Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Sydney, NS (09/11/25)

 

 

  

My first impression of Sydney, NS is one of a bleak and dreary place as evidenced by the bridge cam picture above.  There is no way I could do this place justice today, as the drizzling rain made it impossible to explore the town and get to the nearby museums in town.  Hopefully, RQS and I will return to this place on a sunny day and have the chance to do some exploration in good weather.

The one thing of note in Sydney is the giant fiddle near the cruise port.  I joked that should resurrect Seward Johnson and commission him to erect an appropriately sized sculpture of Itzhak Perlman next to it.  But that's my strange sense of humor at work.  RQS and I went to the stores in the nearby shops and we opened up our wallets:  RQS bought 2 pairs of gloves, while I bought 2 necklaces (at CA$10 each) for when I'm in Marian mode.  We then walked over to a record store (well stocked with classic vinyl albums) and got into a chat with one of its proprietors.  He said that he was impressed with my (limited) knowledge of classic albums, and I made sure to get his card before leaving for the ship.

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Around 7 pm, we went to another specialty restaurant, the Crown Grille.  This restaurant is a wonderful steakhouse where (on other ships) I was never served a bad meal.  RQS ordered the strip steak and I ordered the lobster tail - both were yummy!  Our only complaint was that we had to wait 10 minutes or so to be seated, the food, the service and the ambience of the place.  It'll be nice to eat there again later in the cruise.

 

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #1 (09/09/25)

 

The above is a view fro our balcony this morning.  The seas have been relatively calm.  However, being near the bow of the ship, one feels the waves more than if one was near the stern of the ship.  Hopefully, we'll have smooth sailing for the rest of our cruise.

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For the most part, we relaxed today, leaving the room primarily for meals.  Having nowhere to go, and no one to see takes away many of the headaches that keep a person from truly relaxing.  Since we didn't get up early enough for a "sit down" breakfast, we went to the buffet instead.  This was a mistake.  The buffet was very crowded, and we had to share a table with another couple.  I noticed a saying from Neil Degrasse Tyson on one lady's shirt, and I opened up a chat with her.  Her friend came back, and the 4 of us were having a friendly conversation, lightly toughing on current politics.  The woman next to me was very upset at her church's pastor, as he was vehemently anti-abortion and showed the fetus at various stages of development in the womb.  This woman's job was to see that others could get the health care they needed, and understood why certain pregnancies had to be terminated, mostly for the viability of the fetus or the life of the mother.  This woman complained to her church's elders (I don't know what happened), but the pastor made another unforgiving rant the next weekend.  It's sad to see a woman's faith tested by the willful ignorance of a religious leader.

RQS and I took care of some minor errands before going back to the room to rest.  Around 6:30 pm, I got dressed, and we went to the ship's Italian specialty restaurant for dinner.  Although the food was very good, the service was slow. (I had made a joke to the lady who seated us: we have something to do tonight, so we have to be out of here by 10 pm.  She smiled, saying that was the end of her shift.)  We enjoyed our 5 course dinner, but we didn't get out until after 9 pm.

Both of knew that tomorrow would be a busy day, as we had to get up by 6, so that we could meet at 7:30 to be escorted to our tour to Lunenburg.  So, I suggested that we call it a day, and we did. 

 

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #4 (08/20/25)

  

The Pacific Ocean just after sunrise.  It's a beautiful sight, and something I'll have the chance to see one last time before reaching San Francisco.  Views like this are one of the many reasons to be sailing in a balcony cabin when taking an Alaskan cruise.

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Last night, while I was doing laundry, I met another cruiser in the laundry room.  We got to talking about current affairs, both of us being appalled by our current fascist regime's policy of hassling (or worse) anyone who doesn't look like a piece of white toast or have a white toast sounding name.  We wondered if the military would revolt (we didn't think so), and how people are acting out of fear.  I opened up about being TG, noting that I have filed for a European country's foreign birth registry.  She said that she has dual US and Mexican citizenship, and that she is trying to get Spanish citizenship, in order to be able to live in the EU if needed.

This morning, I started to think: Could I leave the US with nothing but the clothes on my back and get by?  30 years ago, I would have said YES! without a thought.  Today, I'm not certain of this, given my age. But I won't dwell on this question right now.  Instead, I'll sit and watch the ocean go by my balcony and stay relaxed until we get to San Francisco.

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The first thing we did after getting up was to go for lunch.  Yes, I pigged out with an appetizer, some soup, a burger and dessert.  And it was all yummy!  Then it was off the the atrium too see what was on sale.  As I write this, I have $322 in onboard credits - $172 nonrefundable, and $150 refundable.  Assuming that RQS burns off $75 of the nonrefundable credits in a spa session tomorrow, and that we burn off $140 at the Crab Shack pop up tomorrow, that means that I still have $113 to burn.  This means that I may buy a watch that I don't need to use up the remaining credits.  (Or, I could have Princess cur me a check for the remaining refundable credits.)  While we were still out of the room, we asked guest services about whether they have behind the scenes tours of the ship, as they do on some other ships.  All they have is a guided walk through the galley area, where one can see what goes on in the main kitchen.  Although it is something nice, it's not what I was looking for.  Yet, it paid to ask.

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Around 6 pm, we had to get ready for the last formal night of our cruise.   I forgot where I put my tie, so RQS was ready before me.  We got more photos taken, and then went to another specialty restaurant (the Crown Grill) for surf and turf.  RQS had the lobster tail, while I had the veal chop.  Yum!  As usual, we were ready to pass out after eating, so it was back to our cabin to get a start on packing, and to watch some TV before going to sleep.  (You'll never know how quickly one can fall asleep until you watch a 50 y/o episode of The Love Boat!)

 

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #1 (08/12/25)

 

Our day started late, as we were catching up on some long needed sleep.  My back was causing me grief, making it hard for me to get my back into an erect position without pain.  Luckily, a hot shower helped my muscles relax, and I was able to get showered and dressed without incident.  Once I was up and moving, I was able to take a nice picture of the fog that enveloped our ship.  At this point of our journey, having a balcony cabin doesn't mean that much.  But it will mean a lot once we get into Alaska's inside passage.

After we were dressed, we got a call from room service asking us when we would like our deluxe balcony breakfast for two.  It was a little early for us to think of it, but we said we wanted it tomorrow, as we would still be at sea, on our way to Alaska. We made it to the buffet for a late breakfast, and we both enjoyed sitting by the window and letting the waves roll by.  About 30 minutes later,  RQS went to a presentation while I went back into the cabin to edit my blogs. Around lunch time, we went back to the buffet for another bite to eat and to kill some time. 

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On select cruises, Princess  Cruises has a naturalist giving enrichment talks about places that the ship will visit on the cruise.  This is the case with its Alaska cruises, and it's something all cruise lines doing Alaska itineraries should do.  Shortly after lunch, we went to one of these presentations on Glaciers, and enjoyed the presentation. 

Returning to the room after the presentation, we spotted some pineapples on a couple of doors on the way to our cabin.  It's nice to know that there are still some people who have a certain spark of youth in them (whether or not they need a blue pill to ignite that spark.)  With that being said, this was the first time I have seen pineapples affixed to cabin doors on a Princess Cruise.  

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Around 7:00 pm, we went to Sabbatini's (an Italian specialty restaurant on the ship) for dinner.  Without specialty dinner packages, this meal would cost us each $55.  Since we paid the Princess Premier fare, we got 2 specialty meals as part of our fare. Although I knew I couldn't finish everything, I had soup, an appetizer (fried shrimp and calamari), a pasta course (spaghetti and a tasty meatball), a main course (veal osso bucco), and a dessert (zabaglione).   Yum!  At the table next to us was a nice couple from Texas with whom we started a conversation and closed down the place.  At first, we were talking of our cruise history, and then it got to more serious topics while keeping things both civil and pleasant.  We were all dancing around cultural/political identity, and made sure to talk about issues and not parties.  In the end, it was a great conversation worth staying for, even though we missed out on the evening entertainment we planned to enjoy.

Who says you can't get serious and be pleasant? 

 

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Sea Day # 3 (11/02/24)

 

It's fitting that the day started with overcast skies.  Tomorrow, we'd be heading home from the cruise terminal, and dealing with traffic issues triggered by the NYC Marathon.  To most, it's a symbol of New York supporting athletics.  To people in transit to other places, it's a pain in the *** that can't be avoided.

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The day started with us waking up early to have one last relaxed breakfast in the main dining room.  Although the quality of food was as good as usual, the service was sloppy at best.  This might have been triggered by too many people trying to eat at Taste or Savor at the same time, or it might have been caused by bad management of these dining areas.  I won't bother to take a guess about which scenario is true. 

Once done with breakfast, it was off to the photo gallery to select one photo of the two of us that we could frame in each of our apartments.  We selected a nice photo, and then went to the duty free liquor store, where I burnt off the rest of my non-refundable cruise credits (along with a few extra dollars) on a bottle of Amaretto.  And, finally, it was back to our cabin to finish packing, accommodating our late dinner at Le Bistro (a specialty restaurant).

One of the benefits I have with my Platinum loyalty status is to get luggage tags that give me a priority in leaving the ship on disembarkation day. We went to Guest Services and got bad information from one of the crew manning the area.  After a wasted trip to our cabin, we ended up going to Guest Services again and asking for our yellow luggage tags - which we got without anyone checking our status.  Now, I know what I have to do on future NCL cruises to get priority disembarkation.

Around 8 pm, we pushed our bags into the hall for delivery to the pier, and then proceeded to the ship's French restaurant for dinner. We ordered wine with our dinner, and never had to show our cruise card for it. Could the staff be using some system to remember that we had the drink package on a prior visit to the restaurant?  Or, did they stop giving a damn about checking for drink package cruisers?  Given the behavior of other bar crew personnel on this cruise for soda and alcohol orders, I'm not sure of what is going on. RQSr and I started with the Mushroom soup, and I followed that with some more Escargot.  RQS had the Dover Sole, while I had the Beef Tenderloin.  Both were yummy.  And then both of us finished with the Strawberries and Cream over Sponge Cake.  This was pleasant, but I'd rather have had a simple Napoleon to finish off the meal.

When we were done with dinner, it was back to the cabin to try and sleep, as tomorrow would be a busy day.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Port Day # 3 (10/31/24)

 

Halloween.  Our last day in port.  We decided to stay near the ship and do our exploring in the Royal Naval Dockyard area.  

The day started with us NOT meeting up with our new friend, and eating our breakfast in the main dining room.  This allowed us to enjoy our breakfast conversation and decide where we wanted to go without worrying how we might entertain someone attaching herself to us.

We left the ship after lunch, and proceeded to the Bermuda National Museum.  Most of the exhibits are in the former Commissioner's house.  The lower level of the house was dedicated to exhibits related to the defense of the island.  The main floor was dedicated to the settlement history of Bermuda, including its involvement in the slave trade.  The upper level of the building was dedicated to Bermuda's art, as well as a room dedicated to America's successful capture of a WW2 U-Boat.

By the time we finished with the museum, we were tired and ready to eat some lunch before resting.  So we trekked back to the ship and proceeded to the buffet for a late lunch.  Afterwards, we rested for a few hours before changing for dinner.  It's been a long time since I've put on a pair of stockings and tried to look my best.  But RQS said I looked good enough.  So we proceeded to the ship's French Restaurant, Le Bistro.

On the way to the restaurant, we lost track of each other.  Eventually, after playing IM Tag, we found each other and got the first set of pictures taken of us.  And then, it was time for dinner.  As expected, dinner was yummy. RQS had the Mushroom Soup, while I had the Onion Soup and Escargot for starters.  (I love French snails when properly cooked!)  For our main course, RQS had the Pork Chop, while I had the Coq au Vin. (French vittles are quite tasty when done right - and these were done right.)  We finished the bottle of wine from last night's dinner, and enjoyed food that neither of us would normally get at home.

Our next stop after dinner was to get another set of pictures taken of us.  While posing, a parade of costumed cruisers walked by, and neither of us could capture the parade with our cameras.  About the only shot I got that was worthwhile was of a person dressed in a dinosaur suit at the top of the stairs.  Afterwards, we listened to a couple of singers in the atrium area before going upstairs for the night.

On the whole, it was a nice day - especially now that we may have formal pictures of the two of us with me presenting as Marian. 

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #2 - Port Day # 2 (10/30/24)

 

This would turn out to be a nice day, in spite of our new friend accompanying us to breakfast, and then to St. George, Bermuda.  But first....

This would be my second day presenting as Marian on Bermuda.  The weather was a little windier and cooler than I originally planned for, so I knew that the dresses I wanted to wear on this trip might not cooperate with me while on the island.  Should I have brought a trouser like garment to wear on windy days?  As much as I'd have wanted one yesterday, I wouldn't need one by the end of the day - the winds died down quite a bit over the time we were there.

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Neither of us wanted to get up early.  Given that we had arranged to meet our new friend downstairs, we felt like we should keep our word and meet her.  However, this would prove to be a taxing decision, as our new friend is the type who latches onto people and expects them to do the work in a friendship.  For example, another friend of this lady said that she'd meet her at a bar near St. George.  However, she had no idea of how to get there.  Did this friend of ours do any research?  No.  It was if she expected everything to be handed to her.  Later, when we got on the ferry together, she could have asked the guides for help - but didn't.  RQS had gotten tired of this lady, and we were glad that she went out on her own after we got off the ferry.

Once on land, we saw the town crier as he announced that they would simulate the dunking of an old hag at 1:00 pm.  This sounded like too much fun to miss.  So we walked down to where the dunking was to be held, and we were not disappointed - it was fun to watch. (On the way there, we listened to a tour guide tell her group about Bermuda's connection to the American Revolution, and how it was treated before and during our war of independence - a truly friendly relationship.) But then, we wanted to get some food before going back to the ship.  So it was off to find a place where we could eat an affordable meal.

On the way back, we stumbled into a Bermuda museum dedicated mostly of Bermuda's connection to the American Civil War, and how many people in this neutral island profited off the war.  It's nice to know that this British possession had/has such a good relationship with the USA.  Although I didn't take many pictures there, it is a place well worth visiting when in St. George, Bermuda. After we found a place to eat, we went back to the ferry and took it back to our ship.  It was nice to be able to rest a bit before dinner.

 

 

 

Our next stop was the Italian restaurant onboard ship, La Cucina.  We weren't disappointed by this specialty restaurant's food.  However, we wouldn't make it a habit to eat here, as we can get good/great Italian food at many places int he NYC area. The house salad and the calamari were very good, and I couldn't finish the Osso Buco we each had as a main course.  The only disappointment, if we could have one was that we each had only one Cannoli without any espresso with Sambuca to finish off the meal properly/  Shortly after dinner, it was off to the main theater to see a show where 4 singers performed Broadway show tunes.  This was better than the usual fare on most ships, as both RQS and I were clapping by the end of the show....

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Sea Day #3 (10/03/24)

 

The day started by the two of rushing to get showered and dressed in advance of the 9:30 am cutoff time for breakfast in the main dining room. As usual, I ordered the "Express Breakfast" which consisted of eggs, sausage, bacon, and toast.  With 3 cups of coffee, that's more than enough to get me going for the day. Yet, we went back to the room to rest, as there was nothing interesting on the schedule for us to leave our cabin.  So, I found myself watching a movie on TCM, while RQS was reading a book on the cabin's balcony.

Today would be our first lunch in the MDR, and we both enjoyed a cerviche for a starter.  RQS had a Cobb Salad, while I had the Fish and Chips.  Although the Fish and Chips weren't up to the standards set by A Salt and Battery in Greenwich Village, it would be acceptable for a decent "Chippy" in the UK.  While eating, a man sitting at the next table struck up a conversation with us about cruising and asked us about our food experience with Princess.  This conversation went on for a few minutes, as we talked about our food experiences on the various cruise lines.  Before leaving for a movie, I gave him info on my cruise travel blog, so that he can read it when he gets the chance.  

After the movie, we went to a lounge for a drink, and ended up striking up a conversation with 2 young ladies regarding cruising.  This was their second cruise, and I ended up giving them information about the cruise blog as well.  It seems like being on a cruise might be the best way to drum up business for the future. 

Around 6:45, we went to the last of the specialty restaurants for this trip, Hola Tacos.  It is the least expensive of MSC's specialty restaurants, but the one I enjoy most on the ship.  After having soup, tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, it was time to compare the flan in the main dining room to the flan served in this restaurant - and the difference was like night and day.  The desserts in this restaurant, like all in the specialty restaurants, are better than those from the MDR.  We'll be sure to return here on our next MSC cruise.

Later on, we went to a comedy show in the main theater starring Ken Boyd, and enjoyed the show.  We'll be sure to see him tomorrow night for his adults only show.  But the point of note here was that we stumbled into a Trump supporter when I mentioned to RQS that a celebrity was advocating for the release of the Menendez brothers - possible victims of sexual abuse by their father.  Although the DA hasn't taken a position on the case, he is looking into whether the brothers should remain incarcerated, given what we now know about being a victim of sexual abuse. RQS couldn't deal with this person, but I was able to engage her without incident.  Yet, there is a part of me that gets very frustrated by people who get their news only from very biased sources and do not see the bias.  

Tomorrow is another sea day, and it would have been the last day we would have spent in Bermuda.  I feel lucky that we will be going back there soon, especially being able to present as Marian on this trip....

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Port Day (10/02/24)

 

The day opened with us rushing out to breakfast, so that we could make a 10:15 am bus to the Crystal Caves.  This time, we made it to the MDR, and enjoyed a leisurely meal before going outside to meet the bus that would take us to the caves.

Riding any bus in Bermuda is a trip.  No, I don't mean that the ride would be uncomfortable, or strange things would happen on the ride.  Instead, one will see beautiful vistas on the way to almost any destination, as the main roads often have picturesque ocean views worth capturing on one's camera.  However, it will take at least an hour to get from the Royal Naval Dockyard area to reach St. George or the Crystal Caves.  So make sure one doesn't need to use the rest room until one reaches the destination, as the twists and turns will aggravate one's bladder....

 

When we arrived at the Caves, we didn't know what to expect, save that we'd be underground and that we'd be seeing limestone formations.  We weren't disappointed.  One enters the cave from a point  which is over 125 feet above sea level, and takes a set of staircases to reach sea level.  This is where the tour begins.  After being told the history of the caves, one walks across a pontoon bridge to the far end of the cave, all while being amazed by the rock formations.  At the end of the cave, the tour guide talks a little more, then turns out the lights to give people an idea of what the cave looked like to its first explorers.  And then, it was back out the way we came, getting clammy climbing a staircase with a temperature of 80°f in 95% humidity.  Once outside, the first thing I did was buy a much needed bottle of ice cold water for the two of us.

Next, it was off to see a lighthouse, and then back to the ship.  Although we were back before 2:30 pm, we didn't want to do any more exploring before the ship left port at 4:45 pm. While at the pier, I asked the security guard if I (presenting as Marian) would have trouble with security at the pier if I came with male ID, and he gave a strong NO.  That's all I needed to risk taking the next cruise with RQS presenting as a female.

It was frustrating to know that our stay in Bermuda was being cut short by inclement weather, it was good to know that this was being done for the safety of the cruisers.  Yet, I wish we could have stayed longer  After a short rest, it was off to another specialty dinner, this time at the Butcher's Cut steakhouse.  As expected, the meal was wonderful, but I couldn't finish the lamb chops that were put in front of me.  But, I left enough room for dessert, 3 scoops of lemon sorbet.

After dinner, RQS went to guest services to explain some charges on her account.  We found out that we had been given both a $50 onboard credit and a $50 refund of port fees.  Not bad.  But it couldn't compensate us for the loss of 2 days in Bermuda.  Yet, I doubt that there's much the cruise line could do to make people feel better about the loss of 2 days at this port, especially after reading a letter from the ship's captain telling us that they did try to find other ports that we could visit on this cruise.

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Sea Day #1 (09/30/24)

 

RQS and I started the day by going to the main dining room (MDR) for breakfast.  Service was slow, but the food was as good as we'd get from our local diner.  This was more than acceptable to us, as we'd eat more responsibly than if we went to the buffet.

Now that we were fed, we explored the ship a little before going back to our room to rest.  After the chaos of yesterday, we knew to pay attention to our bodies and sit on the balcony while the room steward cleaned up the room.  Both of us were able to start reading some books we brought with us, and we chilled out until it was time to get a snack from the buffet.

For those who haven't cruised before, the buffet can be a madhouse during prime breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. We went for our snack about an hour and a half before dinner, and found the place mostly empty.  So we grabbed some pizza, sat down by the window, and proceeded to eat.  Unlike the list time on MSC, the pizza was very doughy - but very filling.  It was a tasty treat, but not one to enjoy when going to a specialty dinner 2 hours later.

Around 6, we went downstairs to have the first of our 3 specialty dinners.  This dinner was at the Ocean Cay seafood restaurant.  There were 5 main course choices for us to choose from.  Anything else on the menu would be half price.  Both of us chose the crab cake for a starter, and it was very good - one could both taste the crab and feel the texture of the crab.  Yum!  Next was the main course.  RQS had the Dover Sole, while I had the Cockerel.  The waiter made a mistake and delivered Tuna to our table instead of my Cockerel.  Seeing the dish, I should have ordered that, even though I enjoyed what I ate.  Neither of us could finish our main courses, but we left enough room for dinner.  RQS had the Tiramisu, while I had the Creme Brulee.   Again, both were very good.

RQS noted that the atmosphere of the ship reminded her of a shopping mall, and that the restaurant felt like a nice shopping mall restaurant.  She pegged it better than I could.  Would we eat there again?  Yes, but only on the dinner package.  I'd rather spend more money and treat her to dinner at NYC's Oyster Bar.

After another chance to rest and digest our food, it was off to see Rock Circus at the ship's Carousel theater.  The best way I could find to describe this show is a group of circus gymnastic performers doing their acts while another group performs a rock tune.  Was it good?  RQS felt that it could be better if much of the acrobatics were kept out of the way of the main performers doing their songs.

By the end of the show, we retired to the cabin for the night.  On the way, we again encountered a musty smell in the hallway.  But once in the room, we didn't notice it and were able to have a deep and restful sleep.

One thing of note that I'm mentioning out of sequence is that RQS is thinking of taking another cruise on this line, but not bothering to get off the ship.  This, of course, would be a cruise taken as Marian, and would be done in an inside cabin.  Like my first cruise on MSC, we'd be able to spend a week away from home in an inside cabin for under $1,000.  Not a bad deal, if I do say myself....

Bermuda Cruise 2024 #1 - Embarkation Day (09/29/24)

 

Today was the long anticipated first cruise to Bermuda.  And we had to get up early to make it to the ship, simply because we didn't want to risk traffic jams getting in the way of us reaching the ship in our allotted time frame.   (I had to go to the drug store to pick up some fiber pills, and then pick up breakfast sandwiches to tide us over until we reached the ship.  

The last 2 times I was at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, it took me over an hour from the time I arrived to the time I boarded the ship. Lines formed outside the door of the terminal, and then snaked through the terminal to the security checkpoint, and then to the reception desk where my photograph was taken before boarding the ship.  This time was different.  We arrived at 2 pm instead of noon, and we were on the ship in less than 15 minutes after arrival. (This is much better than the last time I was here!)

We found our cabin without problems, but there was a musty smell in the corridor.  Could the ship have a problem with ventilation and de-humidification?  Who knows?  Once in our cabin, we didn't notice it that much.  Once we had our cruise cards, it was back downstairs to where I could connect my charge card to my onboard account.  After this, we went to our muster station to check in, then to the specialty restaurant reservations desk to schedule our specialty meals - Seafood, Steak, and Mexican.

Later on, it was off to the main dining room for dinner.  Unlike the last time I was on the ship, we had a short line to wait on before being shown to our table.  I chose the French Onion Soup, the Prime Rib, and the Catalan Creme for my meal.  How was it?  I felt the soup was so-so, as I've had much better on Princess and NCL.  The prime rib was 3/4" thick and covered with gravy.  Was it tasty?  Yes.  But I feel that the gravy masked what was good (or bad) about this cut of meat.  Finally dessert came.  The best way to describe Catalan Creme is to think of a Creme Brulee without the scorched sugar coating on top. While at dinner, we met a nice mother/daughter pair from Brooklyn who were taking a cruise together.  RQS and I both enjoyed chatting with this couple, and we figured that they were gaining something from my knowledge of Alaskan and Hawaiian cruises.  Hopefully, we'll meet up with them again on gala night.

After dinner, it was off to the main theater to see a magic show.  But first, the cruise director was prepping the audience with a lot of meaningless things to cheer about.  (Shout if you are from "xxxx!" type stuff.) And then he wasted a lot of time plugging the branded jewelry store on the ship.  The magic show started 20 minutes after we arrived at the theater. Were the magicians good?  Yes, but their show was too short. It was in and out, without satisfaction - like many experiences I've had in the past. :-)

Once back in the cabin, RQS and I noted that both the food and service on this ship was acceptable.  I noted that my criticisms of my last cruise may have been related to the weather we experienced.  But then, I was looking at cruising, assuming a different price point's value for services provided.

Norwegian Fjord Cruise Vacation - 06/23/24 (Sea Day #4)

 

When it's a sea day, this is the view one expects from a balcony cabin.  Of course, when you're above the Arctic Circle, you can get this view for days at a time.  However, we're sailing south, and we will soon enter the region where the sun sets every night - at earlier and earlier times each day.

This sea day was uneventful.  For the most part we rested, listened to the music from the main atrium and watched TV in our room.  Yet, we made one important decision: We decided to book an Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise for next year.  So we walked over to the future cruise desk and chatted with one of its staff members.  He presented us with a deal, that allowed us to get the line's concierge service, credit that would be used for payment of the cruise, and access to other deals (such as volume discounts from hotels with whom Princess does business) that would be unavailable if we booked the Alaskan cruise through our travel agent.  Although we don't know if this deal will be worth it, it looks like it should be a good bargain, as we will be taking our cruise within the 2-year window for the deal.

  

Later on, it was dinner at the ship's specialty seafood restaurant.  Our original plan was to watch a show in the ship's theater, then mosey to the restaurant around 9:00 pm.  However, there were no available seats in the theater, so we went to see if they could accommodate us at the restaurant.  This time, we had a better dining experience because the music from the atrium was not disturbing.  My starter was a pleasant Cioppino.  It was tasty, but not as good as those I've had in the SF Bay area.  Next was a dish they called a Concerto, basically seafood over pasta with a light red sauce.  This was yummy, and as good as any I've had in NYC's better Italian restaurants.

As you can guess, by the time we finished our dinner, we were not in the mood for anything other than bed.... 

Norwegian Fjord Cruise Vacation - 06/21/24 (Sea Day #3)

 

The day started off by bright sunlight coming in from our balcony doors, waking us up hours before our normal wake-up time.  The ship had crossed the Arctic Circle, and both of us were awarded certificates for this event.  It's a nice and inexpensive way to give cruisers a keepsake to remember the cruise by.

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The first thing we planned to do was attend an enrichment presentation on the port after next, Trondheim.  However, we ended up missing it because we were relaxing in our cabin.  So, at 1 pm, we went to the outdoor pizza venue for some slices and were greeted by some frigid air.  BRRRR!   We grabbed our slices and went indoors to eat.  On our way back to the buffet area, we saw several people in the pool and in the hot tubs.  I wouldn't do that in this weather.  Shortly after our pizza run, it was time for afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea was pleasant.  We struck up conversations with several people at our table.  One couple was from Oklahoma, and we were able to maintain a civil conversation that referenced politics without trying to defend positions of either major political party.  (My statements focused on the commonality of opinions shared by most Americans, as the leaders of each party have gone to the extremes.)  RQS was having her conversations with people on the other side of our table as well.  After tea was over, a couple  came up to us and mentioned that they visit NYC from time to time.  Of course, I gave them tourist advice that most people wouldn't get from guidebooks - to venture into the outer boroughs to see functioning ethnic neighborhoods such as Arthur Avenue (a real Little Italy) and Flushing (Asian enclaves for Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Koreans).

Later on, we had a specialty meal scheduled at the steakhouse.  As much as we tried, there was no way we could finish our meals.  We started with a sea scallop appetizer. The onion soup came next, and it was fantastic, as was the steak.  Instead of ordering a 16 oz. beef chop, I should have ordered the 7 oz. filet. RQS couldn't finish her smaller main course, and I had to leave most of my steak uneaten.  Neither of us could complain about our desserts, but they weren't exactly what would sate our cravings for the evening.

And now, thoroughly loaded up with carbs to digest, it was off to our room and off to sleep.