Knowing When to Stop
Sea Day #1
Monday, March 12, 2018
Morning
We finally woke up around 8:30AM after having a long night
of sickness. I am not sure what I had but I was in the bathroom with stomach
issues about every hour. Chris luckily never got as sick as I did but he too
was feeling weak and somewhat sick as we woke up.
Instead of door hangers, NCL offers this unique turn dial to let your steward know you want service or do not disturb!
We went to breakfast at the Garden Café Buffet and it was
about average for a cruise line breakfast buffet. TIP- However, we did find a table within La Cucina, which is a designated "Quiet Spot" for breakfast and lunch buffet seating. It is on Deck 12 aft port side and was NEVER crowded.
Also, there was a waiter team that stood at the entrance of the buffet and sang songs for breakfast and lunch. One of their most sung songs was "Washy Washy, makes you Happy Happy". Then they would give you a spray of anti-bacterial hand sanitize. This was noticeable from day 1 and happened at EVERY buffet entrance, getting on and off the ship as well as the Main Dining Rooms. Most other lines have the dispensers but NCL made sure everyone was actually using them but having a crew member there to give everyone a squirt. The OCD person in me really appreciated it.
These 2 were awesome performers and became super stars on the cruise!
Soon after breakfast we found a spot in the shade on Deck 13 and laid out for over an hour. The skies were cloudy, the temperature was around 72* and the breeze was nice and cool. We misread the Freestyle Daily and missed the Q & A session with the Hotel Director but that just meant extra time laying out.
MY FAVORITE view EVER!
On Deck 13 in the aft!
This is the 1st ship we have been on that had a golf cage.
A view of the Pool deck around 11AM.
Traditional life preserver picture!
Also, there was a waiter team that stood at the entrance of the buffet and sang songs for breakfast and lunch. One of their most sung songs was "Washy Washy, makes you Happy Happy". Then they would give you a spray of anti-bacterial hand sanitize. This was noticeable from day 1 and happened at EVERY buffet entrance, getting on and off the ship as well as the Main Dining Rooms. Most other lines have the dispensers but NCL made sure everyone was actually using them but having a crew member there to give everyone a squirt. The OCD person in me really appreciated it.
Soon after breakfast we found a spot in the shade on Deck 13 and laid out for over an hour. The skies were cloudy, the temperature was around 72* and the breeze was nice and cool. We misread the Freestyle Daily and missed the Q & A session with the Hotel Director but that just meant extra time laying out.
This is the 1st ship we have been on that had a golf cage.
We then went to explore the ship more and ended up in the Atrium
listening to live music before we had lunch in Lotus Garden. Tip- Lotus Garden
is a complementary dining venue on Deck 7 Mid-Ship. It offers a lunch and
dinner menu with a variety of Asian items such as Fried Rice and Stir Fry
Noodles. It is open for lunch ONLY on Sea Days (In our case only 2 days) and
dinner nightly from 5-9PM. It also offers a sushi bar that is a la carte
pricing. We enjoyed this dining venue a lot and especially the variety of
flavor it offered.
We will post an entire blog post about the NCL Pearl food but these pot-stickers were AMAZING!
Afternoon
After lunch we went straight back to our spot on Deck 13 in
the shade to laid out and spent over 2 hours just lounging around and dozing off
while listening to the pool deck band. We also made our way to the Atrium to watch a Cruise Next presentation of NCL Mega ships. TIP- The Cruise Next staff was offering a special of 4 deposits for $1,000 and get $500 On Board Credit added towards THIS cruise. It was a great deal but we did not participate. But we did learn a lot about the NCL Breakaway for our upcoming cruise later this year.
We cannot wait for the Breakaway!
After laying out we went to the Great Outdoors to enjoy a
few cocktails and afternoon snacks before dinner. We met a great bartender from
South Africa who quickly became our favorite server on the ship. We talked to
him about his life and experiences for a long time and before we realized it
was time to go get ready for our dinner reservations.
Evening
We had dinner reservations for 5:45PM at Cagney’s Steakhouse
but before that we went to Landmark Trivia in the Atrium. This was a visual
trivia and we did OK but did not win by all means. The bridges were very hard
to guess. We have eaten at both of Carnival and Royal Caribbean specialty steakhouses
and we were very anxious to see how Cagney’s stacked up. Chops Grille on Royal
Caribbean has really set the bar high as having the absolute best food we have
ever had.
Cagney’s service was outstanding but we did notice that they
did not come around and show you the cuts of steak like Carnival and Royal do.
In addition the overall atmosphere was not as sophisticated as the other two
cruise lines. This atmosphere was more like Texas Land and Cattle and not a
high-end upscale steak house. Tip- It you have the Ultimate Dining Package you
can order 1 appetizer, 1 soup or salad and 1 main entree, which comes with 2
side dishes. If you order additional items, they are at the a la carte pricing.
A view of the kitchen area for Cagney's and Moderno (The Brazilian Steakhouse next door).
It was really neat to actually SEE the chefs cook right from your table!
Happy Anniversary dinner at Cagney's!
The Filet Mignon at Cagney's! WOW... So good!
The Truffle Fries at Cagney's!
They were INCREDIBLE but we were so full we didn't fully enjoy them!
What Chris left on his plate... WOW!
It was really neat to actually SEE the chefs cook right from your table!
We both ordered our food and got excited to compare the steakhouses. The appetizers were outstanding and very fulfilling. I had the Jack Daniels Shrimp Cocktail and Chris had the Beef Sliders, which could have been a main course they were so large. Then we both had the baked potato soup. This was the best potato soup we have ever had but was so filling. By the time our main dishes came, we were both practically already full. I had ordered the Petite Filet Migon and I could not finish it. Chris ordered the Bison steak and barely ate half of it. The side dishes were good but overall left much to be desired. In fact, we barely ate any of them.
Since I had been sick the night before and Chris was still not 100%, we both stopped without finishing our meal. This is VERY unusual for us, especially on a cruise but we realized we had to stop in order to not get sick.
They were INCREDIBLE but we were so full we didn't fully enjoy them!
What Chris left on his plate... WOW!
After dinner we went back to the room because Chris was
really feeling sick. He laid down for nearly an hour before we left to go and
see the Love and Marriage show. This was a show have seen MANY times before on
Carnival and Royal Caribbean but this was a major let down. The Cruise
Director, Vincent, was not entertaining with the guests' answers and we were yet
again unimpressed with his performance. In fact, his assistant cruise director, Fabio, did a much better job of being present and entertaining throughout the cruise.
Then we went into the main theater for the Main Show of the
evening Pure Variety. This was a show featuring the NCL Pearl singers and
dancers cast. This cast of singers was very good and blended very well
together. Typically the singers microphones are blasted VERY loud and it is
hard to hear the harmonies but this group blended very well together. The show was good but nothing to write home about. TIP- The theater is set up over 2
decks, Deck 6 and 7. Deck 6 (closer to the stage) usually fills up fast but if
you enter through deck 7 you can go to the balcony and they have 2 separate
balconies on each side of the theater with PLENTY of seating, some of which
have extra leg room. Also, they stop serving drinks from the bartenders about 10 minutes before the start of the show as it is set up like a movie theater with no passing room.
The Pure Variety show in the Stardust Theater!
We were ready for the show!
We were ready for the show!
After the show we went back to the Spinnaker Lounge on Deck
13 forward to the “NCL NIGHT OUT”. This was a night of dancing in the lounge
and it had a “red-carpet” feel to it. We enjoyed a few cocktails and enjoyed
watching the other passengers dance the night away. After nearly 2 hours a complete stranger
pulled me and Chris onto the dance floor where we danced for several songs
before Chris needed to rest his leg. It was the most fun we have had on a cruise in a long time.
This lounge became our 2nd home on the ship!
On the dance floor... DANCING! What, What?!
On the dance floor... DANCING! What, What?!
We left the lounge shortly thereafter to wander around the
ship but unfortunately at 12:30AM most of the venues were closed. We made a
stop in the casino and played Blackjack for an hour or so before calling it
quits once we doubled our money. Again... knowing when to stop really came into play.
After the casino winnings we went and enjoyed a cool breeze
on the decks before calling it a night around 2AM. This was the latest we have
ever stayed up on a cruise as we are usually in bed by 11PM. This was unusual
but fun and we wanted to see what all the Pearl had to offer.
The day was filled with food, fun and relaxation and a
perfect start to our cruise. Tomorrow we would be in Cozumel (our Caribbean
home away from home as we have been here 12 times) and we had the best type of
plans… NONE!
Thanks for following along.
Next up... COZUMEL, MEXICO!
God is good... ALL the time!
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Carnival Legend- ALASKA- 2016
I come to this place every now and then. The venue NYC is really nice, the crowd is full of regulars, and the food and drink specials are pretty good! The staff is great and really gets to know your name. Totally worth your time on any night for good food and drink.
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