Compiling this one into just one post mainly because after 7 cruises, I realize that each day on a cruise is pretty much like the next, with the exception of the ports of call and any excursions. Plus, with this cruise I think I've now had my fill for a while.
While it was nice having Key West added to the itinerary (albeit at the expense of one of the Great Stirrup Cay visits) and, like the past few cruises, the population was only about 1,200 passengers, I gotta say, the rest was either "eh" or a total fail.
The shows were disappointing. The song and dance numbers were very much like on the Armonia. The activities were lackluster to half-assed. And the food. OMG the food was horrible! Wow, what a surprise. On the Breakaway, the other Norwegian ship I'd been on (twice), the food, in general, was pretty good. (Though as you can read, I had my issues at times with it then too.) I think the bean counters in the NCL headquarters purposely cut the food budget for this sailing. I mean, when you're having to practically give away cruises for $99 a pop, and only manage to fill the ship half way, I guess you gotta make up for it somehow. I wouldn't be surprised to discover I'd LOST weight this trip! Hold on, let me check...Yup, 5 pounds down!
Nevertheless, I did have fun overall. The day relaxing in the sun on the private island was the best...until the Escape invaded, that is.
Saturday, October 26, 2019 - Day 1 - Port Canaveral, Florida
Pleasant enough drive from Sebring but more lights, traffic and even tolls, compared to the very smooth and quiet drives to either Ft. Lauderdale or Miami.
Once on board, found it to be a little cramped, but you can see it had been updated in recent years. This ship is about the size of either Armonia or Majesty but it seems like they tried to cram more venues on this one so the bars and restaurants were tiny. During live music times, one bar, the Windjammer got standing room only full. Others, though, that were given ample space, like the Spinnaker Lounge, seemed perpetually empty. It's in the Spinnaker I spent during sail away. Slightly misty to intermittently rainy outside so I was content to watch our departure through these huge panoramic windows.
Welcome aboard show, much like Majesty, was the cruise director intro, her asking for applause based on past cruisers/new cruisers, special occasions like anniversaries, then the song and dance set followed by the comedian. Very formulaic. Only MSC deviated from this a bit by lacking a comedian.
Sunday, October 27, 2019 - Day 2 - At Sea
Insomnia woke me at 3 am and I couldn't get back to sleep. Not related to the comfort...the bed was fine...just a thing lately.
Went to morning trivia after an early continental breakfast and won the first place prize (a coozy and some collapsible nylon circle thingy...I think it's a portable hand fan).
Later I went to Deal or No Deal and, without asking "How much?" I bought a card to play. How much turned out to be $29! I was a bit livid when I read my receipt later that night. No refund now. I won a strip of instant play tickets...the things with strips I wondered about on the Breakaway. Did I get those during the game show? No, I had to attend a bingo to get them. Of course I won nothing once I did attend on the last night along with the redemption of the red raffle ticket I got with my D or ND card. That chance for a free cruise lost too. Well, that's my only gambling. I was a little less miffed when I reviewed my end of cruise charges and saw I got a $25 on board credit. I think it was an Orbitz promotion. So the Deal or No Deal card only cost me $4, around the price I kinda assumed it was in the first place when I neglected to ask since I figured it'd be about $5.
Evening show: World Beats. Man this was the spittin' image of the kind of show MSC would put on. An all white cast singing and dancing to Chinese and Indian music giving a whole new meaning to "appropriation." And, disappointingly, only one hot male dancer. One of the other male dancers made me cringe, he looked like a lascivious Ned Flanders sporting a very bushy flavor-saver gingy porn stash. Oh, and guess who one of the male singers was? Not the same guy as the dancer on the Armonia, of course, but still another doppelganger for our friendly gay presidential candidate, Mayor Pete! Well, when the real Mayor Pete drops out of the race, and if the mayor gig doesn't work out either, then I guess we know he's got the looks for cruise line entertainment.
Monday, October 28, 2019 - Day 3 - Key West, Florida
Did morning trivia again but this time only 3 other people playing and the Pinoyboy host was nowhere near as good as his counterpart on the Armonia. He was definitely bored stiff. He slaughtered the pronunciation of Jacques Cousteau and I helped out by telling him the actual way to say it and he seemed pissed I would "correct" him. Ugh!
Eagerly went ashore except that it was only around 10 am. Had no choice. We were leaving port at 3! Why do cruise ships do this? This is a night time party town. Luckily, at Sloppy Joe's Saloon I wasn't the only one drinking. After 3 beers, made my way down Duval back to the Bull and Whistle and sat by the open front wall people-watchin while sippin' some refreshing brews. Only 7 beers between the two bars but I was feelin' it for sure. Made my way back to the ship by 1 o'clock and passed out for a couple hours in my room.
The comic had a show at 7:30. Tim Kaminski. Like last night, he pulled audience members up on stage and had them do his bidding. Last night, they participated in a rendition of Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Tonight, it was The Wizard of Oz. Good shit! "Volunteers" were really good sports too.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 - Day 4 - Nassau, Bahamas
Still queezy from yesterday's drinking and thus I saw no reason to go ashore. I see Nassau as a drinking stop, not much more. Beautiful day though. Actually, except for the first day, they were all great in the weather department. Finished my "Doctor Sleep" and since I bone-headedly forgot to download some of my other books to the Kindle, I had nothing else to read. Thankfully, the cabin TV ran recently-run films all day so I spent the day doing that. In fact, I did a lot of movie watching this trip catching Yesterday, Dumbo, Captive State, Toy Story 4, Rocketman, Peterloo and a documentary about Mike Wallace.
At 9:30 Tim did his "adult" show. No victims from the audience tonight, just straight stand-up. Good jokes but about poop and embarrassing situations. Only a couple sexually suggestive bits and no swearing. Is he this vanilla off the ship? He says he used to open for George Carlin and Don Rickles so, I think, no. But that's the cruise lines for ya. Can't be too risque. Could also be that the morons who scheduled the ship's entertainment had placed a showing of Dumbo in this theater directly following his set. "Mommy, let's go see Dumbo!" "Okay kids but be ready. We want to get there early for good seats." Yeah...about that.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 - Day 5 - Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas
Literally a stone's throw from Royal Caribbean's newly built-up Coco Cay, Norwegian's private island was super beautiful and relaxing. Like their Belize island, they had varied spots along several beaches where row after row of blue and white loungers awaited your soon-to-be-burning fat ass. It was all well and good until the massive Norwegian Escape sailed in and its throngs of entitled fucks invaded. Got some ocean swimming in before the crowds and a couple hours of sunshine. Had a picnic lunch (the best of the whole cruise), back to the ship for a nice shower and lounged the day away. Went to bingo for my mandatory attendance and then to the show: a medley of rock songs and dances. Oh, one better than the Armonia though...a live band.
Again, not a total downer. I generally liked it. But I was happy to get back home. Bon Voyage, cruises! For a while, anyway. ;)
BTW, this cruise wins two awards: "Driest Cruise Award" Yup, aside from the 7 beers in Key West, I had just 4 drinks! Whaa! Frankly, I'm over paying for their astronomical prices. And that Deal or No Deal shit had me determined to make them lose money on me. Which brings me to award number 2: "Cheapest Cruise Award" I paid just $435.02 in total including parking.