2009 - NCL GEM - TRANSATLANTIC - LEAVING NEW YORK

LEAVING NEW YORK BEHIND I MADE A MISTAKE.

MAKE THAT TWO MISTAKES.

NUMBER ONE - I SAW THEY HAD A 'SAIL AWAY SPECIAL' IN THE HAIRDRESSERS. A 'SPECIAL' SHAVE.

THIS TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR OR MORE & COST SO MUCH I AM TOO EMBARRASSED TO SAY HOW MUCH.

NUMBER TWO - SAME PLACE , BEING IN THE BARBER CHAIR I MISSED THE SAIL AWAY FROM NEW YORK. MISSED THE STATUE OF LIBERTY & THE BRIDGES

I WAS DUE TO DOCK IN NY IN 2012 BUT HURRICANE SANDY SAID NO TO THAT.

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC

SO - WHAT IS IT LIKE BEING AT SEA FOR FIVE OR SIX DAYS WITHOUT SEEING LAND.

YOU EITHER LOVE IT OR NOT.

I LOVE IT.

TO FIND OUT YOU DO NOT IS NOT GOING TO BE A GOOD EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE BY THEN YOU ARE NOT ABOUT TO SWIM FOR SHORE.

LIFE AT SEA

I OFTEN HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO DO ON A CRUISE SHIP SO HOW DO YOU COPE WITH SIX DAYS.

EASY.

LETS TAKE A TOUR OF THE SHIP - THE NORWEGIAN GEM.

WE WILL START IN MY CABIN. A LITTLE SMALL BUT I WILL ONLY BE SLEEPING IN HERE.

SHOWER, SHAVE & SPLIT.

I MIGHT GET DRESSED BUT THAT'S IT.

THIS ONE HAS A PORT HOLE.
MY TAKE ON THIS IS, TAKE THE CHEAPEST CABIN YOU CAN GET. I HAVE HAD A BALCONY, ONCE, BUT ONLY BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME A FREE UPGRADE.
I SPENT ABOUT HALF AN HOUR OUT THERE, TOTAL.

JUST NOT WORTH THE OUTLAY FOR ME.

I COULD HAVE BREAKFAST DELIVERED AT NO EXTRA COST BUT NEVER DO.

NOTE THERE IS SOMETHING HANGING FROM THE CEILING. THE CABIN STEWARDS DO THAT, FOLD UP TOWELS. AS IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH WORK TO DO.

AFTER HAVING A QUICK TRIP UP ON DECK TO CHECK THE WEATHER AND TO SEE WE ARE STILL AFLOAT & HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

IT'S TIME FOR BREAKFAST.

IT COULD BE IN DOORS OR OUT DOORS, CHOOSE FROM THE BUFETT .. AN OMELETTE MADE TO ORDER MIGHT BE NICE TODAY.

OR IN THE MAIN RESTAURANT WHERE IT IS WHITE LINEN TABLE CLOTHS & WAITER SERVICE.

I AM ALWAYS SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE OPT FOR THE BUFETT & HOW FEW GO FOR THE SERVED FOOD.

EITHER WAY IT IS GOING TO TAKE A WHILE, NO NEED TO RUSH UNLESS THERE IS AN EARLY EXCURSION BOOKED. SINCE WE ARE AT SEA FOR SIX DAYS, THERE IS DEFINITELY NO HURRY.

BREAKFAST IS MAYBE FOLLOWED BY A BROWSE OF THE LIBRARY & A BIT OF A REALX TO LET THE FOOD GO DOWN.

SKIP THE GYM - TOO MUCH LIKE HARD WORK

A BIT EARLY FOR THE BAR? PROBABLY..

HEAD DOWN TO THE JAVA CAFE FOR A COFFEE.

MOST SHIPS I HAVE BEEN ON CHARGE EXTRA FOR THE COFFEE UNLESS IT IS FROM THE DINING AREAS.

I AM NOT A COFEE DRINKER SO IT'S ALL ONE TO ME..

STILL - IT MIGHT BE PLEASANT TO SIT AROUND DOWN HERE FOR A WHILE AND WATCH THE TV, OR PEOPLE WATCHING TV.

WATCHING PEOPLE IS A MAJOR PASS TIME ON A BOAT.

SEEMS THE BAR IS OPEN, BUT NO, IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A WALK GETTING HERE SO TIME FOR A SNOOZE ON THE PROMENADE DECK.

OUT OF THE WEATHER, GREAT VIEW. A FAVOURITE PLACE OF MINE & OFTEN DESERTED. IT SEEMS TO TAKE PEOPLE A WHILE TO FIND IT. THERE ARE NORMALLY MORE THAN TWO CHAIRS OUT HERE.

COULD SIT HERE FOR HOURS,
READING, NAPPING.
NAPPING, READING.

CHATTING TO ANYONE WALKING BY, OR JUST NODDING AT THEM AS THEY GO FOR THEIR MORNING STROLL.

A BIT OF DUTY FREE SHOPPING OR JUST WINDOW SHOP

MAYBE AN BIT OF A GAMBLE AT THE SLOTS OR TABLES. NOT SOMETHING I DO TOO OFTEN.

DON'T SAY IT TOO LOUD - Smokers can have a puff in their cigar sanctuary.

AND POP OUTSIDE FOR A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE

MUST BE TIME FOR LUNCH.

CHECK WHICH RESTAURANTS ARE FILLING UP. NCL ARE THE ONLY CRUISE LINE I HAVE COME ACROSS THAT DOES DISPLAYS LIKE THIS.

NCL DO NOT HAVE FIXED SETING FOR MEALS. GO ANYWHERE YOU LIKE, WITH WHOEVER YOU LIKE & JUST ABOUT WHENEVER YOU LIKE.

I NEVER WAIT TOO LONG. IF THERE IS A WAIT LIST I JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

FOOD IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE BUT THERE ARE ALSO FIVE OR MORE SPECIALITY RESTAURANTS THAT ARE EXTRA. THEY DO NOT USUALLY OPEN FOR BREAKFAST OR LUNCH THOUGH.

AN AFTER LUNCH GAME OF BOWLING PERHAPS

OR JUST A SIT DOWN IN THE NIGHT CLUB. VERY QUIET DURING THE DAY TIME..

BIZARRELY, ON THE GEM, THEY HAVE BEDS IN THE NIGHT CLUB. OR AT LEAST, THEY ARE LOUNGERS. ODD ANY WAY BUT A NICE PLACE FOR A NAP IN THE AFTERNOON. THERE'S UNLIKELY TO BE ANY ONE ELSE HERE AT THAT TIME OF DAY.

ON MY FIRST DAY ON BOARD I DID THE TOUR OF THE SHIP & THERE WAS A HEAVILY PREGNANT LADY ASLEEP IN HERE & I THOUGHT SHE HAD BEEN HERE WAY TOO LONG.

EVERY CRUISE SHIP I HAVE BEEN ON TELLS YOU HOW FANTASTIC THERE SPA AREA IS. THE DIFFERENCE WITH NCL IS THAT IT IS TRUE.

ON THIS CRUISE I TOOK THE CRUISE LONG SPA PACKAGE.

FABULOUS - BEST SPOT ON THE SHIP. SAUNA. STEAM, RELAXING AREA, POOLS . A MILLION DOLLAR VIEW OFF THE FRONT OF THE SHIP.

WONDERFUL - I GOT MY MONEYS WORTH. AT LEAST ONE VISIT PER DAY AND AS THERE ARE SO MANY SEA DAYS, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE VISITS.

ONE DAY I WAS LYING ON THE HEATED CERAMIC LOUNGER WITH MY EYES CLOSED. I HEAR A NOISE AND LOOK UP.

MY EYES ARE NOT SO GOOD AND IT IS A BIT MISTY BUT I SEE IT IS ONE OF THE CLEANER GIRLS. LOOKING DOWN AT MY APOLOGIZING FOR DISTURBING ME.

WITH THE MIST THERE LOOKS TO BE A HALO AROUND HER FACE,

BEFORE SHE LEAVES SHE TELLS ME HER NAME IS ANGEL.

A DREAM? MAYBE.

A LITTLE LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT WITH PRE-DINNER DRINKS.

WATCHING THE LIGHT SHOW BEHIND THE BAR .. LIKE I SAID - IT'S A STRANGE SHIP.

AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN LOOKED AT THE EVENINGS SHOW OR WHAT MUSIC IS GOING ON OR BEEN TO THE POOL OR SUNBATHED, OR .....