Advertisement
Published: June 29th 2017
Edit Blog Post
Geo: 42.8679, -16.222
Ocean as far as the eye can see in all directions. We have now had four full days at sea aboard the Norwegian Star. We've sailed west of the coast of Portugal into the Atlantic Ocean. Tomorrow we arrive in the Portuguese colony of Ponta Delgada on the volcanic isle of Azores. Its our first and only stop of the first leg of this cruise until we switch cabins in Miami.
So what have we been doing the last four days? Not a whole lot of thinking, that's for sure. A welcome and relaxed approach. Lots of board games, Scrabble and monopoly aplenty. Lots of movies, the tablet is getting a work out. So are we though, that's for sure. After all the tasty treats around Europe, we are on a mission to lose a few kilos and regain some fitness. First, zero alcohol allowed on board. Second, no usage of any lifts, stairs only for whatever deck we need to get to. Third, eating consciously, not denying everything, but smaller portions, more fruit. Finally, exercise and lots of it. A morning jog and gym session before breakfast and two gym sessions every day at sea. So far so
good! Were feeling achy, but more energized, less sluggish and sleeping better.
The tragedy is, the food on this ship is the best we've had of all cruise lines to date. Not exciting menus, but great quality food. There are three free restaurants, two table service and one buffet. What about the rest of the ship? The gym is adequate enough. Our cabin is 10009 on Deck 10 of 12 decks at the front of the ship. The cabin is windowless, and comfortable. Its the smallest yet, with no couch, but the largest bathroom. There is a beautiful brown and gold scarf decorating one wall. The TV channel selection is poor with poor reception, but there is an all-football channel that shows live Premier League so that's a huge win. The pools are average, with a couple of nice outdoor spas. The water slides are lame and tiny. Haven't used them. There is a basketball court, with a couple mini soccer nets Ive been using to practice. How I miss football! There are also table tennis tables, a golf driving range, outdoor jumbo chess and a jogging track. The theatre is huge, probably the most impressive yet. It shows movies during
the day and Nats been to a couple. The shows aren't particularly interesting so far. Last night we again saw a hypnotist. Strange stuff.
As far as the age group goes, its by far the oldest on average yet. The average age of the 2,500 passengers on board must be around the very same. Getting anywhere through a crowd can be a painfully slow affair, shuffling zombies hindering passage in all directions. Were hoping for an injection of young blood in Miami for the second leg through the Americas. As a result we've not met many people to date, one nice American couple yesterday.
I'm looking forward to stretching our legs tomorrow in Ponta Delgada. I dont really know what to expect to be honest. We dont have any excursion planned, just to explore on foot. We will be back on board just in time for the Arsenal game I hope.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.147s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 13; qc: 29; dbt: 0.0571s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb