Allison & David's Babymoon: Norwegian Pearl 11/3/15

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

As you can see plenty of spots by the front of the island! From the research I did prior to the cruise it looked like if you wanted shade/peace & quiet to head all the way down. So that's what we did. Wasn't too bad of a walk... maybe 5 min tops.

 

 

 

 

We eventually came upon a nicely shaded area. We were the first ones there so we claimed our spots.

 

 

We could still view the ship from our spot:

 

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

 

Looking out from our spot.... we were on a slight hill.

 

 

David spotted a crab right by us:

 

 

Took a little while for our area to fill up.

 

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Our spot we picked out was perfect. Was quiet, shaded, and had a light breeze the whole time. We weren't hot at all. Was the perfect beach day.

After reading/relaxing, we decided to head to lunch. I couldn't remember at what time lunch started. I was thinking it was 12:00, but I think it was 11:30. Hard to read the sign in the photo below.

 

Go when it very 1st opens!!! It was complete chaos! In my opinion a horrible layout/design.

 

Both sides were identical (left and right) and they both repeated the selections twice.

 

There was a Norwegian employee telling to people to head down to the second half to the buffet since it was exactly the same. But you couldn't even tell where to start and the people in the front just stayed in the line whole time thinking it was different selections. I wish we had just stayed in the original line. We had to backtrack several times to get things we missed since we started in the wrong spot.

 

 

This is where we brought our food back to. The picnic benches right next to the food were super crowded. Just a little bit down was a nice quiet eating area.

 

 

Condiment area and water. Died down later in the day.... When we had to use it, it was complete chaos.

 

 

During the lunch rush....

 

 

Later on after the lunch rush...

 

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Food was overall pretty good. Had the choice of hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, pizza, sandwiches, various sides, some deserts, and fruit. Only water was available for free.

 

 

Our view from lunch:

 

 

We headed back to our loungers to digest for a bit after lunch. On another note. Our area was very close to a bar and we were only a short walk away from the bathrooms.

 

The walk to the bathrooms:

 

 

 

The bar close to us wasn't noisy at all. The area we were at is to the right in the photo:

 

 

[CoconutOne]

ucfalli- Is there a way to see a large picture of the dailies?

[ucfalli]

ucfalli- Is there a way to see a large picture of the dailies?

 

 

I don't know how to make them any larger for viewing unfortunately. :(

 

If you have any specific questions you can ask.... There wasn't a whole of entertainment on this cruise honestly. Mostly just trivia and a few dance classes.

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Just a little to the left us was some more beach area that was set up with lots of loungers and a life guard stand. Was a very quiet area (no shade though) and that's where we went to get into the water for a little bit. This area wasn't as crowded as the main area by the ferries.

 

It was the perfect beach day and the water temperature felt great.

 

 

 

 

We dried of a bit at the loungers and then started to make our way back to the boats before the rest of the crowds did.

 

 

Some of the clam-shells had mesh in the middle for ventilation:

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Saw paddle boards and beach rafts for rent:

 

 

There was a massage pavilion also nearby:

 

 

Looking towards the food area and the picnic areas that get very crowded:

 

 

Main bathrooms:

 

 

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

The main beach area.......much more crowded. The other area was serene compared to here....

 

'

 

 

The main bar area:

 

 

 

How much did drinks cost??? Just an arm and a leg....

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

So if you don't eat when the food area opens....eat after the main rush:

 

 

Rental pavilion:

 

 

 

Loud live music playing at the main beach area by the ferries:

 

 

We caught the ferry right before it left again. They had this super cool system that you walk through and water gushes out, rinsing your feet. I unfortunately didn't get any photos.

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Shortly after we were on our way back on the boat. We decided to head up the buffet to get some desert (didn't care for the desert on the island) after dropping off our things at the cabin.

 

Pretty good cheesecake...

 

 

We also tried one of these:

 

 

Was very yummy when some was added to the ice cream.

 

We headed back after desert to the cabin and showered/took a nap. After getting ready for dinner, we headed up top to catch sail-away and the sunset. Once again lots of clouds...

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

 

So for my birthday diner we thought it best to play it safe with Cagney's, the steak house.

Good decision as this was our best meal on the cruise.

 

We both started out with the wagu beef sliders. Highly recommend them. They were super yummy!

I got the Mexican ceasar was well. Which was also supper yummy and a different spin on a ceasar salad.

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

I was worried about ordering the steak, so did something unspeakable in a steak restaurant.... I ordered the grilled sea bass. Which for fish was pretty tasty.

David got the 8oz filet Mignon. One thing I will say is that service once again was lacking. David asked for a couple of the sauces. They didn't come out with the meal and took a bit of asking for before they actually arrived.

We got a few of the sides to share. I got the Cagney fries because so many people raved about them in reviews..... they just tasted like fries. Didn't waste anymore of my stomach room on them after trying them. I thought the onion rings were much better.

We got the Oreo cheesecake to share. Which was pretty good. We got some hot chocolate as well and they brought it out in a teapot. We were both amused.

Quick snap shot of the Cagney's. The staff from Moderno come in and out of Cagney's as they share the same kitchen.

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

The showtime tonight was the vocalist Aaron Shaw. We decided to skip it get the packing done. Afterwards we walked around the boat until the late night comedy with Cory Kaheny.

 

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Was the only time we could go by the Sky Bar as it is normally very smokey (main smoking area up-top).

Don't be the guy on the far left thinking that it's a ride...

 

 

 

Each floor has non-electronic sign listing what is on each floor and highlighted in blue is what level you are on.

 

[ucfalli]

Day: 4 Great Stirrup Cay Continued

11/06/15

 

Also a map nearby:

Area by the spa with all the commemorations:

Already setting up for charter cruise coming up tomorrow!

After walking around one last time we headed up for the night to catch some zzzzz's.......

[ucfalli]

Day: 5 Debarkation

11/07/15

 

After waking up we headed one last time to the Summer Palace for breakfast. I realized that I hadn't ordered scramble eggs yet, which is something I usually always get.

 

These can't be eggs.... I don't even know how you mess up scrambled eggs. They were bad.....just plain bad. I couldn't eat them. :eek:

We did self assist debarkation. So after eating breakfast we headed back to the cabin and packed up our last belongings and went on our merry way. We just had to go down one flight and couldn't believe it...... lots of elevators were available!

 

This was the calmest debarkation we have ever experienced. I think half the ship was still sleeping.... Usually it's chaos with everyone clamoring to get off the ship. Overall this seemed like a more laid back cruise

 

I'm pretty sure most people did self assists debarkation and that aided to keep the crowds down. In no time we were through customs and waiting out front for my parents to pick us up.

 

The new arrivals for the next cruise were already getting dropped off as we got off the boat. Guess they couldn't wait for their cruise... :D

 

We headed back to Orlando after we got back to my parents and back to the real world..... :(

[ucfalli]

Extra Notes: Code Bravo

 

I just realized I forgot to the write about the excitement on 11/4/15 after our day at Key West!...... I seemed to also forgotten to write about it in my trip journal!! :eek:

 

To backtrack.........

 

After our dinner at Le Bistro we went back to our cabin before the main show. It was then that we heard on the speakers outside our cabin: code alpha and then shortly after code bravo.

 

We've heard code alpha's on past cruises for medical emergencies....but when I heard code bravo my ears really perked up.

 

Soon after the captain came on the room speakers notifying everyone that there was a fire in the mechanical area atop the aft of the ship.

 

At this point we decided to venture out of our room cabins as I heard pounding on the doors nearby. As soon as I opened up our door I saw that the room stewards were pounding on everyone's door. We were told that we had to vacate our room.

 

I believe everyone on deck 7 up on the aft side of the ship had to vacate.

 

The captain made lots of announcements. First telling us that everything was under control, that fire was extinguished, and that none of the ship's functions were compromised. The emergency lights along the floors of the hallways were all lite up while this was all going on. I didn't even realize they were there before.

We weren't nervous during the ordeal. The electricity never even flickered and besides begin relocated, we weren't affected. We just walked around the ship. We were of course very lucky. I saw lots of people walking around with to go trays from La Cucina. It appeared that everyone eating at the aft area of the ship had to leave mid meal.

 

This was the only time the ship felt crowded in some spots as a lot of families were displaced from their cabins. I saw a few families that grabbed their life jackets.

 

But really everyone was very calm the whole time.

 

I did notice that on that night we received a $25 on-board credit. I am assuming this was because of the fire. I don't know if it was the whole ship or just the cabins that had to vacate?

[ucfalli]

Final Thoughts:

 

Overall this cruise was an excellent value. We had a good time and got more time to relax on this cruise then any of our past cruises. We usually pick cruises that are more port/sightseeing heavy. We are usually go go go! Was a very good choice for a babymoon. :D

 

I usually read about how Norwegian is the worst with nickle and dimming......... Honestly I felt this was the least pressured we ever were to spend money on all our cruises. Same up charges as all the other cruise lines (expect with the room service fee, which is a bit exorbitant). But there were (in my opinion) less announcements and far less pressure to buy drinks/photos.

Would we cruise Norwegian again????

Yes if the price/itinerary is right.....

Is Norwegian worth a try???

Of course it is! I personally don't get "brand loyalty" when it comes to cruising. Every cruise line has something different to offer/experience.

 

I'll talk about the main categories below...

 

Embarkation/Debarkation:

Smooth and easy. Had no trouble with the port of Miami. Was easy to get picked up and dropped off.

 

Cabin:

I was prepared for a super small cabin as this is something I see mentioned very often on the cruise boards for Norwegian. Overall, I thought it was decent size. I do think this was due to the fact that we were upgraded to an ocean view. I may of thought different if we were in an interior. I wasn't a fan of the bathroom. I thought the layout/size was horrible. If I ever felt a need to upgrade on another Norwegian cruise it would be to a room with a better bathroom. :eek:

Service:

Service on this cruise was the worst we have experienced. The crew just didn't see happy. Our room steward shorted us towels twice. The only time we saw him was when we had to get more towels. Normally we see our room steward every day. David and I usually enjoy talking to him/her about our day. I will give him some bonus points though for making sure our ice bucket was filled up. I guess this is a Norwegian thing but no towel animals the first and last night..... :(

 

The wait staff wasn't any better.... especially during our second lunch at O'Sheehan's. Service almost always non-attentive, which in a specialty restaurant seemed unusual to me. They didn't seem to care about any extra tips.

 

Food:

Almost all the food was mediocre. There were a few standouts and a few perks that we enjoyed.....namely the free ice cream at the buffet.

 

Norwegian would rank behind Royal Caribbean and Carnival in my opinion when it came to food. Were we hungry? ....no.... Did it make our cruise horrible?....no.

 

Just was mediocre.....

 

As far as specificity restaurants go, Cagney's was the best that we ate at (the only one I could see paying for......maybe). We would eat again at Moderno if it was included as a perk when booking the cruise. I don't think well be back at Le Bistro anytime soon.

 

Entertainment:

There wasn't much..... We had a magician, a comedian, and a vocalist. I do think this was due the boat not having a regular full entertainment staff. There were no actually shows, which I did miss. We aren't into trivia and I did miss all the fun pool deck contest that Carnival usually has.

[ucfalli]

Conclusion

 

Finally reached the end of the travelogue. If anyone has any questions about our cruise feel free to ask

 

Who knows the next time we'll be cruising. But that's a good things since we have a little one on the way.

 

Mostly likely next time we do cruise it will be out of South Florida so grandma and grandpa can spend extra time with their newest grandchild while we cruise! :D

 

This past weekend was a busy one as we held a gender reveal at our house.

 

 

Without further ado.....

 

 

It's a girl! :o

 

Thanks for following along on our babymoon cruise!

 

 

[SenatorsFan]

It looks like we both headed for the same spot at Great Stirrup Cay! :) It was so much more peaceful there. Funny, I don't remember the Sky High Bar being that smoky, but we didn't really spend a lot of time there, just long enough to get a drink and head off to a lounge chair to watch the sunsets. Wishing you well with your daughter, (mom of boys here), enjoy her!

Heather

[herdingdogmom]

Fantastic review. Thanks for all the pictures. It was nice to re-live the cruise since I took no pictures of the ship or GSC.

 

Thanks for adding your experience evacuating during the fire. My cabin was 4 doors down from yours, but I was at dinner when the evacuations were announced and then went to the 9:30 card trick show so I didn't see any of the activity. I remember hearing that all cabins in the aft sections of decks 8 to 11 were vacated and the buffet and La Cucina for a short time too.

 

I think the $25 OBC was for something else. I didn't get $25 OBC and I don't think they would have been able to keep track of who was in their cabin or not. The only thing I heard them offer was free rum punch the next day near the pool. I did read in a CC review that an aft suite on deck 10 lost their A/C for the rest of the cruise and they had a strong oil or fuel type smell in the cabin. That would have been awful. I hope they received more than a $25 OBC.

 

This was an unusual cruise with much less entertainment than normal. I had one really bad server at O'Sheehan's but ate there every morning for the real eggs. I can't eat those runny scrambled eggs out of a box in the buffet.

 

Happy Holidays and congratulations on your baby girl news!

Edited December 21, 2015 by herdingdogmom

[ucfalli]

It looks like we both headed for the same spot at Great Stirrup Cay! :) It was so much more peaceful there. Funny, I don't remember the Sky High Bar being that smoky, but we didn't really spend a lot of time there, just long enough to get a drink and head off to a lounge chair to watch the sunsets. Wishing you well with your daughter, (mom of boys here), enjoy her!

Heather

 

Thanks!

 

Definitely the best location!

 

It was the other side to which I took the photo that usually had the heavy smoke....well I think that was the location... I know somewhere near there had heavy smoke. :)

[ucfalli]

Fantastic review. Thanks for all the pictures. It was nice to re-live the cruise since I took no pictures of the ship or GSC.

 

Thanks for adding your experience evacuating during the fire. My cabin was 4 doors down from yours, but I was at dinner when the evacuations were announced and then went to the 9:30 card trick show so I didn't see any of the activity. I remember hearing that all cabins in the aft sections of decks 8 to 11 were vacated and the buffet and La Cucina for a short time too.

 

I think the $25 OBC was for something else. I didn't get $25 OBC and I don't think they would have been able to keep track of who was in their cabin or not. The only thing I heard them offer was free rum punch the next day near the pool. I did read in a CC review that an aft suite on deck 10 lost their A/C for the rest of the cruise and they had a strong oil or fuel type smell in the cabin. That would have been awful. I hope they received more than a $25 OBC.

 

This was an unusual cruise with much less entertainment than normal. I had one really bad server at O'Sheehan's but ate there every morning for the real eggs. I can't eat those runny scrambled eggs out of a box in the buffet.

 

Happy Holidays and congratulations on your baby girl news!

 

Thanks!

 

When I had originally booked the cruise I thought that we were to get $25 on-board credit, but then found out we didn't quality. Since the $25 appeared on the day of the fire I thought it was due to that. But it has to be that we did end up getting that $25 on-board credit if someone else didn't get it at the same area. I'll take it either way!

 

Forgot to mention the free rum punch! I was actually surprised they did that. I don't think Carnival would have honestly.

 

We probably had the same waiter... ;)

 

and it figures the one place we didn't try for breakfast had decent eggs....

[ncklhaus]

Conclusion

 

 

This past weekend was a busy one as we held a gender reveal at our house.

 

 

Without further ado.....

 

 

It's a girl! :o

 

Thanks for following along on our babymoon cruise!

 

 

 

What a wonderful way to find out the gender of the baby! Congratulations!