CactusRoot

Yes, ship tours. We are eliminating the one with shopping and the one with folk show.

Agree and thanks for the info. My spouse is fluent in Spanish, so that helps with some of our travels.

We will be in Cartagena at end of February 2023 and trying to decide between 4 different tours.

Briefly listed below. Any feedback will be helpful.

This will probably be the only time we are there and want a good experience.

#1 Old Cartagena Walking Tour                      ( 3 hours and includes shopping)

#2 Exploring Magnificent Cartagena             ( almost 5 hours and includes Folk Show and Beverage)

#3 San Felipe Fortress & City at Leisure       ( 4 Hours Getting dropped off)

#4 Amazing Cartagena Bay & Walled City    ( 4 Hours and with Audio Guided Tour)

All the tours are similar but the wording a little different.

Are all the guided portions of the tours, audio guided or do they have a person speaking to the group?

Thankyou, very much!

To Diane67B - Of course you can get a table on your own. Sounds like for 2.

We always do across many different cruises. Experience taught us.

Why?

To the rest of the conversation...

To get in and out faster to be able to make the shows or other events going on. 

Not getting stuck with a language I do not understand. 

To be able to have a private conversation with spouse. 

And, well what everyone else has said.

But if the ships could just spread those tables farther apart would be nice.

Diane you are going to love the Oasis of the Seas. The ship along with the Allure are our favorite ships out of 40 years of cruising. The Mariner of the Seas is pretty nice too.

Have fun!

Hi to YVRteacher, I enjoyed reading your experienced commentary as we can relate to much of it as we just sailed on Encore the week before - dates August 21-August 28.

We can identify with much of what you wrote. Just a few notes here.

We were attending the Choir of Man on the 25th. When Tom, the Bartender did that huge jump to the table, I wondered how sturdy the table was. He did not break his leg that night as he continued the show. And the next day we saw him in Ward Cove when he was with other cast members gathering at a table. He was fine then too. It must have been at a later show.

But just before that show started on 25th as people waited an emergency call came out over the system for Medical Emergency at The Speedway. It was repeated again later.

The next day when we arrived in Ward Cove, we were having coffee up in the Lounge after most tour's left, when we saw an ambulance come up to the ship and when it left it stopped and turned it's lights off before continuing. We decided to go out to the old whare-house and saw a lot of luggage being wheeled out to a few cars at the ships exit ramps. We figured it had to do with an accident at the Speedway. We didn't know any details. Later we took a walk up to see the Speedway while most people were off the ship. Not much happening. Maybe 4 cars were on the track. 

On a better note, Guns & Rojas were a big highlight, as well as what has been mentioned by the original narrator. The food in Le Bistro was fantastic. We did have the Beverage package but didn't understand how much I can have. But I think I do now for the next cruise on The Panama Canal on The Bliss.

Take Care all. Enjoy Life!

So even though we are on the same reservation?

The same Cabin, The same last name, the same charge account?

With the NCL APP on our phones and 2 or more guests on the Reservation

does each person have to have their own log in to get on the ship?

Thanks,

Thanks Cruiser. Now I wonder how it works with flying.

Our possible Itinerary is Phx to Charlotte to Miami to Panama City and then get on the Ship. That would be a lot of testing if in segments. 
If we got tested a day before we leave home, I wonder if that is good enough for the whole trip?

Plus we are fully Vaccinated.

How is this test being done? Is it a nose swab or finger jab or ?

I may have missed the answer in the thread.

This Live Report is very Thorough. Thank You!

Questions...

                      What is the Vibe Passes? Is that the big slide?

                       Are the extra Food & Drink taxes while in Port that you mention for only Puerto Rico?

                       Are the beds comfortable?

                       Is there space in the bathroom for extra items we need to bring?

Based on your report it looks like there is plenty of Entertainment on the Ship and the Menu's look decent.

I suppose our Alaskan Cruise on the Sun will be a bit different at the Pools.

This will be one of many, many cruise we have taken and we have seen a lot of changes over the years. Some of what you mention seem normal anymore like saving chairs, crowds, no crowds, etc.

Thanks.

Where is the Sun now?

We will be on her Alaskan voyage.

Look forward to hearing more. Hoping they have some good shows.

Would like to know if they have Zumba on board?

Thanks

Does the Norwegian Sun allow passengers to bring water on board?

We were thinking of buying some in one of the ports in Alaska.

In past experience, on another Cruise Line, we bought 2 gallons in Skagway and had no problem.

Does the Sun allow bringing a bottle of wine on board to drink in the room?

Thanks

Not crazy about Lanyards either. But hope I have a simple decent necklace or chain to attach it to and tuck the Lanyard inside clothes. I may just put it in my pocket. 

Medallion Public Photo

First we didn't like the idea of our pic just popping up anywhere on ship for the public. But an option to do something fun with Avatar's or Images was listed and I thought that sounds fun. If everyone had this fun option there could be all kinds of images popping up. Animals, Dolls, Cartoons, pets or more.

This will be our first time to experience Medallion. 

Will public profile really be in various places on the ship?

Thanks, We just called Princess and they said it doesn't matter if I have an incomplete profile and that everything is set to go.

We just ordered our Medallion. So hope to have before the sailing in January.

We have set up our Medallion and on both of our phones the 2 of us appear. Yet under my name I get a profile incomplete. It is asking for email and password. When I try ours it says it is already being used by the second name in the room.

We share the same info.

Does that info have to be different? We are in the same room and will use the same Billing Info.

What if I ignore that?

The question is very broad. Too many years and ships to comment on.

I always said my favorite ships are the Allure and Oasis. 

A lot of ships have the same things and then you hit on ones that are extra special and that is what I found in those two ships. 

But ask yourselves what you are wanting out of a cruise to help figure it out.

Sounds like you are already booked on this one. If not I can suggest some things. If you are booked, well pick a good room. Enjoy early morning walks on the Promenade. We many times saw no one. If you don't want crowds avoid the sales.

We often went up to watch the robots mix drinks and look down onto the crowds buying stuff.

The Lounge 270 is Awesome.

The Solarium to relax when most people were at dinner or in a show was peaceful.

We went up in the NorthStar for 9 minutes. Not bad. But watched people in the IFly. It didn't look fun. It seemed more a struggle. 

That is a few things. 

The Cruise director is DRU. He was one of the best we ever had of many, many, cruises.

The Punch card is only good for that sailing. The date is on the card usually. We split card for 2 of us.

We would have skipped the card on the Anthem if we had known the free coffee was so good. 

Our 7262 was very quiet. 

I do remember walking along rooms on deck 6 in the area of the lounge 270 and saying I am glad we don't have rooms here.

The show that was goin on was very loud. But the rooms were right there. That was at the back of the ship.

The 270 is a great place though.

You will be very happy to cruise on Allure or Oasis. Our favorite ships of many cruises.

We love the Central Park where they have soft string concerts and piped in night sounds like being in a park.

The Boardwalk is a favorite as well with the Carousel. With the Mall inside you won't know you are on a ship.

Study the rooms. Some Balcony rooms are inward over the boardwalk. 

Hi airing, Thanks for the reviews. We were on the same ship and sail date. Anthem sailing on 10/18.

This was our 40th cruise over a variety of ship lines. You did a good job reporting all the details.

So your debarking went smooth on 10/27? 

We booked the Manhattan Highlight Tour with Airport transfer. It fell apart. A large group of us stood out in the sideways rain for over an hour waiting for our bus to arrive for tour. We all had Green stickers with # 38 on them. There were a lot of buses in line, but not for us. They seemed to be all for airport transfers. Why did they send us off ship after waiting in lounge for our tour.

It was chaotic. Bad weather and our bus wasn't there. After hour we were told to wait inside of arrivals where we were yelled at for doing so. A Rep arranged for one of the buses to pick up our group. The Rep said the tour is canceled and we would go directly to airport. He took everyone's name and cabin number and he would file a report and we would all get a refund.

To get on the bus we had to give our stub for excursion. That stub makes it look like we took tour. There was no tour.

The driver said he arrived as a transfer and when his boss let him know we were a group for tour he said there was no tour guide and his boss said to just drive us around and drop us off at airport. There was no tour.

After getting home we wrote a letter to cruise line to give the complete story to add to the report which should have about 30 other guests on it.

For 2 of us we paid $198.00 for tour and transfer. We noticed that the transfer alone would have been $28.50 each.

We have been back 2 weeks and have talked to several different agents. First all they would offer was a $100. credit to a future cruise. Finally today they said they would credit our credit card for $99.00 total. They said there was no report. They said they could have left it at the future cruise credit only. That they were doing us a favor. She also said the transfer is $49. each.

Of course there is so much more that was said between 8:30 sent off ship to the 10:20 that the bus closed the door to drive to airport. It was frustrating. Especially since we always said for many years that Royal Caribbean was our favorite.

Did anyone else experience this and get there money back for this thing that happened as a group?