My nieces on the cruise!

They thought touching the ceiling was cool 🙂

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 6 and 7

The last two days were “at sea” days and we enjoyed the sun, relaxed on the ship, saw a couple of shows on board and pretty much vegged for the rest of the cruise!

Chris and I spent Thursday night at the karaoke bar where they hosted Karaoke Idol. Anytime you mix singing with mojitos, I’m there! 🙂 Sue and the girls went to the main show which consisted of performances from various corners of the globe. The girls loved it.

We went to the final grand prize bingo session (and lost).

We played another round of Name That Tune and we tied for first place. 🙂

Friday we went to a Second City improv show which was fun. During the day, we did all our packing, last-minute shopping (duty free rum!), picked up the photos we wanted to purchase taken by the ship’s crew…

Thursday:

Breakfast buffet

Lunch: There was a special event called Taste of India and we went to that. It was fantastic and the staff were all from India which made it even more special. 

• Starters: Chana Masala, samosas with coriander sauce, a spicy tomato soup (can’t recall the name)
• Main: Rice, butter chicken, aloo jeera (roasted potatoes), naan bread
• Dessert: Rice pudding (awesome!)

Supper:

• Starter: Chicken satay (coconut crusted) with pineapple sauce
• Main: Atlantic cod with veggies
• Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake

Friday:

Breakfast in bed, Lunch buffet

Supper:

• Starter #1: Escargots bourguignone
• Starter #2: Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad
• Main: English cut strip loin, yorkshire pudding, potatoes, veggies
• Dessert: Lime sherbet

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 5

Today, we docked in Nassau. We were supposed to go parasailing today but we were worried that it could be cancelled like the kayak tour, so we changed our plans and decided to visit the Atlantis resort instead, which was awesome.

The resort’s theme is based on the lost city of Atlantis, with casino, beach and pools, aquarium, high-end shopping, water sports, anything you can think of and great for all ages. The architecture was fabulous and the blown glass sculptures scattered throughout the resort were amazing (see pics). We got to tour the Dig, the underground aquarium and saw some great sea life. I got to pet a starfish. 🙂

There’s a suite (nicknamed the Michael Jackson suite since he stayed there at one point) that’s situated in the span between the two main buildings (you’ll see it in the pics) which goes for $25,000 per night with a minimum 4 night stay. Holy moly.

Afterwards, we headed to the marina area and stopped at Jamba Juice for a quick lunch (Mango a-go-go smoothie…mmm).  We actually walked by where the Top Chef finale was held which was pretty cool (Seafire Restaurant). We did some shopping at the straw market (picked up 2 prints which I’ll be framing) then headed back to the ship.

Breakfast Buffet, Lunch at Jamba Juice.

Supper:

• Starter #1: Mediterranean Sampler including lamb sausage wrapped in grape leaf, red pepper, feta
• Starter #2: Fatoush salad
• Main: Grilled steak with peppercorn sauce, fries, zucchini
• Dessert: Banana cheesecake

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 4

Today we were in Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island. Our original plan was to go on our morning excursion (kayak tour), come back to the ship for lunch and head back for a day at the beach.

We had to take a tender boat to the island, and since our excursion was first thing in the morning, we were on the first tender boat. Unfortunately, once we got there, we were told our kayak tour was cancelled since the water on the back side of the island was too rough. So, we rented a clamshell (see pic below), lazed on the beach, went back to the ship for lunch, then spent the rest of the day on the beach with Sue and the girls. I wasn’t able to cross off kayaking from my Life List but it wasn’t the end of the world.

Breakfast in bed, lunch buffet.

Supper:

• Starter: Sauteed scallops
• Main: Turkey with sweet potatoes, dressing, brussel sprouts
• Wine: Benziger Merlot (we’ll be visiting this winery in the fall so thought it would be fun to try it out)
• Dessert: Mocha pot de creme

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 3

OMG It’s Harry Potter Day!!!!!

First off, I’d like to put my childlike excitement into perspective… I’ve been a HP fan for years. I’ve read all the books (more than once) and most within a day of receiving them (love special delivery mail on Saturdays). I own all the movies, have seen those more than once too. I’m a fan of the magical world and the whole concept. So, when I heard that Universal was building an entire wing of their park dedicated to Harry Potter, namely Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, well, you can be sure I started planning when we’d be paying a visit. And today was The Big Day!!!

We had breakfast in bed and got ready for our excursion, stopped for a quick lunch by the pool before heading out to our bus. Orlando is about an hour’s drive away – but we finally arrived and made a beeline to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Oh my God. The first peek we got was of Hogwarts in the distance – very cool. As we approached the HP area and walked through the entrance, we were surrounded by the snow-covered roofs in Hogsmeade. We walked by the Hogwarts Express, Zonko’s, Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks, the Owl Post Office, Ollivanders… It was unreal.

We headed straight for the ride I absolutely didn’t want to miss – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The line was about an hour, but with all the stuff they had to keep you interested along the way, the time flew. From the greenhouse (with fans and water spray to keep cool), to hallways with talking photographs, to Dumbledore’s office where we see Albus, to the Defense Against the Dark arts classroom (where we see Harry, Ron and Hermione – and it snows!), to the great hall with the candles hanging from the ceiling… It was then time for the ride and WOW – it was totally worth the wait. It was similar to the Spiderman ride (like a simulation), and we followed Harry across the grounds of Hogwarts, met a dragon, the spiders, the whomping willow, played some Quidditch, got chased by Dementors, it was awesome. 🙂

Next came a taste of Butterbeer (I liked it, Chris hated it – too sweet for him). We got some pumpkin juice too (apple-cider and pumpkin spice taste). Then came shopping. I went a little crazy…but I knew that going in. I got 2 t-shirts (Dementors and Gryffindor) as well as a cap (Quidditch / Gryffindor).

I also bought a wand! You could choose from all the main characters’ style of wand: Harry’s, Hermione’s, Ron’s, Voldemort’s, Dumbledore’s, Sirius Black’s, McGonagall’s, Ginny’s, and lots more. I, of course, picked Dumbledore’s since it was the Elder Wand (one of deathly hallows), and the most powerful wand of all. It was a no-brainer. 🙂 It was fun to see the choices other people made – there were a couple of Voldemorts, a Harry, a Hermoine, another Dumbledore… Each style was very unique – it was pretty neat.

Next: Honeydukes. Again, went a little nutso in there… I got a chocolate frog (which comes with a collectible card – I got Godric Gryffindor). I also got Peppermint Toads, Every Flavor Beans (I’ll be bringing those to the office for the treats table – to be eaten at your own risk), gummy worms and candy sticks. This store is a candy-lover’s paradise. I didn’t want to leave. 🙂 Next was Zonko’s, where they had all kinds of gag items and fun stuff like extendable ears. It was great.

Then, the Owl Post Office. I picked up 2 journals (one is for you Christina!) and a pen/quill (also for you C). Speaking of quills, anytime you had to sign the credit card receipt for your purchases, you used a feather quill. And everyone called us muggles.

We ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks. The architecture was so wonky, it was hilarious. Mismatched wooden chairs and tables… English food: Chris had the fish ‘n chips, I had Cornish pasties with salad.

I could have stayed there forever.

We decided to eat a light supper before the bus ride back to the ship and stopped at Margaritaville, where we shared the biggest plate of nachos I’ve ever seen. If anyone has been to a Margaritaville, you know it’s a party place. We had a great time – everyone was singing along, dancing, drinking margaritas…

LOVED IT – this was my favourite day!

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 2

Sunday was our first “at sea” day, on our way to Port Canaveral. The weather was cool on deck. Not bathing suit weather just yet but it got into the mid-20s by the afternoon. Luckily there’s so much to do on the ship with no chance of getting bored.

Sue and I (and the girls) went to play Name That Tune while Chris went to get his hair done at the salon ($29 to shave his head!). We didn’t do very well – it was a 70s disco theme and we only got about ten correct. They played a few bars of 20 songs and we had to guess the songs.

We checked out the shops, played some cruise bingo (we almost won a few hundred dollars), explored more of the ship, checked out each others’ rooms, did a lot of relaxing… 🙂

Breakfast: Buffet (first day at the buffet was chaotic but it settled down as the week progressed), had the usual bacon, eggs, etc.

Lunch (dining room):

• Starter: Fried calamari
• Main: Penne Bolognese (again because it was so good!)
• Dessert: …can’t remember and didn’t write it down!

Dinner:

• Starter: Market greens with pear, pecans, walnuts and goat cheese
• Main: Lobster tail, red snapper, basmati rice, asparagus
• Dessert: Apple pie with butter pecan ice cream

Again today, Maddie was asking “When are we going on the boat??” 🙂

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Norwegian Gem Cruise Day 1

Our cruise sailed out of New York. There were pros and cons to this:

Pros:

• Our flight to NY is just over an hour so travel time to get to the cruise was the shortest span of time for any previous cruise we’ve taken.
• I got to cross off a Life List item that I really hadn’t planned on.
• During the sail away party, it was pretty cool to see the NYC skyline as the backdrop.
• Zipping through NYC between the cruise terminal and the airport, our cab drove by Time Square and Central Park which was fun.
• The flight home was an hour.

Cons:

• Cruising from a cool-weather destination isn’t the greatest because you lose a day’s worth of hot weather on the way there and on the way back. I would sail from NYC again but in the summer months.
• Zipping through NYC between the cruise terminal and the airport in a cab whose driver apparently has a death wish – not ideal. It was like a car chase in the movies, screeching tires, weaving, stop and go. Or, maybe I’m just getting old. 🙂

We met up with my sister and her two daughters at the cruise terminal and boarded the ship, then set off to explore and eat lunch. Note: for those who know me, I keep a food diary of everything I eat while on vacation, cruises in particular. I didn’t take pics of each dish this time, but will include the gory details of each meal at the end of each post. 🙂

As the ship sailed away from New York, we went right by the Statue of Liberty, which was a Life List item of mine so I got to cross that item off which was completely unexpected. Awesome! With my camera’s zoom, I got some pretty good closeup pics.

One of the funniest thing was Maddie (my niece – she’s 3) took a while to understand that we were on a boat. She kept asking “When are we going to the boat?” LOL And we would all say “We’re ON the boat!” It was hilarious. Our fellow passengers thought she was pretty funny. 🙂

Lunch:

• Starter: Vegetable spring roll
• Main: Penne Bolognese (the sauce was awesome with parm shavings on top)
• Dessert: Vanilla bean panna cotta

Supper:

• Starter: Grilled pineapple
• Main: Vegetable curry
• Dessert: Bavarian cream

Most of our day was spent settling in and exploring the ship.

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Norwegian Gem Cruise – We’re Back!

I’ll be uploading pics and blog posts over the next day or so. Stay tuned!

Here’s a sneak preview to tide you over:

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Packing for Cruise / Shore Excursions

So I made my list of things to pack. 1 week.

• 2 dresses.
• 5 pairs of shoes.
• 15 tops.
• 9 bottoms.

Too much?

To be fair, the 5 pairs of shoes include 1 pair of flip flops, 1 pair of pull-on sneakers, 1 pair of flats and 2 pairs of sandals.

I’ve got beachwear and activewear and dining/evening wear. I’m not bringing formal wear. Casual all the way this time since we’re trying out the Freestyle Cruising NCL.

I still think I need to reduce things.

Stay tuned on that progress.

For my 15-year anniversary at the office, I selected a 3-piece set of luggage as my milestone gift. So that’s coming on the trip too. I think the kitchen sink will fit in the larger suitcase.

We also booked our shore excursions:

Orlando: Universal’s Islands Of Adventure

Here are the details but our main focus will be the Harry Potter park 🙂 Wingardium levioooosa!

Feel a rush of adrenaline as you experience the innovative thrills and unexpected adventures at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®. At Islands of Adventure, take a journey through five uniquely-themed islands – Seuss Landing”, The lost Continent®, Jurassic Park®, Toon Lagoon® and Marvel Super Hero Island® – where the world’s most cutting edge rides and attractions will challenge your senses. Here, timeless myths, legends, children’s stories, cartoons and comic books come to life right before your eyes. Battle villains in 3-D on the first-of-its-kind thrill ride, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®. Then defy gravity as The Incredible Hulk Coaster® takes you on a high-speed roller coaster rampage. Escape the jaws of a hungry T-Rex on the Jurassic Park River Adventure®. Or, brave white-water rapids on Popeye & Pluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges®. Take a spin through the mischievous world of The Cat in the Hat”. Take a ride on The High In The Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!” for a bird’s eye view of Dr. Seuss’s unforgettable stories. And face Dueling Dragons®, the world’s first inverted dueling roller coasters.

Great Stirrup Cay: Kayak Tour

The beautiful turquoise waters south of Great Stirrup Cay are perfect for a leisurely guided kayak tour. After a brief orientation on how to use your two-person kayak, you’ll paddle over the shallow clear waters where you’ll encounter a variety of beautiful marine life such as starfish, conch even stingrays.

Nassau: Parasailing

Join your professional Captain and crew for an exhilarating flight above the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas. You’ll get outfitted to fly the skies of Nassau. Get a bird’s eye view of Paradise Island, Atlantis Resort, Cable beach and the downtown area of Nassau from 400 feet above. Your flight will begin and end from the Parasail boat deck. Enjoy a complimentary rum or fruit punch en route to the parasailing boat. Note: Participants must be at least 6 years of age and weigh no more than 275 lbs. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a participating adult. The maximum combined weight for this tour is 450 lbs. All flights are tandem or triple (2 or 3 persons).

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Cruise Booked!

Guess who’s going on a Bahamas/Florida cruise in April. Me, me, me!

We’re booked on the Norwegian Gem. Very cool that we’re sailing out of New York – that’s just an hour and a half flight for us to get to the boat. Nice.

We’ll be going with my sister and her 2 daughters, possibly my sister-in-law and her family and whoever else wants to go! Should be fun. 🙂

We’re probably going to go to Universal (specifically the Harry Potter theme park). For Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay (cruise line’s private island), we’re looking at parasailing and kayaking.

I’ll be crossing off lots of items off my Life List with this trip.

Excited.

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