Savoy Truffle

Maybe you can consider storing your luggage and take advantage of an activity in Manhattan until it's time to catch your late train.

We did this last Friday after our Breakaway cruise. It's $5.50/bag.

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. My wife and I were on the Breakaway to Bermuda in May 2013. Very familiar with the ship and we booked her for the same cruise (Southern) for Feb. 1st-Feb13th. Two questions for you. After leaving on Sunday when was it until you hit walk on deck short weather? When do they do the fireworks outside like they have done in the Past?

I am not OP, but I was on the same cruise. By Tuesday we could walk in shorts on the deck with no problem. And bathing suits, too! And sit in the hot tub! How I wish I were there right now! Have a great trip!

Also, they did the fireworks on the last Wednesday night.

here in Down East Maine we just call dried fish Down East Chewing Gum....just tear off a junk and chew on it.....I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to come talk with you about it at the M&G.....hope you enjoy it....:D:D:cool:.

Chewing gum--LOL! Since I'm a big time fan of sushi and lox, chewing on dried pollock might not be bad, as long as it's not too salty. When I saw Trenton on the label of the package, I recognized the name but couldn't remember where in Maine it was for the life of me. After I got home it hit me, I had the best lobster of my life there, at that place with the boilers out in front of the restaurant. So thanks for the little Trenton souvenir!

Excellent review! I almost feel like I was there--wait a minute, I was there. :D I'm amazed that all you were billed for the seasickness shot was $14.50. Somebody on the ship complained that they were billed over $100 for a trip to the medical center, but probably for something different than seasickness. It seemed to me, too, that this ship had a lot of movement and vibration. Is that typical of large ships? Did you experience that on Oasis?

We liked the Manhattan Room, and kicked ourselves for not trying it sooner. The service was quicker and more efficient in there, and the live music was nice.

Kudos to you for doing as well as you did at the meet & greet. So what if you called them Royal Caribbean? We figured it out, right? Thanks for all the work you put into it. It never fails to amaze me when people ask the whiny questions. Asking about free laundry when you haven't even been on the ship 24 hours yet? Give me a break! The gift swap was a nice idea, too. I've got to figure out what to do with my dried fish from Maine, which I thought was quirky, but really creative and very local!

There are a couple of books by Ann Vanderhoof, who ditched it all to sail the Caribbean with her husband. They are An Embarrassment of Mangoes and The Spice Necklace, My Adventures in Caribbean Cooking, Eating, and Island Life. I found them funny and engaging, and although there's a focus on food, she also describes culture and the interesting people that they meet as they travel from island to island. I found both books great reads, and would be ideal for a Caribbean cruise.

Another good one for a cruise, and I'm surprised no one's mentioned it, is Cruise Confidential, a story about an American guy, Brian David Bruns, who worked on a cruise ship. I see on Amazon that there's also a sequel called Ship for Brains that I might just pick up for my next cruise.

Watch Hill, was this an official arrangement with the front desk to leave the car there or an arrangement with the door man? I guess would just like to know in advance that I could do this, rather than get there and find out I can't. It would be a far better deal to leave the car there than to park in NYC, even at $10/night the website says.

I watched the Veendam back out of the channel today from Spectacle Island. What a lovely ship. Wished we could have watched her sail by us, but we had to grab the last ferry back to Long Wharf. Have a wonderful cruise! I'll be following your blog! Thanks for sharing!

That's our Jennifer! She's working her way up the ladder.

 

We're taking her to dinner in LeBistro Wednesday evening and leaving a sizable tip for her.

Glad to hear it! I told her to remember me when she was CEO of Norwegian!

Virginia is leaving on vacation 10/11. Temporary concierge will be one of the butlers, Ruel.

 

We have had an enthusiastic young lady for our butler - Jennifer. She's one of the best. We hope NCL sees her potential and promotes her soon. She would be an excellent concierge.

We were on the Dawn in 2012 and met a woman named Jennifer who was a member of the waitstaff. She was so good that we stalked her at dinner time, asking if she was working that night and requesting a seat in her area. She remembered our names, even when she was working in the morning serving coffee. She had a great sense of humor and was very smart. We loved her. I wouldn't be the least surprised if this was the same Jennifer.

If you're in a cabin without a coffee maker, you can try to request one from your steward. S/He'll have to see if one of the suites is not using one.

Although I didn't read it on a cruise, this book would be a really good one for Caribbean cruise: The Spice Necklace by Ann Vanderhoof. The author and her husband ditch it all (again!)to sail the Caribbean. While they're at it they explore the foodways of various islands. The author writes engagingly and humorously about the food, culture and people of Dominica, the Dominican Republic and Grenada among others. There are even a few recipes in there. I wanted to ditch it all, too after reading it. I may have to find her first book An Embarrassment of Mangoes, written about the first trip she and her husband made, to take on my next cruise. If you get the chance, check them out!

We sailed on the Dawn in April. Several of the desserts stood out. Among the unique flavors of ice cream/sherbet, I loved the kiwi. I wish I could have gotten it at the ice cream station. Also, the "chocolate decadence" was excellent, and aptly named. I loved the bread and butter pudding, which was rich and custardy with caramel tones.