*Live blog* - Ben the Bendyman's Great GETAWAY - Maiden Voyage

[cruisinsly]

Awesome!!! Cant wait for the rest. We are thinking of going on the Getaway next year. Very excited to see your pictures. Thank you for posting.

[SliceOfLife]

Slice, here's a link to a flickr page someone posted in another thread about new menus.

I hope it works here.

 

 

I saw those in another post but they're hard to read.

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Monday, January 13, 2014

Norwegian Getaway Maiden Voyage - 1-Day Escape from Rotterdam

 

Some more pictures of Haven suites...

 

16102 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony (Category S2)

16104 Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Balcony (Category S6) that connects to 16102

16100 Haven Owner's Suite with Large Balcony (Category S3)

 

16104 Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Balcony (Category S6) that connects to 16104

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Monday, January 13, 2014

Norwegian Getaway Maiden Voyage - 1-Day Escape from Rotterdam

 

16102 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony (Category S2) that connects to 16104

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Monday, January 13, 2014

Norwegian Getaway Maiden Voyage - 1-Day Escape from Rotterdam

 

16102 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony (Category S2) that connects to 16104 (continued)

 

 

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 1 - Monday, January 13, 2014

Norwegian Getaway Maiden Voyage - 1-Day Escape from Rotterdam

 

16100 Haven Owner's Suite with Large Balcony (Category S3)

 

 

 

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 2 - Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Norwegian Getaway Maiden Voyage - 1-Day Southampton Cruise to Nowhere

 

Meeting more friendly faces aboard the Getaway...

 

Our mischievous imp always tries to make friends with security just in case he finds himself in a tight spot, so he was happy to meet

 

Ben's thrilled to see Leanora again, this time aboard the Getaway. He first met her aboard the Breakaway's maiden voyage.

 

[ben clones run off to make a new friend Erika Suarez (Executive Chef) and meet old friends Anna Maria Malata (Asst Maitre D), and Ariana Diaz (Hostess) after a fantastic dinner in Ocean Blue

 

Late that night at Guest Services, our mischievous imp is caught by Justin of Ship's Security for being up to no good. "Eeep! Me gives up! I deedeent doo eeet!

 

The next morning as Ben was waiting to disembark, he' was thrilled to run into Klaus Lugmaier, Regional Vice President, Norwegian Cruise Line, Miami

 

Coming up next...

Disembarking the Getaway and off to Paris and Dublin

 

Edited January 29, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 3 - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Departing the beautiful Norwegian Getaway; Slowly finding the way to Paris

 

Ben let his butler have an early breakfast with Yemi in O'Sheehans, then returned to his cabin to finish packing and disembarked the beautiful Getaway around 10 am. He was going to miss the ship and her crew greatly after having a fantastic time. Even though he spend a short two days aboard, he enjoyed some of the best the Getaway had to offer and got reacquainted himself with many shipboard friends. Our ever curious urchin then hitched a ride, clinging to a rolling suitcase while his servant leisurely dragged it 20 minutes walk from the cruise terminal to Southampton Central Station to catch a train into London.

 

Due to inconvenient internet blackouts aboard the ship, he still had to plan much of his journey to Paris on the fly. He was armed with Google Maps and would download directions whenever he found free wifi. This was a tremendously helpful tool that provided directions - most importantly directions by foot and public transit for this accidental tourist. What he knew was he had to get to London and then to the Eurostar train to Paris. He decided not to book one of the expensive flights and luckily so in hindsight considering the way would later be was ripped off by Aer Lingus on his Paris to Dublin flight two days later with their disgraceful baggage fees and ignorant, unhelpful, condescending airport agents. This experience greatly angered our otherwise elated explorer... Once was enough.

 

Ben snoozed every chance he could get including on the 1 1/2 hour train to London Waterloo station where he then wandered about until he finally found the entrance to "The Underground" aka "The Tube", London's metro rail service. He stared dumbfounded at the rail map's plethora of zig zagging color coded routes for several minutes until he eventually gave up. Hands up in defeat, he went to the ticketing window to ask for directions and purchase a ticket to St. Pancras Station. It was his first ride in "The Tube" and it really was quite... tube-ish.

 

Port of Southampton Cruise Terminal

 

 

Norwegian Getaway, Port of Southampton, UK

 

Walking from the terminal to Southampton Central Station

 

Arriving by train at London Waterloo Station

 

 

Edited February 3, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 3 - Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Departing the beautiful Norwegian Getaway; Slowly finding the way to Paris (continued)

 

St. Pancras Station is beautiful and Ben's typist gratefully took advantage of the free wifi to purchase his ticket and board the Eurostar, sleeping the entire 3 hour ride aboard the high speed train to Paris. He arrived in Gare du Nord (North Station) during rush hour where he negotiated the throng of daily commuters. He was thrilled when he finally found the self-service ticket kiosks and discovered the display in multiple languages and how easy it was purchase the inexpensive €1.70 "RER" regional express train ticket from Gare du Nord to his hotel near Cathédrale Notre-Dame. €1.70 will get you anywhere in Paris aboard the city metro or regional RER trains including out to Charles de Gaulles Airport. The transportation system is very affordable. Just be prepared to squish like a sardine during rush hour (seriously!) and frequently use one of the most vital and important French phrases ever (coming soon).

 

Entering "The Tube" - The Underground, London metro

 

Arriving in King's Cross St. Pancras Station via London metro

 

Arriving in Paris aboard the Eurostar, direct non-stop high speed London to Paris

 

Eurostar Terminal, Gare du Nord (North Station), Paris

 

Rush hour - Gare du Nord, Paris

 

 

Edited February 3, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 3 - Wednesday evening, January 15, 2014

Paris - Quartier Latin, Hôtel du Mont Blanc

 

After climbing out of the Paris metro at Gare (Station) Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Ben rode the short suitcase ride with his porter a few short blocks to the Hôtel du Mont Blanc. He was happy to have made it all the way to Paris speaking only a single (and most important) word of French (see below) but now his time was up. He knew from his research that he'd get a warmer reception from Parisians if he at least attempted to speak their language. So armed with some hastily practiced lessons on YouTube (and distant decades old memories of three years of torture aka French lessons in university :shivers:), he approached the reception desk with some of the most important French phases ever:

 

... Pardonnez-moi/Excusez-moi - Vital for pushing/squeezing in and out of the very crowded metro during rush hour

... Bonjour/Bonsoir - The first words you should always say to a Parisian

... S'il vous plaît - The next words you should always say to a Parisian

... Merci / Merci beaucoup- Words you should constantly say to a Parisian

 

Armed with these phrases, he found the Parisians some of the nicest folk and very undeserving of their reputation for being rude towards American tourists. The locals seemed nothing but kind to this amarillo american who at least tried to speak their language, and Ben met some of the nicest friendliest people in Paris.

 

When researching places to stay, his frugal assistant searched for an affordable single room in the heart of Paris. Ben greeted the receptionist with a "Bonsoir", managed to spell his last name in French "Beh... euh... En... deh... Eegrek.." and was quickly checked in, told he would need to leave his room key with reception whenever he stepped out, no eating in the room, and pointed to the tiny 2 human or 1 human + 1 suitcase max capacity elevator.

 

Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter), Paris

 

Hôtel du Mont Blanc

 

Budget single room

Clean and comfortable; finicky free wifi, noticeable but bearable noise from the elevator, hallway, and neighbors; threadbare wash cloth and towel included... Ben planned to spend a minimum of time in the room anyways.

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 3 - Wednesday evening, January 15, 2014

Paris - Restaurant La Grange Saint Michel, Quartier Latin

 

After his butler quickly dropping off his belongings, they wandered about the neighborhood, Le Quartier Latin (The Latin Quarter), and peeked into the myriad of bistros, traditional, and fast food restaurants popular with the area's university student population. Ben had his priorities and so diligently searched for a somewhat traditional French restaurant with most importantly free wifi so his bloggist could try to catch up som, and settled on La Grange Saint Michel. Despite the restaurant's mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, much to his satisfaction, he found the restaurant comfortable with plenty of electrical sockets for charging his tablet. He was pleased when the place did get busy at times with French patrons (cheese fondue seemed to be a favorite). There was only one waiter on this rainy weekday so he could see why some reviewers might complain about the service but Ben was in no rush. He wanted to take full advantage of the free wifi and pettable cat, and so found the wait service relaxed and pleasant.

 

Restaurant La Grange Saint Michel, Quartier Latin, Paris

 

 

Free wifi and plenty of outlets to charge electronics... So long as you pet the cat and keep him happy.

 

Shrimp mushroom salad

 

Roast duck with garlic butter potatoes and green beans. Simple but tasty and very satisfying.

 

Apple pie and ice cream, and Ben's attempt at ordering a café américain

(He only got a little bit extra water in his espresso. It was good enough that Ben's butler enjoyed it black... and he never drinks black coffee... enough to keep him up and blogging into the night).

 

Edited February 3, 2014 by kylenyc

[riddle]

Ben and Butler - you are fantastic. Love your reviews and your perspective.

 

You making it over to the Jewel soon? It is getting lonely over there - no much going on - we need Ben!

[kylenyc]

Ben and Butler - you are fantastic. Love your reviews and your perspective.

 

You making it over to the Jewel soon? It is getting lonely over there - no much going on - we need Ben!

Thanks. Heheh. Ben can't wait for the Jewel and Mardi Gras! :D

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday morning, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's free walking tour

 

The next morning, Ben met up with Sandeman's Paris Free Tour - A 2.5 hour walking tour which began a couple blocks from his hotel and Notre Dame (comfortable walking shoes required!). The tour guides work on tips and also hope to entice visitors to take one of their other modestly priced paid tours of Paris which Ben happily did later that evening. Our tour guide "Onno" gave us a very nice tour, brought us to many of the city's famous landmarks, explained the history and stories behind them, and gave us hints and tips for visiting the city.

 

Meeting the tour group at Boulevard Saint Michel on a drizzly overcast day

 

Exploring Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter)

 

The Bendy Back of Notre Dame (Cathédrale Notre-Dame)

 

Place Louis Lépine

 

River Siene - Our guide Onno and our tour group

 

River Siene.

 

Edited February 9, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday morning, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's free walking tour (continued)

 

Pont des Arts (Art Bridge) aka the Love Locks Bridge known for all the padlocks placed on the bridge by couples symbolizing love.

 

Pont des Arts (Art Bridge) aka the Love Locks Bridge

 

Musée du Louvre

 

 

Museum field trip

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday morning, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's free walking tour (continued)

 

Musée du Louvre - Ben conjures a pyramid out of the Louvre before going inside to unravel the secrets of the Da Vinci Code

 

 

 

L'Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

 

Jardin des Tuileries.

 

Jardin des Tuileries - L'Arc de Triomphe du Place Charles de Gaulle off in the distance

 

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday morning, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's free walking tour (continued)

 

Musée du Louvre - Ben conjures a pyramid out of the Louvre before going inside to unravel the secrets of the Da Vinci Code

 

Napoleon atop the Place Vendôme Column

 

 

Jardin des Tuileries.

 

La Tour Eiffel off in the distance.

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday evening, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's Montmatre District Tour(continued)

 

After the free tour, Ben spent the day taking the metro exploring the city and then over to Moulin Rouge to meet up again with Onno - This time for a 2.5 hour walking tour through the picturesque Montmatre district.

 

Walking tour meeting point at Starbucks across the street from Moulin Rouge.

 

 

La Maison Vincent Van Gogh

 

 

Walking up the hilly picturesque streets of Montmatre.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday evening, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's Montmatre District Tour (continued)

 

 

 

 

 

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart)

 

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday evening, January 16, 2014

Paris highlights - Sandeman's Montmatre District Tour (continued)

 

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart)

 

 

View of Tour Eiffel

 

Streets of Montmartre

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by kylenyc

[LrgPizza]

I love the Paris night photos. Thanks for sharing.

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday evening, January 16, 2014

Dinner in Restaurant Aux Trois Petits Cochons (Three Little Pigs)

 

Les Trois Petits Cochons

 

 

View of Tour Eiffel

 

Tried to make up for missing the Raw Bar for the third time by ordering oysters on the half shell.

 

Tiger prawns in a cream sauce

 

 

[kylenyc]

Day 4 - Thursday evening, January 16, 2014

La Creperie De Cluny

 

After a pleasant dinner in Montmartre and returning to his hotel, Ben couldn't resist popping out for late night snack. It was his last evening in Paris after all. Walking around Le Quartier Latin on another drizzly night, he dropped in on a local creperie for a beautifully crafted cappuccino and mushroom beef & cheese crepe. The tasty food and drink weren't the best part of this restaurant as he was greeted by the warm and friendly manager Mouheddine and kept amused throughout the evening by friendly waiter David. They took immediate liking to our Ben and adopted him as their very own flexible frenchman.

 

La Creperie De Cluny.

 

 

A beautiful crafted cuppaccino

 

Beef mushroom cheese crepe ... Yummy!

 

David demonstrates his spinning skills. Ben can't bear to watch "Don't drop it!" (He didn't).

 

Ben will miss Paris and his new friends David and Mouheddine.

 

Edited February 10, 2014 by kylenyc

[kylenyc]

I love the Paris night photos. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks LrgPizza! Glad you like them.

[OnTheGoMom921]

[/color]S"]Thank you!! Loving your review and photos.

 

Did you pre-purchase your Eurostar tickets? We are doing Europe this summer, and after we disembark in Barcelona will be flying to London, to stay for several days. We were thinking of taking a side trip to Paris for a day, and were told it would be smart to have the Eurostar reservation pre-paid, as the tickets sell out.