Wind 11/26/05 11 day Cruise Review

Because we did a 2 day post cruise stay I just got back Saturday. We had a fantastic cruise. I know that some of you who are waiting to take your Wind cruise are dying for every bit of info you can find, so though I hate to post in installments, I will post as I can make time because I am so behind the power curve right now having been gone for 2 weeks.

By way of background, my DH and I are in our mid 50's and we were celebrating our 25th anniversary. We were cruising with 2 other couples. This was my 8th cruise but my first Hawaiian cruise. This was our second NCL cruise but our first freestyle cruise. Here is the first installment. I'll get back as soon as I can.

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Pre-Cruise

My husband and I took an NCL package that included air and 2 days pre- and post- cruise at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Hotel. We were to meet 2 other couples in Honolulu who were to cruise with us. We left AUS on United Airlines on time at 7:55 am Thanksgiving morning. During the change of aircraft at SFO we took advantage of the opportunity to upgrade to Business Class for the cost of $44 pp, and enjoyed filet mingnon, maitais, wine, etc, for the 5 hour flight to HNL. It was about 5:15 pm before we arrived at the hotel and the NCL desk was already closed. We registered with the hotel and went to check out our room. We were pleasantly surprised to find a large 14th floor corner room with great views of the ocean from both the balcony and the window. We could also see the mountains from the balcony. We surmised that we had arrived so late that they must have run out of the more economical room we booked and upgraded us. As soon as our luggage arrived, we took off for a walk along Waikiki beach and ended up at the Mai Tai Bar at the “pink palace” where they had a band playing Hawaiian music. After one drink and some of the best coconut shrimp I ever had, we decided to call it a night.

Friday morning 4 of us went to see the Arizona. Based on what we had read on the message boards, we decided to take the shuttles from our respective hotels and meet each other at the Arizona. We needed to get there as early as possible so that we could finish early and return to our hotels by noon because we had engaged the services of a limo for the afternoon. It took a long time for each of our shuttles to get their destinations. They made many stops. They other couple’s shuttle even went to the airport before going to the Arizona. It cost my husband and I $12 each and the other couple paid $11 each. We all agreed that for the time, convenience and slight difference in cost, we would have preferred to have rented a car. Then later that evening we would have had transportation to China Town where we ate dinner instead of paying a cab. Anyway, our trip to the Arizona Memorial was very a memorable one and we were all glad that we went.

Friday afternoon we were picked up at our hotels by Star Limo. We had a driver named David who was of Vietnamese descent. There were times he claimed not to understand what we told him we wanted to do and I suspect that he may just been pretending not to understand, since he had been living there for 20 years and making his living doing that. But we still had a good 6 hour tour of a lot of the island, including the Punch Bowl, Hanauma Bay, Blow Hole, North Shore, etc. I especially enjoyed stopping at Turtle Beach to see two green sea turtles sunning on the beach and stopping to see the end of the O’Neill World Cup/ Vann’s Triple Crown surfing competition’s first day.

Friday night all 3 couples took a cab to China Town, had dnner at a noodle house, and made an early night of it.

Saturday, November 26th, Honolulu- Embarkation Day

We were told to have our luggage packed and ready to be picked up inside our hotel room door by 8 am. Our luggage was picked up at 8:30 am. We met our friends in the Grill for a leisurely buffet breakfast. We took the early/11:45 am departure bus with our friends. It was about noon before it actually left the hotel. We arrived at the pier about 12:25. There was a long line outside but it moved fast. Inside it took only about 5 minutes. We were in our staterooms by about 12:40. It was very fast and smooth going through the NCL pre-cruise Marriott package and I was so glad that we did. I would not have realized the benefits of this had I not read about it on this message board from BankofDad’s review of a few years’ ago. I almost forgot to mention that we were greeted with purple orchid leis upon our embarkation.

Our cabin was # 8268, which was aft and starboard. It was the third from the last, and just one deck below the Terraces and the pool that the Terraces encircles. We met our cabin stewards, David from Jamaica and Newman from Bali, and asked them to put some foam egg crates on our bed when they had they opportunity, and they were happy to comply with the request. I noticed that there were bathrobes in the closets. I was pleased that sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries that were part of the anniversary/honeymoon package I ordered were already in the cabin, as was the beautiful Hawaiian floral arrangement. However, I was surprised to find a second bottle of sparkling wine and a bowl of fruit also awaiting us from NCL. The bar setup we ordered was also awaiting us. All was in order.

Next I headed to the concierge with a letter of requested dinner reservations and to make reservations for Le Bistro for Embarkation night. However, there was a sign that the concierge would not be available until the next day. So, I headed to Le Bistro and made dinner reservations for the 6 of us for that night myself for 5:30 pm. Next it was back to the cabin to unpack the luggage that had arrived, and then put out the door decorations and the Cruise Critic door sign. By then, our other friends made contact with us and showed up. We all decided to take a tour of the ship. Before we knew it, it was time for the lifeboat drill. It lasted so long that we were a few minutes late to our dinner reservations at Le Bistro, which has half off the $10 cover charge on Embarkation night. I tried the surf and turf and was pleased. The chocolate fondue was good, but not nearly as good as the chocolate decadence that I would have later on in the week. The food was great, the service was excellent. We all agreed to return.

At 8 pm our Cruise Critic group of 24 had decided to try to meet each other informally in one of the members’ cabins instead of waiting for the CC Meet ‘N Mingle that was not scheduled until Thursday, Dec. 1st. Because we were late starting our dinner, we were late finishing and thus late arriving to the get-together and missed meeting a few of the folks. But we did enjoy meeting those we did, and taking a peek at the penthouse in 8201. Thanks, Lillie and Bob, for your kind hospitality.

Welcome Back, TOM

Thanks sooooo much Patti! LOVED the review & we are poised to go!

Installment 2

Before I forget, I want to say that I was very glad that we had booked the 2 days pre-cruise because we were very tired when we arrived in Honolulu after our flight. There is a 4 hour time difference for us. We lost an entire day. We had one day to do some sight seeing and adjust to the difference before we got on the ship. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone did it flying straight from the mainland with that kind of time difference and getting right on the ship. Especially when you are on the 11 day cruise and start right off the bat with the grueling schedule of ports on the front end of the cruise.

Also, when we boarded there were people on board decorating the ship for the holidays and they did a great job. I loved the size of her, and all of the wood. They will not be making them like her any more, and that makes me a bit sad. I am glad I got to cruise on her. She is in need of updating, as we all have heard. Some of the upholstery needed replacing here and there, etc. But that should not be a surprise to anyone who has been reading the boards and who knows that she is scheduled for a dry dock in the not too distant future.

I was very pleased with our balcony cabin in the aft of the ship. There is a great aft deck with chairs and shade, and stairs up to the pool by the Terraces, which is less crowded than the others.

In order to avoid having to wait in line for dinner, I gave the concierge a list of places and times our party of 6 wished to dine for the entire cruise and had her call and confirm each evening. We never had to wait. We could walk right past those who had been waiting and be seated immediately. They take reservations even in the Terraces.

By the way, we enjoyed the service and view in La Trattoria much more than the Terraces. It was later explained to us that the better waitstaff from the Terraces were moved up to La Trattoria, and then to Le Bistro. We never ate dinner in the Four Seasons, but did have breakfast there once.

I discovered that there is a different room service menu for breakfast for those on deck 8 and above. We were able to order eggs, bacon, etc on our menu and the other menu consisted mainly of cold items. We had most of our breakfasts in our cabin from our balcony.

Sunday, November 27th, Hilo

We had booked the NCL Circle of Fire Helicopter excursion over the internet long before the cruise and were surprised to find out at 9 am that our 10 am excursion had been rescheduled to 1 pm. It sure would have been nice to have had some advance notice in order to have made better use of our precious little time in Hilo. We walked off the ship at 9:20 am and set out to look for a Green Tour Operator. I had read in the Revealed books that they were good and often cut fairly good deals at the ports. We found a guy who took us in a mini van to several places- Rainbow Falls, Macademia Nut Factory, Orchid, JapaneseGarden; Harley Davidson Shop, etc. We paid $40 pp. He had us back to the ship by noon in time for us to grab a quick bite to eat at the Sports Bar before we had to meet our tour group for the helicopter excursion.

Blue Hawaiian Helicopter provided the tour for NCL. Our pilot was Darl Evans. Our flight lasted 45-50 minutes. There was another couple with us. We ladies were in the front with the pilot and the men were in the back. We got to see some lava, but not as much as I had expected. I think that because it was not at night it did not show up as well. We say some trees burning from the lava flow, and the steam from the lava created from it hitting the water. We also saw water falls and places the lava had destroyed. It was very interesting. We purchased the DVD for $25. We were back to the ship by 4 with time to chill out before our 5:30 dinner reservations at the Terraces at table 56, which we thought had the best view.

I will try to post another installment as soon as I am able.

Thanks Patti, Keep the installments coming cant wait to read the next one. DEB

Yes PLEASE Patti...we are lapping up every word! :D

Thanks so much for the reviews! We're leaving on the Wind on 4/1/06 - our 47th anniversary will be 4/4, and it will be our first NCL experience, so we're hanging on every word! So far, so good, and we're glad to hear some positive words.....we were beginning to worry that maybe we had booked the wrong cruise! Keep 'em coming!

Monday, November 28th, Lahaina, Maui

We were awakened by the sound of one of my husband’s cell phone ringing at 5 am. Seems that we were recharging it and failed to turn it off, so when someone back in Texas who did not know we were gone called at 9 am Texas time, bingo. No sooner than we had turned his off and fallen back asleep when were again awakened to the sound of my cell phone ringing by a client in Chicago. From then on we made sure our cell phones were turned off or on vibrate unless we were trying to contact each other or our friends on the cruise. Just thought I’d pass that lesson on that we learned the hard way.

This morning we had breakfast at the Terraces with the couple that we were renting a car with for the day. We picked up tender tickets at 8:30 and made the first tender off at 8:45 and were on shore by 9 am. Hertz arrived promptly with a van that filled up fast. We were ready to roll by 10 am. We headed south to the beaches we had picked out from the Revealed book. We went past the Wailea resort area to Po’olenalena Beach, which was off the beaten path. We even passed the turn off and had to cut back. It was a beautiful area that was supposed to be a great area to snorkel. However, it was very choppy that day, the sand was churned up and we did not see much. There are many beautiful golf courses in the Wailea resort area, by the way.

We returned to the ship in time to get cleaned up and arrive at the Old Lahaina Luau by taxi by 5:15. We had front row seats on the floor and it was great. It included a buffet, drinks and the entertainment. The show was over by 8:15. We all had a great evening there. Some of our group opted to walk back and do some shopping on the way and others took a cab.

I am doing a different luau in Lahaina, but it's in Kaanapali....how far is that from the ship tender? Just curious...and please keep up the installments, Patti. I leave in 2 days for Hawaii & the Wind!!

Hi, I was on the same cruise as Patti and company. The distance from the tender, if you are docking at Nawiliwili, to Kanapali, is about 6 - 8 miles. Too far to walk. An easy drive though.

We also rented a car there and that is where the rental car companies are located.

Have a great cruise...

Diane

Tuesday, November 29th, Lahaina, Maui, 2nd day

Tendering started at 7am this day and no tender tickets were required if you left before 7:45, so we left at 7:30 am in order to meet our limo driver in Lahaina. Four of us employed the services of Maui Star Limo and Dennis was our driver. He met us with coffee, pastries, soft drinks, beer and a stocked bar. We decided to go this route so that all of us could enjoy the Road to Hana and we did. It was jaw dropping gorgeous in many places. Among the things we saw were black sand beaches and red sand beaches, a beach cave, lots of water falls, and the rugged coast line. We stopped in Hana for lunch and briefly at the winery. We were back at the ship by about 6 pm. We were glad we made this decision because the driver knew just where to find everything and how long we could afford to spend at our stops, etc, which we would not have been able to do as easily.

Wednesday, November 30th, Nawiliwili, Kauai

We rented another Mustang convertible and drove to the Port Allen airport where we had arranged our helicopter tour with Inter-Island Helicopters. The Hertz van driver recommended a beach near the airport- Salt Pond Beach. We spent about 45 minutes at this lovely beach park before returning to the airport for our briefing, etc. My husband and I were to take a different helicopter and the other couple was to follow 15 minutes later. Our helicopters were the ones with no sides and my husband and I were seated in the back. We had great views, but I confess that I was never able to relax without the doors. With all the wind I felt like I was going to be sucked out at any minute. DH, on the other hand, was hanging out taking pics and smiling ear to ear. But he had jumped out of helicopters in the military so this was no big deal to him. I will say that there was an abundance of gorgeous scenery to see, including the Waimea Canyon and the Napali coastline. We landed for lunch at a remote clearing by a waterfall accessible only by helicopter and had the opportunity to swim in the waterfall before the rest of flight. It was the experience of a lifetime that we will always remember. Unfortunately, the other couple with us had to wait over an hour for their tour due to some mechanical problem. Their pilot decided to extend their tour to compensate for that. However, that left DH and I waiting for an hour and a half at the airport with nothing to do since the other couple had the car keys. We made it back in time to return the car and get back to the ship on time, but no time for anything else.

I can't wait to see a black sand beach....only ever seen white, tan, and pink sand beaches...this is gonna be so cool!!

Thursday, December 1st, 1st day at sea

This was the first day we could sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast since we had not excursions planned. We enjoyed time out on the aft deck 9 by the pool by the Terraces.

This was the day selected by NCL for our Cruise Critic Meet ‘N Mingle. We met from 5-6 pm at Lucky’s Cage, port side. This was also during the same time the Captain’s Party was going in some of the lounges. Genevieve, in group services, had it set apart with chairs and had a nice sign for us. Also, our cruise director, Darin Wyman was there and stayed the entire time. NCL furnished punch and had someone coming through periodically to refill our glasses. We had a good turnout. The only ones that did not show were the last people to post who were from Canada and they had only posted a couple of times. We had a total of 19 attend. I would recommend that anyone planning a Meet ‘N Mingle make contact with Genevieve in group services the day after you embark to firm things up. I say this because she said that she had no idea if we were still meeting, how many of us would be there, or any info, although I had emailed all details to the designated NCL contact person some time before. Genevieve can be reached through the front desk. That way, both you and she will feel more comfortable.

Darin Wyman, the cruise director, went out of his way to be helpful once I had the opportunity to meet him. Be sure and tell him “hello” from Patti for me. It would have been nice to have the M& M earlier in the cruise, though it would have been challenging to do it sooner before we had our days at sea. I sent him and Captain Lars a thank you note for hosting the M&M for us.

This was the first formal night and we dined in the Terraces. The 6 of us were well dressed, though no tuxes or super formal attire. We were more in cocktail attire. I would say that most people we saw in the Terraces were similarly attired.

I will indeed say "hi" to the CD from you. Our M&M was initially planned for the same time (late in the cruise), but I specifically requested the first couple days, so we have arranged for 5pm on the second day (great since we all have to be back onboard from Hilo at 4:30 anyhow). I, too have been instructed to contact Genevieve once onboard, so I certainly will. Thanks for the reminder!

This thread is SO informative,,,thanks again for posting. :)

Friday, December 2nd, 2nd day at sea

We did more of just hanging out on the aft of deck 9.

I also discovered that the Pizzeria has self serve oj and cranberry until about 11:30 am and I started taking advantage of that. The Sports Bar and Grill had a great serving line for omelets made to order and for waffles.

At 10:00 am they had “OFFICER’S PROFILE” in the Observatory Lounge. The Captain, Hotel Director, Chief Engineer and Executive Chef were there and spoke briefly. They then let anyone ask any questions they wanted. (If I had known that I was going to have some intestinal problems by the end of the cruise I would have asked them then if there was a problem of it going around the ship last cruise and on the current cruise yet, and if so, if they knew what the source of it was.) Here are just a few facts that I picked up:

They have gluten free products for the wheat intolerant. Just ask.

140 people work in the galley.

Our comment cards really motivate people and make a difference.

The ship’s hospital has 3 nurses and a doctor from South Africa.

The captain said that the Wind has 2 stabilizers that “work like a fly wing”. At speeds less than 7 knots they go in. The stabilizers only take away the side to side rolling, and not the forward movements.

They had a great duo in the Observatory Lounge playing oldies that we discovered that night, but Darin the CD said that this was the last cruise for Jose & Patti. We enjoyed them several evenings and they had quite a following.

Saturday, December 3rd, Fanning Island, Republic of Kiribati

DH says that technically it was Sunday, Dec. 4th, because we crossed the International Date Line. We were supposed to arrive at 8 am but we did not until arrive until 9:40. We had pre-registered for the Barracuda Reef Snorkel Excursion and the Napali Beach Excursion. We found out the night before that for some reason they did not have us listed on the snorkel excursion or the Napali beach excursion. (I suggest that you double check your pre-cruise reservations before you leave and when you board. I even had a confirmation.) We decided that was ok with us to skip the snorkel part because we thought it was too choppy and we would rather relax. Besides, we had a scuba excursion waiting for us in Kona.

They initially were to do 2 snorkel excursions, but decided to cancel the afternoon one the night before. When we arrived, they cancelled the remaining Barracuda Reef Snorkel Excursion altogether “due to poor visibility”.

We arrived on the second tender to Napali beach. It is quite a little walk from where they let you off to the area where they have the chairs set up. It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been on, and I have been on many. Our friends who arrived on the first tender had our lounge chairs waiting for us. DH rented a bike and went exploring. Several were trying their hands at sailing. I now wish I had because it would have been a great opportunity to learn in a safe, shallow environment. As others have said, there is nothing to see in the water so do not bother snorkeling at Napali. We got to Napali so late and had so little time that we did not even bother going to the main shore where the food was served because that would have required tendering back and forth and the long walk again, which would have used up a lot of time. Eventually we did have to tender back to the main shore in order to tender back to the ship. We got our passports stamped and bought a couple of hand made items. It was a great excursion.

Upon return to our cabin, DH and I were both surprised to open the door and find it decorated with balloons, streamers, confetti and happy birthday signs! I had ordered birthday decorations for Dec. 5th, but they arrived early and DH had several days to celebrate!

This was our first night to try dining at La Trattoria. It was Mexican food night. We absolutely loved the wait staff. However, being from Texas, the Mexican food was not up to our usual standards. The other items we ate were great, however, and we all wanted to return. La Trattoria and Le Bistro turned out to be our favorite places to dine.

After dinner we had fun watching the Not So Newly Wed Game

Sunday, December 4th, day 3 at sea

Another relaxing day. We had purchased the Honeymoon/Anniversary Package, and this afternoon at 4 was the party and photo session. They served champagne and cake, and a photographer took each couple’s picture. We celebrated our anniversary with dinner at Le Bistro that included a nice bottle of wine, also included in the anniversary package. The staff sang to us Let Me Call You Sweetheart.

That evening we enjoyed the Variety Showtime where they had magician Richard & Josette and vocal impressionist Wes Epae. We made sure we went to see Wes Epae on both nights that he preformed. He was excellent.

Monday, December 5th, day 4 at sea

Just another great day at sea. The disembarkation talk was given at 10 am, but they replay on the TV later if you would rather be having fun elsewhere. I always listen to it while I am packing.

Tuesday, December 6th, Kona, The Big Island

This was the day we were to have our scuba excursion. We were really looking forward to diving in one of the best locations in the islands. But for me, it was not to be.

I woke up about 5 am with what I initially thought was a migraine headache. I took my migraine meds and tried unsuccessfully to go back to sleep. I started feeling nauseated and having mild gastro intestinal symptoms, which increased as time wore on. I started taking the Imodium I had packed.

Since this was the first stop after returning from a foreign country (Fanning Island), the customs and immigration folks boarded the ship and everyone was going to have to report there before being allowed to leave the ship. The people on the ships excursions would get to go first. There was no way I was going to be able to get to customs or to the excursion by that time. I called the excursion desk to let them know I would not be going and told them why, and was told I had to report to the ship’s doctor at the hospital in order not to be charged for canceling the excursion.

By the way, the schedule for going through US Immigration Inspectors was:

Guests on Excursions: Time for Inspection:

Tours meeting at 7:45am 7:00 am

8:00am 7:15 am

8:30am 7:30 am

Tours meeting after 8:30am 7:45 am

Guests NOT on shore Excursions: Time for Inspections:

Decks 8,9,10 & 11 not on tour 8:00 am

Decks 6 & 7 not on tour 8:20 am

Decks 4& 5 not on tour 8:30 am

I gave DH my passport and Guest Key Card to take with him when he went at 7am to clear Immigration so he could explain my situation and get me cleared, but he returned saying that I had to personally do that. There is a $3,000 fine for not doing this. I insisted DH go on the scuba excursion without me, and

I thought I might feel better later and be able to go through customs with a later group of people. Unfortunately, I got much sicker and was not able to make it on my own to customs. My Canadian friend in the cabin next door was in the last group to go and told the inspectors that I could not leave and that they would have to send someone to me, and they did.

The ship’s hospital sent someone with a wheel chair to bring me to the hospital. I was given an injection for nausea. After about an hour I was returned to my cabin. A few hours later I got worse and the nurse had to come to my cabin and give me another injection. I asked if anyone else on the ship was experiencing similar problems, and they said that I was the last one they had seen. It was 9 pm before I was able to keep anything down. I was told to remain in my cabin for the remainder of the cruise. Room service called me to see if I wanted them to deliver me broth, Jell-O, etc., which I thought was nice.

My poor DH had to do all of the packing that night by himself. He now knows why it takes me so long to pack.

Fortunately, DH had a wonderful dive and got to see some of Kona and took some pics for me.

Wednesday, December 7th, Honolulu

We were doing 2 nights post-cruise with our NCL package that included transportation to the hotel, etc. We decided to pack our luggage and have it delivered to our hotel, but to walk off the ship with the early disembarkation for those with no luggage and get a ride with friends to the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. We were a little leery about doing it this way, but it turned out just fine, and we picked up a lot of great souvenirs the Swap Meet.

We made it to the hotel before noon but the room was not ready yet, so we went to pick up the rental car. We again stayed at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Hotel and we used the Hertz rental located there. As soon as our luggage was delivered, we headed in our convertible to our favorite place on Oahu, the North Shore. We enjoyed a wonderful drive in fantastic weather and scenery. We had dinner outdoors as the sun set and drove back to Honolulu and made it an early night.

Thursday, December 8th, Honolulu

We left early with our snorkel gear and headed to Hanauma Bay. It was fantastic! We saw all manner of fish and even snorkeled with 2 green sea turtles. We reluctantly left and again headed north to watch the giant winter waves and surfing. This time when we stopped at Turtle Beach, there were 8 green sea turtles sunning. We stopped for a very late lunch at a shrimp shack recommended in the Revealed book. I believe it was Romy’s. We pressed on in order to make it to Motsomotto’s Shave Ice before it closed at 6 pm. We found someone there to take our pictures holding those giant shave ices. We saw our last sunset at the north shore, and reluctantly headed back to Honolulu. Once back, we decided to walk to Cheeseburger in Paradise for a bite to eat before turning in.

Friday, December 9th, 2005 Honolulu

We had to have our bags out by late morning, so DH slept in and I decided to enjoy brunch at the hotel grill one last time. Once our bags were picked up, we returned the rental car and walked to the beach and sat on a bench to enjoy one last look in the warm sun. The NCL arranged transportation to the airport was at least 30 minutes late arriving at the hotel. With all of the bad Honolulu afternoon traffic, we made it with no time to spare for our 5 pm flight. We had to handle our own bags from the bus to the x-ray machines, but there are carts that can be rented for a dollar or so. We were flying on United Airlines again. The only food to be had was very limited and had to be purchased for $5. I would suggest purchasing a sandwich to take with you that I am sure would taste much better than $5 airline food.

That is about all that I can think of to share. I will be glad to try to answer any questions.

Patti

Hi Patti,Great review Thanks.We are staying at the Marriott Waikiki how did you like it.Are there any stores and fast foods within walking distance.How far is the pier from the hotel?What time did you get on the ship? TOM

Patti, you are the best! Thanks for the timely final entry of your review. I'm flying out in a few hours. See ya'll when I get back. :)

Wonderful detailed report - I am sorry to hear that you were ill though. What a drag!

Tom, we really enjoyed the Marriott Waikiki. It is lovely. The rooms are well appointed. It is right across the street from the beach. The beds were some of the most comfortable we have ever slept on, and our Canadian friends who were staying there agreed. They even got the info on the bedding to order it. I had read the same thing in a review from BankOfDad and he was right. There is an ABC store right there in the lobby of the Marriott, and you will find one in every block in Waikiki. There are stores and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel everywhere. A Burger King is right across the street. It has surf boards on the doors.

The pier is quite a distance time wise from the hotel, due to traffic. We had the NCL package that included air, hotel and transfers to the hotel, pier, and airport. We pre-registered for the cruise at the NCL desk at the Marriott and NCL picked up our luggage in our room and delivered it to our cabins. We took the early/11:45 am departure bus from the Marriott with our friends. It was about noon before it actually left the hotel. We arrived at the pier about 12:25. There was a long line outside but it moved fast. Inside it took only about 5 minutes since we already were registered and had our ID cards done at the Marriott. We were in our staterooms by about 12:40. These pre-boarding benefits of staying at the Marriott are the main reason we stayed there. It made boarding so much easier and faster.

Tom, in the penthouse you may know that you can have your meals served there. Even the meals served in any of the dining rooms or Le Bistro, if I recall correctly. You should also be able to tender first and have the concierge make all your reservations and other arrangements for you. Simone did a great job for us with our dinner reservations.

Almitra, have a wonderful cruise and tell Darin hello.

Zeno, this was my 8th cruise and the first time I had to use the Imodium that I always packed "just in case". I sure was glad that I did. I will also be adding Emitrol to my list for the other problem, and plenty of Peptobismol tablets to use as a prophylactic in the event there is an outbreak on the ship. www.worldwidehealthcenter.net/articles-231.html