TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

On Feb 12, 3:44*pm, "Alan Conceicao" wrote:

What I did feel? Relaxed. Refreshed. Full?

The boat as floating resort comes with a great many pitfalls, but this was
the first time we went on a cruise were time on the ship was as much an
attraction for us as time on shore. It wasn't so bad. We're still driven
primarily to cruise because of the destinations, but sometimes, you just
have to do nothing. And this was one of those times. I can also say that
objectively, this felt like the longest trip we had been on together, even
if that wasn't true. The lack of activity had the effect of seemingly
slowing time. And we liked it.

Thanks, Alan for the nice TRs!

We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south & slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

It was my first cruise, and I must say that the lack of any kind of
deadline other than showering for an 8:15 dinner was just what I
needed. 11:30 comedy show, you say? I'll be long since in REMs by that
time, kind sir.

I loaded my iPad with enough novels to teach a community-college class
on pop culture, but would only get through most of the Jobs bio (900
pages, still. 1800 if I held the iPad in landscape ;)

Initially, we had grandiose plans of snorkeling & parasailing, but
after one afternoon in Cabo (No Gracias! No Gracias!), it was decided
by our committee of two that time would be better spent in a cabana on
the Snot-Free Deck at the aft of the ship.

I will say that the food was much better than expected -- I was
thinking Golden Corral or something, but freshly baked breads & nice
cuts of meat really shocked me. Our upcharge meal the last night was
easily Morton's-esque, with sweetbreads, escargot, and an 18 oz bone-
in ribeye that TSA would have banned as a weapon.

I did have two other firsts on this trip -- in my 41 years on this
planet, nobody has ever offered to sell me drugs (cigar salesmen in
Cabo), and I've never had the pleasure of being offered a "Happy
Ending" during a massage -- 3 feet away from my wife during our
couple's massage, no less. I did have to decline. This was in a nice
upscale place in Cabo, not on the ship btw. Still, a $60 80/min
massage has to have some add-on's to make it profitable, I'm guessing.

But, doing nothing was just what the doctor ordered for me after 4
years of interrupted sleep with two occasionally neurotic kiddos.

/mike

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

On 3/1/2012 10:08 AM, Mike Kallay wrote:

Thanks, Alan for the nice TRs!

We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south& slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

It was my first cruise, and I must say that the lack of any kind of
deadline other than showering for an 8:15 dinner was just what I
needed. 11:30 comedy show, you say? I'll be long since in REMs by that
time, kind sir.

I loaded my iPad with enough novels to teach a community-college class
on pop culture, but would only get through most of the Jobs bio (900
pages, still. 1800 if I held the iPad in landscape ;)

Initially, we had grandiose plans of snorkeling& parasailing, but
after one afternoon in Cabo (No Gracias! No Gracias!), it was decided
by our committee of two that time would be better spent in a cabana on
the Snot-Free Deck at the aft of the ship.

I will say that the food was much better than expected -- I was
thinking Golden Corral or something, but freshly baked breads& nice
cuts of meat really shocked me. Our upcharge meal the last night was
easily Morton's-esque, with sweetbreads, escargot, and an 18 oz bone-
in ribeye that TSA would have banned as a weapon.

I did have two other firsts on this trip -- in my 41 years on this
planet, nobody has ever offered to sell me drugs (cigar salesmen in
Cabo), and I've never had the pleasure of being offered a "Happy
Ending" during a massage -- 3 feet away from my wife during our
couple's massage, no less. I did have to decline. This was in a nice
upscale place in Cabo, not on the ship btw. Still, a $60 80/min
massage has to have some add-on's to make it profitable, I'm guessing.

But, doing nothing was just what the doctor ordered for me after 4
years of interrupted sleep with two occasionally neurotic kiddos.

/mike

Relaxation is the way to go! Our last cruise was a nightmare for m wife
and I. It was a seven day cruise with a port EVERY DAY! And, of course,
we were traveling with family that had never been to any of the ports so
it was hit the town and look around! Shoot, in a week aboard, I think
we were lucky to get a dozen meals aboard and I usually like to do that
in one day! ;-)

At sea days are the best!

--

Ray
+++++++++++++++++++++++
www.CompressorStuff.com

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

In article , RayC
wrote:

Relaxation is the way to go! Our last cruise was a nightmare for m wife
and I. It was a seven day cruise with a port EVERY DAY! And, of course,
we were traveling with family that had never been to any of the ports so
it was hit the town and look around! Shoot, in a week aboard, I think
we were lucky to get a dozen meals aboard and I usually like to do that
in one day! ;-)

At sea days are the best!

As I mentioned in the past, by the 4th port in a row, most cruises
take on the ambiance of a forced march.

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south & slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

Which line, BTW?

Initially, we had grandiose plans of snorkeling & parasailing, but
after one afternoon in Cabo (No Gracias! No Gracias!), it was decided
by our committee of two that time would be better spent in a cabana on
the Snot-Free Deck at the aft of the ship.

I think with the generic "everyone goes here" ports like St. Maarten,
St. Thomas, Cozumel, et al, that's definitely true. I haven't taken a
Mexican Riviera cruise yet, and honestly, I'm not in a giant rush to
do so. Maybe at some point I'll come to agree with that universally,
but give me a few more big line cruises in the tropics before I make
such assertions.

I did have two other firsts on this trip -- in my 41 years on this
planet, nobody has ever offered to sell me drugs (cigar salesmen in
Cabo), and I've never had the pleasure of being offered a "Happy
Ending" during a massage -- 3 feet away from my wife during our
couple's massage, no less. I did have to decline. This was in a nice
upscale place in Cabo, not on the ship btw. Still, a $60 80/min
massage has to have some add-on's to make it profitable, I'm guessing.

Ah. Mexico. Wouldn't it be really awesome if they just stopped leaving
decapitated bodies around?

But, doing nothing was just what the doctor ordered for me after 4
years of interrupted sleep with two occasionally neurotic kiddos.

I believe it. Thanks for reading!

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

On 3/1/2012 7:17 PM, GodsOnSafari wrote:
We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south& slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

Which line, BTW?


That would be Carnival. I think they are the only line going there now.


--

Ray
+++++++++++++++++++++++
www.CompressorStuff.com

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

On Mar 1, 11:09*pm, RayC wrote:
On 3/1/2012 7:17 PM, GodsOnSafari wrote:

We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south& *slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

Which line, BTW?

That would be Carnival. *I think they are the only line going there now..

Disney still hasn't repositioned out of there to Galveston yet.

TR: Norwegian Pearl Pt. 5: Doing Nothing is Awesome (1/5-1/8/2012)
 

On 3/2/2012 2:14 PM, GodsOnSafari wrote:
On Mar 1, 11:09 pm, wrote:
On 3/1/2012 7:17 PM, GodsOnSafari wrote:

We just returned from a week from San Diego to points slightly further
south& slightly more Latino -- the Mexican Riviera.

Which line, BTW?

That would be Carnival. I think they are the only line going there now.

Disney still hasn't repositioned out of there to Galveston yet.

Disney goes out of LA ... not San Diego

--

Ray
+++++++++++++++++++++++
www.CompressorStuff.com