Spirit 2-9-06: Greenie's No-Chunk Review

[seahorse]

You're welcome :D I released that cabin yesterday:) You get the same neighbors if you do in fact go.

 

Yes I know.......I booked them;)

[angeljt]

Greenie,

Thanks for your great review so far. You make the words come alive. Sorry your butler wasn't more efficient, but glad you were able to shake it off. I want to thank you again. It was your pictures that convinced me to take the upsell when they called a couple of years back.

Another member of the 9506 club.

Jackie:cool:

[greenie]

Greenie,

Thanks for your great review so far. You make the words come alive. Sorry your butler wasn't more efficient, but glad you were able to shake it off. I want to thank you again. It was your pictures that convinced me to take the upsell when they called a couple of years back.

Another member of the 9506 club.

Jackie:cool:

 

Jackie, thanks for the nice words. And I'm glad my photos helped you make such a SMART HAPPINESS-INDUCING decision! :) I have lots of pix of this trip too and will be posting them on webshots soon (I hope!). Will keep y'all posted as to when they're up for any interested in seeing them.

[angeljt]

Jackie, thanks for the nice words. And I'm glad my photos helped you make such a SMART HAPPINESS-INDUCING decision! :) I have lots of pix of this trip too and will be posting them on webshots soon (I hope!). Will keep y'all posted as to when they're up for any interested in seeing them.

Greenie,

You're very welcome. It was about 2 1/2 years ago and the pics were on a web page. I can't remember the name of it, but I think they were of the inaugural cruise. Thanks you again. We've been in 9506 twice now and it's hard not to want to do it again and again. Thank goodness for upsells!

Jackie

[MareQ]

INTRO

Last year, when I posted my review of my Dawn cruise, I broke down my review (and the experience) into “Chunks.” That doesn’t seem to fit this time

 

 

;)

 

Liar, liar pants on fire :D Now get moving and get on with the rest of this review - I was enjoying myself...

[greenie]

Greenie,

You're very welcome. It was about 2 1/2 years ago and the pics were on a web page. I can't remember the name of it, but I think they were of the inaugural cruise. Thanks you again. We've been in 9506 twice now and it's hard not to want to do it again and again. Thank goodness for upsells!

Jackie

 

Hmmmm ... well, I guess the thanks don't go to me! I've only been a member of CC for about a year and a half and my "temporary takeover" of 9506 wasn't until last May! But no matter whose pix you saw, it was a good thing if it got you booking an AA on the Dawn. ;)

 

MareQ, OK, OK, I guess I must surrender to Chunks. I guess you can take the girl out of the chunks, but you can't take the chunks out of the girl. (I think Seahorse will especially love that thought, seeing as she's such a fan of the "chunks" mental image :cool: )

 

I'll write some more, hopefully today.

[seahorse]

Hmmmm ... well, I guess the thanks don't go to me! I've only been a member of CC for about a year and a half and my "temporary takeover" of 9506 wasn't until last May! But no matter whose pix you saw, it was a good thing if it got you booking an AA on the Dawn. ;)

 

MareQ, OK, OK, I guess I must surrender to Chunks. I guess you can take the girl out of the chunks, but you can't take the chunks out of the girl. (I think Seahorse will especially love that thought, seeing as she's such a fan of the "chunks" mental image :cool: )

 

I'll write some more, hopefully today.

 

Are you MESSING with me:mad: :D

[greenie]

Are you MESSING with me:mad: :D

 

 

 

Yes. ;)

[BeachMusic]

Hey Barb, Thanks so much for all the helpful info and links. The first thing to do, I guess will be to check the bed frame. Guess they break often, after all it is the "Honeymoon Suite" LOL.:D Seriously, Thanks, and I will keep checking for more reveiws on the AD. The view from the stern looks great. Just hoping two 6' people can find enough space in that bed for ten days!

[debjo]

For Greenie...

As always, you've entertained me with your "non-chunks" and my cheeks are hurting from the big grin that I have in reading about your escapades. I'm glad I popped over to the NCL boards again...been away for awhile researching my HAL cruise.

 

Like everyone else...I await you're next installment!

 

Debjo

[Cosmopolitan]

Greenie ~

 

Thanks for all the info....you're doing a great job girl!

 

Those needing a butler on the Dawn, Carmen is wonderful. Don't know who will be replacing Corina as she is heading home soon to begin "married life" Boy! Will we miss her! (Never late...remembers your likes/dislikes from year to year)!!!

 

Greenie, remember your first buter on the Dawn?? "A"...we got him on the Jewel - thank you very much:(

 

Alex the concierge on the Dawn is just WONDERFUL! Friendly, efficient and very visible (like Klaus).

He just came back on the Dawn 2/2 but he said that he does 2 or 3 months on each ship so not sure how long he will be there.

 

With all these "rave" reviews they should certainly keep him on the Dawn...what an asset!

 

Debjo ~ have a wonderful cruise:)

[angeljt]

Hmmmm ... well, I guess the thanks don't go to me! I've only been a member of CC for about a year and a half and my "temporary takeover" of 9506 wasn't until last May! But no matter whose pix you saw, it was a good thing if it got you booking an AA on the Dawn. ;)

 

MareQ, OK, OK, I guess I must surrender to Chunks. I guess you can take the girl out of the chunks, but you can't take the chunks out of the girl. (I think Seahorse will especially love that thought, seeing as she's such a fan of the "chunks" mental image :cool: )

 

I'll write some more, hopefully today.

Greenie,

It wasn't on CC. It was a website and I believe the pics were a tour of the ship. Could have sworn it was you. hmmmmm..... Either way, thanks....

We both loved 9506 both times.... Don't know what we'll do now.. ;)

Jackie

[greenie]

Greenie ~

 

Thanks for all the info....you're doing a great job girl!

 

Those needing a butler on the Dawn, Carmen is wonderful. Don't know who will be replacing Corina as she is heading home soon to begin "married life" Boy! Will we miss her! (Never late...remembers your likes/dislikes from year to year)!!!

 

Greenie, remember your first buter on the Dawn?? "A"...we got him on the Jewel - thank you very much:(

 

Alex the concierge on the Dawn is just WONDERFUL! Friendly, efficient and very visible (like Klaus).

He just came back on the Dawn 2/2 but he said that he does 2 or 3 months on each ship so not sure how long he will be there.

 

With all these "rave" reviews they should certainly keep him on the Dawn...what an asset!

 

Debjo ~ have a wonderful cruise:)

 

I'm so happy for Corina! What a professional, talented, sweet lady she is. Her DH-to-be is one lucky fellah. *wah* How dare she get a life outside of butlering?! ;)

 

So you got that snotty, fairly useless "A", eh? Still remember his first visit--we'd never had a butler before and had no idea what to expect. He sits us down and before explaining what he's there for, airily tells us "I was the butler for the Garden Villas, but since I'm leaving the Dawn in 3 days to go on the Jewel *preen preen*, I'm only going to have the "lower" suites (like ours--an Owner's Suite :rolleyes: )because we didn't want to upset the GV passengers by changing their butler midweek." OH, I see. But it's OK to change ours! LOL. Piece of work that one!

 

Debjo--THANKS. I wrote half a non-chunk on Friday but have been unable to finish!

[jodyrick]

Wow - this is one of the best reviews I've read in a long time. We are going on the spirit in November and booked an aft Penthouse - we just hope we don't get Rey back there! and experience something better by November - may a new fresh crew change!!!

[WaldosPepper]

Greenie - I just finished reading your fabulous non-chunks review, and thorougly enjoyed it! I'm sorry you had such a lousy experience with the Butler this time,:eek: and sure hope that with all the negative feedback they'll dismiss him soon!

 

Absolutely love your descriptive style of writing, and felt as though I was right there with you. Anxiously awaiting any further details you wish to supply! ;)

 

Once I get settled in better, I'll write up my review of our Dawn sailing, but for now you'll just have to get by with the daily reports I made. When the laundry is caught up, the mail is sorted, and the grocery shopping is complete, I'll relax a bit more and be able to compose a proper review. :)

[Cosmopolitan]

I'm so happy for Corina! What a professional, talented, sweet lady she is. Her DH-to-be is one lucky fellah. *wah* How dare she get a life outside of butlering?!

 

So you got that snotty, fairly useless "A", eh? Still remember his first visit--we'd never had a butler before and had no idea what to expect. He sits us down and before explaining what he's there for, airily tells us "I was the butler for the Garden Villas, but since I'm leaving the Dawn in 3 days to go on the Jewel *preen preen*, I'm only going to have the "lower" suites (like ours--an Owner's Suite )because we didn't want to upset the GV passengers by changing their butler midweek." OH, I see. But it's OK to change ours! LOL. Piece of work that one!

 

Debjo--THANKS. I wrote half a non-chunk on Friday but have been unable to finish!

 

Yup...Corina's DH sure is lucky!

We will miss her.

She is soooo happy! So glad for her:)

 

Greenie, you should have seen "A's" face on the Jewel when I asked him to show me how to use the Capuccino machine:eek:

Nice guy...just not "people" oriented!

 

Delivered meals..no tablecloth, no pouring of coffee...no conversation...nothing!

 

I always believe that some peope are placed in the spot that they are meant to be in life...some are not:(

 

Fortunatley..for us...most NCL employees are where they are meant to be.

 

We did greatly miss Klaus as the HD on the Dawn this Feb.

 

We were lucky enough to have him on the Jewel in Sept.

 

We can't have it ALL!

 

We still love NCL:)

 

Keep your "chunks" coming;)

[greenie]

Thank you for any & all appreciative comments!

 

Pepper, back atcha--I am greatly enjoying your review (and your terrific onboard postings). A pleasure to read! And thank you for having the good sense to realize these aren't chunks, they're NON-chunks. ;)

 

*************************************************************

 

Part 4.

BOOGIE NIGHTS ONBOARD THE SPIRIT: OUR PERSONAL BEST

 

Rewind, if you would be so kind, to May 2005 … before we got onboard the Dawn last year, Joe and I announced to each other that we planned to—YEEhaw!—Stay up late! Do some partying! Oh YEAH, baby, gonna pah-tay, boogie down, shake some BOOtay! No, wait, that’s right—I was the one announcing it, to Joe. His response?

 

What I HEARD was: “OK, sounds good.”

What I saw on his face was: “Yeah, right.”

 

Well, as it turned out, last year on our Dawn cruise, our Boogey Meter got stuck at zero and it stayed there. We were pathetic. We’d figured we’d take a nap in the afternoon and then be raring to go after dinner on whatever nights were earmarked as a “boogie nights.”

 

What we always ended up doing, though, was more along the lines of:

--take a nap in the late afternoon

--get up

--get ready for dinner

--go have dinner/drink wine with dinner

--sniff out where the boogeyin’ music would be that night

--find that the boogeyin’ music wouldn’t start for hours yet

--go back to our suite for an after-dinner drink and to digest dinner, and maybe floss

--decide to lie down for “just a minute” to better prepare ourselves for some late-night boogie action

--wake up the next morning

 

FAST FORWARD TO FEBRUARY 2006 … for our Spirit cruise, I had more reasonable expectations. Like maybe we’d stay up past 1:00 AM one night.

 

I told Joe that on this cruise, we should plan to go to dinner late, NOT drink wine at dinner, and stay OUT of the cabin until it’s late enough that we could boogie-oogie-oogie on the dance floor. Taking a different tack this time, I approached it as something that wouldn’t just be fun—it would also be good for both of us. And necessary for my continued good health: “Just for 15 minutes, Joe. Just 15 minutes a night because I’ve been on a diet for 3 weeks and I want to eat on this cruise and not gain more than 3 pounds. So we must Burn Baby Burn off those calories!”

 

Heard: “OK, sounds good.”

SAW: “Get a grip.”

 

Well, we KIND of boogeyed this time … a little. Twice. Almost.

 

It was kind of interesting, really, because once onboard and acclimated to the whole eating, drinking, sitting in the sun cruise thing, I was the one more ambivalent about doing much of anything after dinner (except trying my luck on the nickel slot machines) and JOE was the one spearheading boogie activity each night. I think my problem was that I did drink wine with dinner. Every night. I guess I must have forgotten about that no-wine-with-dinner thing... ;)

 

So every night, Joe would take the lead and stride purposefully around the ship bringing us from one music venue to the next (with me straggling along in the rear, envisioning the big nickel slots pay-off I just knew was in me) in search of music to boogie to. We’d start with the Atrium on the off chance they were playing something people were dancing to. Nope. No one dancing there. Music nice and pleasant, but too “background-music-ey” to actually boogie to. Onwards to the Galaxy of the Stars--people always dancin’ there. There’s gotta be SOME songs being played there that set our toes a tappin’. Not. We really tried to want to dance to that stuff …loved the choices of songs (70s-90s) but the renditions were just too “lounge-y” sounding. Joe isn’t big on dancing in the first place and while I love dancing, I can’t get into it unless I can get into the music, then I feel compelled to dance. I need to have that “Oh, I just HAVE to dance to this!” response to a song. Then my enthusiasm (or maybe it’s my nagging) gets Joe out there dancing too. We danced to one song, it was OK. No compulsion happenin’ though so we left a little while later.

 

Thankfully, a few nights into the cruise the Maharini Night Club moved the start time for “Takes Requests DJ Alfer, Who Plays Dance Tunes from the 70s On Up” to around 10:30 PM instead of 11:30PM, so we went there a number of times to check it out. If anyone’s gonna be offering good boogie music, it’ll be m’man Takes Requests DJ Alfer! :)

 

The first couple of nights we went there, ole Alfer was playing that techno-club stuff. Ew. Just a couple people dancing to that. We hung for about 45 minutes, no change, no one much dancing, so we went back to Galaxy for a drink then went to bed. Another night we stayed longer and actually requested something. There were only around 8 people (including us) in the club, 2 of whom were cute young girls with really-tight cute young girl dresses on who alternated between chatting (read: giggling) with DJ Alfer and dancing about 4” in front of his plexiglass partition. After a couple of techno-club-cum-rap songs, the girls wandered off, leaving an empty dance floor and an almost palpable air of ennui from the rest of us.

 

Joe went up to him and requested something—some well-known 1970s dance tune. First DJ Alfer said “I don’t know that one” and went back to his record-scratching. When Joe didn’t leave right away, he said “Write it down, maybe I have it.” When Joe asked for a pencil & paper to do so, DJ Alfer said “OK, I’ll play it” (in other words, go away you middle-aged man, I have 2 young girls to entertain and impress, if I can somehow get them back here to within 4” of my plexiglass screen).

 

He never played the song, of course. The girls came back, the techno-songs went on. The number of people in the club did not increase. And then they decreased, because we left.

 

Another night we went there and DJ Alfer was, as advertised, playing 1970s songs--Joe and I danced to 2 whole songs! Alright, now! Let the boogying begin, yee-HAW! A bunch of other people (all ages, I might add) were dancing, too. An almost full boogeyin’ dance floor! Fun songs to dance to--Disco, Motown, Blondie, etc. But after only those 2 songs, DJ Alfer switched over to techno-rock. Within 3 minutes there was, once again, no one on the dance floor.

 

Joe went and requested something, but got another “I don’t know that one.” A nice young couple (in their 20s) sitting nearby struck up a conversation with us. They commented on the techno-stuff being pretty awful and wondered where the 70s/80s tunes were. Joe told him about his unsuccessful efforts to request songs, so the young guy went up there himself and requested something.

 

He came back to us, shaking his head in wonder. He’d requested a song from the 70s or 80s and DJ Alfer didn’t want to play it, saying he’s “playing songs for the young people.” This BEING a young people, and the dance floor having emptied as soon as the 70s/80s music stopped, and the ship’s passengers being 85% middle-aged and older, our perplexed new friend exclaimed to DJ Alfer “Look around you, man! You should be playing the songs that people want to dance to!” The techno-club music continued. The dance floor stayed empty. We went back to our cabin for the night.

 

But first we did some boogeyin’ down. Walking down the hallway to our cabin, we started dancing madly, trying to look as nerdy and embarrassing-looking as possible, and cracking each other up until we both had to pee. Do we know how to have fun or WHAT.

 

In summary, while we did succeed in doing some low-intensity boogeyin’ this cruise, full-tilt boogey remains cruelly elusive.

 

I have this gut feeling though ...maybe it's the old "once a cheerleader always a cheerleader" thing, but I believe it’s getting closer to happening—at least this time our BooigeMeter came unstuck briefly! A little. Kind of. That’s a good thing, it signals a trend! I just know it does. It’s getting closer to happening!

 

I’m thinking next cruise, we should spend some quality time roaming the hallways. Every night, even just for 15 minutes, Joe! After all, we do some of our best boogeyin’ there. :cool:

[WaldosPepper]

Greenie - you just provided me with the best laugh I'll have all day! :D Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Gotta wonder where they get some of these DJ's on the ships. Twice on the Majesty we had the same experience night after night. Not a soul on the dancefloor - people coming in, turning around and going right back out - and the DJ completely oblivious! If I'd have known then what I know now, I'd have taken the matter to the person who could do something to rectify the problem. ;)

 

Boogie Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[greenie]

Pepper, naive me--and here I thought it was just a one-time (one-cruise) event! Jeesh. The really ironic thing about it was that every day in the Freestyle Daily, they'd announce: "Tonight in the Maharini Lounge! DJ Alfer Takes Requests!" What a joke THAT was!

 

I swear, some of the most fun moments of the cruise were spent when we did that nerdy dancing outside our cabin ...! We would imagine Joe's 13-year-old son standing there with a buddy and choose our "dance steps" based on what would most make him cringe! LOL (It was good exercise, too!)

 

:D

[intrepid_guy]

Greenie -

I was on the ship the cruise before you, and you know what is funny... I thought Alfer was pretty bad too. Especially because he came aboard late in the cruise. For the first 5-7 days Chris Service was the DJ and he actually took requests, played a variety of music and came out and danced with people!!! Once Alfer took over... it was all downhill... same music every night, no requests, no fun. I aint even that old, and I do like some techno music now and then, but enough is enough. Reminds me of the DJ on the SKY who played nothing (and I mean nothing) other than hip hop for a week. No one danced there either.

 

~Intrepid

[Glamourgal]

It was so refreshing reading your latest review. My husband and I were on the C. Legend last May and also found it hard to stay awake late in the evening, early AM. Every morning we would vow that we were going to stay up later that evening. The worst part of it is, is that we did not get up early either. We probably got up around 8, had breakfast did a few on board activities or go to the pool. Around 3 we would come back to our room, have some drinks and snacks and then take a nap, and I don't mean a cat nap either. We were on the later dinner schedule at 8:30 and then we would go to the show. I had to do everything in my power to stay awake through the show, AND I enjoyed the show!! We would then go to one of the night clubs, but didn't last very long at all. Of course I blamed it all on the fact the the rocking of the ship was so soothing. It could not possibly be our age...We were both ONLY 49!!

 

We are going this year on the Spirit with our 2 adult kids ages, 24, 22, and 19. Now, I know they are not going to want us with them all of the time, but I would like to spend some time with them. I thought maybe eating earlier and going to the earlier show would help but after reading your review, I'm not sure that's the answer either. If anyone has any suggestion on how to get that second wind, I am all ears!!

 

Thanks again for some great reading!!

[Welove2cruise2]

Oh, my goodness, Greenie, you had me ROTHLMAO reading the last "chunk" of your review!! :D Thank you so much!! Makes me want to go on the Spirit NOW!!;)

[WaldosPepper]

...every day in the Freestyle Daily, they'd announce: "Tonight in the Maharini Lounge! DJ Alfer Takes Requests!" What a joke THAT was!

 

...

 

Sounds like somebody needs to "Request" that DJ Alfer be replaced. ASAP! :p

[Cosmopolitan]

Greenie ~

 

Thanks for the laughs...my sides hurt:D

[greenie]

Intrepid, you guys were the lucky ones, I guess--having a "normal" DJ for half your cruise. Gotta wonder why there isn't some sort of lounge manager keeping on top of the "pulse" (or lack thereof) of the lounge crowd (or lack thereof).

 

Glamourgal, my only suggestions are to not do much (if any) drinking until dinner is over and have a cup of coffee. And if you want to do some boogeying, don't go to a show firsy. Oh, and have a good DJ! Good luck--boogey down for me & Joe next time.

 

Welove2cruise & Cosmo, glad to get you laughing! :D Every time I write a non-chunk, I wish I was back on the Spirit!

 

Pepper, I think you are right! I don't get how someone is able to stay in a job that they basically do not do!:confused: What kind of revenue did ole Alfer generate? I'll tell you what kind: NONE!