Norwaylady

So, lunch was on the later side… We just made the cutoff time for lunch service in ocean view. Mr was happy for buffet. (I stick to my go-to lunch… 🥗 salad) We shared some ice cream for dessert. After the lunch, I walked by the spa. My toes feel naked…. I always have nail polish on them but last time I went to the foot therapist I didn’t put on new nail colour😶 (winter boots, -15c, it’s not practical) So tomorrow they will be all good again. I stopped by Future cruises to confirm our plan…. So now we have something booked for 2025…. Unless something more tempting shows up. (It needs to be a very good itinerary in Asia) then we might change our mind. Today’s canapés arrived just before we rushed upstairs to OceanView. Afternoon has flown away on our balcony. Reading and sipping a glass of wine. (Must admit, this magazine is perfect for me😂😂😂) And so happy to see 🇳🇴 Norway mentioned… Mr lived in Longyearbyen for 2 years and we have stayed at Juvet. ( really a great experience if you do a land holiday in Norway) It’s captain’s club senior officers party tonight. So time to get dressed and look respectable😅

St Maartin We started the day in Tuscan for breakfast. We are the only ship in port today. It’s very strange🤩🤣 Normally it’s a full house every time we arrive😎 Today’s activity was the beach. (Can’t go on a college party every day😅) Grand Case. I had booked a shuttle from home. Tour departure is 09.00 and they delivered us back 13.00. So 3-3,5h on the beach. Since we were the only ship in port, we were the only guests booked❤️ So a private tour/taxi ride. Grand Case is very French style. You have the beach clubs like in Nice. It’s hidden away from the road, due to the house’s. It’s a nice location and it’s a great walking beach up and down. Safe for children, not to much waves and current. We found a good spot for us and took a dip in ocean. ( one great thing on the French side is that our phone can be used as home😁) So what do you do to be evil🤔🤔🤔 You call your family members on FaceTime🌴🏖️🤣🤣🤣😜😎 Ohhh, did I see ❄️ ⛄️ ❄️ behind you? Very sorry to report that we are swimming in the ocean and enjoying the ☀️ sun. All in all a good time and a lovely day for us. We had mail on the bed on arrival. This time I think they “timed themselves out” 🤣🤣🤣 The b2b meeting is at the same time as the concierge event… and I know that the future cruise presentation is on the same time…. So 11.00 o’clock is a popular time😅 (let’s hope for a good raffle or something on the b2b event) Well, we will survive🙃 Time to shower off some sand and find some lunch☺️

We eat a lot of this types of salad. It’s perfect for the fish and it’s also a good combination for grilled meats in the summer.

Fennel Cucumber salad Perfect for fatty fish. Salmon, Australian sea bass, mackerel etc. Portions: 4 You need: 1 cucumber 1 fennel 150ml sour cream 1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbs sugar Salt / pepper for seasoning Fresh Dill for decoration on top Cut the cucumber in two pieces on the long side. Use a spoon to take away the small seeds inside Cut the cucumber into slices Cut the fennel into thin slices. ( a mandolin is very useful) Put the fennel and cucumber in a bowl Mix the vinaigrette together. Sour cream, sugar, vinegar and salt/pepper. Mix the vegetables and vinaigrette together. Put it nicely on a plate and put on easy chopped Dill. This salad is good and ready for eating immediately. But it’s even better if it stands in fridge for 2-3 h before serving.

Cucumber salad Perfect for fatty fish. Salmon, Australian sea bass, mackerel etc. Portions: 4 (it’s possible to use a half/full cucumber extra in the marinade, deepening on the size of the cucumber) You need: 1 cucumber 1 dl water 2 dl sugar 2 dl vinegar 7% clear 1 tsp salt 1 tsp grinned pepper (black or rose pepper mix) Put water, sugar and vinegar in a small casserole. Let it heat up, stir until the sugar has melted in. Put the vinegar in a bowl and add the pepper. Let it cool down. Cucumber 🥒 needs to be cut into thin slices. So I use a Norwegian cheese cutter. A mandolin is also possible to use. And on a grater, it’s often a cutting edge that works perfectly. Place the sliced cucumber on a plate an drizzle the salt over it. Blend it in. Let it rest for 20.min. (The water in the cucumber will come out, so make sure you use a plate that has some edges) After 20.mins it’s time to squeeze the cucumber. Use your hand. (We want all of the water out) Put the squeezed cucumber in the vinaigrette. Let the cucumber rest in the vinegar for at least 2.h before serving. Let it rest in the fridge. (You can make this salad 1 day in advance before you serve it. It’s best if it has been standing for minimum 10h) Before serving you can fine chop parsley and drizzle over.

it’s as you say🍺 they have some more options in the premium package. Mr uses Untapped app when we travel. So he has a “radar” to find locations for local beers 🍻 or bars that has a great selection of beers 🍻 Mr loves IPAs

Fun fact What do Norwaylady value the most on a cruise vs Mr? Norwaylady Someone is making my bed I don’t need to cook, I’m being served Laundry is taken care off Mr What beer can I have today? Can I find a sun bed in the shade? What’s today’s flavour of ice cream?

Today’s cruise compass

Tonight’s show is Matthew McGurk, illusionist. This evening he is preforming a Vegas style show. So it will be fun to see what happens🤩 Before the show, I had a little visit to future cruises….. We have something in our binoculars. So time will tell if we have something special to look forward to in 2025….🐢🐠🐡 ✨⭐️🤩🕺🏻We have had McGurk onboard on earlier cruises. He’s magic✨✨✨ It’s so fascinating to see him. This night was not different from earlier great shows. Again very visible officers and live music all around🎶🎶🎶 Today’s menu Mesclun green Quinoa salad Smoked ham and split pea soup Broiled Australien sea bass The sea bass is perfectly cooked/prepared. I just can’t understand WHY they need to have tomato sauce to it. This is a fatty fish, same as salmon, mackerel, herring etc. (I will post a typical Scandinavian salad or two we often use for salmon/mackerel) Banana fosters Cafe pot de cream After dinner it was time for bed😴

I’m not a big fan of the cakes onboard… I do bake and cook on a higher level than average at home. Mr is a cake monster🤣🤣 So he’s not picky about it…..

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So, catamaran sail⛵️ Today the weather cooperated😁🥳😎 The crew on this catamaran was on 🔥🔥 Dancing, music and party vibes🥳🥳🥳 We went snorkelling 🤿 in Shitten Bay. Flat water and no currant. So a good location for beginners or those not to safe in the water. The selection of 🐠 🐡🐟 was not bad, but definitely not on our top 10 list. Very clear visibility. The gear they provided was okay, but on the lower price range for those that dive or snorkel more. So bring your own if you want the good mask and snorkel. (The gear provided in St Croix/Buck Island was very good) After 45 minutes in the water, it was time for lunch and to open the bar. 🍹🍹🍹 It was a buffet of salsa, nachos, banana pound cake, salad, curry chicken chickpeas and pita bread. Very tasty and lots of food. The bar had beers 🍻, Rom punch, water and sodas. We continued our sailing over to Nevis. On our way it was blowing a bit and a local shower ☔️☔️☔️decided to drizzle a bit. It’s a 30.min sailing from the snorkel site to Nevis. We were dropped off at Pinney’s Beach. There are sun lounges available. (It’s included) The crew set up a bar on the beach and you have free access to drinks. We had 1 hour on the beach before it was time to sail back to the port. We went for a walk on the beach and Mr took a swim. On the way back, the spirit of jolly happy sailors reached a max point🤪🤣😜🤩🙌🏻🍹🍹🍹 ( that punch is high on something😜) It’s times like this I feel 100 years old😝 Mr was a happy camper and so was the rest of the gang🤣🥳🕺🏻💃🏻🕺🏻💃🏻🕺🏻 After returning to port, we decided to go onboard. (Mr needs to cool off😜🔥) We stopped by Al Bacio for some coffee and dessert for Mr🍰🍰🍰 ( the cake monster was hungry) Today’s canapés had arrived. Video of today’s snorkel 🤿 will arrive later🎞️

Today’s activity is Catamaran Fan-Ta-sea to Nevis with snorkel 🤿 Fingers crossed for snorkelling 😇 and that Nemo & friend’s are happy for visitors🐢🐡🐠🐟🐠🐡🐢 Meeting time 08.30 in the theatre. Breakfast was Mr choice… (you know…. That 🦴 you need to give out now and then😝) Ocean view🤪🤪🤪 I’m not a buffet hunter😝 I really don’t enjoy this. Not my cup of tea😅 We arrived before it was not packed🥹😇

Today’s program

Sail away was delayed. All onboard was 17.30. Departure 18.00. At 18.40 we still had ropes attached to the pier and no announcement was made. Tonight’s show is Craig A Meyer, Elton John tribute. We have seen him on previous cruises. It’s easy entertainment and Sir Elton has a great collection of hits in his catalog🤩🎶🎶 So hopefully tonight’s performance is on 🔥. IMG_5979.MOV Oh lala😅🙌🏻🎶🔥 It was on fire 🔥 Really good mood in the theatre and happy guests🥰🎶🙌🏻 Absolutely perfect for this cruise🤩 In grand foyer after the Elton show, Tommy saxophone from last nigh. Had a miniature show. He played from he’s catalog of songs and popular music. He’s a great sax player and it was lots of people gathered to listen to him. 🎶🎶🎶 Again, the officers was all-over the place. Dinner tonight was: Seafood salad Flounder Ice cream Arugula salad Blackberry cake After dinner we had a stop in passport for a cosmo and listen to the live music. 🎶🎶🎶 Before we went to bed 10.30 (you see? We don’t run down the night club😜🤣😝)

Today’s canapés was the green peas edition…. (I wish they could have more rotation on the plate) or just a good fruit plate. After some downtime on the balcony and a shower. It was time to get back on track for new things….. Mixology & Music, a captain’s club event in Sky lounge at 17.15. Drinks: Manhattan Spike pimm’s Mai Tai Fun concept🍹 But they can polish it a bit more and make it even better🙃 Mr was very happy for the selection of drinks🍸 IMG_5958.MOV IMG_5957.MOV IMG_5970.MOV

we have been to St Croix before, then we parked on anchor and had tenders to Christiansted. So much easier for tours and snorkelling. Personally I’m not a fan of the van to port, then boat. And same on return…. (I must admit, I didn’t check before departure and it didn’t tell in the description online when I booked) Since we docked/anchored up in Christiansted last visit, I didn’t even think about it…. We had a good day overall🙃 but next time I will check if it’s a longer van ride🤓 the current is strong, so this is not a good place for snorkelling if you’re not a strong swimmer or are new to snorkelling. its never good to hit the reefs🫥 very sorry to hear that you really “hit the jackpot” for unpleasant problems that can happen after a reef collision❤️

So…. What a day😜 Breakfast arrived in the late side of the time we wanted. But we got food and we were ready on time. (We have this beautiful balcony but a tiny table outside…🤪😝🙈 The furniture shoppers are definitely not a balcony breakfast eater😜) Our tour was not cancelled before departure. In the horizon we could see some clouds… (you know the type you don’t like…🫣) But off we went on a catamaran⛵️ Captain announced that we will go for snorkel 🤿 and later a beach hog. Bar (rum punch) will be served after the snorkelling🍹🍹🍹 Well, guess what😝 It started to rain ☔️ so snorkelling was cancelled and the bar opened asap🤪🤪 So it became a perfect booze cruise🍹 Cheers 🍻 We turned around and went for a beach hog in another area. The sun was out again and people was jolly happy 😜🍹 At noon, was a good group of happy folks delivered back on the pier. We went for a walk in the city centre before we went back onboard. Just go by the flow🤪🤪😎☔️ you can’t do anything about the weather. So make the best of it🙌🏻👍🏻 Mr was happy for a rum punch or two🍹 And we had a lovely swim in the ocean. The beach they anchored up on today, was the same beach we went to last visit. So okay😎 We will attend the mixologist session for captain’s club later today.

St John’s, Antigua Norwaylady has decided that today’s breakfast will arrive on my balcony🤩🥰🥝🍌🥐😎 (I have been waiting for this) We are going on a snorkel 🤿 tour. Catamaran sail & snorkel with beach break. Fingers crossed for Nemo & friends🐠🐢🐡🐢🐠 Meeting time is 8.45 in the theatre. Today’s program:

Tonight’s show is Tommy Proulx, saxophonist. He had a show on our eclipse cruise to Alaska. Great show then, so hopefully it’s not the same material👍🏻 Tommy played the same set as earlier. Still a great show/live music by him and the Sil orchestra. Live music is all around the ship👍🏻🙌🏻🥰 Tonight’s dinner was: Pork chop Apple Pear salad (sorry🙈 I was hungry) Chicken terrine Seafood pasta (mmmmm😋) Ice cream Then off to bed😴

IMG_5699.MOV 🐠🤿🐠 From Buck Island St Croix

I can understand why they cancel from time to time. The current is strong and if it’s to much wind and higher swells, it’s a safety problem. Specially, since they have no clue about who’s joining the tour. We had a great time😊 Very clear water and a good gathering of fishes🐠🐠🐠 We will enjoy us to the MAX….❤️🙌🏻❤️

Mr was very happy for the selection and the taste of his choices for the tasting paddle🍺🍺🍺🍺

Did we find Nemo? Not Nemo, but he’s friends🐡🐠🐢🦀 We met on the pier 10.30 and was taken in a van to Christiansted for boat. We were in Christiansted 11.25 and our snorkel boat was ready for us at 11.30. It’s a 40.min tour out to Buck Island. It’s a reef you snorkel 🤿 around. It was a bit wavy and a strong currant. Not a problem for us, but if this was your first try on snorkel, it wasn’t a perfect start. There were lots of fish 🐠 and clear water. So we are happy🐠🐡🐢🐟 After the snorkel session, around 45.min in the water. We moved our location to an anchor up on Buck island. We had around 20.min on the island before it was time to go back to Christiansted. On the trip back, they served rum punch🍹🍹🍹🍹 Mr was a happy camper😎 (🍍🍍 in the juice… double drinks for him😜) Our van dropped us off at the pier 15.15. So perfect for all onboard time 15.30😎 We saw turtles 🐢 on the pier and from our balcony this morning and on return. Today’s canapés was waiting for us. So it was shower time and Mimosa on the balcony for sail away and relaxing🥰 Movie from snorkelling is on the way🎞️

St Croix, U.S.V.I Today we are going on a snorkel 🤿 tour. It’s Buck Island Beach & Snorkel. Tour meeting is 10.15 on the pier. Breakfast is Tuscan, Mr has a love 💕 for those mini 🥯…. Bagels Coffee on the balcony is never wrong🤩 I can’t get over how much bigger this balcony is😍 Love this🥰 (it’s the first time we have a balcony on the bends) Al Bacio is smiling and greeting everyone welcome😊 I really appreciate a smile and good coffee❤️ And coffee has been excellent. Great job👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻