! I have an aft view on my virtual balcony and assumed everyone would have the same.

As far as I know, no.

Day 8 - continued Dinner that night was at Chops. From my table, I could look into the Chef’s Table room from afar and see Edwin presenting the different wines to the guests. I sighed a sigh of envy as I drank my Pink Grapefruit Sparkle. I had a good meal at Chops, although the service was just fine. For my appetizer, I asked if they could make a smaller portion of the Spicy Jumbo Shrimp, which they did. Then, I had the Wild Mushroom Soup, which I always love. That thing warms me to my very soul, it’s magical. Then, I had the Petite Filet with Peppercorn Sauce, Truffled French Fries and some Mac & Cheese. I could have done without the Mac & Cheese, which I found a bit bland, but the rest was very good. There was no way I was going to be able to eat dessert, so I took my Key Lime Meringue Pie to go. Despite it being quite early, I was exhausted, so I headed straight to my stateroom. In the elevator, someone asked me if my name was laurieal. See? I told you I couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized because of my incredibly famous reviews!

At one point, I had to go back to my stateroom and I saw something in there I bad never seen before… a ship! In the afternoon, I went to the Perry Grant matinée, as did many people. The theatre wasn’t full, but it was a lot busier than the Name that Tune Live show from the day before. His style of humour really tickles me, so I enjoyed the show a lot. After the show, I rushed to Name that 90s Tune, which is the only decade they’re doing on the ship that I can hope to do relatively well at. I teamed up with another girl who was also a youth in the 90s and I think we did quite well. After Name that Tune, I was meeting my parents’ cruising friend who had been asking about me in the Diamond Lounge. We had been leaving each other messages during the day and had agreed to meet at Vintages before dinner for some Cosmos. On the way, I recorded my heartbeat in the big art piece.

Day 8 - continued After breakfast, I wanted to enjoy the sunshine outside, but it was a bit cold and windy even for me. Instead, I found a spot close to the indoor pool. I asked for a Lava Flow and we did the dance. « Alcohol, ma’am? » he asked. « Hmm, I don’t know, what time is it? Oh fine, if you insist I’ll have it with alcohol. » Flawless. My peach Lava Flow looked and tasted nothing like the one from the day before, but it was an enjoyable drink in the heat of the indoor pool area. I was there for a while, finishing my book and playing my video game I like the accessibility of the indoor pool area. There is a lot of room between the loungers and the pool, so one has plenty of space to access and use the pool lift without having to ask a whole row of loungers to move, which is usually the case at the outdoor pool. If I were to use a pool on this sailing, it would definitely be this one.

Day 8 Hello from the pub, whose name I can never remember. Is it the Buck & Bassoon? The menu doesn’t say and I don’t want to go all the way outside to check. It’s the English pub. I was up earlier than usual and the Diamond Lounge was empty when I got there, except for the person manning the desk who came up to me and asked if my name was Laurie. Another fan of my very famous reviews, I thought. Can’t go anywhere without getting recognized. Turned out she wanted to tell me that a Pinnacle man had been asking about me. Excellent, I thought, already planning my wedding to this mysterious Pinnacle in order to inherit his status. I halted all wedding preparations when she told me his name. He was a cruising friend of my parents looking to meet up for a drink. I gave her my stateroom number and left without a future husband, but with a cappuccino. I went up to the Solarium which was still dark as the sun was still rising. I stuck with my old favourites for breakfast, but I felt adventurous and I went for a pastry. Also, I hadn’t had chocolate milk in ages, so I grabbed one.

Day 8 Compass

I like the virtual balcony and I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again. I would still book an ocean view window before a virtual balcony if the price difference wasn’t too big, but I like what the virtual balcony does to the stateroom (to me, it feels more open than a regular inside). I also like keeping the curtains open during the night so when I wake up I can tell at a glance if I can go back to sleep or if I should consider getting up. So yeah…I would never say it’s as good as an actual balcony, but I don’t think it’s advertised as such. I will say it’s definitely better than staring at a wall in an inside stateroom.

Splitting the reviews have an advantage j has t thought of: if there’s an error while I’m posting or if I accidentally hit the back button and my draft isn’t saved (I’m ashamed at how often that happens), then I only have a small section to re-do. The seas have definitely calmed down for the last three days. While I wasn’t suffering with sea sickness, I’m glad that showering is back to being a normal activity instead of an extreme sport. It’s been nice enough that people are using the outdoor pool and the loungers, as long as they’re in the sun. A lot of people on this cruise are from the UK, so I’m not surprised to see people using the outdoor facilities. I haven’t heard anything about a system in the East Coast, but if anyone has feel free to chime in! Thanks for all the Spanish vocabulary! I should have guessed Fresa, it’s also the same as in French. Wishing you a nice flight tomorrow and a lovely time on Wonder. I’ll keep an eye out for your review.

I saw they had books, but I would rather have something I can take home with me in case I have not finished when the cruise ends.

Thank you! It looks right up my alley and I see you have an orange cat in your profile picture, so I trust your judgment 100% 😉

I’m afraid I’m almost done reading the last book I had downloaded for this trip. Of course, I could re-read the Harry Potter or Song of Ice and Fire series in order to do better at trivia next time, but if anyone has any books recommendations I’d be happy to check them out and buy them digitally. I prefer fiction and tend to enjoy a good mystery while on vacation. Bonus points of you know any good books that take place on a cruise ship.

Day 7 - continued It was still lovely outside, albeit a bit cold, and people were watching Morpheus while wrapped up in blankets. I ordered a chocolate martini from the Sky Bar and for a while I watched Matt Smith do his Matt Smith thing on the big screen. When I had emptied my drink, I took a stroll around Deck 14, which looks lovely at night. Then, I returned to my stateroom for some very intense partying. What do you mean collapsing in bed and watching the Royal Caribbean story on the TV is not partying?