Star Review March 27th -April 3rd

[FraudBroad]

Background and Getting There

This is a review of our sailing on the Star 3/27-4/3. The ship left Tampa and visited the ports of Roatan, Belize City, Costa Maya and Cozumel. Traveling is myself (widowed, age 50, mom to two amazing teenage girls) my BFF and said two amazing teenaged daughters (ages 17 & 18). My sweet parents (ages 77 & 75) would also be traveling with us.

 

We booked several months ago through Casinos at Sea (CAS). My cabin was comped (outside obstructed) and I received a 20% discount on the second cabin (also outside obstructed). My parents as well booked through CAS and received a 10% discount on their cabin (outside obstructed). Approximately 4 weeks prior to our sail date I called the much publicized upsell number and we upgraded all three cabins to category SJ Family suites. The price of the upsell per cabin was $600. This was, in my mind, a NO BRAINER!!!! I decided to keep to myself the fact that we’d upgraded and not tell my BFF or my kids. I couldn’t wait to see their faces when they saw the suites for the first time!

 

BFF, kids and I flew into Tampa on Saturday 3/26 from Chicago. Our flight was slightly delayed but we made it to the hotel by 2:00. My parents were there waiting as they’d driven up from Ft. Myers that day to join us. We had two rooms booked at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, Westshore. They had a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel which we took full advantage of. The hotel is only three months old and is in a great location. We were right across the street from the International Mall and on the shuttle ride from the airport found that the shuttle was pretty much at our disposal. After checking in and dropping off our bags we took the shuttle to the mall for lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory.

 

After lunch we walked the mall for a bit then the kids were ready for some pool time. We called the shuttle and it was there to pick us up within 5 minutes. The kids headed straight to the room to change into their suits to swim and my mom and I headed out to pick up a few last minutes things we’d forgotten. It was early to bed for all of us as we’d been up since 4:30 in the morning!

 

Cruise Day 1

We were up by 7:00 and my BFF and I took our time getting ready then headed down to breakfast while the teenagers slept in. The hotel offered a full breakfast buffet with both hot and cold items. We all found something we liked so nobody left hungry! We got the teens up at 8:30 so they’d have time to get ready and get something to eat before we left for the port at 10:30.

 

Found out the day before that the shuttle to the port was FREE…the teens, BFF and I took the shuttle to the port and my parents drove their car. They’d pre reserved parking across the street from the port. They left a few minutes before we left in the shuttle and we all arrived at about the same time.

 

It was a very quick line through security and we were ready to head to check in. I was nervous that my BFF and the kid would figure out we were in a suite so I was being very discrete when looking for the check in area. We were directed to the “Priority” line (I told the man we were in a suite and he directed us to the line for Platinum Latitudes members) and then told we needed to go to the CAS line (I again told the person we were in a suite, nobody seemed to be listening). We were in line for almost 10 minutes when I saw a woman with a clip board and knew I needed HER!!! I knew she had the list of suites and would direct us to the correct line. Sure enough, we were on her list and she told us we were indeed in the wrong line (Duh….). I was getting a bit frustrated at this point….being in a suite means check in is supposed to be a BREEZE…not “change lines three times and stand around and wait while we get it together….” Finally we were escorted to the correct line and only waited a few minutes before being called up to check in. This is where my kids got the idea that we were in a suite. With all of the line hopping I had to repeat several times what cabin we were in. As we’d previously sailed the Star the teens KNEW that almost all of deck 12 is suites. My oldest asked if we were in a suite and I ignored her question and turned my attention to the person checking us in. My parents had problems with the check in process as the attendant’s computer was giving him fits. BFF, teens and I were escorted to the VIP area while my parents completed their check in process. Ahhhhh…the VIP lounge…what an amazing concept….water, juices and pastries awaited. With the whole mix up in lines and being switched around, they’d already started boarding the ship by the time we got there. The concierge, Roel, came and introduced himself and gave us all our key cards. Then our butler, Efran, came and introduced himself. With that both teens exclaimed “WE ARE IN A SUITE!!!!!!!” It wasn’t even a question anymore…they knew!

 

We waited almost ten minutes for my parents to finishing checking in (they ended up being moved to another person to complete the check in process) and we were quickly escorted onto the ship. Instead of heading right to Cagney’s for lunch, we made a detour to the Bier Garten for morning mimosas to start our trip off of the right foot!

After a couple of cocktails we headed into Cagney’s for a wonderful lunch. While we were eating they made the announcement that the cabins were ready. As soon as we were done we headed straight there. The kids and BFF couldn’t believe how big the suite was…they were so excited when Efran (our butler) came in and showed them how to use the coffee makes, DVD player and gave them his card so they could call him at any time. They promptly ordered a movie for the night and we all familiarized ourselves with our homes for the next 7 days. BFF and I realized that the hair drying in the cabin was broken and we asked our cabin steward to take care of it. He said he’d get it replaced right away.

 

BFF and I headed down to guest services to be able to get extra key cards for the cabins (teens in one cabin, BFF & I next door) and also so that I could get the paperwork done to allow my 18 year old to drink beer and wine on the ship. We waited over 30 minutes in line and we were able to get the cards, but no luck on the drinking form…turns out I needed both of our passports. I did sign us all up for the platinum ship’s tour and we were on our way…..my first lesson of the cruise was learned. If I needed anything I was going to call Roel, our Concierge. I wasn’t waiting in line again! I also realized while waiting in line that even though I’d ordered the birthday package for my parent’s room, it hadn’t been decorated. I asked about that at the deck and they told me I’d arranged it for the next day….I’m pretty darn sure that I didn’t screw up the date but it is what it is….the cabin would be decorated the next day.

 

BFF and I headed to the spa as we’d pre-booked the Thermal Suite. We took a not so informative tour (the girl providing the tour either didn’t listen and didn’t answer our questions or when she did hear the question didn’t know the answer). We then went to the deck to schedule some treatments for the week. As they had the 10-20-30 special we wanted to take advantage. With the special, if you book all of the treatments at the same time you get 10% off of the first, 20% off of the second and 30% off of the third. The lady also told us that they were having a special if we booked the seaweed massage for that day we could (in addition to the 10% off) get an additional 25 minutes free. Count us in! The only probable was there wasn’t a time slot available as we already had dinner reservations. No worries she said, she could schedule it for the next morning and we’d still get the 25 extra minutes and the 10% off. We were excited! We booked the seaweed massage for 8:00 the next morning and each scheduled two additional treatments for the week!

 

It was time for muster so off to the Stardust Theater we headed for our quick and painless muster drill. Afterwards, we went back to the cabin where we found our luggage had already arrived and we promptly unpacked! Before we knew it it was approaching the time for the spa raffle so BFF and I headed back to see if we could get luck….lucky we did as BFF won a $50 gift certificate!!! We went back to the front desk to see if it could be applied to the treatments she’d already scheduled and our first problem occurred. We were told that since BFF was already taking advantage of the 10-20-30 promo she couldn’t use the gift certificate for any of those treatments. And since we’d pre booked the thermal suite she couldn’t use it for that either….they’d given us a hand out when we left the raffle for a promotional massage for the week so BFF thought she’d use it towards that…nope, no dice they said…since that was a promotion she couldn’t use the $50 off certificate….are you kidding me???? We’d booked how much and were spending how much and they couldn’t give her the $50 off. Put a very sour taste in my mouth for SURE!!!!

 

We headed back to the cabin as we’d arranged an in suite dinner that night for everyone so that we could celebrate my Dad’s birthday. I’d already asked the butler to see what he could do about getting the birthday cake for my dad for dinner that night and he didn’t disappoint! We ordered our meals from the main dining room menu and Efran took care of getting the birthday cake for my dad. They diner that night was hit or miss. My youngest and I each ordered the steak, and neither was very good. My dad ordered the lamb and he said it was okay, not great. BFF and oldest daughter had the cannelloni and it was good and my mom’s ham was by far the best meal. The cake that Eran brought was off the charts delicious and we all enjoyed it!

After dinner BFF and oldest teen headed to work out while my mom and I headed to the casino. We weren’t there an hour and my sweet mamma hit it big. She hit a $1500 jackpot on a Quick Hits machine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my sweet mamma quite that happy! It was for sure a highlight of our trip!

 

BFF texted me when she and my daughter were done working out. She’d gone back to the cabin to shower and found that the hair dryer hadn’t been replaced. She found the cabin steward in the hall and reminded him. He told her he’d get a new one right away. After waiting 15 minutes she finally just took a shower and went to the kid’s cabin to dry her hair. A new hair dryer never did show up that night!

 

I met up with the BFF later and we went to check on the teens to see how they were doing….we couldn’t believe what we found….they were lying in bed, watching a movie with big plates of French fries drinking a bottle of champagne. We laughed SO hard at the sight of the two of them. We also took the rest of the champagne and headed to our room. It had been a long day, we both needed a night cap and then it was off to bed!

 

To be continued!

[Clarea]

Excellent start, looking forward to more.:)

[marathonrunner123]

Great start. I can't wait to read more.

[gl339]

This is extremely helpful for my April 10th cruise coming up!!

[pieshops]

we were in Tampa this week looking at colleges for our daughter and just happened across the Star in port, So excited because next time we see her will be in Hong Kong next December for our Asia Cruise

[Love my butler]

We have been through the Tampa port many times as a suite/vip and they ALWAYS screw it up. Every single time. Those people generally work there every week and don't seem to learn. I am now very direct and very stern with them and they quickly realize where we belong.

[kandpsmom]

Enjoying the review so far. Glad to know what to expect at the Tampa port this week. Will definitely make it clear we are in a suite and hopefully wo't Havel change lines 3 times.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your report.

[Moobaby214]

Great start! We board the Star on the 17th and it cannot get here fast enough!

 

We also booked that Fairfield and I am quite happy to hear about the shuttle services! How was the hotel itself? Comfy room and amenities?

[Keith1010]

Enjoying your report.

 

Keith

[FraudBroad]

Excellent start, looking forward to more.:)

 

Great start. I can't wait to read more.

 

Thanks for following along!

[FraudBroad]

This is extremely helpful for my April 10th cruise coming up!!

 

Hope you have a great trip! We truly had an amazing time!

 

 

we were in Tampa this week looking at colleges for our daughter and just happened across the Star in port, So excited because next time we see her will be in Hong Kong next December for our Asia Cruise

 

Wow! So envious! I'm sure that will be an absolutely amazing trip!

[FraudBroad]

We have been through the Tampa port many times as a suite/vip and they ALWAYS screw it up. Every single time. Those people generally work there every week and don't seem to learn. I am now very direct and very stern with them and they quickly realize where we belong.

 

That's just INSANE! I was SO not happy with the entire check in process....they need to get their stuff together! I don't even recall seeing a sign for suite check-in. I just don't get it!

 

Enjoying the review so far. Glad to know what to expect at the Tampa port this week. Will definitely make it clear we are in a suite and hopefully wo't Havel change lines 3 times.

 

Make it VERY clear!!! Once in the right line it was very quick! Hope you have a great trip!

[FraudBroad]

Thanks for your report.

 

Thanks for following along!

 

Great start! We board the Star on the 17th and it cannot get here fast enough!

 

You will have an amazing trip! This was my fifth time on the Star...I just love her! The crew on the Star is all super. I'm sure everything will be wonderful!

 

We also booked that Fairfield and I am quite happy to hear about the shuttle services! How was the hotel itself? Comfy room and amenities?

 

Hotel was wonderful....everything is brand spanking new! The rooms were very comfortable...they have a coffee maker, fridge, ironing board and an iron. We didn't need to ask for anything. The pool is outdoors and a bit small but the kids still had a good time. Breakfast on Sunday morning was also great. And the fact that the shuttle is FREE is FABULOUS! The mall is super close with a LOT of different restaurants both at the mall and in the surrounding area. After we'd eaten lunch my mom and I went out and picked up some wine, hit up DSW for some new flip flops and picked up a few items at CVS. All were close by the hotel. You'll be very happy with your choice!

Edited April 5, 2016 by FraudBroad

[FraudBroad]

Cruise Day 2

Note, we moved our clocks back one hour last night so we got a much needed extra hour of sleep!

 

BFF and I were up early as we had our 8:00 appointments for seaweed massages. I headed out to wait by the pool while she was finishing up getting ready. Roel, the concierge stopped by to say hello and I told him about the hair dryer. He said he’d make sure it would get taken care of right away. He also said to let him know next time I needed anything from guest services so that he could escort me there and I wouldn’t have to wait. I wish NCL had a line for suites passengers and Platinum Latitudes like Princess does…sure makes life a lot easier. While waiting for my BFF I checked my onboard account and saw that the spa had already charged me for the three treatments before I’d even completed one. And let me tell you, the sticker shock left me sitting there with my jaw hanging open. Yes, I knew fully well what they price of each service was prior to booking it…but I didn’t know how much the total would be once they added the 18% gratuity.

 

Needless to say I wasn’t very happy. I’d already discussed the night before with my BFF that I’d decided to cancel my Thermal Suite reservation…it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Quite honestly, I found the Thermal Suite on the Star to be underwhelming at best. When we arrived at the spa I told the lady that I wanted to cancel the Thermal Suite and she said “no problem”. Hmmmmm….wish I could say that’s how it turned out. More on that later.

 

BFF and I both enjoyed our massages but I really was regretting scheduling all of them. The sticker shock had gotten the best of me. My oldest is starting college in the fall and I just couldn’t justify the expense. When I finished my massage I stopped by the desk and let them know that I just couldn’t afford the remaining treatments. The lady was super nice and explained that I would be charged the full price for the massage I’d just received. Not a problem, I totally expected that. I explained that we’d been told that we’d get the extra 25 minutes for booking the first day and she understood. I then went on my merry way, not knowing that that would not be the end of it…by any means!

 

After going back to the cabin, showering and getting ready (btw...new hair dryer had arrived...score one for Roel!!!) I headed to the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. We only had about 15 people sign up so I knew the meeting was going to be small. As usual, NCL had a nice set up in La Cucina…pastries, coffee, juice and water. We only ended up having 8 people, including myself, show up for the Meet & Greet. Manny, the Hotel Director came as well as Mark, the Cruise Director. We ended up just all sitting around a round table and talking for almost 45 minutes. I did take the opportunity to ask Manny about all of the changes taking place at NCL this past year. His personal feeling was that the industry as a whole was under a lot of changes, not just NCL. Manny recently joined NCL from another cruise line and said that particular line had made as many, if not more changes as NCL over the past year.

 

After the Meet & Greet my mother and I headed to the casino while the BFF and kiddos headed for some much needed sun on deck.

 

We all met up later at O’Sheehans for a late lunch. BFF and I split the Ruben and it was super good….and I have recollection of what anyone else ordered!

After lunch I was super tired so I headed to the cabin for a nap. BFF and kids went and worked out. It was dress up or not night that night so we all needed time to get “dolled up” before dinner that evening.

 

Dinner was at Moderno. Important note, I made all of my specialty dinning reservations prior to sailing. We’d received 4 nights of dinning free with our reservation, plus we had two platinum certificates for free meals and another meal credit from CAS. Dinner that night was okay, not great. The majority of the meal was excellent, but the service was certainly lacking and not what I’d come to expect from a specialty restaurant aboard an NCL ship. They did, however; go above and beyond when I made a special request to get my dad some super rare lamb chops. They took care of it right away and according to my dad they were excellent!

 

After dinner we had a little more time for the casino before we headed to Spinnaker for the “Newlywed not so Newlywed” game show. And low and behold, my parents were the longest married couple (51 years). The teens were so excited, I, on the other hand, had a lot of trepidation about what my kids were about to learn about Grammy and Poppy….this could get a little dicey!

 

I have to take a moment to talk about Mark, the Cruise Director. He’s brand new to NCL, having just come over from Celebrity. And can I just say he is excellent…by far one of the best cruise directors we’ve ever sailed with!

 

Back to the game show…while some of the questions made me a bit uncomfortable, at no time did I need to kick my kids out of Spinnaker. It was a GREAT time and we all laughed a LOT!!! A few more cocktails that evening and we called it a night!

 

To be continued…

Edited April 5, 2016 by FraudBroad

[FraudBroad]

Cruise Day 3

I forgot to mention that the evening of day 2 I’d received a message from the Spa. I called back and didn’t get an answer so I left a message. I never received another call back.

 

The first thing I did this morning was check my onboard account only to find I hadn’t be credited for anything…not the additional two treatments I’d received and not the Thermal Suite. I called the Spa and asked to speak with the manager. First thing she said was that NONE of the additional treatments had been canceled….and I’ve got to say I wasn’t surprised. She then told me that she’d have to look into it and call me back. If only that had been the end….more to come….

 

I was up early and BFF and I met my parents in Moderno for breakfast. Can I just say that in my opinion, breakfast in Moderno each morning is the BEST suite perk out there! I love my breakfast in Moderno every day!!!! I had the Belgium waffle, BFF an egg white omelet with scallops and lobster and my Dad had the filet and eggs. Sweet mamma just ate her morning muesli from the buffet. Muesli makes my sweet mamma happy!

 

After breakfast we headed to trivia in Gatsby’s, deck 6 midship. Today’s trivia was a letdown to me, as all of the questions were true/false. Lame in my book. We participated, and we won! We put all of the signatures on one ticket as the BFF wanted to win something to bring home to her son!

We just kind of wandered for a bit after trivia until it was time to disembark the ship. We arrived in Roatan a bit before 11:00 and met Roel, the concierge, in La Cucina so that he could get us past the immense lines. From deck 7 you could see the line that wound all of the way down to deck 4 where the gangway was located. Was once again thrilled with the suite benefits!

 

I had made reservations prior to leaving with Beachers. They would have a representative there to pick us up and take us to the beach. Our escort, James, was right there when we left the port area and we quickly walked to his van for the 20 minute ride to West Bay. On my prior three visit to Roatan I’d always made reservations at Bananarama. The location is excellent, as are the food and drink. But when my sweet mamma and I were there in December it was blazing hot and super humid and they don’t have beach umbrellas. Beachers does so they won this round. I was anxious to see if I like it as much as I’d always like Bananarama. Let me tell you….it didn’t disappoint!

 

We paid $45 per person and this included our round trip transportation, a welcome drink and a chair and umbrella. Beachers is located on the same beach as Bananarama so I knew what to expect as far as the view. What was unexpected was the outstanding level of service we received. Dave was our waiter for the day and let me tell you, we didn’t wait or want for anything. Dave was always available, right there on the spot to bring us anything we wanted. Pure heaven!

 

After we arrived and got settled into our loungers on the beach my oldest wanted to try paddle boarding. I asked Dave if there was anyone on the beach who rented them and he said he knew a lady down the beach and he’d go see how much they were. He returned within 10 minutes and said it was $30 for 1.5 hours. Sold! Dave then walked back down the beach to get the paddle board for the spoiled teenager. Said teenager got right up on the first try and spent the next hour paddling along the surf. She had a great time.

We spent time in the loungers and in the water relaxing. BFF and youngest also spent a bit of time on the paddleboard. Once done we were all starving and placed our orders with Dave. We ordered the “Beachers” platter with fried fish (sea bass), calamari, shrimp, conch fritters and fries. We shared it amongst the six of us and it was almost enough food. BUT…oldest teen eats enough for a starving third world country so she and the BFF also shared a chicken sandwich…also quite good! We sat upstairs from the beach in the restaurant part to eat.

 

We spent another hour or so on the beach but the combination of sun and alcohol got the best of us and we decided we needed to clean up and head back to the ship. Quite honestly, we were all exhausted!!! After getting cleaned up we asked for the bill and Dave announced we owed $151. We were a bit shocked at the amount, not thinking we’d had that much to drink! Mind you, this was in ADDITION to the $45 we owed! Dave never actually showed us the bill, and I think it was the amount we had to drink that we were too embarrassed to ask to see it…I just paid with my credit card and the BFF left Dave a more than ample tip for his excellent service for the day.

As a side note, I emailed Beachers the next day and told them my concern. My BFF had gone through in our heads everything we’d ordered that day and it just didn’t add up to $150. Beachers emailed me the receipt right away and I was able to identify the discrepancies and they credited my card. All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend Beachers to anyone who’s looking for a relaxing day in Roatan. The service was some of the best we received anywhere on this cruise!

 

After getting back on board we all cleaned up and BFF and I spent some time on deck enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. We’d thought about trying to make it to Motown Trivia but were just too tired! We had dinner reservations that evening at La Cucina even though none of us were really that hungry! I did try once again to call the spa manager and was told she wasn’t available.

 

Dinner in La Cucina was wonderful. Much better service than we’d had the night before in Moderno and everyone was very happy with their meals. I had the Ossobuco which was superb. Sweet mamma went with a salad and soup and she wasn’t hungry. Both teens had chicken parmesan while BFF and dear Dad both went with a shrimp dish. We ordered a variety of different desserts with a lot of forks and each tried a bite of everything. All in all it was a great meal with good food and excellent service!

 

After dinner we headed to the show “Marrambola.” This was the show with the aerialists and they were amazing! Their 8 year old son even has a small role in the show and we all really enjoyed it. By the time the show was over BFF and I could hardly keep our eyes open! It was time for bed!

 

To be continued….

[Moobaby214]

Hotel was wonderful....everything is brand spanking new! The rooms were very comfortable...they have a coffee maker, fridge, ironing board and an iron. We didn't need to ask for anything. The pool is outdoors and a bit small but the kids still had a good time. Breakfast on Sunday morning was also great. And the fact that the shuttle is FREE is FABULOUS! The mall is super close with a LOT of different restaurants both at the mall and in the surrounding area. After we'd eaten lunch my mom and I went out and picked up some wine, hit up DSW for some new flip flops and picked up a few items at CVS. All were close by the hotel. You'll be very happy with your choice!

 

Sounds fantastic! Ten days till we are at the hotel and eleven for the ship. Still loving your review and keep up the great work :)

[FraudBroad]

Sounds fantastic! Ten days till we are at the hotel and eleven for the ship. Still loving your review and keep up the great work :)

 

Thanks so much!!! I just keep plugging along!

[marathonrunner123]

You mentioned having that delicious breakfast in Moderno. I thought Cagney's was used for breakfast and lunch for suite guests.

[FraudBroad]

You mentioned having that delicious breakfast in Moderno. I thought Cagney's was used for breakfast and lunch for suite guests.

 

Moderno is correct. It used to be Cagney's but since the dry dock last year it's now in Moderno. They do have lunch the first day in Cagney's but the remainder of the week is Moderno.

 

On the Star they've moved Moderno in to the space across from Cagney's that used to be the Star Bar. On deck 8, where they used to have the Blue Lagoon and Moderno is now all O'Sheehans.

 

Thanks for following along!

[FraudBroad]

Cruise Day 4

I started the day off by once again checking my onboard account and…well, I probably shouldn’t have even looked. While the two original appointments had been credited, I was now charged FULL price for the one massage I did receive (with the 18% gratuity it was over $300). If you remember, I was supposed to receive 25 minutes free….that didn’t happen. We were originally told that we’d get 25 minutes free plus 10% off for booking the 10-20-30 special. Now I was getting really frustrated so I called the spa again. This time I spoke with the assistant manager who was evidentially the one that BFF and I spoke with on day one and again on day two when I cancelled the Thermal Suite (it was a different employee whom I spoke with when I wanted to cancel the other two treatments).

 

To say the woman was rude would be an understatement. She told me that she’d left me “NUMEROUS” messages. When I told her I’d only received one message and that I’d promptly called back and left HER a message she stated that her voicemail wasn’t working and that wasn’t her fault…geez….this isn’t going well…From the get go the woman was VERY defensive. She told me that when I arrived on Monday morning for my treatment and told her that I’d wanted to cancel the Thermal Suite that she’d instructed me that I’d need to talk to her again after my treatment…me….”Ummmm….no…you didn’t.” She continued to be extremely belligerent and rude. I explained to her that no, she’d never asked me to come back and speak with her, if she had, I would have. She said that they couldn’t cancel the Thermal Suite without sending an email to corporate as it had been booked online beforehand. They’d either choose to credit my onboard account or credit my credit card on which I’d originally made the charge. I told her I didn’t care. I just wanted EVERYTHING cancelled and refunded. Then we got into it over the one massage. She stated that I was to be charged the FULL amount for the 100 minute treatment. I explained that wasn’t what she’d told us the first day. I didn’t expect 10% off, but I sure as heck expected to be charged for 75 minutes vs. 100 minutes. She was continually nasty and I finally hung up on her…not one of my finest moments, I know…but I was bound and determine that this was NOT going to ruin MY vacation!!!! I was going to have a good day despite her rude and nasty behavior! I made a mental note to call the manager later and get the whole thing straightened out.

 

We arrived early to Belize, before our scheduled time of 8:00. I believe the first tender left around 7:50. The whole tendering process seemed to go quickly that day, much better than two weeks prior. We heard some horror stories from various crew members of what had happened previously. There weren’t enough tenders that day and they were severely delayed getting people into Belize. We were super lucky and didn’t have any issue. Dad and the teens headed over on one of the first tenders as they had reservations with “Major Tom” to go zip lining.

 

Sweet mamma and I met for breakfast while BFF worked out. Afterwards, we all met up to get the tender over to Belize. Our plans were just to walk around the port for a bit and head back over to the ship for lunch.

We met the concierge who escorted us to the tender. The ride over is about 15-20 minutes and was totally uneventful (ummm…best kind of tender trip).

 

We spent our time browsing the various shops looking for small trinkets and souvenirs to bring back home. The only bummer was that the Harley Davidson store didn’t have any t-shirts in the BFF’s husband’s size! We picked up a few things and headed back to the ship. I think we were only there about an hour and a half.

 

Once back on board we headed to Moderno for lunch. This time I tried the halibut, delicious, but I have no idea what sweet mamma and BFF tried. After lunch BFF and I had a bit of time together by the pool before she headed to the spa for her massage and I headed to the cabin for a much needed nap!

 

At 6:00 BFF, my parents and I met in Spinnaker for “Cruise Destination” trivia. What I didn’t realize when I’d seen it listed was that it wasn’t run by the cruise director’s staff but by the future cruise consultant, Dallas. While it was a trivia game, it was really a way to market all of the destinations NCL cruised. We ended up winning a beautiful blue topaz necklace that I gave to my BFF. She was just thrilled!

 

Dinner that night was at my favorite, Cagney’s. The dinner was perfect! BFF, oldest teen and dear Dad went with the lobster while the rest of us ordered filets. Everyone’s dinner was excellent! The service was superb and we decided that we’d be returning to Cagney’s again on Friday night!

 

While BFF and eldest daughter headed to the gym, sweet mamma and I headed to the casino for our nightly donation. Sadly neither of us was a big winner for the night!

 

The show tonight was the hypnotist and neither my BFF nor I were interested. My Dad did go with my youngest and they raved about it! Said he was wonderful…he was going to have another late night show later in the cruise so we were going to try and see him then!

 

Tonight was one of my favorite evenings as it was “Dance like a Norwegian.” I don’t ever want to participate but I sure as heck like to watch! And this night didn’t disappoint! The people dancing and the judges were all hysterically funny. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

 

To be continued….

[marathonrunner123]

Do you recall what was on the menu for your first lunch at Cagney's?

[Visigoth]

I have attached a pdf file of a recent Cagney's Lunch Menu. Hope it helps.

Cheers

Visigoth

Cagney Lunch Menu.PDF

[marathonrunner123]

Wonderful. Thank you very much

[Meredithe]

I am excited to hear about your stateroom :) We have 12508 leaving on Sunday! Just me and my littles will be heading out.. the 11 year old does not know, but as a very seasoned cruiser, he will figure it out when he sees the check in line too ;)