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toyz711
Cruiser
| Joined: | Tue Jul 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Olive Branch, MS |
| Posts: | 136 |
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 10:24 pm | 1st Post |
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6th cruise, 1st in the area of the Caribbean.For photos to go: http://community.webshots.com/user/toyz711
for videos of the roatan send-a-way check out: (should be posted tonite, hopefully) http://www.myspace.com/galaxytoyz
This is for anyone that didn't see it on the "dark side":
12/1/07
We are on our way...DH got off work early on Saturday,.by 3pm we are on I-55 heading south. Spent the night at a motel in Hammond, la. The next morning, we plugged the GPS (with the address to the cruise terminal). The little voice said "41 miles to your destination". That little voice wasn't kidding, it directed us..with ease..the final direction was "turn left...in .5 miles turn right at destination"...we made the turn and there a guy, directing other cruisers into the parking lot for the Eratos cruise terminal. NCL uses the Julia St terminal, but the parking entrance in at the Eratos terminal. The directed us to the 3rd floor where the porters were waiting to take our luggage. Nothing could have been easier...a porter with a wheeled dolly was with us in 5 minutes and we were driving off to the 5th floor to park. We took the elevator down to the 2nd floor, they checked out ID and tickets...directed us to the main room. When asked, we told them we were Latitude members and were directed to that line.
The check in area was one big building with area divided off, some people had checked in and were waiting in one area, with a snack counter with food for purchase...
to check in, people were directed into lines. The line, that we were directed to, had no one in it. We went to the front, waited for less the 5 mins before it was our turn, the non-latitude line had about 50 people...but they had to wait to US!!! (that was fun)
usually we are late getting on our cruises, this was the 1st we got to enjoy a early check in. after we got our sign/sail card, we went over to wait to be called (blue 2) that took (maybe) 3 mins. Total time from dropping off the luggage, parking the are and getting on the ship was less then 30 mins. There were signs all over the ship about not being able to get into the cabins until after 2pm. We went up the buffet, walked though it and out to the open seating on the fantail. Even as more people came on the ship, this area was open to the beautiful weather, got to watch the ship traffic on the Mississippi
Got into our cabin just before 2pm...everything was ready and clean!!! we dropped off our luggage and went exploring. Found our 1st piece of luggage at our cabin's door, around 3pm. It was the carry-on I had packed with sodas and water. The next piece came around 4pm and the last one showed up just after 5pm. After unpacking, we were to the casino for their "Welcome aboard" party. Free fruit punch, signed up the a new casino-at-sea card. We did check out the sail-a-way party around the pool, music, more food...except for the band and a few crew members, we didn't see any organized activities. The ship didn't leave new Orleans until after 6pm, (they were still fueling...since it was right under our balcony..we could watch it) when the ship did leave the dock, it was dark...too dark to see anything. Our meals were quick snacks at the buffet...we were too busy checking out the ship....to seat down to a real meal.
Cruising down the Mississippi, the fog caught up with us. During most of the night we could hear the many fog horns, from our ship and others in the area. A quick look out the balcony, after midnight, showed us still cruising through the lower area as the Mississippi mets the gulf of Mexico
We were surprised to see that it takes that long for the ship to get to the gulf?
While the fog was thick all night, the morning was beautiful. DH went off for his early morning adventure. He did a couple of laps on deck 7. (deck 12 has a track for running/walking, deck 7 is walking only ). We met for breakfast at the buffet...
don't get caught standing in the lines...there are several different stations..walk around and see where everything is. Omelets were toward the rear..away from the normal buffet lines, waffles were on the other side. Breads across the back. The ice tea is awful, very bitter....I didn't hear any complaints about the coffee, but it looked very dark.
Our day was very busy, I did a lot of walking around to take photos of the ship and try to check up with everyone. The daily had a CC gathering listed for 10:30 at t\Henry's pub. I knew the roll call had not set-up a meet and greet, but I went to check it out..no one was there. It was a nice idea, but with the pre-arranged meeting for the buffet area at 3pm and this one listed in the daily, it was confusing. At the 3pm meeting, there was a few of us from the roll call. (I met a couple of others in the casino later that night). This roll call was very quiet, not many of us.
We got reservations at La Trattoria (the Italian speciality restaurant that many of the NCL ship have) for 8:30, but when we checked at 5:30 they could take us right then. Glad they could, neither of us had eaten since breakfast the meal was well presented, well served and tasty. The cheesecake could have been sweeter, but the meal, itself was very nice. The show was "Songs of Broadway", the 1th thing I noticed was how young everyone was. The new NCL troupe of singers/dancers don't have the maturity that the Jean Ryan dancers had, but the productions was very nice and COLOFUL costumes. The lead females singers, each, had strong voices. The "not-so- newlywed" game was fun, not risky as some I have seen. We missed the 70s dance party and a few other things...just got too exhausted.
Tuesday (is must be Roatan): I would recommend getting away from the dock area. We enjoyed walking around, looking in the little shops...seeing life as it really is. Other could be upset by the vendors getting in your face. I just smiles and said "no, thanks" and kept walking. No one was rude or upset if you walked away...just do it with a smile.
We did hear that some of the tours were delayed getting started, leaving people shorted on their time snorkeling or whatever.
Leave the port area, get over to the other side of the island. The good beaches are over there, snorkeling is suppose to be great. Maybe we will try that next time.
Wednesday: it was Guatemala..Santo Tomas de Castilla. The ship docks at a working freight port..it's not pretty. There is a building, near by, with local entertainment, shopping and food. Walking outside of the dock area would not be something I would recommend. It's a long ways to the real town and, except for a few vendors sitting by the street, not much to see. We did the Quiaqua Archaeological Explorer...TAKE BUG SPRAY!!! The drive is a long drive, but it's interesting to see the country side. It was a interesting bus drive and not for the faint-hearted. Our tour guide was Carmen, she was very good, but her English is not always easy to understand. She gives a good tour, doesn't hurry the group...we enjoyed her. The Quiaqua is a interesting area...it does have a ball court from the Mayan days, as well as some excellent examples of their stelleas..carved limestones. We were glad this tour was before Belize, we got a good beginning understanding of the culture before the tour the next day. The only bad thing, I am VERY sensitive to bug bites. Others were bit worse then I was, we saw people with skin so scratched up that they were bleeding. I got bite around my knees and ankles, before we sprayed with OFF!! As I write this (still on the ship, 2 days later) my ankles are swollen by my reaction to the bites. I am just glad I saw the sale of "Deep woods off" for 70% off, we shared it with others on our tour. Don't miss out on this experience, just be prepared...this is a jungle The bus was clean and comfortable, the air conditioning worked great. The bus had a great sound system, at one point Carmen put in a disk of local music.
Belize: This was what I had been looking forward to. Understanding that Belize is well knows for it's reefs, I choose to go Lamanai...so glad we did. Our tour guide was Jewel...a fun and witty lady. It started early, meeting in the Stardust theater at 7:45. by 8:15 we were on the tender heading into the port. It only took a few minutes to get everyone together, the tour guides were there with signs for their tours. In 10 minutes we were on the bus and off we went. Only 29 people on this tour. The bus was a mess, I don't mean dirty, I mean: falling apart. Our driver was excellent and didn't do any of the scary stuff the one in Santo Tomas did. Where I was sitting, there was a big indent in the cushion...very hard to get comfortable. But Jewel kept us interested and time went fast. It's 45 mins to an hour on the bus, before you get to the small boat harbor. Here there are restrooms and a few vendors. A short break and they start loading the boat. These are high speeds boats, much more comfortable then the bus was. They stop in areas for some wildlife viewing. We saw a couple of small (baby) crocs (I don't mean the shoes), saw a Nigh Owl, very tiny bird...some bats, more birds...including the ones that "walks on water". The site of Lamanai is different from some I have seen pictures of. This one is in the Jungle, the different temples/sites are not in the open but surrounded and covered by the trees. After another potty break, it's a long walk around the site. If walking is a problem...DO NOT take any tours to this site. It's over 1 ½ miles of walking in mud, up/down stone steps, over tree roots. My DH was impressed that I made the tour without a trip or injury!! To me, this area is breathtaking...very Indiana Jones. It was worth the "out of breath" route you take. The rides back (on the boat) was very fast..no stops, barely even slowing down. We got back to the boat with less then a ½ hour before final boarding. It was a very LONG day.
After cleaning up, dinner was at the buffet...I love the buttered pasta, the chicken was excellent. For my treat, I had another crepe....hot crepes filled with mandarin orange slices, banana slices and a few pineapple pieces, some chocolate and raspberry drizzles over the top...and a quick stop at the ice cream for a scoop of vanilla...I was a Happy Camper!!!
Cozumel : This was our beach break day. We had reservations at Nachi Cocom...$49 pp for food/drinks/pool/wonderful beach and our personal space under their thatched shady spots. You book it on-line, paying a deposit..the rest you pay in cash (only) when you get there. The taxi ride is $15 per taxi...if you have a group going..it's still $15.
As he was driving, our driver was telling us how much we were going to enjoy it, how great the beach was. Nachi Cocom limits the number of people to 100 for the day. This day they had all 100, but it was never crowded. Plenty of room to spread out and enjoy your day. Never had to worry about out "stuff" or feel like we had to hide it. This beach doesn't get anyone who doesn't belong there. For more money you can rent a wave runner, go snorkeling, para sailing or whatever. DH had a massage, a private thatched area by the pool. The prices are $40 for ½ hour or $65 for an hour. He did an hour and said it was EXCELLENT. Since I haven't lived in a beach area for a couple of years, I enjoyed my sun-worshiping The drinks were good, not lacking on the alcohol. The food was great, we had the nachos, the chicken tacos (what we would call taquitos..but bigger) and the grilled shrimp. With our all-inclusive, we could have had more food and drinks. You are allowed a 3 course meal, either at 1 time or spread out during the day.
The pool was not heated, the sand on the beach is not powdered sand...but not rocky either. By 3pm we were ready to leave. I had just gotten our stuff together, when our server came over and said he had called a taxi for us. (without being asked) this is not where I would recommended for people who want a lot of water sports...for good snorkeling you need to go out on a boat for an 1 hour or more. But for anyone who wants to relax, drink, eat and get waited on...this is a great place to go.
Friday night, after Cozumel, was Lobster night in the main dining rooms. The husband had Beef Wellington and I had the Lobster. The Lobster was a grilled, whole Caribbean lobster tail. Dessert was a wonderful creme brulee with fudge under it. ...it think the phrase "to die for" comes to mind.
Saturday was the last sea day, a good day to just relax with a game (or 2) of bingo, Hold'em tourney..the day went so fast, I forgot to get some sun.The morning Binog jackpots ran just over $200, the cover all was over $500. The afternoon jackpots were a lot smaller, but the cover all jackpot was the big one for the week, over $1,500. Chocolate buffet was this afternoon in the Windows dining.
Disembarking: the easiest ever. they started calling for express at 8:15, started calling color tags at 9:15. after we went to breakfast, we went back to the room. DH took a nap as i finished packing the carryon. no rush! our color was called at 10:15, by 11 we were in the car driving home.
Food on the ship: We loved the buffet...everything was hot, we know look around and check out what the different stations are serving. The nights the crepes were being made, were a real treat for me. Breakfast...oatmeal for him, made-to-order omelets for me. Since the ice tea was so bad, I tried the milk..pleasantly surprised to find the milk very good. Try some of the pasta dishes, I enjoyed the simple buttered pasta. The veal coquettes were good, at lunch they had made-to-order sandwiches or some premade...both were good.
At La Trattori, I had the veggie Manicotti...spinach filling with pine nuts. He had the Cotoletta di Pollo alla Milanese....both dishes were very good. Service was excellent.
Breakfast in the main dining rooms was quiet, (but we never found the buffet crowded). Omelets, eggs any way you wanted, oatmeal/cream of wheat, Eggs Benedict or Salmon Benedict, several juices, fruit plates.
We had dinner at Gardens, at 6pm we got right in..no waiting. I had the Veal Scallopini, veal was nicely thin, well flavored. DH has the Coq au Vin...it smelled so good!! the aroma was outstanding, only met by the flavor (he wouldn't share any!!). The serving was the largest I have ever seen on a cruise ship. The whole dinner took less the an hour, but we only had 3 courses.
On Friday, we (again) ate at the Gardens...it was the closest one ...we are getting tired and didn't want to walk all the way down to Windows. It as 8pm when we got there, got seated right away. Had Alexandra and her crew to wait on us. DH had the Duck entree for a appetizer..he said it was excellent. The portions were huge. I had the pumpkin/ginger bisque...it was good, but maybe a little too different for my tastes. The seafood appetizer was very good...I had them take out the calamari (never developed a taste for it). For entrees, he had the Beef Wellington and I had the Lobster. I took photos just to prove to everyone they were, indeed, serving lobster!! believe it or not, the lobster was excellent. It was hot, tender...had a smoky flavor, like they had grilled it. The lobster tail was larger then normal. The risotto was excellent, also. Much better then I was prepared for. For dessert, I had the creme brulee..it was outstanding, had a fudgy chocolate bottom layer...the phrase "to die for" comes to mind. DH had the strawberry sherbet I don't know what they do, but their sherbets are excellent, very rich.
Towel animals: Monday: Walrus Tuesday: Snake (so cute) Thursday: Stingray Friday: the infamous (and well known) dog with sunglasses
Bathroom: raised tile floor with drains in the shower and under the sink. The handing shoe organizer was handy for the little extra "things". The only problem I have is adjusting the water temp. I like it hot, DH likes it luke warm. There is a bottle opener on the wall, just inside the door. The fish tile border was cute, gave the little rooms some color.
Bed: our bed had a comfortable "pillow" top-type padding over the mattress. We didn't have to ask for an egg crate. You could feel the divide in the 2 beds, but it didn't bother us at all. The comforter was great, very cuddly.
The balcony: not very deep and was shaded by the balcony above. Not good for sun bathing, but very nice for sitting and reading. It was protected from the, even the little storm we went through while approaching roatan.
Casino: they put out a small buffet around 11pm every night. Cheeses, fruit pieces, veggies and dip...sometimes egg rolls, sometimes chicken fingers...cookies or dessert breads or desserts left over from that night's buffet. The buffet was the good thing, but bad was the slots were TIGHT!!! very hard to get a big jackpot. Did see 1 Royal Flush within the 1st couple of days, saw someone else win $3,000 on a quarter machine. Many people lost big time on the craps tables. The dealers where friendly enough, but some of the gamblers were big pain in the necks. Not knowing what they were doing and chewing out the dealers when something was wrong.
Bathrooms: the best ladies room are around the casinos. Over on the port side, under the Park West offices, they have some very few use. Near the Blue Lagoon, going toward the elevators (near the casinos) are more. Outside the theater, just the Galaxy of the Stars are others I saw.
Bingo: $29 for paper sheets, 6 cards to a page. $59 for the machines that plays 36 cards, $89 for 72 cards per game and then $129 played 144 cards per game. The morning cover-all went to someone with a bonus game card, something they gave those that bought the machine games, a single sheet per game. The morning jackpots were over $200, but the afternoon jackpot were less then $200. not that great of an investment for the cost of the cards/machines.
Passengers: they need a few lessons on how to enjoy themselves. We had a few drunks that were loud and noisy, not many....just that 2 of them were very loud. Mostly we had grumpies. My cabin neighbors never cracked a smile or said "hello". The crew was great, very happy, friendly. I can't say the same thing for some of the passengers.
Tendering in Belize: we did a ship sponsored excursions. All the ship's excursions met in the showroom. They were led off first, everyone else was lining the stairs and being kept back until we boarded. Gathering time was 7:45...by 8:15 all the ship's excursions were on the tenders and everyone else was being allowed to board by 1st come. The tendersher load from deck 3...close to the water. If the water is smooth, like it was for us, you just have to take a medium size step to get on the boat. There are people there to help you. In the afternoon, on the way back...the water was a little rougher, but still easier then other tendering we have done. You just walk out on a platform..step on the boat.
Best thing I can say about this cruise, for the 1st time in all our travels..DH is planning on doing this cruise again. Next time a different Mayan ruin and some fishing...just to be different. I can not say enough about how well "freestyle" works for us. We enjoyed just walking around and if we were hungry...somewhere there was food.
yes, our cabin was cleaned every day, bed turned down by 9pm. chocolates on the pillow or towel animal. crew was friendly, most of the passengers were, also. we had a cabin on deck 9, port side. got sunrises and sunsets..outstanding.
____________________
Cathi
http://www.myspace.com/galaxytoyz
http://community.webshots.com/user/toyz711
Fishing / Traveling...with a little golf thrown in.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Wed Dec 12th, 2007 11:00 pm | 2nd Post |
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| Yes, it does take a while to sail up (and down) the Mississippi. It was a port of call on one of our earlier cruises. Interesting though! And your excursions sounded like something I would enjoy as well. Thanks for posting your review!
____________________
Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/hstrycrsr
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jimswims
Frequent Cruiser
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Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 06:48 pm | 3rd Post |
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Thanks for posting your review of the Spirit.
We will be on the Spirit 2 more times, Summer 2008 and Summer 2009. We really enjoy the ship.
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Jim
8/7/09 NCL Spirit, Boston to Bermuda
Previous cruises NCL: 6; RCCL: 4; Carnival: 2; Cunard:1.
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Catnip
Charter Member
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Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 09:06 pm | 4th Post |
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What a GREAT review!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting!
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33 previous cruises..
Next up: Celebrity Solstice 1-09/Jewel of the Seas 3-09/ QM 2 11-09/ Queen Victoria 1/10
**Triangles Are For Losers!**
When only cops have guns, it's called a "police state"
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toyz711
Cruiser
| Joined: | Tue Jul 24th, 2007 |
| Location: | Olive Branch, MS |
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Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 09:12 pm | 5th Post |
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here's what the DH is sending the the local paper, if he feels this way it's really something. i can't believe, he liked this cruise as much as his 1st cruise..!!!
Central American Cruise Perfect For Mid-South.
My wife and I just returned from a 7-day cruise aboard NCL's Norwegian Spirit. This is a great choice for those in this area, as it departs from New Orleans which is an easy 6 hour drive from Memphis. Norwegian Cruise Lines feature “Freestyle Cruising” ships. No more set times for meals, eat when you want, where you want at the more than 10 different eateries. A few of the restaurants charge a modest service fee, but we had excellent dining, including lobster, beef wellington, and coq au vin, all at no extra charge. The menu in the main dining rooms changed daily and the buffet always had a wide variety of cold/hot offerings including many international selections. No one should go hungry on a cruise! This is our 3rd cruise on NCL and we really enjoy the freedom of choice.
The cruise left on Sunday which is nice as you avoid weekday traffic heading to the dock. Boarding the ship was a smooth/easy process. We were directed to a parking space in the covered parking garage, and 30 minutes later we were aboard! Admittedly, as former NCL cruisers (Latitudes members), we skipped a few lines, but even new cruisers probably spent less than an hour boarding. The ship left port at around 6 PM, heading down the Mississippi towards the Gulf of Mexico.
After a full day and a half at sea, we arrived on Tuesday afternoon at Roatan, Honduras. We had no tours scheduled for this port and just walked a ways from the ship to sample the local culture. As you would expect, there are many local vendors set up selling crafts and typical souvenir items. The other side of the island has some nice beaches and there are tours available. Wednesday morning we docked at Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala. This is a working freight port, so not as elegant as some cruise ports. Here we took the half-day Quiaqua Archaeological Tour. ($72) The carved limestone stelleas (huge stones weighing up to 30 tons) depicting Mayan rulers were impressive. (note: take bug spray). There was an hour and a half drive each way by bus on a narrow, winding 2 lane highway abuzz with commercial traffic. Thursday found us in Belize. This was the highlight of our trip. The port at Belize is not sufficient for a cruise ship, so we anchored a ways offshore and took a fifteen minute boatride (tender) to reach the dock. We then boarded a bus for an hour ride to a small dock on the Belize River where a riverboat awaited. The cruise up the river through the mangroves was entertaining. Our guide and driver stopped several times to point out different critters. We saw several small crocodiles sunning themselves on lily pads, lots of birds and some bats. After about a 90 minute boatride, we reached Lamanai ($92). So far, 3 large Mayan temples have been unearthed here. These temples are very much in the jungle, and a long walk is required over uneven ground. For the stout hearted, it is well worth it. After a nice lunch of local dishes, we re-boarded our boat for a swift ride back to the dock, then the bus back to the port, arriving 30 minutes before sailing. A very long day, but quite an adventure. You definitely want to book this tour through NCL, so that in case of any delays, they will wait for you! Friday was Cozumel. Cozumel is now one of the most-visited cruise ports in the world. There were 4 ships there at the same time. This is a beautiful port and the main business district is only yards from the pier. Your first impression is the incredible turquoise water, unbelievably clear. Lots of tropical fish right off the dock. We booked ourselves at Nachi Cocom, a local private beach club. Fifteen minute taxi ride ($15) from the dock. Beautiful beach, our own private beach chairs/umbrella, unlimited food and drink. There is also a huge pool. We arrived about 11:00 and I actually had the pool to myself to swim some laps. Around noon a large group of cruise staff arrived to party away the afternoon. Things definitely heated up when they arrived. I also managed to sneak in a nice massage on the beach. The food was EXCELLENT. We had nachos, chicken taquitos and grilled shrimp. All fantastic. A decent value at $49 per person. A great value if you like alcoholic beverages. Back at the port by 4:00. Senor Frog's and the other local nightclubs were already rocking. The whole place buzzed with energy and I'm sure the nightlife is really hopping. Lobster and Beef Wellington in the main dining room topped off a great day.
Saturday was another day at sea, arriving back in New Orleans Sunday morning. If we could, we would have stayed on and gone around again! We really enjoyed the Spirit. The ship was impeccably clean, nicely decorated. The ship's crew were unfailingly helpful and friendly. This is only a medium size ship carrying 1966 passengers, which made it easy to navigate. There are plenty of activities for those that want to stay busy, and no schedules at all for those who want to just relax and do nothing. There is a large fitness center with up-to-date equipment, spa and beauty salon, casino, large pool with 4 hot tubs, separate kiddie pool (well organized kids programs for all ages), card/game room, several bars including a sports bar with 24 hour ESPN.
We think cruising in general is a great travel bargain. This cruise was exceptionally affordable thanks to some wise/timely shopping. (The cruises after Thanksgiving, but before Christmas are very affordable) We got a balcony room for only $729pp. A great deal when you consider you get a room, meals, entertainment, etc. all included. NCL automatically adds $10 per person per day service charge to your shipboard account, so no individual tipping is required for dining room staff. We left $20 and some holiday chocolates for our room steward and I had some candy canes for my favorite casino dealers of the female persuasion.
All in all, a great cruise at a great price and we can't wait to go again.
____________________
Cathi
http://www.myspace.com/galaxytoyz
http://community.webshots.com/user/toyz711
Fishing / Traveling...with a little golf thrown in.
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hstrybuf
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Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 10:01 pm | 6th Post |
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| He makes a good salesman for NCL!
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Deb
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/hstrycrsr
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toyz711
Cruiser
| Joined: | Tue Jul 24th, 2007 |
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Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 10:32 pm | 7th Post |
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hstrybuf wrote: He makes a good salesman for NCL!
yep, but i think he makes more money selling RVs? he is a good writer, wish he would start doing more of that.
____________________
Cathi
http://www.myspace.com/galaxytoyz
http://community.webshots.com/user/toyz711
Fishing / Traveling...with a little golf thrown in.
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