5 Things You Must Eat On a Sea Day - Norwegian Spirit
A Spirited Foodie Adventure
Cruisers are split down the middle when it comes to whether they prefer a ‘sea day’ or a ‘port day’.For me, I love both, however there’s something about a sea day that allows me to take a deep breath and fully unwind.
And for the next two days, that exactly what I planned to do.
It’s had been a busy and exhilarating four days and now I had two delicious sea days aboard until the next stop in Samoa. My plans were to eat, do some activities, watch a show and then eat some more. My other plans were to set aside some time for filming.
You can watch my Deck 7 tour
1. Icy treats and creamy sweets
Every cruiseline immediately needs to follow suit and offer ice blocks (popsicles in American English).
One has the traditional trio of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, but the other has four more glamorous flavours – that change daily – such as rum & raisin, pistachio, raspberry sherbet and butter pecan.
2. Teppan-YUMI
Dinner and a show all rolled into one super fun experience? Yes please! If you want a joyous, interactive dining experience that will not only have you in stiches but fill your belly at the same time, then the Teppanyaki onboard Norwegian Spirit is must.
Here you will be entertained by your chef who will do all sorts of knife tricks, sing songs, crack jokes (and eggs) and cook you a flavour meal. As it is one of the specialty restaurants on board, there is a surcharge ($49 pp) but it’s well worth the cost.
3. Eat around the clock
Having cruised quite a bit this year, a 24-hour eatery is pretty rare to find. There are some cruiselines that might have a late-night dining option or room service (which often comes with a surcharge) but aboard the Spirit, The Local is open 24 hours a day and is FREE! And the food is amazing.
Menu items include nachos, Reuben sandwiches, chicken wings, pretzel balls, cakes and more. The bonus is that you can also order drinks and cocktails from the adjoining bar. The service is impeccable, and nobody makes you feel guilty for indulging in a slice of carrot cake in the early hours of the morning while most of the ship is asleep.
4. Sail & Sustain Mixology
 |
| My new friend Nenad - F&B Manager |
One thing I’d like to address is that I received many comments on my Facebook page of my drinks in what appeared to be plastic cups. And so, I investigated as it seemed that indeed if these were plastic than it was contrary to NCLs commitment to “to driving a positive impact on society and the environment through our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain. Reducing single-use plastic is a key component of our environmental management efforts.”
The answer was forthcoming and immediately set the record straight.
“We have further introduced disposable PLA cups in those areas on board, where reusable resources such as glass cannot be utilized for safety reasons (e.g. pool decks). PLA is a bio-based plastic made from renewable raw materials like corn-based resin and is 100% compostable.”
Anyway, back to the Sail and Sustain Mixology class. NCL has this fabulous initiative whereby they have invented new cocktails using the ‘wastage’ on board.
For example, the coffee grounds to make coffee-infused drinks. Croissants that don’t quite meet the standard are soaked in liqueurs overnight to extract their flavour and then used to make a delicious Mai-Tai. How about using over ripe fruit for zingy fruity concoctions? I was highly impressed, and while not all the cocktails were to my liking, the concept got a huge tick of approval from me.
Main Dining Rooms (MDR) board cruise ships can range from the elaborate to the bland, and generally locate at the aft of a ship. They’re always complimentary and there is a set menu with daily specials.
5. Wake View from Windows
Main Dining Rooms (MDR) board cruise ships can range from the elaborate to the bland, and generally locate at the aft of a ship. They’re always complimentary and there is a set menu with daily specials.
Norwegian Spirt has TWO MDRs aboard, Windows and Taste. While I honestly tried to get to Taste, I just kept being drawn to Windows. It’s large and light and has the best wake view! On top of that, the variety of dishes would suit the fussiest of eaters and the service is fast and friendly.
My biggest tips? If you fancy something from the Entrée (or as it is known in US English ‘Appetizer’) you can always as your waiter to have it in the Main (or Entrée as it is known in US English) size.
My third tip is ALWAYS ask your waiter what they recommend. Trust me on this one.
Do not miss having at least one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner in Windows.
Food Figures at a Glance
I know cruisers love this stuff, so here are some fun food facts:• Approximately 412,000 meals will be served during Norwegian Spirit’s maiden Australasia season
• 484 crew members working in Food & Beverage
• Produce sourced locally exclusively for the Australasia season include:
o Barramundi due to its quality
o All lamb and goat meat on board originates from Australia
o All fresh fruits and vegetables
o Milk and dairy products
o All eggs
• Vegemite, Milo Choco milk mix, Weet Bix, granola, Four’NTwenty sausage rolls, Fountain mint sauce, and HP sauce are offered on board during the Australasia season
• Local wine and sparkling wine are part of the menu offering, including:
o Black Label Cabernet, Riesling and Reframed Rose from Wynn’s vinery Coonawarra
o Shiraz Wolf Blass Bilyara from Barossa Valley wine region
o Pinot Noir from Matua Marlborough NZ.
o Brut Cuvee Georg Jensen Heemskerk sparkling wine from Tasmania.
o Blend 19 Crimes is additionally offered across the entire NCL fleet as part of our standard wine programming.
• Average number of items consumed aboard Norwegian Spirit each cruise:
o 26,000 eggs
o 5500 bottles of champagne
o 600-1000 loaves of bread
o 10,000 cups at Starbucks coffee bar and 15,000 cups of filter coffee
o 5000 kg chicken
o 3200 kg fish
o 500 kg lamb
o 5500 kg beef
o 7000 kg fruit
o 1200 kg lettuces
0 comments