*Photo Blog* Ben the Bendy Man's Gem-sational Adventure, Dec 14 - 23, 2013

[kylenyc]

HAPPY NEW YEAR! cruise enthusiasts and bendable buddy fans! Ben returned from the beautiful Norwegian Gem on Dec 23rd but his typist has been busy with the holidays, and of course trying earn a living at his day job, buried under a pile of work... and even snow! Now in just a blink of a eye, Ben's off on yet another cruise in two days. He really wanted to blog about his wonderful 4th time aboard the lovely Gem. So he's going to try post as many pictures and blog about his Gem-sational adventure until Friday when he'll... Getaway! Woohoo! Hope you enjoy.

 

Someone forgot to tell Ben to watch his step this past weekend.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Saturday, December 14, 2013

Traveling to Manhattan Cruise Terminal - Pier 88

 

Ben's personal butler finished packing at 11 am and out the door lugging his carry-on, back pack, and a heavy box of surprises. He was behind schedule but still doing better than he has in the past (like back in September when he was running late and didn't arrive at the pier until 2 pm. Despite the 50-ish pounds of luggage and goodies, he had his porter wait for an MTA bus instead of hailing a cab hoping that it wouldn't be crowded that time of day. They were in luck!

 

Ben riding the MTA bus to 74th Street & Roosevelt Avenue

 

Exiting the MTA Subway, E train, at the 50th Street & 8 Ave Station.

 

Bemused by the steady snowfall.

 

Walking from 8th Avenue to 12 Avenue.

 

Ben's cheers on as his personal porter huffs and puffs, lugging human belongings through the snow "It's not THAT heavy....You can dooo eeeet!"

 

Ben's porter and personal paparazzi welcomes a quick respite as Ben stops to make snow a snow angel.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2014 by kylenyc

[lisakoivu]

Yay Ben's back

 

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[ColinIllinois]

There is something really kind of creepy, odd and head shaking about these Bendy reviews but for some reason I read every part of them. lol ;)

[sparks1093]

Yay, another Ben review!:):):)

[sinclaj]

I love that there's another "Ben Review". Thank you so much.

[russianmom]

YAY! Hi Ben and Kyle! Can't wait to read the rest :D

[kylenyc]

Yaaaay! So happy to see Ben still has a few fans. :D

There is something really kind of creepy, odd and head shaking about these Bendy reviews but for some reason I read every part of them. lol ;)

Ben sympathizes. He happens be afraid of clowns. Rest assured, Ben has lots of Facebook friends who aren't afraid of him. :D

Edited January 8, 2014 by kylenyc

[david_sobe]

I am not afraid of Ben so bring it on!

:)

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Saturday, December 14, 2013

Arrival and Check-In - Manhattan Cruise Terminal - Pier 88

 

Walking the four blocks was not too bad for Ben's porter even pulling heavy luggage. He was able to take his time not having to rush to the pier like he did last September, barely arriving on time at the pier at 2 pm (See September Breakaway blog). Ben arrived at 12th Avenue just shy of Noon, was excited to board the ship and leave New York City and the snow behind.

 

Check-in went fairly smoothly with only few minor irritations... Something he's come to expect from the terminal personnel who don't work for Norwegian. It took about 15 minutes to make it through security. As is typical, photography was not allowed inside the terminal and the terminal personnel were still their typical clueless unenthusiastic selves. Ben, who was now Latitudes Platinum, wasn't allowed to pass through the priority security line on this trip. However, he had other things on his mind and didn't feel like belaboring the point.

 

After Ben tucked himself into his porter's luggage and rode through the x-ray machine, his thrill ride was short lived when his pair of scissors were suddenly confiscated. He stared at security dumbfounded but again decided not to cause a stir and point out that the restaurant on board the ship gladly provides steak knives with dinner. He was more concerned with getting his big box of goodies aboard the ship unnoticed.

 

Once through security, we was quickly ushered onto the Gold/Platinum/VIP Priority Check-In line where he was greeted by a friendlier representative who checked him in quickly.

 

One block away. Almost there!

 

 

Walking south on 12th Avenue.

 

The Norwegian Gem looking serenely beautiful on a snowy day.

 

Happily through security, check-in, and boarding the Norwegian Gem

 

Vacation starts now!

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[soccersharon]

Woo hoo! Ben is back!

 

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Forums mobile app

[spidybabe]

More I want more!!!

Safe sailing

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - December 14, 2013

Unpacking, lunch, a little exploring

 

After unpacking, Ben headed to lunch in the Grand Pacific main dining room. He had some chicken soup, portbello mushroom with goat cheese, and a shrimp caesar salad. Food and service overall in the main dining rooms throughout the cruise was very good. Sorry he didn't take pictures of his beautiful mid-ship balcony cabin or his lunch on this day but plenty of pics later on in this blog. The ship overall was also in very good condition and he noticed that they had even upgraded some signs since his visit since February.

 

Thrilled to see a familiar face - Maricel at the Java Cafe and Bar.

 

The Gem now dons brand new ship maps similar to those on the new Norwegian Breakaway.

 

A surreal scene - Snow on the Lido Deck - Deck 12 Midship

 

Bathrobes in the balcony cabins

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[debnjoe1438]

Can hardly wait for the "rest of the story" :)

[toby517]

Ben's reviews are great. Hope there are lots of pics. Will be on the Gem in Sept.

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - December 14, 2013

Sailaway, Cruise Critic Informal Get Together

 

"Ding dong." "According to SOLAS, Safety of Life at Sea", the mandatory safety drill started promptly at 3:30 PM. It went smoothly and was over in a short few minutes with announcements and instructions over the intercom, and a life jacket demonstration. Afterwards, Ben quickly made a bee line to the Spinnaker Lounge to meet his new Cruise Critic friends for an informal get together and the ship's sailaway party.

 

This was the first time leaving for a cruise during the snow and it was both exciting and surreal having to squint through the snowy frost covered windows rather than have a clear view of the skyline and various landmarks as we sailed away.

 

Hints and tips:

...Thirty minutes prior to the mandatory safety drill, all food and beverage service is stopped. So don't order anything you can't finish in time.

 

Informal Sailaway Get Together - Cruise Critic members enjoying the sailaway and frosty view.

 

Folks gather near the forward windows as we approach Lady Liberty

 

 

 

Yay! Ben makes a new friend!

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[NayRN]

I've been waiting patiently for your review......so let's keep it coming!

[kylenyc]

lisakoivu, sparks1093, sinclaj, russianmom, spidybabe, toby517

Thanks everyone! Glad there are folks who still enjoy Ben's adventures. :D

I am not afraid of Ben so bring it on! :)

Ben's iconic smile is *almost* irresistible. He did get some interesting reactions on this cruise as you shall see later on. ;)

Yay Ben's back

Woo hoo! Ben is back!

Yay! Glad to be back... and then off again on another adventure in just two days! Hurry... Blog, Ben, Blog! :eek:

Can hardly wait for the "rest of the story" :)

He didn't fall off the zip line but he still had fun. :D

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[boopsahoy]

lisakoivu, sparks1093, sinclaj, russianmom, spidybabe, toby517

Thanks everyone! Glad there are folks who still enjoy Ben's adventures. :D

 

Ben's iconic smile is *almost* irresistible. He did get some interesting reactions on this cruise as you shall see later on. ;)

 

 

Yay! Glad to be back... and then off again on another adventure in just two days! Hurry... Blog, Ben, Blog! :eek:

 

He didn't fall off the zip line but he still had fun. :D

 

I love your reports and have read them all-more please!! Im leaving on the gem Saturday so Im enjoying this a lot!

[sdmike]

Another bendy review! Awesome!

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - December 14, 2013

Dinner in Grand Pacific

 

After the Sailaway, Ben returned to the cabin so his butler could finish unpacking and relax a bit. He then headed to dinner in the Grand Pacific main dining room. He didn't want to miss "Lobster Night".

 

Throughout the cruise, we went to dinner around 7 pm and there was always a wait for the main dining rooms (Grand Pacific and Magenta) which varied from 10 to 30 minutes. Regardless of the actual wait time, the hostess would always tell us there was a 30 minute wait when it was usually 10 to 20. We were given a pager which works anywhere on the ship and we would go to the atrium or one of the lounges to listen to live music. On past cruises, we went to dinner earlier around 6 pm and there was shorter to no wait. Once seated, service and food was very good throughout the cruise.

 

Hints and tips:

... The first evening is "Lobster Night" in which lobster is traditionally served in the main dining rooms aboard Norwegian ships except on the Breakaway where it's served in the buffet on the second evening. There is also a discount and/or free wine offer in the specialty restaurants on this night.

... The dinner menu is posted in the afternoon outside each main dining room. Half of the menu changes each evening with chefs and regional specialties, while the other half of the menu is fixed. If none of the dishes meets your fancy for the day, then consider one of the very good specialty restaurants.

... The dinner menu in the Magenta and Grand Pacific main dining rooms is *almost* the same. The have very subtle differences to the fixed half of the menu. For example, one has "Classic Onion Soup" while the other "French Onion Soup", they have different pasta and sauces, one serves Rib Eye Steak while other serves New York Strip, etc.

 

Surf and Turf - Yum!

 

Day 2 - December 15, 2013

Cruise Critic Meet and Greet, Gift Exchange, and Slot Pull

 

After dinner last evening, our lithe limber lilliputian had turned in early because today he (or rather his manservant) was helping to organize the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. He arrived early at the Bliss Lounge to prepare, chatted with few members, and met Etienne, the Group Services Coordinator who was absolutely amazing. He was friendly and helped Ben's personal assistant with organizing the Meet & Greet and a bowling tournament. Unfortunately because Ben and his assistant were busy organizing the Meet & Greet and Slot Pull, and the Cabin Crawl the next day, he doesn't have any photographs of these events.

 

The Meet & Greet went very well and there was a good turn out. Mary Ann (BostonM&MS) ( helped organize a gift exchange; and the ships senior officers and crew came by for a brief introduction. Unfortunately, the Slot Pull afterwards did not go as well.

 

When we arrived in the Gem Club Casino, somehow it came down to Ben to pick a slot machine because no one volunteered. So our silly smiling smart alec spun himself around on the floor and ended up pointing at one of the worst slot machine he's ever used. Ben's embarrassed to have convinced 33 cruise critic members to donate $20 each although most seemed to have forgiven him by the end of the cruise. After feeding nearly $500 into a Wheel of Fortune slot machine, amounting to 165 pulls... AND NOT ONE WHEEL OF FORTUNE SPIN and the best pull was only $40! Needless to say this was one of the rare times when Ben's smile turned upside down, mortified as he watched his new friends one by one pull goose eggs while he prayed for divine intervention. After just first round, we lost 66% ($5 each of our starting $15 dollars). Frustrated, we all decided to continue playin and ended up donating the rest to the casino.

 

One saving grace was that Ben does a $15/$5 slot pull which means part of the money ($5/pp) went into a guaranteed side jackpot and Bill walked away with a cool $165 for having the largest slot pulls.

 

After this turn of events, if Ben recalls correctly, he found a quiet place on the ship to hide.

 

The Jennifer Lim (Fantastic Hotel Director) and Etienne Saladin (Fantastic Group Services Coordinator)

 

Main dining room - Leg of lamb. Deeeelish!

 

Main dining room - ?Coconut chicken? Ben doesn't usually order chicken in restaurants but he wish he did order this. He tried a bite and it was delicious!

 

Day 3 - December 16, 2013

Cabin Crawl

 

The next day, Ben organized a cabin crawl. Patricia & Jim (PatJim), Angela & Mark (angelalynn24), and Sue (Christmas Cruiser) graciously showed their cabins. We had a nice time crawling through the ship and exploring different cabins. Again sorry, busy leading the crawl and mixing drink and couldn't take pictures. However, Ben did surprise everyone on the crawl with cocktails thus bribing a few folks back into his favor after the disaster the day before.

 

 

Main dining room - A very tasty coconut shrimp.

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[johnjovi]

yeah Ben and Kyle - so excited to read your review again!

 

John

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - December 14, 2013

Lunch in Cagney's

 

Word must have gotten around about our flexible figurine's frown and the "slot flop" the other day because when Ben had returned to his cabin, there was a beautiful plate of yummy canapés waiting for him from the Carlos Zarate, Concierge. He knew that Patricia & Jim were petitioning the Carlos to help try and get Ben back into good spirits. The lovely couple also invited Ben to join them for lunch in Cagney's which is normally reserved only for Haven/Suite guests. With a rich and scrumptious lunch of scallop and shrimp risotta and a devilish warm chocolate brownie sunday in his tummy, things were looking brighter.

 

As if Ben wasn't already overindulged at lunch, a plate of chocolate covered strawberries was waiting for him in the cabin from Jenny Lim, Hotel Director. This is the second time that Ben has sailed with her aboard the Gem and she is fantastic. We saw her throughout the ship on several occasions - Always bright, friendly, and approachable, yet constantly on the run working hard to keep everything ship shape.

 

Hints and Tips:

...The Blue Lagoon is the ship's included 24x7 pub style restaurant and serves a chocolate fudge brownie sundae which Ben likes even more than the one in the specialty restaurant Cagney's where a cover charge applies. Ben's other favorites are the delicious buffalo wings and an amazing tomato basil soup.

 

Canapés's compliments of Carlos Zarate (Concierge) (Sparkling wine not included).

 

Cagney's Steak House - A sinful shrimp and scallop risotto.

 

Warm dark chocolate brownie sundae

 

Joseph (Cagney's waiter) proudly holding his very own Ben clone. - Our favorite waiter, always a friendly smile and impeccable service.

 

Chocolate covered strawberries compliments of Jenny Lim (Hotel Director) - Oh no! Ben's butler will have more than the average 5 extra pounds to shed after this cruise!

 

The fun and friendly Carlos Zarate (Concierge) and Jiaolong Chen (Guest Services Associate)

 

Coming up tomorrow

Arrival in San Juan

Old San Juan Food Tour

 

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - December 17, 2013

Arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

The Gem docked in San Juan shortly before 3 pm and disembarkation began soon after. Ben was still busy munching on his chocolate brownie sundae at the time. So here are some pictures of the approach from December 2012. As in 2012, the weather today was sunnier than the pictures.

 

Hints/Tips:

... Many popular tourist attractions are within easy walking distance of the port including Paseo de la Princesa (Princess Promenade), Puerta de San Juan (San Juan Gate), Castillo (Fort) San Felipe del Morro and El Viejo de San Juan (Old San Juan) with its many shops and restaurants.

... There is a free trolley operated by the National Parks Service which visits many popular attractions. However, by the time it arrives in front the terminal it will be full. Try walking a few stops west towards the Princess Promenade.

... Bring an umbrella or rain ponchos. You're in the tropics where you may be get caught in a short sudden downpour.

 

Approaching San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

 

Castillo (Fort) San Felipe del Morro

 

 

 

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - December 17, 2013

Arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

 

La Puerta de San Juan (San Juan Gate) - Brick colored structure to the west.

 

Paseo de la Princesa (Princess Promenade)

 

 

 

Port of San Juan

 

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by kylenyc