Day at Sea 2 on NORWEGIAN DREAM (English Version)

My night ended at 4 am because the waves hit against the bow.

When you went under the shower you were fully awake because the temperature of the water changed while you were taking the shower.

At 7.30 am "The Terraces" was available for breakfast.

On the way you could find bags for the worst case:



On the neighbour stateroom you found this signage... Having a smoker close to this door and NCL does not need anymore to sell the ship because you get the money from the insurance. But having such an incident in the Bermuda-Triangle would be too suspicious...



The very first time with NCL we found a message like all others: we should verify if really all expenses should be charged to one credit card only.



And paintings all over the ship: no sign that the ship has no future:



Arriving at the "The Terraces" we need to identify us as VIPs by the invitation we got in our stateroom.





It's much more nicer that in the "Four Seasons", as there are more seats where is it much more chilly.

We are surprised to see a buffet...



But we liked it as it enriches the offer of cold stuff which you can choose yourself. Warm stuff and all other from the "regular" breakfast menu can be served at your table.

Fruit salad as you do not get it from the "regular" menu and great Danish Pastry which were not extreme american sweet.





While we were taking our breakfast we observed the waves in the pool, the sea and that sunbeds were set up although it rained.

1:99 appeared and from one second to the next: no more a calm restaurant but a working camp.

Rule No. 1 in a seminar for managers: Never critisize someone in the public:

1:99 commanded and critisized so loudly that all guests can hear her.

Sometimes later I standed next to her about 2 ft away. She did not turn her head and it appeared that she had not remarked me. Later when she made a turn in an aisle she need to greet me because she saw me face to face.

Our Indian waitress was no nice how we to use to have with NCL. She served our mandantory Salmon Egg Benedict:



Guests of the Suites still are allowed to have their breakfast in Le Bistro:



Bruno had trouble with the ship's motion and preferred to stay in the stateroom.

We arranged with our stateroom stewards that they should clean our stateroom after 11.30 am.

I went to the Shore Excursion Talk: but from there I disappeared after 5 minutes because I was not very much interested in shopping advises.

So I visited the F+B-Manager Panos in his office to say hello from paiagirl (Frances). He asked if I was satisfied with the last night. 1:99 obviously did not told him anything, that he had forgotten to tell her that we 13 wished to sit together. He is just opposite of a Greek person you might suggest like "Unfinished buildings like the Akropolis have a thousand year long tradition..." I better did not tell him that I took already property of the NCL wineopener which came with our wine. I asked him for the Champagne and Wine and if it would be possible to convert to Evian-Water (only Jesus did it v.v.) better than 1:1. His response: "Please accept that it's already done!". I love this answers. He should have organised the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens. They would not get under time pressure to complete the venues all in the last minute.

I went again to the Shore Excurstion Talk but this time the shore excursions were presented. Some works on the top of the Stardust Lounge made the Shore Excursion Manager nervous. It was fun to see how he moved with every noise from the top and checking what could have came down.

Next I visited our Concierge Karin Gödecke from Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. As she checked my address she thought that I am also Bavarian like her but our place is not in Bavaria but Hessia.



She kept me informed which services I can expect from her.

We made some conversation how I liked it so far.

I asked her to check for me the origin of the wine. As she is from Germany I thought she might be happe to have some German Chocolate as well and gave her some Mon Cheri (Chocolate filled with cherry + cherry brand) and Champagner Truffes.

We had to prepare ourselves for the cruisecritic-Meet&Mingle:



We made this special T-shirts for this special cruise. When the first orders were placed we were just on NORWEGIAN JEWEL. After this voyage we could see anymore t-shirts. After some distance the second round for our edition needed a minimum of 48 to order. So we ordered it ourselves. That's why ours are different from the others.

Some impressions from our Meet&Mingle:





We got some beverages and some Danish Pastries:





On the right side it's Panos the F+B-Manager. Next to him the Dutch Hotel Director Monique Barnhoorn.

We talked with Panos about cruisecritic.com but I explained that I prefer to blog instead of writing Cruise Reviews and to give consultations for the ports of Warnemünde, Kiel and Hamburg.





We say in German: "Even a nice backside can be very exciting". The lady with the backside is Julia Günzburg who organised this event.

Some made arrangements for gift exchange but I was somewhere else in the world and might have not read it when it was posted.









They will keep us in good memories: It's interesting to see how Mon Cheri (chocolate filled with cherries and cherry brandy) worked and for which we better should have paid corkage fee. They are part of the checked baggage as they count to the liquids in the cabin baggage.

For the rest of the day we wanted to change the clothes again.

Here we find following message on our bed:



If I would have filled out that I would like to have a mattress from HAL: would they have organised it for me???

Panos kept his promise and we got at a conversion rate of 3:1 Evian against Champagne and Wine:





We went to "Four Seasons" for lunch.

A very nice Indonesian waiter was serving us. We felt sorry for this poor guy: His assistent waiter has not got the right view for what to be done without instructions. He had to work for two and he still had a smile and some nice words for all his guests. But once it was even too much for him and his remark was somehow louder. Nothing where it should have been: Glasses, Silverware etc. etc. It reminded us very much to COSTA CLASSICA. When we went out I asked him if his assistant took too much tranquillizers. He had to laugh very loud out...

The food was first class!









The Gumbo was so good that I did not take a desert and preferred to have another soup.

Somehow we just would like to sleep. Outside activities were not possible.

You know the famous scene from "Peanuts" when Charlie Brown is visiting Lucy as Psychiatric Consultant at her kiosk. That's our feeling when we visit Kalina at the Coffee Bar:



When it calmed down she took over the side-job as Cruise Director and tried to keep us busy:





IIII = (need to remain untouched on the left side)
On the right side you need to adjust the position of one straw to make it equal left and right.

We truly that she should take over the role of the laundry manager the next day... Then we can drop-off our laundry for wash, dry and fold...

On the way to our stateroom we saw that someone closed our "private" balcony:



The wind pressed the water under the door.

Looking outside made somehow depressing.



... and finally I learned what is behind the oval windows...

We changed the dresses for the Captain's reception for Gold-/Platinum Latitude Member in the Obversation Lounge.

Next to the Captain we were expected by:

Ingvar Bjork, Staff Captain
Danny Anderson, Cruise Director

Monique, our Hotel Manager
Julia, our Group Activities Coordinator
Panos, our F+B Manager
Karin, our Concierge

We got Cocktails and Canapés:



The Executive Housekeeping Manager Savio asked us for our experience. We confirmed that we had great stateroom attendents Marcus and Eleser. Both are very nice and very clean and everything we asked for was done promptly. About this comment Savio was more than happy and when we told it later our stewards they were more than happy as well.

My camaera checked the distance with the target with a green light stream while the Captain hold his speech. He was irritated while the others were laughing.



We had a small conversation with Karin and Julia.

On the way to the restaurant we met again Panos who offered us to call "The Terraces" to avoid any waiting time. We also spoke with the Staff Captain Ingvar Bjork who surprised us with his German language skills.

There was a queue for "The Terraces". Waiting time: 20-30 minutes. Some French or Quebecers with beer bottles in the hand, Jeans and Shorts were instructed by the restaurant crew to use the waiting time to change the clothes. I liked it. When we were asked we told that Panos called. We become second in line.

A very big surprise was waiting for us in the restaurant:

Ramona, one of the Romanian Assistant Maître D' knew us from another cruise.

Karin warned to have too high expectations on the Lobster night if I know Lobster Nights of other lines.

Wendelyn was our Sr. Waitress and it made a lot of fun to get her treatment.





Seafood-Cocktail with others look nicer and more...

For the soup we need Salt and Pepper. Before we can say a word Wendelyn was already back with us with Salt and Pepper. That's perfect service.





And now the Seafood-Extravaganza... Well... inauguration of Freestyle 2.0 means twice a week lobster. But I think that the money was spent to buy extra giant electric sews to cut the lobster tails. Same quantity but you have twice the week lobster. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures from the original size of the lobster tail from NORWEGIAN PEARL: which was much more larger.

Maître D' Herold came and offered us a second one. But we did not want.

Only the Sorbet was more like ice cream:



For my taste a little bit too sweet (but not extreme) and too much cream for a true sorbet.

That's our singing waitress Wendelyn:





who sing with some collegues for a couple.

But not Happy-Birthday-to-you! Obviously someone read already the new Douglas Ward guide. I feel somehow bad when I heared it:

Let me call you Sweatheart
I'm in love with you
Let me hear your whisper that you love me too
Keep the lovelight glowing in your eyes so true
Let me call you Sweatheart
I'm in love with you

We better escaped.

Next scene: Deck 9 on NORWEGIAN DREAM - Passage between "The Terraces" and "Four Seasons". Showdown like "High Noon".

1:99 was walking towards me: Face to face.

Her very last chances:

turn-around and back to Le Bistro...
borrow a book in the library...
browsing in the Internet-Café...
disappearing in the bar of the Coffee Bar...
into Panos' office...

too late!

If views could kill, I would have passed away or an ice column...
But it did not happen as it happened around Kalina working area incl. WMF-(German)-Coffee machine which made it impossible.

So a free-of-passion: "Good Evening, Sir!"

We returned to our stateroom and the very first time we had with NCL a towel animal: whatever it should be:



Again back to the Stardust Lounge. As there is nonstop programme it's always full and you should come in the afternoon to reserve seats with towels (German style)...

So we saw the usual "Mr. & Mrs." which was presented very great by Cruise Director Denny Anderson. He is a Cruise Director "traditional style" and none described by Douglas Ward who is unable to communicate with guests older than 25. You cannot say that this version was family-friendly but this made a lot of fun - even for us.



The show itself is a "One Size Fits All"-Show which has a cruise themed frame via Hollywood, South America and Morocco.































The highlights are the actors, especially the singers and acrobats. The most known songs were "Singin' in the Rain" and "Ole Man River".

Because I sat very far backwards, the ship and the actors moved and as the lighting was not very camarafriendly these pictures were the best shots without flash. Sorry.



Denny completed the presenation and say good night to me with following words:

"You have an ugly t-shirt!" (refer to my "dam ships"-T-Shirt from HAL).

Me: "If I would wear an NCL-T-Shirt everybody thinks that I am the manager of the Laudry department!"

My last experience before going to bed was a very loud laughter...

HeinBloed