We were up well before our alarm sounded this morning. I don’t think that it was the sound of the Norwegian Spirit docking in Civitavecchia that woke us up; our cabin had been as quiet as a tomb all cruise long. I think that we simply fell asleep so early last night (exhaustion will do that to you) that we had slept long enough by 5:30am. We were showered and in the Windows dining room for our final breakfast when it opened at 6:30am.
We loved our cruise on the Norwegian Spirit. We went into it with no expectations and were extremely impressed by the food, the crew and cabin and most of the ship. We did very much miss the Elite Captains Circle benefits we get on Princess (or at least a passenger laundry). The only thing we really disliked was the TV programming (abysmal). We knew that, even with the Pacific Princess’ archaic TVs and programming, it’s going to be a step up from the Spirit. (Just wait until we’re back on the Sapphire Princess!) I will take a few minutes on our first sea to write a short post summarizing our feelings about the Norwegian Spirit (hint: we’d cruise on it again in a heartbeat).
Our NCL disembarkation instructions had stated that we could remain in our cabin until 8:30am, and on the ship until 9:15am. Imagine our surprise, then, when the last and final announcement was made around 7:45am. We fairly flew to our cabin, packed up the toothbrushes and last of our toiletries and were off the ship shortly after 8am. Even at that early time, there was minimal luggage in the terminal and it was easy to find and claim ours.
G had already scoped out the various cruise ships’ berth locations today, and knew that the Pacific Princess was the second ship behind the Norwegian Spirit, which was wonderful news. The Civitavecchia port is very large, and our two ships could have been a taxi ride away from each other, especially with multiple ships in port (the Celebrity Constellation was there somewhere too). We started rolling our suitcases past the MSC Mera…something. Viglia perhaps? Whatever it’s called, it was a looonng ship. We were lucky that there was a pedestrian walkway connecting the terminals, but periodically a lamppost would force us into a game of chicken with the large buses coming to pick up passengers. It didn’t help that the walkway was quite rough with loose gravel, but our suitcase wheels were up to the challenge, and so were we. Still, it was nice to finally reach the tent that served as the Pacific Princess check in.
Of course, that early, the tent was filled with disembarking cruisers but we found a corner for ourselves and our luggage and waited. We spent much of the time chatting with the disembarking passengers waiting for their rides to Rome, one of whom started telling us a story about being on the Pacific Princess when it struck the breakwater in Nice. Gee, I think we’ve heard that one before. ;-) We also heard about their harrowing embarkation in Venice during that big storm 12 days ago, and wading through thigh-high deep water to do any sightseeing. I think the sights will have to remain unseen if we encounter that same kind of flooding.
Finally, though, we were on the ship and our cabin was ready when we boarded. I was carrying dirty laundry in a Target shopping bag and went directly to the laundry room on Deck 7 to start a load. I was not alone; already there were the destination expert and the lead female vocalist doing the same. I started the load (and remembered to add detergent before the washer door locked) and returned to the cabin, where G was already unpacking the few things we’d brought on board with us (toiletries and the over the door shoe rack).
Signs of last year’s dry dock were readily obvious all around the ship, and in our ocean view cabin on Deck 4 we have a new fabric headboard, new loveseat, new lamps and a new small table that sits next to the loveseat and not in front of it (very smart). We also have the new Princess mattress and linens. I would love to know who thought that having marshmallow mattresses was a good idea. Mine nearly swallows me up. This cruise could be a bumpy ride from a back pain perspective. As for the linens…we simply sleep on top of the conglomeration and cover up with a blanket.
I miss our NCL bed!
I moved some of our laundry to the dryer and brought the rest of it back to our cabin to hang dry, and then we went to lunch in the Club Restaurant. Honestly, just typing the words “lunch in the Club Restaurant” makes me SO HAPPY. I had no idea how much I missed this ship! Though maitre d’ Oscar has decamped to the Crown Princess and taken his merry band of headwaiters with him (lucky Crown passengers, and we miss you Nelson and Ileo and Josko and Antonio!), we immediately saw several waiters we know starting with Tommy from Thailand whom I always think of as Tall Tommy from Thailand. Hugs and more hugs…it’s great to be back.
Our luggage still hadn’t been delivered so I laid down on “that” bed and tried to make my peace with it. The sun was shining in our cabin and on me and it felt so good that I actually napped for a few minutes (yes, me!). And then I realized that the new lamps in our cabin have USB outlets on them (yay!!) and plugged in my iPhone and started this post.
I actually had an easier time preparing blog posts and uploading photos during our Norwegian Spirit cruise that I’d hoped. Uploading photos to a blog post from my iPhone is tough, especially since my battery is usually spent by the time I have an opportunity to do it. This, if I have it at all, comes after a day of sightseeing but before the ship sails, while we still have a cellular signal. Tough, but not impossible, and I will continue to prepare blog posts on my iPhone in spite of having free WiFi minutes on the Pacific Princess. I will also upload photos in port as time and data speed permit. Having a window cabin and a USB plug right next to the bed will certainly help. Even now I am charging as I type.
Our luggage arrived before 3pm, and we took turns unpacking. Storage in these Pacific Princess cabins is rather limited. We’ve made do for months at a time in one by rearranging the furniture but we’re not doing that for just 12 days. Our suitcases won’t fit under either side of the bed, and, frankly, I am too lazy at this point to crawl underneath it and rearrange the comforters and other things that I know are stored there (for when the bed is made up as twins). Instead, we’ll leave the suitcases out and crawl around them until it’s time to pack again. It’s not a pretty picture, and my fastidious self would normally object, but not now. I’m just relieved I finally found the case with my nightguards in them after searching for nearly an hour tonight (in a backpack pocket with my charging cords). Losing them would be a showstopper; a disheveled cabin is not.
Muster drill took place at 4:45pm, just prior to our 5pm sail away. We showered and were dressed for dinner before we went, giving us a chance to watch the Norwegian Spirit sail away from the P/E/S lounge, which takes place in the Pacific Lounge. For all the new furniture brought on the ship during its dry dock in June 2018, the Pacific Lounge as well as the Cabaret Lounge still has the old furniture (and could still use a spruce up). The weather was so beautiful today, just like we’ve had for over a week now, and I hope it’s a harbinger of what’s to come.
More tables for two have been added to the Club Restaurant, a very welcome change. (That was one of the best things about the Norwegian Spirit. There were a lot of tables for two.) We have a wonderful table by a window, and watched as the Pacific Princess pushed away from the pier and did the lengthy navigation out of the Port of Civitavecchia.
The show tonight in the Cabaret Lounge was production show What the World Needs Now, and we followed that up with TV show themes trivia in the Pacific Lounge. It all felt like old times. But it’s quite poignant, too. I keep expecting to see Jere Ring playing the piano in the Casino Lounge, and Destination Expert Douglas Pearson telling tales of French Polynesia during his “comfy chair” time in the atrium, and Oscar welcoming us home to the Pacific Princess, and waiter Marco greeting us with his wide smile…and Bora Bora outside the window when we wake up. This ship in French Polynesia was sheer perfection, and though we know we’ll never experience anything that amazing again, it doesn’t stop us from trying.
Life is good. :-)