Norwegian Gem 12/13/2022: Lisbon, Portugal

It was pouring rain when we docked in Lisbon, Portugal. I rushed my breakfast in order to make it to the Stardust Theater for 9AM when my excursion was set to meet. Unfortunately, at 9:30 they cancelled the Hop on Hop Off Street Car and Funicular Experience excursion because of the weather. It was understandable but very disappointing. 

I headed off the ship to explore on my own to enjoy a few hours before the rain was scheduled to return. Having internet access with hourly forecasts is very helpful. It was a lovely walk as I spent 15 minutes or so walking through the cruise terminal and along the waterfront to the arch.

I had spent a week here in 2019 and Lisbon was very different. Now the buildings around the arch are under construction. I walked around looking at the shops which are all decorated for Christmas.

I bought a souvenir at Starbucks and spent 30 minutes using their high speed wifi so I didn't max out my Google Fi bill this month. I took a leisurely stroll back to the ship in order to grab lunch before my meeting. The wind was picking up and I needed my umbrella before I made it back.

After a quick lunch, I headed to my room to prepare for my meeting. My plan was to use my free 300 minutes of wifi for the meeting to test the basic Internet offering on the Norwegian Gem. Since we've been in port every weekday until now, I have been able to use my Google Fi to communicate with work. Now, it was time to test Microsoft Teams on the basic connection. It took forever to load, and I joined the meeting with my phone and Google Fi before my laptop loaded the meeting. Once the meeting started, I was able to see the screen share and the video for two hours.

Since it was the fifth day, I went down to the Internet desk and added the unlimited wifi option as an upgrade to my free at sea wifi. Total cost for unlimited basic wifi for the rest of the cruise was $79.91. If I needed to use my VPN the same service would have cost me $179.91. Fortunately, this company does not require VPN because I tested it, and it is blocked with the Basic plan.

I had a nice dinner in the Grand Pacific dining room as the ship pulled out of Lisbon. Soon we were out into the wild Atlantic ocean again and the ship began to rock. I headed to the gift shop to buy some seasickness prevention bracelets and headed to bed early. I didn't get to see the man who was performing with the violin.

I wish you smooth sailing wherever you are.

Happy Cruising!