Since the Panama Canal cruise in 2008, many of us have continued to get together & visit with one another. We have even picked up some others than have become Honorary Thieves. This cruise was also dubbed the Rossell family cruise as Jackie was travelling with members of her family. This was an alternate Eastern Caribbean itinerary, stopping in St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, and Castaway Cay.
The crazy cast of characters:
Me (duh)
Cheri
Kathe
Karen (Kaz) & dear hubby Richard
Jackie
Ian & Sukie
Deb & John
Nan (my roomie for the cruise)
Sally & hubby Bill (Sally & I used to work together)
Chris (a coworker of Bill's)
Peggy Jo & hubby Jose
Jackie's brother & sister in law
(there were other Thieves on board too, like Vicki & Greg)
Nan had accepted my invitation to be my roomie & was able to ditch the family for 1 week. I picked her up from the airport & off to Port Canaveral we went. We had arranged to spend the night at the Country Inn & Suites next to the pier, and luckily we did that.....on the way to the port we had a tire blow out. We were right next to the toll booth on the Beeline/Beachline/Rt 528, so after calling AAA, Nan went up & plugged her cell phone in to charge while I stayed with the car. AAA came & put on the donut tire, and off we went again. Going slower than normal & causing many a driver to get mad at us because of that. Oh well....safety first.
We finally got to the hotel & parked the car. We were supposed to meet Deb, John & a bunch of other DISers (people we met online on the Disney fan(atic) website www.disboards.com) at Fishlips for dinner that night. Luckily the hotel had a shuttle that would take us, if not we wouldn't have gone. We were super late, but that's ok. There were no car places still open, so we couldn't deal with the tire issue anyways. Deb & John then took us back to the hotel.
The Country Inn & Suites (http://www.countryinns.com/cape-canaveral-hotel-fl-32920/flcape) is a great hotel - great location, offers complimentary breakfast, free shuttle w/in a 5 mile radius, cookies at the front desk & you can pay to park your car there for the length of your cruise (for less $ than what it costs at the pier). They will then transport you & your luggage to the ship & pick you up when you return.
The next morning it was off to the ship! We met all of our buddies at the port & it was a fun-fest from the start. I had offered to head the lanyard team for this cruise, so several of us camped out at a table & got everything ready to hand out. It was loads of fun for me meeting up with Sally, Bill & Chris. This was their 1st Disney Cruise, so I got busy showing them around the terminal, taking pictures & answering questions. I was able to get 2 extra Castaway Club Silver lanyards and gave them each one (Bill & Sally told me later on in the week that people would come up to them asking how many cruises they'd been on, then get huffy when the reply was "this was the first one"....the lanyard is a perk you get after you sail on DCL).
Onto the Magic we went - having lunch at Parrot Cay, then it was a quick tour of the rooms (Chris was on deck 5, Sally & Bill were on deck 6, and Nan & I were on deck 7). Chris had a sideways Cat 11 (standard inside stateroom), Sally & Bill had a Cat 6 (deluxe stateroom with verandah), and Nan & I had a regular Cat 11. We met up again for the sail-a-way party.
We were scattered all about the ship (for sleeping arrangements) but all converged together in the dining room. Jackie & family had a 6 top next to us. Our wait staff was FABULOUS!! Louis (from India) & _______________. We started out the 1st night at 3 different tables, but were told that they'd work on getting the 13 of us non-Rossells at 1 table for the next night. I sat with Sally, Bill & Chris. Chris was the funniest one....especially when I told him he could order more than 1 entree & that there were Mickey Bars available for dessert.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Final thoughts...DCL vs NCL...thoughts for DISers
I have many friends that are booked on the Baltic cruise aboard the Disney Magic in 2010. I originally was booked on 1 of those cruises too before this deal with NCL came along. Knowing what I know now, would I stay aboard DCL or jump ship?
Honestly for this itinerary I'd save the $ and do another cruise line. If it were not such a port-intensive cruise or if it had more days at sea, I'd say do DCL. However for me saving the $ and still seeing the ports was more important than the ship itself. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE DCL & will continue to sail on them (in fact have a 7 night cruise booked for September 2009) but there was just too much of a difference in cost between the 2 cruise lines (my 1/2 on DCL for a standard inside stateroom was $3500).
I can't say anything about the kid/teen programs on board NCL - I do know that there are programs but there were only about 25 non-adults on board this sailing (compared to about 400 on normal Caribbean sailings). I know that some DISer friends are sailing with kids and are choosing DCL because of the programing - completely get that, but for me it was more important to be able to do the cruise to those ports & still be able to do more (balcony vs inside and at least 1 more trip for less $ than DCL would have cost me).
Will I do NCL again? Yes - if the price & itinerary are right. I am also ok with trying other cruise lines too. Will any other cruise line beat DCL out of my heart - no - you can never replace your first love :)
FOOD - good on both ships. Everything is produced for the masses so I don't expect 5* dining (except for Palo). The 1 time we paid extra ($10 pp) for a signature restaurant, we chose Mama's Italian restaurant and were happy with the food there.
STATEROOMS - DCL has bigger rooms. The balcony we had was the same size as a standard inside stateroom on DCL (185 sq feet). The inside staterooms on NCL are 141 sq feet and the oceanviews are 163 sq feet. Suites are of course larger.
POOLS - DCL has 3 vs NCL's 1 BUT there was hardly anyone ever in the pool.
SERVICE - DCL wins hands down for restaurant service but that's because you get to know your servers during the cruise. DCL has rotational dining where your waitstaff is with you each night. On NCL you get who you get. We did end up making friends with certain staff members in the restaurants (1 in Azura, 1 in Tsar's and 1 that worked both). DCL also wins for towel animals (hehe).
B&B in Dover - www.maisondieu.com - great location, not far from downtown, comfortable beds, yummy breakfast and friendly hosts.
Tour company Berlin/St Petersburg - spb tours (www.spb-tours.com) - wonderful! Definately recommend. Viktoria was great to work with and Tim was such a knowledgeable tour guide. If you contact Viktoria let her know I sent you!
Transfer in the UK - http://www.britishairportcars.co.uk/ - worked with Chris over emails to book the transfer. Great service & good prices.
Please let me know if you have any questions & I'll do my best to answer!
Hope you enjoyed reading this. TTFN!
Honestly for this itinerary I'd save the $ and do another cruise line. If it were not such a port-intensive cruise or if it had more days at sea, I'd say do DCL. However for me saving the $ and still seeing the ports was more important than the ship itself. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE DCL & will continue to sail on them (in fact have a 7 night cruise booked for September 2009) but there was just too much of a difference in cost between the 2 cruise lines (my 1/2 on DCL for a standard inside stateroom was $3500).
I can't say anything about the kid/teen programs on board NCL - I do know that there are programs but there were only about 25 non-adults on board this sailing (compared to about 400 on normal Caribbean sailings). I know that some DISer friends are sailing with kids and are choosing DCL because of the programing - completely get that, but for me it was more important to be able to do the cruise to those ports & still be able to do more (balcony vs inside and at least 1 more trip for less $ than DCL would have cost me).
Will I do NCL again? Yes - if the price & itinerary are right. I am also ok with trying other cruise lines too. Will any other cruise line beat DCL out of my heart - no - you can never replace your first love :)
FOOD - good on both ships. Everything is produced for the masses so I don't expect 5* dining (except for Palo). The 1 time we paid extra ($10 pp) for a signature restaurant, we chose Mama's Italian restaurant and were happy with the food there.
STATEROOMS - DCL has bigger rooms. The balcony we had was the same size as a standard inside stateroom on DCL (185 sq feet). The inside staterooms on NCL are 141 sq feet and the oceanviews are 163 sq feet. Suites are of course larger.
POOLS - DCL has 3 vs NCL's 1 BUT there was hardly anyone ever in the pool.
SERVICE - DCL wins hands down for restaurant service but that's because you get to know your servers during the cruise. DCL has rotational dining where your waitstaff is with you each night. On NCL you get who you get. We did end up making friends with certain staff members in the restaurants (1 in Azura, 1 in Tsar's and 1 that worked both). DCL also wins for towel animals (hehe).
B&B in Dover - www.maisondieu.com - great location, not far from downtown, comfortable beds, yummy breakfast and friendly hosts.
Tour company Berlin/St Petersburg - spb tours (www.spb-tours.com) - wonderful! Definately recommend. Viktoria was great to work with and Tim was such a knowledgeable tour guide. If you contact Viktoria let her know I sent you!
Transfer in the UK - http://www.britishairportcars.co.uk/ - worked with Chris over emails to book the transfer. Great service & good prices.
Please let me know if you have any questions & I'll do my best to answer!
Hope you enjoyed reading this. TTFN!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
May 10th - debarkation day
Our last morning on board - hard to believe it was already over.
We started out with breakfast in our usual spot before taking our luggage down to deck 6 to get off the ship. We were sharing a ride with 4 other people (met them on cruisecritic.com) from Dover to Heathrow. I had reserved an 8 seater van through British Airport Cars (http://www.britishairportcars.co.uk/). The driver was friendly & we had an uneventful drive down the M5. It took us about 2 hours on a Sunday morning....definately allow for more time if you're traveling on a weekday.
We had a total of 4 drops scheduled - 3 different terminals & the National Express bus station (for Dad). I arrived at Terminal 1 about 12noon. My flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 420pm so I had time to kill. Checkin went smoothly & quickly.
Flight was uneventful - I was able to get a decent amount of sleep in. I connected through Washington Dulles & arrived in Orlando right about midnight. My dear friends Will & Mickey were there to greet me & drive me home.
We started out with breakfast in our usual spot before taking our luggage down to deck 6 to get off the ship. We were sharing a ride with 4 other people (met them on cruisecritic.com) from Dover to Heathrow. I had reserved an 8 seater van through British Airport Cars (http://www.britishairportcars.co.uk/). The driver was friendly & we had an uneventful drive down the M5. It took us about 2 hours on a Sunday morning....definately allow for more time if you're traveling on a weekday.
We had a total of 4 drops scheduled - 3 different terminals & the National Express bus station (for Dad). I arrived at Terminal 1 about 12noon. My flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 420pm so I had time to kill. Checkin went smoothly & quickly.
Flight was uneventful - I was able to get a decent amount of sleep in. I connected through Washington Dulles & arrived in Orlando right about midnight. My dear friends Will & Mickey were there to greet me & drive me home.
May 9th - day at sea
Today was a very lazy day - nothing scheduled at all. We did some final souvenir shopping in the onboard shop & got our most of the packing done. We were taking our own bags off the ship so we didn't need to get them in the hallway before 10pm.
We decided to go see the last show of the cruise - it was the crew show. They did a good job with the highlight (in my opinion) being the 304th World Premier of Fountains. I don't want to explain what it was (as to not spoil the surprise) but it was funny!
We decided to go see the last show of the cruise - it was the crew show. They did a good job with the highlight (in my opinion) being the 304th World Premier of Fountains. I don't want to explain what it was (as to not spoil the surprise) but it was funny!
May 8th - day at sea
The only thing that was scheduled today was a behind the scenes tour - for me only. Dad & I had breakfast at our usual spot then headed down to the atrium to meet with the group. This tour was advertised back on the 29th of April in the Daily Freestyle.
It stated:
Are you a fan of the TV Show "How it's Made"? Maybe you are just curious about how the cruise ship works from the inside. Well, make sure to wear comfy and closed footwear, because we're taking you to a totally different side of Freestyle Cruising, the crew working area! This special tour has security-clearance from out Corporate Office and will involve an introduction into Ship Board Environmental Management, Ships' Stores, Galley, Theater, Laundry and Bridge! A charge does apply for this experience - sigh up at reception for this great tour that is taking place on May 8th and 9th starting at 1045am in the Atrium.
I found out that it was a cost of $55 per person for about a 2 1/2 hour tour. I figured, why not?
We met with the Hotel Director in the Art Gallery before heading into the crew only areas. We met with the Environmental Officer who took us to see how the ship deals with the trash that is collected on board (this was the only area where pictures were not allowed). We got to see the sorting area, the recycling area, and the cold trash storage area (holding trash that would be incinerated after leaving the Baltic sea). Stinky but interesting.
Next we met with the Provisions Master who took us around to see where all the food is stored on board. He explained that NCL has contracts with all sorts of vendors in the States and that even though they were now in the Baltics all that food was sent over via container ship to Copenhagen. The only thing that they were purchasing locally (while in the Baltics) were fruits & vegetables. This way they know the quality of the food they're getting and are able to keep contracted prices.
We were then handed off to one of the head chefs to visit the galley and the food prep areas. We saw the room in which all the veggies & potatoes were peeled - we also found out that the potato peeler machine had been broken for about 2 months & that they were still waiting on a part so all the potatoes were being peeled by hand. We got to see the Fish prep room, the Chicken prep room & the Meat prep room - 1 room per type of food to avoid any kind of contamination.
Veggie prep room:
Fish prep room:
Meat prep room:
Chicken prep room:
We went through the galley shared by Azura's and Tsar's and saw many things being prepared for dinner that night (including the duck and beef wellington). We saw plates of desserts ready as well.
We saw the dishwashing room too - huge NECESSARY machine - I would hate to have to wash all of that by hand!
Next stop was the laundry room - we were shown the process that a piece of clothing goes through step by step, starting with the labler. We also were able to watch sheets being dried & folded (by 1 machine) as well as the beach towels. Huge washers & dryers!
Getting my Disney fix on the way to the laundry room:
The Bridge was next - we actually got to be up close to all the gadgets & gizmos. Pretty cool....nice opportunity for pictures from a different vantage point too. They have lots of hi-tech stuff but something low-tech too....there is a look out - someone who actually stands by the window w/ a pair of binoculars and looks out.
The last stop was the Stardust Theater. We were introduced to one of the entertainers who took us backstage - seeing where the sets are kept & the dressing rooms too.
All in all I enjoyed this tour quite a bit. I would have loved to see a crewmember's room & their facilities (like their dining room, lounge areas, etc) but I guess they need some areas that are off limit to passengers too. I did find out that this is tour is offered fleet-wide.
We had lunch today at the Blue Lagoon - nothing spectacular & I would say this was the spot with the worst service. I would not order the spinach dip again (very runny) but enjoyed the fish & chips and the brownie/ice cream dessert :)
We did some walking around the ship before heading over to the Stardust theatre about 615pm. Tonight was the Cirque Bijou show - a takeoff of a Cirque de Soleil show - and supposedly the best show of the cruise. It was supposed to be a packed house so we wanted to make sure we got a decent seat. It was already 1/2 full by the time we got there so we were not the only ones with that idea. It was a good show & I recommend that if you're on an NCL ship & they offer it - go see it.
Dinner followed then back to relaxing in the room.
It stated:
Are you a fan of the TV Show "How it's Made"? Maybe you are just curious about how the cruise ship works from the inside. Well, make sure to wear comfy and closed footwear, because we're taking you to a totally different side of Freestyle Cruising, the crew working area! This special tour has security-clearance from out Corporate Office and will involve an introduction into Ship Board Environmental Management, Ships' Stores, Galley, Theater, Laundry and Bridge! A charge does apply for this experience - sigh up at reception for this great tour that is taking place on May 8th and 9th starting at 1045am in the Atrium.
I found out that it was a cost of $55 per person for about a 2 1/2 hour tour. I figured, why not?
We met with the Hotel Director in the Art Gallery before heading into the crew only areas. We met with the Environmental Officer who took us to see how the ship deals with the trash that is collected on board (this was the only area where pictures were not allowed). We got to see the sorting area, the recycling area, and the cold trash storage area (holding trash that would be incinerated after leaving the Baltic sea). Stinky but interesting.
Next we met with the Provisions Master who took us around to see where all the food is stored on board. He explained that NCL has contracts with all sorts of vendors in the States and that even though they were now in the Baltics all that food was sent over via container ship to Copenhagen. The only thing that they were purchasing locally (while in the Baltics) were fruits & vegetables. This way they know the quality of the food they're getting and are able to keep contracted prices.
We were then handed off to one of the head chefs to visit the galley and the food prep areas. We saw the room in which all the veggies & potatoes were peeled - we also found out that the potato peeler machine had been broken for about 2 months & that they were still waiting on a part so all the potatoes were being peeled by hand. We got to see the Fish prep room, the Chicken prep room & the Meat prep room - 1 room per type of food to avoid any kind of contamination.
Veggie prep room:
Fish prep room:
Meat prep room:
Chicken prep room:
We went through the galley shared by Azura's and Tsar's and saw many things being prepared for dinner that night (including the duck and beef wellington). We saw plates of desserts ready as well.
We saw the dishwashing room too - huge NECESSARY machine - I would hate to have to wash all of that by hand!
Next stop was the laundry room - we were shown the process that a piece of clothing goes through step by step, starting with the labler. We also were able to watch sheets being dried & folded (by 1 machine) as well as the beach towels. Huge washers & dryers!
Getting my Disney fix on the way to the laundry room:
The Bridge was next - we actually got to be up close to all the gadgets & gizmos. Pretty cool....nice opportunity for pictures from a different vantage point too. They have lots of hi-tech stuff but something low-tech too....there is a look out - someone who actually stands by the window w/ a pair of binoculars and looks out.
The last stop was the Stardust Theater. We were introduced to one of the entertainers who took us backstage - seeing where the sets are kept & the dressing rooms too.
All in all I enjoyed this tour quite a bit. I would have loved to see a crewmember's room & their facilities (like their dining room, lounge areas, etc) but I guess they need some areas that are off limit to passengers too. I did find out that this is tour is offered fleet-wide.
We had lunch today at the Blue Lagoon - nothing spectacular & I would say this was the spot with the worst service. I would not order the spinach dip again (very runny) but enjoyed the fish & chips and the brownie/ice cream dessert :)
We did some walking around the ship before heading over to the Stardust theatre about 615pm. Tonight was the Cirque Bijou show - a takeoff of a Cirque de Soleil show - and supposedly the best show of the cruise. It was supposed to be a packed house so we wanted to make sure we got a decent seat. It was already 1/2 full by the time we got there so we were not the only ones with that idea. It was a good show & I recommend that if you're on an NCL ship & they offer it - go see it.
Dinner followed then back to relaxing in the room.
May 7th - Stockholm, Sweden
Time in port 8am-330p (our shortest day in port)
Dad & I had decided that we wanted to try to get on the 1st bus from the pier into town so that we could do as much as possible early. We docked at the Frihamnen pier (about a 15 minute drive into town). Usually the Jewel (and other cruise lines) dock at the Stadsgarden pier which is only about 1 mile from downtown but I think the Celebrity ship had already booked the closer pier. I did notice that on later sailings the Jewel is docked closer to town. This was just an inconvenience - cutting into our already short time in Stockholm. We were able to purchase the tickets for the Hop On-Hop Off bus there at the pier - using that bus as a shuttle into the city. We found out that the 1st “tour” didn't start until 10am (I think we got into the city about 910am) so we got off and started walking about.
We walked around the Royal Palace grounds, I had a picture taken with one of the guards and then we went exploring.
We walked along the pedestrian shopping street (Drottninggatan) and did a little shopping.
We continued walking around until we found ourselves at 1 of the HO/HO stops and ended up having to wait about 45 minutes for the bus (so much for them going around every 1/2 hour). The bus was packed!! People on the bus were complaining that there were too many people on there already (there was still room for more) & we complained about how long we had already waited...while we got ourselves into the bus (we won!). Once we got seats, Dad & I decided that we were NOT getting off the bus until it took us back to the ship. We got a nice look at Stockholm - going around the entire loop 2 times (I think it took a little over 1 hr per loop).
The Vasa museum:
We also got to see a bit of the changing of the guards.
Overhearing others talking I told Dad that we needed to get off at the Palace - that this bus was NOT going to be acting as the shuttle back. Dad thought we were making a mistake, but luckily (for me) I was right. We made it to the other bus just in time & off we went back to the ship.
I did a little bit of shopping here before getting back onto the ship (chose to buy a Pippi Longstocking keychain to use as my ornament) and then it was to the room to drop off our stuff and then to the Garden Grill for lunch. Relaxing in the room followed until 445pm when I went to see the presentation in the Atrium lounge on the Cruise Rewards. NCL had a deal that if you book a future cruise while on board you would get $150 of on board credit to use on this cruise. I decided not to do this as it doesn't apply to travel agent rates.
Big thing for this evening was that we were sailing under the bridge that connects Denmark & Sweden. This bridge is called the Øresundsbron Bridge - the name is a combination of Danish & Swedish words, and is the longest border crossing bridge in the world. It is actually part bridge and part tunnel, completed in 1999. I don't remember how much space there was between the tallest point on the ship & the bottom of the bridge but there wasn't a lot of space in between. We had a beautiful evening for this even though it was quite windy.
Being creatures of habit we then did dinner & headed back to the room for movies, internet & relaxation. Hard to believe that we had our last port of call for the cruise :(
Our new friends TJ & Dennis - all dressed up :)
Dad & I had decided that we wanted to try to get on the 1st bus from the pier into town so that we could do as much as possible early. We docked at the Frihamnen pier (about a 15 minute drive into town). Usually the Jewel (and other cruise lines) dock at the Stadsgarden pier which is only about 1 mile from downtown but I think the Celebrity ship had already booked the closer pier. I did notice that on later sailings the Jewel is docked closer to town. This was just an inconvenience - cutting into our already short time in Stockholm. We were able to purchase the tickets for the Hop On-Hop Off bus there at the pier - using that bus as a shuttle into the city. We found out that the 1st “tour” didn't start until 10am (I think we got into the city about 910am) so we got off and started walking about.
We walked around the Royal Palace grounds, I had a picture taken with one of the guards and then we went exploring.
We walked along the pedestrian shopping street (Drottninggatan) and did a little shopping.
We continued walking around until we found ourselves at 1 of the HO/HO stops and ended up having to wait about 45 minutes for the bus (so much for them going around every 1/2 hour). The bus was packed!! People on the bus were complaining that there were too many people on there already (there was still room for more) & we complained about how long we had already waited...while we got ourselves into the bus (we won!). Once we got seats, Dad & I decided that we were NOT getting off the bus until it took us back to the ship. We got a nice look at Stockholm - going around the entire loop 2 times (I think it took a little over 1 hr per loop).
The Vasa museum:
We also got to see a bit of the changing of the guards.
Overhearing others talking I told Dad that we needed to get off at the Palace - that this bus was NOT going to be acting as the shuttle back. Dad thought we were making a mistake, but luckily (for me) I was right. We made it to the other bus just in time & off we went back to the ship.
I did a little bit of shopping here before getting back onto the ship (chose to buy a Pippi Longstocking keychain to use as my ornament) and then it was to the room to drop off our stuff and then to the Garden Grill for lunch. Relaxing in the room followed until 445pm when I went to see the presentation in the Atrium lounge on the Cruise Rewards. NCL had a deal that if you book a future cruise while on board you would get $150 of on board credit to use on this cruise. I decided not to do this as it doesn't apply to travel agent rates.
Big thing for this evening was that we were sailing under the bridge that connects Denmark & Sweden. This bridge is called the Øresundsbron Bridge - the name is a combination of Danish & Swedish words, and is the longest border crossing bridge in the world. It is actually part bridge and part tunnel, completed in 1999. I don't remember how much space there was between the tallest point on the ship & the bottom of the bridge but there wasn't a lot of space in between. We had a beautiful evening for this even though it was quite windy.
Being creatures of habit we then did dinner & headed back to the room for movies, internet & relaxation. Hard to believe that we had our last port of call for the cruise :(
Our new friends TJ & Dennis - all dressed up :)
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