Fairy-tale theme night today brought out all the princesses on board. Oh, and the little girls in pink dresses, too. The nice thing, however, is there was no sense of obligation to take part. Some parents brought old Halloween costumes for their kids (or themselves); others made do with appropriate pajamas, and others (like us) opted for the giveaway crowns and wands. Some stayed away entirely, either because their kids were too young, too old, or just not interested. The ship is big enough that it’s easy to do your own thing without feeling like you’re an outcast. Conversely, there are enough people on board to make it quite likely you’ll find other families with common interests.
Not that things are perfect, however. Aside from a change in itinerary because of engine problems, Norwegian Cruise Lines could be more efficient about a few matters. It was ridiculous to have to get beach towels and water from Deck Seven when the tenders were departing from Deck Four. I’ve been on other cruises, and they’ve had towels and water right there near the tender hatches. Especially for those traveling with small children, this was an unneeded complication. They also do not have trays in the cafeteria, making it difficult for those of us with one child, much less two or more, to wrangle food for everyone in one pass. Looking at the R Family side of things, it would have been nice if they gave us an advance schedule of at least the headline acts, even if details of smaller activities were left for the daily updates.
Overall, though, things have run pretty smoothly, given the diversity of ages and interests and needs. We have about 24 hours of fun time remaining before we have to pack up and start thinking about our return to the real world. I intend to make the most of it.
Enjoy, enjoy!