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Please click on image to open a larger version. All photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2008 unless otherwise noted.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thanks to fellow passenger, Ft. Lauderdale-based Michael Bennett, I was spared a rather complex commute from Ft. Lauderdale via Miami Airport to the Miami’s Dodge Island cruise terminal to board NCL’s NORWEGIAN SKY on a typically sunny, slightly humid autumn afternoon.
Monica Fotache, concierge extraordinaire.
At check-in, I was led to a special lounge with all sorts of breads, danish and juices where the ship’s charming concierge, Monica Fotache, welcomed me. The fact that she could pronounce my Croatian last name correctly was reason enough to find the Romanian-born Monica indispensable for the next four days.
Sped up by my online pre-registration, the boarding process went quickly. Within moments, I was escorted directly to security and then up a winding scaffold of ramps to the gangway. From there, a white-gloved stewardess led me along the promenade past a man with a Freestyle 2.0 "welcome tray" offering a free glass of bubbly, juice, or water.
NORWEGIAN SKY, cabin 9266, facing starboard.
Moments later, we arrived at my Category BC balcony grade cabin 9266 on aft starboard Fjord Deck (9). It was light and brightly furnished, with white laminate bulkheads making a nice contrast with NCL’s bold orange, magenta and blue bed runner. There was a small television set and plenty of storage via drawers, a wardrobe and small desk area.
Elemis toiletries.
A well-designed modular bathroom featured a circular shower, toilet and open shelves for toiletries, as well as a nice line of Elemis products (shampoo, moisturizers, conditioner, bath gel).
MV NORWEGIAN SKY, cabin 9266 balcony, facing aft.
A full length glass door accessed the “add on” balcony and, in lieu of a full-sized window, there was an oversized porthole next to the door. In this respect, the 1999-built NORWEGIAN SKY differs from her near sister, the 2001-built NORWEGIAN SUN. The SKY was designed and constructed for Costa Line as their COSTA OLYMPIA, a twin to the 1996-built COSTA VICTORIA but a dispute with the shipbuilders, Bremerhaven-based Lloyd Werft, led to Costa not taking the order. The incomplete ship was sold to NCL and finished as the NORWEGIAN SKY but with modifications that included the addition of balconies, which are cantilevered from the superstructure. The SKY’s cabins also lack the distinctive cherry wood veneers given to the slightly newer SUN and the purpose-built series of Freestyle ships that followed.
Aware of and somewhat concerned by NCL’s discounting to get people on the ship, with deals as low as $99.00 for four days, I was expecting to see a number of cutbacks in food and service options. Needless to say, I was pleasantly shocked to find the Garden Cafe offerings up to prior snuff, and especially delighted by the variety and quality of the salad bar, where my leafy pyramid included some nice extras like fresh spinach, pine nuts, avocado and sun dried tomatoes, topped with plenty of the usual balsamic, olive oil and parmesan.
As though that were not enough, I joined Michael and his friend Joe in Il Adagio for some spaghetti with marinara sauce.
During boat drill, the captain announced that we would arrive on time in Nassau the following day, which came as a bit of a surprise since the published itinerary said we would be in Freeport. He also warned that due to the remnants of Hurricane Paloma, the seas could be a bit bouncy en route.
Meanwhile, CARNIVAL IMAGINATION slipped her lines and thrust into the channel behind us, silently making her way past. Further down, the MAJESTY OF THE SEAS also prepared to sail while the CRYSTAL SYMPHONY lingered at the berth adjacent to the RCCL headquarters on the south side of Dodge Island.
Getting out of Dodge: Miami sailing day.
I was enjoying a brief flashback to my first sailing from Miami at this very same terminal way back in 1982 on Carnival’s CARNIVALE (ex EMPRESS OF BRITAIN -- which I sadly saw at Alang this past August a couple weeks after her beaching for scrap under her final name of TOPAZ). It was a much different place then, yet to hit its late 1980s renaissance and revival but the ships (AMERIKANIS, FESTIVALE, DOLPHIN, MARDI GRAS, NORWAY, SOUTHWARD, SKYWARD, STARWARD, SONG OF NORWAY, NORDIC PRINCE, SUN VIKING, EMERALD SEAS, BOHEME, etc.) were wonderful!
Sailaway deck party on NORWEGIAN SKY.
On Pool Deck, the steel band played, drinks flowed and jacuzzis, pools and deck chairs filled rapidly. It seemed as though every last one of NORWEGIAN SKY’s 2,200 guests were out to party.
Barbeque boogie.
I couldn’t resist a piece of chicken from the barbeque, then watched from my balcony as the pilot boat made several attempts to retrieve the pilot in the swells off Miami. Finally, the little craft sped back in the twilight, bouncing in a white froth behind us.
NORWEGIAN SKY gym.
I next went to the excellent gym for an early evening workout. Amazingly, the gym remains open 24 hours on NCL ships, which is a nice option for “night people” like myself. A good round on the ellipticals and some stretching helped undo some of the rich food and wine from the prior evenings and would allow me a chance to have another go at the Garden Cafe’s salad bar and some truly excellent tandoori chicken, crispy papadams, saffron rice and spicy eggplant.
Afterwards, I tried to watch some of the show from the balcony of the SRO Stardust Theater but it was basically the cruise director doing a Dudley Moore-meets-Austin Powers comedy routine. I wandered the other public rooms, then took a walk around deck before heading back to 9266 to catch up on some writing and photo sizing.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
NORWEGIAN SKY and CARNIVAL SENSATION at Nassau.
I cracked the curtains this morning at 7:00 AM to find us in moderately choppy Nassau roads. Instead of entering the breakwater, however, we veered off to port and spun around to make another approach. I could see Carnival’s CARNIVAL SENSATION and RCCL’s MAJESTY OF THE SEAS had already berthed, so decided it would be safe to crawl back in bed for another hour of sleep.
Cagney’s Katherine Soriano.
“How about another cappuccino?”, asked Katherine Soriano as I stared out the window overlooking Nassau’s narrow Paradise Island. How nice to begin the day in the cool, quiet sanctuary of Cagney’s on aft starboard Deck 12. A wonderful set up of fresh fruit and berries, cheeses, salmon and condiments awaited in the aft corner of the room along with cereals, yogurt and muesli.
For breakfast and lunch, the extra tariff Cagney’s is reserved for suite passengers, offering special menus featuring freshly prepared items. The Plantation Club on the port side of Deck 12 serves as the concierge lounge until 5:00 PM when the bar opens up.
Dobar tek! Over easies in Cagney’s.
I returned to my seat with a full plate just as Katherine arrived with my second cappuccino and a pair of perfectly cooked over easies. Waking up would be less painful this morning.
In the ensuing moments, I had met the entire Cagney’s morning wait staff, from assistant maitre’d Grace Monsalve (Manila, Philippines), waiter Adrian Ungurasu (Bulgaria), and waitress Dragana Opsenica (Croatia). Dragana politely asked where I came from, “because your name is very familiar in Croatia. There is a famous basketball player named Andrew Knego.”
I explained that my father was from Dubrovnik but that I had lost contact with his family many years ago. And that, unfortunately, I had absolutely no basketball skills.
Mirsad Bucuk, the NORWEGIAN SKY’s food and beverage manager, came to say hello. “Mr. Knego, may I ask where you are from?” Another Croatian! Was anyone left in Dubrovnik? I later realized that this day would have been my father’s 90th birthday, so maybe a bit of his spirit was in the room.
The lovely Katherine soon returned, “How about another cappuccino, Mr. Knego?”
"Absolutely!"
Matson menu stairs.
Well-lei’d carpeting.
Propelled by the caffeine, I spent the next couple hours systematically documenting the ship. It had been almost nine years since my first and only prior visit to the NORWEGIAN SKY during her maiden Miami cruise season. Many spaces, such as the stairtowers and their Matson menu art murals, the Garden Cafe buffet, the Outrigger observation lounge, the Coffee Bar and Dazzles sported bright Hawaiian color schemes from the ship’s last incarnation as NCL America’s PRIDE OF ALOHA.
MALOLO in the mural: Palace Dining Room.
Aloha atrium: MV NORWEGIAN SKY.
Some places, such as the Palace Dining Room and soaring atrium were a combination of original and Hawaiian.
Crossings lobby.
Other spaces, such as the Stardust Theater, Mark Twain Lounge and the Crossings Dining Room were very much “as built”.
Greek salad in Cagney’s.
At about noon, I decided to head off to the local Starbucks for some internet access, but stopped in Cagney’s for a quick Greek salad. Admittedly, I had been spoiled by the suite dining experience, which when traveling alone, was hassle free. There was certainly nothing wrong with the food in the Garden Cafe but finding a table and keeping it when getting up for another course or a drink was a challenge on such a full ship.
Bahamian bollard.
One of the nicest things about Nassau is its deep blue water and the piercing blue skies, which are often filled with dramatic clouds. It makes an excellent backdrop for photographing ships, my favorite pastime when going ashore.
Atlantis Casino and Resort, Nassau.
Nassau has great appeal for those seeking casinos and shops. A huge shopping arcade is located in the adjacent passenger terminal and ferries provide regular service to the sprawling Atlantis Casino and Resort. There are also glass bottom boats, historic harbor cruises, city tours, a submarine ride, museum visits and dolphin swims available for those so inclined.
MV NORWEGIAN SKY 3/4 sternward at Nassau.
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Bahamian Bows: NORWEGIAN SKY (L), CARNIVAL SENSATION (C), MAJESTY OF THE SEAS (R). Photo and copyright Michael Bennett 2008.
Bird Prism at Nassau.
I had finally posted the prior blog when I left Starbucks at 5:00 PM with a leisurely hour to get back to the ship, so enjoyed another quayside round with the cameras.
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Busy night out on NORWEGIAN SKY: Freestyle Dining TV Screen. Photo and copyright Michael Bennett 2008.
Captains on the bridge: Captain Roger Gustavsen and Staff Captain Stefan Nording.
I felt very privileged to have dinner in the extra tariff ($25) Cagney’s with Captain Gustavsen, Staff Captain Nording, the ship’s Austrian hostess Julia, and Monica. The captains shared some fond memories of NORWAY and other past NCL ships as the ladies and I shared a nice bottle of chianti. Service was impeccable and the meal was perfection, from a beefsteak tomato and onion salad, a rotisserie free range chicken with baked potato and steamed asparagus to an apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. All in all, it was on par with or possibly even better than my Grill Room dining experiences on Cunard.
Full moon over NORWEGIAN SKY.
A full moon hovered overhead as NORWEGIAN SKY lazily made her way through the swells to Great Stirrup Cay. I was looking forward to getting some nice shots of the ship from the LITTLE NORWAY I or II and taking a dip in the crystalline waters of NCL’s private out island.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A little stir up cancels Great Stirrup Cay.
Curtains drawn, I tossed about atop my customized duvet and pillow mound, earplugs loosened just enough to hear Captain Gustavsen on the ship’s intercom explaining that the swells off Great Stirrup Cay were too severe to allow tendering this morning. Instead of anchoring at NCL’s out island, we would spend a day at sea. The captain concluded his announcement by stating he was solely responsible for the decision, one he did not take lightly, and to please direct complaints and comments to him and not NCL or the people at the reception desk. A real “the buck stops here” kind of guy.
Oglio and balsamico in Cagney’s.
My original intent was to ride the tender back and forth a couple times for optimal footage of the SKY at anchor, then dive into the clear blue water for a quick swim before returning to the ship. Instead, as the SKY gently lurched along, I lingered longer in the shelter of 9266, caught up on some writing, and made my way up to Cagney’s for lunch. Adrian brought me a nice duet of olive oil and vinegar to slosh some very flaky NCL artisan bread in, a round of cappuccinos, and the menu. After a lovely bruschetta and a Greek salad, I headed into the “real world” of the Garden Cafe for a full onslaught of courses, from roasted chicken to more Indian specialties and the salad bar. Quality, variety and quantity.
A quick work out, a thirty minute suntan on forward Deck 12 and a nice view of an oncoming FANTASY-class ship filled out the rest of the afternoon. The SKY bobbed a bit but was relatively undaunted by the white-capped seas, which would have been an entirely different animal from the perspective of a tender.
NORWEGIAN SKYs executive chef, Anil Kumar, right.
At 4:00 PM, I met Anil Kumar, the NORWEGIAN SKY’s executive chef, for a tour of the spotless galley. It was most interesting to watch as 2,000 dinners’ worth of sauces simmered, breads baked and potatoes peeled. What a mind boggle to imagine this place during peak hours with waiters systematically placing orders, then gathering various salads, soups and appetizers from the myriad stations, navigating through other waiters, and then returning to the dining room with stacks of trays to disperse with a smile. Mr. Kumar, a native of Hyderabad, said it takes a while for most new waiters to get accustomed to the system but that once they do, it is a relatively easy process.
Mr. Kumar came to NCL four years ago from Seabourn. He owns a culinary school in Hyderabad (with galley equipment purchased from the BIG BOAT (ex TRANSVAAL CASTLE, SA VAAL, FESTIVALE, ISLAND BREEZE, BIG RED BOAT III)) shortly after she beached at Alang. Ironically, he began his career with that ship when she was sailing for Premier and also served on the SEAWIND CROWN (ex INFANTE DOM HENRIQUE, etc.) and OCEANBREEZE (ex SOUTHERN CROSS, etc.).
Night SKY pool.
More gym, more writing and dinner in the Garden Cafe, capped off with some ice cream dipped in the chocolate fountain (conjuring up unexpected childhood Foster’s Freeze flashbacks) pretty much summed up my laid back sea day on the SKY. For the livelier crowd (and my guess is that it numbered close to 2,200), the night would blaze on under the stars and in various venues with the "White Hot" Freestlye 2.0 party.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
MV NORWEGIAN DREAM at Freeport.
My diminutive travel alarm started its hummingbird jackhammer routine shortly after dawn. From my balcony, I could see the palm-fringed skyline of Freeport, Grand Bahama. Some familiar funnels poked their way through the mist, all dwarfed by RCCL’s looming MONARCH OF THE SEAS, which was in dry dock prior to assuming her new Port Canaveral-based duties after several years on the West Coast.
By the time I reached the observation area on forward Deck 11, we had passed the very derelict 1975-built, 15,409 gt ISLAND ADVENTURE (ex KAZAKHSTAN, ROYAL SEAS, UKRAINA) off our port side. She had been towed away from Fort Lauderdale a couple days prior and was on standby in the roads awaiting a berth assignment. Rumors are that the rust-streaked ship, which last operated on day cruise gambling service for now-defunct SeaEscape, has been sold for further service. Another significant “catch” was the anchored, 1992-built, 50,764 gt NORWEGIAN DREAM (ex DREAMWARD), which had just finished up her final scheduled Bermuda cruise for NCL. Her sale to Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines fell through and now the ship awaits reassignment in the Star/NCL fleet or, more likely, another sales prospect. Freeport has become the Eleusis of the West, a temporary home for disenfranchised cruise ships of all shapes and sizes.
MV BAHAMAS CELEBRATION and MV REGAL EMPRESS at Freeport.
And then the layers of inner Freeport harbor began to unfold. In the first basin lay the handsome BAHAMAS CELEBRATION, still very much in her Color Line colors with deep blue hull and white finned funnel, sans logo. The 35,855 gt, 1980-built former PRINSESSE RAGNHILD is undergoing conversion to a Bahamian cruise ship for new owners, Celebration Cruise Holdings, Inc. She is expected to enter service in mid to late January from Fort Lauderdale.
On the other end of the harbor, the recently-arrived, vintage beauty REGAL EMPRESS awaited a brief return to service following relief duties for Hurricane Ike workers at Galveston, Texas. Funnel glinting in the sun, the lovely RE looked proud, if a bit impatient to resume sailing for Imperial Majesty Cruises. It was hard to focus on anything but this glorious former transatlantic anomaly, which celebrated her fifty fifth birthday this year.
MV REGAL EMPRESS with MV MONARCH OF THE SEAS in the distance at Freeport.
Between REGAL E and the aforementioned and quite distant MONARCH OF THE SEAS, lay another mystery solved.
MV CASINO ROYALE at Freeport.
The 1974-built, 8,500 gt CASINO ROYALE (ex CASTALIA, etc.), which has had more names and false starts than just about any passenger ship in history, lay awaiting yet another return to service for new owners, according to Freeport scuttlebutt. OMEGA ROYALE will supposedly be her next name. Why not?
MV BAHAMAS CELEBRATION at Freeport.
I was getting very accustomed to breakfast and cappuccinos in Cagney’s. It also provided a nice view of the terminal area, which is undergoing a major refit. Beyond, in blue, beckoned the BAHAMAS CELEBRATION, my first stop for the day.
I will post a fully illustrated report in a forthcoming Decked! blog, so please stay tuned for that (No less than four Decked! features -- RUBY PRINCESS, NORWEGIAN SKY, BAHAMAS CELEBRATION and CELEBRITY SOLSTICE -- are lined up, when time permits).
Workers in hard hats and overalls scurried about the BAHAMAS CELEBRATION. Pool areas are being added to the uppermost deck forward of the funnel and at the stern. Cabin bedding is being replaced, new carpeting laid, restaurants modified and a casino installed. The ship has some spectacular architectural spaces that include a vast atrium with glass elevators, a double deck show room, a lovely suite of dining areas, and the aforementioned casino, which will be forged from a two deck auditorium.
BAHAMAS CELEBRATION’s hotel manager, Alain Chabot.
One of my all-time favorite sea people, Alain Chabot (ex PRINCE GEORGE, Paquet, OCEANBREEZE) is the BAHAMAS CELEBRATION’s hotel manager. I stopped at his office for a brief visit while he coordinated workers and deliveries on that rather frenzied morning. There was much to be done in order to deliver the ship in January.
MV NORWEGIAN SKY at Freeport.
From the BC, there was a nice view of the NORWEGIAN SKY as the sun shifted into afternoon mode, lighting up the ship’s starboard side.
Ranito Sabino and his favorite classic ship.
Another friendly, familiar face, Manila-based Ranito Sabino, escorted me from BAHAMAS CELEBRATION across a cargo depot to the other side of Freeport where REGAL EMPRESS awaited. Ranito was my cabin steward during my most recent sailing on the REGAL EMPRESS, which I will apparently never see or experience enough of.
Sand EMPRESS.
REGAL EMPRESS returned early from her Texas duties and on December 1, will commence a new Fort Lauderdale-based service to Freeport and Nassau on alternating three and two night voyages. Anyone with the slightest interest in classic ships that has not tried the REGAL EMPRESS now has one more chance. Ft. Lauderdale-based agency Travel With Katy is offering some very attractively priced sailings in December and January.
REGAL EMPRESS Caribbean Restaurant, facing aft.
Hotel manager Virginia Sy greeted me at the REGAL E’s gangway and escorted me up to the officer’s dining room where Captain Matco Antisic offered me lunch. I only had a few minutes before I was due back on NORWEGIAN SKY, so had to decline, but not before Captain Antisic gave me a now familiar look. “Mr. Knego, where are you from?”
If ever I regretted my father not teaching me Croatian, it had to be this week. Hailing from a long line of sea-faring Croats (his father was once captain of DALMACIJA) Captain Antisic served on DALMACIJA as well as JADRAN, JEDINTSVO, and JUGOSLAVIA.
Quickly, I stopped in the lustrous Caribbean Restaurant, delighted to find it in immaculate condition, missing only its table settings and a fresh crop of passengers. Virginia told me quite proudly that during the Galveston relief service, the carpets were all covered and workers’ shoes were removed at the gangway.
Captain Matco Antisic and Hotel Manager Virginia Sy on the bridge of the REGAL EMPRESS.
Frustratingly, there was no time to visit the Regal Club or the Library. “Are you sure?”, Virginia nudged. I did get out to the fo’c’sle head for my obligatory “face shot”, then it was up to the bridge to say goodbye the good captain, who will stay with the ship until his contract ends in December.
Curves, glorious curves: REGAL EMPRESS’ superstructure. They had faces then...
REGAL EMPRESS bowlines.
Kudos to Imperial Majesty Cruises for taking such good care of the REGAL EMPRESS and for assembling one of the kindest, most hard-working crews afloat.
MV NORWEGIAN SKY at Freeport.
Freeport bazaar under the NORWEGIAN SKY.
I made it back to the NORWEGIAN SKY in time for my appointment, then piled up a fantastic spinach salad in the Garden Cafe before trying to find a wi-fi spot outside the ship. No luck from several vantages, so I resigned myself to being a bit late with blog postings and returned to my Freestyle sanctuary an hour before our scheduled 5:00 PM departure.
MV ISLAND ADVENTURE at Freeport.
While I was racing around the REGAL EMPRESS, the ISLAND ADVENTURE was towed to a berth on the north side of the main harbor channel. NORWEGIAN SKY maneuvered past her as the sun set. Hopefully, it would not be the last time I would see this interesting former Soviet ship.
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Il Adagio Caesar Salad. Photo and copyright Michael Bennett 2008.
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Il Adagio tiramisu. Photo and copyright Michael Bennett 2008.
I was joined by Michael and Joe in the extra tariff ($10 per person) Il Adagio at 7:30 PM. Our waiter seemed a bit hurried and forgot to offer us the usual antipasti before rushing us through our various courses. Admittedly, it was not the best meal I had on the ship but we enjoyed it, nonetheless. And the tiramisu was outstanding.
With another inaugural cruise to go, I packed carefully, then hit the hay at a moderately early midnight.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A final morning in Cagney’s has convinced me that I really do like breakfast. Three days’ worth of perfectly-cooked eggs delivered piping hot, lovely melons and berries, magical muesli and an endless flow of cappuccinos would be sorely missed but not as much as the NORWEGIAN SKY's staff, a wonderful, hard-working, and dedicated team.
We met Monica in Captain Cook’s Lounge and got to experience yet another hassle-free, expedient NCL disembark as she swiped our keycards and bid us goodbye. It was hard to imagine that in just a couple hours, she would be back to square one, greeting her next batch of guests in the concierge hospitality lounge. How do they do it?
Special thanks: Captain Matco Antisic, Michael Bennet, Alain Chabot, Martin Cox, Monica Fotache, Captain Roger Gustavsen, AnnMarie Mathews, Captain Stefan Nording, Courtney Recht, Glenn Ryerson, Ranito Sabino, Virginia Sy
End. Finalized November 29, 2008.
