Newbie impressions: Solo on the Getaway

[Vacationdreamer<><]

 

 

 

i'm not a partier (people usually assume that from my user name. Lol),

 

 

 

 

 

lol

[Susie51]

Thanks for sharing. I like your writing style.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

lol

 

Well' date=' I [i']could [/i]party if I really wanted to. ;)

[dcipjr]

I'm enjoying the heck out of this review.

 

Historically, non-pictorial views get a bit of a "meh" from me -- what can I say, I find it easier to live vicariously through fellow CC members when I can see what they're doing -- but I will be glued to this review. Your writing style is great.

 

Hope you're having a great time; I'm looking forward to reading more. :D

 

BTW, check out the crepes at the buffet after dinner...yum.

[cardbucfan]

Fabulous review-can't wait to read more! You also have to come back and let us know when your novel is finished since I love your writing style!

[MandyMommyof2]

You are a terrific writer, love your style! Your recounting of the stairs "race" made me lol.

 

We're on the Getaway on 7/4 in a spa cabin and can't wait for that thermal suite. Ahhhh. Adored it on Breakaway.

 

Will make sure we hit the Flamingo Grill!

 

So glad your inaugural voyage has been a success! :)

Rimom71, we are on the same cruise as you!!! :D I have wrote down Flamingo Grill too!! I hope we have smooth sailing!! :cool: And this is such a great review! Catching up today from yesterday.

[perditax]

Yes, the mentalist guessed Obama. Actually, she painted him. (I’m sorry to be that person, but out of all the magic tricks the mentalist stuff impressed me the least because it’s the most obvious to me, technically, how it could easily be done. I guess I won’t give it away in case it’s not obvious to other people.)

 

Thanks for the kind notes. I really didn’t expect anyone to read this, and I myself usually don’t like photo-free reviews all that much, so I wouldn’t have blamed anyone for not clicking. Thanks also for the notes on my writing style, that was also something I wasn’t expecting (this is very unedited, top-of-head stuff). I’ve been writing fiction online for a long time, basically just stuff to amuse myself (fan fiction etc), but I completed a novel last year, and then while I was waiting to either get up the nerve to try to get an agent (unlikely) or publish it online, a second book came into my head, and then a third. So I’m basically halfway through writing an unpublished trilogy in the urban fantasy genre. I wasn’t sure whether the cruise would be conducive to writing, but it definitely is.

 

Addendum to day four: last night after I posted, I spent about an hour in the hottub at the thermal suite chatting with a retired IRS gentleman (and then his retired nurse wife), about lots of different things, and when he found out I worked in the video game industry, he shocked me by saying he really loved playing Witcher III on his PS4. I did not see that coming. 

Went back to the cabin and took a shower, then I realized that despite having clocked six miles of walking, I still had energy. I realized I had never gone outside on deck at night for the whole cruise, which seemed crazy. I walked deck 16 while listening to music (I usually have an LG Tone bluetooth headset with me, and I pre-synced a lot of Spotify music to my devices before I left civilization). It was ridiculously beautiful and relaxing, if a bit windy.

 

I made my way to Spice H20, where I stumbled into a “Thriller flash mob dance class” which was well-attended by people of all shapes and sizes, and looked like fun. (I wonder where they’re going to perform it?) I found a comfy chair and watched them rehearse the whole routine a couple of times, and it was really neat. I’ve recently been getting into way-before-my-time music, and at one point the dancing synced up perfectly with “Come Go With Me” in my earbuds, one of those weird little serendipitous moments. I was so relaxed I just sat there for a long time, even after the class ended, and then it became apparent that I had inadvertently scored an awesome seat for the 80s party … and the fireworks, which I didn’t realize were happening. In the space of about an hour, something like four bazillion people poured into Spice H20. They queued up the 80s videos around ten (I was young, but god, the memories, and the cheesy music videos. they started with “Safety Dance”). Then the fireworks. I hadn’t expected much from cruise ship fireworks, but this really was the best place to watch them, and they were fairly impressive. Plus, they were being fired off in time with the kind of cheesy 80s metal I can really appreciate, such as “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot and “The Final Countdown”. Norwegians, eh? (I can say this. My boss is Norwegian. His favorite band is Slayer.)

 

It was definitely a highlight moment, and evening, of the trip. And I was out till well after eleven! Walking back through … I’m going to say deck 7, the ship was ROCKING. Lots of people dressed up, poker tables full, booze flowing, and it seemed like everyone had scored cookies somewhere. (Generally speaking, I’ve noticed everyone really does seem pretty happy on the ship. I have some thoughts on attitude and the cruise critic forums and such, but I’ll probably post them in a later post.) (EDIT: Heh, the post immediately after this one deftly illustrates some of the points I'll be making.)

 

Day five roundup:

 

I was still in such a good mood from last night that I decided I was going to work out this morning. I hit the weight room. (I usually do free weights at the gym at home.) It’s not bad; they have a lot of dumbbells, although they are not well labelled and they look a lot heavier than they are, meaning you pick up what looks to be about a 15-pounder but it’s only five pounds. They also have fixed-weight barbells, a somewhat rickety/annoying Smith machine, and a lot of rickety/annoying resistance machines. Some kettle bells, yoga mats, and swiss balls. There are clean small towels and also refrigerated towels. I did some squats, weighted crunches and … okay, maybe no one cares about my specific routine, but the squats are significant. Did I mention they were doing a full emergency drill on the ship during this time? Also, that I was determined to reward myself for the workout by actually having breakfast at Flamingo Grill? This will all be important later.

 

After the workout, I went back to the cabin to drop some stuff off. It was well after 10, and the clock was already ticking (breakfast ended at FG at 11am today), and I’d gotten distracted watching a catamaran out of the floor-to-ceiling window in the spa locker room. (Oh, we’re in Tortola today. It looked beautiful, but hot, and very under construction, and I didn’t get the sense nearly as many people left the ship today. I didn’t.) So I have a routine to get from my forward cabin to the aft food areas, which is go down the stairs to deck 6/7/8 (depending on my mood), cross the ship that way rather than going through the claustrophobic stateroom-deck halls, then elevator back up to deck 16 (typically for Flamingo Grill, but sometimes 15 for Garden Cafe). I noticed going down the stairs to deck 7 that my legs were definitely rubbery from the squats, and I resolved to eat a lot of protein.

 

Did I mention the emergency drill was still going on and the clock was still ticking?

 

Made it to deck 7, walked briskly to the aft lobby … in time to hear them announce that as part of the power generator test, would we kindly not use the elevators until further notice.

 

Okay, I am on deck 7. My legs are like rubber, and I have about fifteen minutes on the clock for my breakfast quest, which is on deck 16. Did I walk up 9 flights of stairs?

 

Yes, yes I did.

 

I had to stop and rest a few times, and when I checked my heart rate on my watch at one point it was 160bpm. (I am not a stranger to the gym or cardio, but I am not THAT well conditioned and I hadn’t eaten anything (I typically work out fasted and then eat right after) and I’d already abused my quadriceps). So by the time I reached deck 16 I was pretty much sweaty and dying. But I made it.

 

Was it worth it? Yes and no.

 

They had some standard breakfast stuff, including scrambled eggs, meats, and both english muffin and bagel-based sandwiches. But I went to the pastry section, despite my resolution to eat protein. They had something labelled “ham and cheese puff”, and it looked like a pastry sandwich about the size of a hotdog. Seemed promising. I also grabbed a cheese pastry (I can’t remember what it was labelled, but if you’ve had Cuban cheese pastries you know what I’m talking about). It was about the same size. Took them both to a table. Bit into the ham and cheese pastry …

 

EW EW EW.

 

For some reason it was absolutely loaded with the kind of tomato paste you would expect to encounter in a Totino’s pizza roll. It had no business being in there. I’m not sure there was even any ham. So I tried the cheese pastry and OMG. It was just like the ones I used to get before work at a Cuban bakery in West Palm Beach. Very, very good. It’s like eating a light, flaky-pastry turnover with a not-super-sweet cream-cheese style filling. This is worth a trip up to deck 16 to grab one. You’d better grab two. I went back and had another, and confirmed that the totino’s pizza sandwiches really all had the red paste in them and really were labelled ‘ham and cheese puff’. No idea.

 

I knew I still needed more protein, but I decided to go back later for chicken. >.>

 

So: down to the library for a couple hours of writing, but not before realizing I’d left my conditioner in the spa showers and hiking over to retrieve it. (They hadn’t thrown it away, thank god, because my hair is BUSTED from the wind and chlorinated water.) The library was absolutely packed before noon for some reason, including kids, so I had to occasionally minimize windows if I was in the middle of an R-rated scene and someone got behind me. I was too lazy to go elsewhere, and after lunch time it cleared back out.

 

2:30, back to Flamingo Grill. I’m really sorry, but I’ve explained my addiction already so I won’t repeat it. (And I believe the food is objectively good, setting aside my Cuban food addiction.) Three chicken thighs. My digestive system is happier if I go easier on the rice and beans. Spent a while in the stateroom in the afternoon editing what I’d written earlier, and then at some point I decided to eat at La Cucina tonight, probably because of my nine-story stair climb earlier. I got an 8:30 reservation, with a trip to the thermal suite and a shower beforehand. Unfortunately, I can see why the reaction to La Cucina is usually ‘eh’, but I think I also ordered badly (spaghetti carbonara, which in retrospect was dumb—it’s hard to find a land-based restaurant that does it well, and naturally their ‘carbonara’ was a tasteless gloppy white sauce). There is probably something worth ordering there. Maybe? The service was fine. I had the chocolate torte for dessert, but sadly a similar dessert I had in the buffet a few nights earlier was loads better, and actually tasted like chocolate, whereas the flavor profile here was basically ‘sugar’. Cannot recommend, overall. Seems to need an overhaul, given that many reviews I’ve read are like mine.

 

Also, I called to cancel my Le Bistro reservation for tomorrow because I saw that the Burn the Floor dancers will be doing a swing dance routine at the Tropicana tomorrow. The reservation lady talked me out of it. (Le Bistro reservations are packed, and I won’t be able to get it again if I change my mind, and also mentioned that people line up half an hour in advance for the Tropicana show and I couldn’t reserve a table.) I suppose she could have been trying to keep me from canceling the specialty, but I’d already paid for it and I think that means I lose that money either way, and Le Bistro really HAS been full red on the board, and I really didn’t want to stand in line for Tropicana. So it’s Le Bistro tomorrow. (Cagneys has also been full red. UDP?)

 

Tomorrow is a sea day. I’ve been trying to decide if it would be tacky to paint my toenails in the thermal suite, if I’m really really careful and don’t sit downwind of anyone? Probably tacky. I might do it anyway, because the cheapest pedicure on the spa menu is $70, and I don’t want a ‘fire and ice pedicure’, I just want nail polish. Oh, thermal suite was pretty hopping before dinner tonight, maybe more people are buying day passes. Still no problems finding a regular/padded lounger, and I think I saw empty tile loungers. (The tile loungers are nice for a short while, but they’re still hard tile and the angle isn’t conducive to reading and I get too hot.)

I’ve run into more people in the solo lounge (including an eight year old getting cookies, I have this suspicion that he didn’t have a solo cabin). It seems there are more solo cruisers of a wider demographic than I realized, I just never see the same people twice. My table-mates at Illusionarium mentioned that there was an organized solo group on their excursion. So things are happening, I’m just an excessively-solo solo. And I saw a bartender in the lounge for the first time around dinnertime this evening, and the bar was full, so maybe it was a scheduled thing. I chatted with an American lady who is currently living in Ireland, and we bemoaned the weak tea bags on board. (Bring your own. Even Lipton would be better. It was something I tried in vain to shop for on St. Thomas. I should have busted out of the tourist areas and found a grocery store.)

 

Other notes:

 

—I think we may have left two people behind in Tortola. They asked them to report in for about 45 minutes after our scheduled all-aboard.

 

—The slots here are bad, I have much better luck in Harrah’s in NOLA. Every day I walk by and feed them five bucks and win zero credits aside from that $8 win the first night.

 

—Is there a general sundries shop on the ship? If so I’ve never found it. I’m worried about my stock of ibuprofen (especially after today), conditioner and toothpaste.

 

—Movies on board have included Big Hero 6 in 3D and Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D, both of which I would have liked to see (although GOTG would have been for like the fourth or fifth time), but my eyes do not do 3D.

 

—If you’re in a solo cabin and you hand-wash clothes, hang them up near the shower, that’s where the airflow is. Stuff dries MUCH faster over there.

 

—Definitely bring all the stomach meds. Alka-seltzer has been a lifesaver. This is less about norovirus or even seasickness, and I think more that you’re just eating a lot of foods you don’t normally eat and the whole thing throws your digestive system way off. I’m not even really ‘overeating’, I don’t have the appetite for it (though I once did), but my stomach is still rumbly and occasionally queasy, although often those queasy moments go away when the food is in front of me.

 

—The spa showers are bigger and the waterfall head is nice, but I’m not sure they’re worth the hassle. You have to haul your own hair products (other than the ‘shampoo’ dispensers), and your own washcloth or scrubby, and the door didn’t seem to want to close all the way. Also, it’s hard to get the waterfall head going without getting hit with the initial rush of cold water.

 

—For a second day I slept through docking. Both St Thomas and Tortola do docking, not tendering.

 

—Still not many announcements and the noise level is really quite low. I think I had the impression of being force-fed Jimmy Buffet at all hours. Thank god that is not the case.

 

—Teens are getting more rambunctious and doing the stair-rail slide, but life is exciting when you’re fourteen.

 

—Speaking of the stairs, there was a code …Bravo? Or Alpha? a few days ago, called to a deck 16 stairwell. I can’t remember which, but when I looked it up it was a medical emergency, so I guess someone fell on the stairs. I am blissfully free of injury so far despite having poor balance and coordination. I also don’t get the sense there is any illness going around. I see people using the hand sanitizer stations a lot, and I wash my hands whenever I see a sink. (I have NOTORIOUSLY bad luck on vacation, this is … knock on wood … my first real vacation without an illness or major emergency in a very, very long time.)

 

—Still wish I would have brought more clothes, and also a different-sized bag. I’m usually carrying a variable amount of junk around with me (sunglasses, one electronic device at least, some headphones, cash, maybe a swimsuit, camera, whatever), and I have one Baggalini travel purse that is often too small, and my work laptop bag, which is way too big and also is giving me some neck/shoulder strain (it’s usually only loaded up on the way to the library when I actually have the laptop for writing). I need something in between, or possibly a small lightweight backpack. Carrying the laptop bag cross-body doesn’t help.

 

Thanks again for reading.

Edited June 25, 2015 by perditax

[sid_9169]

If you need toothpaste/ meds and such, there is a small section in the liquor department of the Tradewinds Tax and Duty free shops. (Deck 8 port side near the mojito bar)

[skittl1321]

This has been a fabulous review! Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

[perditax]

If you need toothpaste/ meds and such, there is a small section in the liquor department of the Tradewinds Tax and Duty free shops. (Deck 8 port side near the mojito bar)

 

Thank you! I walked past that so many times, but I either saw the liquor from one direction or the jewelry from another, so I never went inside. I saw your post this morning and went back.

 

They do have a small 'pharmacy' section, and (posting for the benefit of other new cruisers here), most of the stuff you would need in an emergency. (Hygiene, pain, 'family planning', etc. I didn't see baby products or diapers though, I think.) A lot of it isn't labelled with prices. I also didn't realize there was a cosmetics and perfume section in back. I'm a makeup shopping junkie, but there weren't any of my usual brands. I saw Smashbox, some Bare Minerals, some Shiseido, Clinique, Estee Lauder, L'Occitane, Lancome, and a selection of OPI nail products. I bought myself some OPI including a quick dry topcoat, so I'm going to proceed with a mani/pedi, but I've decided to do it in the stateroom because I still really can't figure out if there's an etiquette issue of doing it in the spa thermal suite. If nothing else, I don't want people to have to smell it ... although, maybe they couldn't over the smell of the chlorine? Okay, never mind.

 

A few other mid-day updates: you can tell the vibe on the ship has changed a bit as we get closer to the end. I can really see why people say not to bother with cruises under seven days (sadly my DCL cruise in September is only four, but I'm very much looking forward to having a bump-out balcony there instead of my 100sf solo cabin, much as I love it). Kids are more evident and more restless.

 

Breakfast at Flamingo Grill. I finally tried the buffet scrambled eggs. About what you'd expect. The sausage links were very good though. The cheese pastelitos (actual name) were gone when I arrived, but I sat near the buffet and watched like a hawk till they were restocked. >.>

 

Morning in the library. Busy again today, and very loud from upstairs--I need to add a caveat to my raves about the library. I usually have in earbuds or headphones. Today it was loud enough in there that I noticed even through my music--I think part of the arcade is upstairs. I believe it was designated a 'quiet area' on the day I mentioned earlier in the week because it was St Thomas day (if I have my days right, I really might not), the ship was quiet ish and empty and perhaps they had the arcade closed to clean or something?

 

"Lunch" was a piece of poundcake and a chocolate cookie from the solo lounge, both of which were fresh and moist, and my usual afternoon iced tea, which I am now expert at assembling in the solo lounge:

 

1) Get the larger glass from your solo cabin and totally fill it with ice from your bucket.

 

2) Take it to the lounge. Grab one of the plastic tumblers, add three English Breakfast tea bags, then fill with hot water from the espresso machine water spout. Let it steep about five minutes.

 

3) Pour over the glass full of ice from your room, add sweetener of your choice and a little more water as needed.

 

Today's my birthday, a fact I hadn't intended to advertise here or on the ship, but of course they know your DOB and there was a cupcake and a card in my cabin when I just got back.

Edited June 25, 2015 by perditax

[Vacationdreamer<><]

Happy birthday! Now I'm REALLY envious. What a gift to yourself. Have a blast.

 

(Btw 4 day DCL Magic was pretty awesome.)

[maywell]

Happy Birthday![emoji512] Traveling on one's birthday week is the best present one can ever get or give to themselves! [emoji16] Can wait for later this year and next for mine.[emoji7]

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[hansolosmom]

Happy birthday!

Sounds like a great time. Sorry to say your story about finding breakfast yesterday cracked me up. That is something that would happen to me. I hate to walk through the cabin hallways. If it's nice out I got to an upper deck and outside to get to the food places.

[perditax]

Thank you for the birthday wishes. Part of the stars aligning/nudging me into booking this trip was the fact that it was my birthday.

 

Day six roundup --

 

This is going to be very short since I already posted a bit about today. I also spent most of the day writing. For the first time all week I neither ate lunch at Flamingo Grill nor went to the thermal suite. I skipped lunch because I had my birthday dinner at Le Bistro.

 

Warning: Honest opinion ahead! The Back button is your friend!

 

It was fair to good. It's slightly difficult for me to feel it was worth the $43 total (I didn't realize the lobster was an extra $10 on top of the $20 cover charge, and I had one alcoholic drink and tipped $5, because I am HOPELESSLY confused about tipping on NCL now). I have a local French place that does an amazing $25 prix fixe. :\ But it was definitely better than La Cucina.

 

I had the Kir Royale drink (very good but I don't drink much so I'm far from an expert).

 

For starters I had the Cornet quartet (or words to that effect). These are like tiny waffle ice cream cones, but the pastry is savory and the fillings are things like smoked duck, a pecan/blue cheese type filling, etc. I can't remember all four. They were pretty good, if salty, but I suspect this was another ordering misfire on my part--should have gone with the mushroom soup or the duck salad.

 

Main: the lobster. It's served prepared in the shell with a sauce that was probably a sherry cream sauce, some very basic peeled fingerling potatoes, and some artichoke chunks. It was probably about five ounces of lobster meat, all told. It was very good, but I think it tasted better when I didn't know it was an extra $10. NOTE: BEFORE YOU CLICK REPLY ... I am 100% positive the $10 charge was printed on the menu somewhere, I just didn't see it. I am not blaming NCL for tricking me or anything. I'm saying I don't think it was enough lobster meat for a cover charge on top of a cover charge. That's all!

 

Dessert: apple tarte tatin. You have to request ice cream with it, and you should. It was good, the apples had a nice flavor and it came with some fairly intense caramel.

 

Service was ... leisurely. I did have to flag someone down for the check at the end, after about fifteen minutes with my empty dessert plate.

 

Overall it was a nice birthday dinner.

 

Oh, and at neither specialty restaurant was my dining alone remarked upon or weird-seeming. I read my iPad mini when I wasn't eating.

 

Since it was my birthday, I spent quite a while at the slots tonight--mostly this is because I finally found a "penny" level machine that would let me run five dollars for a very long time. And then I eventually fed it another $20. I was up only briefly, but it was the kind of machine that lets you lose very, very slowly, and I listened to music and had a good time. I think that $25 total got me well over an hour of slots (whereas the rest of the week it's been $5 gone in less than 60 seconds, even on penny machines).

 

Came 'home' this evening to a small dessert plate compliments of the solo hostess Rowena (I've never laid eyes on her but I see her name around a lot). But I've already had a cookie, a piece of poundcake, a cheese pastelito, a few bites of (stale) birthday cupcake, and dessert at le bistro. I hardly ever eat sweets and I don't think I can face this. :) It looks like a chocolate covered strawberry, a piece of apple danish, and some kind of small chocolate confection.

 

Oh, quick tech note:

 

A few tricks with the satellite internet: remember that this is not an 'always on' connection. It goes to sleep pretty fast. To wake it up, open up a new browser tab and just go to google. Different apps may not work till you do this. Also, I think they filter or block certain types of traffic. I can send iMessages all day, but if i try to attach a photo it fails. HOWEVER, if I start up a VPN (I use a service called VyprVPN), which disguises what kind of traffic I'm sending, the photo attachments magically go through, if slowly.

[MandyMommyof2]

:)Happy Birthday!!!!! Sounds like you have had a great day!!!

[SenatorsFan]

Happy Birthday to you! :)

Heather

[cardbucfan]

Happy birthday! I will be spending my next birthday on a med cruise next May!

[hansolosmom]

Glad you got a bit of writing done.

Sorry to hear about Le Bistro - but that apple dessert sounds divine.

[timmo44]

Thanks for this review. It's a great writing style you have there, it really flows. You come across as an analytical person like myself, taking pleasure in small details. But your overall review has me thinking that you'll probably really look forward to your next cruise once this one is over.

 

I went on my first cruise because of curiosity and was convinced it would be tedious but I was so wrong and have been every year since. It's a real holiday where you can relax or not depending on what you want - a hotel that moves locations so you don't have to. Once unpacked it's all leisure for the whole week.

 

The quest for space and quiet public areas eventually led us to the Haven Suites and it's considerable additional expense. But it is worth it as the pace is a lot more sedate up there and entry to shows etc is a lot less painful. And thanks for the warning about Illusionarium. I'm on the Getaway in November and for that show I'll be as far away as possible from the mind reader's harvesting area.

[perditax]

timmo44: I should mention that when I cruise NCL again, I will probably try Haven (as I will not be solo), if I can get a good deal. I don't need to be 100% away from crowds, but the ability to escape when I need to helps a lot.

 

Day 7 — The end, wah.

 

Note: since folks have actually been reading (and thanks again for the notes), I’ve been actively taking more photos, including a bunch of the typical Flamingo Grill food setup today. (You guys have had to hear so much about it, I feel like I should at least show you what it looks like). I’ll post them when I’m back in touch with broadband, although it may not be until Monday.

 

I woke up way too early (6:30ish) and knew I hadn’t gotten enough sleep, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. I should mention that I’m usually pretty insomniac, but I sleep very well on the ship (something you see a lot of people say, which I wasn’t sure would apply to me). I did bring a white noise machine, and I think that helps. There is a lot of random ship noise. But the beds/pillows/bedding are fine and the room a/c is good, if sometimes a bit arbitrary.

 

So I got caffeinated up via the solo lounge, and decided that since I had slept through docking at St Thomas and Tortola, by God I was going to watch the docking today in Nassau (around noon), and I would watch it while lounging in the thermal suite (part of which sits stop the bow of the ship with a great view forward).

 

Today the delayed muscle soreness of my gym day and staircase marathon kicked in. Also: Derp. Finally realized that part of my back/neck strain has been happening due to wearing a one-piece halter-style bathing suit while owning a D cup. (I don’t usually wear anything halter-style and I almost never have the opportunity to wear a bathing suit.) Since it’s one piece, when it’s wet especially that’s a significant amount of weight hanging off one’s neck. Something to consider. I think I also had mine tied a little too tight. This seems stupid/like it should have been obvious to me earlier, but for whatever reason it just wasn’t.

 

So, this brings us to the … I think it’s called the thalassotherapy pool? Maybe? It’s a small pool in the thermal suite that is warmer than body temperature but not by much. If you look around the edges of the coping, there are white buttons. Push one, but hold on, the water jets are MUCH stronger than a hot tub jet (it’s why each jet has a set of grab bars). Meanwhile, the fountain in the middle also has a button to get it going, and brace yourself, again it’s very high-pressure. Take off your glasses and say goodbye to your hairstyle. But the end result is this pool = full body massage for free. My quads were very happy, and the fountain is perfect for neck/muscle soreness.

 

I have things out of sequence here, because the first thing I did this morning in the thermal suite (which, when I arrived, I had COMPLETELY to myself, and I took several pics for you guys) was do my eye mask while lying flat on a lounger. I have a condition called dry eye, and I normally use a microwavable bead mask once a day. No microwaves on board (none I can use), but I found these awesome products on amazon:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Kao-Megurhythm-Steam-Mask-Sheets/dp/B0012R23UK/

 

They are self-warming when unsealed. So I lay one under the bead mask (which applies pressure to the eyelid glands), and it’s just about as effective as being able to microwave the mask. (The warming pads get quite warm.) I’d been meaning to do that in the thermal suite (instead of my room) for days but kept forgetting to bring the stuff. So I listened to podcasts and lay with the mask on my face for…what turned out to be a very long time, because by the time I sat up, Nassau was coming into view. I watched the approach, then we did a 180 to back in, and it was all very cool to watch. I didn’t realize the ships dock so close to Atlantis. (As the crow flies, I mean.)

 

THEN I got in the pool and the hottub. By now it was just after noon, and I was RAVENOUS, which happens to me the day after I drink (even one drink, like last night) which is one of many reasons I usually don’t drink. I went back to shower and change. I was very excited about Flamingo Grill. But just as I was about to leave the cabin, a thought nagged at me. I checked the daily. It wasn’t going to open until 2:30. DENIED, and on my last day. (There was simply no way I was going to make it to 2:30, not even a snack would hold me over). So, buffet. They had sandwiches, burgers, something called “Maryland chicken” which looked like chicken fingers to me, salads, paninis, some indian foods, probably a bunch of other stuff I am forgetting, and … chicken and sausage gumbo? I did a double take. Yep. I tried some. There was no rice around, but the gumbo was actually quite good, with the appropriate seasoning, and included okra. (I know okra in gumbo is a point of debate, but whatever.) It was very thick, which worked for me. I went back in search of more. I found another station with it, this time near an asian station, so I got a lot more gumbo, and some rice with it. And a piece of french bread. Lots of chicken and sausage in it.

 

Note on dining solo in Garden Cafe: Don’t bother trying to retain the same table in between helpings. Just pick up your stuff. You’re going to get lost anyway. And even if you don’t, they will have turned that table over by the time you get back even if you’re only gone three minutes. But really, just grab another table if you go back for seconds.

 

I was still hungry after this (!!) and ate two pieces of poundcake in the solo lounge (the dessert offerings at GC did not look appealing. I’ve never seen that chocolate mousse cake again). Then I went back to the cabin and the lack of sleep finally got me. Two hour nap! I never nap at home. I set a timer so I didn’t overdo it. I suppose I should mention I did not go to Nassau. I was intrigued and thought about making another shopping attempt, but we were at the furthest pier, and when I looked out it looked like a very long hot walk across concrete. If we had docked early in the morning I would have done it. But I will be back to Nassau in September. Hordes of people DID go to Nassau, though. The elevators were packed when I left the spa, right around the time they opened the gangways.

 

So after the nap, got up, had some cafe crema from the espresso machine in the solo loungs, and started seriously thinking about the packing situation. I’m going to do self walk-off and I had a lot of strategizing to do (I’m still new to travel and I’m still learning about packing light, but at the same time I just have a lot of stuff I want with me at any given time, and the process of paring that list down is going very slowly). Most of it has to do with electronics. The packing/pre-packing process took me until 6pm. I wasn’t starving yet, but getting hungry, and figured I would get out of the steward’s way (he’s a very nice kid who is always careful to say my name when he sees me, but I don’t think he has much English yet), since they are probably extra busy the night before turnaround day. (I tipped him a $20 for the week, and also $5 when he brought my luggage on day one. I don’t know. I hate how complicated and confusing the tipping issue is in the hospitality industry. I understand they are essentially shifting their payroll costs to the consumer *on top of your cruise fare*, and that it’s been happening forever in the hospitality industry, but the sketchy auto-gratuity stuff is when I start getting confused and annoyed by it. Just call it what it is, ‘housekeeping paycheck contribution’).

 

Today was one of several prime rib days we’ve had. I guess prime rib is the new lobster. I’d never eaten at O’Sheehan’s yet; for the first few days it was packed and I could never figure out where the podium was. My table-mates at Illusionarium told me where it was (to the right and across the hallway if you’re facing the bar part of O’Sheehan’s). I wanted a table service meal and I didn’t think I wanted to do an MDR, so O’Sheehan’s it was. I expected it to be hopping at 6pm on Prime Rib night, but maybe people were packing and/or recovering from Nassau day. I got seated right away. (I usually ask to be seated at a small table near walkways in this type of place so I can people-watch). I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much of either O’Sheehans or the prime rib, but I was pleasantly surprised by both, and I have a picture of my very nice looking meal I’ll post when I can do pictures. It was a very big piece of medium-rare prime rib with a decent jus, a baked potato (should have asked for more butter), corn on the cob, and creamed horseradish. It wasn’t overly seasoned, but that was fine, I don’t like things like rosemary on my beef. It just needed salt. Very good though, served hot, not too fatty/greasy/sinewy, and so much that I expect even a big guy would be pretty happy with it. I also had the apple pie, which was cafeteria-ish but that didn’t stop me from eating all of it. So all in all, very nice final dinner. And they were very, very fast—I had the food in front of me in less than ten minutes from being seated.

 

On the way back to pick up my laptop (we’ve just pulled out of Nassau and I am typing this from the library), I somehow, humiliatingly, got turned around coming out of O’Sheehan’s, despite priding myself on having good internal maps and having learned the ship well (other than the unsolveable Rubik’s Cube that is Garden Cafe). I don’t know how I ended up where I did on deck 10, but eventually I found the forward end. Sigh.

 

Some initial closing thoughts:

 

—I’ve had a wonderful time. I will be cruising again. (Well, I already have a DCL cruise booked for September, so that is a given, but I will cruise *NCL* again, probably the Breakaway Bermuda run next time.)

 

—Cruising solo is not something to be feared, especially if you can typically amuse yourself during your normal daytime routine. I do miss my boyfriend and my cats, and I’m looking forward to washing all my clothes, but other than the slightly awkward seating situation at Illusionarium and a slight hesitation about wandering alone in port, it’s been fine. It’s been awesome.

 

 

Thoughts on attitude:

 

I know there is a certain debate that happens a lot on Cruise Critic, which is where someone complains about something and then a lot of other people try to shame them about it because at least the ship isn’t sinking (as happened to me in this very thread). I presume there is a subset of posters who would argue that at least the Titanic had good food and live music, and so shut up about it already.

 

However.

 

I was able to enjoy myself MUCH more due to people who post and review without wearing rose-tinted glasses, because my expectations were more in line with reality. I knew to expect crowds at choke points, I knew to expect smoke around the casino, I knew that food would be a daily hit-or-miss adventure, I knew that the ship has to carry around a whole lot of sewage and occasionally you might smell it, I knew the hallways were narrow and that confusing service charges lurked and that the shuttle driver who told me room service would be free was wrong.

 

I can be a person who is a control freak sometimes (not to any great extent, but it’s there), and who notices details, including negative ones; but knowing ahead of time which things I could and could not control made ALL the difference. I don’t need things to be perfect, I just like to be prepared. And in the end, there were way more things to like than to complain about.

I can definitely see that a certain personality type may not like cruising, and I know darn well than some people are just never happy. That doesn’t mean negative observations and reviews should be shunned outright. I don’t even know why people do the shaming thing about it—these ships seem booked solid, critical posts are not going to threaten anyone’s ability to keep cruising, so why fight so hard against it? And those critical posts can have a tangible benefit to cruisers, such as getting NCL to reverse the takeaway food policy. And that reversal tipped me over (as an outside observer) to being interested in sailing NCL again after witnessing all the policy changes earlier this year. So in short: no, YOU shut up. 

(Sorry for the rant, it’s just been a point of frustration for me here for the last six months. I know some posters just plain have it IN for certain cruise lines, and I don’t know why they don’t have other hobbies, but that’s what Ignore and Unsubscribe are for.)

 

I found that most cruisers WERE happy. I only overheard a few people taking things like restaurant reservations WAY too seriously. They were absolutely in the small minority. People were generally friendly; only a few looked off-put when I struck up a conversation.

 

On the whole I got the vibe that most people were very happy to be here, and that vibe will spread to you if you let it.

 

(Side note, today I discovered for the first time that I have a neighbor in the next solo cabin over (!!), an older lady. She and I must just have run on totally different schedules all week, as I am in and out of my cabin many times a day. Also the solo lounge was PACKED at 5pm. My early observations about the awkwardness of the solo lounge can probably be discarded … I think everyone was just feeling a bit weird the first day or two.)

 

Thanks again for reading—I will be posting a bit more over the next few days as more things I’ve forgotten occur to me, and I WILL get the pictures up. I’ll also go through the thread when I can and see if I’ve missed specific questions.

[dchip]

Thanks for the review!! It really was fun to read. We are cruising on NCL next year for the first time after 25 cruises on Princess and HAL. Feels strange to be a newbie after so many cruises.

 

Cheers, Denise

[cardbucfan]

Thanks for such a great review. I'm glad your birthday trip was a success!

 

I've sailed on most of the mainstream lines-I choose based on itinerary and dates and my first NCL cruise will be next year. I have found that there are more similarities than differences but like you I want to know what to expect. I think our first cruise didn't wow us so much because we had not heard of CC and had different expectations about what the experience would be like.

 

Can't wait to see the pictures!

[bostongal965]

I really liked your review, positives and negatives! It was a fun read. I like CC a lot but I've had some negative (not to mention unwarranted) comments on a couple of my posts, and it can be off-putting. Like you, my favorite reviews are the ones that have the good and the bad - I find them most informative.

[SquishTheWhale]

Thanks for your review, I've found it very fun and interesting! You also sound like you are being very fair with things you praise and things you weren't so impressed with. I'm glad you had a good time!

[samiam0403]

What a fantastic review! You really have a great writing style - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm so glad you like cruising, because now I can look forward to reading more of your reviews. :D I'm cruising on the Getaway next year and reading this makes me want to go nooooow! :p