NCL Review and the Spirit TA NOLA to Barcelona

[WYTinman]

 

 

Looking down at the cooking area

 

At lunch many in our group wanted to continue so we split up, with the others taking one of the vans. We ate and continued without them.

 

A very happy bunch after lunch

Left to right. Pedro our tour guide, Wytinman, lmcgrail, Dusty and Charleen, Dave and Carol, Boston Bill, AJ, and, Lucy and Darwin (tangomio).

 

Next the Tea Factory

[WYTinman]

Are the Hot Springs similar to what is in Yellowstone? This looks like a great tour. Are you going again next April? Was this one of the private tours or an NCL tour? Looks like something I would like to do.

 

 

Thanks for asking Mandy,

 

This was a private tour. while we were in Furnas we encountered the NCL tour. They had a big bus and just got off the bus long enough to take pictures and then were gone. I don't think they had anyone to point out sites once they got off the bus. An example, we spent probably 2 hours in the Furnas area. The NCL tour bus was there for maybe 15 minutes.

 

We haven't decided about next year yet. lmcgrail was our tour coordinator and spent alot of time planning. Next year I think she just wants to relax and enjoy whatever tour she does.

 

Mark

[Susie51]

I just read your first installment. Your attention to detail is so nice. Congratulations on the great upsale.

[Susie51]

Your second installment was great, also. Belky was our cons. in 2008, as well! She was so helpful during our cruise. I have oftened wondered where she is now.

[WYTinman]

Looking through my photos. I didn't take any at the Tea factory. So I'll skip ahead to the Mulher De Capote Liquor Factory. This factory produces many different fruit flavored liqueurs of note is their Passion Fruit liqueur.

 

Pedro explaining about how to grow Passion fruit

 

Passion Fruit

Photos thanks to lmcgrail.

 

 

 

[WYTinman]

 

 

Can you tell what makes us happy. Many free samples were consumed by this group.

 

I found my favorite

 

Photos thanks to lmcgrail

 

After the Liquor factory it was off to the Port to jump back onto the ship.

Sao Miguel Azores is a beautiful place. I joked as we were leaving, that when I win the Lotto, I'm getting a place there.

[Susie51]

Thank you for posting so many pics. Dave and Carol look familiar. I think I have cruised with them before.

 

I'm so glad you were able to do such a wonderful private tour. I hope there is more of your review to come.

[WYTinman]

Voyager of the Sea backing out from the pier

 

 

 

NCL Spirit backing away from the breakwater

 

 

Goodbye Ponta Delgada

 

 

Breaktime.

 

I will cover the transit into the Med. The White Hot Party, and The Chocolate Buffet in the next installments.

 

Thanks for reading.

[WYTinman]

The White Hot Party was held the evening of day 8. Forgive me for posting this out of order.

 

My feelings prior to the cruise were that I would probably skip this night. I'm not much of a "Disco Party" kind of guy. I'm glad I didn't. It was lively and the Spirit dancers I raved about earlier performed. Lots of fun and it didn't last all night.

 

Hector, Gabrelle, and Daria from the CD staff with lmcgrail at the entrance to the party.

 

Getting the Glow Sticks ready

 

Penguinscott glowing

 

The Spirit dancers finale

 

YMCA

 

The conga line

[WYTinman]

Leaving Ponta Delgada was when the realization that the cruise was almost over sank in. Three more days and we would be kicked off. Kind of depressing after so many fun times up to this point.

 

Day 11 started with the first bad weather of the trip. It clouded over and stayed cool all day and the next. Captain Vanja told us over the intercom that he would be speeding up a bit so that we would pass Gibraltar during daylight. True to his word we passed right at happy hour on day 12. He also happened to make the sky clear as we passed as well.

 

Our final Happy Hour in Raffles as we pass into the Med.

 

 

The coast of Africa

 

 

The Spanish Coast

 

Gibraltar

 

 

After passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, I have to salute the members of the Royal Navy from WWII that had to fight in those confined waters. Another example of why they are our greatest generation. Thank you!

[WYTinman]

The night of the 12th day was the Chocoholic Buffet from 1030-1130pm in Windows MDR. As a suite guest I was allowed to go in early (10:00pm) to take pictures. So here goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WYTinman]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barcelona and final thoughts on the NCL experience after some thought, so please be patient for the final installment.

[Izaak Walton]

Thank you for posting so many pics. Dave and Carol look familiar. I think I have cruised with them before.

 

Hi, Susie,

 

I don't think so, based on the cruises you listed. We weren't on any of those. But who knows? It's a small world. Every cruise we've taken (4) we ran into someone we knew.

 

Mark,

 

What a great job of reviewing the entire cruise. Thanks. Email me covind@yahoo.com. I don't appear to have gotten your contact info.

 

Dave

[crew mom]

Thank you for the compliment crew mom.

 

I hope we are talking about the same girl. For a great part of the cruise I confused her name with Gabrielle (?) from the CD's staff. Geraldine would always chastise me if I walked by Charlie's and didn't at least wave.

 

Is your son Sean? again forgive me if I spelled it wrong. I met Sean briefly on the cruise. The entire production staff put in alot of time perfecting the shows. Their hard work was evident.

Yes - that's my son. You got the right girl. When I told him what you said he commented that he was pretty sure he knew who you were. Glad you had a good time!

[PCLMassachusetts]

This has got to be one of the best written, most organized review that I have read on here. What a great cruise, I can't wait to do a TA someday.

[mypleasure]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this review and look forward to the conclusion. I'll be reading it when I get back as I am off to Barcelona today and board the ship tomorrow. Don't be too envious now.

[scottishwee35]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this review and look forward to the conclusion. I'll be reading it when I get back as I am off to Barcelona today and board the ship tomorrow. Don't be too envious now.

 

Have a great times and hope you write review too...

 

Scottishwee35

[McDebbie]

What a great way to spend my lunch hour, thanks for the wonderful review!

[lmcgrail]

Bump...Waiting for the rest.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for posting your review, sounds like you had an awesome time. Your pictures are wonderful.

[WYTinman]

Barcelona and my final thoughts on Norwegian Cruise Lines

 

 

My apologies to everyone that has responded to this review. I do appreciate your kind comments.

 

Regrettably the “Real World” has not gone away and demands from work to up-keep on the abode have kept me away from finishing this.

 

Dave and Carol, I will send you my contact info today.

 

Our 13th day of this cruise was spent circumnavigating the Iberian Peninsula. (I just like the way that sounds) in other words we cruised around Spain to Barcelona. It was another overcast and cool day. Not what I thought the Mediterranean would be after so many warm and sunny days crossing the Atlantic. The Capitan also had slowed the ship significantly. Not for the weather or the seas, I think it was just to keep us on schedule to arrive in Barcelona the next morning.

 

NCL held their second “Dress Up or Not Night” I was surprised at the number of passengers that participated. I had debated with myself over packing a suit for this cruise. I am sure glad that I did. As a group our CC group dressed on quite a few occasions. For the Dress Up or Not Night I know some passengers didn’t dress, NO BIG DEAL and NO ONE NOTICED. The whole atmosphere was set to have fun.

 

Nathan (SakeDog) Lori (Lmcgrail) and Penguin Scott waiting for Cruise Critic Group Photo

 

The bad thig about a long cruise. At the end you can't button your coat!!!!

 

 

Both nights the photographers set up in the Grand Centrum with several backdrops. The Senior Officers were also present and willing to pose with anyone who wanted a portrait. There was no hard sell for photos. The photographers were available, posed you, and took the picture. Then all the photos were displayed in their gallery on deck 8. If you liked the picture you simply pull it out of the display and pay for it then. Needless to say not a “nickel or dime” was spent by me for anything that I didn’t want on this cruise.

 

Prior to going to sleep on the last night. We had to select a departure time, pickup the corresponding color luggage tag, pack, and leave all bags that you don’t want to carry off yourself, in the hall outside your cabin door.

 

We docked in Barcelona sometime in the early morning. I seem to remember waking sometime in the night and I did notice a distinct lack of motion. Not enough to get me out of bed but after 13 days of feeling the ship movement the calm was strange. I did get up earlier than usual mainly because I was not ready for the cruise to be over and I was excited to see Barcelona.

 

Another overcast morning

 

 

 

We were cleared to leave the ship starting around 7:30. The NCL system of debarking seemed to be really smooth. If you want to be the first off, grab your bags and go. If you have a flight to catch, they set a debarking time for morining flights and for the afternoon flights. If you're staying in Barcelona, stay on board and be the last off. I didn't notice long lines or any rush.

 

I had my last breakfast in Cagneys and stayed on board for the last departure time. Once my luggage tag color was called it was one last swipe of my room key and off the ship into the terminal.

 

Spanish customs officers are set up before you enter the main terminal and the formalities to enter Spain were brief. All the luggage is waiting in the terminal. They are sorted in groups according to tag color. Very easy to find, claim and your off.

 

As I stated earlier in this review I had selected one of the hotels that NCL offers. With the hotel comes a transfer from the ship to the hotel. Now I was expecting another bus ride full of other passengers from the ship. What a surprise when I exited the terminal and saw the lines of busses and taxis. I have to admit I was a little overwelmed. I started to walk over toward the busses to see if any had a sign for my hotel. Then I looked over to a small crowd standing to the side. They appeared to be drivers waiting for specific passengers. Holding the little signs with names. Lo and Behold there is a guy with my name on his sign.

 

Excuse me sir, I'm Mr. Tinman.

 

Oh! yes sir Mr. Tinman. Are these all your bags?

 

Yes?

 

Good I'll be right back.

 

Now I'm even more confused. Bus drivers in Spain wear some pretty fancy suits. And I know I can't be his last passenger. There are still alot of passengers in the terminal. So I stand where I am told waiting for one of the busses to pull up.

 

Waiting.

 

Waiting.

 

None of the busses are moving. Then I look to the curb and see the bus driver getting out of a big black Mercedes Sedan.

 

Mr. Tinman over here.

 

Where is the Bus?

 

Bus? I'm sorry my english isn't very good. Why would I have a bus for ONE passenger?

 

If that was poor english I souldn't have to use my well practiced "Spanish for Gringos".

 

As it turns out I was the only passenger that had booked the Hilton Diagonal Mar. So I was provided with a personal car and driver for the transfer.

 

I had selected this hotel because it is located right next to the beach. Not knowing that the tourist areas of Barcelona were not close. Once at the hotel I thought that I would be lobby sitting, waiting for check-in later that afternoon. The desk staff had a room waiting for me and took my bags straight up. I must admit I am also very "Brand Loyal" when it comes to hotels. My stay at the Barcelona Hilton and the transfers from the ship to the hotel and to the airport, were excellent.

 

I had planned to do a couple of walking tours that I found in the Barcelona City Guide from Trip Advisor. Weather halted those tours shortly after I started. So I jumped on a HO-HO bus and headed to Las Ramblas. Barcelona is a very easy city to get around in. I'd advise everyone get out and enjoy this fine city.

 

I sorry I have no pictures to share. I started out walking and didn't want to worry about my camera or I-Phone. Keeping track of my wallet was enough to worry about.

 

I flew Delta Airlines home. The Barcelona airport seemed to be very organized. The Delta airlines check-in was not. There was a line that streched around from the main desk, down the entry hall and actually blocked access to airline check-in counters in the next row. The line did move. I think it only took me an hour and a half to get checked-in. Security was easy and boarding was calm.

 

Now the vacation is over. 9 hours in economy to lament over how quickly it was over.

 

My thoughts on the NCL Experience

 

As a first time cruiser I can't compare this vacation to other cruiselines. NCL fit into my idea of cruising.

 

For my next cruise I am making many of the arraingments that I let NCL book for me, myself. When I initally booked this cruise, NCLs airfare was cheaper than any I could find at the time. Booking air further out is much more affordable. Same with hotels.

 

I will also book earlier flights into New Orleans and self transfer to the hotel and the port.

 

I would recommend taking a Trans-Atlantic cruise to everyone. Especially on the NCL Spirit. I'm glad I choose her over the Epic as my first cruise.

 

This was above and beyond the best vacation I've taken.

 

Thank you all for reading this. I hope I answered a few questions people may have.

 

Lastly I would like to thank the members of our Roll-Call. As a group your zeal and love of life attitudes made for a very enjoyable first cruise.

 

[umpy10]

An excellent review , well done. BRAVO! BRAVO!

We'll be on the Spirit next year and after seeing and reading your review , well.... I'm starting to pack now lol.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[kenrod]

Wonderful review! I thoroughly enjoyed your pictures and description. I may consider a transatlantic cruise sometime.

Thanks for sharing.

[javinn]

I can't wait for the rest....We were on that same cruise and loved every minute of it!!! This was our 3rd trip on the Spirit and we LOVE that ship and its crew. You HAD to love it.... We were in a balcony room only and just enjoyed the heck out of every moment so what possibly could be not to like about a Penthouse.... We are looking forward to the details!

[javinn]

Glad I found the beginning of your posts....LOVING them and coveting that Suite...Though our balcony room was not THAT...we did love it. Your review is wonderful and bringing back excellent memories. We LOVED every minute of that cruise and love the Spirit and its crew.