TWO DAY CRUISE TO NOWHERE - NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY

WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE!

We cruised from the New York Pier to nowhere in the dead of winter.  Yes, this two-day cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway gave us a great opportunity to see this "well talked about cruise ship" and  enjoy a weekend get away for under $600 per cabin double occupancy.  Fast paced and definitely the place to get your party on.  The age of the cruisers on this ship ranged from 15-75 and believe me there was something for everyone.

Getting to the Ship:  We decided to park in upper Manhattan and take a taxi to the pier.  There is onsite parking for approximately $42 per day.  Some people were dropped off and picked up.  Boarding starts at 12:00 noon until 3:00pm.  It went fast and seamless because we did the on-line check-in before we left.   It took no more than 15 minutes.  You will need your drivers license or passport to check in, but passports are not mandatory because you are not going into international waters.

What to bring/or not  bring:  You are allowed to bring wine and champagne on board and no other alcoholic beverages.    If you bring liquor and they stop you, they will hold it until the last night of your cruise.  This is only a two day cruise so you get it the next day.  This is a very casually dressed ship, however, there are those who dress up at night for dinner (no gowns or tuxedos).

Our Cabin:  It was located on the 5th floor.  This is the first floor of cabins.  Once we got into our cabin it was fine.  I do not recommend being near the elevators.  We got an inside cabin which was pretty good since we did not spend much time in the room most of the weekend.  If you like to see the  daylight come into your room in the morning, then get an ocean view for a few dollars more.  This has a very large picture window.  I don't really understand why you would  need a balcony unless you like being in the cold.  Remember this is a winter cruise.  Just a little tip:  Bring your own bar of soap.

The food:  Norwegian is known for its Freestyle dining.  The buffet is open as soon as you arrive, and the bars throughout the ship are open.  Food was delicious no matter where we ate.  You can go to any of the restaurants on board anytime you want, except the steakhouse and Asian restaurant where you may need a reservation and there is a nominal fee.  There is enough free restaurants and a wide selection of food to choose from so we chose to stay with the non-paying restaurants.  Make sure you get to O'Sheehans for their delicious corned beef sandwich (open 24 hours).

The shows and entertainment:  The broadway style show was the Rock of Ages.  The jazz nightclub was fantastic and Bliss, their disco (yes, I still call it disco) had their resident DJ was fun.   We saw the comedy show and listened and danced to their reggae band.  There was bingo, a full casino, an art exhibition and much more.  I actually won some money in their casino!

The Service:  Our stateroom attendant was absolutely awful.  We adopted the stateroom attendant from another cabin and he was fantastic.  First time I experienced this on any cruise line, but I think he was new and didn't know where anything was.

Oh, and did I mention it was our anniversary?  Yes, we asked the resident band to play our wedding song

, "Have I told you lately that I love you" by Rod Steward and we danced on stage.  It was so emotional.  I am a cry baby and so were many of the people watching.  New Yorkers showing real emotion.  Loved it.

NEGRIL, JAMAICA - Mon we Irie all day

After our 7 day cruise to Cuba, we docked in Montego Bay.  Since it was a Friday we decided to spend the weekend in Negril, Jamaica.

Negril has been home to us for over 10 years, however, we stopped going after the hurricane wiped away a lot of the restaurants, shops and left the beach not as pristine as before.  This time we took a chance and found a great little hotel called "Sea Splash."  

I had no idea what to expect in Negril nor what would await us at Sea Splash. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!  The beach was back!.  The hotel was a small little place almost hidden from the main road and when we walked into our room it was beautiful!!  The room was so clean and the all white bedding and curtains made it inviting.  

We immediately put our bags down and headed for the 21 mile beach.  We walked up and down, splashed in the water and listened to the rhythm of reggae music coming out of every restaurant.  Ah!  The flavor and atmosphere of Negril, Jamaica.

We snorkeled, we ate authentic caribbean food at Sweet Spice for dinner and went to see a reggae band. At night the smell of ganja is everywhere.   I got a contact high at the concert and had to leave early.  lol.  

The next day we had Akee, Codfish, Dumplings and Calaloo for breakfast.  If you don't know what this is, you ought to ask somebody.  

We only had two days in Jamaica, and that was not nearly enough.  I have got to go back soon.  

Irie

Joann & Dewitt

CUBA CRUISE LINES - LOUIS CRISTAL - THE BOAT

Our Cuba Trip began on the Louis Cristal out of Montego Bay.   This is not your luxury liner or cruise ship with rock climbing walls, zip lining, etc.  Cuba Cruise Lines sails from December to March each year to Cuba.

Some background information:  The ship is old (1980).  It has been sold twice.  It is now owned by a Greek company. The boat was just comfortable enough to get you to the islands of Cuba on a seven day adventure.  If you understand this before you board, then you will have a great time.

We opted for an ocean view cabin, there are not that many balconies on this ship.  Our room size was normal for a ship and the beds were just above standard.   It was however, Clean and neat.   Our room attendant was accommodating and efficient.   The bathroom had a sign on the first day that said "do not put any toilet tissue in the toilet", put it in the garbage can.  What?  I never heard of such a thing.  Most Americans on board were appalled.  However, the Europeans onboard (who outnumbered us) did not seem fazed by this at all.  We used our judgement and we were fine.

The pool was my biggest disappointment.  They drained the pool each day around 6:00.  The food was pretty good.  There were three nights where the food was exceptional:   during the midnight buffet, the captains cocktail party and Greek night.  Changes are a coming for the 2016 cruise year....ie, more authentic cuban food.

Entertainment was mediocre nightly and the disco was ok.  There was a cuban opera singer that was absolutely fantastic and the aerial act was amazing.  Casino small but functional.  I think we broke even by the end of the week.

Customer Service -  The new company has been responsive and is clearly into customer service.  This beforehand was not a cruise you would want to be on if you are looking for refunds, gifts, or apologies for bad food, rooms or service.  They are friendly, but not going to be too accommodating with small annoyances or mishaps.  Perhaps with the change of hands from Canadian to Greek this may change.

You have to regard this cruise as a "means to an end."  Meaning you get to see Cuba inexpensively and thoroughly immerse yourself in it's people and culture.  With that being said....I had one of the best vacations of my life.  I won't remember the cruise ship in a few weeks, but I will remember Cuba for a long time to come.


midnight buffet

midnight buffet

CUBA - VACATION FULL OF FUN MUSIC AND WARMTH

It was definitely time to get out of the cold!

We left New York and took a flight to Montego Bay where we boarded a cruise ship for a 7 day cruise to Cuba.  Under Obama's new travel restrictions, you still need licensing as an American to visit.  There are organizations out there that now work with travel agents to help obtain this legally.

Cienfuegos, Cuba.  We arrived early Saturday morning  and as we docked I could see beautiful 19th century apartment buildings on the bay with locals waving to us from the streets.

We decided to take a tour bus to the center of town.  As we walked around the square we could see families everywhere walking around shopping and there were many outdoor cafes that sold only coffee, beer and drinks cheap.  I am told there is no homeless population in Cuba, but there were people stopping asking for pesos.

We then went to a beachside restaurant where we had authentic cuban food cooked on the grill and a cuban salsa band played for us while we had lunch,  We danced and sang and ended up spending 3 hrs there.  Very hospitable place overlooking the beautiful ocean.

Punta Frances - this is a private beach area for the cruise ship.  I was happy to put my toes in the white sand and the crystal water.  We got a cold drink and just chilled the rest of the day,

HAVANA here we come!!  We were so excited to be in Havana.  The boat docked right smack in the middle of town.  All you can see is people everywhere, horse drawn buggies, a lot of old American  cars passing by, and weathered buildings.  It's like taking a step back in time.  We decided to take a buggy ride and the driver gave us a tour of old and new Havana.  This is where things got real.

Old Havana:   In the residential areas we saw rubble from buildings that had crumpled to the ground.  Right next to the rubble are buildings barely standing with people going in and out.  They sat on window sills looking out with no window panes and no doors.  You could look right into their apartments.  Since these were old buildings many had no running water, so you can see people hoisting buckets of water up and down with a rope.  I am told that only when the building collapses, are the tenants then moved to New Havana where housing is slightly better.

After the buggy ride we walked around town and saw dance troupes singing in the street, vendors selling records and books, small inlets of shops where wood carvings and the unusual souvenirs are sold.  We then took a cab ride in a 1950 oldsmobile to the other side of town where we had lunch and a tour of new Havana.  We also had the cab driver take us to the art district.  We had just missed a young group of singers and dancers, but had a concotion called Negro rum (pronounced Nee-A-gro)  Delicious!

As it grew dark we went to an abandoned movie theatre to see a young choral group perform called "Calle de Opera" They performed in a building where you can see that part of the ceiling is missing, and some of walls are torn down and no running water.  They were outstanding!

Before we turned in we stopped at a corner bar where there was a band and two women singers.  One of the women who performed, and if I didn't know any better, I would of thought was Celia Cruz.  We danced in the street because it was too crowded to get inside.  Best latin and salsa you every want to hear.  This is what we came for!!

Biren and Santiago de Cuba - Both of these were historical in content.  We went to Castro's village where he grew up and walked inside his home, and we went to a museum where everything about the revolution was exhibited (even the torture chamber).  After that we saw lots of cuban bands playing in and around town, had a cuban meal, and bought back some rum from the Bacardi factory.  In Biran we visited a Cuban family where they made the best coffee, honey and homemade rum.  Biggest regret is that I got the rum and not the honey.  You can legally bring back up to $100 worth of cuban cigars and rum.

Historically I learned a lot about Cuba, its culture and its people.  They are warm, welcoming and friendly to americans.  They do not have legal access to the internet, microwaves, dishwashers, modern cars, and American TV, but are happy, and especially healthy (due to having access to the best medical doctors in the world for free).  I found out that they would gladly accept basic toiletries that we take for granted like toilet paper, razors, feminine products, and get this....guitar strings!  Yes, I saw a latin band playing and the guitarist had one string on his guitar.

Food excellent, Mojitos hit or miss.  All in all I must say that the people of Cuba are very proud of their cuban heritage which consists of African, Indian and Spanish roots.  I think this visit was the beginning of many more for us and we will be going back real soon.

Get on Board with us in 2015-2016!