Tag: ncl

Cruise Ship Tour: Amazing Norwegian Jade!

by Heather Anne • July 29, 2021

Watch my full video tour!

Norwegian Jade Cruise Ship Tour

Cruising has returned! USA Today reported in this article that the Norwegian Jade was the first Norwegian Cruise Line ship to sail post- COVID-19 delays. So it seems like a great time to post this full video tour I filmed right before the shutdowns started! The Jade offers some of the most exciting cruise ship tour itineraries in the world. My Jade itinerary sailed from Rome, Italy to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with stops in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel. If you’re seeking some real adventure, consider a journey on the Jade!

Decks of Delight

There is a wealth of different deck areas on the Jade, each offering a unique perspective on the bright, sunny skies and brilliant, blue waters! For fun in the sun, easy access to the numerous bars, live entertainment, and the pool and jacuzzis steps away, visit the upper floors and Lido deck. For peace and quiet, a chance to relax and escape, and time away from the crowds, head for the Promenade Deck. Feeling frisky? There are athletic opportunities on the uppermost decks, including a basketball/soccer court and more. Your spectacular views, selfie ops, and the gentle breezes of the sea will be yours whichever deck you choose!

Delectable Dining

The Jade has dining options that will suit even the pickiest eaters’ taste buds! Your options will include complimentary dining options, specialty dining options that come at a fixed cost, and a-la-carte options. Your complimentary choices include two main dining rooms, a pub-style restaurant that’s open 24 hours, an Asian restaurant, a great big buffet, and an outdoor grill near the Lido deck. In the mood for a splurge? There are specialty dining restaurants including a steakhouse, Brazilian restaurant, French restaurant, Italian restaurant, Teppanyaki, and more. I believe you’ll find all of your bases covered! Whatever your whim, your appetite will be well-satisfied!

Luxurious Lobbies and Exceptional Entertainment

What’s better than a beautiful lobby to unwind in as you savor your favorite drink and watch the swirling seas float by out your window? Great entertainment too! Sure, the nightclubs and theater are there for you too, but first, for a more relaxed atmosphere, head for one of the luxurious lobbies to partake in some piano tunes and swoon-worthy singers. Close the night out with the excitement of a Broadway-style show in the Theater, some chills and thrills in the casino, and/or some dynamic dancing in the neon-bathed nightclubs! Whatever your mood or energy level, you’ll find just the entertainment you enjoy!

Conclusion

If you’re like I am, you’ve been really missing the #cruiselife. For more cruise content, take a behind-the-scenes tour of another grand cruise ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, here! And I hope you will be sailing again soon! In the meantime, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my all-travel, all-the-time YouTube channel here for more great cruise and other travel-related content! Thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing my travel experiences with you again next time! Are you back to traveling? Never stopped traveling? Leave a comment below; I’d love to hear about your adventures!

Thank you for your generous support on my Ko-fi page here! You can say thanks for as little as $2! Follow me on Ko-Fi for more content updates!

cruising

Norwegian Dawn Tour – Christmas Cruise Ship!

by Heather Anne • December 22, 2020

Watch my YouTube video tour!

Norwegian Dawn Tour at Christmastime!

I have a Norwegian Dawn Tour at Christmastime for you this week! Norwegian Cruise Line goes all out around the holiday to decorate their ships in brilliant lights, sweeping garlands, and more Christmas trees than I could count. It’s a beautiful sight whatever your religious and cultural beliefs. And I don’t know how they do it. With cruises booked back to back to back, when they set all this up for the month of December they must do it in the few hours between cruises on the weekend they plan on it. Considering the volume of decorations scattered throughout the ship, that’s incredible. It’s like a Christmas miracle! December is my favorite time to cruise, because it feels like a non-stop celebration, and all of the shiny objects and merry music are enthralling! NOTE: Neither this article nor video are sponsored by NCL.

The Dawn Decked Out for the Holiday!

The scene is spectacular! It seems like every major public area on the ship has one or more Christmas trees set up. The Atrium and Buffet have adorable, delectable gingerbread villages set up as well. These wintry scenes are incredibly detailed. It’s clear, Norwegian’s Christmas elves have been very, very busy! It’s a magical time of year for cruising, with all of the fantastical festivities. As if the flamboyant decor wasn’t enough, you’ll also find numerous Christmas concerts performed by a variety of bands around the ship. (Check out my YouTube video above to hear 2 performances!) I think the North Pole has met its match here on the Dawn… Take a stroll though the ship and feel the Christmas spirit envelop you!

Ho-Ho Harmonious

There’s a harmonious synchrony around the ship at this time of year. Norwegian does a great job of creating beautiful spaces throughout the year, but this time of year they pull out all the stops. There is an appealing consistency throughout the ship. All of the dining rooms, specialty restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and lobbies are in on the fun. The Christmas cheer is infectious. And the warmth of the sunny destinations cruise ships visit this time of year mirrors the warmth of the holidays around the ship! So ditch the shovels and snow tires and escape for the holiday season!

Christmas Cruising Conclusions

In my opinion, the holidays are the very best time for a cruise. A cruise is a joyous event ordinarily, but the cruise lines really outdo themselves for the holidays. It’s like getting a a Christmas gift included in your cruise fare. I would also add that this is the best time of year to book a cruise. Around Black Friday is the ideal time, but great deals are still to be had through December. I find that not only are prices lower, but that more perks are included to boot. So plan a holiday getaway to a winter wonderland in the sun! Get away from the cold, and feel the warmth of the holiday season on a cruise vacation next holiday! And, in the meantime, enjoy my Norwegian Dawn tour in the video at the top of this post. And, if you want to take a behind-the-scenes tour of a cruise ship, check out my Norwegian Breakaway behind-the-scenes tour here! Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays!

Uncategorized

The Beautiful, Bold, and Breathtaking Brand New Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship!

by Heather Anne • November 26, 2018

The Norwegian Bliss

The Norwegian Bliss cruise ship sailed its maiden cruise this past spring, and I had the opportunity to sail on the Bliss in August on Norwegian’s Alaska itinerary out of Seattle, Washington. A spectacular experience on a spectacular ship!

The Bliss docked in Victoria, B.C., Canada

The Bliss has 19 decks, and a 4,990 occupancy rate (double occupancy!) It holds a crew of 1,700. As impressive as the stats on this ship are, they cannot prepare you for the experience of witnessing this beautiful, breathtaking behemoth in person! The artwork on the hull is titled “Cruising with the Whales” and was created by renowned marine artist Wyland.

Spectacular chandelier in one of the main lobbies

The interior design of the Bliss makes it as magnificent as the exterior! The decor is elegant, grandiose, and best of all, clever and creative. I felt spoiled on eye candy at every moment on the Bliss.

Savor complimentary dining room

The Bliss is abundant with options for dining, including many complimentary and specialty choices. The decor in the dining rooms is upscale and trendy; I felt like a VIP no matter where I dined, whether there was a charge or not. Service was always prompt, courteous, and friendly, and the meals were a delight to my palate!

Sugarcane Mojito Bar – my favorite hangout on the ship

In addition to dining outlets there are many bars on the Bliss, often tastefully themed. I was especially partial to the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, where the decor was classic Havana and there were a myriad of different flavors of Mojito, all delicious, to choose from. It was a great place to relax, enjoy the views of the ocean, and meet fellow passengers while enjoying some of the best drinks I’ve ever tasted!

Balcony cabin on the Bliss

The balcony cabin was spacious, comfortable, and delightfully decorated. The mattress was dreamy, and I appreciated the many options for storage and abundance of electrical outlets. I never felt cramped in the bathroom, either. These were very pleasant surroundings for my stay on the sea!

The entertainment was outstanding on the Bliss, including the Tony-award-winning “Jersey Boys” show, “Havana!” a Cuban music and cultural extravaganza, and the New Orleans speakeasy inspired “Happy Hour Prohibition” musical. I was enthralled and moved by all three shows. And of course, there is plenty more nightlife to come post-show in the exciting nightclubs!

The Bliss has ample amenities, even including a go-kart track on the top deck, laser tag, and the wildest water park slides I’ve ever witnessed on a cruise ship. And if all that wasn’t enough, the spectacular views of Alaska’s Inside Passage from up on deck or the privacy of your balcony – priceless!

I would recommend the Bliss cruise ship to anyone with absolutely zero hesitation. To this day, it is in my opinion the greatest cruise ship I have ever had the pleasure to sail on. I experienced no issues or problems whatsoever at any point during the cruise, either.

I have posted a full video tour of the Bliss, including a first-person view from inside the go karts, here!:

Donation

I am extremely grateful for your generous donation to help keep the site running! This site and individual posts are not sponsored! A dollar may not be a lot, but every dollar counts!

$1.00

Uncategorized

Breakaway to the Baltic: Norwegian Breakaway Cruise through the Baltic Sea

by Heather Anne • September 3, 2018

Norwegian Breakaway: Canvas for Artist Peter Max

The Norwegian Breakaway can hold a capacity of 3,963 passengers (double occupancy), 1,657 crew members, and launched in 2013. It is one of the larger ships on the NCL fleet. I sailed on the Breakaway through the Baltic Sea in May-June, featuring the destinations of Copenhagen, Denmark (embarkation port); Berlin, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia (overnight stop); Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden.

Trendy Studio Cabin on the Breakaway

I booked a studio cabin for the trip, which, as you can see from the photo, was somewhat cramped but comprehensive, classy cabin. With the studio cabin category, NCL inspires solo travelers to feel like VIPs, through locked door access to the studio cabin hallways (think: velvet rope), a studio lounge with a specialty coffee machine and other amenities, and a dedicated solo travelers’ concierge that arranges meet ups like group dinners, entertainment, and activities for those craving some companionship for others in the same “boat…” Being an introvert myself and someone who tends to stay very busy during a cruise I opted out of these gatherings, but was pleased to see that such an effort was being made to accommodate solo travelers paying a premium to book passage alone.

Ice Bar, Norwegian Breakaway

The Breakaway has spent much time sailing out of New York City, and this association with New York is heavily apparent in the decor of the ship. One example would be the Ice Bar (photo above,) which features images of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Empire State Building. I found this to be an oddity, since I tend to associate the concept of an “ice bar” with Scandinavia, not New York. The Spice H20 outdoor lounge features images of a Rockaway Beach in Queens. Artist Peter Max’s signature Statue of Liberty image proudly graces the front of the ship, and more. Perhaps a reader will “get it” and leave a comment, but I couldn’t grasp the motivation behind featuring New York so profoundly in the ship’s decor. If you are from New York taking a vacation on a cruise ship, isn’t New York probably the last thing you want to look at? Or wouldn’t you want to “breakaway” from the Big Apple?

Lido Deck, Norwegian Breakaway

The Lido Deck is expansive and features a water park boasting enormous water slides! Also available are a rock climbing wall, basketball court, ropes course, mini golf, and more. Due to lower Spring temperatures in the Baltic, the Lido was not heavily trafficked on this particular itinerary.

Bliss Nightclub, Norwegian Breakaway

The Breakaway is almost daunting in its sheer size, but once you get your bearings there are many options for dining and entertainment. Aboard you will find multiple theaters, nightclubs, and restaurants (both complimentary and specialty.) The Breakaway has some of the finest entertainment I have experienced on a cruise ship, including a Cirque du Soleil show, wine tasting musical, and ballroom dancing show all of which I found to be outstanding – a quality comparable to Las Vegas shows. Be prepared to pay extra for some of the shows.

Le Bistro, a Specialty Dining Venue on Norwegian Breakaway

Public areas of the ship are extremely clean, luxurious, inviting, and well-maintained. Typical of Norwegian’s style, the decor is modern and trendy. The ship is kept in immaculate condition – I found no signs of wear-and-tear or rust.

Lobby Chandelier Spanning Three Floors, Norwegian Breakaway

The Breakaway Baltic Cruise features a 9-day itinerary, which I found to be far more satisfying than the typical 7-day itinerary. At this time of the year, the Baltic area is experiencing the “White Nights” effect, where it only gets dark for a couple of hours out of each 24 hour day (in the winter, the effect is the opposite, with limited time of sunlight.)

White Nights: Moon in a Bright Sky at 3:00am

I highly recommend the Norwegian Breakaway, whether you choose to embark on the Baltic Itinerary in the Summer or a Winter itinerary closer to home! You can view a full tour here!:

Donation

I am extremely grateful for your generous donation to help keep the site running! This site and individual posts are not sponsored! A dollar may not be a lot, but every dollar counts!

$1.00