Mommy and Daddy Sail on Navigator of the Seas 1-05-2013

[lemonade-sails]

 

One last night in the Main Dining Room

 

Our flowers

 

We both had the spinach dip for our starter. So good.

 

My husband had the NY Strip Steak

 

 

I had the Roasted Turkey

 

We added ice cream to our dessert - it was so good!

 

Then we headed to the Farewell Show at 7 pm

 

 

We enjoyed the show.

[lemonade-sails]

 

We stayed up to see the ship come into the mouth of the Mississippi River. The fog was very thick and it was chilly. There were so many oil platforms to look at. Several other people were on the helicopter pad that night.

 

We heard someone say "So this is the front of the ship!" I was so glad that we found our way up there on the first day.

 

 

The fog was just rolling over the bridge on the ship. It was quite eerie.

 

 

We took one last walk back to the cabin.

 

 

We ordered some room service. Finally got to try the Honey Stung Chicken. It was good.

 

Did some more packing and prepared to leave the ship in the morning. We were ready to get home to the kids!

 

 

We woke up to dense fog on the river. We hadn’t docked yet - I think the fog made us late but I’m not sure what time we actually arrived.

 

We finished packing and got our stuff together.

 

One last time out on the balcony to take some pictures.

 

It was very foggy.

 

 

 

This was a Carnival ship going right by us in the river to dock in front of the Navigator. I could barely see the ship as it went by.

 

 

We decided to carry off our luggage that morning as we didn’t want to have to wait in long lines and we didn’t want to have to search for our luggage in the terminal. This worked out well for us and we were off quickly.

 

Customs was quick and easy. There was just a short line. We were through in no time.

 

We made it out to the curb and didn’t make it onto the first shuttle for the Fulton garage. So we waited maybe 10-15 minutes for the second one. There were a couple of impatient people when it finally came back, but nothing too serious. We boarded the shuttle and arrived at the garage a few minutes later.

 

I mentioned at the beginning about remembering where you park. It never crossed my mind all week until we were standing at the parking garage elevator. Neither one of us could remember what floor we were on, but I knew where we were in relation to the elevator. We couldn’t fit in the elevator with the people before us so we waited for the next one. Silently I hoped that no one would come behind us so we could have the elevator to ourselves and not have to confess that we had no idea where we were going :o. My plan worked and we had the elevator to ourselves. :)

 

We started at the top - the 8th floor. The doors opened and I didn’t see the car. So, we tried the 7th floor. Nope, not there either. So, we tried the 6th floor. Bingo - the car was there.

 

Imagine our surprise when we saw the number on the space we had parked in.

 

If I had been paying any kind of attention on the day we arrived I would have noticed that we parked in the space with our cabin number! How strange!

 

Up next . . . final thoughts

[lemonade-sails]

Some final thoughts . . .

 

The Parking = Parking at Fulton was easy and cheap. It worked well for us. I would recommend them. No problems.

 

The Port = When we arrived it was crowded. Prime arrival time for most people. We meant to arrive earlier - like at 10 am but it didn’t happen. Even with the crowds it was pretty painless. If we ever go again I would try harder to get there earlier.

 

The Ship = OMWord Fabulous! Everything was clean and very nice. Yes, there was rust here and there - and there again at the anchor :), but it’s a ship. Rust could not ruin my vacation. The Navigator is beautiful!

 

The cabin = HELLO! Fabulously fabulous. So glad that we decided on the balcony. Views forever! We had no issues with the structure on the back of the ship. We had a tiny bit of soot just one day and I mean TINY. Hardly noticeable. The balcony was very private - occasionally there were crew members that could be seen on the crew deck below if we were standing at the railing. Clean and spacious enough for two. May be crowded with three. The room steward was also great and very pleasant and accommodating to us. Would book this stateroom again in a heartbeat.

 

The Crew = Everyone that we came into contact with was great. Always smiling and saying ‘hello’. I can’t remember one time where we were not satisfied with the service at all. Our waiter Ryan and his assistant Carmelo in MTD were great.

 

The Food = Also fantastic. Most everything that we tried was great. No complaints.

 

No Regrets = We got to try the things we wanted to try and didn’t bother with the other things. There are so many things going on that you are sure to find something to interest you. Or you can do nothing - it really is a vacation that can be tailored to most everyone.

 

Sanitize, Sanitize = We came aboard knowing that the Navigator had previously had Noro. We hadn’t heard anything in the immediate weeks before our trip but we wanted to be careful. We wiped down the cabin on the first day. We also used the Purell stations every time we passed one. We took the stairs a lot and tried not to use the railing. We also had hand wipes with us for use in the buffet for after you go through the line and touch the tongs that everyone touched before you. We stayed healthy all week.

 

Fitness = With the exception of one day, we didn’t make it to the gym at all. We did a boatload of walking and stair climbing. We used the elevator a total of 6 times the whole week. Every other time we took the stairs - sometimes two at a time ;) Also we were back and forth to the cabin a lot - and that hallway to the aft is long!

 

Next Time?? = There are a few things I would do different next time. I would try to get to the port earlier. I would make dinner reservations for the whole week so that we would be sure to have dinner in the dining room. There were two nights that we ended up at the buffet because we didn’t want to wait for a later seating time. Not complaining about the buffet for dinner - it was nice - but the MDR is special. We’re considering bringing the kids along next time. If that happens I may choose cabins that are more centrally located so that getting back and forth to them is easier and quicker.

 

 

And that concludes my review! Thanks for reading and all of the nice comments!

 

 

 

[The Sunset Glow]

Lemonade-sails, you did a fabulous job on this review. I've been following since you started. It takes a lot of time and effort to do something like this a with 7 kids at home....wow. We are a family of 4 and will be doing this same cruise on February 2nd. I was considering doing a review but I think you've covered everything! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cruise.

 

Thanks so much!

[Molly Doble]

HI

Well I don't know what I am going to read of a morning now :) Have loved your review and yes you definitely must take the kids, would love to read that review

 

Till next time

 

Thanks Tania

[cathep]

I, too, didn't want this to end! This was about the best I've read with perfect pictures. Thank you for taking the time to help those of us coming after you out!

[PapaBear22]

I will be taking my first cruise on the NOS 3/3 and cannot THANK YOU enough for a truly incredible review of your trip.

 

It will be hard for anyone to even come close to what you took the time to do. So many of my of my fears and questions have been addressed and answered.

 

THANK YOU again for taking the time to write such a detailed account. RCI should reward you for it.

[A856]

what was your room # I too am at the back of the boat...just trying to get an idea!

[slvrbllt]

Thank you so much, this was AWESOME! I hope to remember enough to do a review like yours when we get back from our 3/9 trip aboard the Navigator.

[gambee]

I enjoyed it until the end, thanks for sharing with us.

[sirk25]

Just wanted to echo what everyone else has been saying. I have been following this since the start and almost in a fanaticaly way, check multiple times a day for updates. Its sad to see it end. Can not wait until your next cruise and we get the second installment in your reviews.

 

You have done a fabulous job and it really is quite remarkable. I don't know what it takes to put something like this together. I have read a few other reviews and it seems there is a lot of time and effort put into this. ( I can not even be bothered with taking notes on the cruise, so you have me beat right from the start) THANK YOU

 

Even though I will be on a different ship in a short time, I have learned some things from you and will incorporate them in my travels. I followed this review to learn more about RCCL and the experience and you have done a great job capturing that and putting to word and in pictures. New crusiers like myself and seasoned veterens of the sea can learn from and appreiciate this review.

 

P.S. Although it would have been nice to see at least one picture of the "cruising couple", I respect your privacy and decsion to leave out the "selfie" pictures. Alot of people are all about taking and posting "selfie" pictures, (no offence to anyone) But your review was all about the cruise and adventures and you have done it justice.

 

Cheers

-Kris

[dplusd]

Just wanted to echo what everyone else has been saying. I have been following this since the start and almost in a fanaticaly way, check multiple times a day for updates. Its sad to see it end. Can not wait until your next cruise and we get the second installment in your reviews.

 

You have done a fabulous job and it really is quite remarkable. I don't know what it takes to put something like this together. I have read a few other reviews and it seems there is a lot of time and effort put into this. ( I can not even be bothered with taking notes on the cruise, so you have me beat right from the start) THANK YOU

 

Even though I will be on a different ship in a short time, I have learned some things from you and will incorporate them in my travels. I followed this review to learn more about RCCL and the experience and you have done a great job capturing that and putting to word and in pictures. New crusiers like myself and seasoned veterens of the sea can learn from and appreiciate this review.

 

P.S. Although it would have been nice to see at least one picture of the "cruising couple", I respect your privacy and decsion to leave out the "selfie" pictures. Alot of people are all about taking and posting "selfie" pictures, (no offence to anyone) But your review was all about the cruise and adventures and you have done it justice.

 

Cheers

-Kris

 

Ditto! Fabulous review and pictures...I followed your trip report from the beginning and enjoyed it very much. Thank you!

[motherchic]

I also enjoyed your review VERY much.

You have the ability to share your thoughts and comments and make me want to sit and have a cup of hot chocolate with you :)

We are leaving tomorrow for our cruise. Thank you for adding to our enjoyment

[wave rider]

Thank you again for the great review. We are sailing on NOS 3/16 and this has been a great way of getting in the mood as well as picking up valuable information. We sailed on NOS a few years ago in the Med but my sister is going with us and this will be her first time on NOS. Your review and pictures are wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

[BeancounterUSA]

Excellent job with the review and I'm so glad you had a great time. You will always remember this cruise. I can't imagine how to manage a family cruise with seven children, but it is a worthy dream. That said, I think mommy and daddy deserved some time alone on this one.

 

The only thing you left out was reuniting with your children. I would be interested in that story.

[Blessedwith10]

I just wanted to add my thanks. You did a great job with your review.

 

Your title is what grabbed my attention first - Mommy and Daddy sail on the NOS.

 

It so reminds me of our first cruise. Our first cruise was on the Grandeur and we also left our children home, all 10 of them. We had so much fun that the next time we cruised we took all of our children on the Navigator.

 

We are now looking forward to a 4 generation cruise this March on the Explorer. We will have 9 out of our 10 children, their spouses, our 1st grandchild and also my father:D

 

I hope that you are able to take your children along sometime.

 

Thanks again for your review. And I would vote for one picture of Mommy and Daddy:)

[lemonade-sails]

Lemonade-sails, you did a fabulous job on this review. I've been following since you started. It takes a lot of time and effort to do something like this a with 7 kids at home....wow. We are a family of 4 and will be doing this same cruise on February 2nd. I was considering doing a review but I think you've covered everything! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cruise.

 

Thanks so much!

 

:) We had a blast on the trip! Please, do a review if you can - so much fun to relive it and so many others like to read them. Have a great time!

 

HI

Well I don't know what I am going to read of a morning now :) Have loved your review and yes you definitely must take the kids, would love to read that review

 

Till next time

 

Thanks Tania

 

Tania, thanks for the kind words. We'd love to take them but it will be awhile before that's possible. That would be some review!

[lemonade-sails]

I, too, didn't want this to end! This was about the best I've read with perfect pictures. Thank you for taking the time to help those of us coming after you out!

 

Glad you enjoyed it! :)

 

I will be taking my first cruise on the NOS 3/3 and cannot THANK YOU enough for a truly incredible review of your trip.

 

It will be hard for anyone to even come close to what you took the time to do. So many of my of my fears and questions have been addressed and answered.

 

THANK YOU again for taking the time to write such a detailed account. RCI should reward you for it.

 

Glad that I could ease your fears!! Enjoy your trip! :)

[cruisegirl1]

I enjoyed your review. It is so refreshing to read a review from a new and enthusiastic cruiser. I hope you have an opportunity to sail with your entire family.

M

[msakmom]

Loved your review and I'm glad you both had a wonderful time. My DH and I have loved cruising. We love it so much, that just like you, we wanted to take our kids along so they could experience it. This March we finally get to take them on the Brilliance. It will be my DH and I, my two DD, my DS and DIL, and my 15-month grandson. We can't wait! Thanks for the review. I looked forward to reading it each day.

[lemonade-sails]

Thank you so much, this was AWESOME! I hope to remember enough to do a review like yours when we get back from our 3/9 trip aboard the Navigator.

I hope you do too! Have a great trip and enjoy yourself!!

[lemonade-sails]

I enjoyed it until the end, thanks for sharing with us.

 

Definitely appreciate your comments and help with the photos! Thanks!!

 

Just wanted to echo what everyone else has been saying. I have been following this since the start and almost in a fanaticaly way, check multiple times a day for updates. Its sad to see it end. Can not wait until your next cruise and we get the second installment in your reviews.

 

You have done a fabulous job and it really is quite remarkable. I don't know what it takes to put something like this together. I have read a few other reviews and it seems there is a lot of time and effort put into this. ( I can not even be bothered with taking notes on the cruise, so you have me beat right from the start) THANK YOU

 

Even though I will be on a different ship in a short time, I have learned some things from you and will incorporate them in my travels. I followed this review to learn more about RCCL and the experience and you have done a great job capturing that and putting to word and in pictures. New crusiers like myself and seasoned veterens of the sea can learn from and appreiciate this review.

 

P.S. Although it would have been nice to see at least one picture of the "cruising couple", I respect your privacy and decsion to leave out the "selfie" pictures. Alot of people are all about taking and posting "selfie" pictures, (no offence to anyone) But your review was all about the cruise and adventures and you have done it justice.

 

Cheers

-Kris

 

I really appreciate this, Kris! Thanks and have a safe, wonderful cruise!

[lemonade-sails]

Ditto! Fabulous review and pictures...I followed your trip report from the beginning and enjoyed it very much. Thank you!

 

You're so welcome! :)

 

I also enjoyed your review VERY much.

You have the ability to share your thoughts and comments and make me want to sit and have a cup of hot chocolate with you :)

We are leaving tomorrow for our cruise. Thank you for adding to our enjoyment

 

Ahh . . . hot chocolate. I miss hitting the Cafe in the morning, afternoon and evening for hot chocolate. :p Have some for me this week! Have a great trip!

[lemonade-sails]

Thank you again for the great review. We are sailing on NOS 3/16 and this has been a great way of getting in the mood as well as picking up valuable information. We sailed on NOS a few years ago in the Med but my sister is going with us and this will be her first time on NOS. Your review and pictures are wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

 

Hey - glad I could share some info that was useful to you! I hope you guys have the best time!! Wish I were going along!

 

Excellent job with the review and I'm so glad you had a great time. You will always remember this cruise. I can't imagine how to manage a family cruise with seven children, but it is a worthy dream. That said, I think mommy and daddy deserved some time alone on this one.

 

The only thing you left out was reuniting with your children. I would be interested in that story.

 

Thanks - yes I'm sure I will remember it forever. I've been looking at pictures and video since we returned and my husband said he'll have to take me on another one so I don't get bored with the pictures and video from this one :D. We did have a great time together but we definitely missed the kids.

 

We got off the ship early that morning and called them on the way home. We didn't let them know exactly when to expect us as we like surprising them. When we pulled up they all came running out to see us. One of our sons hugged his daddy's neck for quite awhile. They had a great week with their grandparents playing games and having their own adventures so, they were well taken care of. Grandpa even made blueberry pancakes and bacon one morning. I think they may have gotten a bit spoiled ;).

 

That same day we put up a slideshow of our pictures and then showed them the video we had made for them. They all loved the little things we brought back for them.

 

And then the next day things were back to normal :)

[Rocknsoul]

Hey, who was your Cruise Director? :)

 

Sorry for the late answer! His name was John Perry & we thought he was great. The entertainment staff as a whole were really good.