Destination Douglas

Operation “Save My Foot”

Tales of the High Seas: Voyage of the Norwegian Prima

November 10, 2022

Room service delivered a bento box for 1 with pastries and fruit salad. The pastries were a different assortment than last time. I quite liked my muffin stuffed with possibly blueberry jam. It became time to enjoy the sunshine of the morning. I made sure I covered myself in sunblock.

I grabbed a beach towel that my room attendant left for me and once I got to the promenade deck picked up two more. I noticed that everyone else was using multiple towels. Not the greatest for laundry and the environment, but at least I got one only. I did it only the one time.

Great artwork outside of the Local and Los Lobos

I scored one of my favorite hanging chairs. Clipped a towel onto the chair. I used one towel to lie on and another to prop up my head and the third to roll and cover my eyes. This was my lazy day at sea. Originally, we were planned to visit the Norwegian private island, Great Stirrup Cay. But hurricane Nicole did not make that possible. Instead, my last full day was a sea day. This trip made it very clear that you just pick a part of the world to visit because the exact itinerary is never guaranteed. I feel blessed that I got to explore the ABC islands. I relaxed and hoped being off my feet would help with my swollen feet. I had been taking ibuprofen and trying to elevate my feet as much as possible. While I was lying down, Captain Kevin Bellido made an announcement regarding the weather. He confirmed that we were anticipating a fair day for our disembarkation in Miami. This was a huge relief. A few days ago, we were speculating that we would be re-routed to another port to ensure our safety. I lost sleep because of it. But the captain was now so positive in his comments that I got to breathe a huge sigh of relief. The captain’s announcements were always brief and to the point. I appreciated them on my voyage.

Officially, door decorations are not permitted on NCL. However, that didn’t stop this guest.

After several hours lounging on my hanging chair, I thought I would grab my sunglasses from my room. Then as I was gathering my things, I spotted John from Dallas enjoying a mimosa. So I grabbed a seat at his table and we had a great conversation. We talked about weather, politics, drag queens, fitness and our regular lives. John made me realize that my water intake wasn’t what it normally is. To help my swollen feet I planned to drink litres of water. 11:30 made its appearance and I made my exit because I never like to overstay my welcome.

My room had been attended to while I was away. I put my water plan into action and went to the studio lounge to fill my water bottle with ice water. I propped my feet up with two pillows, drank a whole bunch of water, took an ibuprofen and watched “No Time To Die” on the tv. A nice, brainless James Bond romp was just what the doctor ordered. While watching the movie I received a phone call from Dee Gee. She had an issue with her daily service charges, and I did my best to help my Canadian buddy.

Dee Gee soon called back and asked if I wanted to watch the Price is Right Live! Show. They were having a 1-2 pm show. Neither of us were chosen to play, but it was great fun to watch. They were given the license for the show, and it looked just like the beloved tv show. I have memories was watching it because I was home sick from school. Once the show reached its conclusion, Dee Gee tapped me on the shoulder, and we skedaddled out of there pretty darn quick to beat the crowd out of the Prima Theater.

If I’m in the solo lounge, odds are I’m grabbing an espresso

Many of the venues were closed for lunch after 2 pm, so we went to the Local for a much-needed munch fest. The Local would not be closing. I got a plate of loaded nachos followed by fish and chips. Dessert was a hot fudge sundae. I am such a sucker for one of those. Claudine was busy packing otherwise she would have joined us.

Once lunch was over, I went into “operation save my foot”. More water, more elevation and finish the movie. I must admit I might have taken a 20-minute nap during the movie. It’s over 2 and ½ hours for the movie, so, not a complete tragedy.

The day was sadly slipping away. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner, and it was nearly 5:30 pm. I was craving pizza, so I grabbed some slices of cheese pizza at the Surfside Café at the buffet. My sweet tooth was fed at the self-serve soft ice cream machine. But profiteroles were calling my name. Can you blame a guy?

My evening entertainment was spent in the Prima Theater with Claudine. We saw a show that was an amalgamation of all of the entertainment acts aboard the ship. They are a fun crew and it was fun to see them all perform together. It was a mish mash of music and totally enjoyable.

Cruise items of the day are towel clips. A cruise ship is often quite windy, and you are going to want to keep your beach towel attached to your lounger. That’s where these clips come in handy. I got a couple from Amazon that were in the shape of Macaw Parrots. I also got a bunch from the dollar store in solid blue and white. I am so glad I did because you need more than just two clips to hold down a towel when it gets breezy.

NEXT: We love you but get the heck out of dodge!

A Day Made Special by my Facebook/Cruise Critic Crew

Tales of the High Seas: A Norwegian Prima Voyage

November 9, 2022

Breakfast up at Seaside Café first thing in the morning is perfectly divine. I started the day with a made-to-order omelet with peppers, onions, and cheese. Grabbed an eggs benedict. It was fine but could not compare or compete with the one I ordered in the main dining room earlier in the week. I swilled it all down with some cranberry juice. I noticed they had the same type of French Toast as in the Local. I had very thick cinnamon raisin French Toast and topped it off with sliced bananas and caramel sauce.

One of the most confusing things about this trip is the time zone situation. We have traveled to central, eastern and Atlantic time zones back and forth. At times, the ship time was different than port time. Get yourself a watch that is not linked to your phone. The phone may be at the incorrect time than ship time. Set your analog watch to ship time to ensure you get onboard and not end up being a pier runner.

There was a long line at the Guest Services desk. My guess is it’s about crediting port fees for Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay. I could be totally off base. I didn’t bother to ask. It was none of my business. Most days I checked my account via my television to ensure everything was correct. I found the business all around Starbucks to boggle my mind. Don’t people have them at home? Do you really need to pay for a cruise to stop at a Starbucks? Personally, for me a vacation is for new experiences. Starbucks would be fine in a pinch. But I wouldn’t be seeking it out. It seems to be a favorite spot for the crew.

I played several games of solitaire in the Observation Lounge. At one point, we either got rain or they were cleaning, and streaks of water ran down the windows. It was a nice, leisurely way to spend a morning. I had woken up early this morning with enough time to allow me to mostly pack. I was surprised at how quickly it seemed to come together. Now it is a waiting game because my body really would like to fall asleep but within the next few hours Arnold should come to service my room. Now my plan is to bide my time until noon. He should be done by then.

When I checked my account today, there was no news. No news is good news as far as I’m concerned. Rain is still scheduled for Miami.

I enjoyed my lunch at Hudson’s main dining room with some chicken noodle soup followed by Hudson’s smashburger. It reminded me of a Patty melt. This was a sirloin and brisket smashburger with cheddar cheese, carmelized onions galore, and remoulade sauce on a brioche bun.

Claudine and I earlier in the week had a discussion about the mini golf. It turns out that the interactive play portion of the game was not functioning, but you could play a regular round of mini golf with no extra charge. Once it is fully functioning it will come at an extra charge. Tee Time mini golf just didn’t have all of its bells and whistles. Claudine and I had arranged a date and had a lovely time playing the game.

At 3:30 pm, I met our Facebook/Cruise Critic group in an area of the sundeck on deck 18 that was unoccupied. I didn’t go up there often and I doubt the others had as well. It wasn’t terribly hot or windy like it was when I visited earlier in the week. For me, it was the perfect spot. We sat in a circle and conducted a gift exchange with “dirty santa/white elephant” rules. There were a little over 20 of us playing. We had a good amount of laughs. Everyone who was stolen from took it as a trooper. There were quite a number of gifts that were stolen which always made the event more fun. I was incredibly impressed with the creativity and quality of gifts that people brought to the event. I had spied a small painting on a canvas of Bonaire that I wanted. Unfortunately, someone managed to steal it out from under my grasp. One of the group was thoughtful enough to organize everyone that she could to sign a “Thank You” card for all of the hard work put in to create a special memory. I still have it! I ended up with a $20 Starbucks gift card which was perfect for someone who wants to travel light. The final party only lasted a ½ hour, maximum.

I had plans with Sara and Zenzi to try another visit to the bars. We had set the Waves pool bar as our meeting point. I had a number of yummy frozen drinks, all of which were quite strong even by my standards. Hilary kept me company as we waited for Sara and Zenzi to finish business playing bingo. In the meantime, the Mango Meltdowns and the Pina Coladas kept flowing and Hilary and I learned about each other’s lives. Soon after when the others arrived the sunset made for a beautiful sailing. The live band was excellent and made for wonderful entertainment but were loud. At this point my feet started to swell and inflame. This had been an issue the second half of this trip. We made our way to the Observation Lounge and found the most comfy seats to sit in. Brad was an instigator and got us all shots of fireball. Not just one, but multiple. Brad and I wanted to hit the Fleetwood Mac tribute band in Syd Norman’s performance venue. They recreated the Rumors album along with stories about the band mates as it relate to the creation of the songs. The band was talented and I sang backup underneath my mask. It was a small venue given how much attended. Luckily, we had found seats.

Afterwards, our little gang decided to attend the adult stand up comedy show by Alison Weber. I found her to be unfunny. She was just crude for the sake of being crude. Listen, there have been comics who are lewd but they back it up with cleverness. Brad seemed to love her. The ladies in our group left for the atrium with its live entertainment. Another issue with Alison’s set is that as a gay man I could not relate to her issues with heteronormative sex and women’s issues. All of her complaints fell on deaf ears. We could have had some issues in common, but she did not mention any of those, unfortunately.

My item of the day was my day bag. I used a Zomake bright royal blue, small, lightweight, travel hiking backpack that could fold in on itself so it was reduced to the size of a small pillow. It is made of weather resistant material. It proved invaluable for going out for the day. I recommend you pick one up. I found mine on Amazon. There are several brands out there that are similar, but I chose this one.

Once I got to my room, I filled out a room service door hanger for the next day’s breakfast.

Next: Operation “Save My Foot”

Making the Most of a Sea Day

Tales of the High Seas: Voyage aboard the Norwegian Prima

November 8, 2022

What is going on with the CruiseNext desk? They are a thirsty bunch. They have left flyers in my room on several days. They handed out a flyer to me as I was writing notes in the atrium. I have received phone messages. They arranged a talk to take place in a venue space for anyone interested in their offers. PLEASE save paper. They made announcements over the public address system. This push is so unnecessary.

I took notes in a chair just like the one pictured. This is my view one time in the atrium. Very comfy, it was.

I have been informed that Hurricane Nicole would be interrupting our visit to Great Stirrup Cay. Going into this trip I was already aware that since Great Stirrup Cay does not have a dock we only had a 50/50 chance of experiencing this port. The seas could end up being too choppy for the little tender boats that would be necessary. I had a kayak tour scheduled with Claudine that got credited back onto my account.

I had my breakfast bright and early at Hudson’s and indulged in some Belgian waffles. Absolutely delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe that tea kettle. I don’t know why but I can’t pour a cup of tea without spilling. After halfway through the waffles, I would have liked more maple syrup, but that is not the best for the body, so I refrained from asking for more.

After breakfast, I changed into my pool gear to head to deck 17. It was mostly empty on this overcast morning, and I got to enjoy the hot tub all by myself. Such a treat! I followed the rules and only stayed for fifteen minutes. I believe the rule is a health thing. Afterwards, I dried out on a deck lounger. Today is full of ocean and more…ocean and partly cloudy skies. Thankfully, the pool deck is piping music because my phone is out of commission, and I can no longer play my playlists. Currently rockin’ out to Adele as I write some notes.

Something completely slipped my mind. Sometime in those initial five sea days, I ventured over to the shop that had all of the NCL Prima merchandise. I think NCL dropped the ball. This is the first ship first of its class. The amount of merchandise was negligible. Hats? None available. Ship models? None available. Magnets? Pins? I really didn’t see much. There were only a few t-shirts, hoodies, lanyards, and that was it. There really wasn’t much of that. I think this was a big, missed opportunity on NCL’s part. However, I did find a t-shirt I liked, and I purchased that. Even though I was anticipating a sale at the end of the sailing. Which I really didn’t pick up on as the sailing went on. I wanted to be able to get my preference of shirt. Odds are my shirt might not be available come the last few days of the sailing. I like the shirt I purchased. The sleeves feature the artwork of Peeta, who designed the artwork seen primarily on the hull but all over the outer casing of the front of the ship and along the ship’s sides. At the bottom of the shirt is embroidered the words, “Norwegian Prima”. It is a simple design which fits me well. I’m happy with my purchase and it’s great to get a bit of a discount thanks to my latitude loyalty status.

As morning progressed, more and more sun emerged. A word to the gentlemen, please hike up your swim trunks. I am not interested in seeing your butt crack like you have a tool belt on. This is not an Atlantis or RSVP cruise. I do not have to compare my body to a parade of low carb Adonises. My habit of almost always taking the stairs should be helping me having three desserts at yesterday’s lunch, but somehow, I think not. Each morning I progress to an increase of push up reps and a longer plank. If you want to feel better about yourself, I highly recommend traveling with a bunch of retirees. It is exactly as how I anticipated. I think I have seen a handful of minors on this sailing. Which means they will get spoiled with attention from the staff. Trust me, they are getting fawned over. I did spy an amusing t-shirt. It read, “In my defense, I was left unsupervised”. Something else I had the opportunity to notice was someone using a lift to gain more accessibility to the pool. I thought it was super nice that he got to enjoy the benefits of pool time around 9 am. Now at 10:30 am, they were removing the apparatus. I guess he had his fill.

At this point, I have enjoyed all of the ports that this ship will encounter on this particular sailing. All of my shore excursions were done independently. I am very pleased and happy to report that I did not encounter any issues with any of my shore excursion suppliers.

For slot pull #2, we all got two turns at five pulls each. We won a big, fat goose egg. Two people tied for the highest spin, they split the side pot between them. If I came out ahead $52 over the $20 I spent, I would consider myself lucky. Thankfully, everyone from slot pull #1 had returned the money needed and we all were able to play unimpeded. In fact, a big thank you is due Mary H. G., the winner of slot pull #1 side pot. She offered to use her winnings to help out, if needed. It was not and I appreciate her generosity. The second group had an excellent time and probably would have been more boisterous if we had had a more successful run.

We experienced overnight a medical attention stop in Jamaica since the cruise ship didn’t have the facilities to treat the passenger appropriately. We were not impacted at all with our Miami arrival. My Miami arrival was my greatest concern. I had also heard how we had a fatality. Nothing negligent by the cruise line, reports seemed to indicate it was just their time.

It was a gorgeous, sun shiny day. I laid out in the sun while I could. Hurricane Nicole was ahead of us, and I was waiting to feel her wrath. I spent a big part of the day on one of those chairs that were suspended down with lots of cushions. Afterwards, I spied my buddy, John from Texas and we chatted our afternoon away.

I moved on to Indulge Food Hall for lunch. I had a Caesar spinach salad from The Garden. Using spinach leaves was a nice twist. From Seaside Rotisserie I ordered chicken legs accompanied by cucumber, tomato and mac and cheese. The tablets were all down today, so you just had to wait for a server to take your order.

Lunchtime delights from Seaside Rotisserie

At 4 pm, a band performed on the main pool deck stage. I ordered a Belvedere gimlet. It was quite tart! Maybe I should change my order? It was kind of crazy how amplified the band is on deck 17, while the sound isn’t so great on deck 18. I spied a guy up on deck 19 leaning over the edge to hear the band. I noticed my shipmate Sara busy chatting up a very attractive lifeguard. There was some big-time flirting going on at that little neck of the deck. I also noticed some Speedway action a bit above me. Now a 2^nd girl enters Sara’s conversation. Is that lifeguard ever watching the people in the pool? Zenzi, Sara and I had a conversation and we planned to meet Hilary and have another little pub crawl tomorrow. Prima has a triple deck, the first of its kind, go-kart track. I would have liked to get my picture taken during a spin. Not possible on this go around. Maybe next time.

Claudine, Dee Gee and I all met for dinner at Palomar. This is the Mediterranean, seafood focused specialty restaurant. I started with the grilled octopus. Even though it was excellent, I found the octopus at Onda to be superior. It was accompanied by fingerling potatoes, baby spinach, pickled red onion and pimenton de la vera were serviceable. My entrée Lavraki, the wild Mediterranean seabass with chickpeas and a saffron carrot puree. My dessert was a log of chocolate, a Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cake with dark chocolate sorbet with candied popcorn accents. That dessert was absolutely delicious. Claudine doesn’t care for zucchini, and it came with her dish so I ate that all up and her rice pilaf was yummy. Dee Gee enjoyed her Caesar salad, but she had to send back her steak because they did not cook it to her satisfaction.

So hungry I dived in before taking the photo

Claudine is in the back, Dee Gee is next to me, and we are having a lovely dinner at Palomar. Yay! The gang’s all here!

Tonight, I ventured out to Disco Wonderland! The Prima Theater got transformed into a nightclub. The entertainment staff were all there dancing their little hearts out. I had a fun time dancing away. We were treated to some infectious beats of the era’s biggest hits. Haze, strobes, and laser effects were used during the experience. Good fun. I retired for the night shortly before the end of the party.

On this trip, I loved my wide brimmed straw fedora hat. It was foldable so it was perfect for packing away in luggage. It gave plenty of sun coverage and quite light. I actually own two. The one I brought with me was beige. But I have another one at home that is white. It is unisex, so shop for one for yourself.

NEXT: A little bit of entertainment that I created for myself, followed by Norwegian Prima scheduled entertainment

A Deserted Island and Douglas comes to the rescue two times!

Tales of the High Seas: A Norwegian Prima voyage

November 7, 2022

Something that Norwegian Cruise Line did on this sailing was when we got back to the ship around 4:30 pm on my Curacao Day, I was a bit tired and my bladder was needing attention, so I skipped visiting a famous colorful bridge in favor of being greeted by fresh, wet towels from the NCL staff. This is something they provided at every port, and it was the type of attention to detail that I appreciated. Getting back onboard is super easy using face recognition technology. No need for your room card, passport, or anything. Just put your stuff on the conveyor belt for the screener, scan your face and you are good!

Today’s breakfast – Grab and go at Indulge Food Hall

Today was a picture-perfect day at Kralendijk, Bonaire sunny and a high of 82 degrees. I had contacted the people at Caribe Watersport and booked a water taxi ahead of time to take me from Bonaire to Klein Bonaire. Klein Bonaire is a tiny, deserted island. There are no restrooms, no hotels, no restaurants, no buildings of any sort. Deserted. There is no place to store your belongings. You plunk your bag down and pray. My water taxi had about 30 people at 10:15 am. Most of them were from my ship, but a good number of international travelers. I was one of the first off the ship, as always, and started to explore the layout of Bonaire. Eventually I waited for my time on the water taxi by sitting on a bench at the edge of the ocean and watching all of the activity of the day. It was my time to breathe and relax.

One beach, “No Man’s Beach”, meets a shallow end. Further out the shelf disappears. Most of the light-colored sea is only available for swimming at No Man’s Beach and another place on the island that has a yellow marker. The current is strong, and you can drift by the island.

There were tons of fish! Colorful blues, black and white stripes, silver darting schools all within reach. It was a real treat with hundreds of blue stripe, yellow stripe, silver and black, some big as a cat. Dummy me did not lather on enough sunblock on my body. Thank goodness I discovered mid-way through I had packed my rash guard and used that. My back got bright red even still since my back faced the sun while I snorkeled away a good portion of the day. I can not emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this small, deserted isle.

Interspersed between snorkeling there was relaxation

Having the time of my life at Klein Bonaire

At Klein Bonaire, I was concerned that snorkeling would take all my energy and focus. But by the third time I ventured out snorkeling, I had gathered enough courage to use my GoPro camera in the water to attempt to capture the aquatic critters. It turned out my worry was all for naught. Everything turned out perfectly fine. Also, my GoPro saved the day because it allowed me to take pictures since my phone was kaput.

At 11:45 am the water taxi returned to drop more folks off and pick up those wanting to return. I was out snorkeling, and I waved to the taxi crew and passengers.

Now that I’ve accumulated enough experience, I would love to do a drift snorkel. They plop you in the ocean and the ocean’s current eventually brings you to No Man’s Beach where it is safe to go ashore. It is a 45 minute experience.

The staff of Caribe Water Sports were very attentive and showed me special kindness and knew me by name once they realized I was a solo traveler.

During a small time period, I lied down on my towel with my hat covering my face. It was so incredibly relaxing. One time when I went walking away from my home base, I encountered a number of lizards who blended in with the environment. Such a treat!

Before you knew it, the water taxi arrived to whisk me away from Klein Bonaire. It does this once an hour. I spent three hours on the island, most of it snorkeling in the water. This water was calm, and I did not fight the current.

Once onboard the ship I headed straight to Indulge Food Hall. It was 1:30 pm and it closes at 2. I discovered some folx I had made friends with earlier, John and Rebecca from Dallas, TX. Rebecca had left her husband at home and brought John along for the ride. I had the chicken tikka and rice. As I was eating, a server came around and told me Indulge Food Hall along with its dessert station would be closing. I ran over and got a chocolate mousse, a white sponge cake, and a chocolate torte. I definitely went overboard because it was about to close. Rebecca’s husband works for emergency relief efforts for south Florida. She told me we were no longer in danger of sailing into a hurricane upon arriving in Miami. You can not know how much I had been stressing about that event and what a huge relief that was to hear. I was frantic with worry that they would divert us to someplace else to disembark, like NOLA, due to a hurricane. She assured me it was no longer a concern. Heaven help me. John and I continued our conversation while Rebecca went shopping in Bonaire’s capital. He was all shopped out from yesterday he told me. Once 3:30 rolled around I excused myself and I took a shower and cleaned myself up.

I made a pit stop in the solo lounge and had a nice conversation with my across the hallway neighbor. She is literally opposite my room. I like it when you get to make genuine connections with folks. By now I discovered my left foot, especially, was swelling up. I think the ship’s liberal use of salt in its food was taking its toll. I didn’t notice any use of salt, but it was my suspicion that they did so to enhance the flavors of the ingredients being used. I started to take some ibuprofen, raise my food as much as possible above my heart. Later in the week someone clued me in that I wasn’t drinking water nearly as much as I do at home. I started to really increase my water consumption.

Beverage Station at the Solo Lounge including sodas, beer, wine, juice, and water

Dinner was courtesy of a plan cooked up by Claudine and Dee Gee. As members of the Latitudes loyalty program above the platinum tier, they are awarded certificates for specialty dining. Claudine really wanted to experience Los Lobos, the Mexican dining experience, while Dee Gee did not. Dee Gee’s loss became my gain, when Claudine invited me to share her dinner. We had decided to share all that we ordered and turn it into a “family style” event. Claudine had a bottle of red wine that she brought, and we really enjoyed that throughout our dinner. The table was not large enough for all of that food. Trust me, we weren’t really pigs. We had guacamole made table side. Fresh guacamole was an absolute treat and was accompanied with chips. I recommend it. Claudine and I have a love affair going with cheese, so Queso Fundido was an absolute must. There was steak. I made sure to order a chicken enchilada with mole sauce. For dessert, we could not resist the churros with caramel sauce and the chocolate flan. I am so grateful for this dinner. What a wonderful treat!

Claudine and I had reservations at the Prima Theater to see the Elton John tribute trio for their second outing. We found them to be very entertaining and it was just good, classic songs.

Douglas to the rescue #1: An obnoxious, loud, drunk passenger was seated right next to Claudine. So bad, that Simon, the cruise director and host of the show, had to call her out and pipe her down (in an entertaining way). Should have known she would be an issue. I came to hear the trio sing, not her loud ass croaking singing voice. Since Claudine was right next to her, after two songs, I had had enough! I spied two seats for us and asked if Claudine would like to move. Claudine was ready to punch the woman. This was a solution without a visit to the brig. Once moved, we then could enjoy the show. It was very well attended. From our vantage point, we could see both the stage and most of the audience. The new seats proved to be great, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Claudine was extremely grateful for my intervention. It made a world of difference in our experience.

Following the show, we decided to have cocktails at the Belvedere bar. Shout out to bar staff, Rafael and Leonardo. Claudine was able to have her better tonic water that comes in a bottle and not out of the gun, like the other peasants. Plus, she used a tonic water with the word “monkey” for her G & T. I had a basic sweet glass of rose. Actually, I think I started with a Belvedere gimlet which was yummy.

Douglas comes to the rescue #2:

While at the Belvedere bar we ran into a couple from Louisiana who I had met earlier in the week. We had met before at one of the LGBTQIA+ meetings. They have these meet ups at the Belvedere bar daily at 8:30 pm. It is now about 10:30pm. Both are heavily intoxicated. Claudine and I attempted to entertain a conversation with them. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with two very drunk people, and you are still quite sober? Very messy. I had had enough, and I knew Claudine was not enjoying herself, so I concocted a fake story about how “her highness, would be upset with us if we didn’t meet her at Metropolitan bar”. No such person or situation but it did its job and allowed us to escape the drunk duo. In trying to extricate ourselves one of the drunk duo pawed Claudine’s long hair. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Claudine made her apologies to the bar staff, and we high tailed it to the chocolate cowboy and the Metropolitan bar.

Thankfully, Claudine picked up on what I was trying to do, and we had a relaxing evening recounting the day’s events. I had the Pineapple Surplus which uses sustainable food to base the drink around. The recipe includes: 12.5 oz / Jaja Tequila, 5 oz / Chinola Passion Fruit,10 oz Turmeric Honey Syrup, add 3 oz of batched cocktail into a shaker with ice all the way to the top, and shake and pour into a 10 oz glass. Garnish with a pineapple slice and mint. It did the trick and we talked through the late evening. Metropolitan is directly adjacent to the Humidor cigar space, which is enclosed. Thankfully, I rarely got a whiff of the smell of cigars.

It is now midnight and I made my excuses and retired back to my room. I must have slipped off to slumberland pretty quickly.

A Perfect Day in Curacao

Tales of the High Seas: Norwegian Prima

November 6, 2022

It is a beautiful, sunny monring, 26 C/80 F.

I had found my shore excursion of choice, independently. It was produced by Curacao Dreams which is owned by a lovely couple, Patrick and Sevi. Before my trip, my interaction via email had been with Sevi. I had requested the “Perfect Day Tour” with Curacao Dreams. Ordinarily they do not offer this tour in November, but after an email exchange with Sevi, we were able to come to an agreement. I had organized a 15-person outing from our Facebook/Cruise Critic group. I was the first of 20 people off the ship to meet them. I waited about 45 minutes for everyone to get off the gangway. Eventually, about eight of us walked to meet our tour guide. We got a little lost because independent tours can not come in too close to the ship. We met another tour guide who knew ours and had his phone number on his phone. He called him to get directions. Once we met Patrick, our tour guide, we still had 15 minutes to wait for everyone. We didn’t want to leave anyone behind, so I ran back to the ship. I had already emailed all participants the directions for the meeting that Curacao Dreams had given me so they could find Patrick on their own. When I returned, everyone else had arrived. Patrick, as I said, was our guide. Helping him was “sexy, Eddie”, as he was introduced. Patrick was engaging, informative, and entertaining being an ex-pat from Germany. He moved to Curacao about eight years ago. Eddie has lived in Curacao his whole life. When I met Patrick, I turned over a manilla envelope with all of our cash with tour cost and tip. Patrick is Curacao Patrick to differentiate him from Aruba Patrick.

Curacao Patrick, our guide for the Perfect Day Tour

Right where the clear section connects with the covered section is where I got stuck on the slide

The distillery where they make “Blue Curacao” out of a special orange peel was ordinarily closed on Sundays. I had already known this and made arrangements with Sevi and Patrick ahead of time to replace the distillery with a visit to a local restaurant on a cliff, “Blue View Terrace Restaurant”. But Patrick informed us that the distillery had heard that the cruise ship would be docking today. He called them to check to see if they would be open. Sure enough, they would be. We gained an additional stop on our Curacao Perfect Day. The distillery makes red, green, blue, and a clear liquor. The color is just food coloring. All the varieties taste exactly the same. The still they use was made of copper and was made from a Jewish family back home in good ol’ Philadelphia. They gave us 3 free samples” 1. Chocolate, 2. Tamarind, and I forget the third. They all were strong, especially at 10 am! The free samples were a good strategy because several people made purchases of curacao while were were there. Fellow passengers Hava, Sean, and I sat on a comfy couch chatting underneath a tree.

We were all concerned because the weather forecast predicted rain! We lucked out. It was literally a Perfect Day.

At the distillery, they make this lotion. They had a bottle of solution made from curacao. It cools off your skin. It takes a bit to start, but lasted quite a while and was quite effective.

From the distillery, we went in search of flamingos. Too bad that involves the cooperation of Mother Nature. They were a bit too far away on this day. Visible, but far. We didn’t stay for the whole 30 minutes planned. Instead, it was only about five minutes.

Next stop was the National Park, Shete Boca. The waves lacked energy as they pounded the rocks. Only on occasion did we see spray. Tributes to long, lost ones were made with stacking stones like towers. They made for an alien world landscape for a movie set. Small lizards about 3 inches long scampered about. We spotted goats climbing all around.

Fourth, was a visit that was once again, not on our planned agenda that the participants were informed about. We visited the Hato caves where the waves pounded into caverns. It was a tight squeeze and I needed to watch my head. The steps were slippery stones. We had to be careful and eight of us entered at a time.

I was grateful for the built-in bio break we took because my bladder had been calling for relief. Once we could be on the road again, the bus ran into a muddy road and was stuck. Our vehicle was going nowhere. We all got out and started to look for wood and rocks to use as leverage beneath the wheels. However, Patrick got rather impatient, got behind the wheel and extricated us out of the situation after we all vacated the vehicle. Eddie was now “Lucky, Sexy, Eddie”.

We moved onto our next stop at Playa Piskado. Patrick had rented an area/space that looked over the beach and allowed for us to gather, change, and gear up. The water was rather churned up creating murkiness because of the recent weather. Patrick was prepared with a GoPro and some chopped up fish meat to attract sea turtles. While snorkeling away I saw a few schools of fish, but no turtles. Not Patrick’s fault. He tried his best and did everything he could. But nature. Patrick, I, and a few others walked the pier jutting out to the sea to see if we could spot some sea turtles. We saw one, but it just isn’t the same as swimming with one. The water was nice and warm like a bathtub. I gave myself a break from treading water by clutching the wooden pier. The way snorkeling is marketed you would think it was super easy, but I find it to be a lot of work. Treading water is a workout if your feet don’t touch the bottom.

Some of our party visited a vendor who was selling fresh coconuts for coconut water. We told him he needed to add some rum.

We then visited Blue View Terrace Restaurant. Resting on a cliffside, you are given great views. Patrick had called ahead and reserved seats for us. There was free wi-fi. The florins exchange rate was 1.00 florin=$1.25 USD. The flies were free and plentiful. Patrick provided a rum punch with cinnamon and nutmeg. I was the very first to get served because all I ordered was a Cookies and Cream ice cream with some Bailey’s. Between the Bailey’s and Rum punch I was feeling no pain. Others had goat, stew, burgers, wraps, ribs. I had the best conversation with my fellow passengers Sue and Dick. Service was a challenge. I felt that there was a language, communication challenge with the server. Plus, our server was pretty young. Additionally, the restaurant was definitely on ISLAND TIME. Many of the group had issues with the lack of urgency. Like I mentioned earlier, my table was served first. Hava and Sean were still waiting for food after my whole table had gotten food, eaten, and paid our bill. The rest of us were all on the bus, while Hava and Sean gulped down their meal. Hardly a way to be able to enjoy your food.

Sue and Dick at Curacao; Photo courtesy of Sue and Dick

Picture Perfect Curacao; photo courtesy of Sue and Dick

Patrick gave another unexpected surprise and showed us another of the most popular beaches. We all were nice and dry at this point. We opted for moving on and taking pictures instead of having more beach time.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream with Bailey’s

We listened on our long trek back to the ship to sexy Eddie as he educated us on why we all needed to move to Curacao. Meanwhile, Patrick pointed out sights of interest.

We got back to the ship around 4:30pm. I was a bit tired, and my bladder was needing attention, so I skipped visiting a famous, colorful bridge in favor of being greeted by fresh, wet towels by the NCL staff. Nice touch NCL! Getting back onboard is super easy using face recognition technology. No need for your room card, passport, or anything. Just put your stuff on a conveyer belt for the screener to check for contraband, scan your face, and you’re good!

It truly was a Perfect Day at Curacao. Everyone seemed to enjoy their excursion despite our few hiccoughs. Patrick had gone out of his way to ensure he went above and beyond that we all had an excellent time, and I would thoroughly recommend Curacao Dreams to book your Curacao shore excursion. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and expressed their appreciation.

I re-charged myself and took a shower and changed. My dinner was at the Commodore Room shortly after at 5:30 pm. I started with the quesadilla, which was yummy, but messy with sour cream. I tried to order the New England Clam Chowder. Clam Chowder has never been an issue for me before. However, because the chef was informed about my shellfish allergy, they would not serve it to me. I understand about being concerned about liability. Instead, I opted for the best mushroom soup of my entire trip. It was outstanding! The main dining room had a feature called Build Your Own Italian Dinner. That is exactly what I did. I chose my pasta, my accompanying sauce, and any added toppings. I followed that up with rigatoni, pesto with mushrooms. It was very good, and I have had homemade pesto sauce in Monterosso al Mare in the heart of the Cinque Terre, Italy. Nothing compares to that, but this pesto came in second. I ordered a side of mac and cheese because I am a sucker for that dish. An elevated version can be transcendent. This one was very tasty. My dessert was an apple pie which I found ok accompanied by a cup of hot tea. Why I had tea in the evening is beyond me. I just didn’t think. That late at night I should have ordered decaff. But I am on vacation! My server was one of the best from a restaurant land or sea.

A binder is essential for a cruise vacation. For all of your receipts for things that you paid, it keeps things organized. You have documentation to prove that you are entitled to what you booked. As part of this binder, I include an itinerary which I post on a wall with a magnet. Be sure to pack a binder for all your receipts and paper memorabilia and strong, magnetic hooks. They can be found on Amazon and you can hang hats, excursion tickets, itineraries, the daily newsletter, anything to declutterize your home.

NEXT: Washed up on a deserted isle

A Roller Coaster Ride to Remember

Tales of the High Seas: Journey Aboard the Norwegian Prima

November 5, 2022

Have you been counting my sea days as I’ve been rolling out this story? Storm Lisa meant that I was getting five sea days in a row before seeing a port, instead of one sea day followed by a visit to Cozumel. The Captain, Kevin Bellido, and the Cruise Director Simon were very apologetic about us having so many sea days in a row. Frankly, there is so much to do on this ship, I did not find it to be a problem at all. I scheduled myself to not be bored on this solo trip.

My original plan was to book an NCL excursion and use my shore excursion credit as part of my “Free at Sea” promotion. However, whenever I looked there was nothing that really appealed to me. At times there were only four excursions available. Finally, I bit the bullet at booked AGW Tours thru Viator/Trip Advisor. It was the Natural Pool, Caves, and Baby Beach Aruba Beach Adventure. You see Aruba’s most compelling natural attractions. You go off-road. A professional driver does the driving for a 4-hour adventure. It includes swimming/snorkeling, a National Park visit, plus you get close to nature and a taste of action.

In the morning we docked in Oranjestad, Aruba only to be greeted by pouring rain. The terminal had FREE wi-fi! I checked out the terminal, did some social media posting, and then returned to the ship for breakfast at the Seaside Café. I basically hung out at the terminal during the late morning/early afternoon taking advantage of the wi-fi. I scheduled my tour for the 2 o’clock time slot. Rain comes and goes in the Caribbean. I did my fair share of praying.

Viator had us meet for our excursion outside the Diamonds International building which I could spot high up on the top pool deck of my ship, no problem. By the time 1:30 pm rolled around the skies had cleared. It was a perfect sunny day in the mid-80’s. There is a God! A variety of independent tours meet there. Eventually I was whisked off in a minivan with about 20 other people to AGW headquarters.

Once we arrived, we signed a waiver, watched a safety video, and then were split off into two groups. The other group was doing an ATV exploration. In my jeep it was just a couple from the UK, Ian and Shirley and me. Three adventurers in a jeep. Shirley was up front next to Patrick, our driver/guide. Ian and I were in the back. This was the most jostling experience I have ever had. I mean that literally. I am not exaggerating. Three adventurers in a jeep had the roller coaster ride of their life. Shirley, Ian, and I jumped into that jeep and it was the most wild ride I’ve ever ridden. Ian and I were like rag dolls in the back seat.

We found that Aruba was mostly a desert. Cacti were everywhere. All types of cacti. Shirley suffers from motion sickness, but she seemed to do ok and had no issues. I had the time of my life. Aruba Patrick gave us all tons of attention and was a thoroughly entertaining and informative guide. Arikok National Park admission was included in this trip, and we got our fill. It was a fantastic journey and I highly recommend it. The caves were going to close at 4 pm. We made sure that was our first stop. This way we arrived before they could kick us out. There were several cave destinations on this trip. Not only did we see all types of rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites but graffiti dating back centuries. Literally they would list the dates on the graffiti, so we would see the year 1635 or what have you. It was thrilling. Patrick was kind enough to offer to take pictures for each of us. I think that was the advantage of having just three of us on this tour. We got all the attention and service you could want.

Aruba Patrick (there will be another Patrick in my story) had us stop for a treat. We stopped at a creek where we dipped our feet in. There, we were treated to a fish sauna. All sorts of fish came to feed on our dead skin. The tiny fish, I really didn’t feel, but the larger fish with their big lips definitely tickled me. We were not alone. We ran into others for the fish sauna. Unbelievable! A free fish sauna in the middle of Aruba! The fish eating my skin were so ticklish, I could not stop laughing.

At Baby Beach, there was shallow water. Shirley and I tried our luck at snorkeling. I saw a few fish, and it got myself acclimated to the breathing patterns needed when you go snorkeling without worrying about treading water/swimming out in deep waters. It reminded me of my breathing patterns while working out. Shirley wanted a snorkeling buddy, and I was happy to oblige. We had great fun as we explored Aruba’s waters. The beach was lovely and I would go back again on my own for a future visit.

Aruba Patrick insisted that you haven’t been to Aruba until you visit a sight at the very northern most tip of the island. Off he whisked us to a lighthouse. We were game to seeing all that we could see, and he knew when our all-aboard time was. Aruba was a ton of cacti and desert.

After that pit stop, he went to explore more of the island and pointed out a variety of hotels and casinos where we could stay for longer visits, should we choose. We saw some incredible properties that had private access to their own beaches. The hotels that we investigated ran the gamut in amenities and prices. It was interesting to see, and our ship was not too far away.

I highly recommend AGW Tours. This was an outstanding tour and I highly recommend it. I would have been cranky, if I had to navigate the treacherous pathways of Arikok National Park, or worse – stuck. I’m glad I had an experienced jeep driver to do all of the heavy lifting. Aruba Patrick was so informative and personable he made this tour for me, incredibly special.

I didn’t have much time. I needed to change, and I had a show to get to. I opted to have dinner at Indulge Food Hall. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and the garlic naan bread. Tamara, the Indian food eatery, was the best complimentary meal on my entire trip. It was incredibly flavorful and not too spicy for my bland palate. You can not have dinner without dessert, so I enjoyed some cookies and cream ice cream from the ice cream station. One extremely memorable aspect of this dinner was how quickly I wolfed this dinner down. I wish I could have devoted more time to really appreciate it.

DISASTER in the evening. I don’t know what I did. But I definitely did something. My phone no longer responded to any commands. It was totally useless. You don’t realize how much you are dependent on a phone during a cruise vacation until you no longer have access to one. Everything involving a ship means dealing with an app. Plus, I had organized all of these group activities and we had no way to communicate with each other. The only way we could communicate was by calling each others’ staterooms. It was quite a bit of stress built into my life. The upside is I was going to be spending two days in Miami in between the two cruises. I could go to my phone store there and get a resolution. But I do NOT recommend being without a phone in the 21^st century.

Tonight, I was treated to a trio of singers who presented a tribute to the music of Elton John. The act was called, This ONE’s for you. They were the BEST entertainment aboard the ship. They were supposed to join us on the ship when we arrived in Cozumel. Logistics department pulled through and got them onto the ship just in time to do the show for this evening. I can not recommend them highly enough. I saw them in the Prima Theater at 9:30 pm. It was not hokey or corney, it was very well done. They each had wonderful voices and didn’t try to mimic Elton’s voice. It was just clear that they had a passion towards his music. Interspersed with the music were little snippets of anecdotes and you got to learn a little about the members of the group. All you saw were the three singers. I imagine they were singing along to a click track. The only thing that could have improved the show, in my opinion, would be to add a live band.

I have completely forgotten about my recommendations that make my cruise better. I guess I got caught up in my story that it slipped my mind. Today’s recommendation is Magic Candle Company Air Fresheners. They are easily packable. Think of those things that hang from your rear-view mirror of your car. Back in the day, they were in the shape of an evergreen tree frequently. They come in a variety of scents. I had one hanging in my bathroom to prevent unwanted smells. They are plenty strong, but not overpowering. I liked it so much, I brought it out to my stateroom and the smell filled the room. I even have one hanging in my bathroom here at home, as we speak. They come in different fragrances. I selected the one inspired by Disney Cruise Line for my Prima voyage and African Lodge for my MSC Seashore cruise. The African Lodge is still going strong in my bathroom today.

NEXT: An absolutely Perfect Day in Curacao

My Favorite Dining Experience and More

Tales of the High Seas: A journey aboard Norwegian Prima

November 4, 2022

I started my day with some espresso in the Studio Lounge. My room is only a few doors away, which means I get there in under a minute. While there I had a nice conversation with some other nice solo travelers. One just raved about the French Toast at the Local. I am a big French Toast fan, so that was just up my alley. Guess where I am having breakfast? It was very early in the morning. I’m guessing most people aren’t even awake at this point. Because it was so early, no one else was enjoying the Local. I had the waitstaff fawning over me. One server, especially, was very chatty. They made my breakfast. They used a thick slice of cinnamon raisin bread for their French Toast. I’m not even a big fan of raisins. The good news for me is that my slices didn’t contain very many. It was delicious in the Local. I saw a similar French toast later in the week at the Seaside Café and it just wasn’t nearly as good. It just wasn’t the same. I had my usual orange juice and hot, black, tea. Gradually as I was finishing up my breakfast, people started to enter the room. Who do you think showed up? The very woman who recommended the Local breakfast. We sat next to each other and had a good time catching up. Once breakfast was over, I went to explore around deck 8. Eventually, I found a lounger I enjoyed and spent some time relaxing with my noise canceling headphones and listened to one of my favorite playlists on Spotify.

Before you know it, it was time to meet folks at the Belvedere Bar, for what? That’s right! Pub Crawl Round 2! Even fewer showed up this time around. But we had a blast. My favorite part is that Linda O. joined our journey through the ship. She was very quiet over dinner at Cagney’s. But trust me, add some alcohol, stir, and she really opens up. I loved my time with Linda O., Duke Don, and the rest of the eight who embarked on this inebriated passage. The nice thing about such a small group is that you got to know people better. I am very much an introvert and have horrible anxiety with crowds of people I don’t know. But dealing with this crew was easy. They were all so nice and friendly. I had met Duke Don earlier in the sailing at the Belvedere Bar so knowing him and Linda already eased my anxiety tremendously. As you’ve read my pub crawl plans in a previous installment, you know that it basically takes all day.

The next event for the day was a nice dinner at Le Bistro, specialty restaurant. I had changed my outfit to something a little less casual. I needed long pants. Le Bistro has a slightly more formal dress code than the rest of the ship. Shoes and shirt with long pants are required. Le Bistro promises an upscale dining experience with crisp white linens, an intimate atmosphere and attentive service. The room had several chandeliers all the way down at eye level. It was perfection. This French centric restaurant was everything I could want it to be. I started with the escargots a la bourguignonne. Who doesn’t love snails floating in a sea of garlic and butter? This was followed by the Filet de canette roti (roasted maple leaf duck breast, glazed carrots, sweet peas, mashed potatoes, orange sauce). My dinner finished with the Poire Belle-Helene (fortified wine poached pear with spices with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce). It was the jewel in the crown of my Norwegian Prima dining experience. It was just me at the table enjoying all the wonderful food. The only thing missing was someone playing accordion near me.

I got ready for Sensoria a new party on Prima. But for some reason I didn’t partake in the fun. I did join Dee Gee at Improv at Sea for the comedy of Jay Stevens at 10 pm. He wasn’t offensive. He wasn’t hilarious either. If left to my own devices I could have skipped it. I also took this opportunity to view all the sculpture on deck 8 in the evening to see if it was a better experience at night with lights. Upshot was no improvement.

My recommendation to you is a set of noise cancelling headphones. I love my set from Soundcore. They do the trick. As someone who walks through the city regularly, not only is it great for the airplane, but it is great for my daily life. I loved listening to music while lounging on the cruise ship. It was one of the best investments that I made for this trip.

NEXT: A spectacular day followed by disaster at night

Making Norwegian regret giving me a beverage package

Tales on the High Seas: A journey aboard Norwegian Prima

November 2, 2022

I left off last installment on the evening of November 2^nd. On this night I attended Donna Summer, the musical in the Prima Theater at 8:30 pm. It starred Kimberly Locke who gained fame in 2003, from coming in third on American Idol. I was familiar with her because back then I actually watched that show. I no longer do. She was the best thing about that show. I love musical theater and attend shows in NYC on a regular basis. I would guess I’ve seen over 100 shows at this point. Kimberly’s voice was the best part of the show. The show was basically a review of Donna Summer’s life interspersed with her music. I really enjoy the music of Donna Summer. But that book of the musical was forgettable. I really don’t remember most of it weeks later. Did I enjoy myself? Yes, I did. Kimberly’s performance was good and I’m glad I got to hear her sing. But thank goodness the show was complimentary because I would not be pleased if I had paid over $100 for a ticket to that show. When all was said and done, Dee Gee and I left the show and enjoyed a few drinks at the Metropolitan Bar. I had some sort of sustainable cocktail and soon after called it a night.

November 3, 2022 – Making Norwegian regret giving me a beverage package

I wanted to test out room service and ordered a bento box breakfast for one. I filled out a door hanger the night before and someone came around and collected the order before 4 am. It was yummy, but it just didn’t fill me up. I was given assorted pastries and a little container of fruit. I added some orange juice and some tea. Since I was still hungry, I continued breakfast up on Seaside Café with a made to order omelet with ham and cheese and a banana.

But was that really enough? I think we need a second breakfast. Just ask the hobbits. I made a trek up to Seaside Café to have a made to order omelet with ham and cheese and onions. Plus, I needed to make myself feel like I am sort of healthy so I added a banana.

Since I could not do the dry slides yesterday, I did them today. The Drop is a slide that removes what you stand on out from under you and initiates your fall through the slide. Everything was going well, until I got to this clear portion that juts out away from the side of the ship. It was there that I got stuck. I had to shimmy my way through the slide and soon I continued on. I don’t know what sounds I made or what I said, but you land outside of the Local. There were a number of diners out there and they all laughed as I made my exit. The Drop is the world’s first 10 story free-fall dry slide. It was fun. The other slide was The Rush, which features dueling dry slides where guests can race each other. Me and this other passenger raced each other. I don’t know who won because it took me a bit to get out of the slide. It was meh. It didn’t go all that fast. I enjoyed myself but it really wasn’t anything to write home about. I also took this time to go exploring and got more of the butterflies in my stomach when I went out on the glass walkway out on Deck 8’s Ocean Boulevard. Only one side was open. The other was closed off because a previous sailing had caused some damage. It is a nice feature, if you can get over the ”willies”.

To the right you can see diners from the Local, to the left is the exit of The Drop

Today was going to involve a lot of drinking. I was going to put a serious s dent into that drink package of mine. I had scheduled pub crawls on two successive days from 11:30 am to 5 pm. The first pub crawl was today! I looked at a previous sailing’s daily newsletter to discover the operating hours of the bars/lounges on ship and made decisions on the itinerary based on that information. The pub crawl had rules. Rule #1: The goal is to have fun, rule #2 think of how you will feel at dinner or the next morning, rule #3 lunch can be enjoyed either at the Local or Indulge Food Hall. We can split our visit to the bar at either the Local or at Luna. We have an hour stay at this stop.

An attempt was made so participants could eat something for lunch in addition to imbibing a beverage at either the Local or at the Luna bar. Since both bars were relatively near each other we could divide our group between the two bars and hopefully get quicker service. The Penrose bar was not included since we met there for the slot pulls. The Soleil bar was not included because we had the opportunity to experience that bar at the Sailaway party.

Everyone was asked to wear headgear to make the event more fun. I got to re-sue my Halloween hat. We started at one of my favorite bars, the Belvedere bar. I enjoyed it so much because the staff at this bar was stellar.

Most stops were 40 minutes in duration, so you had time to be served and not feel rushed. Our itinerary was as follows:
Belvedere bar, Metropolitan bar, Whiskey bar, Local/Luna bar, Observation Lounge, Waves Pool Bar, Speedway bar.

Participants could come and go as they please. No one was tethered to the group. 114 people had signed up to participate. Therefore, I split everyone up into two groups. When all was said and done, I would guess 15 people showed up for pub crawl #1. Was I upset? Heck, no! Now I didn’t have to worry about folx struggling to get served. I think we all had a wonderful time exploring the ship’s watering holes. More than one person came to me to thank me for incorporating a lunch stop into the mix. I absolutely loved my time at the Whiskey bar. Who knew? The spiked whiskey was my favorite drink. It was 1792 small batch bourbon, grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, rosemary syrup and water. The Metropolitan Bar was always good for a good time, and I had been visiting Metropolitan Bar at the very end of my evenings. I was recently there after my visit to the Noise Boys and Donna Summer, the musical. They specialize in different sustainable cocktails. That is where you can find Clarence, the chocolate cowboy these days.

Surprisingly, I managed to emerge from all of these bars/lounges without feeling like a messy drunk. I pulled it all together. Thankfully, I didn’t suffer any ill effects and never had a hangover this entire trip. Part of it was that I did have water in between alcoholic beverages on occasion and I’m sure that helped. The other part is I was a bit sensible and monitored my body well because I didn’t want to ruin my vacation with alcohol poisoning. Yuck!

If you want dessert and not a cocktail, try letting the Waves pool bar use their blender to concoct a mudslide for you. Absolutely delicious.

You drizzle chocolate syrup inside of the glass and add a few ice cubes to the blender. Combine Bailey’s Irish Cream, Kahlua, vodka, milk, and ice in the blender. What does a mudslide taste like? A mudslide tastes pretty similar to a chocolate milkshake, especially if you include the optional ice cream. Some people even like to put extra cocoa powder in the milk to give it an additional chocolate kick. I don’t think they did that here.

But now I got into trouble. I used one of my specialty dining credits at Onda by Scarpetta and was seated outside on Ocean Boulevard. It was a perfect evening to enjoy my time out there. I think where I made an error was to start with the bread service. I’m a sucker for bread and since I was on vacation, I really indulged. My starter was the braised octopus accompanied by a San Remo cocktail (Bulleit bourbon, compare, carpano antiqua vermouth, elderflower liqueur, orange, lemon, and lime juices). The octopus was everything I wanted it to be. My pasta was mezzelune with ricotta, spinach, preserved truffle, butter, and sage. I would have ordered two servings if my stomach would allow me. For secondi I had the veal chop Milanese (herb bread crumbs, arugula, tomato, red onion). By this point I was getting quite full. I don’t recall ordering contorini. I think I skipped right to dessert. What a treat was my salted caramel budino with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate gelato! There is a restaurant in my hometown that makes wonderful budino so the bar was set high. Yet, this did not disappoint. What a fantastic meal! If you are on a Norwegian ship that has Onda, I encourage you to give it a go.

I had a reservation to see some stand-up comedy that evening. But since I was so stuffed from Onda, I could not join Dee Gee. I would not have enjoyed myself. I felt like I was a stuffed sausage that was squeezed with filling until it was about to burst. She later reported back that I really didn’t miss anything. She didn’t enjoy the comedian that evening.

NEXT: A roller coaster ride in a jeep in Aruba

Tropical Storm Lisa’s Wrath

November 2, 2022, An Unexpected Sea Day, Lisa’s wrath

Before the day was through the captain had made an announcement informing us that tropical storm Lisa was barreling through the sea, possibly becoming a hurricane, heading towards Honduras and Belize. Because of the storm we would not be visiting Cozumel as planned and tomorrow would be a sea day, instead. Cozumel is the 2^nd busiest port in the world. So many cruises visit there. I have been there in the past and I am sure I will be there again in the future. I really didn’t mind the additional sea day. I was just happy that the captain was taking measures to keep me and my fellow passengers safe. My room steward had also left me a message informing me of the changes brought by Tropical Storm Lisa.

I enjoyed my breakfast once again in Hudson’s, the main dining room. Fun fact: Norwegian Prima’s godmother is Katy Perry. That is her professional name. This dining room is named after her. Her real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. I indulged in a stack of buttermilk pancakes along with a fruit plate. I’m on vacation. I’m taking the steps; I’m allowed to get a bit decadent.

Today was my opportunity to enjoy the slides of the ship. I first ran into the Tidal Wave water slide. A young girl was ahead of me and told me she had just completed three successive rides on the slide. I followed her lead and continued with ride, after ride, after ride. It wasn’t too adventurous, but it did interject a bit of action into the mix. Don’t do what I did and start with the water slide. I tried to follow it up with the dry slides. But you MUST be completely dry and even after toweling myself off I was too wet to be allowed on the two dry slides. The water slide was a good, fun romp.

In order not to turn into Orca, I made a concerted effort not to use the elevators. I would take the stairs, in most cases, two at a time. I needed to work off all those calories I was consuming. But on this day, I did make an exception because I needed to go somewhere quickly and took the elevator. It is quite the far-off galaxy set up once you are inside. You can see yourself reflected in a mirror with a slew of pinpoint tiny lights.

This was a totally random sea day. I just did things that occurred to me in the moment. Like venturing over to the Seaside Café for a buffet lunch. The Seaside Café was well supplied, orderly, and laid out. There were oodles of staff available to clean up after you or help you out. The issue was the people. There was a healthy supply of passengers seeking lunch when I visited. People can annoy me. I know what I want. Why do I have to wait behind you because you can not make a decision? Do you have to stand in front of the food all day blocking me from getting my food while you try to make a decision? Couldn’t you stand back a bit as you ponder?

I needed to make a bit of a change regarding my specialty dining reservations. The ship had designated Hasuki as the place where a staff member was available to help you out. I spent all of one minute fixing that situation. I probably took more time taking pictures of the space than I did conducting business. I really enjoyed the interior design of the place. They have learned their lesson and have incorporated a number of tables, I’m going to guess around 10 with stools all around. Norwegian Cruise Line when they first rolled out the Teppanyaki dining concept, they probably had all of two tables.

Late in the afternoon, I was passing through the main pool area and snagged a lounger. Later on, I noted that the hot tub was empty. Guess who had a leisurely time with all of the jets blasting away?

Tonight, was an opportunity to dress up, if you should choose. Since this was freestyle cruising, you get to cruise however you see fit. I was surprised how nice people got dressed up on this Norwegian cruise. I was one of the few people who did not get dressed up. My motive was traveling light and if I could avoid packing a blazer and such, I was going to take it. I took the opportunity to have my dinner at the buffet which my inclination is to avoid. But since people were probably using tonight to experience a specialty dining experience, or go to one of the main dining rooms, I was pleasantly surprised by a sparsely attended Surfside Café.

NEXT: Parading around the ship with Halloween headgear and just how many bars/lounges did I visit?

Who ordered the salmon?

Tales of the High Seas: Journey on Norwegian Prima

Tuesday, November 1, 2022: Who ordered the salmon?

I am an early riser and I was up in plenty of time to arrive at Hudson’s Main Dining Restaurant as soon as it opened on deck 7 aft at 7:30 am. That dining venue is gorgeous. I absolutely loved it. Since I was there so early no one was hardly in the dining room with me. One thing happened at breakfast that would happen continuously at breakfast at Hudson’s is that I ended up spilling my hot, black, tea. Those metal tea kettles just didn’t like me. I just kept ordering food. I had a fruit plate, then I followed that up with eggs benedict which was delicious, then I ordered some biscuits and gravy. I haven’t really had that since I lived outside of Paducah Kentucky. I was sorely disappointed. Probably because people not from the south do not know what they are doing with biscuits and gravy. Which explains why I haven’t had it in forever. I had time to kill so I just wandered around and explored the ship. I love the idea of the Observation Lounge. I am so glad this ship has one. It is a lounge area that encompasses about 270 degrees around the front bow of the ship and is encased with floor to ceiling windows. I really enjoyed this space. I then went down to deck 8 and went and explored Ocean Boulevard and all of the sculptures that were on display. I think the idea of using public art is a good one. Plus, art is totally subjective. I frankly found this art pieces hit or miss but mostly miss. So sorry Norwegian. I prefer the public art aboard the new Edge class ships on Celebrity.

At 11:00 am we had a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet scheduled originally in the Commodore Room but because we had so many people asking to be included in this event Norwegian moved the gathering to the Belvedere Bar. It was an opportunity for cruisers to chit chat and get to know one another. In addition, Norwegian trotted out their top heads of departments to make an appearance. A few of them got to say a few words including Simon, the Cruise Director. Deb P. was our contact person with Norwegian and Norwegian did an excellent job organizing the event and including name tags. Deb P. tried to make the meeting engaging and made for a host who tried to make the meeting interactive. I was at a little table with Claudine and Dee Gee. A good time was had by all.

For lunch Claudine, Dee Gee and I all wanted to experience what was all the hubbub about Indulge Food Hall. Indulge is located at the aft most part of deck 8. There you will discover a variety of quick service eateries. If you sit at a seat at an eatery, you can only order from that eatery. However, there are a number of tables surrounding these eateries and additional seating outside of Indulge Food Hall on the promenade deck. At these tables are tablets. From these tablets you could order from any of the eateries and have dishes delivered to your table from wait staff. I chose a dish from Nudls which has all types of pasta dishes from around the world. I tried the tagliatelle for lunch. It was tasty. I didn’t have much more than that. What is wrong with me? I guess it is a transition going from intermittent fasting to eating like a pig. I can’t recall what Claudine and Dee Gee ordered. We all received our food from the server in a timely manner. I know what they did NOT order and that was salmon. Something was going wonky with their system and processes that day. I kid you not on at least five different occasions we had servers who attempted to plunk down a plate of salmon at our table. Yet, I do recall Dee Gee waiting for her beverage. Maybe it was a Diet Coke? Most of the time the servers didn’t even ask which of us was having the salmon, they just tried to drop it off at the table. By the third time we were finding it hysterical and were all laughing about it. No, no one at this table ordered salmon! I should have taken a plate because I actually do really like salmon. Almost everything at Indulge Food Hall is complimentary. There are only two eateries that include an upcharge and that is Coco’s the fancy schmancy ice cream, milkshake place and the Starbucks location. I could have taken the salmon and I would not have gotten a charge onto my account. I think the reason none of us took advantage was we all figured someone else had ordered that dish and were waiting for it to be delivered. By the time we saw the fifth server with a dish we did not order we just all broke down into laughter. Other than that hiccough, it was a nice lunch.

Following lunch the three of us made our way to the casino. A boatload of people had indicated that they wanted to do a slot pull. So much so I split the party into two different slot pull groups. Dee Gee, Claudine, and I went to scope for what machine to use. I had definite ideas. I was hoping to use the Wheel of Fortune machine that is on many a cruise ship. We circled all over in the smoking free section which was ¾’s of the casino. No Wheel of Fortune machine. But we found a machine that would work well and even had an arm if you wanted to take that option at your chance to spin the slot machine.

At 2:30 pm a bunch of our group gathered at the bar closest to the casino. The Penrose bar sits just outside of the casino and the atrium at deck 6 mid. There were plenty of tables and seats in which to gather. Once we discovered who all was here for this event, we made our way to the desired machine. We used a $3 max bet and each person could do $15 worth of pulls at the slot machine. $5 was put into a side pot for whoever got the biggest spin of the day. So at least one person was getting some money. Before I inserted money for us all to play, we just needed a little help from an attendant to ensure that the machine was set up correctly for how we wanted to play. Our group was quite lively and were encouraging of each other. They were a bit quiet at first but once they got into the swing of things they really started to have some fun. I had my list of the order of players and Dee Gee announced who was next and kept track of what number spin each player was on. When all was said and done, I went to the cashier and collected money from them. Once I had all the money, I divided it evenly among all of the players. Mary was the winner of the side pot since she had the highest spin of the day.

What I didn’t realize at the time was I had made a huge boo-boo. A group of players went to play roulette, I believe, and they started to have a chat. The thing is most of the players had a big goose egg as a result of slot play. They realized there is no way people could have come away with any money from the game we just played. One of these people found me on another deck and the two of us realized I had inserted ALL of the money from BOTH groups of slot pulls into the machine. No one should have received any money except for the winner of the side pot, Mary. I can only imagine the look on my face when what had happened dawned on me. I had most people’s stateroom numbers and email addresses. I went to work trying to explain what had happened and collect $10 back from each player. Everyone was very gracious about the whole thing. I am deeply indebted to them all. The second slot pull wasn’t for a whole week, so I had 7 days to recover. Over the course of time, word had spread about what had happened and I recovered the money from all of the players in time for the second group of the slot pull. PRO TIP: Only collect slot pull money moments before the players play. Do not collect any money ahead of time. Lesson learned. You do not need to teach me. Trust me that disaster was the best task master and I have learned that lesson well.

The next big event of this day was dinner. Claudine, Dee Gee and I had a reservation at Cagney’s steakhouse for our meal. I believe we all ordered the same entrée the rib-eye. Claudine and I had an agreement and we ordered a whole bunch of starters and that’s when we discovered our shared love of cheese. We had the opportunity to select our desired knife. Our server sussed us out and made our knife choices for us. My steak was cooked to perfection exactly how I like it. I know Claudine had no issue with her steak. But poor Dee Gee found that there was an issue with hers. She ate it. But she had a conversation with the staff about what her issues with her cut of meat was. She wasn’t complaining. She just was informing them so they could improve upon their processes for the future. For dessert, I had a wonderful chocolate cake.

After dinner, Dee Gee and I had reservations to see Noise Boys in the Prima Theater. Claudine must have joined us because I remember discussing my thoughts on the show with her. Prima Theater is not a big venue considering how many people are on board. The seats fill up quickly so I advise for future Prima guests to arrive quite a bit early to the show to get the seats of their choice, maybe 30 minutes ahead of the show? The Noise Boys show featured two beat boxers. They both were extremely talented and engaging. Combine that was new era tap dancing. In addition, there was a rapper who doubled as a vocalist. Put it all together and it was a lively, noise-y show. My only criticism was it could use a tad bit of editing and if they could trim the show by five minutes it would have been excellent. There was not a through story unifying the piece. I had a long day and by the end I was ready to call it a night.

NEXT: An unexpected sea day