Mike A

I have an iPhone and AT&T. Mine works exactly as t&atraveler said

Just to add to this, we have terrible cell service in my house. As a result I use Wi-Fi calling at home. I do not switch on Airplane Mode When I leave the house it automatically switches back to 5G when it does not have a Wi-Fi signal.

I have done Exactly as stated by Rick and Jeannie on my last 4 Cruises. I buy the Wi-Fi. While on the ship, turn on Wi-Fi Calling and go on Airplane Mode. While in a foreign country I get the AT&T Day Pass. While off the ship I turn off Airplane Mode and use the cellular service that AT&T allows. Works like a charm and I believe Verizon offers a similar service.

I did the same exact same thing with my Hilton Gold membership card on Thursday and received Gold Status from MSC.

I just received it yesterday on my AMEX Platinum Card. I have also received offers in the past but I did not receive the last one a few weeks ago however I received one for HAL. I have no idea how they choose who and when you receive the offer.

I meant to say St George’s not St John🙁 I could not edit.

Boy does this bring back memories. As stated above up until about 15 years ago NY/Bermuda cruises always spent 3 full nights in Bermuda. It didn’t feel right when we were on the Joy in 2022. That being said I also miss docking in Hamilton and walking right into town. Funny thing was on my previous 3 cruises to Bermuda (1981,1984 and 2000) we were also supposed to go to St. John but could not dock due to weather so we did the full 3 nights in Hamilton.

Amen to that!!! Off topic, I thank you for jumping in on this while on your cruise. I hope you and the Bird Family are enjoying the day in Bermuda, and your Live From thread is fantastic as always. Have a safe trip home!!! 🙂

First off, I feel terrible for the OP and hope that they are able to work things out. I have been on other lines and at on-line check in they all do the same thing as NCL. The only thing that really needs to be changed is when you get to the Proof of Citizenship section, a disclaimer should be added that an Optional Birth Certificate will be acceptable for a US citizen ONLY on a Closed Loop cruise which starts and ends at the same US Port. Frankly, it is just a coincidence that the letter went out when it did, and it would be even worse if the OP showed up at the pier and was denied boarding. The letter and the subsequent article are a great reminder to people who would assume that a cruise that starts and ends in the US and NOT at the same port is not Closed Loop.

In fact you can even keep the same stateroom if available. All you have to do is disembark and re-embark. If the same stateroom is not available the steward will move your belongings during the turnaround.

The Great Outdoors is my favorite place on ANY ship I have ever been on. The second is the Observation Lounge on the Joy. When on the Gem out of NY in 2017 My wife and I were with 2 couples. We sat there every morning for breakfast and for all Sail Aways. It has comfortable cushioned seats w/tables both under cover and without, facing aft. Wonderful place to eat breakfast and look at the wake. Great Bar and access to the buffet. The Spinnaker Lounge is also very good. It is large and enclosed, with great views from the bow.

If Football is showing in the channel 30+ range then NCL is as stated above, getting the game from a different satellite. When I was on the Joy last year Sport 24 was on channel 28. Sport 24 had NHL and NBA playoffs, In fact we watched the NY Rangers playoff games with a large group of fans in the Local as we sailed from NYC. There was no Baseball to be found. FWIW, ESPN International has the Baseball but NCL does not subscribe. However, Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean does. As a huge football fan, I hope the games are shown.

When we upgraded to a Club Balcony Suite from a Balcony on the Joy last year we lost the extra points promotion. It was well worth it however as the upgrade price was only $20 in total for 2 Club Balcony Suites. This was cancel and rebook. It was not an upgrade advantage.

NCL ships obtain their Sports TV from a service called Sports 24. They have a separate service for International Air Flights and a different one for Cruise Ships. According to the schedule on their website, sport24live.com, the Lions vs Chiefs game is only on the Flight version. On the Ship version they are showing the Semifinals of the US Open. Bear in mind this is 3 weeks from now and is subject to change. NCL may also make arrangements to obtain from a different source. I would continue to check the website for updates.

We were in the front corner M108 on the Royal which is the same Mini Suite as on the Majestic. In my opinion , the best cabin I have ever had including full suites. The balcony is HUGE. Great for sailaways as you get the view of both the front and side of the ship as you are on the bridge roof with the extension off the side. The balcony door was never locked, but you could not have the light on the balcony and had to keep curtains closed if lights were on in cabin. Room Steward told me the only reason it was not categorized as a suite was there was not enough room for a suite sized bathroom. However, the bed room and sitting room were large. At sea it could be windy, however as stated above you can usually find a place where the wind is broken.

According to Brooklyn Cruise Guide.com you will be going out of Brooklyn. FWIW well over 90% of Princess cruises out of NYC leave from Brooklyn. The ones that go out of Manhattan are usually Port stops rather than cruises that begin in NY.

Either way you cannot go wrong but my vote for a winter cruise out of NY would be the Gem. I totally agree with everything mjkacmon says. The Gem and Jewel are our favorite ships. My favorite place on the ship is the Great Outdoors. Another great place to hang out is the Bridge Viewing Room which is only on the Gem and other Jewel Class ships. We were on the Joy in May (similar but not the same as Getaway). It was very nice but did not have the same feel as the Gem. We did Jewel (Basically the same ship as Gem) in Winter out of NY and it handled the sailing to the Caribbean very well. Regardless of what you choose, you will have a great cruise!!! M

Our experience with the Platinum Amex and Club Balcony has been exactly the same as Graphicguy’s. BTW the large bathroom with the wall jet shower makes the upgrade worth every penny compared the standard balcony.

If you were on the May 29th sailing of the Joy, I was with you at the M&G. Yes, I can confirm there was a large # of Officers and I got to speak to the CD for 10 minutes. In fact, he confirmed to me that there were 2933 passengers (approx.75% Double Occupancy) and 1677 crew on the ship.

My wife took her Hair Flat Iron onto the Joy in May with no problem.

We did the Jewel the 1st week in January in 2012. On the day we sailed it hit 72 degrees and the CD set up an impromptu sail away party. The warm weather continued all the way to Port Canaveral. On the way back to NY it was warm until 3:00 PM the last sea day when the temperature dropped by 30+ degrees. The morning we returned to NY it was 25 degrees. Our car had 6 inches of snow on it and the Pier 88 Roof Top Parking Lot was like an ice rink. Therefore, be prepared for everything🙂

I became hooked on cruising when I was 9 years old when I sailed for the 1st time on the beautiful Flagship of the Norwegian America Line MS Bergensfjord on June 4, 1965. We sailed Transatlantic from New York to Norway. The ship went to Bergen, Stavanger, Copenhagen and Oslo. We disembarked in Stavanger as we were traveling to see my grandparents for the one and only time in my life. We traveled in Tourist Class and did not have a shower. On the return trip we sailed on NAL's sister ship MS Oslofjord on July 29, 1965. The itinerary was the same in reverse. While the ship was older and a little smaller it too was beautiful. We sailed in Tourist Class and this time did not have a bathroom. On this trip we had to pick up a wounded sailor who was stabbed in a fight from a Cargo Ship and rush back to NY. As a result we arrived in NY harbor a day early and sat at anchor just north of the brand new Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. Well, my buddy and I who became friends with some of the crew and went down to the bow of the ship where we snuck off and started to climb down the anchor chain. We certainly scared the !@#$ out of the crew and they made us climb back up and then they chastised us and took us to our parents. (Yes, this is a true story) Since then, I introduced my wife to cruising on our honeymoon and the rest is history 🙂 Mike A

Either ship you cannot go wrong. We were on the 5/29 Memorial Day weekend sailing of the Joy to Bermuda in Club Balcony. Great Ship. Weather was beautiful. High 70’s/Low 80’s every day. Warm water at Horseshoe Bay beach. Given the fact the Schools do not close until late June here in the North East /NY Metro area, you should not have a problem being over run by kids. We had maybe 100 children on the ship this sailing all young. My 13 and 8 YO grandchildren were on the ship with us and only found 1 child to hang out with. No issue with pools, hot tubs or slides. Mike A

Thats exactly what I did on the Joy in May 😎

Depending on the currents it takes between 45 minutes and an hour. On the 5/29 sailing of the Joy it took 60 minutes. Left Pier 88 at 4:00 sharp and we went under the bridge at 5:00. I have been on sailings that were quicker. FYI, you can watch sail away every Sunday from NY on the PTV Webcams. 1st Port of New York and then when the Joy gets closer to the bridge change to the NY Harbor webcam. You can also see the Celebrity Summit on Sundays as well as Oasis of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas from Bayonne and Carnival Magic from Port of NY Pier 88 during the week.