Two weeks on the Norwegian Star - Panama Canal transit birthday cruise

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Sunday 8^th – Sunday 22^ndDecember 2013

Including Jennie’s 50th

Norwegian Star – Panama Canal transit and Mexican Riviera

Two weeks of mostly fine and sunny with some rain – averaging 29c

The Norwegian Star is our last NCL ship for this holiday adventure. It is not a large ship as it needs to be able to transit the Panama Canal. Its gross tonnage is 91,740 and guest capacity is 2,350 looked after by 1,100 crew. The Topaz Suite on the Norwegian Star was our two bedroomed apartment at sea for this sailing. What a great stroke of luck in getting this amazing suite. NCL had overbooked and so asked that we combine cabins with Di and Max and hence we got this amazing upgrade! A lovely birthday present and a great surprise.

The master suite came with king size bed, large vanity with twin basins, a spa bath, a large shower with multiple jets and full height windows overlooking the ocean. The living room had a dining table and chairs, sofa bed, armchairs, coffee table, TV, DVD, coffee machine and best of all - a balcony with comfy loungers. The second bedroom was basic with a sofa bed and overhead bunk. This inside room also had its own bathroom and wardrobe space. The overall setup was great for the four of us although the beds in the second room could have been more comfortable.

As we were staying in a suite we had our own butler (Nelson) and a concierge (Omar). Additionally, were allowed to have breakfast and lunch in Cagney’s – the exclusive steakhouse on board. This was a real treat – avoiding the crowds in the Market Café and getting some variety from the main dining room menus. Having been traveling on NCL for a number of weeks over the last 3 months we were getting rather familiar with the menus. They offered some wonderful breakfast options including a great buffet and some interesting menu items such as a lobster and scallop brioche!

To stay connected with the real outside world we purchased an internet plan – 100 minutes for US$55. Unfortunately this doesn’t come free with a suite. The great thing is that the plan is priced by the minute rather than by MB – so we can write emails offline and when we connect they send within a short time. The connection is also good enough to make a Skype call.

A number of friends from New Zealand also joined us and our family on this sailing; making up 15 of the 20 kiwis on board. Given this we were very occupied with one thing and another hence the brevity of this blog entry 😊

Our sailing commenced with two days at sea and we all enjoyed getting to know the ship and relaxing after long flights and a busy weekend in Miami. We set up home in our suite, decorating the entrance door, hanging balloons and lights for the festive birthday occasion and placing our itinerary, calendar, vouchers and suite information up on the “noticeboard” our internal entry door - made possible with our magnet souvenirs and the metallic surface of the door. All set.

Days One-Three we spent at sea, so this gave everyone a great opportunity to explore the ship and get acquainted with their lodgings and traveling companions. The weather was pretty good but the sea was a little choppy as we headed out of the Atlantic Ocean towards the Caribbean Sea. The temperatures steadily rose up to about 30'C by day 3 - fabulous.

On departure the group met for sail-away up at the Bier Garten on Deck 14. We all had a sail-away drink or two and arranged to meet for dinner. The show was a variety show with snippets from the upcoming entertainment to be held in the Stardust Theatre over the next two weeks. Over the first few days at sea we lay by the pool, ate meals together and went to see the comedian Michael Sullivan. Dress up night was on the evening of day 3 and we got into our formal gear for family and group photos.

Day Four – Cartagena, Colombia – hot, fine and sunny 26c

Our first port of call was Cartagena, situated 400 miles north of the capital Bogota. Spanish is the language and their currency is the Colombian Peso. The Old City is full of history and charm and there were plenty of options of things to do off the ship. We all did varying activities. Jen and Di went on a Discover Colombia organised by the ship that took in a fishing village, the Joyeria Caribe Museo and Factoria (emerald factory), a walk about the old town and a traditional lunch at a cantina where traditional musicians entertained us.

Shaun and Max caught a taxi into the old walled city and clambered over the weathered fortifications protecting the sleepy town before exploring the undulating, cobbled streets as the streets came alive with the morning routines. Next stop for them was to the new part of the city - BocaGrande; where the normal shopping district was located. The day was heating up so the boys took solace in a thatched bar overlooking the ocean to 'rehydrate' before grabbing another taxi up to the impenetrable San Felip Fort; holding an imposing, strategic position overlooking the historic walled city and harbour. Others did the hop-on hop-off bus and we all used plenty of sunblock in the heat. Purchases made included a couple of emerald rings (naturally), a hat and some Colombian coffee. We tried the traditional candies made with coconut and flavoured with caramel and other yummy flavours. They are similar to coconut ice and very delicious. It was probably a good thing that we forgot to purchase some.

Once back on board it was pool time and then the evening’s entertainment included dinner and a stop off to check out the Queen of Hypnosis, Nadeen. We didn’t stay long as we have seen these before and as so much time is spent with "priming" the volunteers they are getting a little boring. In the Spinnaker Lounge they had a Country & Western hoe-down where we briefly stayed to observe our friends join in with the line dancing!

Day Five – Panama Canal – 31'C

We set the alarm for an early start so we could enjoy the sunrise come up over the numerous vessels lining up to enter the canal. They twinkled in the darkness, and the silence and heat together makes for a unique experience. Our scheduled entrance into the canal at Cristobal was at 5.30am. The pilot came on board at 6am. We entered the Gatun Locks at 7.30am and cleared at 9.15am. Although all day is spent transiting the three sets of locks linking the Panama Canal there is plenty to see; with constant activity as the mechanical mules wrestle the tethered ships steadily through the narrow locks, crocodiles basking and slipping into the river, other ships traveling alongside, in front and behind us – not to mention our ship rising and falling in the locks themselves. We passed and cleared Gamboa, entered and cleared Pedro Miguel Locks, entered and passed Miraflores Locks, sailed under the Bridge of the Americas and at approximately 5pm we passed Balboa and entered the Pacific side – a total of just 80 kms. What we find interesting is that although the Atlantic Ocean is on the East and the Pacific Ocean on the West – we actually pass through the canal from NW to SE, giving the sense that we are going the wrong way. We had a constant commentary from an expert who came on board from the Panama Canal authority specifically for the day. He provided a full narration of the history, construction, flora and fauna and the future plans for this amazing structure. Also provided to enhance the experience were brochures, information sheets and movies. We noted that in 2014 the canal celebrates 100 years of operation.

The evening’s entertainment was a talented Ventriloquist Kenny Byrd - very funny.

Day Six – at sea – 31c

Our sea days are great. A good chance to go to the gym, sleep-in, read some of the book, do the Sudoku and update the diary. Also a good chance to partake of some unique shipboard activities such as wine and martini tasting. Some of our group did one or both of these and it was a great start to an evening of celebration. We hosted some drinks for Jennie’s 50^th birthday in our suite to mark the occasion of her birthday in New Zealand. Tomorrow we celebrate for real – Costa Rica style.

Day Seven – Puntarenas, Costa Rica – 35c, generally fine and tropical rain

Today nearly the entire group decided to come along for the Aerial Tram & Zipline Adventure in the rain forest. At $130 each it was a full 8 hour tour including a meal at the facility. It was an early start and it was to be a long day. The bus took us to Rain Forest Adventures an ecotourism park near Jaco Beach. On arrival we got decked out in our harnesses and safety gear. The adventure started with a Tranopy Tour ride 30 minutes up through the different layers of the rainforest – from the floor to the treetops. Our tram held eight people and a guide who shared some of his knowledge about the rainforest. Once at the top we commenced our zips down to the floor. Our canopying took us along 10 cables. 5 of which were over 200m long, including one that was over 300mm which enabled the riders to reach speeds of up to 45MPH. We commented that as we neared the end of the zipping we were getting the hang of the harness and steering and speed controls and really wanted to do more. Previously in Costa Rica a few years ago we had organised our own tour and perhaps we should have done this on this occasion as well. The facility was packed with tour groups from the ship and there were long waits to get on most zips. Had we arranged our own transportation to the facility early off the ship we may have avoided the crowds and had a much better overall experience. A great birthday present and it wasn’t over as we shouted everyone to dinner at La Cucina for dinner that evening. A meal shared, a few speeches and gifts given - it was a lovely day to celebrate a 50^th birthday! After such a long hard day we called it early.

Day Eight – At Sea – 30c, sunny

Exhausted by the activities of the previous day and night most people had a quiet day. We did meet in the afternoon for a very casual shuffleboard competition. Not having played the game before, many enjoyed it and the competition became serious! The evening’s entertainment was a show called SHOUT – The Mod musical.

Our next few ports are in Mexico and currently the exchange rate is between 10 and 13 Pesos to the US dollar – depending on who is doing the selling!

Day Nine – Puerto Chiapas, Mexico – 33c, hot and sunny

This port is situated right on the Pacific Ocean and very close to the border of Guatemala. A few of us met on shore and took a tour from a private operator who was promoting their tour to passengers disembarking the ship. There is nothing much to do in this port other than taking a tour so once organised we departed on the 9.30am minivan for our day out. The tour included a short stop in the culturally diverse township Tapachula (population 190,000), a visit to the ancient Mayan archaeological site of Izapa, a stop into a small family cocoa farm to witness the old tradition of chocolate making by hand, and an extra stop at a large wholesale supermarket (Sam’s Club) to stock up on sodas etc. Our small van was a fun group and we all enjoyed the tour and each other’s company along the way. Great value for the $35 each we paid. The town of Tapachula is 45 minutes away from the port and so many people just caught the bus into the town for a look around. It was a colourful place and we were amazed to find an ice skating rink set up under a marque for Christmas. How they kept the ice frozen in the 30c heat must be quite a challenge. It was so hot that Max removed his shirt. Apparently the town is quite conservative and so a TV station stopped and interviewed Max about it (all in Spanish). They were commenting that the temperatures are the hottest for winter that they have been in a long time.

Day Ten – Huatulco, Mexico – 36c, hot and sunny

Again we decided to do our own tour. With Shaun and Max using their great negotiating skills and Spanish language skills (guess who did what) a deal was struck at $10 each to hire a guy’s boat for the day. 15 of us piled into the boat and we embarked on a coastal highlight trip with a couple of stops at the gorgeous beaches. The rugged coastline is marked by unusual rock formations and the dramatic cliffs and desert terrain was only accented by numerous pelicans and a scattering of Cliffside homes. We also briefly stopped to witness La Bufadora (the blowhole) and the Stone Face. We had a swim and a drink at Maguey Bay and did some snorkelling and hired a jet ski at Playa la Entrega. We allowed enough time back at Santa Cruz beach by the port/marina to browse the shops and enjoy a lovely Mexican lunch of guacamole, corn chips, nachos, margarita and beer. A great day was had by all. The Stardust Theatre had the Magika Show – we only caught a few minutes of that before dinner but looked like it would have been quite good. After dinner the other entertainment on board included the Dancing with the Norwegian Stars show. This is where passengers can be selected to dance with a member of the dancing staff to compete in a dance-off, much like the TV show. It is a laugh and one of our group was selected to partake in it. Sadly he was eliminated by the judges in the second round.

Day 11 – At Sea – 33c

Our day at sea included the talk covering the last couple of port, swimming, reading and all the usual activities that keep us busy. They had another optional formal night and so we all dressed up again for another chance at some good family and group photos. The show was a wonderful acrobatic show – Marrambolla. It included aerial acts, acrobatics, trapeze and 50ft drops above the audience. Even though the show was fantastic and energising a few of us were caught nodding off. All this holidaying is getting exhausting! Those that had the energy made it to the close-up magic show.

Day 12 – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 28c, fine and sunny

Today a number of us bought the ships excursion - Yelapa and Majahuitas. It was a 6 hour excursion and meant we were to leave the port and return straight back to the ship at the end for our 4pm departure. Although we didn’t get a chance to explore Puerto Vallarta’s shopping district (El Malecon) or the old town, we had a fantastic day. On departure we relaxed on a modern catamaran with a light breakfast and we cruised south, following the spectacular tropical coastline of Banderas Bay. The morning was spent at the tranquil cove of Majahuitas, an unspoiled area of natural beauty, only accessible by sea. We snorkelled and saw numerous colourful fish. Kayaks were also available to use and once back on board we were fed a delicious lunch of fresh sandwiches and salads. We then headed for Yelapa, an old charming fishing village where we first hiked a short distance up to a waterfall. Along the way there were small stalls and merchants selling locally made handicrafts and souvenirs. Once back at the cove we set ourselves up in one of the beachside restaurants – Tino’s Oasis Bar and Grill, and enjoyed some cold beverages while we connected briefly to the wi-fi for some internet-ness! The cruise back to Puerto Vallarta was truly memorable with close-up sightings of many humpback whales. The skipper slowed and stopped and allowed us plenty of time for photos and we watched in amazement at this wonderful special treat on this already fantastic excursion. Back underway after the whale watching, the fiesta wrapped up the day of fun-in the-sun with an open bar, dancing, music and some great entertainment from the crew. The margaritas and rum punch were going down so well that when we finally returned to the port we were very relaxed making our way back to the gangway. Perhaps a little relaxed as a cruise first for us was hearing our names being called over the ship-wide intercom as the last to embark the ship. Naturally the others already on board heard our names being called and were pleased to see that we actually made it back in time for sail away! The show was Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and the Chocoholic Buffet was on the evening’s agenda.

Day 13 – Cabo San Lucas – 26c

We arrived in Cabo to cooler climes. We are certainly traveling North now and we sense that the 30+ temperatures are now well over for this trip. Now we are reminded that we need to re-acclimatise for our return to New Zealand. We tendered into port and the girls went off shopping while the guys went off to explore the streets, hire a jet ski and hang out at Medano Beach. Negotiating won again with the price dropping from US$ 90 for an hour to $35 for 45 mins of blasting around the bay checking out the beaches and getting close to the ship. For lunch we found a lovely marina-side oyster bar restaurant. The food was delicious and was washed down with a couple of glasses of excellent wine. Back on board we met for dinner at the Asian Fusion restaurant Ginza. The food was really great and it was good having almost everyone together. We missed the show but popped into the Hot White Party in the Spinnaker Lounge. The lounge was decorated with many white features, cocktail stations and ice carvings. With most of the passengers getting into the theme and wearing white it was a good night.

Day 14 – At Sea – 26c, cloudy and windy

Yuk – today is packing day. We also completed last-minute shopping, selected a few good photos to commemorate the birthday cruise and went to a day time comedy show. David Naster had been the stand-up comedian earlier in the week that we had missed. This show was a humorous lecture about the importance of laughter during life’s’ difficult times. We enjoyed it and found relevance in much of what he shared. We all met in Versailles main dining room for dinner. Between dinner and the show we popped into the Star Bar where we enjoyed a short time listening to jazz with the Showband Trio. Showtime was Elements - mesmerising magic, visual feats of flying, music and dance. It was an incredible spectacle of wonder, enchantment and sensual delight. Bags were put outside the room before bed and here endeth this chapter. Next stop Los Angeles for Christmas week.

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Comments

[Jan]

WOW!
Oh my God you are having the trip of a lifetime guys! Go you! Happy 50th Jennie...and a birthday you will NEVER forget! Loving the blog and your writing is so colourful and vivid...almost like being there with you! Keep enjoying!! Ciao Jan