A Small Ship Girl On The Pearl (Bermuda May 5th 2023 Sailing)

[mawvkysc]

Lotus Garden for dinner. The food was good enough but portions were small. My favorite dessert of the week was here.  Red Bean Triangles. If you like Baklava I think you would like this. 
 

We didn’t feel like seeing the second Alex Yost show. He was a good vocalist but most of the entertainment around the ship was singing. So we weren’t real motivated for more singing. Of all the singers on board I would say Seaside Duo was my favorite. One thing we noticed was that the mics were fine for singing but seemed muffled when they talked between songs. A couple of times they had a horns duo.  They seemed nervous but at least it was something different. The lounge music just wasn’t a strong point. Both the atrium and the wine bar area had odd seating. Lined up in rows perpendicular to the stage. 

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

I can’t remember if this came on the last Bermuda day or last sea day. 

[mawvkysc]

Day 6

Sea Day 

very windy and cold

 

Slept in and had breakfast in MDR. 
Summer Pace is very pretty, but does anyone else get sad seeing all of those Russian children of the czar and their fate?

 

Lunch was in MDR too.  Had the pho and was disappointed  

[www3traveler]

10 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

Day 6

Sea Day 

very windy and cold

 

Slept in and had breakfast in MDR. 
Summer Pace is very pretty, but does anyone else get sad seeing all of those Russian children of the czar and their fate?

 

Lunch was in MDR too.  Had the pho and was disappointed  

I have not been in Summer Palace in a long time.  Yes, it is very sad what happened to the Czar and his family.  I think about now with everything that is going on in that region now.

[mawvkysc]

This was our least favorite day. The weather couldn’t be helped but the ship just isn’t great when everyone has to be indoors. Spinnaker bar was supposed to be open according to the daily but the venue was pretty much used all afternoon for different private parties. So the atrium and

Wine bar  area were packed, loud with people, drinks being shaken and activities going on. The trivia had to be held in the wine bar area. People were sitting all up the stairs. We couldn’t stand it. The crew member at Spinnaker guarding the door suggested Bliss. It was like a dark dungeon. No bar, bowling not open. I’m sure the library was full. It’s a pretty popular spot but I didn’t check.  The bartender at the mojito bar let us sit there even though it wasn’t open and the Haven lunch was going on. We had to leave when a mojito tasting started at 3:00. Wish I  would’ve thought of hanging out in Garden Cafe. Live and learn pointers for next time. 
 

Why not do the private parties in Bliss? Or do the Prima presentation or trivia in the theatre?
 

Another cruiser we met on the last day said she found that sea day brutal and will not cruise again in off season weather. 
 

Pretty sure we went to the room and watched a movie. Watching tv in bed in a comfy bed with a rocking wave motion was pretty relaxing though 

Edited May 16, 2023 by mawvkysc

[jimsig]

18 hours ago, mawvkysc said:

Dad worked out of Somerville. I’m not sure what BET means. His name is Pete Birrow. Retired in 2007

I don't know him.  Tell him he got out at a good time.  BET stands for Boston Engine Terminal

[mawvkysc]

We ate in the MDR. I forgot to take menu photos. 
 

Baked Brie Salad, the puff pastry was dense

Lamb Shank, pretty good, very tender, a little less flavor than RC or MSC lamb

Panna Cotta, awful. Not custard based at all. It was some sort of a frothy substance in the same parfait type glass that the trifle was in

 

 

[mawvkysc]

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by mawvkysc

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

My favorite drink. A Saturn Landing from the Mojito bar.  I only discovered it late in the trip. I found I wasn’t around that bar during the hours it was open. It’s a gin based drink with orgeat, falernum and passion fruit. I have no idea what two of those things are. 
 

Does anyone know if the others bars onboard could make this?

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by mawvkysc

[mawvkysc]

Day 7

Bar Harbor

surprisingly sunny and warm 👍

 

It was so exciting looking out our window this morning as we pulled into port. CBP came aboard 20-30 minutes late. We were the second to last group to be called for customs, so we waited on the promenade deck and enjoyed watching the scenery. It was taking a LONG time so we went to the atrium for a drink. At this point we’re getting nervous and call Oli’s Trolley to tell them we haven’t even been called for customs. (1:00 tour reserved privately). They said call back at 12:15 and update.  If it looks like we won’t make it and they can resell our tickets we will be refunded. We make it through customs and the tender line is humongous. No way we will make the the current tender being boarded. The couple in front of us suggested we tell a crew member. We felt weird doing this but the she immediately took us to the front of the line. We got on the tender and called Oli’s. At this point it’s 12:30 and the tender is just leaving. They felt we would make it and appreciated our calling for the heads up. We ran. Got on and then they waited a while for 7 moreoff the ship. I don’t think all 7 made it but they resold the tickets. What a stress!  Customs and tendering is a bad combination! Eek.

 

The tour was super informative.  Acadia is gorgeous.  Cadillac Mountain road just reopened that morning! If you take the trolley sit on the left side.( We were on the right) You can’t really take good pictures while the trolley is moving. 
 

 

[mawvkysc]

Once back in town we did the shoreside walk. Then had enough time for a lobster roll. We took the 5:00 ferry back. 

[mawvkysc]

We got a little bit dressed up for our 6:30 reservation at Le Bistro. We had a nice meal. It was a step up from the MDR and a nice setting. After day one the included Riesling wine ran out. I asked if they had it in Le Bistro. It was out there too. The winds steward suggested some other wines but I opted for the upcharge Riesling. He never did run my card.

 

Scallop appetizer, three teeny tiny scallops with a yummy cauliflower “soup” poured over it. 
Escargot, very good but I prefer it to be more garlicky

Endive salad, good 

French Onion Soup, very good

Sea Bass, very good, crispy skin on the fish 

Fraisier (strawberry dessert) very light dessert, just ok

Marquise au Chocolat, excellent 

Production Show: Legends in Concert. This was good mainly because the crowd was into it. 

 

Off to the room to pack. 

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

Disembarkation: All went well. We were the second to last color to be called. We were happy to wait at the Great Outdoors after MDR breakfast. It really didn’t take too long. They ended up calling several colors at a time and it was pretty easy to find our luggage. No customs because of yesterday. 
 

We walked 11 minutes with our rolling luggage to Silver Line Way. From there you can get the SL1 bus to the airport. It is apparently free from this stop to the airport. It doesn’t say that online but a local man said it’s been that way for years. Three of us walked on no problems. (The SL2 is closer to the port and you can catch that and transfer to SL1 but  we found walking and taking one bus simpler) The bus stops at each terminal. 

 

 

[mawvkysc]

Final thoughts: We had a great trip because of the itinerary. The food and quality of entertainment were lacking (for us). Not that we were miserable, but enough that we would only cruise NCL again for a special itinerary. The crew were really great and there were other pluses as well.  We’re on the fence as to whether we like freestyle dining  better or not. 
 

I am still a small ship girl. I’d have to say Brilliance OTS is my favorite ship so far with the Fantasy Class ships (Carnival) right behind her. 

Thanks to all on this forum. The information everyone posted in the past was a huge help in  planning/researching before the cruise! 

[LadyBerard]

Were the movies in the room free, or was there a charge for them, and if so, how much?

[mawvkysc]

1 hour ago, LadyBerard said:

Were the movies in the room free, or was there a charge for them, and if so, how much?

Free!!

[LadyBerard]

26 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

Free!!

Good to know.  Thanks.  Last time we cruised on NCL, there was hardly anything free on the tv........nevermind movies.

[AKR2011]

Thanks for the great review! Did you see any kind of farewell from the crew on the last night? They used to do it in the theater and another review said tee crew walked through Bar City I believe on the last night on The Jewel.

[mawvkysc]

On 5/17/2023 at 9:44 PM, AKR2011 said:

Thanks for the great review! Did you see any kind of farewell from the crew on the last night? They used to do it in the theater and another review said tee crew walked through Bar City I believe on the last night on The Jewel.

Nothing in the main theater after the show. I didn’t see anything listed in the dailies either. 

[mawvkysc]

Just thought of this: I really liked that the Pulse Fitness had steam rooms in the locker rooms. It’s a nice option if you don’t want to spring for a spa pass. 

[www3traveler]

On 5/17/2023 at 6:44 PM, AKR2011 said:

Thanks for the great review! Did you see any kind of farewell from the crew on the last night? They used to do it in the theater and another review said tee crew walked through Bar City I believe on the last night on The Jewel.

The Crew Farewell is just beginning again.

[redcup]

Does anyone have the dailies for the may 26 2023 cruise.   I can’t remember the name of the great singer from Ireland. Thanks