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Can anyone suggest how to get back to LaGuardia after cruise.  Carmel won’t let book a van for our group because they need to have an exact pickup time and I don’t know when We will get off ship. We’re a group of 12. Spent 90 min on hold at NCL to see if they offer transfer only to get disconnected!  Thought I would try here before calling again. Thanks in advance!

Can anyone suggest how to get back to LaGuardia after cruise.  Carmel won’t let book a van for our group because they need to have an exact pickup time and I don’t know when We will get off ship. We’re a group of 12. Spent 90 min on hold at NCL to see if they offer transfer only to get disconnected!  Thought I would try here before calling again. Thanks in advance!

1 hour ago, markeb said:

Where are you in purchasing transportation? LGA is fine. Have you bought the tickets? Is everyone on the same flight? When do you arrive in Queens? Are there things you want to do? Have you bought the transfers? Can you cancel them if it makes more sense? Do you have a hotel budget in mind? 

 

In some ways, everything else depends on those questions. When is the cruise, BTW? I don't see that in your original post. 

 

You potentially have a lot of options, and a free shuttle to and from the airport and the NCL shuttle to the pier could be the best, but it's equally likely it isn't.

We plan on purchasing airfare(Southwest) when the schedule opens up the first of April for September flights.  Our plan is for everyone to be on the same flight. I purchased the transfers from Norwegian when we booked the cruise, they were $150 per couple roundtrip. As for doing things while we're there, I plan on letting each couple decide that on their own.  Thank you so much for your input.   

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Since you're flying into LGA then you're restricted to hotels in that immediate area if you want a free shuttle between airport and hotel in both directions. I think it's going to be difficult to find anyone here who can give you a recent assessment of hotels near LGA. Many hotels located near LGA should offer a shuttle.

I'd suggest you go to any of the many internet booking sites such as expedia.com, hotels.com or booking.com where you can specifically request a search of hotels near LGA . Once you have identified hotels near the airport that look like they would fulfill your needs you can check to see if they offer complimentary airport shuttle service. I would suggest checking with hotels directly because information on the booking websites isn't always up to date and some hotels stopped offering airport shuttles during the height of the pandemic and may or  may not have resumed them.

As far as alternatives to NCL transfers, for a group that large I'd recommend checking with a car service such as Carmel Limo or Dial 7 because they have large vans and mini buses available. Prices tend be high for those vehicles so you may not save much if any money over taking NCL's transfers.

Thank you! You've given me a place to start!

I've been appointed to research where to stay after flying into Laguardia the day before sailing and getting transport to pier.  I've never even been to NYC and I am overwhelmed.  We have purchased the NCL transportation to and from pier and was hoping to get a hotel with shuttle transportation from/to airport so that we could shuttle back to airport day of sailing and catch NCL transportation to the pier.  Is that a good idea? If so, any recommendations on hotels that have airport shuttles?  Any better ideas? Thanks in advance for any input!

Thanks everyone!  

Hi there, 

Was just wondering if anyone recently has walked off the Getaway in Miami and could tell me where you line up at?  Also, do  you remember about what time you started actually getting off this ship?  

60!!  WC from Miami!

Great, great review! Thanks for taking the time to do this! Taking this cruise in Feb next year with friends. One question. When you were talking about water, you said you had a drink card in the casino that you used for water, could you explain this? One of our group is concerned about the price of bottled water and I was wondering if this is something he could do.

The line will be at O'sheehans on Deck 7

Thank you so much! We'll be prepared to get there early!

If all things go well, you could be off the ship and through customs by around 7:30. You need to be in line early with your entire group.

 

Last Sunday, all things did not go well. The ship arrived around 6:00. But there were delays in CBP clearing the ship, so self walk-off did not start until 8:00. And there was a line 45 minutes long in the ship to get off (we were at the 20 minute-to-get-off spot in line). We were on the curb at 8:40 and at the airport by 9:00ish (still in time for our 10:50 flight)

Thank you so much. Could you please tell me exactly where you line up?

Thank you Thank you BirdTravels!! Could you tell me EXACTLY where we need to go to line up?

Great review! Enjoyed reading it as we are doing same itinerary in February. I have a question. You said you did self carry off the ship. Was 9AM the earliest you could have gotten off? We're also going to self carry off the ship but looking to be able to get off earlier than that in hopes of making an earlier flight. Thanks!

We have a group of 14 that want to self debark from a February cruise in order to make a 10:15 flight from Ft. Lauderdale. We have early private transportation arranged but for those of you who have walked off ship, is this feasible to do? The last time we did this from Port Canaveral we were off the ship and thru customs by 7:30. But never having tried from Miami, would like some input from someone who's actually walked off. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Whenever I cruise and meet people who have no idea that Cruise Critic exists, I feel bad for them. Perhaps it's just me (and my fellow CC'ers) but I research exhaustively before going anywhere, including on a cruise. I research where on the ship is the best place to get a room, location of room versus what's above and below it, which deck is best for our needs/desires, the size of and view from balcony, etc. CC is where I learned about the "hump" and which cruise line is compatible with our needs.

 

We have mostly gone on RCL cruises but were looking for something different having already done the Oasis and the Allure and looking for a summer cruise to the Caribbean from Miami or Fort Lauderdale. My travel agent friends suggested Celebrity but through my research I learned that since we like to have entertainment at night (and not just shows, but things to do) that NCL was probably a better fit for us. We are sixty somethings but we feel like we fit in more with the 40-50 demographic than the 65-75 ones.

 

We do not like a set time for dining, because what if we change our mind and decide that we want to eat a half hour later or earlier than the reservation time? There's nothing I hate more than rushing to get ready to eat when I'm enjoying what I'm doing at that time. I understand we do have a set time for the specialty restaurants, and I researched which shows were on which nights so I knew which nights to make reservations for those restaurants.

 

Through my research, I learned that we may have an issue with smokers around the Atrium and at some waterfront places. Knowing that in advance means I won't be surprised or disappointed when it happens. I now know that the UBP does not include water, or specialty coffee drinks, like it did on the Oceania. So I know not to be upset when I get on board and find that out.

 

Through my research I learned that while food tastes are subjective, many people feel that the food on NCL ships is not as great as they would like, and certainly have not ready many complimentary things about the desserts. Fortunately for us, we live in south Florida, which has any number of fine dining if we want it. Mostly we go out to local spots so dining isn't really a top priority on a cruise. For those for whom it is, a little research may have suggested a different line. We don't have great expectations about the food, so we won't be disappointed. We cruise for the relaxation and the ability to experience different ports without having to pack and unpack repeatedly.

 

Through my research I learned about the Haven and the bidding process. More research convinced me to just go for the upgrade directly (we could afford it, but I prefer saving money to spending it whenever possible).

 

My family and friends make fun of me for the amount of research I do before any trip, but my DH certainly enjoys the fruits of that labor. Fortunately, he is the laid back go with the flow one and I get to do all the prep work without interference. It is unfortunate when people don't do their research and then get disappointed. I feel bad for them.

So well said and so very true!!!

That being said, what about a 10:20AM flight out of FLL. We plan to walk off ship with our own luggage. Is that possible to make a Sunday morning flight?

This is a tough choice. Indecision has clouded our vision in this regard. Although we are booked on the inaugural sailing of the Bliss Alaska itinerary, our first NCL cruise was Alaska on the Pearl. We have never looked back at another cruise line since. We are actually on the Pearl now, and were on the Getaway last week. We did this as a comparison to big vs. small ship. I have to say, we are enjoying the Pearl a bit more due to the smaller size and less chaotic feeling of having less people aboard. It was mentioned that Glacier Bay is not a guarantee, in fact, the Pearl Captain mentioned this yesterday at the Latitudes Party. His exact words, "not sure how a big ship like that will get through the fiords and Glacier Bay", which in itself is an incredible experience. The ports, are identical though, aside from Glacier Bay.

 

I am a sucker for the new ships now, we have become addicted to the new ship feeling, but still like the more homey feeling of the smaller ones. After taking you around our maypole, I would reccomend Pearl for your first Alaska experience. Carol agrees! :)

I too was on the Pearl for my first cruise and it was to Alaska in 2012. Splurged on an aft balcony room and it was soooo worth it! Unlike a southern cruise where you use the pool a lot, Alaska is not typically swimming weather so we spent a lot of time on our balcony taking in the 180 degree breathtaking scenery that an aft balcony provides. My husband passed suddenly the next year and I am so grateful that we took this cruise together. I loved the Pearl and its itinerary. I too have never looked back after cruising on NCL and really have no desire to cruise with any other cruise line at this point! You'll love the Pearl!

Just finished reading your trip report for the 3rd time! This time I took notes as we are on the Epic at the end of February this year. Your report was just as entertaining and informative the 3rd time through as it was the 1st! Great read and thank you so much for taking the time to share it with us!

Has anyone taken this excursion lately? I read in an older post that there are no beach chairs or towels at the beach they take you to. I was wondering if that was still the case. Thanks for any input!

I am laughing hysterically at the naked lady! And i can actually hear Elvis saying Thank you, thank you very much!

So let me make sure i understand, if we have 8:30AM excursions booked thru NCL at 2 ports, we should not have to worry about getting tender tickets?

Oh gosh, I didn't realize you had to book those too! Thank you for that information. If we have early excursions booked thru NCL, is there a possibility that we might not get a tender ticket time early enough to make our excursion?

Thank you! That's exactly what I needed to know!

I have booked the main theater shows for our cruise in February, but I can see where people talk about having reservations for some of the comedy clubs on board. I don't see anywhere I can book these online. Is that a reservation that can't be made till you get on board, or will I eventually see these online and be able to book them? Thanks in advance for any information!

Myself and 5 girlfriends are wanting to fly into Orlando the night before our cruise in February, just in case Mother Nature turns nasty. I was just wondering if the people that have done this before would give me some advice on whether to stay out near the airport somewhere or go on to Port Canaveral and pick a hotel there. We are getting a car service with a van to transport from airport to the port. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your input.