2023.01 New York City and Caribbean Cruise (Part 5)

That’s right.  I would go to the gym in the morning.  Considering the consistency that I was having dessert during the cruise, I needed to try and counter the desserts piling up without a fight.  Once the ship was in warmer waters, I would also use the outdoor track to walk laps.

The gym itself was a decent size, however there was not a lot of room to maneuver around the equipment.  The best part for me though, was every time I went to the gym I didn’t have to wait to use any machine.

The outdoor track is on the deck where people would be outside in lounge chairs, one level up from being poolside.  The only excitement I would see while walking were early birds claiming their lounge chairs for the day.  Also, I chose to walk in the morning to try and avoid the hot sun, and the larger crowds of the lounge chairs seeking passengers.  On several occasions when we used this deck to go from the front to the back, or vice versa, during the day it’s packed with people and would make jogging almost impossible if you tried.

This was my typical view using the walking track on the warmer morning (slideshow)

Outside in addition to lots of loungers, and the outdoor pool was also a climbing wall, as well as a wave rider (to surf), IFly to simulate sky-diving,

North Star

This observation deck at the top of a crane provides occupants an greater vista.  In addition to going up, it would also rotate to provide occupants a view over the side of the ship.  We didn’t bother paying extra for this experience.

Somewhere Quiet

[Only after going on a second cruise did I realize that Little Miss’ parents had a point.]  Throughout the ship finding a quiet place, outside of your room was rare.  Ironically, there was a Library area, however it was open to the entertainment area at the back of the ship.  So only for short periods between events would the area actually be quiet.

Leisurely Meal Times

Not having to rush about, allows you to take your time.  For me, and the fact that I was the early riser out of the group, breakfast would take a while.  As I would wrap up my meal, others would join, and slowly everybody would eventually make an appearance for breakfast.  Easily most days I’d be at breakfast for over an hour, if not two.  It was enjoyable, as the start would be with her parents while the buffet was relatively quiet and we’d trade stories.  Then it was a mix of Little Miss joining next or her sister.  Obviously, the niece and nephew are more accustomed to being night owls, so they’d struggle some days to arrive for breakfast on days while at sea.

Dinner in main dining, and specialty dining is not rushed.  Meals would easily be upwards of two hours in length.  When one doesn’t have to commute, cook, clean, or perform other daily house chores, it was just fine to sit by a table.

Activities

I only participated in a few activities.  There was daily trivia, and on two occasions it involved airlines, I made sure to attend.  I almost won each time.  One contest was to identify airlines based on the logo.  I think I missed two (Hawaiian Airlines & Japan Airlines), and the entertaining part to a couple beside me was that I had my answers in maybe 5 minutes whereas others took significantly longer.  The time involving airline related trivia event involved airport codes.  I had forgotten that PVG was Shanghai and that was the difference between the winner and I.  On this occasion it was held at one of the bar areas and after one person recognized me from the first trivia, they just would joke with me “okay, what’s the answer on this one?” as the answers were being given at the end of the event.

Another activity we attended was Bingo.

It was a fun way to spend an hour.  I cannot recall what the prizes were, however the event staff had a good ability to keep things interesting.

Entertainment

At the front of the ship was a large theatre.  There was a performance each evening, with two times to accommodate early and late dinner seating times.

There were comedians, magicians, musical performances, and even a short musical too.  The quality of the performances were good. 

I-95 (Crew Level)

When we were getting on & off the ship at port, the level was one that was almost all staff and crew related.  It was a rare chance to see a hint of the many spaces on board to keep the ship, and everything on board moving.  These hallway is labelled I-95 as it’s one of the few crew-only levels where food, staff, and goods can be transported across the length of the ship without any corners or impediments.

Pools

This ship had three main pool areas.  First there was the indoor pool:

Then, further forward was another pool area called the Solarium that was adults-only.  It too had hot tubs and a pool along with a limited service buffet area that was open during breakfast and lunch hours.

As mentioned from the exercise portion, there was an outdoor pool.  It had a splash pad, along with several hot tubs, in addition to the pool in the middle.  Ironically, I grabbed this picture during one of the few rain showers during our trip.

The pool area was a social hub during warmer days, complete with a mix of live music and activities from staff.  In the evening, it was possible to enjoy a movie under the stars.

Interior Mall

There was a section of the ship that open to two decks.  This naturally felt like one of the more popular spots to be on board.  What would draw people in were several places to eat and drink, a couple dining areas (that were extra cost), and stores.

Every evening there was crew offering to take pictures.  On one of the formal nights we did do that to have a family picture.  During the cruising days, there almost always was a promotion for select items on sale.  We didn’t buy anything, however it did appear to help some people’s desire to search for a deal or item while at sea.

Explore other parts of this trip:

Part 1 – Air Canada Flight Toronto to New York City, LaGuardia

Part 2 – Millennium Hotel New York, One UN Plaza

Part 3 – Things to do in New York City

Part 4 – Caribbean Cruise Introduction

Part 5 – Things to do while Cruising (this post!)

Part 6 – Cuisine onboard

Part 7 – Port, Puerto Rico

Part 8 – Port, St. Maarten

Part 9 – Port, Antigua and Barbuda

Part 10 – Port, St. Lucia

Part 11 – Port, St. Kitts and Nevis

Part 12 – Maple Leaf Lounge LaGuardia, flight New York to Toronto