Preemiemd's Long NCL Crown 4/18/Bermuda Review

[preemiemd]

Norwegian Crown Review Bermuda 4/18/04-4/25/04

 

Hi everyone,

 

My husband and I just returned from our 8th cruise (Norwegian Crown Bermuda 4/18-4/25) . Because we found very little info online prior to our cruise (most of it unfavorable) I am posting my very 1st cruise review. By way of background we are a professional couple in our mid-late 30s (no kids yet but hopefully soon) and have cruised on multiple ships/lines over past 8 years (NCL Seaward 1996, NCL Dreamward 1997, SS Norway 1999 (our favorite), Disney Magic 2000, Ocean Princess New Years 2000-2001, Celebrity Horizon to Bermuda 2002, Grand Princess 2003. We enjoy cruising because of the relaxation, the open seas, beautiful ports, potential for fine dining, water sports, shopping and just time alone together.

 

I'm not sure which format works best for a review so I've decided to go mainly day by day with the high and low points and then summarize the pros/cons of the main topics such as ship overall, dining, activities etc. Please forgive me if this gets too long as I tend to include details which may not interest everyone.

 

Precruise

 

We booked via our usual travel agent after checking lowest online prices and he always beats them. We booked an AD suite for $1132pp with port taxes and this fare also included a $50pp onboard credit. Just before booking we received the Latitudes newsletter with a "Welcome Back" coupon for upgrade or on board credit. We decided to submit it and see what happened although our agent was not optimistic since NCL often does not honor coupons with discounted fares. To make a long story short we were pleasantly surprised to get on board and find we had received an additional $150 credit bringing our total onboard credit to $250 (not applicable to casino or tips).

 

Embarkation Day

 

We arrived at the Port of Philadelphia at about noon and found a line of about 5-6 cars waiting to unload passengers. There were port workers scattered around who seemed confused about how to properly direct traffic & people so after waiting and not moving for about 10 minutes with no end in sight we just got out of the car unloaded ourselves, said goodbye to my parents, found a porter and walked into the terminal. Apparently the port of Phila staff is still figuring out security and efficiency during embarkation/debarkation. Inside the terminal we entered a serpentine line which we soon figured out was the security line with baggage xray/metal detectors. Although 2 sets of equipment were there only one was being used. After getting through security we were directed to a cruise check in line which seemed to be 1st come 1st serve. There did not seem to be any separate lines for Latitudes or Suite passenger (which we were) but even so we only had to wait 5 minutes or so. At check in the usual stuff happens with passports and credit cards and now they also take your security photo and issue your cruise card for onboard stuff. (by the way since the Crown is old you will have actual room keys rather than using the card as your key as on newer ships and they are in your room which is unlocked until you arrive and lock it.) The ship was not quite ready for boarding so we were issued a slip of paper with group #2 on it which was to determine boarding order and then directed to a lounge area with chairs and punch/cookies. We boarded the ship about 20 minutes later. During the waiting period we just looked around at the mix of passengers we would be sailing with. There were many families with kids of all ages (turned out some schools in New England were still on spring break - about 200 kids on cruise), plenty of seniors and some younger professional and middle aged couples. In general it was a considerate crowd however there were some "less traditional" families/groups who were rather loud and obnoxious (coincidentally they also had the most tattoos and pierced body parts)

 

When it was finally time to board it didn't matter what number boarding group you were assigned to people were just going aboard. There was the usual boarding photo taken by the photographers and they were around frequently during the cruise in dining areas, activities , pool area and getting off in port.

As always no obligation to buy the photos but they are fun to laugh at during the cruise. If you aren't interested in posing for them just say "no thanks" and walk away. They usually get the message but sometimes you may need to say no more than once.

 

Once on board we easily found our suite 9046 on Riviera deck # 9 (cat AD) it was a large room about 190-200 s.f. with panoramic bay windows (close curtains at night because if you are near the window you can see into next suite because of window angle). There is a sitting area w 4 club chairs and a coffee table. A bowl of fruit and a plant were there along w a bottle of house champagne (pretty good). There is a queen size bed w fairly firm mattress and 4 pillows (thin and soft- one was good for me (belly sleeper) but my husband preferred to use 2). Good bedside lighting and nightstands w drawers on either side - one of which controlled the volume of on board announcements and optional piped in music channels. Across from bed is a mirrored wall with closets and vanity area w drawers and a place to plug in hairdryer etc. Small TV on desktop w usual ship channels (bridge cam, lecture/activity replays) as well as CNN, EPSN and 2 movie channels (mostly old) . Two closets side by side with drawers, shelves and hanging areas (NCL robes there to use). Safe in one closet. There is Pellegrino and Evian for sale in your room ($3) and 1st bottle of Evian complimentary in AD suite.

 

We had purchased the $79 Romance package and highly recommend it. We received a second botle of champagne w chocolate covered strawberries the first night, dinner for 2 in LeBistro one night w a bottle of house white (the staff sang Let Me Call You Sweetheart and gave us a special cake), 6 x 9 photo of our choice, canapes in our suite one night and a private cake/champagne party one evening w other couples (about5) who purchased the package . All in all we feel it added to our enjoyment and was worth the price.

 

After checking out the room, we looked around the ship. We peeked into the owner's suite which was huge. We made Bistro Reservations for dinner (specialty restaurant reservations can be made at table in lobby up to one day in advance or in a suite concierge can make them- menus are available to look at too). The Bistro cover charge is 1/2 price ($7.50) from 530-630 the first night.

 

Next we had lunch in 7 Seas the main restaurant. We sat at what was called a table for 2 however it was really like they had taken an old table for 6 and moved one part of it about 5 inches to the side. When the dining room was busy it was really like a table for 6 except people at the two tables just 5 inches apart could try to ignore each other if they wanted to since technically they were at separate tables. The maitre 'd seemed to try and fill these tables around the same time so that the waiters could take orders/serve everyone at once (like at a table for 6). It was a little awkward but we just made the best of it and decided to spend as much time as possible in the specialty restaurants where there are real tables for 2.

We found the food fairly good throughout the cruise but the service in 7 Seas was (as mentioned by several others on these boards) inconsistent. With Freestyle you don't get to know your waiter/busboy and they don't get to know you. We did run into the occasional waiter who seemed to go the extra mile with a smile and if you find one you like I think you can make a standing dinner reservation for their tables with the maitre d if you want.

 

After the safety drill out on deck , we sailed shortly after 4pm and it was a beautiful day. The scenery along the Delaware River is not that great but we grabbed some cheese, crackers and pate from the buffet and enjoyed a snack with our champagne and picture windows. There is also a fairly good room service menu which includes great snacks with wine such as crudite, cheese plate, fruit plate, finger sandwiches.

 

We met our room steward Glorious Antonio who was wonderful. He was so good he was always in our room only when we were out and never once disturbed us. He brought us robes without being asked and told us about the complimentary 1st bottle of Evian. In addition to the tip we gave him a phone card to call home at end of cruise.

 

Dinner in LeBistro that 1st night was excellent (food & service best of cruise). Filet mignon and sea bass delicious as were soups, salads, appetizers and desserts. By the way espresso/cappuccino are free in all restaurants at dinner.

 

The show lounge (Stardust) has excellent sight lines with usual beverage service. The 1st show was variety w intro of cruise staff , Jean Ann Ryan Co dance routine and "Sharkbait" a comedic juggling duo who were entertaining. After the show we checked out the other music acts on board. Super Tonic Boom is a couple from Australia who do pop music for dancing in the Top of the Crown and are quite good. The women has an excellent voice. Best of Friends is 3 Philipino men on bass/acoustic guitars who played mostly oldies like Beatles, Beach Boys and were quite enjoyable. They were in the Lido bar but there was no dance floor. In addition in the casino lounge there was a piano player (Rich Harris) who played big band oldies and did not seem very friendly or happy with his job. Also at various times throughout the cruise the orchestra played ballroom type music in the Stardust which was pleasant. There was also a good poolside Caribbean band w steeldrums on most days who really helped put us in a cruising mood.

 

The next day our 1st at sea we felt some rolling of the ship (common on Bermuda trips) and took a bonine which made us a little drowsy but we did not get seasick. Throughout the trip we also noticed some vibrations especially when the ship used the side thrusters to move into/out of port.

 

We had breakfast in 7 Seas which was good (usual sketchy service though). We tried the "Cooking Light" entrees from the magazine which were offered and found them tasty. I am skeptical though as a "Cooking Light" magazine subscriber that they truly stuck to the recipes. For example the whole wheat apple pancakes which my husband had tasted great but definitely were not made with wheat flour. Also at lunch one day I had fish wraps which again were good but clearly fried- oh well who really eats healthy on a cruise anyway! By the way juices are free at breakfast only.

 

Later in the morning we went to the gym which is well equipped with about 8 treadmills, 5 bikes and an elliptical and a rower. There is also a separate universal weightroom and plenty of dumbells. My husband felt the weightroom was cramped making it difficult for him (he is 6 ft 2in) to do all the exercises comfortably. He also commented on the "casual" exercisers strolling in and out getting in the way and not really doing much- think little old ladies in sandals with handbags trying to use the equipment . I did the aerobics/toning classes throughout the week which were challenging and fun. Kathleen ,the sports afloat director, does an excellent job. In addition to the aerobics she also has other activities during the week such as group walking in the morning, stretching, golf putting and sports trivia. (We are proud to say we won one of the trivia events). If you complete 20 activities during the week you win a sports t shirt which is a nice memento of the trip.

 

After lunch we checked out the pool which had gotten crowded since the weather was good. There were kids in the pool but the water was too cold for us. The cruise staff held various games around the pool. We never had trouble finding a place to sit outside since we preferred shade most of the time but there were times deck chairs on the pool level were scarce. Keep in mind there are also 2 decks above the pool to also sit out including near the hot tubs and outdoor buffet. Plenty of towels were always available as was drink service. On port days you could also check out towels to take to beach as you left the ship. Evian also for sale at those times.

 

Later we previewed the art auction (really more of a sale since they usually had more than one copy of each piece often all bidders got the piece for prices ranging from hundreds to thousands-only for the originals was there true competitive bidding ) and enjoyed some champagne. Next we went to cha cha lessons which were well taught .

 

It was optional formal night and since we don't dress up often (husband works from home) we decided to bring our tux/gown. I would say about 20% of people were truly formal with another 50% wearing semiformal to resort casual and the rest ignoring even the resort casual code which was in place every night ie no shorts, jeans, t-shirts, swimsuits after 530pm. We ate in 7 Seas since it was lobster night and went about 6pm. On arrival it was already 40% full and filled up with a waiting line about 1/2 way through our meal. I recommend going early on formal night. The lobster being served was 3 two ounce slipper lobster tails per platter. We found some to be tasty but others had a mushy texture. Dessert was grand marnier souffle which was good but I think it would be better plain without the chocolate sauce.

This was our 1st freestyle experience w NCL. We had done "personal choice" on Princess but had had fixed seatings on our previous NCL cruises. One of our disappointments with this cruise was that we felt a little silly at dinner on formal night in our tux/gown being seated at a "table for 2" where the 4 people sitting 5 inches away were casually dressed. We had thought that a specific restaurant or at least section of 7 Seas would be designated formal. I think maybe the Crown is too small for freestyle ? Does anyone know how other freestyle ships do formal night?

 

The Captains Welcome Party was after dinner in the Stardust from 745-830. This is why dinner probably filled up early. Photos with captain taken on arrival. Champagne and butlered hors'douvres served. The orchestra played dance music and then officers were introduced. Curiously the party never got very crowded-I think people may have been delayed at dinner. The show "Sing,Sing,Sing " was after the party and was well done. Formal portraits where available during the evening but ours didn't turn out well.

 

The next day we tried the breakfast buffet and found the selection good. Outside the buffet line on the left there is also a belgian waffle station, cut fruit and an omlette station which were good. Coffee/tea also served after buffet line. One thing I forgot to mention, before entering any restaurant or getting back on ship in port there are machines dispensing alcohol based hand sanitizer which the crew insists that you use. I think it is a good idea but I'm not sure if this is a permanent thing or if it was there because on the 2 voyages prior to ours there had been a small outbreak of a GI illness. Anyway, we used them and I didn't hear of anyone getting sick on our trip.

 

We arrived in St George and the weather cleared. We bought a bus/ferry pass at the visitor's center and walked around and shopped. Having been to Bermuda just 2 years earlier we decided to enjoy the empty ship for a while. We sat by the pool and took a quick dip in the cold (salt) water. We went to the Latitudes party which was very well done. There were lots of snacks and drinks available. It was not very well attended but they gave out many door prizes.( A nice lady we met at the party won a spa facial and when we ran into her the next day she gave me the gift certificate for it because she did not want to go - I went for my facial on the last sea day and found it very relaxing. All I had to do was leave a gratuity.) Other door prizes at the Latitiudes party were art work, dinner at le bistro, casino credit etc.

 

We had dinner in the Pasta Cafe which was excellent both in food and service. Ask for waiter Ricardo Santiago-best of cruise. The asst maitre 'd of this restaurant was also quite good and well organized. By the way, the Pasta Cafe menu changes daily and can be reviewed at the reservation table in the lobby. After dinner we danced in Top of Crown and then went to Caribbean party by pool. I ended up being one of 16 women who participated in an event where groups of 4 of us picked some poor guy out of the audience and had to dress him up like Carmen Miranda with stuff from our cabin. Obviously they don't tell you what you have to do before you agree to participate. Our guy was a great sport he came in a close second based on the "applause o meter". I looked for him later in the cruise to buy him a drink but never ran into him. Moral of story-be careful where you sit during Caribbean party and Sock hop for that matter.

After the deck party, we had a nightcap in the Crown club (near casino) and went to bed. There was a 20% discount on drinks for Latitudes members from 5-11pm each night there.

 

The next morning we left for Hamilton and there was a pronounced rumbling pulling into port. We had breakfast on deck at the buffet and the tables were vibrating.

 

It was great weather. We took the bus to the zoo/aquarium and had a good time. We found a little cafe nearby for lunch and had great authentic Indian food which we love. We did not use our dine ashore voucher and if you don't use it don't forget to return it to the front desk to have your account credited ($5 pp). Later we just rode the ferry around Hamilton Harbor and enjoyed the great scenery. It is a nice boatride. Last time we were in Bermuda we rented a scooter which was fun but this time we decided to try the bus/ferry system. It is a cheap, safe way around but you spend a lot of time waiting. Next time we will rent a scooter again and hopefully continue our luck with avoiding injuries.

 

Next we did some shopping in Hamilton-lots of upscale stores there- and then headed back to the ship. We went to the special party that came with the romance package and there met 5 other nice couples of varying ages. They served plenty of champagne and had a nice cake for us which we shared with those at the nearby bar. We had dinner at Chopsticks which had great service and an excellent sushi platter but the entrees were not that good. One nice feature our night was the Caribbean band was playing just outside so we had music during dinner.

 

The next day (again great weather) we headed over to King's Wharf where there is some nice shopping and the Maritime museum w Dolphin Quest. We also found a private little beach (just past the construction site where they are preparing the snorkel park) and relaxed there for most of the afternoon. The water was beautiful and there were a lot of nice shells.

 

We had lunch in the Yacht club buffet that day and I do not recommend the hamburgers. Later we relaxed in the hot tubs and by the pool and then went back to our room to enjoy the canapes which had been delivered as part of the romance package. We also had our 2nd dinner in Le Bistro that night as part of the romance package and again it was excellent. We were served the house chardonnay with the package and it was decent. I had the salmon and chocolate fondue for dessert which was spectacular. My husband had the sea bass again and the crepes which were also good. The staff sang to us and also gave us a cake which we couldn't eat so we gave it to our room steward who loved it. We had planned to go to bed early because we had a railway bike tour excursion scheduled the next day but unfortunately when we got back we found out it had been cancelled due to lack of interest. We were disappointed but decided to go for a run in the morning instead.

 

The next morning we ordered room service breakfast which unless you are in a balcony room is continental. Our order was missing some things but no big deal. It was delivered on time and they called about 2 min before to say it was coming-nice touch we thought. We did a 3 mile jog out of the dockyard and back and found some beautiful secluded coves/beaches just outside the dockyard. It is probably about a mile and walkable. It reminded us of the many roadside beaches on Maui. After our jog we sat by the pool and noticed that by about 11am it had really filled up with people. The ship sailed for home around 12 noon and the pool deck was packed by then. We had lunch at the buffet, listened to the steel drums for a while and then got showered for the afternoon. We checked out the art auction again, went to the chocolate buffet around 3pm (worth waiting in line for) and then played sports trivia. We did some shopping on board (very limited selection). We had a late dinner in Pasta Cafe that night and before dinner enjoyed our last bottle of champagne with snacks from room service in our suite.

 

On our last day at sea we had breakfast in 7 Seas and found another good waiter Enrique Pineda. We relaxed most of the day and read since the on board activities were limited that day and not of interest to us. We had some drinks before dinner and then went to 7 Seas since we were too late for reservations in Bistro or Pasta Cafe again. We waited in a small line and when asked decided to dine at a larger table with others that night. We had a wonderful time meeting our table companions and enjoyed our last dinner on board. The chocolate souffle was very good. We went to the final show which was also good and then went to put our luggage out for disembarkation the next morning. With Freestyle tipping we just left the standard amount on our account ($140).

 

The next morning there were several breakfast options - room service (new part of freestyle concept), buffet and 7 Seas. We chose 7 Seas which had a very basic menu that day. We were off the ship at 915am in the first group after express disembarkation (people with flights before 11am who carry all their own luggage off ship). We breezed thru customs and met my parents for our ride home. Much like embarkation the Cruise Philly staff directing traffic seemed confused so we decided to walk a block with our stuff and meet our car away from the crowd at terminal

 

So that was our cruise in a rather large nutshell. All in all we had a great time. After 8 cruises we have learned to enjoy ourselves and not sweat the small stuff because our vacation time is too precious to focus on the negative.

 

In summary we found we enjoyed the more intimate atmosphere of a ship this size (about 1100 passengers). We found it clean and fairly well maintained. There were several ongoing maintenance projects aboard one of which closed a section of the pool/promenade deck but we did not find this to be a problem since the running track was on a higher deck. The Crown had all the basic facilities we enjoy. There were many kids on board which is common on Bermuda trips and the staff tried to enforce rules which some parents ignored such as no one under 16 in fitness center. Our room and cabin steward were excellent. The waitstaff in the specialty restaurants were excellent but only mediocre to fair in the 7 Seas/Yachtclub buffet. The food was good to excellent except Chopstix entrees and burgers on buffet. Drinks seemed reasonably priced compared to land bars/resorts although wine list seemed more overpriced. The front desk staff was pleasant and helpful. The shore excursion/photography staff were not as friendly.

The shows were good to excellent. The cruise director Simon seemed enthusiastic. Bermuda as always was beautiful.

 

Hope this helps. You can definitely have a good time on the Crown to Bermuda. Please feel free to ask questions if I left anything out that you want more specifics on. I'll try to check the boards each day.

[Mary Jane]

Thank you for the review! Seems like you had a great time! Were there ping pong tables on the ship?

 

MJ

[comco]

Whew!! HUGE sigh of relief!! I was really worried about my vacation plans, but you have set my mind at ease. Thank you so much for this well written review.

[preemiemd]

Mary Jane,

 

There were ping pong tables on the ship. In fact there was at least one pingpong tournament during the week listed in the freestyle daily

[tug]

preemiemd,

 

I thank you.

 

My husband thanks you .. as does my daughter.

 

My travel agent thanks you .. we will not be changing this vacation

 

_________________________

looking forward to 8/8/04 - Crown to Bermuda!

[cmitch9999]

Preemiemd

thanks for the GREAT +++ review of the crown..all that typing paid off in a huge sigh of relief from those of us booked in the months to come!!!!!!!!!!

Like knowing the 'happy hour' pricing in the LeBistro...hope we get on board in time to get a reservation in- always love a bargain!

 

What time was the latitudes party? Hopefully will not interfere with too much of our port time..they usually have it one of the last days at sea???

 

guess the virus couldn't have been too rampant on the ship if you weren't aware of any sick passengers! glad you escaped!!

 

Welcome home and thanks for all that hard work with typing the review!

Chris Mitchell

 

16 Voyages completed 1999-2004, 81 wonderful days at sea

dreaming of ....

Norwegian Crown 8/04

Carnival Fascination 11/04

[Ted]

Thanks!

 

I was fully looking forward to leaving on Sunday regardless of the prior posters' negative comments, but your report reinforces my confidence.

[pathubia]

Thanks for your review, we are going to Bermuda on the Majesty in August. (I live 15 miles south of Boston), We may take the Crown next year.

 

NCL Majesty 04

NCL Majesty 02

 

[preemiemd]

Hi Chris,

 

On our cruise the Latitudes party was on Tuesday at 530pm (St George). Since St George is pretty small and there are still 2 plus days in Bermuda you should still get to see the island without a problem. We found the party very enjoyable and some of the best service we had all week. Also nice door prizes. Additonal Latitudes benefits on our trip (besides Crown pins)were 20% spa discount on "deluxe treaments" during port days only, 20% discount on photos from Latitudes party/Captains party and buy 2 8x10s get 1 free.There was also an internet cafe offer for extra minutes if you buy certain packages. We took advantage most of the 20% drink discount in the Casino Crown club each evening. Enjoy

[awatt]

preemiemd-

 

Can't thank you enough for your review. I am very releved to hear a favorable review.

 

BTW,do recall seeing a server named Nadia from Romania? She was our favorite server on the Dawn,very special person,and ahe told us she was moving to the Crown. Would love to see her again,kids still ask about her.

 

Anyway,many many thanks.

[preemiemd]

Unfortunately we did not meet Nadia But there were several women servers from Romania on board. The asst maitre 'd in Pasta Cafe was Romanian though and she impressed us with the pride she took in her work

[DeeMarch]

preemiemd -

 

A thousand thanks for a nice review! I think I am ready to start packing now. We leave in 9 weeks...But who's counting. I also upgraded to a suite, AC 9042 on the same deck that you were on, just down the hall. Your room steward has gotten praise in the past, I hope he will be ours also.

I was sorry to hear about your cancelled bike/rail tour. We have the same excursion booked and it's one that my husband is really excited about. We are a pair of 50 year-olds (well, I'm 51 now LOL) who aren't into sitting in a cab and touring. I hope we can find an alternative if it happens to us.

 

Again, nice review. Thanks for your time.

 

Denise

 

11/10/00 Married my best friend aboard

Grandeur of the Seas

 

Bermuda on the Crown

[awatt]

preemiemd-

 

I would like to send you a picture if its not too much imposition. Email me at cwatt@nycap.rr.com if that's OK.

 

Again,thanks so much for your review.

[preemiemd]

DeeMarch,

 

Don't worry too much about your tour being cancelled. Our bike tour was an add on which we signed up for on Wednesday while in Hamilton after seeing a sign posted at the excursion desk. It was for our last morning (Fri) in King's Wharf. I have every reason to believe the original tour on Thursday went off without a hitch. Maybe it was so popular they thought more people would want to go on Friday ?

[kparam]

Preemiemd - I also thank you for the thorough review. We are in an AC Suite for the 13 day fall Caribbean cruise and are very relieved to finally ready a good review.

 

Thanks!

 

Karen & Mike

[Tomct]

Thanks for a great review; we are discussing a family cruise to Bermuda next summer, and your comments will be most helpful.

 

We were on the Dawn last week, and they also had the sanitizers. I think someone said they have had them for about six weeks, but I'm not postive of that. We had our grandkids with us, and they like using them, but on a couple of occasions we missed them, and were asked to use them. One of those times was when we were returning from port.

 

Thanks again for the review.

 

Tom/Connecticut

 

 

[cmitch9999]

Hi P

another question for you-- did they have big charcoal grills on deck cooking steaks, ribs etc on any of the nights? We enjoyed that on our other NCL cruises and hope it is still on the Crown.

Gracias!

Chris Mitchell

 

16 Voyages completed 1999-2004, 81 wonderful days at sea

dreaming of ....

Norwegian Crown 8/04

Carnival Fascination 11/04

[preemiemd]

Hi Chris,

 

There was an outdoor grill on the top deck. Also I believe there was a barbeque buffet on deck on Caribbean night. We definitely saw a whole pig like from a luau on the buffet. I was too busy trying to get a poor guy from Maine to look like Carmen Miranda to eat though

[redzilla]

As everyone else has already said, "Thank you for the thoughtful review." I have a couple of questions:

 

While you were on board, did the wait staff serve you from the buffet or is it serve yourself?

 

When is food served in the Italian Cafe and is it one of the theme restaurants, deck 10?

 

On deck 10, are there loungers and tables or just tables?

 

Did you attend either street fair--St. George or Hamilton, if so your opinions?

 

Which dock did the Crown use while in St. George--Ordinance Island or Penno's Wharf?

 

Thanks!

[preemiemd]

Redzilla,

 

The buffet was self serve except that a staff member usually handed you a tray w napkin/silverware. Also the coffee/tea/iced tea were set up in the eating area and were served to you. The juices on the breakfast buffet were also poured for you.

 

We never ate at Cafe Italia but it was an outdoor buffet restuarant open when at sea (if weather permitting) during lunch hours. I believe it served pizza, burgers and hot dogs and stuff. The Pasta Cafe on deck 11 is the sit down theme restaurant which we enjoyed twice while aboard.

 

There were both tables and loungers on deck 10. Also the loungers are light and easy to move if you'd like to sit somewhere else.

 

In St George I think were docked at Penno's Wharf. The street fair season does not start until May so we were too early. We did catch the Hamilton fair in midMay 2002 while on Celebrity Horizon and it was fun. Lots of Bermudian crafts,music and treats

[tug]

preemiemd,

 

did you, by any chance, save any Dailies, or take pictures you can share with us?

 

~tug

 

_________________________

looking forward to 8/8/04 - Crown to Bermuda!

[DeeMarch]

preemiemd,

 

Is there an extra charge for any other restaurants besides...Oh, what's it called? The fancier one? And what are those charges, if you remember, please...

 

Denise

 

11/10/00 Married my best friend aboard

Grandeur of the Seas

 

Bermuda on the Crown

[preemiemd]

Tug,

 

I have some of the dailies. If I'm nice to my husband he might be able to scan them in somehow. I'll see. We are not big picture takers since I never actually organize them when we get home. All I have are us in Bermuda and not really around the ship

 

Dee,

 

The only restaurant with a charge is LeBistro ($15pp except 1st night 530-630 when it is half price. You just need reservations for Pasta Cafe and Chopstix - there is no extra charge but we usually left a little something for the good service

[tug]

preemiemd,

 

what do we get from your husband if we're all nice to him?

 

~tug

 

_________________________

looking forward to 8/8/04 - Crown to Bermuda!

[laodell]

Thank you for the great review. We're booked for July 4 in cabin 8005. It is a mini suite with a 40% obstructed view. I'm hoping I don't mind that too much. Is there a basketball court onboard?

 

Until Bermuda on Norwegian Crown

 

Sunward II 1991

Westward 1993

Norway 1996

Imagination 1998

Norway 2002

 

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