Almost Live from NCL Spirit - Dec 21-28,2008

[travelingla]

Thank you so much, NolaAlive, for all of your answers - I did not mean for you to go check it all out - thought you just might know..... this is YOUR vacation!!!

 

We all love your details - it is making it so fun to be able to share with you each day!

 

I hope this is not eating away at all your minutes - but I know everyone on this thread really appreciates the time and effort you are spending to share -- you are making our Christmas holidays 'warmer' too! :)

 

Speaking of 'warmer' ...... it looks so cloudy there and not so warm - hope it is indeed 'beach' weather for you all -- I noticed how empty the pool areas on board were and it appeared to be about 12:20 on a clock I saw -

 

Whatever the weather..... YOU are THERE and WE are HERE!!

 

ENJOY!! :D

[beachbooles]

This is so great of you! The NCL website leaves so many questions which your threads answer! You have enhanced our vacation and it hasn't even begun! We're scheduled on deck 10 too. Thanks for the kids area pics! We'll be using it and they wondered what their pool was like. thank you, thank you!! Have fun!

[Coasty]

Your pictures of Costa Maya were as good as I have aver seen. The underwater photos were outstanding. Are you a professional photographer? If your not, you should be. Your pictures through the arc of the Spirit and the one with yellow curb in the foreground are winners.

 

Could you tell us about your camera.

Did you use a flash for the underwater shots?

Do you use a number of different cameras?

For the underwater shots does your equipment have a water proof housing?

 

Thanks you so much for making this the most informative and enjoyable thread on CC

.

[nolaAlive]

Guess I should have asked some of these questions of the Chief Engineer at the Latitudes party the other day. We can move at 21-22 knots or at least have. The ship is not crippled. I'm curious myself, now.

 

If I had to guess, I think both propellers are turning and maybe a generator is lacking, which would reduce top speed. If only one propeller was turning, I would think we would be going a lot slower.

[nolaAlive]

Your pictures of Costa Maya were as good as I have aver seen. The underwater photos were outstanding. Are you a professional photographer? If your not, you should be. Your pictures through the arc of the Spirit and the one with yellow curb in the foreground are winners.

 

Could you tell us about your camera.

Did you use a flash for the underwater shots?

Do you use a number of different cameras?

For the underwater shots does your equipment have a water proof housing?

 

Thanks you so much for making this the most informative and enjoyable thread on CC

.

 

Thank you. I'm still trying to upload pics - had to take a break for dinner.

 

Nope, not a professional photographer - I think anyone can do.

 

I'm using a Canon S5 IS for most pics, and a discontinued Canon A710 IS with waterproof housing for the most of the Costa Maya pics, including the underwater ones. That, plus Photoshop Elements.

[nolaAlive]

Pics through Dec 23 are up...

[Silc]

I'm so sorry to see that there is no longer anything to see once you have though. We were supposed to go to Costa Maya on the Carnival Legend in September 2007, but that was the year of the hurricanes that wouldn't quit. Needless to say, we not only never made it to Costa Maya, but we had a totally different itinerary than when we booked. We had lots of fun, but were sorry for all of the destruction that happened to all of the islands that year.

 

Thanks for your posts and pictures, and Merry Christmas!

 

Silc

[scottyo72]

Someone speak up if I am incorrect here, but I think I understand that Spirit has 2 propellors driven by 2 electric motors. There are in turn powered by 4 diesel generator "engines", one of which has been replaced but is not yet online. I'm not sure what that means to how well Spirit can move. Does anyone know how crippled she is with 3 out of 4 generators?

 

Not too crippled at all. First, when everything is online and working properly Spirit is faster than most other cruise ships, especially ships of other cruise lines.

 

As a ship approaches top speed, it takes more and more power to get just a few extra knots. I think that in general to double the speed of a ship you need to increase the power output eight fold. Being down one engine doesn't take too many knots off the top speed.

 

We were on Spirit last year with only 3 engines, and depending on sea conditions, I seem to remember maintaining 20+ knots. It should only affect routes where they need to maintain high speed for long hauls.

[biker@sea]

Not too crippled at all. First, when everything is online and working properly Spirit is faster than most other cruise ships, especially ships of other cruise lines.

 

As a ship approaches top speed, it takes more and more power to get just a few extra knots. I think that in general to double the speed of a ship you need to increase the power output eight fold. Being down one engine doesn't take too many knots off the top speed.

 

We were on Spirit last year with only 3 engines, and depending on sea conditions, I seem to remember maintaining 20+ knots. It should only affect routes where they need to maintain high speed for long hauls.

 

In comparison w.w.w. Tug-Barge.com has the dream listed for sale.

 

Dream is listed with a cruising speed of 18.5 knots

[JPAU]

Thanks for the info on the camera and all of the great shots. Great underwater stuff. We sailed the SPIRIT in March of 08 and going again in March 2010.

[nolaAlive]

I'm so sorry to see that there is no longer anything to see once you have though. We were supposed to go to Costa Maya on the Carnival Legend in September 2007, but that was the year of the hurricanes that wouldn't quit. Needless to say, we not only never made it to Costa Maya, but we had a totally different itinerary than when we booked. We had lots of fun, but were sorry for all of the destruction that happened to all of the islands that year.

 

Thanks for your posts and pictures, and Merry Christmas!

 

Silc

 

Merry Christmas.

 

Chac-Chi will be back. Just will take a while longer. They had tons of rubble to clear and didn't have a bailout package like the rest of Mahahual.

[jimjamxx]

NOLAalive: Current weather here in South Louisiana is

75 degrees.

 

Question for you? Did you get or will you get pictures of the locals at the pier waving goodbye and thank you for visting during the sailaway?

JimmyJames

[Toyz711]

i hope they remember about the send-a-way from santo tomas...

many, last dec, missed it and then wanted to know what all the noise was about. if i hadn't had a cabin on the port side, i may have missed it, also. when i heard the drums, a light went off in my head the "i know what that noise is".

it's great fun to listen to the music and watch the dancing.

[walterwarren]

I will be very intersted in the charges for the Sauna and Steam Room also.

[nolaAlive]

I will be very intersted in the charges for the Sauna and Steam Room also.

 

Nada.

[nolaAlive]

NOLAalive: Current weather here in South Louisiana is

75 degrees.

 

Question for you? Did you get or will you get pictures of the locals at the pier waving goodbye and thank you for visting during the sailaway?

JimmyJames

 

75 sounds mo' bettah.

 

I did not take pictures this time. I have before.

 

It was one of the reasons I chose port side cabins (other than seeing New Orleans when leaving). This time, starboard was the side to be on. It seems Regent was in the spot where I thought we would be.

 

FYI, here is my general cruise page:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/zc_cruise_page.htm

 

And the send off from 2006 on this page:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/ncl_sun_2006/SantoTomas/st_7.htm

[Gingee]

I saw the sign in Costa Maya for the $1 rides. Where does that go? Also, can you tell me about the golf carts to Mah???? However that is spelled? Did you know anyone who went on it?

[Gingee]

I saw your tour for the waterfall. It looks fun. Now is $35 a person a good deal there or what? I see that the ship is offering one for $69 per person. Did you ever feel unsafe there? Also, was the shopping cheaper by the ship or what? I don't know what we are going to do when you get off this ship. This daily picture thing is neat.

[CruisinMaterial]

NOLAALIVE - You are doing a great job with the pictures. I feel like I'm on the ship with you! It's getting me really excited for my Crown Princess cruise in 10 days! :D It looks more and more like I'll be on the Spirit this May out of Boston! Merry Christmas to you and family! :)

[fabuloso]

i hope they remember about the send-a-way from santo tomas...

many, last dec, missed it and then wanted to know what all the noise was about. if i hadn't had a cabin on the port side, i may have missed it, also. when i heard the drums, a light went off in my head the "i know what that noise is".

it's great fun to listen to the music and watch the dancing.

 

We got the send off last week from Santo Tomas. It was wonderful! We took some pictures of the dancers and the drummers. It was the only port where the locals did a "thank you" to the cruise passengers that stopped by. I really appreciated the performance. They were a lot of fun!

[dixieagle]

I'm loving this thread! We got off the Spirit on the 14th and had a terrific cruise (aside from the awful embarkation problems.)

[IluvZ]

Thanks for sharing the information, this has been great to get us excited about the trip in two weeks.

[amy feigen-pilott]

NolaAlive... I have been following your trip via your blog and then stumbled upon you on the Costa Maya thread. I know you did the snorkel and catamaran through NCL which is what we are signed up for as well. Did you have ample time in Majahual as well? My hopes for the day are to sun an snorkel on the boat then come to Majahual for drinks and a massage. Thing that will work? If you are busy on the cruise, hopefully you can answer when you return. Thanks for all your info.... you are getting me very ready!

[nolaAlive]

NolaAlive... I have been following your trip via your blog and then stumbled upon you on the Costa Maya thread. I know you did the snorkel and catamaran through NCL which is what we are signed up for as well. Did you have ample time in Majahual as well? My hopes for the day are to sun an snorkel on the boat then come to Majahual for drinks and a massage. Thing that will work? If you are busy on the cruise, hopefully you can answer when you return. Thanks for all your info.... you are getting me very ready!

 

That would work, especially if they get the new generator up to speed and you get to Costa Maya on schedule

 

I had time after the snorkel to walk the entire length of the malecon, putter about the dock area for a while, go find the hole in the fence and walk around Chac-Chi for a while and still plenty of time to get back to the sthip.

 

After your snorkel, you could walk a very short distance to Pez Quadro and you can get massages right there, drinks at the bar, and there will be taxis to take you back to the ship.

[nolaAlive]

I saw the sign in Costa Maya for the $1 rides. Where does that go? Also, can you tell me about the golf carts to Mah???? However that is spelled? Did you know anyone who went on it?

 

From the ship to the tourist building - about two cruise ship lengths in distance. I saw some people take.

 

You can rent golf carts at Costa Maya. They are slow and cost a lot more than taxis. Unless the golf cart is your shore excursion, I would skip.

 

Majahual or Mahahual.