A Norwegian Transatlantic Cruise to Europe from New York
City
This transatlantic cruise sailed late April 2019. This is part one which involves the ship and the crossing. In light of the ongoing Corona Virus Pandemic, obviously all ships are forbidden to sail. When it's safe to cruise, I wouldn't hesitate to do a trip like this again. In fact, I was booked on a transatlantic trip from New York City to Barcelona with stops in Portugal and Spain which was canceled due to the virus. So travel with me across the Atlantic and on to Europe, from the safety of our homes. And here's hoping we can travel again, soon.
The Norwegian Pearl |
I love cruising, so when I saw that Norwegian was offering a 13-day sailing, leaving from my home port
of New York City and ending up in Amsterdam with prices starting under $500 per
person, I leapt at the chance and booked the trip. Ports of call included:
Ireland, France, England, Belgium, and finally disembarking in Amsterdam. As
many meals per day as you desired, entertainment every night, free gym and a
plethora of activities to take part in, it was cheaper per day to sail to
Europe than stay home!
Having traveled with Norwegian previously, I was part of
their “Latitudes Rewards” program and with that privilege come perks: room
upgrades, free dining in specialty restaurants, deals on WiFi, discounts in the
ship’s spa and in my case, even open bar for the entire trip. Trust me, that
saves you a wine bucket full of money.
So, I asked my travel mate, Bud, if he was game and we
jumped into a cab and headed to the cruise port in New York City located at 55th
Street and the Hudson River. Now, how convenient is that?
THE SHIP
The Norwegian Pearl
was built in 2005 but completely refurbished in 2017 which made the ship feel
brand new. All 1,179 staterooms had an upgrade which included new carpeting,
new televisions, new furniture, new beds, and USB outlets where guests can
charge their electronic devices.
Throughout the ship, over 2,220 pieces of artwork were
installed, including a stunning Chihuly
sculpture sitting proudly in the main atrium.
Chihuly Glass Sculpture on the Pearl |
When it comes to food, there are so many venues to choose
from; 8 complementary restaurants plus room service, 6 specialty restaurants
with additional fees plus 15 bars and lounges.
What makes Norwegian
stand out from the other cruise lines?
Their biggest claim to fame is their “Free-Style” cruising.
On many other lines you must sign up for a certain time to dine and you are
given a specific table to sit at in the evening and on designated nights you
must dress up in formal attire. On Norwegian, dress is casual, you can dine any
time you like and sit anywhere you prefer. The last thing I wanted to lug
around on this long trip was a business suit and a tuxedo. But if one desires,
you’re more than welcome to dress up.
Balcony Cabin - Norwegian Pearl |
Bathroom - The Pearl |
Is Norwegian Gay
Friendly?
Absolutely! Every night, a Freestyle Daily pamphlet appears
in your cabin with a list of everything available to do on the ship for the
next day. For years, Friends of Dorothy, was listed and indicated where and
when people could meet. But this trip something simple but very powerful
happened. Friends of Dorothy was gone and LGBTQ+ Informal Get Together showed
up instead. In my mind, this is a true indicator that we, as gay travelers,
have been welcomed openly and with respect. This was my 6th cruise
with Norwegian and not once have I felt slighted or experienced any sort of
homophobia from either the staff or other cruisers. In fact, on this trip, a 72-year-old
gay couple appeared onboard holding hands and dressed in matching baby doll
sailor suits with full make-up and wigs. Now, even my jaw dropped but with a
smile. And they maintained baby doll characters for the entire trip, changing
costumes every day. Many befriended the couple and even the Captain requested a photo with
them. As one straight traveler shared with me, “I
observed people treating them with respect rather than ridicule. Totally
refreshing.”
The Baby Dolls |
The Activities and
Entertainment
They have bingo, slot machine and black jack tournaments. There
are art classes, you can learn bridge, or take dance lessons. Audience
participation games are numerous including a Deal Or No Deal show based on the television version where you
could win $5,000.00 or a cruise for two. There were cooking classes and
lectures about upcoming ports of call. And for those who love their libations,
there were wine tastings, martini tastings, beer tastings, scotch tastings, and
tequila tastings.
Casino - The Pearl |
The first couple of days, most people explore the ship and
all it has to offer. I hit the gym at least once a day. They had scores of physical
programs you could participate in from Pilates and body sculpting to classes in
nutritional education and weight loss. One of my favorite onboard activities was
the bowling alley. Not having played since a teenager, it was a bit daunting to
lace up the shoes and pick up the ball while others were watching and the ship
swayed side to side but I did pretty well. It was like riding a bike, it all
came back to me.
The Pearl's Bowling Alley |
They also have multiple cabaret performers as well as bands
that rotate from one lounge to another throughout the day and into the evening.
And there’s the Mandara Spa where you can receive just about any type of
pampering you can imagine.
There’s a very
quiet library to escape the crowds. Around the 5th day at sea I had
a hankering to write and with an article due while I was traveling, the library
was the perfect spot to create while occasionally looking out to sea and spotting
a humpback whale or two.
The Stardust - Main Stage Theatre |
The Casino opens once you are one mile out at sea. Previously
I’ve won up to $700 with slots but not this trip. And every evening there was a
complementary show in the theatre. The specialty acts were superb on this
crossing. There was a magician, a husband and wife adagio act who defied
gravity but my favorite was Izabella
Zebrowska, a Polish violinist. Her first show was totally classical and
breathtaking. But Bud turned to me and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if she also
included some pop and showtunes?” Well, her second show later in the week was geared
around the West End’s hit musicals and famous movie scores.
Dining
I’ve never been disappointed with the food on Norwegian
cruises. I do have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of buffets...buffets anywhere.
I end up piling on too much of too many different types of food and the stomach
isn’t crazy about that. Besides, I love to be served when I dine out. And
because there are so many sit-down restaurants onboard, you have plenty of
options to choose from. But the food the buffets displayed were always well presented
and looked delicious.
On warm days it was wonderful to have breakfast in The Great
Outdoors which is a bar and restaurant area at the back of the ship.
The Great Outdoors eating area in the back of the ship |
The two main dining rooms are Indigo and the Summer Palace.
Indigo is the smaller of the two and offers a more intimate dining experience.
The Summer Palace is very large and its décor is inspired by the great summer
palaces of Russia. I found it fascinating that the Summer Palace has scores of life-size paintings of the Royal family, clearly done just before they were executed. An odd choice in my mind for a restaurant, but most were beautifully done. Both restaurants are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
and they share the same menu for each particular day. A typical evening meal may
consist of a starter of bouillabaisse soup, followed by garlic roasted leg of
lamb and for dessert, a warm peach tartlet. The menus change every day and if
you’re really hungry, you can order as much of anything as you like.
Staircase down to Summer Palace Main Restaurant |
Of the 6 specialty restaurants, we ate at Cagney’s
Steakhouse and the French café, Le Bistro. For an entré at Cagney’s I ordered
the grilled ribeye with their green peppercorn sauce. The steak was superior, as
good as some that I’ve had at renowned steak houses in NYC.
Cagney's - The Pearl |
And in Le Bistro, I
ordered the pan-seared jumbo bay scallops with a sherry vinegar glaze and
cauliflower mousseline, which was perfectly cooked, and Bud ordered a glorious
Napoleon of Portobello mushrooms and vegetable puff pastry with goat cheese,
red pepper, sweet potato, and a beurre blanc. It was almost too pretty to eat.
Le Bistro's Vegetarian Napoleon |
Often, we would see the earlier of two shows in the theatre
which was at 7:00 pm. Traditionally they last one hour, so from there we’d go
to our favorite bar, have some martinis and then head on down to the Summer
Palace for a late-ish dinner. Very civilized.
THE CROSSING
I’ll admit, a week to cross the Atlantic had me a bit
concerned. Would I get bored or restless? Ships can make the journey faster but
that eats up much more fuel hence it’s worse on the environment and the cruise
fares would increase. Plus traveling across the pond, your body very gradually
adjusts to time changes therefore, no jet lag. And honestly, the 7 days at sea
went by like a breeze - no pun intended. We were traveling late April and into
May so the weather was extremely mild.
Often people were in the outdoor pools
and hot tubs or playing human chess, basketball, shuffleboard, or scampering up
the rock-climbing wall. There was even a driving range where you can work on
your swing or you could just grab a deck chair, a smart cocktail and people
watch.
Outdoor area - Norwegian Pearl |
After the 7 days to cross the Atlantic we would be making
ports of call in Ireland, France, England, Belgium and finally, the
Netherlands. Each excursion gave us about one day to explore. The ship offered
a multitude of excursions but do your homework, sometimes a third-party company
offers a better price and a more interesting itinerary. The major bonus with
booking a ship’s excursion is you’ll never miss the boat. If you’re not back in
time from a private excursion the boat will
leave without you.
Part two of this journey will cover all of the shore excursions in Ireland, France, England, Belgium and then 3 nights in Amsterdam.
Bon Voyage!
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