steveknj

24 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

You are not wrong on any of it. Where is goes sideways is with people who expect POA to be just like other cruises or cruise lines they've been on. To me POA is just a step or two better than the ferries in Japan or Scandinavia.

Having never been on those ferries, I'm not quite sure what you are getting at.  But I think you are saying that the POA just isn't a normal cruise ship, in that it's kind of below par when compared to other cruise ships.  As I said, I don't expect much more than a room, somewhere to eat and maybe some night entertainment (though I imagine after a day sightseeing, I might be pretty exhausted!).   I assume that this ship will have all those things?   I would imagine also that the reason this older ship is used in Hawaii is for precisely what I'm saying.  There's not a whole lot of need for all the frills of most modern cruise ships.

1 hour ago, amyj726 said:

My husband and I just put a deposit on this cruise on Saturday. The reason being as we wanted to see as much as the islands without the headache of trying to figure out how to get from island to island etc. It seems like the POA will do that for us. I am a little nervous after reading some of these reviews. I sure hope our time on land makes up for any disappointment we might encounter on the ship!

This was our thought as well.  We have been toying with the idea of doing the Pride of America cruise for sometime now, and financially we think we can swing it.  Considering that NCL is often offering second flight free, that makes it more affordable as well.   Our thought process was that it would be:

A) Cheaper than booking two flights, hotels in each destination, and flights between the various islands.  I would imagine the hotel fares alone would probably cost as much as the cruise.  Then throw in food and flights, it would be much more expensive.

B) First time to Hawaii so this seems like a "best of Hawaii" thing, where we could decide after the cruise to go back to where we liked on some later date.  It would be a good Hawaii primer

C) The ship wouldn't matter too much as it would be mostly as a "hotel", a place to sleep, grab breakfast and a reasonable dinner and as there would be no "sea" days, we could probably do an inside cabin and we'd spend very little time in the cabin or ship anyway.   So we wouldn't need "much".    Lunch's would mostly be done on the islands.  We don't gamble really and don't drink a whole lot.  I would imagine that food would be comparable to any other NCL cruise.

Am I wrong for assuming any of this?   The one place we might take a hotel room would be before and (potentially) after in Honolulu since we've never been there and would want to see the sights.

We are at the 32 day mark and counting!  So far very little activity on our Roll Call!!  For those of you who frequent other social media to track this cruise, let folks there know we have a roll call here.

After reading through some threads about this ship and people who've done the TA cruise and the Bermuda cruise so far, it sounds really awesome.   What are people's impressions so far?

25 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Bacon (real bacon not Canadian) with Pineapple is one of my favorites!  But I grew up in Oregon so what do I know🤣 And you are correct MsTabbyKats, in the almost 3 years that I lived in Manhattan I didn't see bacon with pineapple offered. So I had to move to Los Angeles.😉

Yep, first time I saw it was when I lived in Arizona, and then in California (I guess pineapple pizza is big on the menu of California Pizza Kitchen!)

19 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

How about some pizza with pineapple!

Very popular out west (at least when I lived out there in the 1980s).   I can't begrudge someone for eating something they enjoy even if it's not MY idea of authentic pizza.   People regionalize things all the time and put their own spin on classics.   Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

22 hours ago, MsTabbyKats said:

@blawmtI live in NYC...where we have a lot of genuine foreign/ethnic restaurants (maybe one staff member speaks English and often the menus aren't in English either) and these restaurants are generally in a neighborhood populated by that group. 

 

And then there are those "foreign/ethnic restaurants in the classy areas or tourist areas.  I call them "Fill in the blank for tourists".  If a meatball hero is as Italian as it gets...then it's "Italian for tourists".  I actually wouldn't expect more on a Carnival ship. (Brings back memories of a falafel from the Carnival deli.  No self respecting middle easterner would eat it!)

We will be on this ship in late July and also a native New Yorker (living in NJ for many years).  There was a similar discussion on the new Italian pay restaurant on this ship and when I looked at the menu, much of what was there you could get in most NY area upscale Italian places in and around the city and suburbs.  But, if you don't live in the area and where you are located consider Italian food Chicken Parm and meatballs, then the food in the Italian place will feel very "authentic".   And that's fine, but to me, I'm not paying an up charge for it.   So, we have to remember, that NY is very ethnically diverse, much more so than most of the country and take it for what it is.   I used to be a pizza snob because to me, NY pizza is where it's at.  But over the years, I realize that tastes are different in various parts of the country and what seems exotic to them might not be to me.  It's a cruise ship, I wouldn't expect it to be what we see in authentic Italian places in Italy or in any city with a large Italian population.  I hope for what it is it's good and that works for me.

On 6/17/2023 at 10:44 AM, Sheenarn said:

Hi, my sister and myself are booked on this cruise.  Can’t wait.  Wondering how the Port is in New York? First time going out of New York. See you there!

Welcome aboard!!  What are your questions regarding Port of New York?  We are "local" so for us the port is easy.

13 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

 If we did not have to be somewhere I would have sent it back.

 

DH likes it that way so I knew it wouldn’t! kill me, but chefs//waiters need to learn the difference between rare and medium rare ASAP!

Lesson learned, order one level more done than you normally would!

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

I don't know that it's that clear cut. After reading many threads on here it's clear that some tipping is expected in many countries, even if it isn't the same level as here in the US. 

That's true, and in others, it's not expected at all, and in still others, it's actually frowned upon.  It's a cultural thing for sure.  With that said, it's gotten out of hand in the US.   I'm in my 60s and there are things we are "expected" to tip for that was never expected before.  Things like going to a counter to order food is one.  But, for example, if you go to a restaurant with a large party and they throw an automatic tip on to the bill, do they expect you to tip more?  That's kind of how I feel about cruise tipping.  I like the pre-paid tipping on cruises.  I remember the first cruise I took, I had to hand out envelopes to cabin steward, to waiters and so forth.  Now it's just handled.  But like I said, I feel that if someone goes above and beyond, then a little extra doesn't hurt, and I've also found giving the cabin steward a little extra means they will give me a little extra service and come more quickly.  But it shouldn't really be that way.

7 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Service charges that are used in Europe is a fancy way for saying "tip". 

Perhaps, but it's more in the way the cruise lines do it as opposed to how Americans do it.  And nobody in Europe, despite the service charge feels like they have to top more.

I'll preface this by saying that I normally do give the bartender an extra buck or two if the service is great and heck, I tip the cabin steward $20 upfront to make sure they are attentive to our needs.   But with that said, I think if tips are include, that should be ALL anyone is obligated to tip and if your service suffers because you don't tip them extra, that should told to management.   By tipping a little extra, we sort of expect the service we SHOULD be getting since they are tipped already and not better service because we tipped  extra.  It's funny because we Americans are so used to tipping (for it seems like everything) that when tips are included many of us still feel obligated to tip more.  In Europe, tipping is mostly unheard of.  Why?  Because people's livings don't depend on tips.  They pay them fairly.   And it's an excuse for management here in this country to pay them less than what they deserve because they will make it up in "tips".

20 hours ago, pcrum said:

They used to give those tumblers to you for free when you purchased a soda package.  I had a bunch from when my kids were little that I just donated. 

I think RCCL still does this.  Or at least they did when I last cruised them pre-pandemic.  They also have the Coke machines where you can mix and match your drinks and you have to use their authorized cup to use them.

6 hours ago, TravelBluebird said:

Woke up to rain this morning, but still calm seas—maybe 2 to 4 now, so a bit more than around Europe, but still pretty darn smooth.

 

Breakfast in the MDR was a 50 minute wait, so after our Terrazza Carnivale Macchiattos  (the espresso kind not the Starbucks kind) we went up to the Lido Marketplace buffet. Was not that crowded; just wanted fruit (delicious cantaloupe this morning, the slice kind) and hash browns (they were hot).

 

Rain permitting we are going to try the La Strada Grill for lunch.  In the meantime, its reading and working on videos and chilling. Let the sea days begin!

 

 

 

 

That's for letting us tag along and giving us this great info.  I'm curious what time you went to breakfast that it was a 50 minute wait?  One of our cruise pleasures is eating a sit down breakfast in the MDR.  But having to wait 50 minutes to do so would sort of ruin it for us.   We will be on the ship in late July so maybe whatever kinks they are having now will be worked out by then, or, perhaps these ships are so crowded now there's no hope that this can be rectified.   We'll see.

Was just coming here to ask the same question!!  We don't drink enough liquor to warrant the alcohol package, but my wife likes to have soda with her dinner or maybe one during the day.  I can drink the tea and lemonade and be fine with it (yeah, I know it's not the best, but it's fine).  The bubbles package is $10pp/pd.  So based on the prices mentioned here, she'd have to want 3 sodas a day to make it worth it, and that includes shore days.I'll have to see if she thinks she'll drink that much.  We usually cruise NCL, and they forced everyone who's in the cabin to get the package if one person is getting it.  Is it the same with Carnival?

On 4/29/2023 at 9:46 PM, layteacher said:

Just booked a fall cruise from NY on the Venezia. Can someone that has cruised on this ship give me some details? Have sailed mostly out of Mobile, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville. How is the port? Is it a mid-size ship? Did I read it was refurbished? Any tips would be appreciated. Just my husband and I going. 

TIA

I have traveled out of NY frequently since it's close to home.  I'm assuming you will be flying in, so I don't think parking is a big issue for you.  It's Manhattan so a hotel room will most likely be expensive.  If you fly into Newark there are cheaper rooms to be had at the airport. If you are flying in day of the cruise, just give yourself enough time if your departure date is during the week.  If it's on the weekend, traffic shouldn't be too much of an issue.  The port is pretty well laid out and I've never had huge issues with embarking.  Longest line tends to be security.  After that it goes pretty smoothly.   Debarking is probably not any worse than any other place.   Taxis are located across the street from the pier, which to me is the only downside (we usually take a taxi to the bus terminal and take a bus home to NJ, but last two cruises right after the pandemic we decided to drive in).  As others have said, there's good info in the East Coast threads.  Also, there are some decent YouTube videos what show what the ship looked like before the makeover, what's speculated to be on the ship after the drydock and what is known now.   There will be much more after the initial sailing.

On 5/20/2023 at 6:31 PM, ruru107 said:

It’s gluten free?? I wish I had known that 😔

Yes.  We took my daughter on a CCL ship and she ate it every night.  They had something similar on NCL, and she ate it and got REALLY sick.  We assumed it was GF on NCL but it wasn't.

On 5/9/2023 at 8:22 PM, dlphn501 said:

Am the in the minority with the chocolate melting cake?  With a side of peanut butter!

Here too, that's what I was going to type.   And it's GF so it's my daughter's favorite too.  On the CCL cruise we took with her, she had it EVERY night.

18 hours ago, jerseyjjs said:

 

 

Actually, as a NJ resident, taking the NJ Transit train directly to NYC Penn Station and then a 10 minute cab to Manhattan Cruise Terminal is much easier than driving the NJTP, driving across the backed up Bayonne bridge and waiting in line to pay $25/day for Cape Liberty terminal parking.  But, I still look forward to my RCL cruises too.  

We have taken NJ Transit buses to Port Authority and then a cab from there.   It's worked out fine.   Last two times we parked.  it's expensive, but a bit more convenient.   For my summer cruise, which leaves on a Tuesday, I'm thinking about the bus or train again since there will be weekday traffic, and, with the new surge pricing for commuters going into effect, that's even more of an expense.

18 hours ago, Crusin Karen said:

And they have retractable roofs over the pool.  I'm booked for Jan, '24 on Venezia and I guess I'm in the minority because I was super excited CCL was coming back to NY in the winter.  Then again, maybe because of my circumstances-I'm about 20 minutes to the port and I'd gladly give up expense, time and hassle of flying to a port.  I realize 1 1/2 days down and 1 1/2 days back will be cold, but I'd be inside anyway at home.  There's plenty to do, "free food" I don't have to cook or clean up after, etc.  If CCL had a spirit class ship here in NY it would be the answer to my prayers!!!

I did an NCL cruise last winter (2022) and it was fine.  Yes, you can't do the outdoor things, but one thing CCL excels at is the "things to do" department.  They could just plan more indoor activities, covered pools etc.  It can be done well.

Maybe they just have ideas for a different ship for NYC to change it up a little?  One of the new, larger ships perhaps?  NCL usually varies it's ships in NY.  I've been in the Gem, Getaway and Breakaway all out of NY over the last 7 or 8 years.

53 minutes ago, BrotherCraig said:

I always bring my small Marshall one.  I keep it low where nobody outside of our cabin can hear it.  For balcony use, I just use my air pods.

I wish everyone was like you.  I've been on cruises where people blast their speakers, especially on balconies.   It's a few bad people that wind up causing bans.  

I've actually never thought about bringing a bluetooth speaker.   Usually I'll put on a pair of headphones if I want to listen to music or podcast.  But I can certainly see the benefit.   But, it's very frustrating when someone blasts theirs.   Especially if there are genres of music you don't like and that's all you are hearing when you want to relax.   Plenty of places on a ship to listen to music, if that's your thing.

13 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

New Yorkers do pay top dollar for Il Mulino New York Trattoria.  I've been to both the Disney property and the one in Sunny Isles Beach, "Florida's Riviera." 

Not saying no, but what I'm saying is that the dishes are common in lots of Italian places in the metro area.   And while people pay top dollar for "trendy" restaurants, often they are just that, trendy.  The better places are often local, unknown places that are probably half the price.   I always argue with pizza lovers who spout this or that Manhattan joint that the best pizza is not in Manhattan but the neighborhood places in the outer boroughs.   Stuff in Manhattan is pricey but no better, because they cater to the tourists and snobs.

I wish there was something different in the menu I couldn't get elsewhere.

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

John posted the full menu:

Thanks for posting.   I'm sure this will appeal to folks in areas where Italian restaurants that serve something other than chicken parm and pizza are not easy to find.   I live in the NY Metro, and I suspect on this ship there will be a large number of folks from the area as well, and these dishes seem common in most area Italian eateries.   Not really enough for me to plunk down land-priced money to eat there when I can eat the same on land.   When I cruise, I tend to like to try experiences that are different than what I might not normally eat.   I don't always get to do this, I mean I'll have a steak if I go to the steakhouse and the cruise line steaks are usually very good. This just looks like what I can get at 4-5 local places that serve upscale Italian dishes.

2 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

It will be almost $100 for the 2 of us, but doing it instead of the usual steakhouse. My hubby says “$100 for spaghetti?” 🤣 I showed him a picture of the steak, which looks pretty good. I really want to because it’s the Italian ship. 12 day cruise so something a little different. 

Actually once you throw in the booze and service charge it's over $100.   I guess I'm just cheap.  Or maybe it's because I've been sailing NCL over the last year and they usually give us 2 specialty restaurants as part of their standard fare (provided you don't go the "guaranteed cabin" route.  So perhaps I've lost touch of the prices.  If that's what it's going to cost for a specialty restaurant, we'll probably stick to the main dining room and perhaps eat somewhere nice on one of the islands. 

1 hour ago, CruiseAdict218 said:

Prices are $42 per adult and $10 per child, just fyi. 

Seems kind of pricey.  I'm debating whether I want to try it or not.   I remember when the specialty places were like a $10-$15 surcharge, and maybe the steakhouse was $25.  $42 seems crazy to me.  Maybe I'm just cheap?  I get that on land a meal at a top Italian restaurant would probably cost more, but $42 a person, without drinks is even expensive on land!