Ruminant

On 2/14/2023 at 1:34 PM, kaybeebee said:

We will be on Encore in March

When are you sailing? My husband and I will be on March 5-12.

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

most likely the Encore will be docking at the Taino Bay 

Thank you. Good to know.

We are on the same cruise!  It's our very first.

This site says the Encore will be at Amber Cove on March 7.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/puerto-plata-amber-cove-port-1936?tab=schedule&month=2023-03#schedule

15 hours ago, SanMarc said:

we’ll be there for the March 5th sailing

My husband and I are on the March 5th sailing too. It's our very first cruise. 

On 2/1/2023 at 5:42 PM, Slk1z said:

Thought I would share my thoughts of our current cruise on the Encore.   This is my second time on the Encore and like 10th NCL cruise.

Thank you so much for this! My husband and I are sailing on the Encore March 5 and it's our first cruise. We've been rabidly researching and soak up all the info and advice we can get. Thankfully I prebooked excursions and specialty dining - just hope we can get into Choir of Man. Love the info and thanks again!

3 hours ago, Arrow34 said:

dont want to highjack her thread, but I am thinking of bringing a rail clamp vs a tripod, or in addition

Highjack away!! I still have lots to learn about photography. 😊

On 1/5/2023 at 12:44 PM, imready2go said:

You may think this is gross, but I like to take "older" underwear and just throw it away each day.  

My mother always did this when traveling! Not gross and a good idea.

3 hours ago, Arrow34 said:

Yeah... depends on your priorities.  I am an avid travel photographer, I have my first Alaska cruise in May and I will be bringing my slr and zooms and wide for landscapes.  For beach/tropical I still do, but a reduced load. Depends on you....

 

 

Amazing photos! Thank you!

1 hour ago, hallux said:

I've gotten some pretty stunning pictures with my phone while on the ship.

 

But an actual camera still gets a better picture (well, that didn't go as planned, seems this re-sampled and isn't as crisp after posting) -

Beautiful. I'm getting excited about what I'll get to capture in photos 

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

 

We have nearly the same itinerary in March,  We cruised St Thomas and Puerto Plata last year.

I would NOT take any additional cameras with me in Puerto Plata,  Stick with cell phone if you are simply walking around the city.  There are not that many "got to have" photo ops there, IMHO. And it is the least safe of your destinations.

 

If you are snorkeling or sailing in St. Thomas, cell phone is probably the best.  If touring the island, probably worth taking along the nicer camera.   Salt water/spray/mist is not kind to most electronics.

 

We have a land tour for Tortola, and I will bring the Canon Rebel. 

 

If you ever do an Alaskan cruise, then the nicest camera w/telephoto lens is a must.

 

From last August:

 

 

  

Amazing photos. We're doing Ocean World in Puerta Plata, Sky Ride and Scenic trip to Magens Bay in St. Thomas. Tortola is a beach trip.

17 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

@PistolPete13is my hero and has posted stunning pictures from his cruises. You can use your camera on the ship. And decide if you want to carry it ashore. 

I think that is probably what I'm going to do and maybe one port where the beach won't be involved.

50 minutes ago, hallux said:

wouldn't consider bringing it on the beach, but for tender ports or excursions in smaller boats I do bring it.

 

For city excursions, my pack is a SwissGear pack, in which I also carry (AT THE BOTTOM) one or two quart-size water bottles, plus an aluminum one on the outside. I emptied all three while in Mazatlan!  This pack is also one of my carry-ons for the plane to the port as my tablet fits nicely inside AND it fits well under the seat in front on the plan

This is very helpful. I have a Canon EOS 4000D with an additional telephoto lens. This sounds like a good set up and a good way to do it. 

6 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

I travel solo so My policy has been as follows

1. If the excursion is on a small boat and involves being in the water then it’s phone and imitation GoPro

2. If the excursion is primarily sightseeing then the mirrorless camera kit comes with me unless the weather is atrocious

3. If it’s Alaska and whale watching then the dSLR kit is coming 

 

I’m going to post 2 pictures from San Juan Puerto Rico, one from the mirrorless camera (Panasonic lumix gm1) and one from my phone (Samsung s21) 

 

Beautiful pictures and thank you 

11 minutes ago, PistolPete13 said:

Get yourself a "dry-bag" like the one I've linked below that is large enough to take your camera and one lens already mounted.  Use a towel from the ship to act as padding since these bags are not padded.  This is the setup I use if I'm going on any excursion that will require me to be on a smaller moving boat (snorkeling, lot's of photo opportunities to/from the snorkle site ), hiking (waterfalls), or canoeing (don't flip the boat!).

Beach excursions, forget it unless you have a partner to keep an eye on things.
 

And don't forget to test the bag before the trip!

https://smile.amazon.com/Earth-Pak-Waterproof-Dry-Bag/dp/B06XCYF9F9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=360LM60REZ26Q&keywords=waterproof%2Bbag&qid=1675201330&sprefix=waterproof%2Bba%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFDMzVHSkJDWEoxTEomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NTg2MjlaUUNaUkVEVUY5VzQmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDU5NTc3MTMxQllZT0YxQjFaMUkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1&psc=1

 

Thank you!

44 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

If you enjoy photography, bring your camera. Plan you day around being outside at sunset (look at weather.com or similar for sunrise/sunset times which will change as you sail south). 
 

At the beach, it is really what your risk tolerance is. We carry limited items that if someone took them, the world would not come to an end. But, have no issue leaving a small camera, iPhone, GoPro, some cash, ID and Freestyle room key in a small duffle. 
 

We always pack ziplocks of various sizes to keep things dry and out of the sand. 
 

You never know when you’ll want to photograph…

 

A beach in Puerto Plata

Tortola

St Thomas

Or New York??!?

What gorgeous photos! This is what makes it hard. Do I want to try and photograph new surroundings or just enjoy it the first time.

50 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Are you really considering taking that good camera with your telephoto lens to the beach around all that sand. If you are they you are going on a picture safari, and not a trip to the beach where you will do any beach activities. 

Good point.

19 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

When we go to the beach, we take as few valuables as possible. Our sea pass cards and photo IDs, some cash, and a credit card go into a waterproof waist or neck pack, as does the one phone we bring. 
 

I wear glasses, and on beach days I wear my backup pair and leave my regular glasses behind. For reading, we have cheap little Kindles.  I have a small waterproof camera that I either leave in my beach bag (depending on where we are) or attach to a floating wrist strap and take into the water. 
 

As for the camera conundrum, I am also an enthusiastic photographer, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown very tired of schlepping a camera, lenses, and batteries around. My iPhone 13 Pro takes incredible photos in most situations. Yes, you give up length, and some other things.  
 

This fall, I experimented by leaving the camera behind and taking only my phone on a 3-week land tour in the UK. I did not regret that decision one bit. That said, I’m on a Panama Canal cruise now and have brought my camera too, since we are hoping to see wildlife in Costa Rica. I think the decision is a personal one and really depends on where you are going and what situations you are likely to encounter, and your tolerance for not missing what you may give up if you leave the camera behind. And perhaps also if you are flying and there’s only so much stuff you can take. 
 

Enjoy your first cruise!

Thank you!  All very helpful in helping me decide.

34 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I feel somewhat lost without a telephoto lens, so I've never not taken a camera on a cruise.

I'm always looking for wildlife,

This is where I'm at - I photograph birds, animals, sunrises, sunsets, the moon and nature scenery and would be lost without my telephoto lens.  The cruise is to St. Thomas, Tortola, Puerta Plata and Nassau.  We have brief beach excursions in the first three combined with site seeing - Nassau probably going empty handed - just phone since we're going to just walk about and visit a few popular spots.  I know I'm going to want to jump in the water though.

12 minutes ago, eltigre said:

I  created an excursion spread sheet so I  never forget something I will need on shore.

makes early morning excursions easy to get ready for.

I love to take photos & movies. My name, phone#  and email are labeled on my electronics just in case. For many years I have been using a "pack safe" which comes in various sizes and can be attached to anything solid on land to store my stuff. Makes it much harder to steal items when I am in the water. I also use a waterproof neck lanyard for cell phone & credit card.

Some of the items on my list are; emergency #s, listed in the dailies, ziplock bag for wet stuff, towel, sunglass, sun screen, hat, cash, credit card, phone, extra camera battery, I bring water shoes, snorkel gear, bandages, Tylenol.  Hope this helps. 🙂

So much good info. Thank you!  I already have a cruise spreadsheet going with schedule, deck plans, etc ... adding an excursion page now. (I'm a tad OCD) I already purchased the waterproof phonecases on lanyards and even waist packs just in case.  I guess my biggest decision is if I'm going to take my camera.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but first time cruiser here on the NCL Encore in March.  I'm trying to figure out what to pack.  For example I do some ameteur photography and have a modest camera and lenses and am wondering if its worth taking my camera on the cruise or should I just use my phone.  We're wondering about how people manage their possessions on excursions - like what do you do with your stuff if you jump in for a swim?  I'd love some tips and advice. 

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

Getting to GSC is always a crapshoot.

So I'm learning. 🙂 

9 minutes ago, hallux said:

There's nothing that says you MUST get off the ship at the port.  I'm on the Escape in March with a scheduled stop at GSC, if that gets replaced with Nassau I fully intend to stay on board unless I feel like stretching my legs and going to walk the Queen's Staircase (maybe an hour-long adventure to walk there, up the stairs and back).

 

Of course, I've actually been to Nassau on a cruise before...

True.  Someone metioned that while in Nassau port, there are taxes levied on drinks on the ship while in port?  Is that true? Seriously not a cheapskate, but just want to be careful of extra charges since its our first time.  I'd be game to sit on deck and drink for the day but figure I've never been to Nassau so might as well check it out, even if just a couple of hours.

Thank you!  

Same with us.  We have our first Cruise booked for March 5 and Great Stirrup Cay was a major draw for us booking this particular trip.  It was swapped out for Nassau also, which we really aren't that interested in visiting.  We paid for all up front and were notified about a month after booking the itinerary has changed.  We are hearing that it's because the Prima is scheduled the same day and takes precidence over older ships, but not sure how true that is.  Not to whine, but it also increases the cost of our trip because we'll have to pay for food, drinks, excursion in Nassau now and had hoped for an "all inclusive" day at GSC for the budget. We are pretty disappointed but are just going to roll with it since it is our first cruise.  May impact what Cruise Line we choose for future cruises though.  

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

There will be a representative at baggage claim, they will have a clipboard with a list of names of those that paid for transfers, your name should be there.  They will put people in groups to board the buses.  My experience at LAX was that the bus was not filled at any one terminal, there were some loaded at each terminal so there was no one place emptied first.

 

You might consider booking a post-cruise excursion that ends at the airport.  It won't fill the time completely but it will reduce the time you're waiting at the airport.  When I flew out of that airport on Southwest last year they wouldn't let me through security until 2 hours before the flight, and there aren't a lot of places to sit or eat while outside security (at least near the Southwest security checkpoint).  You might also consider getting a room at a hotel for the day, as a place to stash your luggage, maybe find one with a shuttle to the airport so you can save that money.  For the hotel option you will want to cancel the post-cruise shuttle, I think if you book a post-cruise excursion they will do that for you.

Thank you so much for the info.  We were looking at excursions or even a day pass at AA's admiral's lounge at the airport.