njhorseman

Well...bring a tray of ham sandwiches into a room where you know 88% of the occupants are Jewish and you can be certain that a substantial percentage of those people will think you're a complete ignoramus at best and some might consider it offensive and antisemitic .

What I'm talking about is simple transportation. No tours were involved. I've taken it. It wasn't free, but it wasn't overly expensive.

I recall at least one cruise line I was on having a shuttle to Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market offered as a shore excursion.

Apparently you think it's perfectly OK not to actually read a poster's question and give an inappropriate response as a result. Tell me, what happens if someone unknowingly follows the inappropriate advice and ends up in a problematic situation because of it. That OK with you too?

I recommend you post your question on the East Coast Departures board, where this sort of advice is offered on a daily basis. Some of the answers ideas provided on this thread where people name hotels they like in Manhattan are fine, others recommending hotels in NJ perhaps not so much. Even if you don't want to repost on East Coast Departures at least read some the threads over there .

They are flying in so why would they need to stay at a hotel with parking as part of their package? Further, how do would you expect them to get to those hotels? They're nowhere near an airport . None provide complimentary shuttle service even from EWR, the airport that's closest to them. Those hotels are places to stay for people driving in, not flying in.

For cruises embarking in Panama, no. But the next NCL cruise that starts in Panama doesn't sail until November 24 so rules could easily change in the more than three months until the cruise sails. For your future reference since you're asking about NCL protocols it's best to post your questions on the NCL board.

The Joy doesn't have the thermal suites spa area.

Not if the cheapest airfares come with an unsatisfactory flight schedule and not if the cheapest airfares would be coupled with higher ground transportation costs leading to a higher total transportation cost. You have to look at all the variables to make the best decision for your needs.

The request was made on the penultimate night of the cruise so it would hardly be setting a precedent causing lots of requests further down the road.

When you're doing a Panama Canal transit it really doesn't matter where your cabin is because you should be moving around to get visual perspectives from all directions, forward, aft, port and starboard. You might want to be on your balcony some of the time, but you don't want to sit in one spot for the entire transit.

NCL docks at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, primarily Pier 88 at 48th St. and 12th Ave., although occasionally at the adjacent Pier 90 at 50th St. and 12th Ave. It's readily accessible from any of the three NY airports, with LGA being the closest, EWR next and JFK furthest away. However it generally costs more for ground transportation from EWR because you have to cross state lines from NJ and the tolls on the Hudson River crossings are high. Really you should look at airline schedules and fares first and not be too concerned about which of the three airports you use.

I don't have the foggiest idea about the details of the process.

Proving that 99.9% of Americans don't know the proper names, I wrote "Patrol" in my post when I meant to write "Protection" !!! 🤣🙄 😲

I suspect the poster is just using the wrong name for the USCBP (United States Customs and Border Patrol ) agents and calling them USBP (United States Border Patrol) agents. Probably 99.9% of Americans wouldn't know the difference so it's a little much to expect someone from Spain to know it.

It's a shame that you had to go through that nonsense to have such an easily fulfilled request satisfied. It really does sound like he was expecting his palm to be greased. At least in the end your wife was able to have the Dover Sole. Your description of events reminds me of a couple of car buying experiences I've had over the years. When I started to walk out the door suddenly my unacceptably low offering price was accepted.

Bermuda changed its procedures since you cruised in May and you are no longer required to upload your COVID test results in order to to have your application approved . That was the piece that caused most of the delays as no one could be approved any earlier than two days prior to embarkation. Now you just upload your vaccination record with your application and you'll receive approval on that basis. You then just bring your COVID test results to the cruise terminal for examination at check in. That relieves the last minute crush of applications.

About a 15 minute walk.

The poster is in the UK so the toll free number is useless to them . Subsequently they said they'll wait until they arrive in the US on Friday.

Yes, the TA is required. You won't be permitted to board your ship without it. Unfortunately you may have to spend the money for a phone call to solve the problem.

There are two reasons. First, smuggling. If there were a substantial amount of contraband being brought into the country it almost certainly would be done at disembarkation because anyone carrying large items off the ship at a port of call would almost certainly arouse suspicion. Second is the purchase of dutiable merchandise on board the ship on the last night or nights of the cruise. The "duty free" shops are very busy at the end of the cruise with passengers buying large amounts of liquor, cigarettes and jewelry. I have upon occasion had substantial amounts of nonrefundable on board credit to spend and rather than losing it I've spent it in the shops. Others may make purchases because they perceive they are getting a bargain due to the "duty free" status. The ships are required to report purchases above a particular dollar threshold to USCBP and duty can be collected upon disembarkation on those purchases.

I suppose it can, but that depends on the procedures in place at the time of your cruise.

Since Boston will be your first US port, immigration clearance will be done there. It's impossible to say how long the process will take because you never know how many CBP officers will be working and the thoroughness of the checking they'll be doing that day. Since you're a foreign national you may undergo a lengthier process than a US citizen. You'll clear customs in your disembarkation port, Cape Liberty. Usually that's a perfunctory check unless you're chosen for a full examination of your belongings.

I understand that you were discussing the food in the Terrace Cafe, but remember my hypothesis is that it's inferior to the food in the Terrace Cafe on O ships due to inadequate galley facilities, just as there are numerous other inadequate facilities on the R ships...and I was enumerating some of the other inadequacies. Sometimes I wonder why I'm booked on the 2024 ATW on Insignia...will I be able to survive 180 days on an R ship??? 😲

But the overwhelming majority are. Per this report about 88% of Indonesians are Muslim and the nation is home to 13% of the world's Muslim population: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2010/11/04/muslim-population-of-indonesia/