Norwegian Pearl

Ahoy everyone!

My wife and I just got back from our 5-day Western Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Pearl. She was the same class of ship as Norwegian Gem, so it was quite a bit like coming home! The Captain was on hand, of course. But because the the Pearl was so similar to the Gem, I didn't really get photos of him around the ship. Oh well.

We caught a 6 am flight to Miami, Florida (courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line) and as such had plenty of time before boarding. We could see Norwegian Pearl just out the cruise terminal windows. And so we waited. 

We finally boarded a few hours later and our anniversary cruise officially began!

 

We had one sea day before hitting Belize and Mexico, as well as one before getting back to Miami. We spent a lot of time on the Pool Deck soaking up the sun, reading, drinking tropical drinks, and people watching. Cruising is great for all of those. 

Belize was our first stop. Norwegian has its own island called Harvest Caye, but the 400 people who work on the island are locals, which we both thought was pretty awesome. 

We went ashore and spent most of the day relaxing in the sun and drinking rum out of coconuts. It was all awesome until we realized the sunscreen we'd put on had expired some time ago. So we got back to the Pearl looking a bit like lobsters.

Our second, and last, port of the trip was Costa Maya, Mexico. As we were docking, we pulled up beside Norwegian Getaway. She was quite a bit bigger than the Pearl and can carry almost double the passengers. The Captain, of course, had to take a look for himself.

One thing Teresa and I have both wanted to see for years were Mayan ruins, so we booked a shore excursion to Chacchoben. The archaeological site was about an hour northwest of the port and Paula, our guide, gave us a great rundown of Mayan history and culture. The site was settled somewhere around 200 BC, though the existing structures date to around 700 AD. 

The ruins were amazing! Although Chacchoben is a smaller site, there was a lot more than either of us had expected! It was a dream come true for the both us...and I also felt inspired to finally pick up and finish my Mesoamerican-themed Rainbow Warriors Space Marine force for Warhammer 40k.

When we got back to Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Getaway had set sail but there were two other ships in port: Norwegian Sun and Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. 

Teresa and I also met the Pearl's captain as well! Captain Giovanni was so nice and welcoming (he even gave me a hug I presented him with a small gift). 

We got to see him go up against Cruise Director Tiara in the Battle of the Cake Masters on the last day and it was hysterical! Seriously, the Captain could have a career in stand up comedy if he wanted to.

Captain Giovanni was even kind enough to take a photo with me (in his chef hat) afterwards!

Of course, photos cannot do the voyage justice. It was a great time! We'll undoubtedly do another cruise for our second anniversary, but in the mean time we're looking at a short trip in October on either Norwegian Sun or Norwegian Sky. The Captain will, of course, be along for that voyage as well!

First Anniversary Cruise & the Captain's Return

It's hard to believe that nearly a year ago, on January 19, Teresa and I got married aboard the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. We set sail the next day on our honeymoon cruise to the Mexican Riviera and had an absolute blast! 

We'll be going on a cruise once again to celebrate our first anniversary. This time we're off to the Western Caribbean and set sail in two days! We'll again be sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line, this time aboard the Norwegian Pearl out of Miami, Florida. The Pearl is the same class of ship as the one we sailed on for our honeymoon...which is nice because we'll already pretty much know our way around!

We'll have two sea days (where I intend to spend my time either reading on deck or sitting in a steam room) with stops at Harvest Caye in Belize and Costa Maya in Mexico.

The Captain in front of the legendary Queen Mary in January 2019.

And of course, as with last year, the Captain will be joining us! I took photos of him aboard the Queen Mary and the Norwegian Gem (plus our ports of call in Mexico) and plan to do the same on the Norwegian Pearl. Stay tuned! 

Norwegian Gem

Ahoy folks!

The day after the wedding aboard the Queen Mary, my wife and I embarked on a 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera aboard Norwegian Gem. Neither of us had been on a cruise before and it was the time of our lives! I was able to get a few shots of the Captain around the ship, but was paranoid the entire voyage that I'd accidentally drop him overboard. The above photo was from our first full day at sea.

Our first port was the lovely city of Puerto Vallarta. We went zip lining and I didn't die (which is something that I thought was surely going to happen).

I realize now I didn't get a shot of the Captain at our next port, which was Mazatlan. None of the shore excursions looked too exciting so we stayed aboard a bit longer than most and checked out an independent craft brewery just a few blocks away from the port. Definitely recommended! 

Our final port was Cabo San Lucas. We did a whale watching cruise and weren't disappointed! At one point we found ourselves in the midst of a dolphin pod and were surrounded by no less than 30 of them! It was sooo cool!

Also, here's a lovely shot of the Gem from the whale watching cruise trip.

Not a photo of the Captain, I know, but this was one of the most incredible sunsets that I've even seen. It also happened to be from our last night aboard.

Early the last morning, just as the ship was coming into the Port of Los Angeles, I was able to quickly take the Captain for a few photos in areas that were normally packed with people.

We also met the real captain, too! Captain Marin was kind enough to invite us to his VIP reception on the second night after I gifted him a book about the Queen Mary with a note saying how excited we were to be aboard the Gem for our honeymoon.

Of course this brief description and photos don't do the trip justice. But I think I'll make it a tradition from here on out. My wife and I have already booked a cruise for our 1st Anniversary. You can bet that the Captain will be coming with us!

The Queen Mary

Ahoy everyone! 

It was a busy few days (what with the whole getting married thing and all) but I managed to snap a few shots of the Captain around the Queen Mary! 

The Love Boat(s)

Greetings everyone!

Next week I’m getting married aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California! For those who may not be familiar, she’s a British ocean liner that saw service from 1936 to 1967 with the Cunard Line. The ship was also a troop transport during World War II and transported thousands of soldiers to Europe (my Great Uncle Howard among them). Upon her retirement, the City of Long Beach bought the Queen Mary and turned her into a hotel and tourist attraction. I myself served as a tour guide aboard her from August 2009 to December 2012.

The day after the wedding, we’re embarking on a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera aboard the Norwegian Gem. We'll have three full days at sea and three stops. It should be a blast!

But what does this have to do with miniatures, you may ask?

I finished a ship’s captain figure specifically for the ship-theme we have going on for our wedding and honeymoon! We’ll be taking photos of him around the Queen Mary, the Norwegian Gem, and our ports of call. Because why not? 

Initially a Darkest Africa Belgian command figure from Foundry, I painted him up as a ship’s captain instead. I've had the figure for probably 15 years or so and was happy to finally do something with him. The base was made about 10 years ago from coffee stirrers to simulate decking. As happy as I am with how he turned out, it only confirmed to me that painting white is not fun. 

I used white Vallejo surface primer instead of my usual black gesso and was happy with the result. This was also the first time that I've ever pinned a figure, which was considerably easier than I thought it'd be. I also used some Vallejo gloss varnish on the shoes to give them that "spit and polish" look. The recess lining is something else I don't usually do, but in this case I think it really makes the figure pop. I probably should have used a lighter grey, but I do tend to like vivid contrast in my figures (for the most part). 

Stay tuned and see how and where the Captain shows up!