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Mira28

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Everything posted by Mira28

  1. I have sailed (solo) out of NYC many times. Years ago on Carnival, of late only on NCL. I loved every one of my cruises, never saw a fights or arguments or anything close. Maybe a few noisy teens (Carnival Splendor, 2014) who were immediately calmed and dispersed by security. I love sailing out of Manhattan; for me the experience is unforgettable. The port is not pretty, but I have found embarkation and disembarkation to be relatively straightforward there. I guess I’ve been fortunate. It’s very sad that the OP and his family witnessed such an assault on this young girl. I don’t think that the OP’s negative experience on the Venezia has anything to do with NYC, but certainly I can understand drawing that conclusion. I’ve debated sailing on this ship, but so far just haven’t done it. (I cancelled my Feb. 2024 cruise due to my husband’s illness). I guess I’m more comfortable with NCL, but I still might give the Venezia another try.
  2. Great review! Thanks. I’m looking forward to the Joy next year. The Bliss is also beautiful if you get a chance to sail on her.
  3. It’s significant to some. It’s $14.99 per person per meal now for food that used to be included. Yes, it’s optional, but it is a change and an increase for those who don’t book a package. It doesn’t personally affect me but I can see why it’s upsetting to those who are affected. Sure, the cruise line can do whatever it wants, but it seems that changing the product (after it has been paid for) is, while profitable, a questionable business practice.
  4. Back in the day, I took cruises out of NYC on Carnival Splendor. Never saw any fights or rowdy behavior except for a handful of young teenagers racing across the Lido. They were stopped and spoken to by security. (It is true that I was never in the nightclub in the early morning!) More recently I have cruised on Norwegian, again, mostly from NYC. A sedate and well-behaved crowd. The biggest excitement was angling for a seat in Syd Norman's Pour House. (But no fist fights or even verbal altercations occurred during this process.) I do not know what is prompting these recent events. It's sad. The ship looks beautiful, and I'd really like to give it a try, since cruising from NY is so much easier for me. But if this type of behavior continues unabated, I cannot see myself feeling comfortable. I just do not want to see or hear that on my vacation. Peace is all I am looking for on my cruise.
  5. Yes, I agree. All but one of my cruises have been from NYC. I have never seen a fight or domestic incident. A few drunk people here or there, I suppose was the worst of it. Hearing all these reports is a concern. I wonder why this ship, these cruises?
  6. They say it can be 10 business days back to the credit card. In the past year when I have cancelled I've received the refund within 4 or 5 days.
  7. A lot of issues! The food and entertainment things really are what would bother me the most. What's being said about the ship is a big concern, since I think many were (and still are) looking forward to a new ship leaving from NYC. I am booked on Venezia for February, so I hope things improve. I wonder if that is likely. It would be a shame if such a beautiful ship is marred by all the poor aspects you and others have reported.
  8. Yes, I wonder if you can give us a sense of what went wrong. Many reviews do seem to be negative. I'd be very interested in hearing about what happened.
  9. Hi, I just booked this cruise. I've cruised out of NYC several times in the winter, the last time being the fateful March 8-15th, 2020 cruise on the NCL Bliss, just as the world seemed to be shutting down! Memorable to be sure. With luck, this cruise will be less eventful. 🤞😄 I was planning to cruise on the Venezia in October but that didn't work out, so this one is my fallback. Very exciting!
  10. Hi, Disembarkation can take a while or it can be pretty smooth and quick. It's hard to know ahead of time. The Manhattan Cruise port isn't particularly attractive, but things do move along once you get your bags, and you basically just walk straight through out of the terminal to the street. Taxis are lined up across 12th Avenue. There should be no problem getting one to LGA. You will encounter some Uber/Lyft drivers offering rides just before the taxi queue. If you want Uber or Lyft, my suggestion is to walk straight past these people and go east, about a block away from the pier. Order the ride then. It may not be any cheaper, but it will be less chaotic. I have not used the cruieline shuttles, but I'd imagine they are easy to find and a straightforward way to get to the airport.
  11. Thanks for this! Yes, the ferries sound good. I'd be coming from Manhattan, but I think that's also pretty easy to and from Red Hook. Sounds like you had a great cruise!
  12. Thank you! Very helpful information. It sounds doable! 🙂
  13. Hi, Thanks for the great review. I'm wondering, how much of a hassle was it to get to the Brooklyn port? Did you drive or take other transportation? Did you happen to notice if there were a lot of cabs on disembarkation morning? I'm used to sailing out of Manhattan, but wonder about the feasibility of getting to and from the Brooklyn port.
  14. Hi Megan, I've cruised solo several times. I've done Blue Lagoon in Nassau, and have also walked all over near the port and have always felt safe. For me, getting off the ship and exploring a bit is all part of the experience. Taking an excursion will be fine. I hope you find something to enjoy.
  15. Helpful post, thank you. Might I ask, how long does the ferry take from Wall St. to Red Hook? Does it dock close to the pier? When leaving the port you take the ferry back to Wall St. and then another to E. 34th?
  16. Hello everyone, Regina from Albany, NY. Looking forward to this cruise on a beautiful ship. Exciting!
  17. This. A sensible (and kind) response to the OP. We need more of this on here.
  18. Hi Pete, I just booked this cruise! So happy to be cruising from NYC again. The ship looks to be quite beautiful and I think it will be a lot of fun. Hope others loin the roll call soon. I wonder if the cruise will be full or not. It's a nice itinerary and I can't wait to get on the ship!
  19. I was on the TA from Barcelona to New York 12/8-12/22. First time on the Gem. It is a lovely ship, and I had only positive interactions with the crew. Room steward, bar servers, Garden Cafe staff, all were friendly, kind, and efficient. I thought the food was acceptable to good in all venues, very good in both MDRs and Le Bistro. In my opinion the entertainment on the cruise was poor to just okay. While I enjoyed the Latin band in the Bliss lounge, the acrobat brothers, and the B12 group, most of the rest of the offered entertainment was not memorable. Although many of the performers had talent, what was presented seemed not up to NCL standards. I’m wondering why this is the case on this ship. Having sailed the Getaway, Breakaway, and the Bliss I know how great the entertainment on NCL usually is. Finally, the Wi-Fi failure during 4 out of the 6 sea days was a major concern for me and caused a lot of frustration all around. I don’t think it’s right for NCL to claim to offer unlimited and/or premium Wi-Fi (at a very high price) when they really cannot provide this service. Overall, this was a good cruise. The ports were amazing, and I had several great shore excursions through NCL. I hope the issues regarding entertainment quality and Wi-Fi will be addressed by NCL, as they significantly affect an otherwise positive experience.
  20. I suppose it’s all a matter of opinion, and personal choice. I maintain that (even in a public forum), one can speak courteously and with regard for the experiences of others.
  21. To the OP. Since you’ve been on CC for a while you probably knew that when you posted this you’d get lots of negative responses. Apparently one is not allowed to be a critic here! While some posters make good points here, there is often a lack of courtesy and empathy on these boards. I’m not sure why it’s like this. I can empathize with your experience. I’m glad that some aspects of your trip were positive, as I know how much time, money, and hopes go into planning a cruise. I do hope you’ll give NCL another chance at some point.
  22. The drivers lined up on 12th Ave. across from the terminal would ask your destination before agreeing to take you. Again, this was my experience. Obviously one could challenge the driver and make and issue of it. I chose not to. My point was to tell the OP that getting to Penn was easy from about a block away, and took 15-20 minutes (at most) from that location.
  23. Hi, I very recently sailed the Getaway (9/12/22-9/22/22) and took the train from NY Moynihan Station (the new Penn Station). I had an 8:00 am disembarkation time and easily made an 11:10 train. I found it easier to walk across 12th Ave. and go about a block away from the terminal and all the waiting taxis. In the past (and I don't know if this is still the case) the taxi drivers waiting there did not want to take a passenger to Penn Station. (I guess not a high enough fare.) But from a block away (11th Ave. & 48th St.) it was easy to get a taxi or call an Uber. Since you have priority disembarkation, you can get off even earlier. Of course, there can always be delays with disembarkation. But I have cruised from NYC several times and have always been able to get the train from Penn in the late morning. I hope it works out for you!
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