cruising in feb on Spirit

[rannoch]

Just downloaded copies of the Spirit newsletter Freestyle Daily.

 

One of the editions had a safety warning regarding naked flames in the cabins, and it stated that use of irons is strictly prohibited.

 

How to you get the creases out of clothes if irons are not allowed.

 

Regards,

 

Rannoch

[crazy4cruzin]

The method I have always used and has worked well for us is taking a clean washcloth, wetting it a bit and dabbing and going over the creasing with the wet cloth. When the garment dries there are no creases left. This also implies picking out what you will wear in advance (morning for evening wear) so it can dry thoroughly without any creases. I am never overly concerned with daywear being wrinkled, as much as I am with eveningwear. I hope this helps.

Also I have a friend who swears by a wrinkle free or wrinkly away spray (don't remember name) but apparently Walmart is one of the few places you can purchase it.

[MSUcruisers]

http://cruiseclues.info/images/NCLSpiritFreestyleDailys9Day.pdf

[Floridamom]

Just downloaded copies of the Spirit newsletter Freestyle Daily.

 

One of the editions had a safety warning regarding naked flames in the cabins, and it stated that use of irons is strictly prohibited.

 

How to you get the creases out of clothes if irons are not allowed.

 

Regards,

 

Rannoch

 

In the travel department of many stores, you can buy a hand held compact steamer. You put some water in it, plug it in and out comes steam, which will take out wrinkles. They come apart and are quite small for traveling. I think they only cost about $20.

Hope this helps.

[MSUcruisers]

In the travel department of many stores, you can buy a hand held compact steamer. You put some water in it, plug it in and out comes steam, which will take out wrinkles. They come apart and are quite small for traveling. I think they only cost about $20.

Hope this helps.

 

 

I had a steamer once which did not work very good. Anyone have recommendations on a good brand?

[MistyMue]

We took the Spirit Dec. 17 for the 9-day Southern Caribbean. We had a fantastic time. I loved the Freestyle cruising because I keep a tough schedule in my working life and I did not want much of one while on vacation.

 

We normally went down to dinner in Windows for 7pm. Several nights we did not have a wait at all. On the first formal night, we waited 15 minutes for a table for 6 and on the second formal night, the wait was 10 minutes. If you want to sit with other people, there is virtually no wait. The wait was less than the ones here in South Florida during tourist season. :) If you try to get a table for a bunch of people, say 8 or more than the wait is longer.

 

The service was at a slower pace, but to be honest I loved it. I hate getting my food thrown at me and being rushed. You have a chance to relax and visit with your tablemates, which in this world is a real treat. The dining staff were very nice and we never had a bad experience.

 

We also planned for and ate in the specialty restaurants. Maxim's and Le Bistro are by far the best and worth every penny of the surcharge. Shogun was a disappointment for dinner, but the Sushi lunches were great. Just skip it for dinner. The food is strange and not really traditional Japanese. It did not suit the tastes of anyone at our table. We also tried the Italian restaurant, which is not a surcharge, and it was pretty good. However, the menu is small. With all the rich food we were all at the point of wanting some good old comfort food like pasta.

 

Blue Lagoon has the best burger to be found, skip the ones on the lunch bar-b-que on the back deck - they are flat and so well done they are like rubber. Blue Lagoon also has wonderful stir fried asian noodles in a bowl. I had 2 of those bowls while there. Raffles is OK, but not spectacular. It's typical cafeteria food with lots of choices and a dessert bar.

 

The Galaxy Bar has the best view and the best Martini's. They have a flavored Martini special from 5 - 8 and they are $6.50 for a 10 oz Martini. The LeFrench Martini is the best! You can also get a helmut of beer from the bars. You purchase 5 beers and the 6th is free. I think it's about $15.00. The put them in a plastic football helmut and pack them with ice. Lot's of guys were running around with their beer helmuts!

 

I also loved the auto-gratuity added to the bill so I didn't have to think about it. I did leave extra for our cabin steward, who placed a cooler in our room and kept it filled with ice and water for us.

 

We had the balcony stateroom on deck 9 and slept like bricks! We did not feel much motion at all and most nights we slept with the door open.

 

The staff were all very, very nice. They keep the ship immaculate. Every day you see someone out scrubbing, vacumming, cleaning carpets, etc.

 

You can bring your own wine onboard, but will have to pay a corkage fee. Make sure the wine you bring is NOT one that they sell on their wine list. The wine list is posted on the NCL web site. They charge $10 per bottle and it's still a bargain.

 

The ports are great. We went diving in Barbados, Grenada, and St. Lucia. Our dive in Antigua was canceled. We booked our own dives and did not go through the ship. But we learned a lesson - always book with a dive operation that will pick you up and drop you off. We could not find a taxi willing to take us to the dive operation in Barbados because they wanted you to spend the day in the cab on a tour. We finally got a cab after walking around for a half hour with heavy dive gear on our backs. I did hear that many people loved shopping there and got good bargains.

 

In St. Lucia we met a nice guy who runs a tour service. He has about a 26-foot boat and he departs from the Point Seraphine dock. He helped us by making phone calls and carrying our dive gear even though we were booked on a dive boat and there was no way we would be taking his tours. His name is Anthony Paul and his email address is anthonpaul@hotmail.com. He does small groups, tailors his tours to what the people want, takes more time at the sites, and if we didn't have the dive already we would have gone with him in a heartbeat. St. Lucia is gorgeous and you won't be sorry to see it from a boat. We had the best dive there and every person we met was so very nice. The guys on the dive boat summed it up: "We love our island and we love the tourists and we love them to love our island too."

 

Grenada is suffering from the hurricane damage, but the cruise ships must support them by going there. We went diving and had a great dive with Aquanauts. The spice industry was devastated so we couldn't find spices like we wanted to.

 

Antigua is gorgeous and the people are very friendly. We shopped there because our dive was canceled due to the dive master getting sick. It was too late to book with someone else, so we shopped.

 

In Tortola there is limited time. We rented a taxi on our own since we have been there before. Since we weren't with the crowed from the boat, we went where we wanted to. Tortola is gorgeous and you won't be sorry to be up in those hills taking pictures of the islands and Drake Channel. Don't miss Cane Garden Bay and the Callwood Distillery, where you can buy rum from a family that has been making it for over 200 years.

 

Alas, I blather too much. Remember - your cruise is what you make of it. You will have a wonderful time.

[Jumbie]

Grenada is suffering from the hurricane damage, but the cruise ships must support them by going there. We went diving and had a great dive with Aquanauts. The spice industry was devastated so we couldn't find spices like we wanted to.

Thanks for your concern. You're quite correct that the ships mean a lot to us right now.

 

Sorry about your spice shopping. Too bad you weren't able to go to Dougaldston Estate.

 

Glad you enjoyed your dive here. In my time on this site, I've been trying to answer people's questions on the island, but one I can't help much with (other than to refer them to Aquanauts or Dive Grenada) is diving and dive sites. Happy to hear that you fared well.

[bugbabe]

Hi Jumbie!

 

Just wanted to follow-up on our experience in Grenada. Our trip with Aquanauts was so wonderful. Dive Grenada was also at the ship and I spoke with Phil. Wonderful people Phil and Roxanne (Aquanauts). Aquanauts boat is top notch. Phil was wonderful and he even volunteered to call Roxanne, his competition, when she was 45 minutes past what I had thought was our time. Turns out first time any ship docked at the new pier was 12/21 and the first ship was the Spirit. Phil told me his Hurricane story. Lucky man, and glad he had at least one boat left after Ivan. Had a beautiful morning wiating and saw 3 rainbows as we waited for Aquanauts.

 

Grenada is coming back, we were one of 4 ships in that day. Glad we found Aquanauts. Had the best shore shelling ever on Grenada. Good luck on rebuilding. Best wishes and hope to see your lovely island again soon.

[rannoch]

As we will have to pick up the travel documents at the pier, I sent a note to the TA asking where/how we get the travel documents.

 

The reply was "Please look for an Norwegian Cruise Line Representative and present your confirmation number, driver's license, and passport.Your name is on the manifest and you will receive your luggage tags as well as your boarding passes".

 

All I've got is the address of the pier - South America Way, Dodge Island, Downtown Miami.

 

How do I find the ship ?

 

Regards,

Rannoch

[cruisingfromMN]

As we will have to pick up the travel documents at the pier, I sent a note to the TA asking where/how we get the travel documents.

 

The reply was "Please look for an Norwegian Cruise Line Representative and present your confirmation number, driver's license, and passport.Your name is on the manifest and you will receive your luggage tags as well as your boarding passes".

 

All I've got is the address of the pier - South America Way, Dodge Island, Downtown Miami.

 

How do I find the ship ?

 

 

Regards,

Rannoch

 

You will have no problem once at the pier. There will be a ton of NCL Representatives who will direct you to check in. As far as the ship, it will be the big, white one (lol).

[Jumbie]

Thanks for the reply and well wishes bugbabe.

 

We're rebuilding slowly but surely. Things are progressing nicely, but they unfortunately will take a lot of time to get back to where they were. The fact that we're a relatively poor island without a lot of resources plays the biggest part in this. However like you said, the people are - for the most part - pretty positive.

 

I'm truly happy that you enjoyed your experience here and I hope you can return one day and see Grenada in its "proper glory".

 

All the best to you in the upcoming year.

[MistyMue]

Jumbie,

 

We had a little time to walk around before the ship left. We walked down to the area at the end of the port where there were vendors and lots of taxis. As I was walking, I was stopped by a Grenadian and he asked "are you enjoying our Island?" My husband and I replied, "yes, very much." He tapped his heart with his hand and said "that makes my heart glad." I was very moved.

 

I wish the island a speedy recovery and back to its "proper glory." I live in south Florida and rode out 2 hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, within 3 weeks of each other. While we had substantial damage in our communities, it was nothing compared to what Grenada and Grand Cayman experienced.

 

We'll be back someday.

[MistyMue]

Downy wrinkle release! My friend told me to bring it and it worked. I sprayed the item and hung it on the door to the balcony to dry. Most wrinkles were gone. Another thing I did was iron everything before I packed it and then when I got there, I hung everything up. I never missed the iron.

 

Bring extra hangers if you can - there are not enough in the closet for 2 people.

[lazygal]

Rannuch, I assume you will be taking a cab to the pier? Just tell your driver the name of the ship and he will get you there. Once over the bridge to the island, there are signs directing people to the appropriate dock or terminal number for their ship. Royal Carribean is first, followed by NCL and Carnival is last. It's very easy.

 

Your cab will drop you at curbside where a porter will take your bags. (I usually tip $5 for 3 bags) I think the norm is $1.00 per bag. Make sure you have what you will need for the day in your carry-ons plus valuables, passports, documents and medications. I also pack each bag half mine and half my husband's, just in case one gets lost. (HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM)

 

You'll want to look for the PIERSIDE PICK-UP sign. That's where your boarding passes will be. As long as you are on the manifest you will be fine. We have done this by booking last minute and again, no problems.

 

Find your cabin, head for the buffet and take a tour of the ship. It's so exciting to settle in. Here's a tip for first timers: When you head up to the sun deck and the band is playing and servers are handing you a tall cool cocktail-it's not free. As soon as it is in your hand, they will ask for your sign and sail card. Just say no thank you, unless of course you want it. Everything gets charged to your card and you get a statement on the last day.

 

I know you are going to have a wonderfull time. Oh, and I have never needed an iron. I think the balmy humid air and travel magic takes care of everything.

[zimmerjulie]

reading lazygal's good advice made me think of another few things that you might like to consider.

 

You can usually check in much earlier than the posted "embarkation time". If you don't mind the possibility of having a wait if there are delays getting the ship cleared, etc., you might find the lines a lot shorter and, also, get an extra hour our two onboard.

 

Another thing we like about NCL is that they often serve a sit-down lunch on embarkation day, which is a great way to relax, have a good meal, and kick off a great vacation.

 

Another general tip that came to mind is that you might want to bring your freestyle daily schedule to dinner, so that as you finish up your meal or between courses, etc., you can take a look at the evening's entertainment and converse about what interests you the most. We find NCL's entertainment to be enjoyable and quite worth the effort to attend.

[Jumbie]

Thank you for sharing that MistyMue.

 

Felt great to hear and I think it represents how many people here feel.

[MSUcruisers]

Another thing we like about NCL is that they often serve a sit-down lunch on embarkation day, which is a great way to relax, have a good meal, and kick off a great vacation.

 

We will be on our third NCL cruise next month. On our first two cruises, the hostess in the dining room on embarkation day suggested we may prefer the lunch buffet with its great variety of food. The first time we took her advice. The second cruise we decided to eat in the dining room for our first meal on board. Dining room food is far superior to what you get at the buffets.

[zimmerjulie]

Dining room food is far superior to what you get at the buffets

Our embarkation meal in the Aqua on the Star was SOOO nice. This was the first time I had done any differently than run to the buffet, grab some food, gulp it down, and start looking over the ship. We had an excellent lunch. The food was wonderful.

 

Also, the first day can leave a lot of your fellow passengers tired, stressed, and overly hungry after traveleng to the port on sailing day. For me, the buffets are the least relaxing place on a cruise, especially the first day, so I appreciate the opportunity for a quiet, relaxing (noncompetative;) ) meal to kick things off!!

[rannoch]

In the formal dinner nights on the Spirit what's the minimum formal dress requirement.

 

Regards,

 

Rannoch

[crazy4cruzin]

Rannoch - It is freestyle dress, even on 'optional formal night.' You could wear whatever you like (except jeans) to the dining room. My suggestion is just dress nicely as you would to go to a good restaurant, you do not need to wear a suit or tux or gown or cocktail dress, if you choose not to on formal night, it's freestyle so just do what you are comfortable with. My family and I always like to dress up a little for the formal nights even on NCL because we like to take our formal portraits at that time, it's become a tradition. I don't normally dress up much at home, so the cruises are a fun time for us to do a little dressing up, but it's nice to have the option not to if we don't want to.

[rannoch]

Thanks Crazy4cruzin,

 

We are like yourselves - don't dress up much at home apart from going out for a meal at a good restaurants.

 

I intended taking a dark gray suit, and my wife will have cocktail dresses, so your descripion ties in well with our thoughts.

 

Thanks,

 

Rannoch

[zimmerjulie]

Rannoch,

 

I am thinking of you and hoping the 2nd leg of your cruise goes so much better than the first might have been. I was cringing while reading of the "Animal House" atmosphere (due to a large UFlorida college group) that has been described by returning cruisers on the 5 night portion of your 14 night cruise.

 

Hope you are having a wonderful voyage and anniversary.

[cruisingfromMN]

Rannoch,

 

I am thinking of you and hoping the 2nd leg of your cruise goes so much better than the first might have been. I was cringing while reading of the "Animal House" atmosphere (due to a large UFlorida college group) that has been described by returning cruisers on the 5 night portion of your 14 night cruise.

 

Hope you are having a wonderful voyage and anniversary.

 

Hi Zimmerjulie, We had the opportunity to meet the Rannochs on the five day sailing. A lovely couple and I too hope that the nine day is a much better experience for them.