Norwegian Star, 2/11 SECOND Day at Sea

Slow start to the day. Breakfast in the room. Finally got out on deck just in time for morning trivia. Huge crowd for that. Off to bingo for another round of losing. Lunch was at Cagney's. This time I went for the Fatoush with lamb chop. They call it a "starter". It's got half a rack of lamb on it. Y'all know I am a serious carnivore, but I find it hard to believe anyone thinks three lamb chops is an appetizer. It was delicious, along with some Cagney's Fries.

After lunch we went out by the pool for a bit. It's finally warming up, as we head south. We chilled around the pool, listening to Xcite for a while, then one more try at Bingo. Still losing.

For dinner we went to Ginza. Steve and the mom ordered off the Chinese menu. Spring rolls, egg drop soup and some sesame chicken something or other. They both seemed to enjoy. I, on the other hand, attacked the sushi menu. Starting with Ahi, Mebachi and Ebi nigiri, and then a spicy tuna roll, spicy scallop/maguro roll and a tempura shrimp roll, and finished off with a plate of mebachi sashimi. EXCELLENT. As good as the sushi on the EPIC, which is to say, as good as I have ever had on a ship, and better than all but a few of the land-side sushi bars I have gone to. Again, the value of the premium restaurants on NCL is incredible. For a measly fifteen bucks I had a sushi fest that would have cost me fifty or sixty bucks back home. All while being serenaded by Michael at the piano bar in the atrium below.

After dinner we took in the show "Extreme Vegas". Half a dozen staffers had told me it was a "don't miss". They were right. Magic, music, acrobatics. Personally, I was most impressed by Daniela working a half dozen hula hoops, while being hoisted to the ceiling. That takes a lot of strength to keep those hoops going when your feet are off the ground.

It was bedtime for the dead heads after the show. Got them safely tucked in and went to the game show in the Spinnaker. My homegirl, Maria wasn't there, so Sammy and Beverly got all the chocolate strawberries. Talked to Beverly for a while after the show. Nice lady, from the Phillipines. We listened to karaoke and talked ship for a bit, til a really bad "Bridge Over Troubled Water" came up, and I was driven away. Took a quick turn at roullette. No go. It was almost time for the party at the pool, so I ducked in the cabin to get a sweatshirt (it's warmer, but not really warm), and went down to the Lido. The pool party was great. Good turnout. The band, who have been forced to play disco and 80's and Country so far, got to let it out a bit with some rockin' music. Green Day, Blink182, that sort of thing. I know, as a musician, you gotta do what you gotta do for a steady gig, but you could tell they were playing "their" music for this one. So, lot's of fun. I also met and talked to the Food and Beverage Manager, Claus for a while. He's been with NCL since the 80's, and worked with all the other hotel staff I know. Another really personable guy, who obviously loves his job. Among other things he told me he already has menus for the Moderno Churrascaria for the Star. I had heard last week that they put the churrascaria in the Sun, and were going to do it on the Dawn when she dry docks in May. Now the Star. I think it is safe to say it's going fleet-wide, which is Great News, as far as I am concerned. While I might not choose or recommend NCL JUST for the Moderno experience, it will be a big factor.

So, the band wound down about midnite, and so did I. Cabo in the morning. I am getting conflicting information on tendering the wheelchair. Some say I can, some say I can't. In the end, it's gonna come down to what the crew at the gangplank decide. I will let you know!

By the way, plug time: If you are ready to book a cruise on the Star, or any NCL ship (or any other ship, for that matter) give us a call at DAVE HOLMAN TRAVEL SERVICES, 760.265.3687. Or zip me a message at http://www.facebook.com/HolmanTravel