Sailing the Pacific.

Today, we left Hawaii and began sailing the Pacific Ocean towards Alaska. It was the first day of 5 that we spent at sea.

When the NCL Spirit left Hawaii, we sailed northeast across the Pacific for five days to reach Alaska. Most of my days onboard the ship were spent resting my legs, but I did manage to see quite a few of the excellent shows in the Stardust theatre. I also saw a few of the smaller shows or entertainment onboard, which were in the smaller bars and entertainment areas. I also booked a behind-the-scenes tour to see the parts of the ship that passengers don't usually get to see, and I signed up for a course in acupuncture treatment because of the pain my knees and legs were giving me.

My photos from NCL Spirit.

Behind-the-scenes tour.

I liked this tour. Unlike previous tours of ships I had been on, this tour was fascinating, and I got to see lots of the ship, which was usually restricted to guests.

Stardust Theatre.

We were told all about the stage in the theatre and the different acts, entertainers and singers before going onto the stage. We were shown the marks on the floor that the entertainers had to learn so that they knew where they were on stage. This was important because other artists had to be able to enter and leave the stage without bumping into each other, and allowed stage props to be moved around without stopping the actors or singers from performing.

When we left the stage area, we visited the changing rooms. They were the size of a large broom cupboard, and there was no room for modesty for any of the performers. One of the rooms was up a particularly steep set of spiral stairs that I had trouble climbing up. I would never be able to get down them, and yet the entertainers had to ascend and descend them multiple times to change during the show in a very short time. If people don't like the shows, they should show respect to the entertainers for the work they did behind the scenes in very cramped, challenging workplaces.

Kitchen and stores.

Alan Morris with the ship's chief chef onboard the NCL Spirit.We were shown all around the kitchen area and watched some of the cooks and line staff working. They do a great job in hot, claustrophobic conditions. I don't know how they work and not go crazy working in conditions that, to me, look like they are working in large metal containers with no windows or ventilation. They work there all day and most of the night.

We were also shown the vast freezers in which the food is stored. These are carefully controlled so that only some staff can enter. If anyone entered and got stuck, I don't think they would last long in the freezing temperatures. A few minutes in the freezer was enough time for me.

I was impressed by the organisation of the kitchens, the way that foods are kept separate and how the kitchen was organised. I was very impressed by the way the food waste was separated and disposed of carefully, ensuring no waste was allowed to contaminate areas it shouldn't, be it onboard or at sea. 

Laundry.

The laundry areas we went into were very well organised, and giant machines lined all the walls and gangways. The noise was deafening, and I would hate to be stuck in these areas of the ship for long shifts. The hot, noisy, claustrophobic conditions were terrible, and it made me realise how hard these people, who most cruise-goers never see or meet, help in the day-to-day running of the ship.

Engineering Room.

We were shown around the engineering room, where the engineers control everything that happens on board the ship. Nearly everything that you can think of is controlled from this room. The engines could all be stopped, started or switched over from here, which we all expected. Still, I was surprised by the high level of computer controls and computer monitors that allowed the engineers to see and react to events that happened anywhere onboard the ship.

Things that you don't think of are all controlled from here. Fire sprinkler systems, water ballast for maintaining the ship's balance in rough seas, ship security, fuel, the ship's waste management systems and probably lots of other things we weren't told about.

Again, this was another room with no windows or views to the outside of the vessel. Although conditions were better than in the ship galley and laundry room, I wouldn't want to be stuck in the small metal room for hours on end.

The Bridge.

This area was a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but in relation to its size, it didn't have much in it. I guess this is because most of the controls onboard ships these days are controlled by computers. It was pretty interesting to see the areas at the side of the ship's bridge where control of the vessel could be switched when the ship docks. They hang out over the side of the ship, and although I had seen them on the ships I had been on and seen in ports and harbours before, it had never occurred to me why they were there before visiting the Bridge.

The small areas hang over the side of the ship and are made entirely from reinforced glass or perspex so that whoever is in control of the ship can see the dock as the ship is moved into position. It is obvious when you know, but I had never given it a thought before.

I do think the ship's lookout job is a bit easier these days, with all the electronic equipment detecting anything around the ship. Still, I wouldn't want the job of sitting in what looked like an uncomfortable seat for hours on end, keeping watch on the direction the ship was heading. I guess it has to be uncomfortable to stop the lookout from falling asleep.

Facts about the NCL Spirit.

These facts were all provided to me in a handout given to me during my behind-the-scenes tour of the NCL Spirit.

General ship facts.

• Crew:  Approximately 920.
• Registered:  Nassau, Bahamas.
• Gross Tonnage: 75338 GRT.
• Guest Decks: 13.
• Length: 908.4 feet.
• Width: 105.8 feet.
• Max speed: 24 knots.
• Elevators:  Nine for passengers and eight for crew.

Engine room facts.

• Main Engines: 4.
• Total output: 79968 HP.
• Rudders: 2.
• Thrusters, side forward: 2 with a total capacity of 4720 kW.
• Thrusters, side aft: 1 with a total capacity of 2360 kW.

Fuel use and capacity.

• Fuel oil capacity: 660,500 gallons.
• Fuel oil consumption: 33,471 gallons a week, depending on speed.

Fresh Water manufacturer.

• Fresh water evaporators: 2, each with a capacity of 700 tons every 24 hours. 1, with a capacity of 400 tones every 24 hours.

Main Laundry facts.

• Dry cleaning machines: 2, each with a capacity of 15 kg a load.
• Dryers for wet cleaning machines: 7, each with a capacity of 86 kg a load.
• Medium-size washing machines: 9 with a capacity of 125 kg a load.

Garbage incinerators and processing.

• Incinerators: 2, each one has a capacity of 1400 KW.
• Pulpers: 13, each one has a capacity of  500 kg/hr.
• Shredders: 2 each one has a capacity of  320 kg/hr.
• Compacters: 1.

Anchors.

The ship has three anchors, each of which weighs 9.2 tons. The one anchor chain is 87 mm in diameter and has a length of 13 shackles, which is approximately 1170 feet.

Lifeboats and safety.

• Eighteen lifeboats with a capacity of 150 people each.
• Forty-one life rafts holding 50 people each.
• Two rescue boats.
• Four chute stations for the life rafts.
• Eight thousand and one lifejackets, including adults, children and infant sizes.
• 340 Fire hydrants.
• Six fire stations. (Certified firefighting team onboard)

Surveillance System.

417 cameras in different locations around the ship. 100 of these are in the casino.

Galley Information.

• Food and beverage director: In charge of the entire food operation throughout the ship.
• Executive Chef: Is responsible for all food production.
• Food and Beverage Team:  Around 178 crew.
• Main Hot Galley: This galley prepares all the food for the two main dining rooms.
• Speciality Restaurants:  These restaurants have their own galley.
• The Pantry:  All cold food is prepared here.
• Fish meat and poultry stations:  All preparation for these specific foods is done here.
• Bakery:  All bakery products onboard are made here. It is in operation 24 hours a day.
• Pastry:  Where all desserts and pastry items are made fresh daily.

Weekly shopping list for the galley.

• Cereal: 907 kilos.
• Butter: 816 kilos.
• Pasta: 680 kilos.
• Cheese: 2358 kilos.
• Fresh fruit: 12700 kilos.
• Sugar: 1769 kilos.
• Fresh eggs: 38400.
• Veal: 453 Kilos.
• Lobster: 249 Kilos.
• Poultry: 5670 kilos.
• Beef: 7257 kilos.
• Fish and seafood: 5715 kilos.
• Coffee: 1043 kilos.
• Vegetables: 12700 kilos.
• Rice: 2041 kilos.
• Potatoes: 4173 kilos.
• Flour: 4059 kilos.
• Ice cream: 2119 litres.
• Yoghurt: 25458 cups.
• Milk: 7273 litres.

Entertainment onboard the NCL Spirit.

Atrium.

Deal or no Deal.

This was typical of the entertainment onboard the ship. It was their version of a TV show. It was held in the ship's Atrium, which only had seating for around 50 people on board a vessel that could host 2000 or more people. I never found anywhere to sit and didn't take part to try and win one of the very poor prizes that consisted of things like a small-sized t-shirt that would be small on a child or a keyring.

Trivia.

 The trivia games were like most of the other entertainment teams' events onboard. Poorly organised and poorly run.

Henry´s Pub.

I enjoyed doing the quiz in Henry's pub and won it three days running with different groups of people joining me.

Spinnaker Lounge.

Newlywed gameshow.

The Newlywed game show was based on another TV show. It was poorly run and spoilt by two American couples who, it seemed, were permanently drunk, loud, rude and had nothing better to do than drink and take part in the ship entertainment teams´ shows. I am convinced the two couples were involved in every single event, always drunk, and they must have put anyone else off from taking part with their behaviour. With the large group of friends that drunkenly cheered on their behaviour, they had me heading for somewhere else, anywhere else, whenever I saw them.

Dance lessons.

The dance lessons started off being quite good. There were a couple of pairs of dancers that were much better than anyone else. They certainly didn't need any lessons, and after the first day or so, the dance lessons just became an event for them to strut their stuff rather than a dance lesson for those who wanted to learn.

Bingo.

What can I say? Bingo is bingo. It is an expensive entertainment onboard, and they play the American version, which I don't like.  

Stardust Theatre.

I did my best to see as many of the acts as I could in the Stardust Theatre. The acts were excellent primarily, but the organisation of people waiting to enter the Theater was terrible. I got fed up with the number of drunk people who got to the theatre early to save seats for all their friends who were still sitting in the different bars.

The seats at the front of the stage reserved for disabled people were uncomfortable, and on many occasions, other seats were put in front of them for people who reserved seating. These seats were placed so close to the disabled seats that it was difficult for me to use my walking stick to get to one. For anyone in a disabled chair, it was impossible. I was also amazed, pleased, and annoyed at the same time by the way the crew organised seats for deaf people. They had positioned seats in front of the other disabled seats at the front of the stage. This was great for the deaf people. What wasn't great was the positioning of the crew members, who stood the entire show directly in front of other disabled people, blocking their view of the stage while they signed the whole show to the deaf people. Undoubtedly, the positioning of the signers could be better thought out.

Lovena Fox.

I saw both of the Lovena Fox shows onboard the ship. They were both excellent. 

Blazing Boots.

This show showcased songs from country music's biggest superstars, including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Shania Twain, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert. Being a big country and Western fan, I loved this show.

Elements.

A Cirque du Soleil-style show featuring aerial and acrobatic performances, magic tricks and dance numbers all set to a range of music. I did find this act very good and enjoyed it very much.

Derrick Cameron.

Derrick Cameron was a hilarious comedian; his observations and storytelling made me laugh out loud. The best entertainment on the whole trip. He did a couple of shows that I saw, and I enjoyed them immensely.