I tried to keep a daily log on the vacation, recording our adventures,
critiquing our experiences and offering tips for fellow travelers.
It's lengthy, but you can read it in daily sections:
Day 1 - Saturday, March 18 - Departing Miami
We arrived at Ft. Lauderdale airport
at about 11:15 a.m., unsure of quite how we were going to find our NCL
transfer shuttle to the Sun. But the baggage claim area was filled with
hordes of cruisers -- and cruise staff holding clipboards labeled with
their affiliation. Finding NCL's representative was a breeze.
We were led outside about 11:45, and
stashed our luggage to be checked in a Budget rental van NCL uses to
get gear to the ships. We hopped on to the 12 p.m. bus, and we were at
the port of Miami at about 12:45.
Christopher and I had more carry-on
luggage than many other folks, who clearly did a better job of
arranging everything. And, we wanted to make sure all our cameras and
the laptop made it on board. :) So, we hefted a rolling
suitcase, bookbag and duffel through the entire embarkation process.
Thank goodness it was a breeze!
I didn't know quite what to expect,
having read varying reviews on cruisecritic.com; it seemed the average
wait time was about an hour. We didn't have to wait at all -- for
anything. We were handed customs forms for Tortola and the
Bahamas and filled those out before stepping into a line to check
in. We handed over our passports and printed e-ticket. The
attendant took our picture, presumably for computerized records. And we
forked over a credit card to initiate our shipboard account.
Then, we headed into a second main
room, which was filled with empty chairs. We dodged the photographers
and headed to a desk where NCL staffers handed over our ship cards,
used for embarkation, to unlock our stateroom doors and to pay for
extras onboard.
Next it was off to the luggage
scanner and metal detector. There was no wait, and we passed through
with ease (and no one said anything about the bottle of wine we'd
packed, fully expecting to pay a corkage fee, nor a few extra drinks we
had stashed about).
We walked up the long gangplank to
the ship, and we were onboard. The whole process took less than
30 minutes. We forgot to check the time immediately, because we
were immediately preoccupied.
Right as we stepped onboard, NCL crew
members directed us to use hand sanitizer, dispensed automatically from
freestanding machines. We got a ship map and headed into the lobby,
where a long line had formed at the excursion desk. Christopher
got in that (we had been told our first choice for an excursion at
Samana was booked, so we wanted to try again for that, or get something
else scheduled) while I headed to the restaurant desk to make
reservations for le Bistro.
As it turns out, we got the Samana
excursion we originally wanted, even though Christopher had earlier
been told it was booked up. The lesson here is that you should really
try to book your official excursions early (that line was a real drag
when all you want to do is go and check out the boat), but, if for some
reason you don't get what you want, it's worth trying onboard.
Later, in our room, we found the
champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries (five of them) that came
with the romance/honeymoon package we had ordered ahead of time. The
$79 package comes with a meal at a specialty restaurant, a bottle of
wine, the bottle of champagne in the room, the chocolate-covered
strawberries, canapes delivered to your stateroom and a free photo (or
$5 credit, your choice) from the ship's official photographers. It's
worth noting that you don't choose when the canapes will be delivered;
our welcome letter said we'd get them Monday evening.
We ate at the Great Outdoor Cafe on
Deck 12 inadvertently; we'd meant to go to the Garden Cafe on the same
level. Crew members didn't serve us everything, but they insisted on
handing us our wrapped silver and plates. A hand sanitizer dispenser
was prominently located at the front of the line. The food was fine --
nothing to write home about and similar to dorm fare. I actually
really like the iced tea served on board, even though it's not freshly
brewed. I think it's the Lipton's mixed kind also available, as it
happens, in the take-out cafeteria below the U.S. House of
Representatives that I enjoy regularly in 36 ounce quantities.
The muster drill was uneventful,
though we met a fun couple from Nashville -- Pam and Robby -- who, like
us, have a connection to the news business (she's a former
photographer/copy editor). So Christopher and Robby talked country
music and Nashville while Pam and I talked about journalism.
There's nothing quite like hundreds
of people walking around in bright neon orange life boats to make you
feel like partying, so, of course, that's what we -- and the rest of
the ship's passengers -- did next, with a sail-away party around the
pool. The ship was set to sail at 5, but apparently, we were
going to get a slightly earlier start.
The sail-away party was lively, and
folks were already showing signs of intoxication. The barbecue was
fine; again, the food was sufficient, but nothing more.
After the barbecue, we caught the
sunset on the sun deck (deck 13) and headed to a cruisecritic.com
gathering organized by some board members. It was great to meet some
fellow board members and chatters, since there are a lot of folks on
this cruise.
We also stopped by a "Try it before
you buy it" taste-testing of various duty-free alcohols in the ship's
main shop. There wasn't any pressure to buy, and we got to try some
things we'd never tasted before, including a creamy, fruity liquor, an
amaretto-like liquor (that had boozy cream dispensed from a discrete,
but attached, container) and sambuca. Can't say licorice does anything
for me -- not even licorice-flavored alcohol.
We headed to dinner at the Four
Seasons restaurant, where we both had mini shrimp cocktails and prime
rib. The shrimp cocktails tasted fine but were a disappointment (partly
because I normally eat tons of fresh shrimp at home). Also, they
weren't normal-sized crustaceans. I'd thought we'd get just a few of
the big guys, rather than a bunch of the small shrimp you most often
see on salad bars. The prime rib was cafeteria quality;
again, passable, but nothing you'd say wow about. Of course, I'm a
foodie, and in D.C., Christopher and I have gotten the chance to eat at
some really great restaurants, so I'm a tough critic.
The free cappuccino with dessert was
great. And my dessert -- a chocolate confection with a whiskey caramel
sauce -- was quite nice. Christopher's chocolate-raspberry cake was dry.
Despite my harsh criticism of the
food, I actually thought Four Seasons was fine. That said, the place
could use some more lively music. There's some bad muzak piped in
through the stereos there; many of the lounge areas have much better
offerings. Christopher noted that in le Bistro (which we wandered
by), at least the music had words.
The day was capped off by some
late-night ping pong playing (Christopher won) and basketball (I had no
idea I could still make hoops). We also stopped in to check out
the last two songs of a performance of `70s music.
Tips:
- Book those shore excursions early!
If something is booked up when you try to get it, consider trying again
on the ship. Folks might have canceled, freeing up space for you.
- There no longer is a batting cage
on the Sun. There are, however, three ping pong tables, a shuffleboard
court, a basketball court with two hoops and two golf driving stations.
- Bring wire or other light hangers.
We only had eight in our room, and though the steward brought a few
more, it still wasn't enough.
Positives:
- Embarkation was smooth, quick and easy.
- Incredibly friendly staff were everywhere.
- Storage space in our outside
stateroom with porthole (4013) was amazing; NCL has done a great job of
giving passengers the opportunity to utilize almost every nook and
cranny, with spots to hold key cards by the door, hooks in the room and
bathroom and shelves and cubbies throughout the place. Also, the bed is
sufficiently high and open underneath, making that a perfect space to
stash luggage.
- Even our little room had a DVD player.
Negatives:
- The "morgue muzak" in the Four Seasons restaurant.
- Mini shrimp cocktail is in fact a bunch of mini shrimp, not a mini bunch of normal-size shrimp. :)
- Duvet covers are really warm when all you want is a top sheet.
- There were only eight hangers in the closet.
Day 2 - Sunday, March 19 - Great Stirrup Cay (NCL private island)
After a light breakfast at the Garden
Cafe around 8:30 a.m., Christopher and I filled up our water bottles
and headed to the seventh deck to pick up tickets for a tender to Great
Stirrup Cay. The tenders started leaving at 7:30 or so.
We were able to get tickets for a
tender leaving immediately, so we headed down to deck three to board
one. Boy was it rocky! The little ship tethered to the Sun was rocking
and rolling; it was tricky getting down the stairs to the bottom level.
The trip to Great Stirrup Cay -- where we landed right on the beach --
was brief, perhaps lasting five minutes. The sea was calm, and once we
were actually cruising, you couldn't feel much pitch and sway.
At the island, Christopher and I made
a beeline for one of the many, many hammocks. Beach chairs covered the
crowded beach, but there were lots of picnic tables and hammocks
elsewhere on the island. The hammock was great; it was wonderful to
doze between two tall palm trees for a while.
I had misplaced my brimmed hat, so I
headed to the straw market to pick up another one. I found one for $5,
and I didn't haggle, since other merchants were starting out their hats
at 15 and 10 bucks. Folks who were trying to bargain said they were
finding just a little success -- a couple bucks here and there.
Lunch was an NCL-provided barbecue,
with pizza, hot dogs, burgers, and lots of sides. There were plenty of
dessert options: mostly baked goods and a fresh fruit salad. Iced tea
and water were available, too.
There was entertainment on the
island: a band treating us to island music. At one point, they sang "96
degrees in the shade ... but it's not hot."
Well, it wasn't quite 96 degrees in
the shade, but it was hot -- no matter what the singers were telling
us. Thankfully, there was plenty of shade on the island, though
unfortunately, it was usually over benches and such. I wish there were
more lounging opportunities in substantial shade at Great Stirrup Cay.
I applied tons of sunscreen (my
friends know I'm obsessed, practically, with the stuff, but then, that
goes with the territory when you're a fair-skinned brunette), and
amazingly, I ended up with just a few missed patches that are red on
the back of my shoulders and back.
Christopher and I decided to explore
the island a bit, based on the advice of some cruisecritic.com posts.
So we headed down a trail to the left of the beach to a lighthouse,
which was about a mile away. Great Stirrup Cay used to be home to an
Air Force satellite tracking station, and there are remnants of the
military infrastructure beyond NCL's portion of the island. About a
half mile along the path, you leave NCL's official territory and come
to the remains of some military installation. The water here is rich,
dark blue, and the area is relatively secluded (except for a few other
wandering cruise passengers), so it's a nice spot to check out. Further
down the trail, we arrived at the lighthouse, which appears to still be
functioning, thanks to solar panels that charge the light.
Later, Christopher and I headed down
to the beach to get a little snorkeling in before the last tender left,
at 2:30 p.m. We both gave it a try, and had a lot of fun. I haven't
snorkeled since I was a kid on a trip to Hawaii with my family, and it
was a little weird at first; it definitely takes some getting used to.
But soon, I was seeing colorful tropical fish -- mostly white and
yellow but some blue and yellow -- and floating along.
The tender back to the boat was
uneventful and efficient. NCL takes care to wash down your feet as you
enter the tender, to rid you of excess sand. And when you step onto the
Sun, crew members use spray bottles to cover your hands with sanitizer.
The pool deck was hopping; deck
chairs were filled and tons of people were splashing in the pool and
soaking in the jacuzzis. There was a long line at Sprinkles, the ice
cream shop near the Garden Cafe. And, many of our fellow passengers
were taking advantage of the late afternoon freedom to get their
workouts on. The Body Waves fitness facility was packed, and every time
I peeked in, the four elliptical machines were full.
Christopher and I decided to take
advantage of the jogging/walking track on deck six, where we'd had our
muster drill. A mile is three and a half times round the ship.
Then, we headed directly to the fitness room, where I was able to hop
on a free elliptical machine before we did some weights. The room is
well-appointed, with at least eight stationery bikes (two different
styles) and at least eight treadmills.
We rewarded ourself with a scoop of ice cream and some apple cobbler from Sprinkles. Tasty!
Later, we headed to Seven Seas for
dinner, where we waited 15 minutes for a table. We had quiche (dry,
bready), peppered beef slivers with apple-wasabi salad, leg of lamb
(very nice flavor), grilled mahi mahi (yummy, huge portion), chocolate
cake (above average) and vanilla souffle with a raspberry sauce (eggy,
but quite enjoyable). This time, I had two cappuccinos with dinner;
they are quickly becoming a favorite.
Music in the Seven Seas was livelier
than in Four Seasons on Saturday night. Muzak, yes. But this time, it
couldn't be played at a somber gathering.
We took in comedy night at Dazzles,
the main "nightclub" on the ship. Unfortunately, the comedian was less
than stellar. (At one point, he had to resort to canned blonde jokes).
His biggest laugh came at the end of his performance -- when folks had
been tossing back drinks for a half hour -- when he made a joke about
body odor.
Later Dazzles was the scene for a
quick contest between three women (who could do the best lip sync and
dance to "I Will Survive") and three men challenged with another song.
Afterward, there was a '70s dance party (that had a few hits from the
early '80s in the mix). It was a good time.
Tips:
- Fill bottles with ice and water for
Great Stirrup Cay. You'll want to have it handy, and treks to the
water/tea station on GSC are not always convenient. Plus, it's
invaluable if you're exploring other parts of the island, where NCL
doesn't have bar or food service. Also, who wants to buy bottled
Evian water?
- There are no lockers on Great Stirrup Cay. If you bring cameras or other valuables, you'll have to keep track of them.
- If you want to get away from the
crowds on GSC, take the trail to the lighthouse and spend some time on
the vacant military installation.
- There are some nice reclining deck
chairs at the far side of the beach, near the rock that juts out into
the water (and on your left side, as you tender in).
Positives:
- The rooms are really soundproof,
and if you're in the bathroom, you can barely converse with someone
outside it. I only wish my home had this much soundproofing!
- Service, generally, has been great. Crew members continue to be very friendly and accommodating.
Negatives:
- I really wish NSL would make a few lockers available at GSC.
- The comedian wasn't very funny.
Day 3 - Monday, March 20 - At Sea
The day started off with confusion.
What time was it? 8:30? 9:30? Or -- gulp -- 10:30? We couldn't
tell, because, despite a warning about the need to set our clocks
forward an hour, we hadn't managed to follow through on the task.
Since we thought -- mistakenly --
Seven Seas had already closed for breakfast, we headed to Las Ramblas
and the Pacific Grill to take advantage of omelette and waffle
stations. I've discovered that Belgian waffles with chocolate syrup and
cheesy omelettes are a great way to start the day.
After all those calories, a visit to
the gym was in order, so we spent some more time on the elliptical
machines before making our way to the crowded pool deck. Incidentally,
I've read all the posts on cruisecritic.com about folks saving deck
chairs early in the morning, but that didn't prepare me for the
reality. Virtually every deck chair in a prime location on the pool
deck had been claimed with beach towels, and, in some cases, books,
when Christopher and I headed to breakfast. Only a few chairs were
physically occupied by cruisers, and at that time the pool was almost
vacant.
On the pool deck later, crew members
were great about clearing away dishes and trash. The drink pushing
hasn't been too heavy. Announcements about various entertainment,
shopping or spending opportunities on the ship were incessant.
The 4 p.m. martini clinic in the
Windjammer was well-attended. The head bartender -- and clinic leader
-- was August, not the famed Gede. August's presentation wasn't great
(he had to read the history of martinis off a crib sheet) but his
martinis tasted great. And boy, were they potent. The event now costs
$15. For that, you get four different martinis, each served in 4 ounce
glasses. In our cases, the drinks were a classic dry martini, followed
by a sour apple martini, a cosmopolitan and a French martini.
I'd be tempted to blame my
lightheadedness on the booze, if only I hadn't been feeling it since
Sunday night. We've had good conditions -- "slight" according to the
bridge reports on the onboard television -- but today and last night, I
could feel the boat moving. Although I used to get sick on mountain
drives as a kid, I've never had problems the few times I was on a boat,
so I didn't anticipate having any issues this time around. I'm feeling
fine, but there are times where the lightheadedness is disconcerting.
I've noticed this gets better when I'm out and about on the ship,
rather than in our room or elsewhere deep inside the Sun.
Christopher and I received the
canapes that came with the romance/honeymoon package we'd ordered.
There were 10 cold canapes (two each of five different varieties) and
some strawberries and grapes. One canape had brie and apple. Another
had smoked salmon. Another featured big orange roe.
Monday night was our formal dinner.
Like the vast majority of our fellow cruisers, we dressed up
(Christopher in a black suit with a grey tie and me in a long black and
khaki flowered halter dress).
Incidentally, I have been surprised
every night so far with how much people are dressing up. I really
anticipated folks would take advantage of the Freestyle concept and
wear more casual clothing to dinner, but many women are wearing skirts
and dresses, or nice tops and pants. We have seen a few young women
wearing jeans. I actually wish I'd brought more pants, since I find the
dining rooms get kind of chilly after you've downed three or four
glasses of iced tea. :)
At the formal dinner, I had escargot.
My introduction to this delicious, garlicky buttery goodness actually
came on my first and only other cruise, as a kid with my family in
Alaska. Ever since, it's been a treat for me, and NCL's version was no
exception. Christopher and I both had lobster tail. Based on
cruisecritic.com posters' advice, I asked for the sauce to be served on
the side (the menu mentions the sauce and drawn butter come with the
lobster). But, the sauce ended up coming to me on the plate. We had to
ask for drawn butter, and it was poured on our lobster for us, rather
than in a cup for dipping.
The lobster was served with an
asparagus quiche that, unlike the quiche we'd had on a previous night
as an appetizer, not only actually resembled quiche but also was really
tasty.
Dessert was a creme brulee, which was
yummy (it's pretty hard to screw that up). The consistency was great,
too. My only quibble? I prefer my creme brulee cold, and these were
served lukewarm. I suspect the sugar on top is caramelized in an oven
for the sake of convenience, and the sacrifice is the temperature of
the custard.
Tips:
- Iced tea is not available at
breakfast in any of the buffets (I don't know about Seven Seas, the
main dining room that is open for breakfast). So, if you want a cold
beverage in the morning and orange juice, apple juice, milk or water
doesn't cut it, make sure to fill a bottle with iced tea the night
before and stash it in the fridge in your room.
- The hair dryer in stateroom
bathrooms are pretty weak (about what you'd find in most hotel rooms).
If you have a hairstyle that demands precise blowout, or you have thick
hair, you will want to bring your own.
- Sprinkles, the ice cream spot at
the edge of the Garden Cafe, always has some kind of cobbler or bread
pudding available. It's kind of hidden away, but so far, these have
made for tasty treats, with or without ice cream.
- It looks like there are sugar-free
dessert alternatives available at most food stations and in the main
dining rooms each night.
- Sea days might be the best
opportunity to sleep in (a little), but be warned: plenty of stuff
starts happening very early on board.
Positives:
- Getting our first towel animal (we
declined turn-down service our first night, and today, we tipped our
room stewards). For the record, it was an elephant, with Andes mints
for eyes. Rest assured, there is photographic evidence.
- Our room stewards have been great
-- pleasant, efficient and accommodating. They are not overly
solicitous, but they are always ready to assist. We asked if we could
get a corkscrew for a bottle of wine on Wednesday or Thursday night,
and we were given a manual, NCL-branded one tonight and told to keep
it.
- I'm a bit of a television addict. I
like having it on as background noise at home. (I know, it's horrible,
but it's a habit I haven't been able to break). So, it was refreshing
to have the just-released "Walk the Line" playing on the internal cable
today. Other selections have included "Speed," "Dirty Dancing" and "The
Constant Gardener." You're not on a cruise to watch television, but
it's nice to see some variety on the movie channels. Otherwise,
television includes CNN international, an international/Spanish version
of ESPN and an international/Spanish version of TNT, as well several
ship-focused channels showing video of onboard performances and
lectures.
Negatives:
- Getting stuck in the time-out room
(or so it seemed) in the Four Seasons restaurant. The place was
secluded (one other couple was dining there) and set off near the
kitchen, so we got a lot of foot traffic from servers and little
ambience.
- Someone on NCL must be a fan of
"Wind Beneath My Wings," because the muzak version of it is in heavy
rotation in the main dining rooms. Christopher and I heard it at least
twice (two different instrumental versions) in the Four Seasons
tonight, and we heard it once last night in the Seven Seas. It's not
surprising that one of the waitresses walked by singing along. :)
Day 4 - Tuesday, March 21 - Tortola, British Virgin Islands
We started out the day with
breakfast in the Seven Seas, where a cappuccino and brioche were a
perfect complement to very nicely done eggs benedict (the eggs were not
too runny and not overcooked).
We were at sea half the day cruising
into the Virgin Islands. The scenery was absolutely amazing, and of
course Christopher and I spent ages on deck six shooting photographs
and video of the journey.
In
a very pleasant surprise, the Sun
docked at Tortola, instead of anchoring offshore and using tenders to
transport passengers ashore. There was only one other cruise ship
docked in Tortola during our visit. Despite repeated announcements on
the ship, passengers crowded into the hallways and stairways to
disembark. For a few moments, things seemed chaotic, but the crowds
moved through quickly.
Because the ship arrived so late -- 1
p.m. as scheduled -- we were unable to count on ferries on the island
to make it to the Baths by ourselves. So Christopher and I booked the
NCL shore excursion to the Baths, which was just a tad pricier than it
would have been had we gone it alone. But, in exchange, we also got
some rum punch and a couple of very helpful guides.
At the end of the pier, we met
representatives, who put us on open-air buses to take us a half mile to
another small dock, where we boarded a ferry. The ferry ride lasted
about 45 minutes; we were dropped off at the port of Virgin Gorda. From
there, we were transported in another set of open-air buses to the
Baths (a ride that took about 10 minutes). Unfortunately, when it was
all said and done, we didn't begin hiking down to the Baths until 3:20,
and we had to get back on the buses back to the Virgin Gorda port at 5
p.m.
You get off the buses at the very top
of the park. There are amazing views all around, particularly looking
down at the ocean below. The path down to the first beach would take a
fit person three minutes, but when the path is crowded with scores of
fellow sightseers who have just stepped off a bus, it can take a while.
Once we made it down to the first beach and snapped a few photos, we
headed off to a system of caves that led to a second, more remote beach
with no amenities, fewer crowds and even better sights.
To get to that beach, you have to
navigate the caves, where there are puddles of water (presumably, these
are the namesake baths) and great rocks all around. There are some very
tight squeezes, and anyone who is larger or claustrophobic probably
would want to avoid this. (There is an alternative path down to the
second beach, which wasn't promoted to us. See my tips, below, for
more).
We had been told that you needed good
shoes for the journey, but in fact, my sandals were fine for the trip
down to the first beach, and from then on, my bare feet did the trick.
The second beach is beautiful, and
the caves down to them are just amazing. There are some beautiful
sights all along the way (so much so that Christopher and I barely had
time at the second beach because we spent so much time snapping
pictures in the caves).
Christopher and I spent about 15
minutes snorkeling at the second beach. I didn't see any fish, but
Christopher saw some small black and yellow ones.
Roosters and some other animals
(cows, goats) are all over Virgin Gorda. The island is an odd mix, with
some large homes and quite a few new SUVs sprinkled among old,
dilapidated houses.
As we got ready to take a ferry back
to the port of Virgin Gorda, one of our guides warned us to "watch
ourselves" on St. Thomas. The island, she said, is full of "conniving
people." Where a bottle of beer might be a buck on St. Maartens, she
said, it's sure to be two dollars on St. Thomas. I wonder if there's
inter-island rivalry throughout the region.
Our ferry back tried to hook up to
the Sun and unload us directly on the cruise ship, but after three or
four tries, the ferry drivers decided to abandon that plan and sped
along to the dock we'd initially departed from. This actually worked
out better, because it gave Christopher and me time to walk through the
town (and stop in Pusser's for a "painkiller") on the way back to the
ship.
Back on the ship, it was "Caribbean
Night," with themed dinners and a party on the deck, complete with
drinks in carved coconuts. The meal served in the main dining rooms to
match the theme was disappointing, however -- and not just to us. As we
perused the menu posted outside Seven Seas, several other passengers
complained loudly about the offerings.
Instead of dining in Seven Seas or
Four Seasons, Christopher and I headed to Las Ramblas for free tapas (I
had lots of chevre and we had some tasty crab coquettes) and took
advantage of the Garden Cafe. Later, Christopher snagged a
personal-size pizza from the Sports Bar, which serves complimentary
food from 3 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. The pizza was great!
Tips:
- While local and other regulations
bar you from bringing food off the ship, generally, it's not a bad idea
to snag some fresh fruit from the Garden Cafe to have on hand (if you
aren't in a stateroom with a fresh fruit basket). It comes in handy
when you need a light snack, as was the case for Christopher and I just
before disembarkation. We zipped through two apples and two pears
before leaving the ship.
- Check out the "painkiller" at Pusser's in Road Town, Tortola. Yum!
- There is a shortcut path down to
the second beach at the Baths. Christopher and I took it to come back,
on the advice on one of our guides who was anxious to get everyone to
the buses on time. The path would still be tricky for some, but it
doesn't meander through tight, rocky passages. So this would be a nice
alternative for folks who are uneasy about that.
- Get back to the ship on time. In
chatting with the cruise's shopping expert, we learned that for those
who miss the boat in Tortola, there is a $2,000 per person repatriation
fee. At least two people, it appears, did not make it back to the Sun
on time to sail out of Tortola.
- Take in tapas at Las Ramblas before dinner one night. If you're a fan of chevre, you'll love their marinated goat cheese.
Positives:
- The Baths National Park is absolutely amazing. I can't remember ever seeing anything so beautiful.
- The brioche available in the main dining room at breakfast is light and tasty.
- The other passengers on the Sun
have been really fun. You end up seeing some of the same people
frequently throughout the cruise, and it's nice to bump into folks
periodically. For us, it's been fun to check in with a woman who was
quite intoxicated (and mad at her boyfriend) on day one, as well as
folks from cruisecritic.com, Pam/Robby from the muster drill and many
others). Today, we shared a nice chat with a fellow cruiser who has the
same camera both Christopher and I do (a Nikon D70) but has a much more
impressive lens. With very, very few exceptions, everyone has been
really friendly and kids have generally been well behaved (and
entertaining).
Negatives:
- The Caribbean dinner didn't hold
much appeal -- at least to me and Christopher and a handful of other
cruisers who were complaining bitterly about the selection (and the
fact that all the specialty restaurants were booked for the night). The
Garden Cafe was unusually full, and there were no crowds outside the
Seven Seas, as has been the case on other nights. Offerings included
baked meat tortellini, chicken supreme (stuffed with ham, prunes and
eggs on spicy fava beans), West Indian oxtail stew (crisp fried onion
rings, Caribbean roasted vegetables, fried plantains and sweet potato
mash), crisp crouton-crusted tilapia on island ratatouille and island
sweet potato and cassanova quiche.
Day 5 - Wednesday, March 22 - St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
The sun rose early on the fifth day
of our vacation -- and so did we. The ship had docked in St. Thomas
(not near the Havensight Mall, where three ships had docked, but by
another vessel further down the coast). There were five ships
total docked in St. Thomas during our visit.
NCL had told passengers with official
excursions to begin lining up for immigration clearance at 8 a.m. -- a
necessary step before getting off at St. Thomas, since this was a point
of entry back into the United States. Guests who did not have
excursions booked through NCL were told to begin lining up in stages
(for instance, our stage would begin clearance at 9:30 a.m.)
Because Christopher and I did not
have an official excursion booked through NCL and instead had made our
own plans with a tour guide named Godfrey Renal, we were a little
worried about getting off the ship by our designated meeting time of 9
a.m. But we headed down to the immigration clearance line a little
after 8:30 and had no problems getting through it, even though we
didn't have excursion tickets. The whole process took about 12 minutes
-- from getting in line to getting off the gangway. Basically, you wait
in line for a few seconds with a U.S. government official who checks
your passports (or other citizenship papers) to make sure they are
valid.
Once off the boat, Christopher and I
headed off in search of Godfrey. There are two tour operators that
receive high marks on cruisecritic.com: Godfrey Renal and Sunny Liston.
At times, there have been debates on the boards at cruisecritic.com
about which operator is better. Well, as it turns out, I suspect
they're about the same, because at many points, the two men actually
worked together. For 
instance, Sunny actually ended up picking us up
and delivering us to downtown Charlotte Amalie for a few hours of
shopping. Godfrey (left) picked us up later and took ups around the island
(Sunny's van was right behind us) and gave talks to both sets of
passengers on the way up to Mountaintop. At Mountaintop, it was Sunny's
turn to talk. Both gave excellent backgrounds on St. Thomas -- including an extensive history of the island's brushes with hurricanes.
Everyone talks about the good deals
in St. Thomas -- the great bargains on duty-free jewelry, alcohol and
other luxury goods. We weren't in the market for anything high-end, but
I was hoping to snag some larimar earrings, and I wouldn't mind getting
my hands on some inexpensive silver pieces. I'm not a shopping fanatic
-- nor am I obsessed with jewelry -- so it's probably no surprise that
I wasn't wildly enthused about the shopping in St. Thomas.
There's a main drag about two blocks
wide and five blocks long where there are alcohol and jewelry shops
crammed right next to each other. Folks holler at you as you walk by:
"Have you been invited up to the castle yet?" "Jewelry 75 percent off
in here." "Good deals over here." "Here's your excursion."
We did buy some duty-free rum, mainly
because of the selection (there were flavors I'd never seen before in
the United States), though the prices were definitely far better than
I've seen in Washington, D.C. (and better than I'd found in research
before the trip). The stores send it back to the cruise ship for
you, which makes for an easy transaction -- though, of course, you'll
still have to find a way to lug it all home!
There's a little market next to the
stores downtown, but I found jewelry sellers there started out their
prices way too high (even good haggling didn't break the prices down as
low as I thought they should have gone). In one jewelry store, we saw
larimar pendants with sticker prices of $82 brought down to $41 before
real haggling even began -- in one case, the item ended up at
$32. I actually regret now not buying a half-dollar size larimar
pendant for myself. (I guess I'll just have to come back!)
Godfrey took our little group up to
Mountaintop, near -- you guessed it -- the top of the island. It
provides amazing views of Magen's Bay, with its pristine blue waters,
and a good overview of the whole island. The drink of choice at the bar
in the little mall there is a banana daquiri. The bartender has a
generous hand with all of the alcohol he adds to the blender.
Later, Godfrey gave our group a
choice of what beach to hit for the end of the trip. Thankfully, most
of our fellow passengers were also interested in my beach of choice:
Coki, which is known for its good snorkeling. Coki was indeed
beautiful, and while it wasn't secluded, I didn't feel like it was
overcrowded (as, say, was the case on the sand at Great Stirrup Cay).
During our visit, the public
bathrooms at Coki were all out of order. So folks were sent over to
Coral World, an attraction on the beach, to use their bathrooms (for a
$1 fee).
We left our best digital camera and
some other gear locked up in the front of Godfrey's truck, but on the
beach, we found a locker to stow the rest of our stuff. We got a
burger, hot dog and Bahama Mama from a little restaurant on the beach
and then hit the water. Snorkeling here was the best so far on our
trip; the fish were plentiful along a little reef off to one side of
the beach. They were easy to see and came right up to you (especially
when you crumbled dog bones in their direction).
The reef itself had plenty of species
to show off; there were lots of living plants and animals nestled along
the crevices. I'll have to read more about coral life later so I can
identify some of what we saw. We tried, of course, to take photos with
a disposable underwater camera. Hopefully they turned out!
There was an accident on the road
that leads to Coki Beach, and no one was willing to take
responsibility, so traffic was tied up while folks yelled at each other
and other islanders tried to step in and play traffic cop. Eventually,
it all got sorted out, and Godfrey sped us away from Coki and got us
back to our ship around 4:10, with plenty of time to board.
On the ship, we ate at Le Bistro, one
of the specialty restaurants, which normally has a cover charge of $15
per person. We got the dinner free through our purchase of the romance
package (we also got a bottle of house wine or a $22 credit toward a
bottle of our choosing). Christopher had a beef bouillabase with
a pastry top, a caesar salad (made tableside) and a filet mignon with a
bearnaise sauce. He asked for medium rare, and the steak came out
perfect (we've found that many of the best steakhouses in the D.C. area
tend toward the rare side). I had escargot (yum!), fish (details
later), French onion soup and a seared tuna nicoise salad. The entree
was great; the sauce was tasty. The seared tuna salad was a
disappointment, because the folks prepping it in the kitchen had left
it in the icebox too long before adding the seared tuna. As a result,
the eggs were actually a tad frozen. (Oops).
For dessert at Le Bistro, we went
with the fondue, which was delightful. We had expected lukewarm
chocolate, based on some bad reviews on cruisecritic.com, but ours came
out at the perfect temperature. We were each served fruit for dipping
in pineapples, with their cores removed. Either because we
purchased the romance package marketed toward those on their honeymoon
or anniversary, or because we lied when asked by our travel agent if we
were celebrating a special occasion (and said we were), our waiter came
by and said he had a special surprise for us. He and the assistant
waiter came by with a small iced cake ready to take back to our cabin.
And they sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to our table, prompting red
faces and plenty of appreciation.
Service in Le Bistro was
excellent. And the food -- with the exception of that
unintentionally frozen salad -- was great. There was a marked
difference from what we've gotten in the main dining rooms. This was a
memorable evening on board.
Tips:
- If you're ordering from room
service and like your orange juice, make sure to ask for two servings.
The juice is served in smaller glasses than you'll find in the main
dining rooms or at the buffets; it is about a six ounce serving.
- When ordering breakfast from room
service, you can ask for various items to be combined on one plate.
Otherwise, each individual item (a single wedge of cantaloupe, for
instance) might come on individual plates -- and that's just a mess for
everyone.
- Wear your swimsuit under your
clothes if you plan on visiting a beach during part of your time. Coki
was beautiful, but all of the public bathrooms were out of order, and I
suspect this happens often enough that it's a hassle.
- Pack an expandable, but
lightweight, bag for carting stuff home at the end of the trip. You'll
need it, no matter how much you plan to go through while on your cruise.
- Before your trip or early during
it, make sure you get yourself a good hat with a wide brim that will
stay put in the wind. I got a hat with a wide brim for $5 at the straw
market on Great Stirrup Cay, but it wouldn't stay on in a breeze. I
packed a hat that would stay on -- but fell short in the brim
department. Do yourself a favor and make sure you get a hat with both
features.
- Definitely snag towels from the
pool deck for use as extra towels in your cabin and for use on shore.
This saves time checking out towels by the gangway.
Positives:
- Docking. It was so nice not to have to worry about tender tickets.
- Le Bistro was a delight.
Negatives:
- St. Thomas is just 1.9 nautical
miles from Road Town, Tortola, but still, we spent all night cruising
that short distance. It's a shame NCL doesn't take advantage of the two
islands' proximity to let us have more time ashore.
Day 6 - Thursday, March 23 - Samana, Dominican Republic
Cruise ships just started sailing to
Samana, Dominican Republic late last year -- and the newness is evident
everywhere at this very small port. Poor children from the town crowd
sidewalks near the port and ask you to exchange their quarters for
fresh, spendable U.S. dollar bills. The single bathroom at the port is
barely functioning. The single pier jutting out into the sea can only
handle a couple dozen people unloading off tenders at any one time.
Despite the newness of cruise tourism
in this small port, the city is worth a visit. Because the port is just
getting used to boatloads of tourists -- and based on the advice of
posters on the cruisecritic.com message boards -- we decided to book an
official NCL excursion: the cave, rainforest and mangrove tour.
The Sun dropped its anchor around 8
a.m., but those on official excursions were told to gather in the Four
Seasons dining room beginning at 7:45. Our tour was the second to
leave; we were led directly to the gangway and onto a tender. The ride
to the pier was about five to 10 minutes long.
As you approach the port, you see
palm trees jutting up from mountaintops overlooking the sea and small
boats bobbing in the water. The area is lush and tropical.
From the tender, we were taken
directly to a speedboat for the tour. There were three operators:
Kelly, our tour guide and the narrator, and two other men who operated
the boat. We sped along on the open sea for a while, passing by
the anchored cruise ship and heading to islands about 30 minutes away.
Kelly, who has been operating tours like this since 1978, gave a brief
history of Samana,
He took us first to a cave that is
part of land protected by the Dominican Republic government. From the
speedboat, we stepped off onto a very, very small pier that could hold
less than 10 people at a time (and then it would be crowded). We then
climbed up some steps and headed into the cave. Inside, there were
stalagtites and stalactites. Long vines hung down from plants at
openings in the cave above. The plants send the vines down, and over
time, they anchor to the ground and take root before growing wider and
stronger.
Back in the speedboat, Kelly took us
around some of the small, lush islands off the Dominican Republic coast
and showed us some of the small caves on their sides. One is nicknamed
"Mouth of Hell." Another he called "Shark's Mouth," for its resemblance
to the same.
We saw scores of birds -- some pelicans, some vultures,
and some other wild types -- circling above one small island. The birds
have made this island their home for years, and the place is always
crowded with them. When we were there, we saw male birds puffed up and
red, seeking mates.
Along the way, we also saw a silvery
blue fish skipping along in the water. He bounced six or seven times,
parallel with the boat, before slipping under the water and
disappearing.
We cruised into a mangrove, where the
trees' long roots flanked our boat. We docked at another small pier and
headed into a protected rainforest.
A short trail through the forest
led us to a cave where children had long ago painted petroglyphs on the
rock walls. Again, we saw unusual and interesting rock formations
inside the cave, before we headed back out.
There were other tour groups -- both
official NCL excursions and unofficial ones taken by other tourists on
the Dominican Republic -- entering the rainforest as we left, all via
the same small pier. Too many more, and this place would have been
overrun. If this port becomes more popular, it seems inevitable that
some of these lush, more secluded sights will be.
Back at the port of Samana, locals
were eagerly offering their services to tourists as we stepped into the
country: "Do you want your hair braided?" "Want a tour?" Some had set
up small tables, where they sold pina coladas in coconuts and cans of
soda. Others were hawking hats made out of palm fronds. (Haggling
could get them as low as $2 apiece).
Christopher and I walked about five
blocks away from the port, passing a few restaurants and lots of locals
selling their wares and services (hair braiding and shoe shining were
popular). We saw a small pharmacy (later, fellow cruise passengers told
us they were able to get some of their prescription
cholesterol-lowering drugs without a prescription for extremely low
prices here).
We stopped in a restaurant (Cocina Francesa y Dominicana) -- one of
the three bigger ones along the main drag. Outside on the deck, we
enjoyed bottles of beer, the shade and a cool breeze. The menu was
offered in English, Spanish and French, though our waiter really only
knew Spanish. Prices were in pesos (with an exchange rate of 30 to $1).
Fellow passengers raved about the
grilled shrimp. Christopher had garlic pasta and a flourless chocolate
cake. I had fish in a coconut sauce (very much like a Thai
coconut-curry sauce). It was delicious! (Some of the other tourists
from our cruise joked that the food there had been the best on their
vacations so far). Watch out for tips being included in the final
bill if you dine at this spot.
A small market is set up about two
blocks from the pier. There, the main offerings are Cohiba cigars, some
larimar (or knock-off larimar; I'm no expert) jewelry and a few locally
made trinkets and bowls.
Outside the market, Christopher and I
saw a woman carrying bananas in a basket on her head. Of course, we had
to take some pictures -- and get a few bananas at the same time. They
looked green, and when I selected our three from the woman's basket, I
wasn't sure if I was going to get anything good. "Not green," she said,
assuring us that they were all good. Indeed, she wasn't lying. They
were easily the sweetest, best bananas I'd ever had -- and not at all
mushy. Yum!
Speaking of yum...for dinner,
Christopher and I ate at the Four Seasons, where we had the champagne
that came with our honeymoon/romance package (and had been waiting in
our room for us the day we embarked). I had swordfish (huge portion,
good treatment) and asked for the risotto entree as an appetizer (it
was tasty, and the rice had just enough bite); Christopher had a
chicken parmesan, one of the Cooking Light items, which turned out to
be a tad dry. The chocolate souffles with a Bailey's sauce for dessert
were delicious.
That dessert, it turned out, was just
a prelude to the chocolate orgy to come. The popular "Chocoholics
Buffet" ran for an hour Thursday in the Four Seasons. Christopher and I
came within the first 10 minutes, and already, lines reached the door.
(Thirty minutes later, lines stretched through the atrium on the fifth
floor). Carved chocolate sculptures of animals and sealife
decorated the tables, along with a few ice sculptures, too. Along the
tables were chocolate offerings of all kinds (except, as one passenger
despondently noted, there was no fudge). Chocolate cakes lining
the front of each table were tempting, but if you could get past them,
you found better options, including chocolate-covered strawberries and
bananas, fondue and chocolate pastries (including some sugar-free
options). Wait staff circled the room, providing iced water to
guests.
The chocoholics buffet inspires greed
in even the most responsible, refined individuals, and we saw (and
displayed) plenty of it Thursday night. People left the dining room
with heaps of chocolate-covered strawberries on their plates; others
grabbed for goodies in line without any shame. I can't blame them.
Chocolate is pretty heady stuff.
Before the simultaneous
food/entertainment of the chocolate bufeet, the hot ticket in the
Stardust Lounge was Cirque Pan, the Sun's scaled-down copy of Cirque du
Soleil. The show was entertaining, and I certainly admire the ability
of some of the performers, all part of the Jean Ann Ryan company. But
it still was on par with what you'd see at theme park shows (this was
not the caliber of a Las Vegas or touring show). Christopher and
I did not take advantage of the Latin dance show the night before, but
that got rave reviews from fellow passengers.
Tips:
- Write-in "ice" as an order on your
breakfast room service card, if you're ordering the meal for your room.
Your room stewards will keep the room's ice bucket replenished, but
they won't usually have visited for the morning clean-up before you
head out on excursions. And it's handy to have ice for water bottles at
the ready (without having to trek over to the Garden Cafe to get some).
- Feel free to bring some breakfast
with you to the designated waiting area for folks on official NCL
excursions who need to take tenders to the dock. Though we were told to
show up at 7:45, it was at least 20 minutes before we headed off the
ship, and in the meantime, we were just sitting in the dining room
wishing we were eating fruit or drinking coffee.
- If you take the cave, rainforest
and mangrove tour, and you get cold easily, be sure to wear a
long-sleeve cover up or bring a beach towel to wrap around you while on
the speedboat. It's fine at slow speeds, but when you're speeding
along, it can get pretty chilly.
- If you're uncomfortable climbing
along rocky paths, the mangrove tour isn't for you. You will have to
navigate across rocky paths, and at times climb up a couple feet in a
single shot without handrails or other places to brace yourself. Good
shoes are a good idea (sandals, like the Teva ones that anchor to your
feet are fine).
- Sure, NCL offers "freestyle
cruising," and you can dress most any way you want for dinner. But, if
you want to take advantage of nights for more formal dressing, be sure
to check the clothing specifications and guidelines on the top right
corner of each Freestyle Daily. We didn't realize Thursday night was a
semi-formal night (optional, of course) until after we were in the
dining room. I had two long dresses with me on the cruise, and I'd have
loved to wear the second this evening.
- With all of the activities onboard
and excursions at shore, you'll be running around a lot -- and, trust
me, you'll be showering a lot, too. The shampoo-conditioner mix
in the staterooms is pretty weak (I didn't get much conditioner from
it, at all). If you have long, thick or tangle-prone hair, bring your
own conditioner.
Positives:
- A tip to the room stewards and a
request from Christopher brought us two new towel animals: a dog
wearing sunglasses and a rabbit with gold Andes mint eyes. Even better:
we read in Friday's Freestyle Daily that we'll be able to learn how to
make the things ourselves during a class led by housekeeping staff.
That's a very good thing, since my attempt to deconstruct the
terrycloth works of art were not always a success.
Negatives:
- Muzak report: No lie, during our
dinner in the Four Seasons (from 6:45 to 8:15), we heard instrumental
versions of "Wind Beneath My Wings" on three different occasions. We
asked our waiter about the song, and he said was on regular rotation
not just on NCL but also on the other cruiseline on which he worked --
and he's been in the business about a dozen years. Amazing -- and
dreadful!
Day 7 - Friday, March 24 - At Sea
With the memory of the Sun's eggs
benedict still lingering, Christopher and I headed to the Seven Seas
for breakfast. For all of the formal meals, we've sat alone, but this
time, the place was hopping, and the hostess asked us if we would mind
sharing. I was inclined against; Christopher was neutral. But we ended
up doing it anyway -- and I'm very glad we did. We sat with a couple
originally from England, who asked all about the "holiday" and
unintentionally reminded us that the proper way to ask for croissants
is to request a "cra-saw." :)
My biggest priority for the day was
to learn how to make towel animals at a workshop with the housekeeping
staff. A couple dozen people attended the class in the observation
lounge, where room stewards showed us how to fold, twist and bend
terrycloth sheets into all sorts of creations: dogs, mice, monkeys,
swans, alligators, elephants and more. I videotaped the presentation to
ensure I could make my own once home, but they also gave us a handout
with notes on some of the animal-making.
After the presentation, we heard
someone talking on his cell phone. It's not an unusual situation back
on land and I'm not normally annoyed by it, but this time, it was
jarring. Just a week away from the hustle and bustle, and I'd forgotten
all about the reality of cell phones. Of course, reality was starting
to touch us in small ways throughout our last day at sea. After all, we
knew we were going to have to pack everything up in the evening.
Later, Christopher and I hit the
digital photo behind-the-scenes tour of the Sun. Before the Sept. 11,
2001 terrorist attacks, these tours used to take place in-person, with
Sun crew leading passengers through the bridge and other areas of the
ship that are now off-limits. The digital photo tour is the end
result; now we see many of the same sights, just on a projection screen
and from theater seats. The hour-long presentation was
informative and interesting; it was capped by a Q-and-A session with
the captain and the chief engineer.
A trip by the photo gallery was in
order to purchase a couple photos from the two formal shots Christopher
and I had taken. Throughout the cruise, we mostly avoided the
photographers, jumping past them on the piers, in the embarkation line
and as they milled around the pool. But twice, we took advantage of the
studio photography setup in the atrium before dinner each night. I
wouldn't say the photo quality was stellar. After all, the
photography staff is shooting with the same Nikon D-70/D-70s that
Christopher and I both have. But they do have remote flashes set up for
softer lighting, and the photographers do go through several poses (and
several props) with each couple.
Through the honeymoon/romance
package, we were supposed to get a free photo (presumably a 5-by-7) or
a $5 credit toward the purchase of something larger. Unfortunately, all
of the formal photos were pre-printed at 8.5-by-11, and to get our free
5-by-7, we were told, we'd have to buy the bigger print first.
They would not sell digital images, which is disappointing. And, a
package of three formal 8.5-by-11 photos was $60, before the $5
discount -- not the $25 each you'd pay if purchased separately.
Later, a photo staffer told us we could have used our $5 credit to get
-- for free -- an additional large print of an image we had not
purchased (in direct opposition to what he'd told us not a half hour
before). Fully knowing our $55 purchase was obscenely priced, we
bought the photos, because, well...we just looked good. We can't
help that. :)
I'm not sure if the photo department
still offers a package of all of a family's photos for $200 or so,
though I've heard about that on the cruisecritic.com boards. For a
family of four, this actually could be worth it -- and a great way to
get lots of shots of the entire family. If you intended to do
that, I'd definitely take advantage of every canned opportunity with
the photogs, go to every formal photography session in the atrium and
snag the photographers for shots anytime you saw them walking around
the ship. You'd still probably be paying $10 and $5 for each
photo, so it wouldn't be cheap, but it is one alternative to buying a
couple of extremely expensive individual prints.
Christopher and I both went for runs
around the ship on the deck six track (he did 18 laps, just over five
miles) and I did seven laps (two miles). Then, we stopped by the "Body
Waves" gym on deck 11, which was a ghost town (even though it's been
packed every other day of the cruise). I hopped on an elliptical
machine to complete my cardio, before we took advantage of the empty
weight machines. I have a gym membership at home, so this routine isn't
too different from what I'm already doing (though it's much more
convenient!) but for Christopher, it was a nice change to be able to
work out at will. Christopher said later he would miss being able to
use the weight machines.
Dinner was the "chef's menu," and
Christopher and I both took advantage of some of the tasty entree
selections to ask for an extra each. Unlike the previous night,
however, we didn't loudly specify that I wanted the risotto, for
instance, as an appetizer, so we were each served two full-size entrees
when it came time for that portion of the meal. Besides making us look
like gluttons, this was just way too much food. The latest risotto was
creamy and the honey-glazed salmon was tasty and moist. The pasta with
chili flakes had more kick than Christopher expected, but the flavor
was all one-note (there weren't other flavors to complement that heat).
The tuna tartar appetizer was a different preparation than I expected
(it was minced, essentially, and formed into rounds) but I found it
tasty. The warm apple pastry dessert had a flavor just like apple pie.
The vanilla caramel flan (a Cooking Light option) had a decent flavor,
but the texture was all wrong.
After packing, Christopher and I
headed to the pool deck for a game of shuffleboard we'd been planning
since the day we stepped on board. Tragically, the game area was
cordoned off, either because it was the last night of the trip or
because the wind was really blowing up there. So, we did not get
our game on. (I guess we'll just have to go on another cruise for some
of the much-anticipated shuffleboard).
Tips:
- Take advantage of the breakfasts in
the main dining rooms. The eggs benedict, I've now learned, will not
come out with any predictable yolk consistency. But I like mine any way
I can get it. And the cappuccinos are always free in the main dining
rooms, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Stretch your limits and sit with
other guests, if that's offered to you. I was not inclined to do it,
but Christopher and I agreed to share a table when the hostess asked.
We ended up having a delightful breakfast and conversation with a
couple from Canada (by way of England).
- If you have your laptop with you on
the cruise and are using wireless, make sure you check it out on the
pool deck. I didn't realize it was a hotspot until Friday, and, of
course, it's much better to sit poolside to check your email than in
some stuffy lounge on the sixth floor.
Positives:
- The ship is always sparkling clean,
and guests frequently come across crew members touching up outside
doors with paint or polishing brass on the stairwells.
- I can't say enough about the crew
members, who, on the whole were friendly and eager to help. I found
this to be true everywhere on the ship -- from the staffers cleaning
walls who asked how you were doing and chatted to the room stewards who
asked for stories about your day at shore. The only exception
were some of the wait staff in the main dining rooms; although some
(mainly the assistant waiters) were pleasant and officious, others were
stiff and unenthused; they seemed to be just going through the motions.
Negatives:
- The "free photo" component of the
honeymoon/romance package isn't all what it seems. It's billed as a
free photo of your choosing, but, in fact, to get the free photo --
only good for 5-by-7s -- you have to buy the 8.5-by-11 version first
(for formal pics, the pricetag for those is $20-$25). Otherwise, the
"free photo" is just a $5 credit toward the purchase of such a photo.
- Shuffleboard closed early!
Day 8 - Saturday, March 25 - Disembarkation
In a bid to prolong the cruise -- for
at least a little longer -- Christopher and I headed to Seven Seas for
one last formal breakfast. The menu was limited (sadly, eggs benedict
was not available), but the meal was a great way to begin the last day
of our vacation.
We also had a delightful conversation
with a couple seated right next to us, who, having lived in Fort
Lauderdale for years, were pros at cruising (and the Sun).
Because we were using NCL's shuttle
to Ft. Lauderdale airport, we did not qualify for express
disembarkation. But that was fine with us; it gave us time for that
last breakfast, after all. We had packed our big suitcases the
night before and left them outside our door around midnight. In
the morning, all we had to do was leave with our liquor (purchased at
St. Thomas and delivered to the stateroom the night before
disembarkation) and our carry-ons.
We had been given white luggage tags
and were coded "white" for the disembarkation. At 9:20 a.m., our color
was called and we headed down to the atrium to leave the ship and be
scanned one last time. Our exit off the ship and down the gangway went
fine. Upon entering the main terminal, we were pointed to the left,
where all of the luggage for the white group had been set up. I
had worried that we'd have to weed through tons of bags and suitcases
to find ours, but the group was small enough that this wasn't a problem.
The biggest headache was lugging all
of our luggage (how did it expand so much in just seven days, anyway?)
through the terminal, while holding our passport and customs
declaration form at the ready for government officials.
Going through customs was a breeze. We weren't asked any questions about our purchases and our bags were not inspected.
Outside the terminal, it was chaotic.
We were pointed toward a bus that would cart us all to Ft. Lauderdale
airport, but the line was too long for the first bus, which pulled away
without us. Eventually, we were in line for a bus -- and it looked like
we'd make it on board -- but the driver was struggling to cram
everyone's bags in the storage area underneath and the NCL official
checking us on to the bus didn't want us to get on board until all of
our luggage had made it too.
Despite the chaos, the process went
fairly quickly, and we pulled away at about 10:10. The entire process,
from start to finish, had taken less than an hour.
At the airport, we were dropped off a
couple of blocks away from the entrance to the Southwest ticket counter
and check-in area. We were barred from checking in until four hours
before our flight (at 3:25 p.m.), so we camped out in the main area for
a while. Fortunately, my mother had checked us in online the day
before, so we were in Southwest's A category -- the first to board.
Another blessing: Ft. Lauderdale has
free wireless access in all of its terminals. This was delightful,
particularly given the long wait before our flight. The airport
doesn't have much by way of amenities, but the free wireless, combined
with sit-down service at a restaurant offering Cheeburger, Cheeburger
and Pizzeria Uno's, was a nice way to kill time.
Tips:
- On board, your "Sun card" is your
all-access pass. It's your charge card for purchases on the ship, as
well as the key for your stateroom. It also serves as documentation for
your entry and exit from the Sun. Clearly, it's something you don't
want to lose. To keep track of ours, we had the receptionists at the
front desk punch holes in our cards, and we used lanyards to hold on to
them. If you don't bring a lanyard with you, the casino has some
available for free on that first day, so people can keep track of their
casino play cards.
Positives:
- Disembarkation generally went
smoothly. There were small hiccups and minor chaos (things can always
be organized better, after all), but generally, it went well. It took
just an hour for us to step off the ship and pull away from the port in
an NCL-contracted bus.
Negatives:
- Leaving the cruise. I want to go back!
Day 9 - Sunday, March 26 - Back to Reality
I woke up Sunday morning bleary-eyed
and wondering where my breakfast in bed was, why I didn't have any
fresh towels and why my luggage was strewn across the floor. No one was
bringing me cappuccinos or offering me eggs benedict. Instead of room
stewards coming by to see what we needed, I had two cats plopping
themselves on my body and purring (loudly). I didn't have a warm pool
to hop in (even stepping outside would require a jacket).
Whoever said "It's good to be back" must not have been returning from a week away on a Caribbean cruise.
Reality is rough.