pattycakes

If you can find a reasonable hotel in downtown Manhattan you can take the NYC Ferry to Red Hook which is very close to the terminal. Otherwise leave a ton of time for travel. Most of us just stay home or use the subway.

Uber or Lyft is probably your best bet and comparable $$ to transfers from what I've been reading.  This is not a widely used port so I'm pretty much anticipating some shenanigans.  My worst experience was at Cape Liberty - over 2 hours to get through customs alone.  Hopefully things clear up with a weekly schedule in place.

there's a whole forum on this 😉  

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/18-honeymoon-amp-wedding-cruises/

The NYC 5 boro bike tour is that day.  Street, bridge and highway closures throughout NYC.  If your trip to the ship involves traveling through NYC, please plan accordingly. 

Map of event route: https://3ysui22kxkdnv72438g9qka9-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BNY_5BORO_2019_RouteMap.pdf

The NYC 5 boro bike tour is that day.  Street, bridge and highway closures throughout NYC.  Please plan accordingly. 

Map of event route: https://3ysui22kxkdnv72438g9qka9-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BNY_5BORO_2019_RouteMap.pdf

yes

I’m thinking it might be contract negotiation time. Every once in awhile the US Customs will decide to do everything by the book. This has happened to us once in NYC, once in Puerto Rico and even once in US Virgin Islands. A mess all around.

 

 

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They had 3 agents for queues 30 ppl wide x 6 deep. Then they were pulling those special and wheelchair people into the front of that line. The other line section (porter) was moving but there was no way to get off the middle line so ppl who were fortunate enough to get placed in that line from the main queue had half the wait. Total mismanagement.

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at Qsuine both of us were originally charged for 2 each. huh. then a mysterious 10.60 charge for wine which i was told was above my package. Which was removed b/c there's no way I ordered or was told there was an upcharge and was never asked to sign for it. Guest Services emails Qsuine and it was removed. but really -- Q seems to be a bit unorganized/undertrained.

We will be disembarking the Anthem on Thursday morning 9/20/18. Will we have enough time to make a 12:15 flight out of Newark? Awaiting a reply before we book our flight. Thanks.

Normally I would say yes, but having gotten off the Summit this morning and experienced the hell that was the customs line, I'd say add 1 hour. 1 hour and 45 minutes of pure aggravation with an uneven disbursement of agents per queue set up and other nonsense and I was group 9.

I’ve had luck bringing and using a new pillow protector. Crazy maybe but 2 cruises and no post illness.

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does anyone know if Art Mel's participates in Harbour Nights?

I'd expect the letter of consent would be of greater importance when taking the grandchildren out of the country than returning.

these are the times we live in....

Brand promotions will be protected for named and deposited bookings only.

Since that portion is written under the option to rebook a cruise not on their list, the argument is strong that any promo you received will remain protected -- provided you rebook by the 3/15 deadline.

if you're interested in small, old-timey ships Holland America leaves from Boston and docks in Hamilton for 3 full days. Hamilton kicks Wharf butt as a port in my opinion.

I think part of the problem is the difference between college spring break and the elementary school level spring break schedule. I personally would not have thought to look for college breaks because until these multiple Epic threads I was unaware of selling cruises on campus. Also I don’t see this conversation taking place with regards to other lines or ships. Was this pretty much the only 4 day cruise going on at the time?

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yes. the Zenith to Bermuda from NY 5x. Miss that run and size ship and docking in Hamilton and St. George.

until these threads I had no idea spring break had moved from Daytona and Cancun to NCL. Thanks to everyone for making me aware.

if you would like to stay near the ship: like someone before me said 9th Avenue between 49-54! fun stuff. empanada mama, blue ribbon chicken, a ton of low key, fun independently owned food spots and some chains in case you need comfort in name recognition. then splurge on the rainbow room (bar 65) for drinks.

Little Italy ain't what it used to be and Chinatown will be overwhelming unless given a set recommendation IMHO. Stay off the dirty water dogs -- if you're going for street food "food trucks" are a better choice (required to have running water). You'll find them on 46th, 49th, 50th and 51st off 6th or depending on when you visit there may be a group of them by times square (broadwaybites or google urbanspace for other options). Try the happy hour at Ruth Chris' steakhouse -- great deal.

Interesting. I had a connection through switzerland and don’t recall having to deal with Italy customs. Is my memory correct?

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You may not necessarily need a hotel with views of the city but might opt for a less expensive one and spend the money on a restaurant with views instead. Otherwise it's easy to search in the Jersey City area for hotels (make sure you factor in any resort or hotel fees which can add $40) or try air-bnb or home vacation rental sites, which sometimes hotels rent their condos/coops through. You may also sign up for (ebates) which offers cash back if you use their links to book. Also, [if you opt for the Jersey City area], you could take a ferry ride (search for nywaterway) to Manhattan and back if its a nice night. taking a ferry to Brookfield Place for instance would land you 3 blocks from the trade center. If you choose to walk around there's tons of shopping and food options - some expensive - some not. LeDistrict in the Winter Garden would be about 60-70 depending on dish with wine; however there's a food court above it and a restaurant on the path just south of the north cove where you can stop for a drink and north in the alley with the movie theater there's a shake shack and pizzeria and other options. If you follow the path on the water all the way south you'll have great views of the Statue of Liberty and a beer hall -- views which you won't get from the cruise ship leaving from Bayonne. Here's a map

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7192647,-74.0199943,15z

the little blue square just under the Irish Hunger Memorial is the ferry link.

I am trying to choose between X Millenium Seward to Vancouver (Alaska) 7 days in Sky Suite or Oceania (Regatta) in maybe slightly smaller Verandah Suite, 10 days, out of Seattle and into Vancouver this September. I have done one cruise in the Med on X Silhouette and loved the boat and food was pretty good. The latest reviews on Regatta are terrible, shocker after shocker, small shower, food not great and on it goes. The reviews on Millie are quite good. Clearly different Pax numbers, O's day tours are expensive, haven't looked close enough at Millie's yet. Due to some specials pricing is similar so that is not swaying me. Having trouble deciding which one, I have paid deposits on both of them, so already have the right room squared away. HELP????

Did Seattle to Vancouver last May on Regatta. Got a really good deal - it seemed as though a lot of travel agents were onboard though.....Overall the service was excellent but I was not a fan of the food and was definitely disappointed though most enjoyed it -- I would put it on par with MDR Celebrity or Norwegian but not "cuisine". Having 2 specialty restaurant nights gratis was a bonus as well as bottled water, soda and coffee. I would say the "entertainment" is on par with Celebrity on a smaller scale, but I'm not the biggest fan of cruise ship production entertainment and tend to skip it except for comedians. I'd rather the string quartet or small jazz ensemble. I like the participation chits - traded them for a nice long sleeved O shirt at the end of the cruise. The size of Regatta is perfect for me and had that cozy feeling where you got to know your fellow travelers and the crew actually acknowledges you by name. Not being a drink package purchaser, I liked happy hour. I think Regatta is a quieter ship by nature and I was actually glad not to have many options for staying up late at night given our consecutive port days. O's excursions were awesome. I did go out and book one or two similar or the same through an independent excursion company for savings. Regatta's spa service was lacking -- the massage was good but the sign in was down right rude. You'll find the lounges very social -- especially the forward one when entering port or cruising for the views. I think we had a little more port time than the bigger ships and one or two smaller ports.

as long as they continue to keep the amusement park aspect out of cruising and keep the X, I'm good :)

That was pre hurricane. Nikki beach website says they’re opening in April for the season. Check their website. http://www.nikkibeach.com/destinations/beach-clubs/st-barth/

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Years ago, when many of us started cruising, cruises were much more all-inclusive than they are now. Sure, some things were always extra (drinks, photographs, shopping, gambling) but overall no matter what cabin you booked you had the same experience. Through the years more and more 'pay to play' options popped up. As the years progressed, they started to inundate you with little advertisements in your room encouraging you to buy this or that (even though they claim they went to an online survey to 'save the waves' - hypocrisy at its finest). Lately, those little pamphlets aren't enough. Now they call and leave messages, send messages on your TV, and stand outside stores like vultures looking for the kill. Waiters from specialty restaurants often troll the bars begging you to book with them. Ugh!

 

The annoyance is not a strike out against capitalism. It's about changing the experience, the ambiance of the cruise. Celebrity is certainly not as bad as some lines in this respect but it keeps going downhill IMHO in this arena. No one begrudges a company making money - they would not exist otherwise. But we don't need to like their methods. To compare it to stores, it used to be like shopping at Nordstrom. Lately at times I feel like I am in the middle of a Kmart blue light special.

I think this sums it up perfectly. It's about the experience changing.

i would check the ports of call section for the individual ports. you can probably just walk to the beach at st. marteen and I recall seeing a thread on walking to emerald beach in st thomas