tripleboom

1 hour ago, kpjb said:

I was thinking that since this was all west coast, that it was all in the pacific time zone.  I looked this up recently and saw that this cruise actually covers 3 different time zones. 

 

Did they change ship's time for each one, or did it remain the same?  Just wondering as far as planning for times on/off the ship if everything is listed in local time or ship's time.

 

We left L.A. on Pacific time, then ship and land time in Cabo was mountain time, but it was admittedly a bit of a blur after that.  We were for sure back on Pacific time in Ensenada. I believe ship and land time was different in Mazatlán.

On 12/14/2021 at 9:24 AM, DW09 said:

👏👏👏 Well done Tripleboom! I am sad it's over. I read your trip report in the mornings when I would get to work. No one in the office, just me, a cup of tea and your trip report.

Thank you so much! I loved all the details of your trip, the pictures you included and the videos! As well as the info regarding the secret spot on deck 19!! I will be sitting in that spot on my cruise Jan 9th! Just a few weeks away.

 

I am glad you had a great time and I look forward to your next adventure!

 

Cheers~

Wendy

I'm glad you enjoyed the review! Thanks for following along, and I hope you have an incredible time in January!! Have a killer time up on Deck 19!

17 hours ago, AKR2011 said:

Thanks for your review, and I look forward to the next one. Are you bringing the boys back again? They must have been so jealous of this trip!

Funny you should mention that! I would have gladly taken the originally scheduled trip on the Encore if it meant I could have foregone the stress and hassle of switching to the Bliss at the last possible moment.

But there was one definite benefit. Because of the last minute cancellation, NCL gave each passenger 50% of the value of what you had paid for the Encore sailing to apply toward a future cruise.  The only catch was that you had to book by the end of 2021 and sail before the end of 2022.  So once we got back from the Bliss and had read all the fine print we hadn't had time to digest before leaving, we decided that a family cruise in 2022 was clearly in order.

So, Stacy, Connor, Landon, and I are booked for the Breakaway over Spring Break/Easter 2022! 

We are making it the boys' (and Stacy's and my) Christmas present this year!  We're planning to let them unwrap a few gifts that have some tangential relationship to cruising to see if they can piece it together before unwrapping our family's countdown anchor. If they don't figure it out by then I'll be sorely disappointed. 😂

On Christmas morning it'll be 113 days until we set sail!  So stay tuned for a Family Fun Trip Review sometime in late April/early May!

1 minute ago, Krazy Kat said:

Great review - thanks!  Can you tell me where you picked up Uber when you exited terminal?  Did you pre-arrange pick-up or just requested it upon exiting?  Thank you.

We just requested it upon exiting.  You come out of the customs area about where this red circle is.  As you exit, you turn right to walk down the sidewalk.  We were told by port staff that Uber could pick up anywhere beyond the prominent "Berth 91" sign and pole.

10 minutes ago, ronheg said:

What time was your flight?  When did you arrive at lax?

We flew into and out of SNA rather than LAX for this trip.  We were off the ship by 8:15 AM and after the 45 minute Uber ride we were through security in plenty of time to sit down for some breakfast.  Even had time to visit with the airport's resident therapy dog.

With an 11:47 AM scheduled departure, we maybe could have taken luggage tags and disembarked later and made it, but the earliest tag time after self-assist was 9 AM I believe. That would have been cutting it too close for comfort for me.

I was up a little before dawn to make sure we were ready to roll out as soon as we were docked and allowed to get off the ship. It made for an interesting entry to port as we backed in all the way.

Greeted home by the USS Iowa.

Docking completed a hair before 7 AM.

After we docked, we said our goodbyes to Sandi and Joe, we grabbed our luggage, and headed down to deck 7, knowing that we'd get off the ship on the level that we had gotten on.  Because we had an early flight, we basically had to elect to do the "self-assist" with our several suit cases in tow. We couldn't risk having to wait for luggage in the customs claim area.  Fortunately we were out of our cabin early enough that we caught an empty elevator, and found our place in line to exit the ship just outside of The Local.  We had to stand there maybe 10-15 minutes before the line started moving, and we were almost off the ship when we heard the first formal call for self-assist folks to begin to head to the lines to disembark.

We took the long walk down the winding gangway, down an escalator, and back to ground level. We walked through the customs area, had our faces scanned for reentry, and that was it. Didn't even have to speak with a customs official or have our passports inspected.  Done and out to the curb lickety split.

We hailed our Uber to SNA (about $52 before tip), and after a quick weigh in of our luggage (and subsequent shuffling of baggage contents), checked in and grabbed a bite to eat.  Our flight wound up delayed by about 30 minutes, so we were able to have more than enough time to grab a bite to eat.  I'm glad we did because our connection in Dallas wound up being a dead sprint from our arrival gate to our connecting gate.  The luggage didn't make the connection, but AA wound up delivering the luggage to our home the day after our arrival.

And that's it folks!  This has been such a blast getting to share our trip with you!  I really love sailing Norwegian, and hope to see you all on a future voyage!

After dinner we enjoyed a last few drinks from some of our favorite spots on the ship, including a bushwhacker and a BBC in The Local's bar.

And a first for me, a Honey Lemonade from Malting Whisky bar. I only wish I had discovered that one earlier!!

With a pre-noon flight the next day, it was time to retire to the cabin one last time, pack our remaining items, and get ready for arrival back into port in the morning.

Once we had coughed up all the red dust we could manage and had a good shower, we headed down to Savor for one last dining experience.

Shrimp scampi for me.

Stacy opted for the stuffed chicken breast.

It's worth noting that by Day 7 of the cruise, Stacy had had enough of me trying to take pictures of her food. 😂

The opera cake was SOOOO good!

After the ride we got to also enjoy a wine tasting. Apparently the Guadalupe Valley has become a popular wine tourism destination of late. Not being much of a wine connoisseur, I will say that the wines we sampled were all quite good!

Alejandro (or Alex as he told us we could call him) was a delightfully knowledgeable tour guide.  He's lived one heck of a young life. Going to culinary school, becoming a certified scuba instructor, and leading adventurous tours like these. I really enjoyed our time spent with him.

With the sun rapidly setting, it was time to head back to the ship. So we all loaded back up into the tour van and made the trek back again.

Before we knew it, we were back on board, pulling out of our last port, and heading back to L.A.

It was a pretty overcast day and much cooler than our days down at the end of the Baja Peninsula. With a high of 66 for the day I saw plenty of my fellow passengers wearing pants and/or hoodies, but there's no way I was spending my last day on a cruise before returning to an Iowa winter by wearing PANTS.  That's lunacy.

For the Guadalupe Valley ATV Adventure you must show a valid driver's license to participate, so make sure that comes off the ship with you for this excursion.  After everyone was gathered, we headed out to a nearby van, loaded up, and began our trek out to the Santa Rosa area.

After the 30ish minute drive, we arrived at the ranch and met our other tour guide, Alejandro.  He and Melissa worked to get us geared up, given the operation and safety briefing, and then got us onto our ATVs for the day.

Stacy and I are no strangers to ATV riding. Her parents owned a power sports dealership for several years, so she basically grew up on dirt bikes, ATVs, and snowmobiles.  We've taken a few trips out to the Black Hills of South Dakota as a family, and it's always a lot of fun.

With the South Dakota tourism ad out of the way, let's get back to Mexico. 😁

All situated and ready to roll out.

The ride was not particularly long, so I was kind of bummed about that. I figured it wouldn't exactly be a challenging, technical ride since it's meant to be something a first-timer can do, but it was just a short, closed loop before we were back to the camp.  Still some pretty sights along the way though!

Despite the shortness, Alejandro made it fun!  There's some rough paths, and we were fortunate that there had been some recent rain that tamped down some of the dust on the trail. We got good and dirty anyway though!

Melissa was kind enough to use their air compressor to spray off the excess dirt from our clothes.  I thought that was a nice, thoughtful thing to have on hand!

Day 7 - Ensenada

We made our foggy entrance into Ensenada on November 20th.

Our excursion for the day wasn't going to meet until shortly after noon, so we headed to the buffet for an early lunch, scoring a seat overlooking the observation lounge below.

Unbelievably this was my first and only cone of the whole cruise!  I think the fact that the buffet is FORWARD on this ship probably saved me about 5 lbs gained!

I don't know about you, but every time that I cruise it seems like there's one or two people, among the thousands, that seems to be following me around.  For this cruise, it was the guy over Sandi's shoulder.  I'm sure his glorious mustache is part of the reason I noticed him everywhere I went. Kudos to you, Captain Mustache! I'd sport a look like that if I could!  Or if Stacy would let me.  So that's definitely out.

With lunch complete, we headed straight to the gangway (got to skip the theater this time), and met our tour guide, Melissa, for our Guadalupe Valley ATV Adventure!

One thing I really miss from the Breakaway and Escape is the Howl at the Moon shows in Headliners. So we decided to check out The District Brewhouse after dinner to see how the scheduled piano entertainment was.  Well... after a quick detour...

Once we settled in with our drinks we played some Pass the Pigs to pass some time until the pianist arrived.  If you've never played, then you'd have probably given us as bewildered a look as the waitstaff did. 😁

Once the show began, we continued to play our game for a while. Meanwhile, what was advertised as a sing-along show became karaoke instead. I was looking forward to an engaging piano player leading the crowd in some familiar favorites, but instead got two different 70 year-olds both singing What a Wonderful World in the span of about 45 minutes.  Karaoke can be fun, it just wasn't what we were hoping for tonight.  So after a long day in the sun, it felt like as good a time as any to head off to bed before our final day on the ship.

I swung by the video monitor to capture this information on the way by...

Not my sunglasses this time. 😂

Ensenada, dead ahead!

19 hours ago, kpjb said:

Sunglasses are fine, but lose that Red Wings hat and get a Penguins one.

 

We do a lot of the same things on a cruise.  We always head to Savor/Taste for lunch as soon as we board.  So many go to the buffet or pool bar, but this is our way of officially starting the vacation with a nice meal and drink.

 

So Spice H2O is not the location for any of the parties on this ship?  Looks like the big screen is at the pool, also.  It seems like a big, closed pool would just be in the way for parties or even watching movies under the stars.  The Spice parties on the -away ships and Escape were a great location, IMO.

 

I'm definitely going to be camped out up on deck 19 in January.  That looks as good as having a private bar, hot tub, and sun deck all to yourself. 

I think I brought three different Red Wings hats on this cruise. If it's any consolation, I am a Lions fan too, so don't you think I've suffered enough without being needled about the Wings too? 😂

I remember looking through the Dailies and finding myself surprised that there wasn't more going on in Spice H2O. It's really the perfect spot for a party.  It was a little awkward around the stage during the Glow party since there really was only so much room between the stage and the pool itself.

It was a little cool for dining out on The Waterfront, but we had our minds made up, they had the heaters going a little bit, and under the roof we were pretty well insulated from the wind. So don't let a cool evening deter you from this wonderful experience.

The calamari starter was as delicious as always.

Joe's gnocchi was reportedly quite good as well.

Our waiter at least applauded my effort at pronouncing Ravioli Di Gamberi Con Salsa Di Aragosta Dragoncello.  Or... You know... Shrimp ravioli 😁

The last time I ate at La Cucina was in 2017 on the Escape. I had an amazing bleu cheese filet, and was hoping to have it again this trip. Unfortunately the filet had been downgraded to a beef tenderloin. It was more than a little chewy and pretty disappointing.  Living near Omaha I'm no stranger to good beef, and this wasn't close.  Presentation was great, but quality was a D+.

Desserts were a considerable step up with no one disappointed in what they got!

I always opt for the tiramisu.

Lemon curd ricotta cheesecake

Blackberry Panna Cotta

Aside from my main entrée, everyone really did enjoy the meal. I'm pretty certain if I had chosen a different entrée this would have been pretty flawless.

Looking ahead to Day 7, we realized we wouldn't be back onboard and out to sea until after the sun had set, so before supper we headed to The Waterfront to take in the last sunset of our cruise.

When we headed to the restaurant we saw one of the ship's photographers out along the rail photographing another couple. So Stacy and I decided to have a few more photos taken. These turned out to be keepers too!

The hot tub up here hangs out over the side of the ship, so it offers some great views, both of the nearby bar AND the ocean. 😁

Having had a fair number of drinks prior to entering the hot tub, any reasonable, well-behaved person would call it quits. But hey, Captain Karl was my DD, so reason went out the window.

Shots incoming!

Jellybean shot. Tasted like black licorice.

And a green tea shot (Irish whiskey, peach schnapps, lemon lime, and sour mix).

We also did a Patron Café shot which was very similar to the Café Tequila we had sampled in Puerto Vallarta. This was $1 extra/per shot over the UBP.

After we finally gathered the courage to stand up into the rapidly cooling air, we headed back to the cabins to relax for a bit, and get ready for the evening's meal at La Cucina.

Day 6 - Day at Sea

After three days in a row packed with activity, we were all looking forward to a day to catch our breath! I love days at sea and the leisurely pace that comes with them.  We started the morning by having a sit down breakfast in The Local.

I opted for the breakfast sandwich which was REALLY tasty.

While Stacy went with the pancake platter.

From there we headed up to the pool deck to scope things out.  We went all the way up to Deck 19 forward to check out that "hidden" area just outside of the Vibe, and decided, despite it being a little breezy, that that's where we were going to spend a chunk of our day!

For the vast majority of the day we had the space basically to ourselves.

So I set about working to finish up my book for the cruise. On my commute at home I typically listen to audiobooks and podcasts, but when cruising or traveling in general I do prefer to chill out and read instead. For this trip it was Andy Weir's Artemis.  Love Andy Weir's detailed, scientifically thorough novels. The science is way over my head, but I still love reading something written by someone who does understand it.

Ok.  Important question.  What do we all think about the single lens style sunglasses I'm sporting here?  I like the look. Maybe not for everyday, but I like them on vacation.  My wife thinks they make me look like a dork.  I respect her opinion because I'm always about one pun or dad joke away from Power Dork, but I do like these.  No holding back now, Cruise Critics.  We are all critics after all, right?  

Seriously, this spot is amazing. SOOOOO much more comfortable and less chaotic than the main pool area.  With the proximity of the bar, drinks were flowing easily, and it really was just the most peaceful day.

Love me a good Mango Meltdown.

The only thing that could make this area more perfect is if there was a hot tub.  Wait. What's that?  There is one?!  CANNONBALL!

As you may recall, we had gone to see SIX earlier in the week and loved it. Unfortunately, Jersey Boys was not playing this cruise.  I didn't ask, but assumed like so many other shows across the fleet, that it was probably shut down for this sailing due to COVID protocols, but admittedly that's just my speculation.

So when we saw that SIX was playing again this evening, we decided to book it and attend again! This time we were there early enough to wander down toward the front and take it in from the second row.  Again, these women are SO dang talented.

Before the show there's the typical "no video or still photography allowed" announcement, but at the end of the show there's a big encore/reprise that highlights the themes of each queen's spotlight song, and the actors specifically solicit the audience to take photos and video for this portion.  So if you want a little taste of the SIX experience, here you go!  Sorry for my "WOOOOO!!'ing, but it's tough to hold that back!

After the show we headed up to the pool deck where the White Hot Glow Party was already underway.  Dan Dan and his cruise director staff were up there as the party got underway.  We hung out near the stage for a while and danced our butts off and generally had a blast!  After about a dozen songs or so Dan Dan left and the party cooled off a bit. We headed up to the sun deck overlooking the pool for a bit, then headed off to bed for the night.

Tomorrow's Day at Sea would be refreshing after a GO GO GO past three days.

After such an active day, it was good to slow down and grab a bite to eat! We had a leisurely dinner at The Manhattan Room once again, and it was fantastic.

Beef Short Rib Ragu

Yummy in my Tummy Tuxedo Cheesecake.  That may not have been the actual name of this one.

Most MDR dining experiences ended with the Buena Vista Irish Coffee.  So good, though it appears some EXTRA trouble was in the bottom this particular glass.

After dinner we ran into one of the ship's photographer's again just outside of Ocean Blue, and Sandi and Joe snagged a couple more photos that were keepers.

We then circled around to the other side of the 678 chandelier...

And landed at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.  We had some time to burn before our evening activity, so we made our way through a good chunk of the menu.  The wiki rum punch shown below was soooo good, but that raspberry guava mojito they make is the absolute best of the bunch.

We had to walk aft to get to the theater, which brought us right past Maltings Whisky Bar.  I couldn't very well just walk by, could I?

Grass Clippings sounds like a terrible name for a drink (watch it being made and you'll understand the name's origin), but it is SOOO good!  Silver Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup.

Just now, dodger1964 said:

I'm sorry if you already mentioned this (I looked thru all the pages, but could have missed it!)...when did you have to wear a mask while on the ship?

 

Thanks for your review.  We are thinking about last minute cruise on NCL.

 

For this itinerary we only had to wear a mask before embarkation (during testing, check-in, heading up the gangway, etc.).  Once on board there was no mask requirement for passengers, though all crewmembers were masked.  At our port stops we were required to be masked just before disembarking, in the immediate port/pier area, and when on transportation to & from excursions.  Once at the excursion sites themselves masks were not required. 

Just bear in mind that the requirements do vary by itinerary. For instance many of the European itineraries require masks while on board, but to my knowledge none of the U.S.-originating itineraries have any onboard mask requirements.

13 hours ago, brad0576 said:

QQ- Has Jersey Boys returned yet?

It wasn't on our sailing, but I've seen posts elsewhere from the Bliss that indicate it has returned since our sailing. We were a little bummed to miss out, but with COVID protocols strictly enforced it shouldn't be much of a surprise when these cancellations pop up from time to time.

14 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

Loving the review, and great to see you had a good time with the NCL Beach Resort Getaway excursion. We're on the Bliss in two weeks and that's the excursion we picked for Mazatlan but I hadn't been able to find any recent reviews.

 

By chance, do you recall if there were any opportunities at the resort to add on activities or book a massage? If buying additional beverages beyond the included two, did you need US cash, pesos or was credit card accepted?

@Cruisingcrew5 and @OrcaGirl I don't distinctly remember if there were additional activities offered through the resort or not.  A little ways down the beach there was someone doing parasailing that looks pretty fun, and I saw a banana boat getting pulled through the water throughout the day too, but I don't believe either activity was directly affiliated with the resort.

USD was definitely accepted at the resort. I didn't notice any credit card readers at the bars, but admittedly I wasn't looking for them either.

Tonight was the Glow Party, so we all broke out the white for tonight's activities. 

It was a little windy out on The Waterfront this night as we were heading back north and into headwinds.

With the sun officially down, it was time for nightlife to begin!  And a full moon could only mean a fun night ahead!

6 minutes ago, BENNETT531 said:

I really wanted to do this excursion, but our itinerary has us leaving Matzatlan at 2pm.  Dang it!  I would love it there.  Thanks for your detailed review 🙂

 

As a matter of fact, we were slated to be there from 7am - 2pm for our Mazatlan stop too. I'm not sure if that changed mid-trip, or what the issue was that allowed us to book this. This was one of the excursions that we had to book once on board thanks to the last minute booking, so even if it's not showing up as bookable for your sailing right now, you might at least check with the shore ex desk once on board. We definitely would highly recommended this one, and since it's through NCL, you'll at least be guaranteed to make it back to the ship!

We made it back to our rooms to clean up from the day, discovering sand in places I wouldn't have imagined possible, and got to watch our departure from Mazatlán from the comfort of our balcony.