Pepper reporting live from the Dawn!

[WaldosPepper]

... I noticed the ice melted faster than the speed of light:D

 

That's just a result of the hot flashes :eek: :p :rolleyes:

[NormanW]

Is the drinking water onboard treated sea water? This may account for the swelling if it were. I noticed the ice melted faster than the speed of light:D

 

Shipboard water is better than your tap water.

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[piratesofthecaribbean]

It's not poundage that's being added to your waistline it's fluid from the salty food!! I'm wondering if you people in the posh suites were eating the same food as the rest of us. Check your ankles & your bloodpressure!!:rolleyes:

 

There may be many factors that contribute. There will always be foods that do have an excess salt content,more likely on the buffet I would guess. Usually one can control this problem by choosing foods that would have less salt and not overdoing. I was on this cruise and had the same problem. As my DD would call it "canckles". I stopped eating 6 slices of bacon with my omlet and by the third day of the cruise the swelling went down. I considered this part of the cruise experiance and in no way would I think it was the fault of NCL.

 

As for the Blue Lagoon it was not my cup of tea either. My kids loved it as did many people I talked to. I considered this restraunt a nice option. I myself like sushi. That is what is so great about freestyle.

[WaldosPepper]

Curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I've done a bit of googling on the subject of swollen feet and ankles.

 

I found the following at Mama'sHealth.com :

 

Slight swelling of the lower legs commonly occurs in warm summer months. Slight swelling is more likely to occur if a person has been standing or walking a lot.

 

I dunno about the rest of you, but we spent the first two days of that cruise walking up and down stairs, walking the ship one end to the other, and standing in various lines or at various locations just gawking. All the while we were drawing nearer to tropical temperatures.

 

Hmmmmmmm ..... :)

 

Pirates - that bacon was yummy! I admire your self-discipline! ;) You're a stronger woman than I am!

[RichNY]

The swelling happens to us every time we go away ..land or sea...probably too much eating,drinking,walking or standing...and not necessarily in that order.......Thats why we call it "vacation feet"...sooner or later it goes away...:D

[WaldosPepper]

The swelling happens to us every time we go away ..land or sea...probably too much eating,drinking,walking or standing...and not necessarily in that order.......Thats why we call it "vacation feet"...sooner or later it goes away...:D

 

:p :p :p "vacation feet" Heehee! I guess that means our Tiva sandals must be our "vacation feet shoes"! ;)

[NormanW]

This place comes in at number TWO for the strangest excuses you hear from folks to start complaining about something.

 

Number one? Try traffic court. :D

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[seacruiser25]

give me "vacation feet anytime"! From an observation, it seems that swollen ankles are becoming the norm on cruise ships ... as too the cellulite :)

[WaldosPepper]

Here are a few random thoughts, funny events and miscellaneous musings which relate to our time onboard.

:)

 

The Captain called the Bridge to change the Temperature! During our dinner with the Captain, the temperature inside Cagney’s became a bit chilly. The Captain asked if we were comfortable, and when a few of us indicated that it was indeed feeling cool, he whipped out his phone and called the bridge to have someone adjust the temperature immediately. Within seconds we heard the fans change speed, and the temperature warmed up, and stayed comfortable for the rest of our meal. As he hung up his phone, the Captain looked to the rest of us, smiled broadly, and exclaimed “It’s good to be the King!”

Mr. Bright Lights and Loud Noises! This is the name we came to use for our neighbor in the next stateroom. It seems he had an affection for bright lights, as from our balcony we were frequently blinded by the light emanating from his cabin, in addition to his balcony lamp. We also came to expect frequent loud scraping sounds, as he adjusted his balcony furniture to meet his needs. In addition to the awful screeching, we were treated to extraordinary belches, deep loud sighing, occasional outbursts of loud conversation as he spoke to his wife (from the balcony, while she was in the shower or otherwise occupied in the bath) and a host of other abrupt and unexpected high-volume noises. Blessedly he either went to bed early, or spent a lot of time in the casino, which allowed us to at least enjoy the late evening in peace and darkness on our balcony.

I love your wild hair – can I follow you around all day? This was said to me by a gentleman in his mid-seventies, as his wife and he were exiting an elevator on deck 7. A short time later I saw them again in the Ports-of-Call shops, and he asked if he could touch my hair. I, along with his adorable wife, burst into laughter. We enjoyed a few minutes of lively conversation, and great laughter before parting ways. He never did muster up the courage to touch my hair, but I think he might have snapped a photo while my attention was diverted.

What happened to the clock? Apparently the lovely acrylic clock on the shelf in our stateroom was not as rugged as one would think. One evening we returned from dinner and discovered the clock had gone missing. The next morning I asked one of the cabin stewards if they knew what had happened to our clock. “Oh yes, madam. It is out for repair” he explained. It turns out that I shouldn’t have used the clock as a stopper – I’d been stacking the Freestyle Dailies and other letters behind it, and by the eighth day the volume proved too much, and the clock slid off the shelf and the bottom broke off! Miraculously the clock reappeared later that evening, completely repaired and with very little evidence of it’s plunge off the shelf.

Wake Up! We’re dropping Anchor! After years of enduring my husband’s snoring, I’ve developed an ability to sleep through almost anything. That said, I had the shock of my life at 6:10 AM as the anchors were released, one at a time, in Samana Bay. I had read warnings from previous sailors who indicated they’d never needed a wake-up call on the ship, but nothing could have prepared me for the sound of an Anchor plummeting to the sea! Suffice it to say the ratcheting sound of the anchor chain vibrated through every surface of our stateroom at a volume loud enough to wake the dead. My first thought was “Holy cow, what IS that?” My second thought was “no need to call the rest of the family – they’re in the bow, and they’re surely awake now!”

Top ten reasons to book another cruise on NCL.

• The shower in my bathroom is a huge disappointment now.

• There’s no better way to wake up, than by the sounds of the sea and the birds.

• I hate making my own bed, and there’s no duvet at my house.

• Nobody delivers breakfast in this neighborhood.

• There are places on the ship that I haven’t explored yet!

• NCL makes the most amazing Date Nut Bread

• We haven’t been to the Western Caribbean yet

• My loofah mitt is getting worn out and needs replacement

• There is no whirlpool in the tub at my house.

And the number one reason to book another NCL cruise:

1. The upsell fairy might be very very good to me again!

Sandals are a bad idea in the rainforest. If you’re even remotely thinking about going anywhere on a tropical island, where there’s even the slightest chance of trekking through a rainforest, hard-soled sandals are the worst possible thing you could have on your feet. Especially if you’re going to be riding a horse, or climbing up and down slimy rocks.

Tortola has no drinking age! It’s true! A five year old could walk up to a bar in Tortola and order a Martini, and the bartender will cheerfully fulfill the request.

Caribbean islands have a lot of roosters! It’s pretty cool to sit on the balcony at dawn with a cup of coffee and the sounds of roosters crowing from all over the island.

Unfortunately the shade between the tub and the balcony does not go completely edge to edge! If you’re going to enjoy a nice relaxing whirlpool bath after dark, be sure the neighbors in the next cabin are at dinner, or in the casino! Either that, or bathe in total darkness – unless of course you are a voyeur.

Braids are cute, but they make your head hurt, and if your hair is curly they don’t look so good after a day or two!

[intrepid_guy]

Pepper,

 

I dont think I have said it yet, but thank you for all your great information and entertaining review!!

 

~Intrepid

[Seago2]

Pepper- I, too, have really enjoyed this thread. You HAVE to do a Western Caribbean cruise! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Cozumel is GORGEOUS, and Belize??? GREAT. It just seems far more exotic and... far away... than plain old Nassau, Grand Cayman, etc. I can't believe I am about to go on a cruise where one of my thrilling shore excursions is... meeting my great aunt and brother for lunch (Miami). Oh well- a cruise is a cruise is a cruise, and sailing out of NY is what I am really looking forward to, port-wise.

[Rumncoke]

Pepper,

I'm LOVING everything you're writing, especially your "Random Thoughts."

 

Do some more!

[WaldosPepper]

Intrepid Guy - thanks for the kind words! I also enjoyed reading your reports as well! :)

 

Carlalena - something tells me you're going to manage to make that stop in Miami exciting no matter what! :p

 

Rumncoke - it's amazing how many little memories keep surfacing as the days pass. As I add a few more to my file, I'll do another cut-n-paste and add them here. My only hope is that they're as entertaining to others as they are to me! :rolleyes:

[calmac]

Hi Pepper, thank you for taking the time and effort to post your daily blogs during your cruise.

 

We sail on the Dawn's Eastern Caribbean itinerary 3 weeks on Thursday and having just re-read your daily blogs and looked at your photos I'm even more excited than I was before (if that's possible). Now I know that I want to explore the islands that we visit and not just go to the beach or snorkel.

 

Thanks again.

[WaldosPepper]

calmac - I'm glad I'm able to help build the excitement and anticipation of your cruise! We obviously had the time of our lives, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Glad you enjoyed the photos too. :)

 

Have a fabulous time! I know you will. ;)

[angeljt]

Pepper,

I LOVE the cow coming down the road in Tortola, fantastic shot. Also another Tortola Vista is beautiful. Thanks for posting your pics. Makes me long for the Dawn again...

Jackie