Spirit---Valentine's Day out of NOLA

[luddite]

Saturday was an uneventful drive to Covington. A Super8 and dinner at Acme Seafood (half-shell and chargrilled oysters, gumbo) did an admirable job of getting us ready for a cruise.

 

Sunday we got up at a ridiculous hour for the drive to the ship. One parade had been re-scheduled for the morning and we had concerns of being unable to cross a parade route. Our fears were unfounded at 8AM.

We got to the parking lot at 8:05AM, five minutes after it was scheduled to open. The attendant got there about 8:45 and the card reader machine didn't work properly. Ah well.

After parking , we got the checked bags taken care of and headed to the Quarter---sneakers and a streetcar. After a sufficient wander, we headed back to the dock, got our carry-ons and headed to the check-in line. Well, OK, there wasn't a line. It took five minutes, maybe, and we were on the gangway! Rooms were not ready, so off to Windows for lunch (not our first Spirit cruise). I had a risotto, she had ribs. Those ribs were tasty and nicely done. The risotto was good, but the ribs way more than decent. We both avoided the enticing-sounding asian beef noodle thing, the one NCL dish I don't ever want again.

Rooms weren't ready, so off to the Pub to get the bad news....the drinkable beer selection has gotten worse, not better. Ah well.

Off to the room, a balcony on deck 9. Met our cabin steward, Angelito. He preferred Angel and was. The bags arrived and we had set up house before the muster drill. The Spirit doesn't have refridges, except for special needs, which Lena has. A fridge under the vanity means a chair is always in the way. We parked the coffee pot under the bed and were ready for the week.

LeBistro had a Valentine's Day special and I decided she was worth it. What a fine meal. It began with a colossal shimp fried with slivered almonds. Yumm! Surf and Turf was a filet topped w/lobster. Fork-tender.

Strawberry creme-brulee. There was soup,salads . It was a fine meal. Service was impeccable.

In the theatre, JO-EL Sonnier and Friends put on a fine show. It is hard to argue with a Cajun who has 3 accordians on the stage. More on that subject later. Sunday came to an end.

[luddite]

Ok the.

Monday. Woke up. Had room service coffee and off to Windows for breakfast. Eggs Ben for me and Salmon Benedict for her. And a bowl of pastries. This seems a waste to me. I asked, even though I knew what the answer would be, the uneaten ones from a table go into the waste bin. I would think that the old (luddite) method of an assistant waiter toting a tray and tongs would be less wasteful.

Windows is a beautiful room, huge, but oh so nice.

It wasn't long before we were off to Henry's Pub for the CC Meet & Greet. Met the gang, exchanged info and thoughts. Ginny handed out beads and I scooted out early for a Ping Pond tourney. I won my first match and got beaten like a rented mule in the second. Yikes!

Lunch was again Windows ( you might notice a pattern). This menu has a tuna tartare appetizer, hot soup, cold soup, salad and entrees to include:wide noodles w/pork and shrimps(Lena's choice),beef curry w/mango chutney and rice(mine), something vegetarian and Mahi-Mahi w/coconut. I mention these menu items as a qualifier for the following anecdote.A couple was seated next to us, their 2 companions had not arrived and they were scanning the menus. They discussed the various choices with disdain. The guy said 'well, I like Mahi-Mahi, but I don't like coconut." We weren't being snoopy, it was impossible to avoid hearing them. Then the wife says 'there is nothing on this menu that I will eat'.

They folded the menus and left. Amazing. The Maitre' D' just smiled when I told him.

I met JO-El Sonnier at the aft bar patio. He told me about the Mardis Gras Party set on for Tuesday night. And I had some beers.

There was a martini clinic in the afternoon. I don't drink 'em, but Lena does. This is a great way to meet people. We met Vicki and Ron from Pennsylvania and became fast friends. For some reason, I don't recall Monday's dinner menu and I didn't make any notes. Hmmmmm. I know that I liked the food though. No shows for us on Monday. Must've been doing something else.

 

Tuesday was Costa Maya. It was our first time in there. 2 years ago, we went elsewhere as Costa Maya was not recovered from a devastating hurricane. After breakfast (Windows) we hit the ramp. We wandered around and found the cab-stand. A quick 3$ (per) cab got us to the town/beach. We had no real plans here. Wander around, see what's here and have a beer or two were the first order. 7oz bottles of Sol for a buck were the DOD.:D We wandered up and down the street. Expectadly, there were vendors with products to sell. If you want a massage, this is the place to be. A fellow offered to sell me some Cuban cigars. I told him 'I don't smoke." His reply? "Then you're the enemy." With a smile.

Eventually, we settled into a table at Restaurant Mahajual and ordered up a giant ceviche. Can't get it where we live! This is a very relaxed, easy-going friendly destination. There are myriad excursions available right at the beach.

This was our favorite stop on the trip.

Back on the ship, dinner was at....well , Windows.

Pumpkin soup,asparagus scallop salad and beef Wellington. We literally ordered identical. No problems with THAT meal! A waiter pointed to my plate as an answer to a nearby diner who was unfamiliar with beef wellington. She asked if it could be more well-done ( assume mine was rare:)). He shivered as she asked for it medium-well done.

 

OK then. Dinner is over and it is Fat Tuesday. Party up top! WooooHooooo!

Nobody and nothing gets a crowd going like a Cajun with an accordian.

JO-EL Sonnier puts on a great show. Tiger Bell plays guitar and electric fiddle for him and you couldn't want better. Beads were being tossed around like , well, Mardis Gras beads. Lots of ship's officers made it to this party. There was a conga-line parade with maybe 60 people, led by Mactrio. Bought a couple of CDs and gave up for the night.

[amistad]

I am so glad you are posting your review, I have been reading Mactrio's and your's and it sounds like we are going to have a great week on the Spirit when it is our turn. Thank you for taking the time to do this, it is appreciated.

[luddite]

Back to Costa Maya for a minute. At the Restaurant Mahajaul, we got a couple of beers after departing the taxi. Raul didn't have any change(it was early). He said "come back later and pay me." Such a deal.

 

Wednesday and we're in Guatemala. This is obviously a beautiful place. 2 years ago, we went into Livingston on a tour. This time, we stayed at the pavillion on the dock. It tried to rain a bit. Not surprising, considering the cloud-cover. Did I mention that sunshine was a rationed commodity on this cruise? One day(saturday,maybe?), I looked up and saw something blue. No worries, turns out it was just the sky!

There are a lot of entertainers at the pavillion. Centered on the stage is a marimba. Let me re-phrase that. A BIG marimba. Ok, a huge marimba. Seven guys play this thing. You need to hear/see this.

There are not a lot of food options at the pavillion. There is a lot of Gallo beer, though. At the outdoor bar I was enjoying a Gallo and nodded to a fellow who was also enjoying one, with a cigar. He gave an air-toast and said "good beer,huh?" I said " no, it's considerd one of the worst in the world". He said "aww c'mon". His name is Jimmy and his wife is Dena. They're from south of New Orleans. When our wives met, they hit it off and we had new friends. After some more Gallo, we decided to hit the ship for lunch. Lena had a peppercorned tuna thingy and I had the goat-cheese ravioli. All very tasty. Then.... well, I had a hnkering for a Gallo beer. Back to the dock. Beer for me, Lena went to get Nativiys for Xmas presents. We saw Ron and vicki arrive from an excursion. They got rained on. Hellos all around and more beers. After learning that prices on some things come down as the day progresses, I bought a leather belt. QWe finally got a bit of rain and this kiboshed the sail-away event that the locals are known for.

Dinner was at ... Windows. Prime Rib tonight. I had about all I wanted. It was about 1/2 inch thick cut, rare and had a good horseradish available. On this night, I noticed a fellow in shorts and ball-cap being turned away from the dining room at dinner. He seemed to be unhappy, but I must say that he didn't LOOK illiterate. Hmmmm.

We didn't find time for a show. We normally have our evening meal pretty late, even at home. Sketch comedy and Broadway show-tunes aren't at the top of our to-do list list, so no real conflicts for us.

We had an excursion in Belize for Thursday and needed a wake-up call. i remembered a thing about the phone not ringing earlier in the week. In the course of setting an alarm on the phone, I spoke with customer service and asked them to ring the room. The light blinked, but no noise. They a fellow named Yogindu to the room to help out. He got there in about 15 minutes and quickly solved the problem by re-booting the phone. This was after 10:00PM. Service! With a smile.

Time for sleep. We're going cave-tubing in the morn!

[luddite]

Wow! Now it's Thursday and we're in Belize, home of Belikan Beer. And Marie Sharp's. An early breakfast at....Windows and off to our cave-tubing excursion.

Cave-tubing on a ship's excursion involves a motor-coach ride. For those that are unaware, that means a bus. It's about 1 1/2 hours, maybe less. You need to say goodbye to your morning coffee before this bus ride.

Ok then. Get to the park. Hook up with partners and a guide. get your tubes,Mae Wests and a helmet/light. Here, I notice the tubes. They are big orange things with handles and seem very impressive relative to the truck-tire tubes from 2 years ago. Well, I hafta say, the Luddite tubes are better. These orange things have a too-small hole and are too tall. You don't settle into these things, you just sort of balance on top of them. Eventually. My first attempt to get into the tube resulted in me falling tail-over-teakettle and giving everyone in sight a good laugh.

We did this two years ago and had a ball. The river was 3-4 feet higher and moving much faster than this time. There were times when we pretty much becalmed and need to paddle or get towed. Paddling was mostly impossible for me until I let half the air out of my tube. I couldn't reach the water. If I do this again, I'll want to find an operator with luddite tubes.:)

A meal is included in this excursion. There is a new (from 2 years ago) pavillion with a full bar and a buffet. Sounds good, but we were disappointed. In Belize, I expect to eat poultry (chicken?),black beans and rice made with coconut milk and Marie's hot sauce. The buffet even had burgers!:eek: The chicken and beans and rice weren't so tasty and were pretty over-done. Belikan was 4 clams. I'm in the middle of Belize, I don't need this nonsense. Gimme a picnic table, food prepped locally and a cooler of Belikan. Ah well. Back to the bus.

At the dock, Lena went outside to get a year's supply of Marie Sharp's and who knows what. She knew which Belikan vendor to find me near.

She did not not find any Lissette's Special Sauce. I, however, did. We are now set for a while. I also found a nice Hawaiian shirt here(as usual).

Belize is a tender port. I really hate tendering. We were anchored close enough to a Carny ship that I pulled out the binocs for a gander. I got a good view of a disturbing abomination-----a giant, make that GIANT TV screen on the pool deck of the Carny ship. I had heard about them. Lena was concerned that there would be one on the Spirit.

We returned to the ship suffering from Belikan Sleeping Sickness. It's a short recovery, though.

Dinner was at Windows. If you're gonna visit a specialty restaurant, Thursday is a good night. This is a tedious menu, such that I didn't note it and cannot remember it.

[luddite]

Friday and we're in Cozumel.

Breakfast with Lena and Dena. Jimmie is out early on a dive. We're gonna wander in search of tequila and a spoon rest. We found the tequila. And a couple of Hawaiian shirts.

We missed a connection at Pancho's Backyard. Been there before. The menu is lacking in seafood options. If I can see the ocean, I expect and want a menu to REAL seafood heavy. We found an al fresco joint near the square for a lobster and a conch ceviche.

The ship docked at a place I've never been. Middle of the strip. Docking is good, of course. The problem here is the gauntlet of shops that you MUST walk through and past to get to the street. It's as bad as a casino in Vegas. You simply can't get out without traversing the entire thing. Cozumel is mostly a giant open-air mall anyway, this trek is just irritating. But there IS an escalator, so maybe it has some redemption.

Dinner Friday? Garden! It was too late for Windows. I had the rack of lamb. It had some lentils and I can't read what else. Lemon cream pie for dessert. Lena had a lot of apps.

JO-EL Sonnier had another show in the big lounge. This show was heavy with French tunes. Don't miss it.

 

Saturday and an over-all will need to wait. My 2 finger and one thumb are tired.

[terrymtex01]

Love reading your review. Cant wait to read more.

[luddite]

Meanwhile, back on the ship....

Saturday began with the usual cloud-cover and breakfast at,... well, Windows. I started thinking that Moday's failure at the ping pong tables was a fluke. I spent a lot of time Saturday getting beat. There were a bunch of guys playing and having a fine time. I didn't win a game. I lunched at Blue Lagoon on Sat. I'm a fan of the fish and chips as well as the tomato soup, so I had both. These were enjoyed with a tasty beer from the largest American brewery---that would be Samuel Adams.

A nap and a shower were in order but not in that order.

We saw the Perfect Couple silliness with Jimmie and Dena and finished the evening with a late dinner at The Garden. I eschewed the Engish Loin and Yorkshire pudding in favor of the Snapper in gumbo. 3 of us had the snapper. All agreed that it was over-done. It is broiled and certainly very tricky to avoid over-cooking. It's easy to remember why I don't order fish like that. I'm usually disappointed. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. We heard someone mention getting room service on Sunday morning. We told 'em that wasn't likely to happen----past experience.

We thought we were going to watch Quest. We got to the venue and saw the last bit of Quest and then read the daily. The Second City Improv was at the time when we thought Quest was. Ah well, back to the room.

 

Sunday was breakfast as usual in Windows. No Eggs Ben available on the last day. Disembarking went smooth enough. We were at the car by 11:00.

New Orleans was a bit warmer than when we left on the 14th. Went to the Holiday Inn in the Quarter. Room wasn't ready so we parked our bags and went wandering. We were gonna go to Maspero's on Decatur for lunch. For some reason we decided not eat there. Maybe it was because we heard our names being called from a PoBoy at ...Johnny's PoBoys. Anyway, on our way to Johnny's, who do we encounter on the street? Vicki and Ron! They were headed to Cafe' duMonde and a LONG line. After a nice visit, we made it to Johnny's. Oyster PoBoy and gumbo. We got there ahead of a big lunch rush. This place needs to be on your list of things to do. Finally got a room and checked-in. Dinner was at Felix. More oysters and gumbo. Obviously a pattern for us there.

Monday was breakfast at...Cafe' Beignet on Royal. Then, a drive home.

End of trip.

[luddite]

So much for the trip. Here are some notes and comments about the ship.

We have sailed the Spirit before and it is our favorite. It's a good size and it accommodates Freestyle nicely. She is not brand-new. There are some rust spots here and there, some worn varnish. I know enough about boats that maintenance is a constant chore and I could see and hear that things were being worked on. None uf this bothered either of us.

We have heard about the giant TV screens at the pools and had heard that it was on the Spirit. Happily, that isn't the case. I have real problems with being bombarded by TVs.

On sea days and evenings, the Grand Atrium is turned into a yard sale. Add the photogs and it's a chore to get across. It's a beautiful space. It's unfortunate that it gets turned into such a zoo.

 

We were stunned by the number of youngsters on the trip. We found out that Fat Tuesday week is usually a week off for New Orleans area schools, thus, the kids weren't missing any school. Kids programs must be pretty good. The kids didn't create a lot of problems.

 

Crew? Smiles. Always. This is a friendly, happy bunch. When I read reports of surly, disgruntled crewmembers, I get...well, skeptical. Smiles and friendly 'hello, how are you?' were the norm.

Angel told us that he had 34 rooms to take care. This didn't deter him from a towel-animal display. We had swans,a mouse,monkey,pig,and...a gorilla-new for us.

 

Cabin: A balcony. We like the open door, which is how it stayed.

Bed was fine, but the covers would slide down past my feet. Weird.

Bathroom has good and bad. The shower is big enough to maneuver in. It has liquid soap and shampoo, but we bring Pear's soap and our shampoo.

The throne room is a different matter. This is a TINY space. I am not petite and I cannot imagine how a really large person manages here.

Here is a helpful hint that came into play. If you smell sewer gas in your bathroom, the culprit most likely the floor drains. If they don't get enough water to keep the traps full, you'll smell sewer gas. The problem is solved by pouring water into them. 2 qts water was sufficient.

There was a coffee pot. Useless for us, so we parked it under the bed.

Regular ship's announcements (bingo,art sale,etc) do not enter the cabin without the TV on. Muster and last day tag colors do.

 

Food:

All that we had from the buffet was coffee and caesar salad, so I can't comment on how it was. I don't know a good one from a bad one.

We had most meals at Windows. Service was terrific. A couple of really busy times, the waiters were overloaded. Monday morning, our waited lost control of his tray with juice on it. About 5 juices spilled onto our table.

He moved us to a new table with many apologies. No damage. The Maitre' D was very concerned for us. Things happen. I don't know if the water tipped the tray or was bumped.

We were pleased with the menu. After hearing about the Dawn's fixed-menu experiment, we were concerned about what we might encounter. Not to worry. The menu from 2 years ago is still there and we had no quarrels with anything except the salmon that I mentioned, and that wasn't unexpected. Blue lagoon stayed busy as we got the fish and chips.

I did overhear a lady comment about the Panini " oh, it's been toasted!"

I also discovered that the bacon is pretty bland. And I do miss the Scotch Bangers. Chilled soups were at every menu. I don't care for them, but I couldv'e had 'em. The dress code for evening meals was either enforced or didn't need to be. I saw one guy turned away at Windows-he had shorts and a ball-cap. Never saw a ball-cap at dinner. Did see one guy with a ratted straw hat. He always had it on. Maybe he was hiding new hair-plugs?

 

Entertainment--- We enjoy live music. JO-EL Sonnier will be there for a while yet. The Gennadi Orchestra was very nice. I don't remember what the Calypso band on the pool deck is called. They didn't have a real steel drum, but the keyboard guy made it sound like they did. We didn't see any big production shows. Our schedule makes it tough sometimes.

 

I would sail on this ship again at any time. Out of NOLA at Mardis Gras made it extra-special.

 

The end.

Questions?

[luddite]

Love reading your review. Cant wait to read more.

 

Are you OK?

Spouse told me that you've not been well.

[scottamemnon]

Great review, I cannot wait to be on the Spirit in just about 6 weeks!

 

After reading the sporadic complaints about the sewer gas smell I am amazed to see that there is such a simple solution. Bet there are some people on the forums who are crying a little now since they had their cruises "ruined" by the smell!

[luddite]

Just a note: The difference between the smell of sewer gas and raw sewage is distinct. I knew what we had and saw the problem.

If someone doesn't read the note over the toilet (the one admonishing you to NOT throuw foreigners in the toilet) a back and clog can create a big problem for others. We have always been fortunate in that regard.

[amistad]

Luddite, Great review it was informative and objective. Thank you again for taking the time to post.

[luddite]

Luddite, Great review it was informative and objective. Thank you again for taking the time to post.

 

Enjoy your teip and lift a Belikan for me.

[NewYearsBaby]

Great review, Luddite! DH and I will lift a Belikan in your honor when we're in Belize on April 14! We won't be on the Spirit this time, but maybe next time!

[boozencruisen]

Do you remember if there were one or two formal (dress up or not) nights on the cruise? It sounds like lately there have only been 1 on the week long cruises, but that could just be on the ships trying the new menu. Also do you remember which night(s)?

[mr&mrscruiselover]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[luddite]

Do you remember if there were one or two formal (dress up or not) nights on the cruise? It sounds like lately there have only been 1 on the week long cruises, but that could just be on the ships trying the new menu. Also do you remember which night(s)?

 

I seem to recall two nights of such.

I'll hafta check with spouse.

She is thinking dress-up is on sea-days. That would be Monday and Saturday.

I wear Hawaiian shirts and slacks every night, so I don't really pay attention to Tux nite.

Sorry I don't have better info. Ask a question that I have an answer for!:)

[luddite]

Great review, Luddite! DH and I will lift a Belikan in your honor when we're in Belize on April 14! We won't be on the Spirit this time, but maybe next time!

 

I know you will.:D

[OceanDreaming2]

Great review, Luddite! DH and I will lift a Belikan in your honor when we're in Belize on April 14! We won't be on the Spirit this time, but maybe next time!

 

NewYearsBaby: Are you on our rollcall? - click here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=23371418&posted=1#post23371418

[NewYearsBaby]

NewYearsBaby: Are you on our rollcall? - click here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=23371418&posted=1#post23371418

Thanks for asking, OceanDreaming! We're on the Jewel April 11, but the more I hear about the Spirit, the more I want to get on board! Have a great cruise!

[Another ship trip]

Thought I would chime in on the sewer gas comments. OUr last cruise we had the horrid gas smell from the time we boarded until I finally had had enough with them coming several times a day for 3 days to fix it. It was disgusting in our cabin and this is the first time in 25 cruises that we had this horrible problem. (NCL Spirit) over Thanksgiving. We have been on this ship 4 times and this pretty much ruined all time in the cabin. If you showered it was like showering in a stinky port a potty. No, pouring water into the drains does NOT work. They poured every chemical imaginable down our drains, covered the drains, etc. It would mask the smell for about 10-15 minutes, then it would be back with a vengeance. Finally I demanded we move rooms. They had a lower category cabin available and they gave it to us. It wasted 4 hours of my time repacking and then unpacking again, but that smell is a trip-ruiner. I think we are done with that ship. It seems it is "luck of the draw" as to whose room it affects. Most of my neighboring rooms did not have the problem, though on day 3 I smelled it in the hall doors down from my room.