Dining at Sea Part 2

Welcome Aboard

You've just gotten onboard your ship and you discover that it will still be some time before your cabins are ready.   But not to worry, the crew has gotten a buffet lunch ready for you to enjoy while you wait.

There isn't a set menu on cruise lines, but you'll usually find a wide variety of menu items to chose from.  Usually you'll be able to have soup and salad, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and other fast food items.   There will be several entrees to select from usually including some kind of carved meat such as beef, turkey, or ham.

You might find some ethnic dishes such as Mexican or Asian.   If you are looking for something lighter, you may find sandwiches ready made or made to order.

Finish your meal with some dessert treats such as ice cream, frozen yogurt, cakes, cookies and other baked treats. 

If you have food allergies, the Maitre d' will be able to assist you.

Garden Cafe

We've just returned from a Seminar at Sea onboard Norwegian Jewel, so we've included images we took during our cruise. You've already discovered that you can have your welcome aboard lunch in the Garden Cafe, but did you know that you can start your day with breakfast there and even have a more casual dinner there as well.

One night during our cruise they had a pig roast for the main carving item.   That brought back memories of our very first cruise on Yankee Trader, a Windjammer Barefoot Cruise where that was our Captain's Dinner Party.

Next we'll look at some of the more formal dinner settings, such as the traditional dining room.

NCL Caribbean Deployment 2012/2013

Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Jewel

Norwegian Star

  Norwegian Sun

Caribbean Deployment

2012 / 2013

Miami, New Orleans, Tampa

Five Norwegian Cruise Line Ships will be deployed to the Caribbean in the 2012/2013  season.

Out of Miami, you can chose from Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jewel, and Norwegian Sun.  The Sun will sail 10 and 11 day Southern Caribbean itineraries while the Epic and Jewel will sail alternating 7-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itinerarires.

• Saturdays from November 3, 2012 to April 13, 2013 (Norwegian Epic)
• The Eastern Caribbean cruises call on Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with an optional tour to St. John; and Nassau, Bahamas. 
• The Western Caribbean cruises stop in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; and Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras. 

• Sundays from October 14, 2012 to April 14, 2013 (Norwegian Jewel)
• The Eastern Caribbean cruises call on Samaná, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands with an optional tour to St. John; Tortola, British Virgin Islands with an optional tour to Virgin Gorda; and Nassau, Bahamas. 
• The Western Caribbean cruises visit Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. 

• October 14, 2012 to April 10, 2013 (Norwegian Sun)
• The 10-day cruise calls on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with an optional tour to St. John; Roseau, Dominica; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.  
• The 11-day cruise calls on Cartagena, Colombia; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curaçao; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with an optional tour to St. John.
• One seven-day Western Caribbean cruise from Orlando and the Beaches (Port Canaveral) on April 14, 2012 with stops in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas.   

Out of Tampa, the Norwegian Dawn replaces Norwegian Star sailing 23 seven day Western Caribbean itineraries

• Sundays from November 11, 2012 to April 14, 2013 (Norwegian Dawn)
• The 7-day cruises call on Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. 

Out of New Orleans, the Norwegian Star will sail seven day Western Caribbean itineraries

• Sundays during Winter and Spring (Norwegian Star)
• The 7-day cruises call on Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras. 

Completing the Deployment

Limited Time Offer (click)

Norwegian will also offer 11 repositioning cruises ranging from a four-day Pacific Coastal to a 17-day Panama Canal from April 15 to October 26, 2012 departing from Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Quebec. For the first time, the cruise line will offer a 16-day Colonial America cruise on Norwegian Dawn sailing from Quebec City, Quebec to Tampa, Florida on October 26, 2012 calling on Portland, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; Miami and Key West, Florida.

In addition, two-day Quick Getaways will be offered from Miami on board Norwegian Jewel on October 12, 2012 and from New York on board Norwegian Gem on September 28, 2012

Search (here) for Norwegian Cruise Line Itineraries

East Coast Snow Aims for Cruise Ports

Photo Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line

CARNIVAL PRIDE ®

Weather Forecast:
Baltimore - SNOWY
Bahamas - SUNNY

CARNIVAL FANTASY ® 

Delayed  Arrival

Carnival Fantasy's arrival in the Port of Charleston, SC  
Monday, December 27, will be delayed several hours. Carnival is advising embarking passengers to arrive after 1:30 p.m.  

Note:  This Blog Post covered a particular event, however, links contained in this article may still be useful during later weather events.     Click (here) for Weather & Travel Links

New York and New England Airports Closed

The East Coast is being hit by a major snow storm which has stranded passengers in several states including New York and Boston.   The closures won't directly impact cruises in that area since there are none scheduled to leave until January 2nd.   Of course, passengers trying to depart from or through New York or Boston, will be impacted by the closures.

 

Carnival Pride and Norwegian Jewel were not impacted by the snow storm.  They departed on schedule Sunday afternoon.

IMPORTANT WEATHER LINKS

NWS - Local Weather

NWS - Baltimore, MD

Baltimore Sun Weather Page

NWS - Charleston, SC

IMPORTANT TRAVEL LINKS

Airport Delays

Baltimore/Washington International Airport

BWI Ground Transportation

Port of Baltimore

Port of Charleston

It is always advisable to allow extra time for travel to your port of call, especially during winter months.   Check with your air carrier in advance to see if there are any changes to your flight schedule.   The cruise line will notify your travel agent of any known itinerary changes, but last minute changes can also occur.   Best advice is to expect changes and have travel insurance to assist you with any missed connections.

SpongeBob Spotted On Norwegian Jewel

Exclusive Family Entertainment

Norwegian Jewel & Epic

I've just received an inside tip that SpongeBob, of Nickelodeon fame, was spotted this month on Norwegian Jewel.  The photo above, from an insider at Norwegian Cruise Line, confirms this.  SpongeBob is seen relaxing in the sun on Norwegian Jewel.   Doesn't he look nice and relaxed?   

No SpongeBob isn't on Spring Break.   In fact, starting in April on Norwegian Jewel and this Summer on Norwegian Epic, Nickelodeon and Norwegian Cruise Line have teamed up to create one-of-a-kind family cruise vacations... introducing Nickelodeon at Sea, exclusively on Norwegian Cruise line.

This program was announced in January, 2010... Nickelodeon At Sea

Slimmed - Courtesy NCL

Experience a whole new level of imaginative activities and entertainment specifically designed for everyone in the family from kids to teens to adults.

• Catch a show starring everyone's favorite Nickelodeon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and more.
• Splash and play with new poolside activities and games.
• Meet your favorite Nickelodeon stars with character breakfasts and other fun meet and greets throughout the ship.
• Enjoy exciting trips ashore designed specifically for families.

Itineraries:   Norwegian Jewel  (New York R/T)    Norwegian Epic  (Miami - East/West Caribbean)

 A cruise vacation is fun for the whole family.   With the addition of Nickelodeon at Sea, NCL adds another dimension to Freestyle Cruising®.  Several cruise lines have added characters on board their ships over the years.   This has always been a hit with the young crowd, so we are certain this will also be a success.

Click on one of the ships above to plan a family vacation on one of these ships, book your vacation, and send me your pictures of SpongeBob with your family.  We'll post your pictures in a future column.

Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B)

If you aren't familiar with NCL's Freestyle Cruising®,  search my blog for other articles.  Hint:  Right now there's a sale in progress:  NCL Spring Sales Event (through April 19th)

Nickelodeon At Sea

Nickelodeon and Norwegian Cruise Line Partner

Ultimate Family Experience

Nickelodeon at Sea

Nickelodeon will be the featured family brand on Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Epic; Norwegian to Offer Annual Nickelodeon Specialty Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line today announced a new partnership with Nickelodeon in which select Norwegian ships will feature Nickelodeon-themed family entertainment and programming all year long. Beginning in April on Norwegian Jewel and this summer on Norwegian Epic, Nickelodeon and Norwegian experiences for the entire family will include: character meet and greets; interactive game shows; and more.

The three-year partnership also includes select specialty Nickelodeon-themed cruises each year, featuring Nickelodeon TV stars, show premieres and continuous themed-entertainment on the ship.

Nickelodeon at Sea will launch on Norwegian Jewel when the ship begins sailing from New York in late April, and on Norwegian’s latest addition to its fleet, Norwegian Epic, when she launches in July.

Each cruise will feature live Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows, including: SlimeTime LIVE! with Nick’s signature slime; Nick Live! Poolside entertainment; character breakfasts and meet and greets; Nick-themed dance parties; and more. Nickelodeon-themed elements will also be incorporated into Norwegian’s Kids’ Crew program.

Special Nickelodeon-themed cruises will be offered annually. These unique cruises will include: special appearances by the Network’s live talent; show premieres; more live game shows; even more opportunities to visit with kids’ favorite Nick characters; and much more. The first of the Nickelodeon-themed specialty cruises is scheduled on Norwegian Jewel later this year. More details and an on sale date will be released soon.

Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).