11 Night Cruise on Norwegian Dawn – Zeebrugge, Belgium & Le Havre, France

11 Night Cruise on Norwegian Dawn – Zeebrugge, Belgium & Le Havre, France

[Music] Hey everybody, it’s Jamie here and a very warm welcome to your chip travel blog Jamie. Previously in this series, we boarded NCL Dawn for an 11 night adventure. As well as exploring the ship, sampling some of the entertainment and food on offer. We also spent a full day in Edinburgh, Invenesse, Portry, Dublin, Belfast for the Giants Causeway, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In today’s final episode, we’ll be exploring ZBruger, Belgium, and the nearby town of Knock. Back on board, we’ll continue to enjoy everything NCL Dawn has to offer, including the thermal suite and more specialtity dining. And finally, I’ll show you the disembarkation process on arrival into Southampton. And of course, a very special reunion back at home. All this and much more. [Music] Good morning everybody and welcome to Zuga, Belgium. Good morning, Matt. Good morning, Lori. And good morning, my beloved Oians. 9:40 in the morning. Nice and quiet in here. Here comes my life course and the sun. As always, I’ll be rating every plate of food on board using this very handy in food graphic. All righty. I’m going on in with fried eggs over medium, breakfast potatoes, and a side of baked beans. It’s so nice to ask for eggs over medium and get them exactly like that. Another day, another breakfast. Very tasty actually and efficient service. I will say a couple of the crew in there today very grumpy. Here’s a look at some of the excursions on offer through NCL today. If you’re looking to take the NCL shuttle into Bruin back today, it’ll cost you just $109. Fortunately, I have an alternative for you. We’ll talk about that later. Well folks, welcome to the working industrial port of Zebra, Belgium. There are free port shuttles to take you to the gateway, the entrance and the exit to this port. You are not allowed to walk there. If you are on an excursion, you won’t need to take the free port shuttle to the gateway. Your buses will be located dock side. Zugger is, I suppose, the gateway to Belgium. From here, previously I’ve traveled to Bruge many times. Gent multiple times, Brussels just a couple times, lots of lovely little towns and villages in the locality, farms, cheese farms, all of that jazz. And therefore, today I don’t have any plans. I might head to the port gateway and see if I can get one of the little trams to one of the coastal towns. Maybe something like that. What do you reckon? It’s a beautiful day. guests back on board at 400 p.m. We did actually arrive at 8:00 a.m. I had a lie in sumi. And just a few minutes later, here we are at the cruise terminal and gateway to the port. As you exit, taxis to your right and one of the most convenient and reasonably priced ways of getting into Bruin back right here. Most cruise lines charge a fortune for that shuttle into Bruion back. So I highly recommend you get yourself on to get your guide search shuttle Zugget to Bruge and this will come up for you. £26 return. Mark my words, it’s a game changer. And yes, you could take one of the trams into Blankenburgg and get the train from there to Bruge. I’ve done that before. It worked. It’s cheaper uh but less convenient. I’ve never walked the port gateway area, so I’m going to have a quick stroll. We’ve got a shop right here. Looks like a marina ahead. That’s quite picturesque actually. A couple restaurants alongside the marina. And for all you temperature freaks, the forecast today is for 19° C. I will say it actually feels a lot warmer here. A small park at the end of the marina. None too shabby at all. I mean, if all you’re looking to do in Zera is to disembark your ship for a couple hours, have a stroll by the marina, maybe some food in one of the restaurants, well, this is perfect. I’m on the hunt for a tram now. As you come out of the cruise terminal, take a left and then a right onto this main road. I’m hoping we’ll find something shortly. That looks like St. Dassian’s Cathedral. According to my trusty Google map, of course. That looks like a tram station, doesn’t it? And 20 minutes later, I am here. Wherever here is here is the how is that pronounced? No. Koka. A few little Jamie facts about this tramway. Well, first of all, it’s the longest tramway in the entire world. Get that. 68 stops apparently. And if you went from one end to the other, it would take you 2 hours and 20 minutes. Awesome views of the Belgium coast. No doubt about that. I think it spans around 67 68 km. This was a tap in tap out kind of a fair on the tramway, although I believe you can also purchase tickets from the machines on the platforms. Apparently, this is a very trendy up and cominging seaside resort. Obviously, I’ve come here. My trusty map says I need to head in this direction for the seafront. None too shabby a walk. That’s the jolliest looking weeing pooping dog I have ever seen. You’re looking at a good 15-minute walk from the station down to the seafront. But it’s actually very pleasant. Lots of places to stop off for refreshments. Buy your flowers and plants if you want to. Oh yes, yes, yes. I believe you. We made it, folks. Welcome to Kaka Noa. And look, there are kids on bikes and trikes and hikes and kes and nights. The entire seafront here is also fringed with bars, cafes, restaurants. It’s so nice to do something totally different from Zugger. Wowers. Look at the size of this beach. I got a feeling it’s going to go on and on and Ariston. This is cool AF. It really is. Well, it says iced coffee on the menu. I’m going on in. Well, isn’t this nice. Cheers, everybody. That looks like an awesome iced coffee. Look at this. Help yourself to sunscreen. That’s awesome. The sand here is so soft. I’m really surprised. Lovely. I know I’m not wearing shorts. I should have. I don’t know what I was thinking. Whoa, look at this. Our ship, by the way, I don’t know if you can make her out. She’s right over there. All righty, let’s have a wee wander around some of the back streets. I haven’t found an alleyway yet, by the way. This is Leipen or however you say it. Looks like the main shopping district. Very nice looking square. [Music] All these nooks and crannies and fannies. I mean, this is one long ass street, so it makes sense that they have a shopping shuttle. Look how cute this is. It smells amazing from the outside. I’m going on in. Oh my goodness. Are those cheesecakes? They are, aren’t they? Wow. Wow. Beautiful. Oh, the smell of bread in here. Just amazing. And at the top of the high street. Wow. This is Margaretta. I’m going to call her Auntie Mark. Bless her. No. Koko Kanoki keeps giving, doesn’t it? For all you naysayers out there. Oh, going back to Zera. What’s the point of that? You’ve already been there. Tada. And just like that, we’re back at the tram station. Well, that’s a super easy landmark to remember, isn’t it? When you’re lighting the tram. We’re looking at about a 10-minute walk back to the cruise terminal. Oh, actually, I say more like 5 or 6 minutes. Maybe tomorrow I want to settle down. Anybody remember that show? I’m home, my darlings. I’m home. Correct. Cheers, everybody. [Music] [Applause] See you zingy zer. Right, let’s do this evening, folks. I fancy a bit of mojito bar. Take me up. God damn it. Welcome to the mojito bar. We’re going to go with the spicy passion mojito tonight. This one was delicious and oh so spicy. One of the best of the week. Very excited to now be heading for dinner at what is considered one of the best restaurants on NCL. Kagny and Lacy’s. And here we go. I’m using my last remaining more at sea credit for this. I’ve saved the best to last apparently. How about you and I try a bottle of red for $1,950. Hey, look at the size of this. It is bigger than my head. Looks like our bread basket. No, you can’t call that a bread basket. It’s an actual loaf. A sourdough loaf. The grand reveal. Oh, that is good. Okay, so here at Kagnis, you get to choose two appetizers, one entree. You’re going to have three sauces. They come on the side. And three side dishes. There is a cover charge of $60 per person here. And then you need to add your 20% service charge. All right. I’m kicking off with the baked onion soup, obviously. Okay, hear me out. It’s nice, but the crouton is pretty soggy. The cheese a little bit non-escript. And there’s so much rosemary in it. It’s quite overpowering. Don’t hate me. I prefer the one in the main dining room. I do. My second appetizer is the thick cut bacon. Not sure about this. Okay. Well, that’s not for me. That’s all fat. And I know some people love that. I don’t. My New York strip has arrived. Looks beautifully charred. And with my steak, I have the broccoli, baked potato, and pearl barley risotto. And now the full package, so to speak. Well, as you can see, I’ve done pretty well, and the steak was really good. I think the sides were just a little underwhelming. And your choice of desserts. Well, I am well and truly stuffed. Folks, if you’re going to eat at Kagnes, allow at least 2 hours. Now, I don’t eat till late normally, so I went in uh about 8:45. It is now 11. I don’t mean to be controversial nor nothing, but for me that was my least favorite of the specialtity dining venues. The best item for me was the steak. And you’re going to say, well, it should be as well. It’s a steak house. But everything else around here just a little bit lackluster for me. Sorry. who are very quiet out and about tonight. I wonder if people are getting an early night ahead of their threehour journey into Paris tomorrow. Party caramel fiesta wild and sweet. Hey jumbo jumbo. Good morning everybody and welcome to our final port of call on this cruise lav France. We’re here in port today until 9:00 p.m. That means a lot of passengers will be taking the 3hour bus journey to Paris. So 6 hours on the bus today and about 3 hours in Paris. Poor buggers. Monday I am ready for you. I think this is likely to be my very last breakfast here at Oian’s. It’s 9:30. Everyone’s off to Paris. Not me. I got a booze. Little Jamie NCL life force. Yes, yes, yes. I know. Another vegetable omelette, breakfast potatoes, and a side of beans. Bite me. Well, my darlings, I’m doing things very differently today. As you’ll be aware, this has been a very port intense itinerary, which is awesome on many levels. But today in Lutav, I’m staying on board what looks to be an empty ship. Reasons? Well, first of all, I’ve been to Lut many times, and I’m going to show you some of the highlights. I’ve been to neighboring areas like Enflur many times, and yes, I’ve been to Paris. I used to live in Paris and I have returned since as a tourist. I don’t fancy three hours on a bus there today and three hours back. Thank you very much. And yes, you could think about heading into the center of Lav and taking a train. It’s still quite a long distance and I personally not sure I would risk that one. So today I am looking forward to enjoying the pool deck, getting my lengths in in the heated pool. Yes, enjoying this glorious weather. It’s forecast to be 27° C today. my little temperature freaks out there. And whilst the crew may well try and sell you a thermal suite package for the duration of your cruise, on this one it’s several hundred. You can actually buy a day pass for port days in particular. And that’s exactly what I’ve done today. $69, usable from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. today. Usually, you can use it until 10:00 p.m., but because it’s our last full day, they have to get ready uh later this evening for new arrivals tomorrow. I think this is going to be an awesome day. Well, as you can see, this is certainly the industrial part of Lav. Look at all the wind turbine blades. They’re huge. Now, you might be able to work out over here the center of Lav. You can actually walk there. I did that the last time I was here. It took about 20 25 minutes. And they also have port shuttles to take you into the center. And on that note, let me show you what I got up to in Lutath on my previous visit, plus my visit to Enflur and how to save a ton of money getting there. You guessed it, you don’t need to book an excursion with the cruise line. Lav was almost entirely decimated during World War II. It’s redesigned by a man called Pere. uh is quite unusual in that the architecture is very much inspired by concrete. But did you know that in 2005 the very center of Lu A was named a UNESCO World Heritage site? I didn’t know that. Let’s go explore. Well, according to this sign, you could even walk to the beach if you wanted to. Although, I believe there is a tram that can take you straight there. Oh, shilly. Might be a nice place for a pit stop on the way back to the ship later. In case you’re wondering, no, I haven’t got a scooby where I’m going. I mean, I’m a sucker for water and bridges, so let’s head up this way. Okay, so it’s the Nadam Bridge. Uh, doesn’t quite resemble anything I’ve seen in that area. Well, the concrete jungle is very pleasant so far. So, as you can see, this area is called the Kakier Samosa. And as I said, about a 20-minute walk to the cruise terminal. It says 25 up there. I’m obviously very pacy. Ooh, looks like I’m going to stumble upon the cathedral. Awesome. In fact, you can see our gorgeous Regal Princess there. Cathedral just down this street. I swear I’m rocking Lav already. By the way, temperatures about 21° C here today, which has been pretty much standard for most ports we visited on this cruise. Looks like a tour v.com. At the moment, every single bar or coffee shop I’ve walked by is just begging me to come and have a drink and some food. Love it. Literally 1 minute stroll from the cathedral will bring you to that very famous shipping container monument, which I believe was uh constructed in 2017 to commemorate the port’s 500th anniversary. We’ve seen a lot of fine erections on this cruise, haven’t we, my darlings? This has to be the most colorful erection we’ve seen. Don’t you agree? Angles and perspectives. They are every bloody thing. And the belly of the beast. Oh, it echoes, echoes, echoes, echoes. All righty, let’s explore the port area. So, this is the entrance to the port. We’ve even got golden rocks. like golden balls but rocks. So these golden ball I mean rocks are supposed to change color depending on the lighting and evoke a sense of minerals and industrialization. Who knew? Not me. Well, this is none too shabby a walk, I must say. We definitely want to head in that direction, don’t we? It looks beautiful. We made it. Well, it’s as pebbly as it gets, this beach. I think I’ll pass on the swimming today. Thank you very much. Lots of stalls and kiosks just back from the beach area so you can get some refreshments, food. Right, I’m going to head back to the cruise port area via the town center. So, it’s kind of like cutting diagonally uh through the route I’ve just taken at a very leisurely pace of course and already stumbling upon some beautiful sites. What the hell is that bee doing to that man by the way? Asking for myself. Honestly, this is pretty spectacular. Lav just keeps on giving. Okay. So, this is called the Church of St. Vincent. Little coffee shop stop. Matthew. Yes. Here we are in L cafe with Lumatio. Sel Cappuccino Mu. Sail flat bike. Look at this. B L also offers a L city tour. Fabulous idea. Oh, I wonder if this is ours. Nice bus. I’m the king of the bus. You can book your transfers directly with beer av on their website. If your ship cannot dock for whatever reason, you’ll get a full refund. And about 40 minutes later, 25 km. Welcome to a so nice, Matthew. Oh, I want to go on that. I want to go on that town hall. Gorgeous. Look, folks. Gorgeous. It’s so pretty here. Oh, you know I love a dark alleyway. That’s not dark enough for me, though. It really isn’t. Oh my god, I’ve even brought the sunshine to flur. Just said to Matthew, “Isn’t it beautiful?” And I said, “Am I beautiful?” He said, “No.” If you’re wondering where he is, he’s ahead. Oh, it’s just like being at Epcot Disney World, isn’t it? Goodness gracious me. It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? It’s a must. It really is. Wowers. Uh-oh. Camel bear not a fan. Sorry. Offer, baby. Offer. Doesn’t even look real. And that’s what I meant by the comparison to Epcot, by the way. Oh my goodness me. These look glorious. Matthew’s getting some of these for his work colleagues. [Music] Aos adat. That’s my kind of alleyway, folks. What a tight squeeze that’ll be. Oh, the torture restaurant. Oh, no. To talk to. Sorry, I thought it say. This is why it’s important to read properly. Don’t just read the headlines. Everywhere you look, beauty. And now, my glorious darlings, let’s enjoy everything this quirky, beautiful ship has to offer. Starting with the thermal suite. Mucho excited. I’m not sure if anybody else is here at the moment. Oh my goodness. This is a good size changing room. We have robes here. Help yourselves. Just taking a shot of my locker in case I forget the number 20. It’s been known to happen before. I want you to paint me like one of your half girls. Wow, look at this. In the changing room area, there’s a hot and cold tub. We have a sauna, steam room. Wow, look at this. I believe this is called a lap pool. Lounes, hot beds. Imagine using this on a sea day looking out to the wake. today. Uh industrial humongous hot tub here and another I think this is a very special thermal suite. Especially for a ship of this size as well. Impressive. Some refreshments here as well. They got it covered. I have a confession to make. I set off the alarm in the relaxation room slash changing room area when I open the door to the steam room and all the steam came running out and set off the fire alarm. That was me. I’m so sorry. Now, because this is a lap pool, I thought the water was going to be chilly. No, this is warm AF. I love it. I have never seen anything like this in a thermal suite on a cruise ship. It’s awesome. Accessibility in mind. Ladder only access. There are three steps to maneuver. I don’t think I’ve ever had the luxury of being in one of these giant hot tubs on my own on a cruise ship. Press the button. Press the button. Step access. Oh my goodness. That is scorcho. That is one hot delight. Oh, that is giving me all the feels. Sorry, Paris and all that, but great idea to have these wooden slats. I’m not going to fall over and break my neck. I can make a lot of noise, though. Listen. Beautiful industrial views from my hot bed. I know I’m an iced coffee boy, but I’m going to make myself a tea. What is it they say on Back to the Future? Jumping jellyfish this time. Jumping tea bags. Cheers everybody. Oh, it’s not bad actually. Maybe I will officially become a tea drinker. And here is the relaxation room. They’ve got you covered here. I’m telling you, that was awesome and such good value as well. 14 hours worth of use for $69. There are some UK cruise lines that charge more than that for just $2. I’m a fan. Towel station is poolside. I’ve well and truly found my spot for a few hours. Poolside for little Jamie. Yes. Factor 50 to hand. Get myself a nice cold drink. Truly awesome. [Music] Worst bit is when your bits and bobs go in, isn’t it? Oh, in they go. And your belly. [Music] It’s not as warm as it was when we first boarded. It’s still okay, though. Oh, and your nipples. We made it, my darlings. We made it. Next door, hot tub. Noise. Down we go. All righty. I am ready for lunch. And I did spot some Indian dishes a little bit earlier. I am going on in Indian feast right here. Oh, and a few fries. Sorry about that. Truly, the buffet here on board Norwegian and Dawn has been very kind to me. And the food’s been good. And how the hell did I eat all that? I’m loving an empty ship. I really am. And would you look at this? Just two people in my beloved Java/S Starbucks. I think I might build a stay on the ship day on every itinerary from now on. It’s just like blissful. A look at the prices for you. Although be aware they don’t have the prices up here for tall, which is the smallest size they do. It’s a bit cheaper. Iced iced latte. [Music] It’s that time. Let the packing begin. Why the hell did I bring those? Didn’t wear those once. And done. All freshened up and ready for an evening out. I’m just smiling at people staring and pointing at me. I feel like I’ve neglected the sellers and it’s a really lovely bar. Let’s have a wine. Eh, just gorgeous in here. Ooh, a bit of chilled savvy blanc. Cheers everybody. Hey band, how are you? Reception line is always long on the final night. always. What do you all want? Oh, look in the bliss lounge. So, we got dancing, bit of ballroom. What were you doing with that leg lady? I could eat a shaggy French dog’s tail. Oh, my beloved Venetian, you really have treated me well. All righty, let’s check out this menu and stuff our faces. We got our classics, our featured entre as always. You can order a few of the items from Kagney Steakhouse. Been there, done that. And our desserts. Oh, I wonder if there’s a no added sugar. Aha. I’m totally all over the simplicity of this freestyle dining. No need to share if you don’t want to. No need to wait around. It’s working beautifully. Bread basket arama. Oh yes. Green pea soup with country ham. Well, that was definitely hearty niaries. Appetizer number two is the lamb kofa. It’s like poo on poo, isn’t it? With this one obviously being much higher quality than this one. I mean, it wasn’t bad. It just really lacked in flavor. And my main course has arrived. I’ve gone with the chicken palm. I mean, if you know me, this is an obvious choice. I really like the past elements that for me the chicken is just too thick and monstrous in places and the breading a little bit wet. Bye lady. Probably the last time I’m going to see you. Harry O in the Stardust Theater. [Music] This is very low key. Looks like we got some live music down in Gatsby’s [Music] back in the atrium. Everything is very lowkey tonight. [Music] I don’t mean to be rude nor in nothing, but it was all a bit supermarket sweep tonight in terms of entertainment. Did they just give up on the last night or something? I mean, I don’t really care either way. I just wanted to show you some good entertainment. Oh well, I tried. Don’t tell me I didn’t. I did. I have got some amazing news. We are clawing back our stolen hour. Yes, there is a god. It’s true. We will be leaving soon. The cruise will stay with you while I know the extra weight will. Well, it looks like we need to talk about disembarkation information. disembarkation information. Well, well, well. They do things a little bit differently here. First up, you’ve got to be out of your cabin by 8:00 a.m. unless you’ve purchased a late checkout. Now, look at this. Selfass assist guests, i.e., you can take your own luggage unassisted from 5:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Wo, that’s an early start, isn’t it? Some guests have airport transfers, so they have been given a luggage label to put on their bags and pop outside their cabin by 10:00 p.m. tonight. And I haven’t seen this before. Everyone else, i.e. independent guests, well, they were able to pop down to the atrium and just pick up luggage labels pertaining to the time they want to disembark. And then they pop the luggage labels on the bags, pop them outside the cabin. They will magically appear in the cruise terminal tomorrow morning where those passengers will collect their bags and on they go. Breakfast will be available at the Garden Cafe, Venetian dining room, and Ocean. Oh, and Java Cafe is open from 5:00 a.m. The poor buggers. Essentially, nearly every passenger will be off this ship by 8:30 in the morning. No wonder they can get everybody on board so early on embarcation day. Hopefully, it won’t be a total bonfire. And cluster f fluff. Cluster fluff. This is one of the annoying things on your last night when you’ve packed all your stuff up. Rattle, rattle, rattle. I don’t want you to panic. I have got the best hack for you. Pop a towel right through the middle of those hangers. Can you see? No movement, no noise. You are very welcome. Well, I’d like to say good night to you all now. I hope you sleep well. I hope I sleep well, too. What do you mean? My voice has changed. No, it hasn’t. What kind of accent is this? It’s the way I talk, actually. And by the way, I love you. You you and you. You and you and you. I don’t love you there because you are talking stupid. Night. Good morning everybody and welcome back to Southampton UK. Well, I came along to Oian’s just to pick up um some fruit, a coffee. Unfortunately, they’re only serving pastry baskets full of sugar, so it’s just coffee for me here. Well, I finally made it to the buffet for breakfast after all. Not too busy this morning. What have we got here? omelette, scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, hash brown, baked beans, cinnamon buns, French toast, pancakes, pastries, fresh fruits, etc., etc. We’ve also got the refreshment station for coffee, tea, and juice. Me, I’m heading to the omelette station, obviously. Very sensible to use Los Loos as an overspill for the buffet seating area. I mean, I was going to get fruit. I’ve got an omelette. I’ve already been asked if I’m flying home to Tennessee and the answer is no, my darlings. Getting a train to Basin Stoke. I am super proud of myself for navigating the buffet on the last morning. It was actually fine. It’s our final hour on board and it’s been a very interesting morning so far. Oh, good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My attention, please. You have my attention. Your following guest should and people really were disembarking at 5:15 a.m. this morning. I’ve never known it so early. I guess if you have a flight to catch or you want to get ahead of the traffic in the morning, why not? The downside of that is announcements come through your cabin at 5:15 a.m. There really was no sleeping for me after that. Just as well, I went to bed at half 11. And it is officially time for ritualistic farewells by bedroom area. To be honest with you, I’d much rather have an ocean view or a balcony or a suite, but you were just fine. Bye. Big, hot, powerful shower. Miss you forever. Bye. Bathroom. Not a bad size at all for a standard inside cabin. Bye cabin 8095. Before we get to those allimportant reflections of this trip, I know you want to talk costs, don’t you? Of course you do. So, for this 11 night cruise as a solo passenger, I spent £2,000 on my cruise fair. It also included my more at sea package. Just to remind you what that included, most of my drinks, not my iced coffees, unfortunately, two visits to specialtity dining venues, a $50 credit for an excursion. It also includes enhanced Wi-Fi for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Wow. My onboard spend came to £340. Now, that included extras such as my two extra visits to specialtity dining venues, my day pass at the wonderful thermal suite on board, extras like my iced coffees, and the $20 per day gratuitity charge. In advance of the cruise, I also paid it forward by purchasing my one and only excursion with NCL to Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland. I suppose the main question is, would I sail with NCL again now that I feel I’ve had the full experience? The answer is yes, definitely. I feel this is a cruise line that does suit me in many ways, particularly how informal, casual, and relaxed it is. With 20 ships in the fleet and another on its way, there’s plenty of choice. Even though this is an older ship, I have found Dawn to be super quirky, very comfortable with some lovely venues. For a midsize ship, I’m astonished there are 14 eeries on board that really would keep you going for a long time. The crew have been mostly excellent. They work so hard to make sure that you have the best time possible. I just came across a couple grumps here and there. The quality of food on whole was good to very good. I had a few mixed fortunes in the main dining room, but largely a positive experience. Very pleasantly surprised by the quality of food in the buffet. Who knew? You saw for yourselves. I was a big fan of the 24/7 restaurant of Shiens. In particular, it was a super convenient option for me for breakfast, especially given the location of my cabin. Speaking of which, my cabin very quirky indeed. Uh, I’m not the biggest fan of inside cabins, but sometimes needs a must. It was certainly comfortable, clean, bathroom was a good size, shower definitely a good size, and loads of storage space. And my goodness me, this porttheavy itinerary has exceeded my expectations. I loved our ports of court in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland in particular. I’ve done the Netherlands, Belgium, and France to death, but I still had a great time. I can certainly recommend this kind of itinerary. Things I didn’t like quite so much. One of those being the number of announcements during the daytime. Do we really need reminding of every single thing that’s taking place around the ship multiple times during the day and evening? That’s what the freestyle magazines for, isn’t it? I just found that a little intrusive at times when you’re trying to relax. That’s all. Tone it down a little bit, NCL. I mean, Virgin Voyages don’t have any announcements. There has to be a little bit of middle ground there. Excursion prices skyhigh. And if you compare the same excursions offered by local tour operators via get your guide via tour or indeed directly, they’re making a lot of money on those tours. And a lot of you are paying it. You don’t need to. And the shuttle prices to get from the port into some of the town centers. Wow. $129 return. I don’t think so. When I went to the excursions team to ask for some advice on getting into Amsterdam, they would not tell me all the options, which I found disappointing. As it turns out, in the cruise terminal, you could get yourself a shuttle with a local tour operator for just $15 return. Compare that to the $129 NCL were charging. It’s unacceptable. I think they just need to be a bit more transparent about everyone’s options. if you don’t have a more at sea package, which by the way I thought was exceptional value when I purchased that. The drinks on board I feel are quite pricey. Like the standard and lowest price for cocktails, $15. And if you’re paying as you go, you then need to add a 20% service charge to that. So that’s $18, which I think is a lot for a reasonable cocktail. If you do like a few beverage, my recommendation is that you search high and low for the best deal you can get for the more at sea package. Some great musicians and vocalists on board. I certainly enjoyed that element of entertainment. The shows in the theater for me, oh, just not to my taste. That’s all very subjective, I know. I just found it a little bit old-fashioned. No, no, no, no. Oldfashioned is not the right word. More traditional, let’s say. and it’s just not my thing. But lots of other people seem to love it, which is more important than what I think. But let’s rewind to all those positives before we sign off. A if I can find a good deal, I will definitely be back sailing with NCL. Now it’s time to see if it’s going to be a real faf disembarking this ship. I hope not. Uh we’ll make our way back home to Matthew and the babies. I can’t wait to get home. I have everything crossed for a smooth disembarkation. Oh, it doesn’t look too bad at all. A very short line ahead. Well, that took all of one minute. Easy. Zigg zagarama time. Once you’ve done the zigzagama, you’re going to pass through the luggage hall, collect your luggage if you did indeed put it outside your cabin the night before. Next up, you go through border control, although there’s very rarely anybody there, and then exit. Loads of taxis lined up outside the cruise terminal. Although, of course, you could also summon an Uber. Listen to me. Summon an Uber. Me, I’m taking what should be a 15-minute walk to Southampton Central Train Station. Oh, I’m laughing. I’ve just been stopped by some more people saying, “Oh my god, you’re from Tennessee as well.” I’m like, “Uh, I just live half an hour away from here, actually.” Never wear a t-shirt with the name of a city that you don’t belong to. Do you think I should have a basing stoke t-shirt made up? Maybe we made it. But something very important I need to do first. Oh, iced flat white. My old friend, I’ve missed you. Choo choo babies. We are Bib Bib back in Bazing Stoke. Woohoo. It’s literally 30 minutes from Southampton. Nearly there. Only a 5 minute walk from the train station back to me home. Hey everybody, I’m home. Hello. Hello, baby. Have I woken you up? I’m so sorry. Oh, hang on. Here comes another Hello, baby. Oh, I miss you so much. I love you so. Oh, there you go. Here come the kisses. Oh, I love you so much. And look what Matthews bought me. That’s true love, isn’t it? Next job. Thanks for watching this four-part series and of course for your support as we head towards 46,000 subscribers. Today’s shoutouts go to my tiers three, four, and five patrons. And yes, oh my goodness gracious me, you too could become a patron. Just search patreon.com/travel blogjamie. For your personalized video messages, just search cameo.com/travel blogjamie. Thanks for watching and don’t forget we can follow each other on Facebook, Jamie Wrobbins, Instagram at TravelBlogjamie and of course right here, right now on YouTube.

It’s part 4 of 4 of our epic 11 night cruise onboard Norwegian Dawn from start to finish. In parts 1, 2 & 3 I showed check-in at Southampton U.K., boarding, muster, started to explore all venues and open decks onboard, meals and menus featured and reviewed, including Los Lobos and La Cucina speciality restaurants, more at sea packages explained, dress code discussed, freestyle dining reviewed, speciality dining tested, a day in Edinburgh, Inverness, Portree, Dublin, Belfast/Giant’s Causeway, Amsterdam and so much more! In this episode we will continue to discover everything Dawn has to offer, including dining at Cagney’s steakhouse and a day at the thermal suite, plus our visit to Zeebrugge, Belgium, and Le Havre, France, where I do things a little differently without spending a load of money on shuttles / excursions etc. All this, the disembarkation process and a whole lot more! Part 4 is all yours, keep an eye out for my cabin tour, now available, better still, subscribe and turn on notifications! You’re coming with me for the duration – let’s do this!

Don’t forget to like this video, subscribe and turn on notifications for bi-weekly cruise and travel vlogs plus my Monday night lives! Let’s follow each other on Facebook (jamiewrobins), X, Threads and Instagram @travelblogjamie. You can become an exclusive member / Patron at Patreon.com/travelblogjamie, have personalised videos made for you at Cameo.com/travelblogjamie and find my webpage at beacons.ai/travelblogjamie.

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