marysb

Just wondering if the free iMessage still works with iPhones without the internet package.  It did on my March cruise, and it was very convenient for quick messages home and to my kids.  …and did not count for my package minutes.

Yes there were some food and drink trucks near the pier

22 hours ago, wendycook22 said:

Is there only one direction to walk down the beach near the cruise port?  If not which direction did you walk to get away from the smell? 

 

Is the beach inside of a cruise terminal area?  I was thinking of purchasing some drinks and snacks from a store (beer, etc.) and sitting on a public public beach with our own personal cooler and snacks.  

We are heading there in December and I am getting more and more away from the idea of renting a golf cart after reading many recent reports over multiple companies running various scams.  As much as I would like to do it, it may not be worth the risk.  

 

Here’s some photos and my review of a really nice beach day.

The shops are At Fisherman’ village, Free beach to right of pier. Take the free tram to get a bit of a tour.  They will tell you where to get off.  We felt  Very safe there.

We had the best free beach day on Bimini.   Took the tram at the pier and we were expecting the free beach to be past 360 World Resort, but the tram turned back to the ship pier and the driver said the free beach was the one at the pier -Paradise Beach. I was disappointed because there was a sewer smell right by lounges and cabanas. ( didn’t even ask prices as I wanted away from the smell).

   So we walked down the beach a ways and no smell and few people.  The water was shallow and warm,  sand silky soft, and gorgeous turquoise water.    Go old school with a towel and find some shade under the trees .. it was one of our best beach days.   Also make sure you do ride the tram around, the island where the vacation homes are is much prettier island than I was expecting.  There is a tram stop at fisherman's village where the shops, golf carts  and Kayak beach are located and an easy walk to the pier. What a beautiful island!

Beautiful free beach to the right of the pier.  Keep walking to be rid of sewer small.

We were also in Bimini on Friday.  We had the best FREE day.  Took the tram and we were expecting the free beach to be past 360 World Resort, but the tram turned back to the pier and said the free beach was there. I was disappointed because there was a sewer smell right by lounges and cabanas.

   So we walked down the beach a ways and no smell and few people.  The water was shallow and warm.  Go old school with a towel and fine some shade under the trees .. it was one of our best beach days.   Also make sure you do ride the tram around, the island where the vacation homes are is quite beautiful.

Have never been to Bimini.   I see on google earth there is a large public beach right at the end of the pier.  Looks great, but I cant find any info about it.  All research says the nearest beach is Kayak beach on the other side of the island and does not look as nice.  Can someone who has been to Bimini tell me why I would not go to the beach to the south  (left) of the dock?  Thanks.

Just wondering if anyone found the AC cold enough to need a sweater in the MDR or Theatre. ( and yes I know this is personal - just looking for a consensus).    We have found different ships vary quite a bit with temperature.  We've been on ships where you needed a sweater anyplace inside and some that were very comfortable all the time in summer wear.

Just planning the evening wardrobe - thanks.

Muskoka Ontario Canada

3 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

. Did you have a favourite tour?

I think it had to be the walk in the rainforest in St Kitts.  But we did have a great time in each port.

Just wanted to share our port experiences for our Southern Caribbean Cruise.  We all know a lot has been written about the Epicl!

Before boarding I was scared to death about what I had just booked .... but it was done and we would make the best of it.  We are experienced cruisers for at least 20 years, but hadnt been on Norwegian since 2009.

 Well, what a surprise!  The ship looked in great shape  - well maintained and clean,  lineups were not too bad (just pool bar),  Garden Cafe had many repeats of the same stations, so lineups minimal.  Food was good, everywhere. Stateroom was fine for me and my daughter (beds by balcony). Embarkation/debarking were very smooth.

Some issues we had were:  No lounge areas to sit and look out at the water (just the Garden Cafe bow), all railings where you could look out at sail away were crowded with loungers.  When at a railing you had to straddle or trip over a lounge chair (deck 18 only place for good views of port or to take photos).  Pools were way too small.  

This cruise was port intensive, so ship was OK.  And.. we had a blast.  It was a girls trip with my friend and our daughters and we enjoyed every minute.  Do not be afraid of the Epic,  you can make it work!

Here is our Southern Caribbean Photo Blog  Enjoy

Emerald Princess Leaving Aruba on a tight turn.  (no colour enhancement - Thats the colour of the water in Aruba when the sand gets churned up)

We are cruising in a couple of weeks.  I booked specialty dining and shore excursions early.  Now I just found out we could have booked main dining room as well. Now stuck with 5:30 time slots until I get on board to try to change it… or stand in long lines to get into a restaurant at a later time.  Also I just found out I have to stand in line to get entertainment reservations.

We are experienced cruisers, but we haven’t cruised on NCL for over 10 years.  What happened to freestyle cruising?-   Eat when and where you like and just show up early for a show.  I feel pretty stressed jumping though so many hoops just to get reservations I don’t really want.   I’m glad the itinerary is great for this cruise 

8 hours ago, little britain said:

@marysb how long is the walk to Crucecita please? 

It is about 25-30 min. 

Thank you laudergayle and srpellot for your reviews.  It is so good to hear some positives on this cruise.  We really liked the itinerary, so we booked and I was starting to regret it when I saw all the negative comments everyone had to say.  …and this turned out to be a pricy trip getting flights and hotels in San Juan.  
Usually, we can enjoy a vacation and let go of neg reviews- after all it’s a tropical vacation without the snow!  Lol, don’t hear too many complaints about the ports and this is more port intensive cruise. So I think all is good 😊 

The walk to the quaint little town of Crucecita is a great way to spend the day. It’s not a hard walk, but it can get hot.  

the walking path

Some photos of La Crucecita

I think that with little ones, I would got to Cannery beach.  It's not busy, it's not too bad a walk from the tender pier,  and not so many sales people.  There are no chairs and only porta-potties, but still a nice place to throw down a towel and swim, snorkel, and watch the boats go by.

Just got back from Cabo on a land trip.  We had an incredible whale watching experience.  We booked Cabo Nature,  a small company run by some young women.  All are oceanographers or marine biologists.  A fantastic day and we were lucky with seeing lots of active whales.  Check out this small company - they are great.   

Solomon's Landing is a great spot and near the tender docks. Good food, and nice view of the the boats.      Essentially everything is situated around the marina, and there are so many restaurants to choose from.  The only problem will be how busy it is and how many cruise ships are in port.

Cabo San Lucas

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

General Boarding will start at 11:30 am. The Pan Am pier is a small terminal and has struggled with the larger NCL ships. Things will get better over time. 
 

We’re cruising on the Epic in March and our departure isn’t until 7 pm. Is there still general boarding at 11:30?

Thanks everyone for your opinions on each of the restaurants- it was very helpful.  Even if opinions vary, I could get a general feel for them. 

On 11/7/2022 at 4:52 PM, nonchalant_muse said:

 

Using the SDP at an a la carte restaurant, you may choose 1 entree (included) and as many appetizers/desserts as you like. I've heard that, at times, the server will inform you that it is 1 appetizer, 1 soup or salad, 1 entree, and 1 dessert, but this is officially not the case and you will not be billed for ordering more than one appetizer/dessert. 

 

Only exception to the above are special upgraded items (i.e. lobster thermidor, crab cakes, lobster tail surf n' turf) which carry an additional upcharge when using SDP, but these items are clearly marked on the menu. (Upcharge ranges anywhere from $5-30, depending on the item)

Thank you, this is a very clear answer to the confusion of SDP worth $49 at an a la carte restaurant. I’m guessing the dollar amount for an a la carte restaurant is for charging the tip. 

Thanks for the info.  We have a two specialty dinner package.  I think Cagney will probably be one ( we are pretty flexible with a med. rare steak)  
 

It’s been about 13 years since we cruised on NCL, so was wondering how the dining package worked with the a la carte menus- is there a $ limit that’s included? All I could find was that only one main was included and you would pay for 2nd main. Appetizers? Desserts?

I keep hearing so many negative things about the Epic, but the itinerary is great, so we booked it in March. Would love to hear some positives.    Could I hear about some of the specialty restaurants and which ones are your favourites?