Cruise Like a Norwegian – Day 5

We tried out the Uptown Grill for breakfast today instead of the main buffet. It had much less in the way of options, but also way less people, so it was a nice change of pace. The food was also a little different, so that was cool.  We are going to try it again tomorrow, but we will stop in the regular buffet first for cereal for the little mister and bring it up with us, he’s on a huge cereal kick right now.

After breakfast, we headed down for origami making. Today, it was paper boxes. We learned how to make them, and also paper airplanes that worked very well- like, across the restaurant and down the hall well. The planes might not be origami, but they were fun to make.

Then we made our way to the top deck for another go on the Breakaway Bounce

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and my son tried the ropes course. He was a little freaked out to do the big one, so he did the “mini” one with mom as a chaperone. He enjoyed it, and he felt like” hot stuff” afterward. There were quite a few kids in his age group doing the mini course, so that was a good thing.

Since we figure today is going to be the last “warm” day, we made sure to get some pool and water slide time in, of course. My son really loves the splash park, and he is going to miss it.

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There was also a “Nick Live Poolside” competition today, and while my son didn’t want to participate, we had fun watching. Kids had relays, water balloon toss, and got pie in the face and of course- the famous Nickelodeon slime.

We grabbed some hot dogs by the pool, and watched as one of the crew created an ice sculpture. It took him almost no time, and he made the Statue of Liberty (fitting, as we will see it again soon).

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After drying off, we headed inside for a towel folding demonstration. My son is enthralled with this, and how it is done- and he is excited every night to see what kind of animal will wait for him on his bed. The staff made quite a few animals, from turtles to monkeys to swans- some were really, really impressive (and seem super complicated).
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Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Day 4

Today we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day and gorgeous view. The sparkling blue waters of Nassau were right outside our door, and we could not wait to greet them in person.

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After a quick breakfast, we headed into town. We walked through the shopping district a bit, but mostly were interested in some beach time. The closest one was Junkanoo Beach (also known as “The Long Warf”), about 15 minutes away. As soon as we arrived, it was time to hit the beach. We of course had to build sandcastles, then my son and I were in the water for most of the day. Daddy preferred his beach time. (Hmmmmm….ha)

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After spending most of the day, we decided to head back. We stopped in a few local stores (we were looking for something special for a friend of ours who made a request) and headed back to the ship. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we showered and headed down to the “Breakaway Pier Party”, which was so much fun. The crew was out en masse, dancing and partying the whole time.

Even SpongeBob and Patrick got in on the action, and posed for some photos with the kids as well.

SponeBob was a dancing machine, let me tell you . He really knows how to bust a spongy move.

We stayed out for nearly the whole party, and were having a great time- it really was super fun. One thing that stuck me as well was that Julie, the Cruise Director, who is Canadian but whose last name I don’t know- was out on stilts. She is the one in the pink pants. Really! That’s something. One of the kids club crew was the clown on stilts- very multi- talented. Julie also danced in the last song in “Burn the Floor”, and will soon make several more appearances today. The woman does not mess around.
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Day 3 Norwegian Breakaway Cruise

Today was island day- we were so excited!   We woke up, packed our beach bag, and headed down to breakfast at the buffet. We were quite looking forward to today, because today was the day we were going to Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay. We signed up for an early tender to the island from the ship (smaller passenger boat that brings you to the land when it’s too shallow or there is no dock for the larger ships) last night, and we were going to head straight to the waiting area after breakfast- which we did. While on the island, we were going to have a beach BBQ, and just relax for the day on a beautiful beach.

It was not meant to be. We waited in the waiting area for about an hour and a half, while the crew tried to figure out if they would be able to get the tenders safely to and from the island. It was determined, in the end, that they could not due to choppy waters.

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So, that was quite a bummer. They also said that we would at that time be headed to our next stop, Nassau, arriving around 4 pm. So, we headed of to the pool to spend the day. It was crazy crowded, but the kids were having a good time. We took advantage of the free time to check out the “breakaway bouce”, a trampoline with a harness that lets kids really soar. My son loved it. He then tried the Slide Spider Mountain, a layered, netted. climbing contraption that has a slide down to the bottom once you reach the top. It’s more challenging then it looks, and high as well. The nets made the upward climb tricky, but the slide was all fun.
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Cruising in Style on the Norwegian Breakaway

Daily Cruise Diary

Today was our third day on the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship, but the first “port day” (that is, day that the ship is docked for any length of time besides the day that we boarded).

IMAG0478We began out day pretty slowly. My husband and son were up first, and they hung out playing video games for about 20 minutes until I joined them in the land of the living. At that time, we all got dressed and headed upstairs to the buffet for breakfast. My husband likes to try a little bit of everything, I try a few things here and there, but also like my “staple” of some sort of fruit and yogurt. My son, oddly, eats only cereal and a hard boiled egg, possibly some bacon or sausage. Anyone who knows my son is aware that he normally eats anything and everything, and in large quantities. For some reason, right now at breakfast he prefers to take it slow. Not that it matters, there are tons of choices, and food is available all day long. (And not just in the buffet, but in the ship’s many restaurants as well. You won’t run out of options.)

Today was a “port” day, we were in Port Canaveral, Florida. As we were just in the area, and the day looked like it would rain, we decided to stay on the ship and take advantage of all the happenings (and the smaller quantity of people) on board. (I’m glad we did- it rained a lot of the day.)

There were excursion options, but none that looked like fun in the rain, so.  Where we were docked, there was also nothing walkable, so that also made our choice an easy one for us.

Norwegian BreakawayMy son loved the SpongeBob themed splash park, and we spent hours there with some of the other kids. We also went into the pools and went on all the waterslides multiple times. The splash park is great for all young kids, from the very little to about 10. The one area is clearly aimed at the very young, but the sprinkler-type area was attracting quite a few of the older kids.
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Cruise Like a Norwegian

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Our first full day on board the Norwegian Breakaway cruise (out of NYC, convenient!) was just that- a full day. It was a day at sea, and it was still too cold to use the pools, hot tubs, or water slides in my opinion. Instead, we explored the ship and took part in many of the ships on-board activities.

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We went down to the buffet for breakfast, and found ourselves a table. Before you enter, the staff sprays your hands with a disinfectant hand sanitizer to help stop the spread of germs. The food was good, and it’s nice not to have to cook ourselves, I will tell you that. My son, of course, had to use the bathroom halfway through the meal, so I took him out. In the hallway, we came upon quite a sight- a sound, really. Several staff members, one with a guitar, were singing a song about washing your hands. The song was “Washy washy, happy happy, everybody wash your hands”. We stopped for a full minute, it was such a strange song- but they sure put all their energy into it. Then we were off to the bathroom- and we of course remembered to washy washy before we headed back to finish breakfast. (Check out the video below- it’s not a great video, people had no problem walking in front of me, but you will get to hear this insane song. Bonus- it’s the one that will get caught in your head for the rest of your day. You’re welcome.)  You need to give it a few seconds.  Really- it’s just nuts.  And you will love it.

After breakfast, we went to Family Arts and Craft time. Today’s craft was making a SpongeBob bandana. After everyone made their craft, the kids got to put them on and did a little parade around the room.

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We then took the kiddo to Splash Academy- Norwegian’s kid’s club. No, they don’t take the kids swimming, no worries. We signed him up yesterday right after we boarded the ship, and he got a bracelet with his ID on it that has our names and cards linked to it in their computer. We also had to make up and give a password so no one could “Fake” being one of us. The kid’s club staff are all very energetic and keep the kids active and having fun all day. They all have silly nicknames as well, like “Boots”, “Tic Tac”, “BBQ”, and etc.
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Cruise Ships: the Ideal Family Vacation

If you’re on the lookout for a family vacation where you can travel to a wealth of destinations while staying close to your accommodation then a cruise might be right for you. The number of benefits available on a cruise makes this holiday option one of the best for families.

Families have taken to cruise holidays in a big way and one of the major reasons for the increased popularity is the chance to travel on a floating luxury hotel. Cruises offer a number of excellent benefits for families including activities, entertainment and meals included in the overall price.

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This makes good financial sense and helps to make your holiday spending go a lot further. Guests can choose from a wealth of on-board accommodation including family-sized luxury suites.

Facilities such as child minders and children’s clubs allows the adults to spend some time relaxing knowing that the children are being well looked after.

Cruise and products 025Cruise ship companies have now pulled out all the stops when it comes to on-board entertainment. Activities available on certain cruise liners include cinemas, ice rinks, swimming pools and even theatre shows. Adults can enjoy casinos, nightclubs, spas, fitness centres and a range of classes such as cookery, dance and language classes. The good news is that most of the on-board entertainment will be included in the price.
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Top tips for cruises with kids

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A family cruise is the ultimate relaxation for harried parents with small children. Once you’ve taken care of the costs and ditched your baggage, there’s nothing to stop you leaving your worries at the port. The whole point of child-friendly cruise lines is that while parents are enjoying the delights of the ship’s bar, sun loungers or Italian lessons, they can relax in the knowledge that their little angels are being entertained by the professionals, making friends and generally having the time of their lives. There are, however, a couple of things you can remember to do before embarking which will mean the rest of your cruise is plain sailing.

Don’t forget the bare necessities

Yes, large cruise ships have shops on board, if not entire malls, dedicated to luxury (parents, read: frivolous) items like watches, perfume and chocolates. It’s best to pack the essentials rather than rely on finding them on board. To save space on packing, avoid bringing bulky toys; instead pack light inflatables, a cheap, robust digital camera, crayons and coloring books. An outfit a day is excessive: remember there will be laundry facilities on board, but don’t scrimp on the following: first aid items, baby wipes, zip lock bags, snack foods and, crucially, a comfort blanket or teddy.
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MSC Cruises’ Sizzling Summer Giveaway

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MSC Divina, the first of MSC Cruises’ ships dedicated to North Americans, tempts travelers to extend their summer vacations with the chance to get a balcony stateroom at an interior rate on seven-night Caribbean sailings August through November.

Guests who book the Sizzling Summer Giveaway offer, starting at $299 per person, based on double occupancy, are assigned a stateroom at random at least 14 days prior to the sailing and could receive anywhere from an interior to balcony stateroom.

MSC Cruises’ Sizzling Summer Giveaway offer is available on the following 2014 departures:

  • August 23 and September 6: seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing visiting Philipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico and the private island of Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Starting at $299 per person.
  • August 30: seven-night Western Caribbean sailing visiting Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico and the private island of Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Starting at $299 per person.
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