When childhood is such a distant memory, you tend to lose touch with reality. That many years ago, Nick Tunes would have been a gangster from Brooklyn, or somewhere. Calling me Sponge Bob might have insulted my boyhood and led to a scrap. It would never have 
occurred to anyone to have banana pancakes, let alone cover them with something called “slime.”
But this is today. Or yesterday. Breakfast on the Norwegian Epic with that “other Bob” and his friends — Dora, Diego, Jimmy Neutron and Patrick — was accompanied by listening to Nick Tunes (that’s music). For someone who never could get his mind around Dr. Seuss and the whole green eggs and ham thing, I think eating banana pancakes that have been slimed is something my grandchildren can relate to, but I can’t.
Or couldn’t.
This being our inaugural Epic voyage, it was a command performance. My wife commanded it. So there I sat, entertained by the Nickelodeon characters before and after breakfast, enjoying the pancakes “slimed” with what is essentially green syrup, and generally having as good a time as if I were sitting there with 100 grandchildren of my own.
On cruise ships, passengers used to expect all-inclusivity, although that culture has certainly changed with the kind of enhancements Norwegian has on its Epic. If you’re thinking of bringing your little ones — or grand little ones — to have breakfast with Dora the Explorer, be prepared to pay $10 for the kids and $15 for the adults. For Mom, Dad and two kids, that’s $50, and guess what?
The line forms on the right.
About 200 people made the cut for the first such breakfast on this week-long cruise to the Western Caribbean and, judging by the looks on their faces, they were happy to pay for the opportunity.
In addition to the set menu for breakfast, it includes an intimate mini-show in the Spiegel Tent, plus individual photo-ops with each of the characters, and you’re allowed to take a picture with your own camera…in fact there’s a “backyardigan” who will take it for you. Some kids are cute, some kids are scared, but none of them wishes to be somewhere else.
Neither do the parents. Nor, as it turns out, do grandparents.