JAWalsh

Day 2: Embarkation Day

 

We woke up around 9 am in Hotel Denit after a somewhat restless night ( the bed came equipped with only a sheet and no duvet!). Breakfast was served on the lower ground floor and consisted of a small selection of croissants and pastries, a number of cooked items and a few whole fruits. While we had originally planned to spend a half day exploring Barcelona prior to boarding, we had now changed our minds and decided to get a taxi to the port at 12 pm. After a quick pitstop to pull and bear on Placa de Catalunya (Gary had forgotten to bring his sunglasses!) we checked out of our hotel and flagged down a taxi. The journey to the port took 10 minutes and cost 15.50 euros. Taxis in central barcelona were numerous and we had no problem getting one!

 

On arrival to the port we made our way to terminal A as we had done the previous year. Having forgotten to attach our pre-printed luggage tag to our large suitcase, I began to rummage through my handbag when a staff member came and provided us with a generic tag onto which she scrolled our cabin number. After hearing horror stories of missing luggage I found myself anxious that the tag would be misread and we would be left with no clothes, however my fears were soon forgotten as we were ushered inside the terminal!

 

 

Once inside we were surprised at how small the queues were! Security took less than 2 minutes and we were surprised to find that there was nobody in the check-in queue! Although our boarding passes advised that boarding would not start until 12pm, it was apparent that this process was well underway. After checking in and having a quick embarkation photo taken, we proceeded towards the escalator that would bring us aboard.

 

Embarkation was done in typical NCL style with music playing, balloons lining the entrance and crew members warmly welcoming all embarking guests. Although our largest suitcase had been left in the terminal for delivery to our room, we had two large carry-ons and therefore decided that before all else we would drop them off in our room. We had booked an inside guarantee cabin and had been allocated cabin 11034- A forward cabin on deck 11. On arrival to our room we immediately noted some of the changes associated with the new ''Premium all-inclusive'' fare for European guests. On the counter top sat 15 bottles of still water and 1 bottle of sparkling water. We were also pleased to find a bottle of sparkling wine- a perk given to all guests returning to NCL on their second or subsequent trip! After leaving our bags we made our way up to the garden cafe on deck 15- a place we would end up spending a lot of time in!

 

As far as buffets go it doesn't get any better than the Garden Cafe! The selection of foods in phenomenal- there's pizza and pasta station where you can have your customized lunch made in front of you. Daily staples include a ginormous salad bar, burgers, chips, ht dogs and chili con carne. There are pre-made sandwiches and wraps with fillings alternated daily. Indian and Chinese meals are available with a multitude of European and American dishes! After stuffing ourselves to the point of bursting, we once again returned to our room in the hope that our bag would have arrived and we could change into our swimsuits! Alas...no such luck! The next few hours were spent up and down to the waves pool-bar where we got familiar with the range of available cocktails!

 

 

By 19:30 pm we were eager to start preparing for dinner however this was proving difficult with no evening wear, all of which had all been packed away in our large suitcase. At this point I once again asked my room steward who directed us towards guest services on deck 5. On arrival to guest services we were led into a room packed with undelivered cases. My anxiety levels began to rise as our suitcase was nowhere to be seen. Visions of myself dining in pyjamas began to creep into my head however these were cut short when a crew member appeared with a large trolley on which my suitcase was sat. Attached to the front of the case was a large sticker which read '' extension cable''- I immediately realised that this was referring to the only electrical item I had brought-my hair straightener. I was advised by a crew-member that new regulations meant that straighteners were prohibited on board and that I would be handing over my GHD and succumbing to a week of frizz!

 

That evening we dined in the Manhattan Room- the more formal of the two dining rooms (While the menus are the same in both, the luxurious decor and live band meant the Manhattan room was the obvious choice for us). I ordered steak and chips with pepper sauce and Gary had the pork loin. The pepper sauce was delicious however the steak was a little tough (my own fault as I ordered it well-done!). For dessert we ordered Warm Chocolate Lava cake which was possibly the tastiest dessert I've ever had- I proceeded to get it on 5 out of 7 nights! The evening was finished off making good use of the ultimate beverage package and losing a modest 17 dollars in the casino (though that was set to go downhill throughout the week!)

 

Why cant hair straighteners be brought on board??

Thank you for the feedback!! I will be sailing this itinerary on the Epic in September with my Mother :) Curious to know the pick up and drop off point in the city for the 'Rome on your own' bus NCL offers. Did any of your friends happen to take this option? I have called NCL about 5 times about it, and I receive a different answer everytime. LOL