Norwegian Dawn
* Snowflakes - Fingerprints - Cruise Lines *
What is it that they all have in common? The answer would be that there are no two exactly alike. Holland America - very elegant - very popular with the "senior" crowd. Disney Cruise Line - cutsie and magical -catering to the young as well as the young-at-heart. Somewhere in the middle floats Carnival Cruise Lines - living up to their claim to fame "The Fun Ships". No matter what you are looking for in a cruise vacation, with a little research you can find the perfect one for you.
Having cruised with several of these cruise lines, I have to say that Norwegian Cruise Lines is the one that I will keep going back to. Their ships are clean, their staff is friendly and helpful, the food is always good, and as their advertising slogan states: You are free to "whatever". It was Norwegian Cruise Line that pioneered the concept of "Freestyle Cruising". Although freestyle is definately not for everyone, that is the one thing that has captured my loyalty towards Norwegian Cruise Line. As time goes on and the freestyle concept grows more popular, other cruise lines are beginning to impliment their own versions of this program.
So what is this thing called Freestyle Cruising? It's a program that helps make your cruise vacation fit you personally. The two most obvious differences between "traditional" cruising and "freestyle" cruising is that you eat when you want to eat and for the most part,you wear what you want to wear. With traditional cruising, you have two set dinner times and you are assigned to one of them. You eat dinner at the same time every evening, and you eat with the same table guests each evening. With freestyle cruising you eat when you are hungry, and are able to work dinner time around whatever activities you are participating in on any given day. No more rushing through dinner to get to the show on time. No more racing back from a shore excursion in order to get to dinner on time. Freestyle dining = less stress and less indigestion. It also allows you to decide who, if anyone, you have dinner with. You want a romantic table for two - you got it! You want to dine at a table full of fellow cruisers - you got it! Freestyle is very much your Burger King on the high seas - you can "have it your way".
The other big difference between traditional and freestyle cruising is the laid back dress code. With freestyle cruising, men are no longer required to wear ties and dress shirts in the evening. Instead, the dress code for the evening is "Resort Casual". If you are more comfortable in a pair of khakis and a golf shirt, then you can feel free to dress that way. For women, dresses and fancy pants are no longer required in the evening. If you are more comfortable in a pair of Capris and a nice top - feel free! Originally, freestyle did prohibit jeans in the main dining rooms during the evening meal, however passengers have pushed that envelope to the point that you may now wear jeans in the dining rooms if you choose to. The only downside to the laid back dress code is on the formal nights when you can choose to get all dressed up only to be sat at a table in the dining room next to a couple with him in his jeans and aloha shirt and she in her sundress and flip flops. It would be nice if they would reserve one of the dining rooms on formal night for those who choose to dress in formal attire. On the plus side - if you are traveling with children, this is definately the way to go! No more fighting with them to get dressed in the evening.
The Norwegian Cruise Line staffs their ships with an International Crew. It is so nice to see so many people from so many different countries from all over the world working together in harmony. You may be served dinner by a server from India and have a room steward from Jamaica. It's not unusual to see a bartender from Romania and a chef from Sweden. Just reading the name badges on the staff is a geography lesson in itself. We have always found the crew to be very courteous and helpful, from the officers all the way down to the maintenance crew. We have come to experience excellent service on every cruise we have taken with Norwegian, and putting aside a "hic-up" or two with customer service, we have experienced the same quality service from the corporate offices in Miami. I have on occasion written letters upon my return from cruises - some to offer praise and others to offer "suggestions". I have been pleasantly surprised to have each of my letters answered (both good and bad), and most often the response was accompanied by tokens of their appreciation (ie: shipboard credit and various ammenities on future cruises).
With 10 ships currently in their fleet, and the 11th scheduled to set sail in a couple of months, Norwegian is currently bringing their passengers to exotic locations all over the world. Offering cruises to the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda, the Pacific Coast, Canada and so many other exotic locations. Norwegian Cruise Line has the perfect cruise vacation for just about anyone! I am predicting with the addition of the Epic, scheduled to start sailing in June, we should start seeing some pretty good prices on Cruise vacations. All of the cruise lines out there are building bigger and better ships. With more staterooms becoming available, its bound to be difficult to fill all of those rooms - hopefully resulting in more appealing pricing!!Yes!! Your ship has come in!!!! (Now don't get caught at the airport!!). Tune into my next post for TSA tips to help get you through the airport with minimal hassle!!
TIP: Most cruise ship staterooms only have one or two electrical outlets available for use. Be sure to pack a small electrical bar or multi outlet extension cord to accomodate the curling irons, laptops, cell phones, razors, battery chargers and all of those electrical items you may bring along.
I have been so lucky to be able to travel throughout my entire life. It is hard to believe that there are folks out there who have never had the opportunity to travel - some who have not even been beyond the borders of their own home state. I have travelled enough to realize that there is beauty all around us and you don't necessarily have to be a "World Traveler" to visit some pretty interesting destinations. There are so many exciting and fun destinations right here in the United States. From a magical day at Disney to a historical tour of our nation's capital, Washington DC. An exhillerating day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans to a relaxing riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River. There is so much to see and do right within our own borders. In fact, I am certain that wherever you are, there is likely to be an exciting vacation spot just hours away from your home. If you are familiar with some of those fascinating places in your area, please feel free to share! With the economy the way it is, more and more people are looking for places to go that are more affordable, yet a nice getaway! We'll talk about that.
