Tuesday, October 30, 2007

THE ONBOARD THE NORWEGIAN DAWN CARIBBEAN REPOSITIONING CRUISE OCTOBER 28 FROM NEW YORK CITY TO NOVEMBER 11, 2007 WHEN WE DOCK AT MIAMI FLORIDA.

OCT 28, ONCE THE TAXI DRIVER WHO CLAIMS TO BE FROM NEW YORK FIGURES OUT WHERE THE MANHATTAN CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL IS AFTER I GIVE HIM A MAP I PAY THE FARE AND PROCEED INTO THE TERMINAL BUILDING.

THERE ARE THREE NORWEGIAN SHIPS IN PORT TODAY, THE SMALLER CROWN, THE SPIRIT AND THE DAWN.

I AM GREETED BY AN NCL STAFFER AT THE LATITUDES CHECKIN WHO IS HANDING EVERYONE A SHEET REGARDING THE RECENT OUTBREAK OF THE NOROVIRUS ON THE SHIP -IF I DON’T WANT TO SAIL A FULL REFUND.

I FIND A SEAT IN THE LATITUDES AREA AND SHORTLY AFTER SPOT SOMEONE WHO I THINK IS PART OF THE WHO HAVE POSTING FOR OVER A YEAR AND WHOSE PHOTOS WE CRUISE CRITIC GROUP HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THROUGH WEBSHOTS.

I ASK - ARE YOU JESSE - YES AND AMY IS NEXT TO HIM - SHORTLY SEVERAL OTHERS RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER AND THE START OF A GREAT CRUISE IS UPON ME.

EMBARKATION WAS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN USUAL - THE BOARDING STARTED LATE BECAUSE THE SHIP IS BEING SANITIZED AND SECURITY IS A LOT MORE TIGHTER THAN ON MY WEST COAST CRUISES.

FINALLY AROUND ONE O’CLOCK I AM ON BOARD BUT THERE IS AN OTHER SURPRISE IN STORE FOR US - NO ACCESS TO OUR STATEROOMS UNTIL 3PM BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA CLEANING - NORMALLY THIS WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM BUT I WAS BREAKING IN A NEW PAIR OF SHOES AND MY FEET WERE FEELING THE EFFECT OF THE MORNING WALK IN CENTRAL PARK AND THE STANDING AROUND THE TERMINAL.

I GRAB A QUICK BITE TO EAT AT THE GARDEN CAFÉ ( BUFFET) AND THEN PROCEED TO START TAKING LOT’S OF PICTURES OF THE NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LANDSCAPE.

I HEAD UP TO THE BIMINI’S BAR ON DECK 14 WHERE WORD HAS IT THAT AN INFORMAL CC SAILAWAY DRINK WOULD TAKE PLACE.
JOHN AND CYNTHIA FROM DENVER WERE THERE AND JOHN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BUY ME A BEER - SEVERAL OTHERS INCLUDING CINDY AND LEO FROM MASS. SHOW UP.

THE FINALLY GET AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WILL BE SAILING IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR 5:15PM AND WOULD PASS THE STATUTE OF LIBERTY ABOUT 35 MINUTES AFTER THAT. SUNSET IS 5:55 AND THE SUNLIGHT WOULD BE BEHIND US AS WE SAILED BY THE OLD GAL.

BUT FIRST THERE IS THE MANDATORY LIFE JACKET DRILL - INSIDE IN ONE OF THE RESTAURANTS INSTEAD OF OUT ON THE DECK.

AFTER THE DRILL I HAVE A SAILAWAY BURGER UP ON THE DECK.

WHILE THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY THERE IS A BRISK COLD WIND BLOWING.

FINALLY THE SHIP STARTS TO BACK OUT OF THE PIER - TURN AROUND AND HEAD DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER - THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THAT MY CAMCORDER BATTERY IS JUST ABOUT DEAD - COULDN’T RECHARGE BECAUSE WHILE I HAD ACCESS TO MY ROOM MY LUGGAGE DIDN’T ARRIVE UNTIL AROUND 6:30PM WHICH IS WHERE MY CABLES ARE.

AS THE SHIP STARTED OUT OF THE PIER THE JOCKEYING FOR THE BEST PHOTO SHOTS STARTED WITH MANY PEOPLE JOSTLING OTHERS FOR THAT PERFECT PICTURE LOCATION..

BECAUSE OF THE LATEST OF THE HOUR I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME FAIRLY GOOD SHOTS - THE CAM CORDER BATTERY DID RUN OUT BUT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE SOME STILLS WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEST ALBEIT WITH A LOWER RESOLUTION.

SPEND THE EVENING WANDERING THE SHIP, DOWNLOADING AND EDITING ALL MY PHOTOS AND SOME VIDEO OF THE DAYS EVENT.

TOOK IN THE START OF THE BON VOYAGE PARTY IN SPINNAKER LOUNGE BUT THERE WEREN’T A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.

ONE LAST WALK THROUGH THE CASINO AND IT WAS BACK TO THE CABIN AND TO BED.

WAS UP A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR A TOILET BREAK AND FINALLY AROUND 6:30 AM ON MONDAY MORNING I AWOKE FOR MY FIRST FULL DAY AT SEA.

NEXT UP BREAKFAST AND THEN THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EVENTS THAT I WILL ATTEND.

THERE IS A BRIEF LATITUDES RECEPTION WHERE THEY WILL EXPLAIN THE NEW CRUISE REWARDS PROGRAM

FINALLY AT 10:30 OUR LONG ANTICIPATED CC MEET AND GREET - WHILE OVER 100 PEOPLE HAVE POSTED AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD ATTEND HISTORY SHOWS THAT MANY DON’T - I HAVE PREDICTED 60 SO WE SHALL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

OFF TO BREAKFAST - MORE POSTS AND THOUGHTS LATER.

THE CC PARTY TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS - HELD IN THE STAR BAR OON DECK 13 - 55 PEOPLE SHOWED UP - WHERE WE GREETED BY THE CAPTAIN WHO SAID A FEW WORDS AND THEN THE CRUISE DIRECTOR TOOK OVER - THERE WERE THREE DOOR PRIZED COURTESY OF NCL - NONE OF WHICH I WON.

SPECIAL THANKS WENT TO EDIE, AMY, JOHN, URSALA FOR THE WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS EVENT - GREAT NAME TAGS FOR EVERYONE - COFFEE AND JUICE FOR ANYONE WANTING IT.

BEFORE I K NEW IT THE HOUR WAS OVER AND WE STARTED WANDERING OUR OWN WAY THROUGHOUT THE SHIP.

THE WEATHER REPORT SAID IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUNNY WHEN IN FACT IT HAS BEEN MOSTLY CLOUDY - THE FURTHER SOUTH WE GO THE WARMER IT IS GETTING.

SPEND THE REST OF THE DAY DOING NOTHING - HAVE SUPPER IN THE AQUA FREESTYLE RESTAURANT AND AFTER SUPPER ADJOURN TO THE JAVA CAFÉ WHERE I MEET UP WITH BRIAN AND JOYCE FROM ENGLAND WHO GO BY THE HANDLE - ANCIENT MARINERS ON CC.
WE LISTEN TO A GET TRIO DOING A GOOD VARIETY OF SONGS.

I SAY GTOODBYE TO BRIAN AND JOYCE AND THEN HEAD UP TO SPINNAKER LOUNGE FOR A BIG BAND TRIBUTE WHICH WAS TOO SLOW FOR ME BUT I AM WAITING FOR THE “NEW YEAR’S PARTY TO START - I PURCHASE A BUCKET OF BEER - 6 FOR THE PRICE OF FIVE - JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER NOT TO DRINK ALL OF THEM IN ONE SITTING.

TURN IN ABOUT MIDNIGHT.

WHILE THERE SEA IS ROUGH - I THINK WE ARE GETTING THE REMMANTS OF A TROPICAL DEPRESSION THAT HAS BEEN IN THE AREA THE ROCKING OF THE BOAT HASN’T BEEN TOO GREAT.

DAY TWO TUESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2007

HAD A GOOD 7 HOUR SLEEP AM ARE POSTING THIS JUST PRIOR TO HEADING UP FOR BREAKFAST.

IT IS WARM - UPPER 70’S SO THE SHORTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET.

DON’T HAVE MUCH PLANNED THIS MORNING - PERHAPS A WORKOUT IN THE GYM BUT THERE A SEVERAL THINGS HAPPENING THIS AFTERNOON THAT INTEREST ME.

MORE LATER.