Norwegian Spirit – Day 1
Cruise day!
Driving to the port in Papeete I could hardly suppress the bubbles. It really doesn’t matter how many times I experience ‘cruise day’ it’s still so exciting. While the distance was not far from the hotel, the traffic made the short journey excruciatingly long. The Norwegian Spirit was within arm’s length, teasing me from the other side of the street. All in good time, my lovely.
All aboard
The day was hot and compounded by the fact my carry-on luggage bag handle BROKE (that’s now both my beloved ship-themed luggage destroyed in a month) I was more than eager to get aboard.
There she stood, the lovely Norwegian Spirit and I took a moment to appreciate where I was. I could never have imagined I’d be in Tahiti ready to embark on an adventure I’d drooled over in cruise brochure, Moorea, Bora Bora, Samoa, Fiji. Images of blue waters and tropical sunsets filled my imagination. I was soon snapped out of my reverie as I was ushered to climb the gangway.
Stepping aboard, the icy blast of the a/c was delicious and Norwegian got my first tick of approval for the very smart decision to do check-in on board. And, before I knew it, I had my cruise card and was heading up to my stateroom.
Home away from home
Norwegian Spirit had just undergone a massive overhaul, in the vicinity of $150 million and I knew the staterooms had all be refreshed, so I was looking forward to seeing the update. As I opened my stateroom door with a quick tap of my cruise card, I was pleasantly surprised by the bright, spacious room.
The balcony category featured a two twin beds (configured into a queen), a good-sized desk, a single couch (that could be converted into a single bed) and ample storage.
The balcony was on the narrow size and the bathroom was a cosy, but the plus for me was the modern bathroom and glass shower screen. If I have one cruising pet hate, it’s those icky material shower curtains. Shudder.
But first, Mojito
It had been many hours since breakfast, so after unpacking I headed straight to the Garden Café AKA the buffet on Deck 12. Washy-washy and a bright smile welcomed me and soon I was loading up my plate.
While it was not a large buffet compared to some of the newer ships I’ve recently sailed on, there was more than enough of a selection. I settled on some fresh couscous salad, some pizza and – as has become my tradition on boarding day – a cold mojito, extra sweet.
Let’s explore Papeete
The ship wasn’t sailing till late, so I was keen to walk around Papeete, if only for an hour. The bustling town centre was banked with traffic and the sights and smells of this foreign place. It was also a chance to practise my French and it was fun to walk into shops and try and converse in another language.
Needing some foreign currency, I withdrew some money from an ATM (which was safe) figured out the exchange rate and meandered the streets snapping pics as I went. It was tremendously interesting for me to see the melange of the French and Polynesian cultures; seeing a myriad of faces, food and clothing mesh in a way that was unique and seemed to work. I’d love to come back one day and spend more time in Tahiti.
Drinks and Onda Dinner
While I was cruising solo, I wasn’t alone. I was invited as part of an Australian and NZ media group, and our first get-together was welcome drinks and dinner.
The senior officers welcomed us aboard, among tasty canapés and clinking glasses of sparkling bubbly at the aft of the ship in the Adult’s Only area Spice H2O.
It was a balmy night, and I was memerised as I watched the ombre-sky transform as the sun made her descent. The air was fragrant and filled me with a sense of pure gratitude.
Now, on to dinner where we had a hosted meal at Onda by Scarpetta. I was looking forward to dining at the Italian speciality restaurant as I had experienced the same restaurant on my recent cruise aboard Norwegian Prima.
And, if truth be told, this time around might have been just a smidge better. My seafood pasta was bursting with flavour. Initially I didn’t think I’d get through the mound of tangled strands, but it was just too good for any of it to go to waste.
Every dish was devoured by all my dining companions and there was hearty unanimous resounding approval for this eatery. Deliziosa!
Sleepy Time
As I toddled back, over-full from dinner to my home for the next week, my only two thoughts were: shower and sleep. Luckily the second followed the first so quickly that before I knew it I was dreaming of those clear blue waters of the Moorea that awaited me tomorrow.
