I think I have summed it up. Make sure to go out and participate, don't be shy - act foolish, take chances, meet people and help tyo enhance their experience too. We're all in the same boat. :)
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Was not so happy with having to wait 35 min for the agent to meet me for airport transfer, as she had 'gone to lunch with her Mom', but once I reached the terminal all was well. Easy check in and explanation for a Norwegian newbie, and spent the day on the ship prior to sailaway at 2100 hrs.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Enjoyed iced tea and lemonade, juices, coffee, and milk in the Garden café. Did not partake in soda or alcohol package, (apart from free champers at the art auction) but enjoyed a few bevvies off-board in the various ports. Food was excellent throughout the ship. There was no need to do any a la carte dining, though I might be tempted to do the Capt's table next time for the experience. Sadly, I did not invest in any artwork but enjoyed five flutes of champagne whilst I participated.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Aqua was great - as was the Venitian. This list needs updating as many of these venues have been changed since the 2016 remodel.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
I did not attend at the spa as i was informed it would cost $24/day just to use the steam/sauna.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
None of the places in the drop down list (above) currently exist, to my knowledge. Entertainment onboard included comedy, magician, game shows and amazing productions.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Greta work by staff and crew to make for a safe, clean and comfortable cruise.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Easy to get from bow to stern, on this smaller class ship. Was well maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Smaller inside cabin on Deck 4 - Second from the bow :) As we did not tender, there was never any loud anchor drop as i expected, and pitch was also not too bad. Saw alot of folks wearing skolopine patches behind their ear, but couldnt fathom why. I guess this is subjective.
Ship tip
Had a great week - I got picked to play Deal or No Deal and won $77, then got dragged up to sing along with Broadway Star Natalie Toro (Like the bull, or the lawnmower) at the end of her show :) I also participated in audience participation comedy night in the Bliss Lounge, and although the place was packed to the rafters, only two of us signed up to take the spotlight (which, by the way, is addictive!) Told a good native Inuit story from Northern Canada which most seemed to appreciate.and the next day people were calling out to say Hi! as I made my way around the ship. My tip would be to make sure you step up and participate - play cruise director for a day, go out of your way to meet folks, share a table at dinner, and above all - have fun!
Took a cab ride across to Sapphire Beach ($10 each way). Stopped at Pueblo supermarket just outside the cruise terminal and bought 1 L of vodka for $3.45 US! Missed seeing the "No Trespassing" signs at the resort, and spent the day on the deck of the serenity pool, with only 2 other hotel guests (as some units were still closed due to storm damage) Did not enjoy the iguanas that seemed to move closer everytime you blinked until they were right under my chair, and more prone to hissing than running when I tried to shoo them away.
Caught bus 22 to Nelson Dockyard for $1.50 and then took Bus 17 to Valley Church Beach - Just past Jolly Beach ($1.50) which was beautiful, and free. There was a bit of a wave break and some coral where you enter the water which saw a few folks clamoring to get in and out. Bought a few local beer for $4 and enjoyed them before hopping on the bus back downtown to shop before boarding the ship.
Paid $7 (Rtn) to take the ferry to L'anse deL'ane, and snorkelled at Coco resort (Cost $20 if you want a chair and umbrella, but free to put your stuff on the sand and swim) then walked down the street to another larger beach. Attempted to buy water with US$ but was refused. Although I speak French, the shopkeeper was adamant that she would only take Euro's as Martinique is part of the French Antilles. She did direct me other shops that take US$ but I declined to backtrack, and instead went back to the ship for Iced tea, lemonade with my wings and a Coney Island dog at O'Sheehan's pub.
Took a $5 cab ride to the Baotyard which was great fun - $20 Entrance for a chair, umbrella, free drink, and a trip out to "swim with the sea turtles" Tried the sharkbite, but couldn't taste any booze in it - should have got a "Carib" beer instead. Likewise, once we got out to swim with turtles, I was informed that they havent been around "since the hurricane" so we watched the host feed a bunch of fish instead. The snorkel over two ship wrecks in 5 fathoms of water was great as the water was crystal clear. The beach itself was soft and sandy.
Took a private tour with Ambrose Spencer, as I had read relatively good reviews (although there was one review from Dec that mentioned their boat breaking down briefly - I should have heeded that warning)
35 min ride up-island to "Sugar Beach" resort, nestled near the 2 "Pitons" (2 large mountain peaks) There were chairs for rent at the resort beach, or free chairs and umbrellas on the other side of the dock, where it was a bit more pebbly, but had great snorkelling! Free beer, rum punch, sode, and water seemed like a good idea, until we lost one of the engines on the way back. Ambrose brought a second speedboat, and we all had to crawl from one boat onto the other while both bobbed in the water. After 6 drinks this was abit tricky, and i felt worse for one older lady who they basically lifted over. They poured us a rum punch, but then hit the gas to make up for lost time, and the rum punch went flying in each other's faces, much to our delight, As we bounced around at the front of the boat. Sadly we bounced so much that one lady fell into the bottom of the boat and decided to stay put as she couldnt get back up while the boat bounced. Eventually we hit a wave with such force that everyone started yelling and Ambrose cut the throttle some, but managed to get us back to the ship at 1620 hrs (10 min before the gangway closed) As we docked he said "So, apart from that little 'glitch' did everyone enjoy their day"? Needless to say there were no tips as we all scurried off. There is something to be said for sticking with ship excursions. This one cost $87
Didn't really have a plan for this port so walked over to bus station, then caught a bus with two British blokes who were going to hike up to the Brimstone Hill Fortress, which they said had a great view. Cost was $3.75 EC, (which is ~ $1.50 US) On the bus they mentioned it was a "strenuous" climb. Turned out the citadel was 800m up, and it was a 1/2 mile walk as the pathway zig-zagged up the mtn. After a 45 minute climb I found out that it was $10 US which I declined but stopped at the top gate and took a few quick snaps before walking back down for a beer at the gas station. Caught another bus back downtown, then went to a supermarket and bought a small bottle of "hard wine" (20% alc by vol) and included Siberian ginseng and "horny goat weed" Sat at a traffic circle and bus waiting area near the cruise terminal and sipped wine for before heading back on board for wings and a Caesar salad at O'Sheehan's pub.
Spent 3 days in Tampa after my cruise - rented a car and went to St Pete's Beach. Also drove up to New Port Richey for a day to look around. Won $140 at Seminole Hard Rock Casino on the Friday night to cap off my vacation!
As a newbie, didn't realize that you had to queue up and walk all the way down one side of the ship, through the Bliss Lounge, and then back up the port side to get off. The line moved pretty quick though, and I was able to get a pic with JC Sanchez - our esteemed Cruise Director before disembarking.
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