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My return to NCL-NCL Spirit Boston to Bermuda 8-7-09 to 8/14/09

jimswims

By jimswims,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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jimswims

jimswims

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My return to the NCL Spirit 8-7-09

Part 1 (Background and embarkation)

My summer cruise this year was on the NCL Spirit. Since 2004 my wife and I have taken a cruise in August out of Boston or NYC with our children. This was a “return” for us many reasons. First, I returned to NCL after sailing on a Carnival cruise last summer. Second, I was happy to again leave out of Boston after driving to NYC in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Third, this was our third Boston to Bermuda cruise. Finally, I got to return to the NCL Spirit, which my wife considers her favorite ship.

 

Boston to Bermuda History:

This is the first year that the NCL Spirit has taken over the Bermuda cruises departing from Boston. For many years Boston has had a ship leave from the Black Falcon cruise terminal for weekly cruises to Bermuda in the late spring through early fall months. The NCL Majesty completed this run for many, many years. I did this cruise in 2004 and 2005. The NCL Dream also completed the Boston to Bermuda cruises for the 2008 season before she was retired from the NCL fleet. I took a weekend cruise on the Dream out of Boston in May 2008 and although I enjoyed the cruise, I do not think that I would enjoy a week cruise on her after sailing on the NCL ships built for the freestyle experience. The Spirit is the largest NCL ship to do the Boston to Bermuda runs. She is 75,338 gross tons and has an overall length 0f 882 feet. The Spirit occupancy lists 2010 guests (double occupancy) and a crew of 950. The Captain mentioned in his farewell speech that the Spirit increased the capacity to over 1,000 berths from the previous years with the Majesty and the Dream. He also mentioned that the ship has been sailing full all season.

The ship/cruise selection for summer 2009

 

The NCL Spirit is my wife’s favorite ship. We both enjoyed our 8-day cruise on the Spirit back in August of 2006. She fell in love with the Centrum lobby, the décor, and the ease of getting around. I agree that it is a beautiful ship. I loved the Spirit for the same reasons in addition to the aft kids’ pool area, Le Bistro dining room, and some of the other special places to sit and enjoy the sea. We took this cruise with my parents, my brother, sister-in-law and their 3 kids, and my sister and brother-in-law. All of us have cruised before (except my brother’s children) from 3 to over 20 previous cruises on NCL and other lines. My father was adamant that he was only going to cruise from Boston and would not fly. My parents have been on the Majesty over 15 times and loved “their” ship. However, my father was not too impressed with his last cruise on the Majesty in 2006. He said that he did not like the menu options. I was anxious to have them experience a true NCL Freestyle ship. They have been on ships larger than the Spirit in the past. I felt like I was bringing home a girl to meet the parents for the first time. I hoped that they liked the Spirit as much as I did. After a year of planning, I was finally going to find out as August 7th was here.

 

Embarkation Day (8-7-09)

My wife, 2 kids (age 14 and 11), and I left our house at 10:30 am. It was a beautiful day, sunny with low humidity. It seemed perfect day for a sail away. We were at the pier shortly after 11:10 am. I dropped my wife and kids off at the pier so she could check our three bags and drove across the street to park the car in the garage for the week. The parking was 105.00 for the week. This was much less expensive than parking at the NYC pier. I parked on level 4 as instructed and ran down the stairs to meet up with my family. I got about two flights down when I realized that I forgot the tickets in the car. I ran back up and then back down. My wife wanted to know what took so long and shook her head when I explained. I am someone who checks for things like tickets several times. Was this atypical behavior on my part a sign of things to come? I must really need this cruise was my second thought as we got in line to go through security.

 

There were lots of people in line but things went smoothly and we were on-board by noon. The port staff members at the pier were helpful in guiding passengers to the lines and upstairs to board the ship. I recognized many from my previous cruises out of Boston. Many were wishing us a great cruise along the way. I noticed how professional each was and for me it made the whole check in process quite enjoyable. I give high marks to the pier staff for this positive experience. It made the beginning to my vacation more enjoyable.

 

This was my first NCL cruise under Freestyle 2.0. I wondered if things would really be different than our previous cruises. Well, it did not take me long to find out. NCL has won some points in my book by offering sparkling wine and/or juice as you embark the ship. A staff member was also were handing out cool facecloths all rolled up. These offerings were a nice touch. I especially enjoyed the cool facecloth since I was still hot from my extra jog up and down the garage steps.

 

We entered the grand Centrum. It was as beautiful as I remembered with the natural light and decorations with Asian influence. The café was still there and the comfy couches were also still present. I knew that I would be enjoying some espresso later. The restaurant reservation desk was open and we had a good idea on the days that we wanted to have dinner in the specialty restaurants so we went over and booked our reservations for Le Bistro, Shogun, and a special dinner for two at the Enchanted Dinner on Monday night. This dinner is unique to the Spirit and we have heard wonderful things from previous passengers. My wife was also celebrating her birthday this week and this was her request.

 

By 12:15 we were eating lunch at Windows. The service and food were good. I had the tilapia, my daughter had a club sandwich, and I forget what my wife and son had. We all liked our meals and I truly felt that we were starting off on the right track and the vacation would be fantastic. I could feel my stress leave my body with each moment on this ship. There must have been something in that cool cloth that the woman handed me as I embarked. She must have seen the stress lines on my forehead and gave me the cloth that pulled all the worry from my body! OK, so I am over doing this a bit. The point is I was now relaxed and on vacation. Nothing could go wrong now!

 

We decided to find my brother and his family. I guessed correctly that they would be up above near the pool and Bier Garten. I asked him if he had seen our parents and sister who were coming in together just after us. This is when he said. “Oh, you don’t know?” He proceeded to tell me that our sister called him on his cell phone. As they were handing the luggage to the porter, they realized that my mother’s suitcase was still at home! The car had already been parked in the garage and my father and brother-in-law were already walking towards them by the entrance. She had to tell them to get the car and go back home to get the suitcase. My brother said that my sister was standing with my frantic mother pacing back and forth outside the entrance. They were waiting for them. I looked at my watch and noticed the time. It was after 2:00 pm. This was going to be close. They live about 25 miles from the port. But, this is on the Northshore which means that there are really no great ways to get in or out of the city on a Friday afternoon. At 2:45 my mother, father, sister, and brother-in-law stepped on to deck 7 and into the Centrum. There were tears of relief and sweat. The frustration seemed to have vanished as they stepped on to the promenade. They received the cool, stress eliminating towels too and they seemed to be working their magic. What a way to begin a cruise! The sail away weather was beautiful, warm with no humidity, and the seas were calm.

 

As we began to move away from the pier I was grateful that all of us made it on-board the ship. There were some obstacles throughout the year that made this cruise uncertain for most of us. However, we were all here and I was happy about this. Still, I was for hoping for some surprises of another kind (in the form of Freestyle 2.0) this week. NCL had started off with some nice touches. Will this continue? I did not have to wait too long to find out.

 

I will continue with more after I do some laundry.

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ZoneHPH

ZoneHPH

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either:

 

1) you left to go to an actual laundromat

2) you are sitting in front of your washing machine at home and are on your laptop computer drafting THE REST OF YOUR REVIEW!!!

3) you are just being WICKED MEAN and building up mood for us anxious readers.

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jimswims

jimswims

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OK, I am back with some more. Thank you very much for your interest. I will pick up the pace a bit after this installment. I did not realize that I had this much to say.

 

Part 2: (Still Embarkation day)

We left our family members who were up enjoying the pool area and Bier Garten. We went down to our cabins to get unpacked and ready for dinner.

 

Our Cabins:

This brings me to another long story. Skip to the last 2 paragraphs of the cabin section if you do not want to hear the crazy details of my adventure in cabin changes before we ever got to the ship.

 

We booked this cruise in May of 2008. Our last adventure on the Spirit in 2006 had me swearing never to have 4 of us in an inside cabin again. I still blame that Spirit cabin, 5053, as my launch, like a rocket ship, into the suite life! We loved the AB on the Dawn so we booked an AC suite with an adjoining balcony (BB) cabin on the Spirit. We thought that the suite gave us all some space and the perks were not too bad either. The Spirit does not have a suite (balconies or ocean view cabins for that matter) to fit the 4 of us so we needed the adjoining cabin regardless of the category. This is my biggest complaint about the Spirit actually. As I mentioned before, this has been a tough year for my family. Among other things, we needed to do some big home repairs this year. Our old Victorian needed a new roof, siding, painting, and a few other things. We live near the unmerciful Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this could not wait so we did the responsible thing and took care of our home and downgraded our home away from home! We first re-booked into adjoining balconies. When that did not give us the financial relief needed, I broke my rule and booked one of the large 200 sq. feet interior cabins. My travel agent is still swearing at me for these changes I am sure. We were going to be able to swing this cruise and not suffer the financial ramifications so was good. However, as time went on, we noticed that the prices did drop significantly.

After another call to my Travel Agent and a very helpful and understanding NCL Representative who recognized that we were upgrading our inside cabin to two ocean views, we were allowed to be booked in ocean view cabins on deck 5 mid-ship. This was just down the hall from the torture chamber from 2006! The ocean view cabins did not connect but were side-by-side.

 

The cabins were nice, clean, and roomy enough for two although were officially listed as triples. The beds were upgraded with new mattresses and higher off the ground. I am over 6 feet tall and was thankful for this. There were four drawers, a desk, nightstand, and plenty of closet space. The bathroom had the sink in the middle with shelves on both sides. The shower was to the right and the toilet to the left. Both had a sliding door. We liked our cabins and thought that they had plenty of space. I loved the picture window that gave my view of the sea! My wife and I both thought that these cabins would be just fine. The kids were happy, we were happy, and my bank account was relieved. We also were closer to the gangway and to Bermuda. That has to count for something!

 

My parents, brother, sister-in-law and 3 kids were in balcony cabins on decks 10 and 11. We visited and the connecting balcony cabins are really a nice way for families to sail on the Spirit. They were happy with their cabins. My sister and brother-in-law were also down with us on deck 5.

 

We unpacked and changed clothes. We had a dinner reservation at Le Bistro for 6:00 pm. This has become a family tradition ever since we first sailed on the Spirit in 2006. We have had our first dinner at Le Bistro twice on the Dawn and once on the Dream. All were exceptional meals. This year was no exception.

 

Le Bistro:

We arrived at 6:00 pm to an empty dining room. We were greeted with much enthusiasm and shown to our table for 4. The chef came over and introduced himself. We had the place to ourselves! We ordered and enjoyed our time together. We dined on escargot, cream of mushroom soup, Caesar salad, filet and a wonderful vegetarian dish. Everything was cooked to perfection and once again, my daughter received assistance cutting her filet because the staff did not want my wife or I to have our meals get cold!

 

We were happy to see that the chocolate fondue was back on the Le Bistro menu. Peter, our fantastic waiter, sensed correctly that we were having trouble deciding on dessert so he made sure that we had the fondue and 2 Crème Brulee to try. Other passengers did arrive to Le Bistro and by the time we left they were getting pretty close to capacity. I was also close to capacity and it was time for us to move!

We left and went to the welcome aboard show. Most of my other family members went to Windows for dinner. We met up with them at the show. The Cruise Director, Paul Baya, introduced the singers, dancers, and other acts that we would be seeing throughout the week. We had heard so much about The Cats Pajamas, a singing group that was on-board in past weeks, but they left the ship to be replaced by Jane L. Powell. We have heard Jane before and she is a wonderful lady with a HUGE voice! We were happy to be seeing her again but a bit disappointed to not hear “the Cat’s Pajamas”. However, Amadeus and Arvin and Emily were both singing groups that are very talented and we looked forward to hearing more of them this week as well.

NCL Monte Carlo night with the Freestyle showgirls was also happening in the casino this night. We did not get to this but heard it was fun!

 

We returned to our cabins after touring the ship and exploring a bit more. This is a stunning ship and I am still in love with her! It was a beautiful night at sea with a calm ocean. The sky had some clouds but the moon was out and bright. I looked through the Freestyle Daily and noticed that it had several inserts. Earlier, I did not feel the need to look through this being an NCL pro. But, I was prompted to look at the many things in the daily. In addition to the flyers about the art auctions, laundry services, and casino promotions, there were important information handouts on the Swine Flu and Norwalk-like viruses. Now, you may think that this is a real downer to get this stuff on vacation. I see it as a smart move on NCL’s part just like the hand sanitizers that are all over the ship. Prevention is the best method to staying healthy. If passengers know what to do and follow these easy steps, cruise ships stand a fighting chance to minimize these conditions. Universal precautions are smart and keep people healthy at work, home, school, and on vacation. Now enough of my public service announcement, I am moving on.

 

The Freestyle daily also had several promotions that I missed. My tip for all you NCL pro’s, read the freestyle daily, you may see something new!

 

We decided that room service was the breakfast of choice for the morning. I said my goodnights and put out the light. I said a prayer thanks for a wonderful day, eventful and un-expected in many ways, and counted my many blessings. I do not remember falling asleep but know that it must have been quickly. I woke up to my cabin phone ringing on Saturday morning!

 

Coming up Saturday at sea, pools, public areas and our first dinner at Windows.

 

I will pick up the pace a bit, sorry for all the details. I tend to get a bit wordy.

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jimswims

jimswims

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And here is part 3:

 

Part Three: Saturday at Sea

 

My wife was on the other end of the phone waking me up. I found this amusing since I had set the alarm clock in my cabin. It had not gone off, yet! Her room service came earlier than planned so she and our daughter were beginning their breakfast. I received a call from room service a moment later telling me that my breakfast was on the way. My son and I greeted the sunny day with our breakfast. We planned to go to the meet and greet and also the pool. We finished our breakfast of fruit, yogurt, cereal, and some pretty horrible coffee. I love my coffee strong and black. Bad coffee cannot hide from me since I do not sweeten it. After breakfast, we went up to the Café for some espresso and some French press coffee. This turned out to be a bit of an ordeal since the person in the café did not really know how to make it. It got worked out and I had a good shot of coffee to get the day going. It was now 10:00 am and time for the meet and greet.

 

Kathy, a very active member of our roll call who had been on the Spirit once already this summer, arranged the meet and greet. It was held in Henry’s Pub. Most of the members of the roll call showed up giving us 25 or so people in attendance. NCL went above and beyond and provided coffee, juice, water, and some breakfast foods for the group. Many of the senior staff came by to introduce themselves, the HD, F and B manager, Group services coordinator, and Belkys, the Concierge. The Captain also stopped in to say hello and spoke to many of us. This was a real treat and many thanks go out to Kathy for getting everything in order.

 

After meeting and talking with fellow cruisers for about an hour, my kids really wanted to go up with their cousins and enjoy the pool. We went up to the main pool where my brother and his family were enjoying the day. His kids had been in both the kid’s pool and the main pool. They had settled on the main pool and my brother had a good spot. The kids were happy to be with their cousins. It had been such a rainy summer in New England. it was really feeling like we were far, far away with these blue skies and smooth seas.

 

The kids wanted to be with their cousins so my wife and I were able to sneak away for a sit down lunch for two. We enjoyed some good food and time together which is unfortunately pretty rare these days. We went back up pool side for some of the afternoon before heading to the cabins to shower and get ready for dinner at Windows for all thirteen of us. We had a reservation for 13 at 5:30 pm. The large parties reservations were limited to 5:00, 5:30, or 8:00 PM I believe.

Windows, was listed as the restaurant that allowed jeans for our sailing. The smaller Garden Room was the restaurant that was reserved for people who wanted to dress up more. The Freestyle Daily said this on embarkation day, “ You will always find a place for your style, no matter what you want to wear. Resort casual (including jeans)is welcome in all our restaurants, except the Garden Room, our designated “dress-up” Restaurant. The only restaurants that you can wear shorts in after 5:00 pm are Raffles Court and Blue Lagoon”. Our friend’s were on the NCL Spirit on 7/17/09 and brought home the Freestyle Dailies for us to read. On their sailing, Window’s was listed as the designated Dress Up restaurant. NCL does seem to take feedback seriously. It seems to make sense that the smaller dining room be reserved for “dress-up” on a summer sailing to Bermuda. Whatever the reason, our family had no problems with following the dress code!

 

We sat near the entrance and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Some had the always available steak, cheese tortellini, and others ordered pork or chicken. I had the chicken dish and this was the first time that I think I have ordered chicken for dinner in 14 cruises. It was delicious and I enjoyed it. We all had our coffee and dessert and went to the show.

 

The show tonight was, “On Broadway” . It showcases the NCL Productions singers and dancers as they perform songs from Wicked, Movin’ Out, Mama Mia, and Hairspray. The performance was good and we knew what to expect since we had seen another version of the show in 2006.

 

This evening was also the New Year’s Eve party in the Galaxy of the Stars at 10:30 pm. We did not attend this event but it was listed as the night to celebrate the music of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s in the form of a big dance party. We were enjoying the cruise with our family so we decided that it was time to explore the decks of the ship and the late night snacks at Raffles before heading back to the cabins.

 

 

The freestyle daily was again packed with information. An informational handout about the different types of steak served at Cagney’s caught my eye. Also, the NCL “U” tasting offerings of martinis and wine, deals at the shops, casino specials, photo discounts, cruise rewards, and what I consider the most helpful handout, the Tips of the Week.

 

This was a listing of all the specialty restaurants and special dinners (Enchanted dinner ( Monday at 7:000, Murder Mystery Dinner (Wed. at 5:15) and Jazz Brunch (Wed 11:00 to 1:00). In addition, it also listed all the evening parties and events throughout the week. This was the perfect “at a glance” for a person who likes to plan!

 

I again felt grateful to be enjoying such a wonderful time with my family. The cruise was going very well. We have continued to enjoy good food, good entertainment, beautiful weather and each other’s company. I again fell asleep right away. I was looking forward to our return to Bermuda, our fifth time, and hopefully it would continue to be one of my favorite places to visit.

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welove2cruise232

welove2cruise232

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Jim, really loving your review so far! The tips of the week handout that you received must be new -- we didn't see that on our cruise.

 

Did you say Paul BAYA was the cruise director?? Haven't seen him in ages! Since the Dawn, I think! Paul Scally was the CD when we were on board.

 

I can't wait to hear what you thought of the Enchanted Dinner! Hurry up!:D

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jimswims

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Here is part 4. I am hurrying as fast as I can, hehehe!

 

Hi Peggy, yes, the CD was Paul Baya. It was his first week on the Spirit.

 

Part 4: Bermuda, Sunday August 9th

 

I woke up before the alarm and got myself ready for a nice day in Bermuda. The Freestyle Daily said that the weather was to be sunny and 85 degrees. I also knew that tonight was Showtime with Second City (at 7:45 and 9:45) and also the 70’s Groove Dance Party at 10:30 pm in the Galaxy of the Stars. The Daily was full of activities and information about Bermuda. The NCL Spirit was also having a pub crawl on-board beginning at Henry’s pub at 9:30 pm. This was 6 drinks at on-board bars for 25.00. I did not attend but thought that it was worth mentioning since I had only seen this event once before on the Dream weekend cruise.

 

The Spirit was set to arrive at Heritage Wharf in Bermuda at 11:00 am. I could see Bermuda in the distance when I opened the curtains. We had made excellent time and now we were going to slowly sail around until we could dock. The seas were so calm. Bermuda was so inviting. I had a very brief impulse to dive in and swim to shore. I have swum in ocean races in the past so the distance was not a problem. My sense of adventure was a bit of a shock however. I guess it was the sea air and that coooool towel! It was a good thing that we had booked an ocean view and I had come to my senses. I also had not had any coffee yet so I am going to go with that!

We had a nice sit down breakfast this morning. This is something that we do not usually do. The kids are getting a bit used to cruising (this was their 6th) and sitting down to eat. My son actually requested to have breakfast this way so off we went. The service, food, and most importantly, the coffee was good. We all had our morning fuel and we were set to enjoy the pool as everyone rushed to get to Bermuda.

We met up with my brother, sister-in-law, and kids at the Buccaneers’ Wet and Wild pool. This Aft pool are with stadium seating is a great area for families in my opinion. There was virtually no one there and we all got nice seats and watched the arrival to Bermuda. The kids swam and enjoyed the pool area. We went up to Raffles for lunch and my parents, sister and brother-in-law met up with us.

 

The lunch was quite good. I am of the belief that a buffet is a buffet and I am not going to be wowed by any lunch food. We really did like the buffet on the Carnival Miracle and preferred the variety on Carnival to that of NCL. The NCL Spirit offered some delicious chicken salad at the buffet. We all found things that we liked and had plenty of choices. My nephew became a Jell-O addict on this cruise! He waited each day for his Jell-o, hot dogs, and soft serve ice cream.

 

My parents, sister and Brother-in-law were headed to the Clock Tower Mall for some shopping. The rest of us headed over to Snorkel Park for some swimming and snorkeling. We were not planning on being there too long. It was crowded and the water was a bit cloudy. We were still able to swim, enjoy the sun, sand, and see some cool fish by the reef. There was also a speed boat race happening right off of Snorkel Park. My brother owns a boat so he was happy to see the boats race by.

We liked to see the improvements in the King’s Wharf area. The Moon Gate by Heritage Wharf was a nice touch and the free trolley that picks you up at the pier and brings you to the clock tower mall is also a good idea. We walked everywhere but I am sure that many found it useful.

 

We returned to the ship by 4:45 pm and got ready for dinner at The Garden Room. We arrived on Deck 6 mid-ship and there were only a few people in front of us and they were being seated. This is when I saw the Maître-d ask that a gentleman that he could not dine here in shorts. The man sent the rest of his party in to the restaurant while he went back to quickly change.

 

My daughter, wife, and I all enjoyed the beef wellington tonight. My son had the vegetarian dish. We all enjoyed our meals. The service was prompt and efficient. It was very crowded in the restaurant but there was no line when we left for the 7:45 show of Second City.

 

I must admit that I have never gone to a Second City show in all of my NCL cruises. We did enjoy ourselves but I was not blown away by the comedy. The cast was clever and it was fast paced. I did not find myself wanting to walk out and I have felt this way before with comedians on cruise ships.

 

After the show, my daughter, son and cousins had their nightly photo sessions with the ships photographer. The staff was great and found some nice ways to take great group photos. My sister-in-law is an excellent photographer. She takes amazing pictures. She talked with the staff and really got to know them well over the week. We also got some great pictures of the kids.

 

I am sure that we must have visited Raffles for a late night snack before bed but I do not remember. We were all back in the cabin. The weather has been perfect and each day has been great. I found myself enjoying every moment as it comes, accepting the good and the bad. The truth was, there was no bad so this part was easy. I again said my thanks for the gift of family and friends and fell asleep in my comfortable bed on the NCL Spirit.

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coka

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Wow Jimswims, that is a lot of family you traveled with! I am glad it all worked out. And just where was I supposed to sit had I gone with you all? LOL

I am loving your review as I could not keep away. My unexpected company just left...!

 

coka

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jimswims

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Coka, there is always a place at the table, the dance floor, and the bar for you!

 

Here is part 5. Excuse the typos and grammar. It is not proof read too well.

 

Part 5, Monday August 10th. Horseshoe Bay, the Enchanted Dinner, and Late night Deck Party

 

I woke up to clear blue skies, a freestyle daily that said Sunny and 86 degrees. What a day to go to Horseshoe Bay!

 

The Freestyle Daily also told me that the show tonight was the Magic of Richard Burr and Josette. The Super Spirit Deck party was by the pool beginning at 10:30 pm with the late night party continuing with Arvin and Emily and the cruise staff up at the Bier Garten. Amadeus was in the Galaxy of the Stars beginning at 10:15. Jazz music with the Amar Orchestra was in the Centrum beginning at 10:45pm. Then there was the adult entertainment with DJ Watson in Maharini’s Disco beginning at 10:00 pm. If that wasn’t enough, the CHOCOLATE BUFFET was in Raffles at 10:00 pm. I do not think that this was the night that it was offered in previous weeks. I am surprised when I read a review that there is nothing to do when the ship is in port. I was having trouble deciding which to go to and to top it all off, there was the night of the Enchanted Dinner to celebrate my wife’s birthday!

 

We got up and went to another wonderful sit down breakfast. Service was superb and the food and coffee gave me my “pep in my step”! I was ready for an adventure and Horseshoe Bay was the place for this.

 

We brought our snorkels, masks, and towels off the ship and to the curb. The taxi driver said 28.00 to Horseshoe Bay and the 4 of us were in and off. We were driving along enjoying the view of Bermuda. The sun was out but I felt a breeze. It did not feel too humid on the island today. The driver was quiet and never even swore or shouted when a woman stepped out in front of his taxi. I was facing the back of the car and saw the bus behind us slam the breaks as we stopped. My bag went flying off the seat and the kids were a bit shaken up. No one was hurt, including the woman who gestured that she had no idea what the problem was. I wanted to yell to her that she was very lucky that she had an alert driver behind the wheel or she would have been enjoying Bermuda from the local hospital if she was lucky. Boston cab drivers could take some lessons from this guy.

 

We arrived at Horseshoe Bay and the driver suggested that he or someone from his company will come to get us at 2:00 pm. I think that he took one look at our white, un-tanned skin and thought that a bit more than 3 hours would be enough time at the beach since it was not even 11:00 am yet. We agreed and headed to get our umbrella and chairs.

 

We got our equipment and headed to the beach, and turned and walked as far left as we could. The life guards were out on their training swims and we really did not have many people near us for the whole three hours. We all loaded up on the sun block and set up our spot. The breeze was perfect, the water was not a wavy as the last time we were here in 2007 which was good, and there were very little clouds in the sky.

I am an ocean person. I love being near the ocean, I live near the ocean, and I love to swim. My kids and my wife also share this passion. Needless to say, we were in heaven! The four of us spent our time swimming and exploring the cave areas nearby. To my daughter’s surprise, I even raced alongside the life guards on one of their many training swims from the shore. The big old guy can still swim pretty fast! It was helpful to me that they were on their 9th or 10th rotation and I was on my first. They also had no idea what I was doing but I am pretty sure that the 20 something young guy life guard was feeling a bit shown up by the big guy double his age. At least this is what my head was telling me! I went out and swam along parallel to the beach for a bit and came back in. There was no rescue needed for me in case you were wondering.

The beautiful clear blue water and pink sand of Horseshoe bay provided a perfect beach day for our family. At about 1:40 pm we began to head back to the bathhouse to return the chairs and umbrella and get our deposit back. We rinsed off at the showers and walked up to the taxis. Wilson, our driver was there waiting for us. He took us back to the ship. It was an uneventful ride back.

 

We walked up the gangway and onto the Spirit and guess who was there waiting for me? It was my favorite cooooool towel woman smiling and giving me another welcome treat. I forgot to mention previously that she was also there when we came back from Snorkel Park yesterday. I loved this NCL touch. The NCL staff person that came up with this idea deserves a raise! There is nothing like a nice cold cloth to put on your face after the day in the sun. I do not know if it was really for the face or the hands, it did not matter to me. I also did not care how it looked when I put it on my head and walked to my cabin to drop off my bags. I think that I was supposed to leave it is a bin but it stayed on my head. I am sure that the room steward put it with the dirty towels later.

 

Since it was a bit late for lunch at Raffle’s we decided that a trip to Blue Lagoon. I took the towel off my head before I left the cabin and we headed up for chicken wings, tomato soup, fish and chips, burgers and French fries. The vegetarian in the family was happy with his artichoke dip too! It was very quiet and again the service was prompt and food hit the spot. We went back to the cabin for a nap. The kids were going to spend some time with my family for dinner and the show and my wife and I had the Enchanted Dinner to attend.

 

At 6:00pm we brought the kids to the buffet for dinner. There was a Kids buffet with chicken fingers, salad, French fries, and some other foods available. My daughter found the prime rib carving station. She was in heaven. It looked great. My son found the macaroni and cheese and other non-meat items for him to enjoy. They headed for dessert with my sister and brother-in-law and we left for the Art Gallery for the Enchanted Dinner.

 

Enchanted Dinner 8/10/09 at 7:00 pm

 

For 65.00 per person we dined in the Art Gallery. We were with 9 other passengers (11 total) enjoying the fine food and wine prepared by the three executive chefs on-board the NCL Spirit. There is a limit to the number of people that can attend and we were happy to be able to get to attend.

 

A welcome glass of champagne was offered to all and the chefs came out to greet each guest. In addition, the Food and Beverage Director, other senior staff, and the Captain came to meet and speak to each of us.

 

The Art Director also came and spoke to us during courses. Chris is also from Massachusetts and it was fun to speak with him about art and our home state. I had never been to an art auction on any of my previous cruises. My wife had and has a good eye for art and she has been to the Louvre and has taken me to other fine museums in throughout the world. Our son has been to more art galleries in his 14 years of life than most people will in a lifetime. We have a family membership to the Museum of Fine Arts. I am not afraid of art, just how much it costs. We were sitting in the art gallery with beautiful works of art on display all around us. I told him about a few of the paintings that I was drawn to. He told me the price of some. My mother used to say that I had champagne taste on a beer budget. I chuckled because my eye sure knew how to find some pricey art, yikes! I found one that I liked that cost more than our cruise. Chris suggested that we stop by the art auction later in the week. I said that we might have to check this out since it was a night of firsts. Bit, if I have to pick between a piece of art or a cruise, you do not need to see what is on my walls at home to guess what I pick. I can visit my paintings when I visit the ship!

 

I am going to list the menu for those who are interested in this wonderful experience that is currently only offered on the NCL Spirit. We dined on three appetizers, served as separate courses and each with a special selected wine to compliment the flavor of them. First we had Finnish Salmon Crème, then Grilled Boneless Frog Legs in Garlic Chablis Sauce, and Marinated Duck liver on fresh Garden Greens with Balsamic Dressing. We were asked to try each and to not be afraid. I will say that I ate each one and was proud that I could be so adventurous. I could not believe how good each tasted. For those who are wondering, the frog legs do taste like chicken!

 

We had a choice of 3 for the main course: Grilled peppered Filet of Beef on mushroom crème sauce fresh vegetables and Mushroom potatoes, Lobster Termidor style, or Broiled Fillet of Halibut with Green Asparagus and New Potatoes.

 

My wife and I had the beef. It was amazing and cooked to absolute perfection. We were later told that the beef for this dinner was 40.00 a pound. Just like we get at home, I thought.

 

The dessert was Chocolate Avalanche with Ginger Strawberries. It was the best dessert that I have ever had on a ship, maybe anywhere!

 

I have the list of wines that were served and recommended with each course. If anyone wants to know them just let me know.

 

This was without a doubt the best dinner that I have ever had. I was very happy, ecstatic actually, to honor my beautiful wife’s birthday with such an event. We had pictures taken with the chef’s and also with the Captain.

 

I was also feeling reflective on this wonderful dinner. I was hoping that our friend who was also on another cruise this week was enjoying her birthday as much as we were enjoying my wife’s. I also took the time to silently honor some of our other friends, Moira and Jim and Robert and Suzann. Moira and Jim are dear friends and we have known them for 20 years. We began our love of cruising together. We were on different ships at first but had the opportunity to be on several together and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on RCCL and on Cunard, before we had children. Moira recently received some bad news related to her health. However, she is a fighter and is optimistic along with her MD’s that with treatment she will be fine. We met another special couple, Robert and Suzann on the Dawn in 2007. They both loved to cruise and have been on more than 60 cruises now. Robert passed away suddenly about six weeks ago. I am sure that Robert was there with us in spirit on this night. My prayer to Suzann was for strength and hope. She lost a wonderful man very suddenly and the shock must still be with her.

 

In addition to the food and beautiful art, a woman (a teacher with a love of life) and her adult daughter that sat next to us also enjoyed the dinner and we found out that it was their first cruise. They were doing this the right way and seemed to enjoy every moment of this experience as we did. She even bought a beautiful painting that had a special significance to her. I was happy to see her enjoyment and we celebrated her purchase.

 

We finished our dinner at 10:00pm and headed to the Centrum to collect the kids. They wanted to go to the chocolate buffet. I did not think that I could fit another piece of food in my body. We all went up to Raffles and it was very busy but manageable. We managed to find a seat by the pool and the kids had their dessert. I drank water. One of the restaurant staff said that they could not believe that I was only having water. I said that they went to the Enchanted Dinner and they laughed and excused me from the chocolate!

 

We were sitting by the pool and enjoying the beginnings of the pool deck party. It was a beautiful night, warm but it is summer and it is Bermuda. What do you expect! Maybe it was the moon, maybe it was the frog legs but something was happening to me. Before I knew it, I was next to the pool doing the dollar dance with my fellow passengers and the cruise staff. The spring from the frog legs had transformed me to a dancing machine. We joined the conga line up the stairs to the Bier Garten. We danced more to the B 52’s, Joan Jett, Chumba Whamba, and other tunes from my high school and college days sung by the Cruise Director and then Arvin and Emily. My wife was right there dancing having fun as was my daughter. We sang into the microphone and our son tried to climb under the table nearby. A member of the cruise staff grabbed him. He could not escape. He must dance with this woman for his freedom! He did the right thing; he danced as he is not a fool. We were all drenched in sweat. My shirt and my suit paints were soaked since I was still dressed up from the Enchanted Dinner. I had another fleeting thought to jump into the pool fully clothed. But resisted because I promised someone else who had the idea first that I would wait for her for the group event! I did wonder if the coooool towel lady was anywhere to be found. I did not find her anywhere that night!

 

We headed back to our cabins. All of us laughing and talking a bit too loud. We were really close to the speakers for most of our dancing. Our ears adjusted by the time we got near passenger cabins. It was time for bed. I said my prayers of thanks and thought about how truly blessed I am. I know I went to bed with a smile on my face. What a perfect day! Could this cruise get any better for us? You bet!

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welove2cruise232

welove2cruise232

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Jim I'm so happy you and your wife enjoyed the enchanted dinner! Weren't the wines amazing? We're still trying to find the Hangtime Pinot Noir (did you have this wine? It was divine!). The deck party was also after the enchanted dinner when we were on board, but we completely forgot about it! I can't even remember where we went after dinner...:rolleyes:

 

They had the chocolate buffet in Raffles? When we were on board it was in the Windows -- such a beautiful dining room!

 

Coka's right -- you should have jumped in the pool!;)

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NJLVW

NJLVW

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More, more, more... I am enjoying reading everything you and your family did this week. I feel like I am right along side of you. Being on a vacation through your review. It is wonderful. Now I need to book something for next year. Keep it coming...

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jimswims

jimswims

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Jim I'm so happy you and your wife enjoyed the enchanted dinner! Weren't the wines amazing? We're still trying to find the Hangtime Pinot Noir (did you have this wine? It was divine!). The deck party was also after the enchanted dinner when we were on board, but we completely forgot about it! I can't even remember where we went after dinner...:rolleyes:

 

They had the chocolate buffet in Raffles? When we were on board it was in the Windows -- such a beautiful dining room!

 

Coka's right -- you should have jumped in the pool!;)

 

When we were on the Spirit in 2006, the chocolate buffet was in Windows and in the afternoon on a sea day. When we were on the Dawn in 2007, the Chocolate buffet was in the buffet area as well.

 

I am not sure why the staff made this switch. Both are really too chaotic for me but I preferred the Windows venue. It was less of free for all!

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