UKstages

at both food republic and the indulge food hall, menu items that are temporarily unavailable appear as “sold out” on the tablet. if they have made some sort of decision to permanently remove an item, the item should no longer appear on the tablet at all. of course, NCL’s IT folks do not respond quickly and are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, so it’s possible items could still be listed that are never coming back.

in the before times, i traveled 100,000 miles or more by air every year. i live in midtown west. i am somebody who has regularly used all three "new york" area airports. EWR is vastly preferable. it should be noted that while LGA is technically an international airport (it has flights to and from canada and some caribbean islands that have USA pre-clearance), it is, for all practical terms. a domestic airport. and that limits its usefulness for many. it should also be noted that LGA was, until very recently, in effect a third world airport with few modern conveniences or services. they're in the midst of a multi billion dollar renovation (terminals B and C) which has done wonders to bring them into the modern age. but there is still construction surrounding the airport property and that currently has the ability to add significant travel time for all those arriving and departing.

for FAS, two people can dine on one voucher. technically, the second person would be required to order one item a la carte. so, one person will get four items with a FAS credit... the other would be dining a la carte, but would not be very hungry. that's how two people can share five items. repeat the process on another day for the second voucher. you can still find staff at food republic that will let two people share one voucher, but it's not guaranteed and is not sanctioned by the rules.

yes, the two "penn" stations often confuse passengers. you want the final stop in manhattan... THAT penn station, not the imposter in newark.

i was on the joy last week, as well, and can confirm this. at one port, i think it was costa maya, we had four ships in town... a carnival, an MSC, the NCL joy and one other i can't recall. my balcony cabin was directly opposite the MSC when docked and many people waved on the way in and on the way out. i was also up in the vibe, which was directly opposite the MSC's premium sun decks. more waves from passengers, as well as passengers on either side coveting the other's lounge chairs. 16,000 people descending on a sleepy mexican tourist town is more than i can handle. i went out for a bit and came right back onboard. same thing happened in cozumel, although two ships were docked across town in the other cruise port. anyway, i've seen nothing but respect and warm waves and conviviality from those traveling on nearby ships.

what is it you believe to be hogwash? NCL's policy? it's been around since 2019. it's a real thing. it's codified. no hogs were washed in the making of this policy. those looking for hogs can find them on the pool deck placing towels, sunglasses and romance novels on deck chairs.

on a recent back-to-back on the joy, i didn't meet my cabin attendant on the second cruise on the first day, either. it's not all that unusual. as for the closing of the bars... that would be pretty hard to do and would likely cause more upheaval than people complaining about getting their bags, if indeed people were complaining about that. there could be more to this story than you or your son are privy to. the whole thing sounds extraordinarily odd,

savvy new yorkers know that it's much easier - and almost always quicker - to get to midtown west from EWR than any other new york area airport. it's also a hub for united airlines, so those who prefer united, or those who are using or accruing united frequent flyer miles fly into newark airport.

please explain. are you saying the bars and restaurants stopped serving liquor because luggage had not yet been delivered to staterooms? and that in order to promote the prompt retrieval of bags by passengers it was necessary to stop bar service? and that cabin attendants were not delivering bags to staterooms? and that there were no cabin attendants visible on embarkation day at all?

and what sort of message does this send to others, especially children? it's OK to break rules? rules that we consider silly don't apply to us? it's OK to ignore authorities? we know better than fire marshals what does and does not pose a safety risk? most people wouldn't think of not checking in at their muster station... why do the same people think it is acceptable to bend the rules by hanging a flammable object on their door? perhaps. but it may have simply been removed, in order to comply with NCL's rules. but, if so, it should have been returned to you.

my very recent experience...

that is normal and an interim step in the delivery process. first, the bags get delivered to the deck… they then get sorted and delivered to the room. many people see their bags in the hallway, however, and take them before the attendants are able to deliver them to their stateroom.

i live in the allegedly “seedy” neighborhood, adjacent to the broadway theatre district. I routinely walk this neighborhood, even at night and in the wee hours of the morning. and I typically walk, with luggage, through this allegedly “seedy” neighborhood to the manhattan cruise terminal. i did so just a few weeks ago. it’s perfectly safe and you’ll see many people doing this, including the ship’s crew, who can often be found at the nearby target store, buying snacks, sundries and personal items. you are more likely to get scammed in a taxi from port authority than you would be if you walked through the neighborhood. taxi drivers, after waiting in a queue to pick up a fare, will not be terribly pleased that you are going such a short distance. but, yes, the fare will be low, assuming they don’t take you for a ride… $14 sounds about right. as for the bus from EWR (newark airport express), it’s $9.35 for seniors (62 and above) or $18.70 (regular price). a taxi from EWR to the manhattan cruise terminal at peak times will run about $120 including tolls, surcharges and tip.

i’m just off a back to back cruise on the joy and was in the vibe on both cruises. the staff is remarkable. will, george, randy, “deck,” sigit… every one of them a rock star in their own ways. can not say enough about how good this team is. much like the haven bartenders, they will make you anything… tell them you want something with watermelon and you’ll get a craft cocktail in a matter of minutes. i saw plenty of top shelf liquor, including johnny blue. they also had gentleman jack and whatever that jack honey thing is. moreover, they were rather generous with tasting of liquor not in your package… meaning that they would pour a premium liquor for you, even if you just had the regular package. that would be more like a “taste” and i’m not suggesting that you could drink brands outside your package limitation for the entire cruise. on the other hand, they don’t seem to care much about swiping your card for bailey’s or other things that there might be a slight up-charge for. they also routinely eschewed well liquor… you’re quite likely to get tito’s or grey goose in your drink, even without requesting it. as for hours… i went up as early as 7 am some days. your keycard will get you in… they may not be set up, but you’re welcome to use the chairs and hot tubs. bar service officially begins at 9, but if you’re there earlier and you want something they will generally get it for you. the bar closes at 7, but people linger in the vibe, till as late as 9… typically using the hot tubs.

wholeheartedly agree. and yet, those and similar “decorations” can be found on nearly every sailing. one person’s obnoxious treasure is another another person’s ridiculous pleasure. fortunately, we don’t have to be placed in a position to decide what is ridiculous - or a fire hazard. NCL has done that for us. good people do and have disagreed what constitutes something that is “small.” policies are rigid and not subjective. who gets to decide what is political or repulsive? to some, an upside down pineapple is a political statement, as is a “small” sign celebrating the honeymoon of a same sex couple. some find both repulsive. many object to decorations celebrating religious holidays. how exactly would that go? “please take down your sign, but also kindly tip me at the end of the voyage for ruining your holiday/family celebration/ability to locate your room.” that may be because no laws have been broken. as for not having heard of it, i had never heard of bad bunny before he hosted SNL a couple of weeks ago, but i’m pretty sure he’s a real thing.

also on the joy this past week… a singer named donnie troy who does an elton john tribute show, as well as as a highlight show featuring his most requested songs. i saw the highlight show and i thought it was dreadful.

NCL objects to it and asks guests not to do it. there is usually a card on the room service tray that asks guests to call to have their items picked up. indeed. i feel the same way about most door decorations! in addition to being an eyesore, room service trays, dishes, plates and such in the hallway are also a safety hazard. people can trip over them and they sometimes block the path for those on scooters. they also can interfere with emergency operations for the same reason. cabin attendants used to remove some room service trays during their second daily visit to each cabin. now that they are only visiting each room once a day, my sense is that there is an increase in hallway clutter.

that’s impossible… kind of like being asked not to think about a polar bear in the snow. that soon becomes all one can think about. it’s impossible for most people to walk past staterooms without seeing the doors. that’s simply not the way the eyes - or the human brain - works. the door decorations do indeed “grab you” as you pass by. it’s not a choice for most people. it’s a public area of the ship. for the duration of your cruise, you “own” the inside of your stateroom door, you don’t own the outside of that same door. what other public facing areas of the ship are passengers allowed to deface, er, I mean, “decorate?” look, it’s not important what you or i think. NCL, rightly or wrongly, has made the determination for us. door decor is no more. that’s their policy and has been for a few years. what actually happens on the ship is largely left to the discretion of the captain and those he entrusts to enforce the policy or make judgments about when or if to enforce it. it’s not for the good people of cruise critic to interpret or revise or justify exceptions to the policy, any more than it is for them to debate when smoking on a stateroom balcony is permitted. (it isn’t.) or whether opening the barrier between stateroom balconies is permitted. (it isn’t.) as for other things that are flammable, such as clothing and paper advertisements, books and magazines and hair spray and lithium ion batteries and such… again, it’s not for the good people of cruise critic to make that determination. it’s already been done for them by NCL. risks have been assessed and policies have been made. i can only add that another reason door decorations have been banned is the possibility of firefighters becoming entangled in them in low light and high smoke conditions. some decorations are flammable, some - such as garlands and tinsel and string and decorative spider webs - can actually impede the progress of firefighters as they attempt to fight the fire or get to where the fire is located. we can all have a good laugh about how silly this is… until something happens and we all see how serious this really is.

i ate at food republic yesterday on the joy. the bird is correct… 12:00 - 1:30 on sea days. also open for dinner.

the cruise next rep has always told me the day and time of the dinner, at the time of signing up on embarkation day. then I receive a formal letter/invitation delivered to my cabin a few days later. i can confirm, per captain’s orders, no dinner with officers on the joy on the two cruises i was on this month. it’s Highly doubtful that you’re going to be dining with the captan or the chief engineer… it’s much more likely that you’ll be dining with the manager of the photography studio or the assistant manager at guest relations.

i disembarked from the joy today after a 19-day back to back. sadly, there were lots of door decor, much of it juvenile and tasteless. i did see a few cabins with small magnets. i’m not a fire marshall and I don’t play one on TV, but some magnets are highly flammable, as is the paper or decorative covering that can be found on most novelty magnets.

i’m surprised a cabin steward would provide assistance of, um, such a very special nature. what’s next? therapeutic massage? door decorations are a fire hazard and that’s why NCL has banned them. they also impose one person’s aesthetics on an entire deck’s guests… it’s visual pollution, an eyesore.

no, i don’t. not at all. i think you’re barking up the wrong tree. in fact, i don’t think there is any tree there at all. i made a comment. i said that the experience the poster related was “interesting.” that’s not dismissive at all. in fact, it acknowledges the poster’s comments as a valid contribution. it doesn’t dismiss them in any way nor does it imply that the poster was somehow not accurately describing his experience. and that is indeed the point… different people can have different experiences. i then went on to share my contemporary experience after purchasing the same services. my experience was very different that this particular poster’s experience. i essentially said that my experience was that NCL’s advertised services were delivered as promised. i didn’t doubt the validity of that poster’s experience, however. see the difference? it should be obvious, whether one is a captain, a first mate, a gunner or a boatswain.

a lot of people who have posted in this thread seem to be missing the boat. (pun intended.) yes, different people can have different expectations, different life experiences and different criteria for judging a successful cruise. the main point I was making, however, is that different people can have different things happen to them onboard, can be served by different people and encounter different problems and challenges that others may not have experienced. so others read reports online about these very different experiences and they immediately cast accusations and epithets at the person making these reports. “nothing like that happened to me, so it must not be true! people just like to complain!” yes, some people do. but others had a couple smoking on an adjacent balcony every night, had sewage backing up in their toilet, experienced noise problems that kept them awake for several days and had an unresolved billing problem. their “complaints” are valid and should not be dismissed. they are accurately and honestly portraying their experience and should not be classified as complainers or malcontents with an agenda to bash NCL or any other cruise line. they are in fact providing a valuable service to this community by sharing their experiences, even though many of those experiences are unlikely to happen to you and have never happened to you and were vastly different than your experiences on the very same cruise.

this notion that people who "complain" are negative naysayers who can't be pleased is a nonstarter. these folks are, by and large, good people who are sharing their honest opinions. and, yes, virginia, it is entirely possible for people to have widely divergent views of the very same cruise depending on their cabin, their choice of restaurants, excursions and shows, as well as the staff and other passengers they interacted with. plumbing problems, odors and noise problems are also factors which may not have influenced your thoughts about a particular cruise, but may have been of paramount concern to them. why people feel compelled to believe positive reviews, but dismiss negative ones, remains a mystery. were these people on the same cruise? yes they were, but they likely had a very different experience.