A Mrs Fashionista Honeymoon Getaway

Hello Cruise Critic friends!

After a regrettably long absence from these tales of mine, I’m back. For those of you who know who I am, hi and thanks for reading! For those who don’t, let me explain….

I’m a 31 year old British girl from Manchester in the UK. I started cruising solo about 5 or 6 years ago and fell in love with it. I hoovered up every bit of information I could here on CC to prepare for my first trip and have been an avid member ever since. I loved reading all the details people posted and seeing their photos, so I decided to give back by doing the same. I wanted to let everyone know about my experiences, especially fellow Solos, for whom cruising can be quite daunting sometimes. I’m really interested in clothes and fashion, and seeing as people always ask about what to wear on cruises, I started taking an ‘outfit of the day’ photo especially for my reviews. I see cruising as a chance to wear my nicer clothes that maybe I don’t get the opportunity to wear at home. I also LOVE to eat, so food and the dining experience are very important to me.

Somehow this turned into me writing long, day-by-day stories about my adventures as the Solo Fashionista. And they have been adventures indeed! These culminated in this happy singleton unexpectedly finding a soul mate, and where else but on a ship of course. Perhaps to the surprise of some of my followers, who had been wondering for years why I hadn’t met a ‘nice man’ yet, I met a ‘nice girl’ instead! We bumped into each other on the dance floor on Carnival Sunshine in 2014, and despite M living in Florida, we kept our relationship going back and forth across the ocean. So began my first experience of cruising with, gasp, ANOTHER PERSON! I didn’t push her overboard, and earlier this year I took the huge step of leaving England to come to live with M in America. We got married in February :D Due to my visa situation, my dreams of getting married onboard were thwarted, so we decided that as soon as I got my green card we would celebrate by taking a honeymoon cruise.

After delving into the previously uncharted territory of the Whale Tail, and cruising with Carnival for a few trips, I was keen to return to NCL and experience one of their bigger ships with M. This led us to the Norwegian Getaway from Miami. We took the Western Caribbean route, stopping at Honduras, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel. We actually did this exact itinery last year on Carnival Sunshine (the only cruise I didn’t review, mainly due to having only just been on that ship the year before.) However, this cruise was about the ship and the experience for us, rather than the specific ports. After a long, hard slog to get me over to America, arrange my documentation, and set up my new life, we were very ready to simply relax and enjoy ourselves.

We didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary so we booked only three weeks out. We chose the beverage and dining packages as our ‘free’ perks. These actually weren’t free, it cost us about $200 more each to choose the balcony stateroom category with the perks included, versus the standard BX guarantee category that didn’t. I figured that at least this way we could pick our cabin. But no! Sneaky NCL actually made it so that the BD and BC categories were also guarantee rooms. Hmmmm. Still, I knew from previous experience that we would spend way more than $200 each on drinks and speciality dining during the week so it was well worth it. You also have to remember that you still have to pay the 18% gratuities on the packages upfront. But you would pay this for each drink you would buy on the ship anyway, so if you have more than the odd drink each day, it makes sense. I also booked through a cruise agent, rather than with NCL, because though the cruise price was identical, the agent gave us $125 onboard credit.

We were assigned our cabin, a standard balcony, about a week before the sailing. I decided to call the NCL upsell department and see what all the fuss was about. It doesn’t exist in the UK as far as I can tell. This isn’t upgrading, where you pay the difference to move up to a higher category, but where NCL use their secret scientific algorithms (or maybe just current capacity and availability :rolleyes:) to determine prices for you to upsell to a suite. The lady I spoke to told me that they only consider upsells to other categories, e.g. balconies or mini-suites three days before sailings. It was our honeymoon after all, so after some deliberation, I took a Spa Balcony Suite for $500pp more. We also had the option of a Penthouse Suite for the same price, but with it only being the two of us, we didn’t feel we needed separate bedroom and living room areas, and would get more use out of the thermal spa and the Jacuzzi in our cabin! I was beyond excited to finally get admitted to the secret world of the Haven! All the previously ignored Haven posts (no point taunting myself with things I wouldn’t be enjoying) suddenly got hunted down as I scoured the internet for every little detail. Well I had to keep myself occupied somehow…

As always, I have now rambled on for waaaaay too long, but at least now you have the background to this trip. Coming up, cruise time!

Hey, hey, welcome back! Congratulations on the wedding and thank you for sharing one more blog with us!

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. I cannot wait to read your review and of course see your pictures (and outfits).

Following :)

I can't wait to hear all about your trip! I love your reviews! Congratulations to you and M on your marriage and of course your honeymoon!!

So excited for your review as they are all entertaining. Getaway is one of my favorite ships and I'm looking forward to reading about your Haven, dining and fashion experiences!

Tracy

I was just wondering when you would be doing your review. Looking forward to reading it. We are in the Haven on the Getaway in February.

Best Wishes to you both! Looking forward to reading about your adventures!

Congrats on the wedding!!! Cant wait to hear more :)

Congratulations on all the amazing things that have been happening to you. Not the least of which was finding the love of your life!

I look forward to your review of the ship; but more than that...the pics of your shoes:)

Cheers,

Sandra

Day 1 – Embarkation

We woke up early to drive down to Miami. As usual, I’d been on my healthy eating kick for a few weeks before the cruise, so we celebrated by stuffing our faces with McDonald’s breakfasts! The 3 hour drive went smoothly and we easily arrived at the parking lot for Safe Cruise Parking, a few minutes away from the port. I had used this company before and was happy with them, so they were the obviously choice for this trip. It cost $7.50 a day to park there and there was a $7 booking fee. However, after a bit of internet research I booked through Park Jockey instead, which had no booking fee and $5 off with discount code ‘cruise123’. In the end I paid $55 in total for 8 days, not bad at all. They include a shuttle to the port, which takes about 15 minutes, and the process was as simple as I remembered.

We were looking forward to the priority Haven embarkation and hopefully skipping the lines. Everyone still had to queue together to get checked by security and into the terminal building, but this only took about 10 minutes. This is where things got a little confusing. We were directed into a room set aside for Haven guests, which had its own check-in desk and drinks/snacks etc. No-one seemed very sure what they were meant to do, as staff weren’t giving any instructions. When we went up to the desk, we were handed our medical forms but told to sit down. Then someone asked for our edocs and told us to wait to be called up. Then we were asked for our documents again, and had to explain someone else took them. We were shuttled back and forth between this room and an identical one across the hallway, where we were finally issued our key cards by a gentleman who seem more experienced and rather frustrated at the lack of order. We were escorted onto the ship by another member of staff, who didn’t really speak to us and wasn’t very assertive with leading us through the crowds. It wasn’t difficult but it could have gone a lot quicker if the staff had made the process clearer and had been more organised. Still, we were very happy, as after all we were boarding the Getaway!

We were taken straight to the Haven lounge, where all the chaos and confusion immediately dissipated as we were left with the very capable, exceptional staff who work there. Virginia, the concierge, went round introducing herself to everyone, whilst waiters passed round mini burgers and fries. She announced that the cabins were ready, but when we went to ours, (which being a Spa suite wasn’t part of the Haven complex) the corridor doors were still pulled shut. We weren’t sure if we were meant to go in or not, so we decided to just quickly drop off our carry on bags even through the room seemed ready. It was gorgeous! Beautifully decorated, with plenty of space for two of us, the biggest bathroom I’ve ever had at sea, and of course, that Jacuzzi! There are loads of photos online, far better than my amateur snaps, if anyone wants to see them.

We decided to celebrate our arrival with a cocktail in the Haven to build up an appetite for lunch. The cocktail menu was amazing, we wanted them all! We both the chose the Bee Charmer, a gin based elixir sent straight from the cocktail Gods. Mmmmmmmmmm.

In a happy Bee Charmer haze we went to the Haven dining room. I loved it in there; a lovely setting with huge picture windows, fantastic staff and delicious food. I had the prosciutto and mozzarella salad, and M had lobster bisque followed by scallops. The portions were very lunchtime appropriate and everything was excellent. After this we went to explore the ship until it was time for the muster drill. Having been on the Epic twice, I had an idea what to expect but for some reason still couldn’t ever remember where anything was. The ship was very well signposted, and has interactive screen everywhere to help you find places, I just have no sense of direction!

Our muster station was in the theatre and was quick and well organised. I like the way NCL scan your card to check who has actually attended, rather the counting/crossing off a list approach of Carnival. Once it finished we returned to our cabin, where we found our luggage waiting for us. We unpacked and met both our cabin steward and butler. Both were very friendly and efficient, always saying hello when we saw them throughout the week, though we didn’t really need anything in particular from either of them. We missed the sailaway party as we were unpacking, so we headed out in search of a drink. It was very hot outside so we settled on the cool interior of the Sunset Bar. I loved the décor but found the staff lacking. Even though it wasn’t very busy, no-one took our order, so I went up to the bar. The barman looked at me and just ignored me! Eventually someone asked me what I wanted and brought our ciders over to us. (English Strongbow, oh how I missed you in America!) Whilst we were there we saw the solo gathering, which was hosted in this bar at 5.30pm each day. There was a good turn out. Having been a long term solo, I automatically watch and take note of these things.

Back in our cabin, a small plate of canapés had been left for us as today’s afternoon treat, so we enjoyed these on the balcony then got ready for the evening. Tonight I wore a new pink lace dress with cream wedge heels and a cream clutch bag. M wore a black dress patterned with yellow and black flowers and black wedges. It might be the first day, but I still like to dress nicely. We had also picked cute daytime outfits too; after all fancy cocktails followed by a delicious multi course lunch are not something we do every day at home!

We returned to the Haven bar (can you see a pattern starting here?!) for champagne cocktails before dinner in the restaurant. To start I had short rib, which was one of the tastiest items on the menu, and very refined and delicate, followed by steamed lobster. The lobster was cooked to perfection, and had been pulled out the shell, cut up then placed back in, to make for easier eating. M had risotto, which was good but a huge bowl full, too much for an appetiser really, then a well cooked, tasty duck dish. We shared a strawberry and basil parfait for desert, and even though it wasn’t on the menu, our waiter was more than happy to arrange for a cheese plate to take with us. He offered to call our butler to deliver it to our cabin, but we declined as we would be passing anyway.

We headed to Howl at the Moon duelling pianos in Headliners. It was pretty full but we got seats with no problem. Those wooden chairs were sooooo uncomfortable though, prepare for a numb bum! I loved Howl on the Epic, and perhaps I was expecting too much, because these guys were good, but the experience wasn’t as fun as I remembered. However they were talented musicians and did a good job getting the audience involved.

We went to check out the nightclub, Bliss, and were surprised to see it so busy in the first night. We sat at the bar where we met a couple who became our new friends for the week. We had a great time drinking and dancing the night away together. We were glad that tonight we went to bed to find a card announcing that the clocks went back one hour.

Day 2 – At Sea

First things first, the bed was amazingly comfy, like being wrapped up in a giant marshmallow! I was starting to feel the difference of having a suite, especially when I was able to address one of my long standing irritations of cruising, bad coffee. Having the Lavazza machine in the room was a simple, but great bonus for me. Starting what was to become our morning routine, we took our coffees out onto the balcony. I put on one of the robes provided, which was lovely but massive! We also had slippers provided, but it was only later that I realised they were two different sizes and I could fit into the smaller pair.

When we left the cabin, we had a letter waiting for us outside. The night before we had walked through the art gallery and stopped to chat with the staff there. They had cleverly noted our preferred artists and sent us further information on them, along with an invite to the auction taking place later that day. I thought that this was a nice personal touch. We were both feeling rather rough after our night of unexpected shots and partying so we felt we couldn’t taint the oasis of the Haven with our hungover selves. Instead we headed to O’Sheehan’s for comfort food. We had to wait quite a long time for our breakfast, and the corned beef hash and omelette we ordered were only ok. O’Sheehan’s is open in the middle to the Atrium area below. This can be good for sitting and watching the events taking place below, but it also meant you could hear everything. A Sudoku challenge was taking place –ok, ok, not the most raucous of events I know – but the host was really loud and my bleary head did not appreciate this!

After breakfast we found a peaceful spot on the Waterfront to relax watching the waves go by. We got comfy seats with no problem, and it really didn’t feel like it was a sea day on a full ship. As other people have mentioned before, this would be a great place for those without a balcony to enjoy.

Today was the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, held in Cagney’s. We stopped by and chatted to some great people, including a familiar face. I forgot to mention that completely by chance, and old cruise buddy of mine, who I met on the Epic a few years ago, was on this sailing too! The group of us from that cruise really got on and we have all stayed in touch ever since. D and her boys were also staying in the Haven so we had said hello yesterday, and it was just fantastic to be reunited with my lovely friend. Drinks and snacks were provided at the meet and greet, along with treats like little muffins and milkshakes being passed around. The officers attended and introduced themselves as usual.

Following this M and I went up to the Haven to continue our day of relaxation. The bottom level of the Haven outside area got pretty hot as it was sheltered from the breeze, plus there was a loud group in the hot tub, so we went up one level to the back sundeck. It was beautiful up there, nice and quiet, with an abundance of padded loungers, clamshells, and beds. There were also plenty of shaded areas for those needing some shelter like us. People were having food brought to them up there by the wait staff, and we discovered that this was a different outdoors menu with sandwiches, salads, burgers etc. We decided to eat in the cool of the Haven restaurant again, where we were greeted like long lost friends! We were seated at the same table as yesterday, one of the best in our opinion, right by the large window, and down the side of the room against the wall so there was no table directly next to us. This became ‘our’ table, and without us ever asking, the Maitre D’ would always tell the hostess to sit us there when possible, or signal to us when this table was available. Lunch was excellent. I introduced M to NCL’s famous chilled fruit soup, and then we had the tuna nicoise and cobb salads. Both were delicious, very fresh and tasty.

It was now time for the art auction, something M and I had both enjoyed before we met, as well as now together. We have several pieces and were lucky enough to attend one of Park West’s land conferences where we met several of their artists. This auction wasn’t the best though, it was extremely long, and as it was held in Headliners, meant sitting on those horrible hard chairs again. We weren’t very impressed with the auctioneer, who was confusing at times and worryingly unclear when it came to bidding. He was also very patronising, visibly surprised when M put her hand up in response to who owned a certain artist, and constantly implying that people knew nothing about the art he was presenting or auctioning. When the auction finished we were rather fed up and wondering why we hadn’t just left sooner. We saw a beautiful piece we were very interested in, but didn’t bid, instead making an appointment to see further works tomorrow. Despite our thoughts of the auctioneer himself, the other staff members, in particular Lauren and Candace, were excellent; very friendly and helpful.

On the way back to our cabin we got glasses of red wine to have with our cheese plate from the restaurant yesterday. We ate on the balcony and also enjoyed today’s afternoon treat from our butler, sweet canapés. It was then time to make use of that Jacuzzi! Sitting in bubbles looking out over the ocean – what a way to end the afternoon.

Tonight was Norwegian’s Night Out, and despite still feeling rather tired there was no way I wasn’t dressing up! As it was our Honeymoon, we had considered wearing our wedding dresses, which were formal gowns rather than traditional white wedding dresses. However, I felt they were just too dressy for this type of cruise (bet you thought you’d never hear me say that!) so we settled on wearing our wedding shoes instead. We had both picked dresses out, but whilst shopping I stumbled upon a short white sequinned dress with a gold and turquoise pattern that I simply loved. And it went with the shoes! M was then wondering what she could wear instead of her initial choice, which was more casual. I started looking through her closet and found a beautiful, deep purple gown I had never seen before. It was tucked away in a garment bag and she had forgotten she had bought it. WHAT?! I told her I couldn’t believe MY wife had done this ha. But problem solved.

We had been invited to the Captain’s cocktail reception this evening so once we were ready we went there, where we caught up with D and spoke to some of the crew. There was live music plus drinks and canapés being passed round. I didn’t want the Chardonnay on offer, as it’s the one white wine I particularly dislike, but the waitress was very happy to offer me an alternative and get us glasses of prosecco instead. We didn’t stay long as we had reservations to see Burn the Floor in the theatre. One word, WOW! It was amazing. An energetic, dynamic performance by extremely talented dancers, singers and musicians. The choreography, set and costumes were fantastic and the whole production was very professional. We both loved it and agreed we would have paid good money to watch it on shore.

We had also booked Le Bistro for dinner this evening, as this has been my favourite of the speciality restaurants in the past. We weren’t disappointed. The service was excellent and our food delicious. We had the French onion and mushrooms soups, lump crab salad and mussels, the veal and lamb entrees, ending with coffee and desserts. M told me I had to quote her on her thoughts about her Chocolate Napoleon, which was ‘Heaven for anyone who loves Nutella’! After so much food we were too full for the dance party as we had planned, so after a few photos we decided we had already had great evening and to call it a night.

What a great review! I'm already hooked.

Congratulations on your wedding. Gorgeous couple.

How much luggage did you take with you? 😜

Couldn't wait for you to get back! So happy to see your review and can't wait for more. Hope you had a great honeymoon cruise!

 

How much luggage did you take with you? 😜

Less than you might imagine lol! We had two suitcases, but they weren't really full, and I always take a carry on bag with that night's outfit it just in case...!

More please

Great review! I believe the reasoning for the hard wooden seats in Headliners is so people don't linger too long, and allows for patrons to come and go frequently...

I am enjoying your review and pics!

Thanks everyone! I'm glad I've still got it ;) There's no point writing if you guys don't enjoy it

Day 3 – Roatan

Despite an early night, I slept really badly and woke up feeling as though I was getting sick. Nooooooo, not when I’m cruising! My body must have heard me because after a coffee on the balcony I was feeling a bit better. We went to the Haven for breakfast and were very glad we did. After fruit and pastries from the buffet, I had the salmon frittata and M had huevos rancheros. Both were excellent. We hadn’t made specific plans for today in Roatan, we just figured that we would get a taxi down to West Bay Beach if we felt like it. Once we upgraded to the Haven, we decided that we wanted to make the most of this opportunity and enjoy it and as a result we stayed on the ship. We had the Haven pool and sundeck to ourselves and we happily spent a few hours reading and dipping in the water. We went to check out the waterslides, and as expected, most people were ashore so there were no lines. They were so much fun! I did find that where the different pieces of the slides joined together there were ridges that really hurt my back. I was left with red marks on my skin, but it didn’t really stop me enjoying it. The rules for the freefall slides are very strict. You can have no jewellery on all, including wedding rings or body piercings. I already knew this and was prepared, but because my bikini pants had tiny metal beads on the ends of the ties, and M had decorations on her swimsuit straps, we weren’t allowed on. I didn’t mind too much as those slides actually looked rather scary!

Because we were still wet, we stayed outside and had a cocktail in Spice H2O. It was very hot back there and it didn’t seem like there was much of a breeze getting through. Unlike the Epic, this H2O is only one level, with no tiers going up, and the front part is just a stage area with no pool. There were some pretty waterfalls to cool off in, but I didn’t think this area was a nice as on the Epic. Just as well we had the Haven area to sunbathe in instead!

We ate lunch at the Flamingo Grill (yes it’s still there and not yet the for-fee Margaritaville like on some other ships) It will be a shame if this goes, as the food was authentic and tasty. We tried a bit of everything, but I especially enjoyed the chicken, rice & beans and meatballs. M is Latino and it even lived up to her standards. The food is buffet style and the same items each day, but there was a good selection. As we finished eating we saw D & D, our friends from the first night. They joined us and we chatted over drinks for the rest of the afternoon.

We had an appointment at the art gallery at 7pm so we ate our afternoon canapés and chocolates in our room and quickly got ready for the evening. Tonight I wore a red strapless maxi dress with black wedges and M wore white jeans with a new colourful top and black pointed cut-away court shoes (picked out by me!) After our appointment, where we decided not to buy anything at that point, we wandered round the ship for a while and had some photos taken. There was plenty going on, various games and quizzes, all family friendly at this time.

We went back to the Haven where we had more delicious fizz cocktails before dinner. I had the fois gras terrine. Oh my, heaven on a plate! This was one of the best dishes I ate this trip. M went with another winner, the short rib, which was as good as we remembered, and we split a goat’s cheese, beetroot and arugula salad. For entrees I had the sea bass, a huge thick portion of beautifully cooked fish, and M had a rich and flavourful mushroom ravioli. This was yet another Haven triumph. We returned to the cabin to change M’s shoes as they were hurting her. We had reservations for the 11pm comedy but as we sat down I suddenly felt ridiculously tired, to the extent that my eyes were closing of their own accord. I convinced M to stay and watch the show, but I had to leave and collapse in bed. I was sound asleep in seconds and didn’t even stir when M came in. In the morning she reported that I didn’t really miss out, and whilst Brad the comedian was funny, the show was nothing special.

HI Lara - Firstly congratulations to you both - wishing you a long and happy marriage.

Have read your reviews over the years -always a treat!

Thanks for the sidenote on the death drop - you have just given me the perfect "getout" for our Getaway cruise - I know this slide will be for us, a battle to see who is the chicken. I can never get my wedding ring off on holiday as fingers swell - and no way am I removing my belly piercing - its been in there for years and never been removed. THANK YOU!

Of course my husband and my cousin can go now hahahaha!

Did you do the ropes course and walk the plank?

I did a review recently on our Celebrity cruise - our zipwire experience was our worst nightmare - but think hopefully we will hand the ropes course on Getaway.

Got your next one booked yet? :)

Thanks Blondie, and I'm glad to be of help ;)

We wanted to do the ropes course and even made sure to bring closed toe and heel shoes for just that reason, but unfortunately we never got round to it. It looked fantastic though. Oh well, I guess we will just have to go back!

No plans for the next cruise just yet, as I have to think about a trip back to England to see everyone next, but there's always some cruise planning at the back of my mind...

Day 4 – Belize

Today was the one port we had pre-arranged plans for. Last year in Belize we visited the Mayan Ruins, and although we really enjoyed it, we wanted to try something different this time. I had never been cave tubing, though M did it a few years ago. I prefer to use local tour operators, as they tend to be a lot cheaper and generally less crowded than the ship excursions. I did lots of research and decided to go with Butts Up, cave-tubingdotcom. They had good reviews and charged only $35pp if you booked in advance. You didn’t pay until after the excursion and this was one of only a few companies where they take the tubes to the river in advance for you, so you don’t have to carry them yourselves.

I woke up still a bit sick so I wan’t very hungry. We ate a quick breakfast in the Haven, where M had an excellent omelette. Another Haven perk was priority disembarkation and tender. We didn’t have to pre-book a tender time like everyone else, instead, as soon as we were ready, we were escorted down through the back staff elevators to the front of the line and straight onto the boat. The tender ride took about 20 minutes and we easily found the Butts Up crew right outside the terminal. Some vendors are inside the port area, but I already knew from the clear Butts Up email instructions where we had to exit to find them.

It was a one hour air conditioned coach ride across Belize to the company’s headquarters, during which one of the guys talked about the history of Belize and passed round small samples of the local cashew wine to try. Butts Up offer several different tour packages, and whilst we were only doing cave tubing, other people were also doing ziplining and/or the ATV course. We weren’t sure how this would work, but rather than separate everyone, the ATV people got off at the headquarters and did this, and we picked up the group that had just finished. From there we drove a few minutes to the tubing site. Here we had the opportunity to change if needed, and were equipped with life vests and helmets. M and I had come dressed ready, wearing swimwear/sportswear combos and water shoes. This meant we were comfortable for both the trek through the jungle to the start of the river, and also the tubing in the water.

The people also doing ziplining were quickly led away to get the tubing done first, where as those of us in the tubing only group went at a much more leisurely pace, with our guide stopping to tell us about the wildlife and plants in the jungle. The trail through the jungle was an easy dirt path, no climbing or real hiking, though we did have to cross through the river in quite high, strong water several times. Still, this wasn’t difficult, and the older people and young children managed fine. The guides were very good at helping people if they needed it too. At the start of the caves, all the tubes are joined together, then the guides pull and push you down the river when the current isn’t strong enough to do so. The caves were magnificent and the water was cool and refreshing. We came out the other side of the caves and had about another 20 minutes floating down the river through the jungle. I was covered from head to toe in both insect repellent and high factor waterproof sunscreen. This was a necessity for my fair, English, bug attracting skin! Once finished, we had chance to very quickly use the basic showers and change into dry clothes. We had been able to leave all of our belongings on the locked bus whilst we did the excursion itself, and everyone, regardless of their tour combo, was brought together and met up on the same original bus. We were then taken back to the headquarters where we were given hot chicken tamales and had the option to buy soda, beers etc. We had planned ahead and brought water instead to stay hydrated throughout the hot day. From here it was an hour drive back to the ship. The tour guides loved my English accent and as we were in the very front seats, chatted to M and I the whole way, even requesting hugs from the British Girl when we got back!

We were back at the port in plenty of time before the last tender and would have had time to shop, walk about etc if we wanted to. I was really annoyed how several people completely ignored the short line that was formed whilst officials and NCL staff checked our cruise cards before getting on the tender, and just pushed right past. Rude people and bad manners make my blood boil, grrrrrr!

Back on the ship, we headed immediately to the Garden Café buffet as we were really hungry. I had sandwiches and M tried a burger. Everything was fresh and tasty and we easily found a table looking out to sea by walking right to the back of the buffet. After lunch we had coffee and today’s treat of chocolate strawberries on the balcony. Because we had a Spa Suite, we had access to the Thermal Spa. With the Haven area and the excellent weather, there was little need to use this, though had the weather been cool or rainy, this would be the perfect area to take advantage of. Today though, after our active morning, we decided that this was the perfect time to try it out. We spent a lovely relaxing few hours alternating between the Thermal pool, hot tubs and steam rooms. The padded loungers also provided a great place to look out over the ocean and read.

We got ready for the evening, dressing fairly casually in black shorts, a leopard print vest and flat sandals (me) and a black jeans, a graphic print top and flat sandals (M).

This evening was the only show where the three comedians on board each performed in the theatre, and we were keen to see this, especially after I missed last night’s show in Headliners. We stopped by the Haven lounge first to get some of those delicious Bee Charmers to take with us. There were no reservations for this show, but we still got seats fine by getting there a bit early. The content was family friendly due to the time (7pm) and both the two main comedians and the host were all funny, though we definitely liked Mark Viera the best.

After the show we had reservations for Moderno, the Brazillian Steakhouse speciality restaurant. I have always really enjoyed Moderno on previous ships and had been telling M how good it was. The varied, plentiful salad bar was excellent, as remembered, but the main event of the the skewered meats were sadly nowhere near as good as before. There was nothing particularly wrong with anything, or reason for complaint, they simply weren’t as tasty or tender. The lamb chops were the only option I really enjoyed, and neither of us ate loads. Desert was a washout and the coffee undrinkable. Also, the service was certainly lacking. The Maitre D pretty much ignored us when we arrived, just muttering and pointing us to a hostess, and our waiter, though efficient enough, was not friendly and appeared bored and irritated. I was initially really disappointed, but on reflection, it wasn’t a bad meal, in fact some elements were very good, but I would have not been happy had I paid the upcharge, rather than being on the dining package.

After dinner we used the interactive display in the Haven to look at the photos taken of us on the ship. I think there were more of these machines in the photo gallery area. They are a great idea, and must save a lot of paper and ink compared to the old way of printing out every photo, whether you want it or not. We both felt really cold tonight so we stopped by our cabin to get cardigans before wandering round the ship some more. We went for a drink in the Sugarcane Mojito bar, and although there was a piano player providing live music, the atmosphere was a but too chilled for that time of night, so we went in search of something more lively. We found the 80s party on deck at Spice H2O, and it was buzzing! There was a lively vibe and Scott the cruise director was doing a great job of keeping the party going. There were ‘Special Guests’ Bon Jovi, Madonna and Tina Turner, guests roped into dressing up and impersonating these acts, which was very daft and very funny. Scott’s 80s wig and costume were also rather entertaining!

At 11.15pm in Fat Cats there was a one off magic show by the acts from the Illusionarium. As we didn’t plan on going there, we wanted to make sure we saw this show. It was good and all the acts were impressive, in particular the third guy, who was amazing and we had no idea how he did his tricks. This rounded off the evening for us nicely.

Thanks Blondie, and I'm glad to be of help ;)

 

We wanted to do the ropes course and even made sure to bring closed toe and heel shoes for just that reason, but unfortunately we never got round to it. It looked fantastic though. Oh well, I guess we will just have to go back!

 

No plans for the next cruise just yet, as I have to think about a trip back to England to see everyone next, but there's always some cruise planning at the back of my mind...

What you do is time your visits home in either April or October each year - fly out, cruise back or vice versa ;)