Norwegian Sky casino

Norwegian Sky casino. The environment was great, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules were awful.
Norwegian Sky casino. The environment was great, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules were awful.

There must be something about casinos at sea. Perhaps because they have no competition, they don’t have to offer particularly good odds. I wrote last year that I did not enjoy the service or the rules in the casino on the Liberty of the Seas. The Norwegian Sky casino was a nice space with much friendlier staff, but the table rules and electronic blackjack rules may have been even less friendly toward the gambler Continue reading “Norwegian Sky casino”

Le Bistro specialty restaurant on Norwegian Sky

Le Bistro specialty restaurant on the Norwegian Sky. I wasn’t impressed with the complimentary dining options on NCL, but my meal at Le Bistro was superb.

When I cruised on the Norwegian Sky in July 2018, one of the things I worried about was the quality of the complimentary dining options. I already posted about the buffet on Youtube, and I will write posts soon about breakfast and lunch in the main dining room. The complementary options were fine, but they weren’t great. Dining is a key part of the my cruise experience, so I booked a specialty dining package. On the first night, I went to Le Bistro. Le Bistro is the French specialty restaurant on most NCL ships. My meal was superb, and it was definitely worth the upcharge. Continue reading “Le Bistro specialty restaurant on Norwegian Sky”

Eating dinner in Communist Cuba

Conde de Villanueva was a lovely restaurant in the beautiful Hotel del Habano… even if they were out of several dishes.

Sometimes, travel is meant to be an adventure. One day in 2006, for example, I went back to my apartment in Mexico City and told my wife we were moving to Abuja, Nigeria. Good times! In December 2016, I went on a bar crawl in Jakarta that involved a place which had been bombed by terrorists. It was bombed because, well, it was a bar. I got lost once in Japan, and I spent 11 days in Nicaragua once before I had learned enough Spanish. Anyway, I considered myself a seasoned traveler. That caused me to become arrogant, and being arrogant meant I quit listening. When I went to Cuba in July 2018, that meant that I didn’t listen to what restaurants were telling me about their menu. One of those places was the Conde de Villanueva in the Hotel del Habano. Continue reading “Eating dinner in Communist Cuba”

Norwegian Sky Oceanview Cabin (Stateroom 4014)

We have written before about the amazing experience of sailing in a suite. John Brawley Tophat sailed in a Carnival Fascination Penthouse Suite, and I loved the Liberty of the Seas Grand Suite. However, a suite isn’t the right choice for every trip. I just got back from my cruise to Cuba, and the Norwegian Sky oceanview stateroom is a great choice if you are on a budget. The space is small, and I strongly recommend getting a room on a higher deck than did I. On balance, however, this was a great way to pass a quick getaway travelling by myself. Continue reading “Norwegian Sky Oceanview Cabin (Stateroom 4014)”

Norwegian Sky embarkation in Miami

Norwegian Sky embarkation in Miami was easy. This artwork on Deck 5 was one of the first things I saw.

We have previously posted about the embarkation process for Royal Caribbean in Galveston and for Carnival in Puerto Rico. Today, I want to describe the process of embarking on the Norwegian Sky in Miami. I will talk about some of the key things you want to be sure to do within your first few hours on board. Over the next several days, please follow us for more details on the excellent ship and trip. In summary, though, Norwegian Sky embarkation in Miami is really easy. Let’s talk about boarding time, lunch the first day, and business to take care of as soon as you board. Continue reading “Norwegian Sky embarkation in Miami”