MBMGWM

Le Bistro

Moderno

Ocean Blue

Teppanyaki

I love to get a BBC (Bailey's Banana Colada) to get the cruise started.  One sip takes me to the islands!

My DH and I really enjoy Moderno.  We typically go there on our last evening.  DH likes his beef medium rare and I am a "well done" girl.  The waiters have always taken some of the beef and had it cooked well done for me.  

We agree about the salad bar and the pineapple.  Both are lovely!  I hope you enjoy your dinner there.  I would love to be enjoying it tonight 😄

My morning ritual on a cruise is to start the day with a croissant with orange marmalade and eggs benedict.  Even better to enjoy it outside at the Great Outdoors on the ships with that fabulous spot!  I never eat croissants on land - it's just not the same.

For the specialty restaurants, I love the mushroom soup at Le Bistro and the Moderno salad bar.  The grilled pineapple at Moderno can't be beat!

Syd Norman's Pour House is a music venue with drinks.  We enjoyed it on the Breakaway, which was our last cruise in January 2020.  They had a fantastic house band.  The musicians and singers were excellent!  We went to every show they performed.  

After hearing the stories of cruisers that were "quarantined" in their cabins, I told DH we would never book less than a balcony again.  We have done everything from insides to a suite, but I couldn't imagine not being able to step outside for fresh air.  The fear of being "trapped" in an interior or OV cabin for any length of time scares me!

For the larger ships, the Encore is our favorite.  We enjoyed the thermal suite at the spa, the restaurant selection and the entertainment.  It is just a beautiful ship overall.  For smaller ships, we love the Jewel.  You can't beat the forward facing Spinnaker's Lounge or the aft Great Outdoors.  There is nothing better than having lunch sitting out and watching the wake and the world go by!  

I miss cruising terribly!  I am a terrible worrier and it is truly my place of peace.  DH even says that the moment we step on the ship he can see the difference in me.  We were fortunate to go on a cruise in late Jan. 2020.  I had been kind of teasing him about doing a B2B and had we known what was ahead, he would have said yes.  

We really enjoyed a lot of land trips when we were younger and were able to do things that our health wouldn't allow us to now.  Most of our vacations over the past ten years were cruises with the exception of two big road trips - one to Glacier and Yellowstone and one to Maine, both driving from Virginia.  Changing hotels and having to pack up and load luggage every few days made my DH appreciate cruising more.  In addition to everything else I love about cruising, the ability to unpack once and see new sights every day or so is definitely in the top five.  I am so hopeful that we will all be able to be cruising in late 2021.  

Regarding whale sightings, we went on our first Alaskan cruise in late May and saw several whales, but we found our second cruise, which was in July, was much better for whale watching.  We had a fabulous sighting during an excursion from Icy Straight Point, where a pod of whales was bubble feeding.  The guide said how lucky we were to get to see that type of action.  I've still never seen a whale breach though.  It's on my bucket list to go on a Hawaii cruise in whale season one year.

We were fortunate to do Alaskan cruises for our 25th and 30th wedding anniversaries.  The first cruise was a true Inside Passage and we did not get up into Glacier Bay.  While we really enjoyed it, we were so thankful that we did get to see Glacier Bay on our second cruise.  Glacier Bay was amazing! 

I always tell people that if you think you may only get to go on one Alaskan cruise, you will want to get to Glacier Bay.  It is just breathtakingly beautiful!

Just booked a Dec. 2021 holiday cruise last night - so 368 days to go!

We have been on two Christmas/New Years cruises and really enjoyed them.  The ships were decorated beautifully and the mood was very festive.  It also was lovely to be sailing through the beautiful islands in December. 

My DH and I don't have children, but we really enjoyed seeing the excitement from those that were onboard.  We watched Santa deliver all the presents one year and it was so much fun.  I actually just booked a Christmas cruise for Dec. 2021 last night.  Only 368 days to go!  

We were on the Jade for a Christmas cruise a few years ago and loved it!  The ship was beautifully decorated and there were some special programs - caroling, Santa, etc.  They had a lovely Christmas dinner in the MDR.  I brought a few small decorations for our cabin, which added a little touch of home.

As you might imagine, there were quite a few families on the cruise, but we found that we didn't really see the children very often, except at dinner and during some of the special programs.  We do not have children, but really enjoyed being around them and watching their excitement.  It was just a very festive and fun way to spend the holidays.  I think you will not be disappointed. 

Another plus to moving your cruise to December - you may have a chance at seeing whales if that is important to you. 

We sailed on the Regatta on a 12 night Alaska itinerary several years ago.  My DH is an ex-offensive lineman and is 6'5" and weighs more than you do.  We had an oceanview porthole cabin, so I'm not sure if the bathrooms are similar to those in a balcony cabin.  While the bathroom was a bit tight, he did not complain and didn't have any trouble using the shower or the facilities.  

I hope you will be able to cruise and have a lovely time in Bermuda!

If you enjoy sailing, one of the nice things about  having your ship stay later in the evening is the ability to do a sunset cruise.  It is such a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours.  

Whenever I've talked to first time cruisers about selecting a cabin, I've always shared my strategy of booking an interior or OV and then hoping to upgrade to a balcony or higher as the cruise gets closer.  Most of the time that has been a successful strategy, but on our most recent cruises, we were not able to (or willing to due to pricing) upgrade.  We were in OV rooms, which were fine.  I always say that you need to make sure you are comfortable with the cabin you select in case you aren't able to upgrade.  

With the Covid situation, my strategy has now changed.  Even though I spend very little time in my cabin, I will not book less than a balcony cabin going forward, even if it means I will cruise less.  I could not imagine being confined to an interior or OV cabin for even one day, much less potentially fourteen days!  

St. Thomas and St. John.  My DH and I lived on St. Thomas for eight years (1985 - 1989 and 1999 - 2003).  We often joked that we lived and worked on St. Thomas so we could visit St. John.  We loved them both!

DH and I really enjoy the entertainment on NCL, but two favorites stand out.  I'm going back in time for the first one, but the Bart Walker Band that played in Fat Cats on the Epic was an awesome blues/rock band.  We saw every show that week.  We were on a B2B and were very disappointed that he wasn't on for the second week, as his contract ended.  The last night of his performance, other musicians from around the ship joined in for a couple of last songs. 

In January, which seems like an eternity now, we absolutely loved the house band at Syd Norman's Pour House on the Breakaway.  They had a fantastic guitar player and the singers were great.  They really put on a great show every time they performed.   

I have so many wonderful memories, but one that stays with me happened on our first cruise to Alaska in May 2006.  My DH likes to sleep in, so I usually have a small "first breakfast" by myself.  I was sitting on the back deck having a croissant and coffee.  I was surrounded by Alaska's beauty and I can still "feel" the cool morning air.  I remember thinking how lucky I was to be able to experience this.  That cruise was also my first time seeing whales and hearing them breathe.  Just thinking about it brings me a sense of peace.

When we were on the Breakaway last month, the comedy shows alternated with the Howl at the Moon performances, as they took place in the same venue.  One night they did have the comedy show in the main theater.  Reservations were not required for the theater show.

We also loved the "house" band at Syd Norman's.  Every performance was great! 

We have eaten at Moderno on a variety of ships and have always enjoyed it - particularly the grilled pineapple and the salad bar.  DH likes his meat medium rare while I'm a "well done" girl. 

Our waiter last month on the Breakaway was so kind.  He had the chef make a selection of all the different cuts of beef well done for me.  The meal overall was quite good.  

Thank you for the information regarding the comedy club reservations.  Good to know about the hot dog cart.  I sometimes have a late night craving for a hot dog while cruising, so I'll give the ones at Osheehans a try. 

Thank you so much for the comprehensive review.  It made me so excited for our upcoming cruise on her!

You mentioned having reservations for one of the comedy shows.  May I ask where you made those?  I understand you should make them pretty quickly once onboard.

Happy New Year Fellow Cruisers!  I am so excited to be heading out soon for my winter getaway cruise on the beautiful Breakaway 😀   

We were on the 1/12 sailing and enjoyed two Beatles shows.  We found that getting there one hour early seemed to work best for getting good seats.  

Enjoy your cruise!