Live From the NCL Spirit- A "Suite" Escape to the Western Med.

[TracieABD]

Hi-

My name is Tracie-Lynn and this is my first NCL cruise!

 

Demographic Information:

We are a mother and daughter- dynamic duo! We have taken several yearly trips to different locations all over the world. As my mom's mobility issues have increased, we have found traveling is a wonderful way to cover a lot of territory with minimal impact. I am turning 51 on this cruise. I am older than my mom, who is holding at 29! ;)

 

Travel Day-

Leaving Charlotte... We did the most incredibly risky thing, one I would not recommend to anyone... We booked our flight from Charlotte, North Carolina through JFK in New York to Barcelona to arrive the first day of the cruise. And then we fretted. We paced. We wrung our hands. We stalked the Weather Channel. And we hoped... We watched a crippling storm roll through the Eastern United States, canceling thousands of flights. And we hoped... Finally, the day came to leave and the weather looked clear (well, clear is relative, as it was raining). It was even "warmish". Once we arrived at the airport, I dropped my mother and the 80,000 pounds (no, really... 80,000 pounds-- thats 40 tons for those of you who are in 3rd grade math) of luggage at the door, and I went to park in long term parking. As I parked the car, the shuttle arrived and actually waited for me! For those who utilize airport parking, you know how rare this is! Was this an omen of good things to come?

 

Check in was a breeze. Then all we had to do was wait. I am totally, militantly OCD about arriving to the airport early. This day was no exception. I continued to stalk both the Weather Channel AND the Delta Flight Info app. I know, I know. I should learn to relax, but I knew I could relax when we arrived in Barcelona! Our flight took off on time. We landed at JFK early. My mother requires assistance for mobility issues. The wheelchair was right there with the most pleasant and helpful man. We left Terminal 2 and made our way to Terminal 4. Once there, we had another 5 hour lay over, so I did what I do... I stalked the Weather Channel AND the Delta Flight Info app. Oh, and I ate a really delish hamburger from the Shake Shack! It was really, really delicious AND cheap! (By NYC standards, it was under $5.00- and did I mention delicious?)

This is my first hint- If you are a carnivore in search of a delicious and inexpensive meal-- Shake Shack-- Terminal 4-- JFK! Be there!

 

Our good fortune continued...The flight to Spain was scheduled to depart at 7:36, and I swear we were wheels-up at 7:38... On our way to Barcelona! We had upgraded to Economy Comfort, so we were granted additional legroom and more seat incline. Most of the plane was packed, but not our section. So at some point in the middle of the night, I moved over to two unbooked seats, laid down, and napped. Score! For all of an hour and 27 minutes. Which is better than I normally do.

 

This is where our fortune improves even more! Our flight landed an hour early! All those weeks, well days (I have a short attention span, what can I say?) of worrying-- for nothing. We arrived an hour early in sunny and cold Barcelona. We had another lovely experience with my mom's assist. I speak the world's worst Spanish (saying something in English with a heavy Spanish accent does not actually constitute speaking a second language--- yet, I do this. I occasionally try to throw in a few Spanish words, like I am going to fool the natives. Crazy, I know!). Our assist person did not speak much English. So, we did what we do in these situations. Spoke our own language, slowly and loudly, and waved our hands around a lot. It worked. We cleared Immigration, cleared Customs, gathered our luggage (yep, all 80,000 pounds arrived intact, give or take a few items) including my mom's personal wheelchair, and made it to the taxi stand in less than 45 minutes.

 

Our cabby also did not speak English. I told him in my really bad Spanish (which is, if you can remember from last paragraph, really English with a Spanish accent, and one of 30 Spanish words I do know...) "porto". He seemed to understand, and then rattled something off in a veritable machine gun fire of words. I put on my thinking cap, gave it a guess, and figured out he was asking "Which ship?" Now, I don't have any idea how to answer that, so I pulled out a picture of the Norwegian Spirit. He smiled, sighed, and nodded his head. Thirty-five euros later, we arrived at port.

 

More later-

Tracie-Lynn:)

[TracieABD]

Trying to get "caught up"...

 

Day One-

We arrived at port so early, there was no one there to check us in. We were directed to the lounge area, and we took a seat. If the Priority Lounge was any indication of the Norwegian as a whole, I knew everything would be ok! They had coffee, tea, lemonade, orange juice, and little finger sandwiches waiting for us. I found a cappuccino, but was too tired to eat. We did have to wait a bit until Francisco, our concierge arrived, but that was fine. At 11:00, we were escorted to the check in counter, and at 12:00, we were escorted to the ship. Our cabin was ready.

 

Our cabin... wow! We have always sailed in balconies and mini-suites and I thought that was great. I have heard others on this board say that after their first suite, they would not be able to go back to another type of room. I will go back to a balcony, but I will always dream of being in a suite. And NCL treats its suite guests wonderfully. Our cabin was 10001. There are many lovely features. The suites on the Spirit all have a different theme. Ours is the Thai Suite, and that means some of our accents have a definite Thai flare. Our cabin is one of two SE suites that does not have the 1/2 bath. So far, we are managing... ;)

 

I decided to eat my first meal at Cagney's, while my mom rested. I had the turkey burger (no bun) and a very good salad. The service and decor are lovely. As a matter of fact, I think the entire ship is lovely. We have spent considerable time wandering and looking at the art on the walls. The carpeting is amazing. It is apparent that when this ship was built, the designers spared little expense on the details. There are so many things that I liked on the ship. I really liked the size, the decor, the layout.

 

We spent much of our first day meeting people and wandering. We decided to eat our first meal in the Garden Room. This is where we hit a bit of a snag. We were brought to our table, given menus, and then we waited. And waited. And waited. We waited for a good 20-25 minutes for someone to bring us water and take our order. Once, they did, the service picked up and moved along. I ordered the gnocchi, but was given the the Moroccan rice cakes, which were very tasty, but about 20 degrees too cool. In the main dining room, the food was just not quite hot enough.

After dinner, my mom headed to to the casino and I headed to bed. At this point in the adventure, I was operating on no sleep so I promptly fell into a coma that lasted for about 9 hours. My mom did not sleep at all. Her coma was to come later...

 

Tracie-Lynn:)

[TracieABD]

Day Two

Our first Sea Day!

 

We were not the earliest risers (and usually we are). We headed down to Cagney's for breakfast. The breakfast there is a two part wonder. They have a cold/ continental buffet (with fruit, meat, cheeses, yogurt, juice, and various breads), and then there is the hot menu (with eggs, meats, pancakes, toast). We are loving the coffee in Cagney's. We are of Swedish descent, and therefore, we drink coffee like some drink water. We can even be coffee snobs at times. The coffee in Cagney's is not the powdered or syrup mess normally served. It is french-press, and it is fantastic. And after a pot of that, we are up and at'em!

 

We shopped and explored around the ship a bit. The prices in the Galleria are just about 25% greater than you would spend on land. There is a limited selection, but they did have the face scrub that I was looking for, so I was happy.

 

We also had lunch in Cagneys. I had my usual: Turkey burger- no bun. No fries. Fruit. Coffee. I am working very hard not to gain a million pounds on this trip, so I am attempting to cut back on carbs and desserts.

 

After a short nap, I walked/ jogged the Promenade Deck for just shy of 4 miles. It was pretty cold, which lends nicely to exercise weather. I really like the Promenade Deck on this ship. It is a full lap (without interruptions like stairs or walls). At the bow, the deck is fully enclosed, cutting back the wind and spray normally found on Promenade Decks. There are slight inclines and declines at the aft which also helps to break the monotony. The only thing I was not crazy about is there was a person smoking in the enclosed area of the the bow. The smoke was trapped there and it took 3 laps to fully clear out. In the ship's benefit, I did not see "no smoking" signs in that area, so I suppose it is fair game.

 

We had dinner at Shoguns. I had the lettuce wraps, a beef dish, and the banana pancake. My mom had the short ribs, the sweet and sour, and no dessert. We were actually full with the appetizers. They serve a lot of food there, and I suppose that is the justification for the up-charge fee. Overall the food was good to very good.

 

I attended the Captain's Cocktail Party. It was held in the Art Gallery. It was a lovely affair with just the right number of people (about 50). They served wine, champagne, and sparkling water. They also had light canapés. I stayed for about 30 minutes and left to meet up with friends.

 

I did go to see The Flamencos' in the Starlight Theater. They had balcony seating for us and I had an excellent view of the stage. The dancers put forth an engaging performance of different styles of flamenco dance. I enjoyed the percussive dances the best. They seemed to do this well. Most of the costumes were lovely and understated. The performance lasted just shy of an hour.

 

I headed back to the room to prepare for the next day and sleep.

 

More soon-

Tracie-Lynn:)

[TracieABD]

Day 3

Casablanca/ Marrakech, Morocco

 

 

And here is where the trouble begins...

 

We always attempt to book private tours as much as possible. This had worked to our favor in numerous occasions, especially with my mom who has moderate mobility issues.

 

Upon disembarking the Spirt, we met up with our travel companions, K and M. They graciously invited us to share their excursion that they booked with Oscar C. Oscar comes highly recommended on both Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor.

 

Once we met up with Oscar, we headed out of Casablanca toward Marrakech. We did stop at the Hussein Mosque, and it was beautiful. What I find amazing is this is a newer construction with many modern features. They did maintain the integrity of the architecture, though, and at first glance one would never know it is less than 25 years old.

 

As we proceeded toward Marrakech, we were surprised at the changing landscapes. There were farmer's fields and desert; flat planes and small mountains; green pastures and red sands. It was beautiful. When we arrived in Marrakech, we were taken to the Kasbah, then a Riyad, to lunch (which I did not love), and to a Souk. Somewhere in the middle of the our trip, we ran into a ships tour, and they informed us that we would be departing early (7 pm instead of 11 pm). This guide seemed so unsure of her information, that we were not totally convinced. I called NCL in New Jersey to verify, and they said that "all aboard" was 10:30 pm. Still, with 4 adult women, we began to get a little nervous, so we asked our guide to cut the last shopping stop and head back. Better early than late! Right????

 

On our way back to Casablanca, we stopped to ride camels. I, of course, got the ornery camel. I managed to stay on and safe. Though, after this experienve, I am newly inspired to purchase the Suzanne Sommer's Thigh-Master~ It takes some extraordinary inner thigh control to stay on one of those beasts. We completed our camel ride without accident or incident! I was super grateful that no one was spat upon by the humpy-backed beast. I planned to do camel rides in two ports, but I am good. I can check that off my bucket list and call it a day!

 

We made our way back to Casablanca only to be met with 7 pm rush hour traffic. It took us (no exaggeration) 14 cycles to clear one light. As we drew closer to the the port, the tension in the car mounted. Would the ship still be in port? Did the ship's excursion travel guide have the correct information? Did NCL in New Jersey have the correct information?

 

As we entered "Gate 1", at 7:45, we all exhaled at the sighting of the Spirit! Once our guide and driver dropped us at the stern of the ship, I began to roll my mother toward the gangway. I did notice a conspicuous lack of people on the dock, but just thought that was due to the rain.

 

As I approached the gangway, we were converged upon by many, many crew members. They literally picked my mother up, wheelchair and all, and carried her over the gangway onto the ship. I was right behind her, and what I spotted next was absolutely heart stopping. The senior crew was lined up in two rows waiting for us. Upon seeing me, the Senior Deck Officer exclaimed, "Dr. Tracie! We are so happy to see you!". Mind you, this is before they scanned my card. There were many hugs and handshakes. I was then pulled aside by security and they did what every cruiser most dreads....

:eek:

[TracieABD]

The Unthinkable...

 

...Security pulled me aside to hand me an envelope containing the contents of my safe. Cash, credit cards, passports. I was stunned. And I also knew what this meant. We almost missed the ship.

 

We learned from our Concierge, that due to severe storms and very, very high seas, that there was a short window of opportunity to get out of port in Casablanca, which meant leaving 4 hours earlier than originally scheduled. They made every attempt to contact us and others on private excursions, but if they did not leave the port by 9 pm. They would not be able to leave for at least one day.

 

In preparation, they did make arrangements with the Port Agent to help us to find our way to Madeira, but that would be two days away. I feel extremely fortunate that finding my way to Madeira by land/air is not NOT a part my story.

 

And that is when the impact settles in... We are the "Bing Bong People",

 

(What are "bing bong people, you ask???) On every cruise in port, there are always a couple of people who arrive late, causing the the crew to send out an all call that sounds like this, "Bing...Bong... Will Mr. John Doe and Mrs. Jane Doe of stateroom 1234 please contact Passenger Services immediately." I have so many items on my bucket list, but Bing Bong person was never one of them. As a matter of fact, I had just said to my husband 2 weeks prior, " I would die of embarrassment if I were ever one of the Bing Bong people". He agreed. We laughed a little. I am such a prompt person, I did not think this could happen to me. But it did. I would like to personally apologize to all of my fellow passengers for holding up the boat. I feel like I should wear a shroud of shame- so everyone will know who the Bing Bong person of Casablanca is. Thankfully, I do not have to do this.

 

This makes me think twice about private tours. I am a pretty experienced cruiser, with lots of private excursions under my belt, and this was one gamble I almost lost. Just a thought.

 

Ironically, we were not the last people to board. There was another group of 4 that they did not board. I am not sure if they made it back or not, as the ship departed at 8:55 pm, a full 2 hours and 5 minutes early. I will check around and try to let you kind readers know.

 

We ate in the suite as the ship left port and then the rolling began...

:)

[TracieABD]

Day 4- Sea Day

A little "old time rock and roll" (and not the musical kind).

 

I am pretty sure that none of you have read my "live froms" from the past, as they were either on the Princess or the Holland boards. If you have, forgive my redundancy.

 

My whole life, I have been saddled with crippling sea-sickness/ motion sickness. I have thrown up in every type of moving vehicle known to man. I do not typically take mezclizine type medications. I have always relied on copious amounts of ginger (in varying forms) and my psychologically suggestive Sea Bands. This offered me some relief, but not total abatement of the symptoms. Seriously, the sea sickness was so bad that I threw up ON A SURFBOARD! Who does that? Very crazy...

 

On one cruise, that all changed. I was on a HAL Alaska cruise that was subject to very rough waters. I committed all of the voodoo that I could to help relieve some of the symptoms, but I was still really sick. After 16 hours of not doing so well on this cruise, I fell asleep. I woke to an internal shift. Something inside my vestibular system reset and I was no longer sea sick. I thought I had found my "sea legs". This crazy theory was put to test last January around the Horn on Princess. I did not feel seasick.

 

But the real test has been on this cruise. The seas have been remarkably high. We have experienced so much movement. Drawers won't stay closed. Everything keeps sliding, and we have had two glasses that have "jumped the barrier" and shattered. I am not seasick. However, I am feeling a bit like an infant. All of the rocking is making me very sleepy. I slept for 13 hours last night and this morning. My mom is still sleeping.

 

I did make it to Cagney's for a quick lunch (the usual), and have spent the last two hours trying to catch up my blog. No run today, as they are not letting people out on the Promenade Deck. It is very hard to move around the ship. I have hit a couple of walls pretty hard. It is a good day to stay in the cabin and enjoy the suite. I am grateful for a little down-time.

 

 

More later...

Tracie-Lynn:)

[welove2cruise232]

Wow I am really enjoying your review so far! The Spirit is my absolute favorite ship!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[TracieABD]

While the ship is still very tippy, I have had a wonderful afternoon and evening. I decided to run down to the Passenger Services Desk for a couple of items. What did I hear on Deck 8 above me? Music Trivia!!! Yay! I love trivia. I don't always win, but it is so much fun to play. I have met people while playing trivia on other cruises who are still my friends today.

 

I rushed upstairs, found a couple from our CC Roll Call and asked to join them at question 6. D and R were gracious enough to invite me. Yay! Team trivia is so much more fun than solo trivia! We played through the questions, and when it came to scoring, we tied for first. The tie breaker was to sing a song. I just don't sing, no matter how hard I try, just can't do it. So, I payed a little homage to the Bloodhound Gang and rapped 8 bars from one of their little ditties! We tied and they awarded each team a bottle of Champ. Since I don't drink, I made my exit, and went to shower for dinner.

 

My mom is having an official "pajama day", so I decided to eat alone in La Trattoria. She is not a huge fan of Italian food, so I was waiting for this opportunity. I ordered carpaccio, paste e faglio (for my friends with names ending in vowels... yes, I know pronounced "fa' zhjul"). I also ordered the chicken parm and a salad. They did not feature an antipasto. Italian food is my second favorite food (next to Indian- specifically

The service was a little slow. There were five tables occupied (including mine), and it took about 20 minutes to order. No worries, as they brought bread and water very quickly. They present the bread with a variety of oils for dipping (pesto, rosemary, chili, and garlic). My favorite was the garlic-- good thing as there will be no kissing for me on this cruise, as I left my husband in Charlotte. All through dinner, the ship rocked back and forth, several times so much that there was much clattering in the open kitchen that is adjoining the restaurant.

 

The carpaccio was excellent and well balanced with the lightly-dressed, bitter dandelion salad. The portion size was perfect, compared with the appetizers in Shoguns- which were huge and filling. The salad arrive and had pears on it. I did not read the selection on the menu carefully and the salad came with sliced pears. I have a bizarre and very serious allergy to apples. Basically, the consumption of apples renders me breathless. Because of this, I refrain from eating pears, as they are in the same family. They graciously made a brand new salad for me and it was wonderful; fresh bitter greens, shaved parmesan, fresh red peppers and a lime vinaigrette. I really only like raw veggies, so it is not unusual for me to order 2 salads. Calorically speaking, the types of salads that I order are pretty low impact.

 

My next course was the paste'e faglio. Best I have ever had. The soup was presented "empty bowl" style. With the sausage, orzo, white beans, and escarole neatly presented at the bottom of the bowl. The broth was poured table side. (No small trick with this high seas). The tomato broth was both light and flavorful. I absolutely enjoyed it. So much so, I decided if my mom were to have another pajama day, I will come back to La Trattoria for my dinner.

 

I decided to try the chicken parmesan for my entree. Typically, I would not do this, as this would be too heavy, but the waiter recommended it so enthusiastically, who am I to refuse?!? The meal was delicious, though the portion size was a little overwhelming. The chicken cutlet was as large as a toddler's head served aside a small mountain of spaghetti. Both were done well, but there is just no way to eat all of that. Plus, it is my duty to report on dessert, so I took one for the team and at only 1/4 of it (though my little devil voice was saying... "Come on, Tracie, you can finish this!) Logic and goodness prevailed and I quit at a quarter portion (which was still probably a million calories!)

 

I ordered the Torta di Cioccolata for dessert with a decaf cappuccino. It was less a torte and more a pie. I am a huge fan of chocolate pie, so I dug right in. The filling consisted of two layers (thus the torte?). A dense layer that was the consistency of a ganache but a bit (for a lack of a better word) chewier, and a layer that was the consistency of a heavy mousse. The torte was accented with a vanilla cream, raspberries, and pistachio nuts-- a surprisingly apt combination. Overall, I enjoyed the dessert course very much.

 

Overall, impressions of the meal...

The chef's staff did not commit a common error in Italian food- to over-salt. Most Italian food is deliciously spiced without a need for a lot of extra sodium.

With the exception of the chicken Parma, the portions were perfectly sized and manageable.

Service was gracious and well-paced. I felt neither rushed or ignored.

Absolutely worth the extra $15.

They seated me next to a window at a table with a lovely view of both the sea and the kitchen. Believe it or not, as a solo diner, this is very rare. Typically, these tables are reserved for romantic couples.

 

After dinner, I met with friends for an hour or so and then went to the show in the Starlight Theater. The entertainment has actually been pretty good. Cheesy, at points, but overall a step up from my last couple of cruises. I ran into K and M right before the show, and chatted with them a bit about the "Bing Bong Incident of Casablanca- 2014". We laughed about it. We do have one more shore ex with them in Malaga. Fingers-crossed this one goes better!

 

Tomorrow is Madeira. We will be back to ship hours early!!!!

:)

[KbdKid]

Enjoying your review Bing Bong! Wish I was there.

[bonniboo1]

I can't wait for more. I love the Spirit and your style.

 

Bonni

[ksimpso3]

Love your review! Very funny! We were on the Spirit in Nassau, Bahamas in 2007 when a group of about 6 people came running up to the dock. We watched in amusement from our deck as they waved frantically. The ship had actually started pulling away from the pier, but pulled back in, put the ramp back out, and let them on. I would have been so embarrassed if I was them, but it gave us something to talk about ;). We took some pictures.

 

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d629b3127ccec184ec7288ef00000010O08EaMWrVq0cg9vPhw/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00009455501420070809020638113.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

 

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d629b3127ccec184d75dc84500000010O08EaMWrVq0cg9vPhw/cC/f%3D0/ls%3D00009455501420070809020639134.JPG/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D720/ry%3D480/

[IluvZ]

The Unthinkable...

 

...Security pulled me aside to hand me an envelope containing the contents of my safe. Cash, credit cards, passports. I was stunned. And I also knew what this meant. We almost missed the ship.

 

We learned from our Concierge, that due to severe storms and very, very high seas, that there was a short window of opportunity to get out of port in Casablanca, which meant leaving 4 hours earlier than originally scheduled. They made every attempt to contact us and others on private excursions, but if they did not leave the port by 9 pm. They would not be able to leave for at least one day.

 

:)

 

Wow, I have never heard this happening and we are on the same itinerary in March. Was there an announcement or sign up at the beginning of the day that you missed? Or did they just change the time during the day?

[milolii]

Hi Traci who is your butler and concierge? Enjoying your review!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Froggitt]

We decided to eat our first meal in the Garden Room. This is where we hit a bit of a snag. We were brought to our table, given menus, and then we waited. And waited. And waited. We waited for a good 20-25 minutes for someone to bring us water and take our order. Once, they did, the service picked up and moved along. I ordered the gnocchi, but was given the the Moroccan rice cakes, which were very tasty, but about 20 degrees too cool. In the main dining room, the food was just not quite hot enough.

We found exactly the same on the Spirit last month. Both MDRs the service was poor and mostly the food was barely warm.

[TracieABD]

Wow, I have never heard this happening and we are on the same itinerary in March. Was there an announcement or sign up at the beginning of the day that you missed? Or did they just change the time during the day?

 

Hi-

We were in the port of Casablanca from 8 am to 11 pm. We were off the ship at 8:30 and told to return by 10:30 pm. At noon, the captain decided to depart early due to pending weather. We were two of 10 people on various private tours. Eight of us made it back, but two did not. NCL paid for their hotel, food and flight to Madeira, as it was not really their fault.

 

We were actually in ready to board a full three hours before the posted departure.

[TracieABD]

Hi Traci who is your butler and concierge? Enjoying your review!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Our butler is Mary Jane and our concierge is Francesco.

 

They are both very, very nice.

[milolii]

Mary Jane is wonderful! Our concierge was Yahira, wonder where she went? Enjoy your cruise. I loved the turkey burger as well.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[TracieABD]

I have found free internet. All aboard time is 4:30, so I have about an hour to mess around on the internet.

 

This morning we had another little mishap. In the stormy seas, my mothers wheelchair tipped over blocking the door to the balcony. Our wonderful room steward climbed onto our balcony from our neighbors balcony (Think James Bond only not as graceful and no tux) to open our balcony door from the out side. I really feel like we are putting these poor people through the paces. And they are so stinkin' cheerful about every one our requests.

 

Wheelchair rescued, my mom and I set out on our private excursion through Madeira. We booked with Daniel Madeira Taxi Tours. We had Choel as a driver and he was great. We went up the cable car which was very peaceful and then rode down the big hill in a wicker basket! Yay! Another bucket list item. It was so fun, albeit a bit spendy. Definitely worth it!

 

We were supposed to go to the mountains, but it was rainy and foggy, while it was sunny and warm near the coast. We were able to go on the glass cliff walk. The government built this and it was free. It was also much smaller than I expected.

 

Finally, we went to Ria Brava, which is Madeira's oldest town. It was very quaint. We dropped my mom in port and I walked back into Funchal to find a coffee and some 'net. Check... Check.

 

It is a lovely day here and we are having a grand time. Feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to answer them for you!

 

Tracie-Lynn:)

[TracieABD]

Mary Jane is wonderful! Our concierge was Yahira, wonder where she went? Enjoy your cruise. I loved the turkey burger as well.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Thank you so much! I am sort of sad that I missed the turkey burger today, but my coffee/chocolate milkshake is making me pretty happy.:)

[wnycruisefam66]

Hi: Great job! I'm really enjoying your writing style I'll be on the Spirit Grand Med in June. Hope you and your mom have a wonderful trip!

[IluvZ]

Loved the description of the rescue of the wheel chair. I can image some of our stewards doing the climb. Yikes! We are also in an SE, but the end ones with the 2nd bathroom. We took both end units.

 

Guess I have a new reason to keep my phone on while off the ship, usually we don't turn the things on except to check email on WiFi. I was planning to buy world minutes this time anyway. Guess that's a good call

 

I'm really enjoying your review. Thanks for sharing.

Edited January 19, 2014 by IluvZ

[tv77]

Really enjoying your review as well! I am also allergic to apples - never ran into anyone else who was. But I can eat cooked apples (pie, tarts, etc) - just not raw apples. Too funny!

 

I had a couple of questions about Marrakech.

 

How long did it take you to get there in the morning?

 

How were the souks / medina? Interesting? Worthwhile?

 

What kind of food did you have?

 

Did anyone you bumped into who did the NCL tour comment if they were enjoying it or give any feedback?

 

Outside of the whole leaving port early nightmare, would you recommend going to Marrakech? I've read many mixed reviews. We are on the spirit next month and on the fence for that port

 

Thanks in advance, and enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[TracieABD]

After my adventure in town, which included buying a gray "replacement" sweater at H&M (Charlotte, NC, when will you ever get your H&M???). I walked and took in a few sites. Funchal is lovely. The buildings are old, yet extremely well maintained. The streets are negotiable. The people of Funchal speak English. I had a lovely two hour walk through the streets, and then headed back to the port. Just in case you are wondering...I was back an hour before All Aboard.

 

I stopped in the Blue Lagoon and had a half proscuitto and mozzarella panini, which reminded me that I left a quarter pound of proscuitto in the fridge at home. The panini had a healthy dose of fresh basil and red peppers. Whoops. I also had fries with malt vinegar. The Brits sure got that right! Fries and vinegar = yummy! The sandwich was good. The fries were better. Even though I walked about 7 miles, I figured I should go easy. I did not finish either the fries or the sammich.

 

I have also been taking the stairs exclusively. According to my super duper pedometer I am averaging over 1000 stairs a day and about 16000 steps. I have yet to hit 20K steps, but tomorrow is a sea day, and if the seas are forgiving, I may be able to spend a bit of time on the Promenade Deck. So, I am not running much on this trip. I am moving. I keep meaning to take a class in the gym, but so far this has not happened.

 

This late lunch led to an inspired nap that lasted about an hour too long. I just couldn't get it together for dinner, so I went to see the first showing of the Une vie D'Amour. As a whole, I find shipboard entertainment to be rather meh. This was wonderful. It was a dance performance that combined acrobatics, with silks, straps, and rings. The two dancers also did a lot of balance work combined with classical ballet. I enjoyed it so much, I went to tell my mom about it, so she could see the second performance.

 

I finally settled in the Windows dining room. The service boondoggle continues... I am trying not to eat my way through this cruise, so I ordered soup and a salad. Pretty basic. Right? It took an hour and 15 minutes. And the wait staff are not standing around chatting or taking smoke breaks. They running, yes, literally running back and forth to the kitchen. I am thinking this is less a wait staff issue, and maybe it is an NCL issue. I am not sure how they could improve, but this might be a little food for thought.

 

Tomorrow is Lanzarote. I will get to stand on a volcano and eat food that has been cooked in the ground. How very caveman! (no offense to cavemen. some of my best friends are cavemen...). However, I will not be making a second appearance on a camel. I think that was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Because, you know, I will get the ornery camel. I always do.

 

That is enough.

More tomorrow!

Tracie-Lynn :)

[dollydosh]

Loving your review Tracie-Lynn, Thank you so much for taking the time out to post.

We are taking my mum 82 on her first cruise for 40 years, she spent the last cruise horizontal.We will be sailing on Spirit on 1st March. As you also suffer from seasickness can you recommend a good medication? I have read on these boards about Bonine being the favourite but we are unable to buy this in the UK, do you know if it is possible to buy it onboard?

Also, there is talk the Spirit is in dry dock from 24th January for 18 days do you have any info of what they will be doing to her while she is there.

 

Hope the sea conditions improve for you and you continue having a great time.

[rocklinmom]

I am loving your review! We will be on the Spirit in June. Not your itinerary, but I appreciate all of your details about the Spirit. We will be in an SF suite, so similar to yours.