cruisinmeme

2 hours ago, Molokai-Chuck said:

CRUISINMEME ...

For dinner meals, was Taste or Savor dining venue a dress code of long pants/collar shirts for men?

Thanks...

Chuck

Saw people dressed all sorts of ways. Younger men had on shorts. The seniors mostly in long pants. Decent but not fancy

7 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

A couple more questions:

Were they enforcing the assigned arrival times at the port?

What was the process for the safety briefing?  Did you just watch the video or were you required to attend a briefing?

We did see them take people out of line for arrival time. 
we were told to watch the damn thing on our tv. They had people all over for your section to scan your card. We ask one of the crew where our station was (for me A7) so I went to theatre and had card scanned . Once in cabin was suppose to watch again. I turned it on and went about my business. Daughter never got her tv going so they didn’t watch it. So you can have your card scanned before going to cabin.  Just ask where your muster station is.  
cabins were ready at 2:00

i have sailed from NOLA close to 20 times and every time it changes so expect the unexpected 

31 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

We're on Breakaway in seven weeks. 

Spent two hours standing in lines last March at NOLA.

Trying to determine the best time to arrive at the port to minimize waiting time.

All reservations have been made so no need to board early to make those.

Questions:

When did you arrive at the port?

When were you able to board?

How long was the line to clear security before checking in?

We arrived about 8:45 ish. They opened the line at 9:30 on the nose. Had one lady doing security then the opened two more lanes. Actually didn’t start boarding till about 11:30 we could see in the room for haven people they piled up in there and all boarded at same time. Then a boat load of handicap then VIP. What is so crazy is we were first they the line to go to security but since our lady was slow and hit a snag checking someone luggage (forever) the other two lines apparently caught up because I was handed a group 3 boarding tag. Did t matter because we were able to go with vip . By to be time we got to taste it was open. The elevators were crazy full so should have just gone to back elevators. 
BTW we sat in terminal (even though they wanted us to go get mugged at the mall) until our 9:30 time opened. At exactly 9:30 hundreds appeared out of who knows where. Security went fast once they opened up the additional 2 lines. 

Here you go with few random things from my cruise.

first off in NOLA if your time is 9-9:30 nothing will happen for you until 9:30 . Will tell you to fo to mall (that isn’t even open)

people in line with later times than 9:30 was taken out of line.

secure your luggage tag with plastic packing tape if you check luggage. Luggage sat out in the rain and the tags were gone so people had to go find their luggage. BTW we were 1 hour 50 minutes leaving and watched from balcony all that luggage sitting out there to be loaded. 

Best to have reservations for dinner at taste and savor. For some odd reason huge amounts of people in line at opening time and even worse at an hour afterwards. Taste was already turning people away shortly after opening.

lots of menu changes from what i had looked at online.

this is just a funny/not so funny thing. For last day at sea for lunch we looked at menu on wall, given the menu as seated, had selections made. They came and said sorry wrong menu and had to start over. The not so funny part is because all 3 of us had picked things we really wanted and replacement not so much.

lines at service desk could become unreal. 

99.9% of staff were happy campers. I want call names or locations but funny we all agreed on this person.

my travel mates used MIXX bar and dearly loved will. He worked by himself often and did a good job.

we actually were called off exactly at 8:00 (platinum and such) and as it turned out our ride drove up as we exited the port. We did not carry off (daughter had recent surgery) other than a long train holding us up we blasted out of there pretty fast.

for you non smokers casino was not overrun with smoke.

when the high seas came they came.i promise they got to 20 feet Friday night and early Saturday .. Stayed at 12-15 all last day at sea. The ship handled it well. 

4 ships in port at cost maya. Everyone was curious about the virgin ship (sails out of miami. 

Enjoyed the cruise

3 minutes ago, Joken35 said:

So annoying. They had time to send this out  3x this week but they couldn’t send us the itinerary change.?!
 

Oh goodness you had an itinerary change. That would certainly be nice to have notice. 

Ok watched the safety video when I did my check in (at 21 days) then yesterday I got an email from NCL to watch the video then again today I got the same email. We leave Sunday (it is now Friday night) so seems they would have a way of knowing it has been watched. 

2 hours ago, wolft927 said:

I must agree! New Orleans was convenient for wife and I for many years, but we just sailed out of Miami and let me tell you, line never stopped and was onboard in less then 30 minutes 

We sailed out of Miami and I still talk about how organized it was. OMG you never even stoped it was smooth as glass.

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

In New Orleans, very little seems to goes smoothly at the cruise port.  Even people who have booked the Haven might receive incorrect answers, and a lot of detached/indifferent attitudes.

If your boarding time is early, you "might" enter the terminal early enough to find seats near the entrance to the ship.  Then keep watch of movement, and listen carefully for announcements for the  "boarding group ....."

You sorta took the words out of my mouth. So many many cruises from NOLA and every time different and usually a screw up.

Does NOLA have a line for platinum and above to board the ship. Last cruise out of NOLA we ask 4 different people and all said no. Then I look up and see a group line forming and ask the employee what it is for…..platinum guest.  Talk about having their crap together. 

What is the size of the balcony on the club balcony suites? Particularly on getaway and breakaway. I have been under impression the very large balconies are on deck 8. Is all others the same size?

1 hour ago, Luvmypups said:

Hearing lots of issues with crime in NOLA these days, unfortunately. Has definitely made us decide not to park in this lot for our upcoming cruise. Here is the actual news report:  

https://www.wdsu.com/article/travelers-come-back-to-downtown-nola-from-norwegian-cruise-to-find-their-vehicles-broken-into/42358631?fbclid=IwAR2AHBjgwXSvgte4pc23MKcMaKkhxeVACwtuTtqgUSPa9fm3dORNDMDhGxs

Going on cruise January 8th and we will be dropped off. This was an impromptu cruise with daughter and granddaughter. Daughter said she wasn’t about to leave her new Lincoln in NOLA.. With the high crime in NOLA my husband and i actually cancelled a cruise we had booked. You run the risk of being car jacked on the interstate if traffic slows down. We live outside Baton Rouge (another crime capital) but being so close we are aware of how bad NOLA is. 

Passengers returning from 5 day cruise recently had their cars broken into at the whale parking lot in NOLA. The article I read the victim said it was obvious the thieves were looking for guns.

with NOLA being so full of crime I have wondered why they haven’t put a tall fence with barbed wire around the top around that lot. 
so you get off a cruise and it is below freezing. You have a bag for a window and a front seat full of glass. 

Refresh my memory.  Is it cheaper to go ahead and purchase internet from the app rather than waiting until you get on the ship. It looks like the automatically give you credit for the free minutes they give you with the free at sea. 

1 minute ago, trbarton said:

I was just on Princess & was told the deck, 6 or 7 depends on the tide. I assume it would be the same with other cruise lines. 
 

Tom😀

Exactly and the Mississippi has been high for some time now

10 minutes ago, rnfulk said:

We boarded and disembarked on 7 two weeks ago. 

Well that be is a déjà vu of our last trip on Breakaway. 16 days to go!  Hope all this freezing weather is history for our trip. 

4 hours ago, zqvol said:

As I recall 6 is the main embarkation deck, though sometimes they use 7.

With deck 6 you have a slightly more grand entrance. With deck 7 we walked in with O’Sheehan’s right there. I guess it depends if the Mississippi River is high or low .

My granddaughter was about to book a cruise and I had two vouchers remaining. I called my lady that always helps me at NCL and told her GD could have them so she transferred them from me to GD as soon as she booked. Simple

It seems things change often but curious what deck breakaway has been boarding on. 
the march 2020 cruise we came in on deck 7.(New Orleans) No grand entrance at all. For the life of me when we did the breakaway out of Miami I thought it was deck 6. 

I also bring the box of individual coffee creamers.  Certainly easier t take a few of these to dining room rather than a bottle of creamer. I know for a fact that wal mart carries the hazelnut 

8 hours ago, WYB! said:

Recently I played cabin roulette and had to spin the wheel a 2nd time.

For my upcoming cruise on the 16th of January i booked  guaranteed stateroom.

Booked my voyage in early November. Received and offer to bid for an upgrade but declined to bid.

 

Nov 18th: Purchase voyage for Jan 16th in guaranteed stateroom

Nov 20th: Bid upgrade received (declined bidding)

Nov 23rd: Cabin assignment appeared on my account

Dec 15th: Cabin assignment switch back to guaranteed

Dec 20th: Cabin assignment appeared and now in same category but now on mirrored opposite side (ie starboard side instead of original port side).

 

I imagine these things just happen. NBD.

 

Safe travels,

 

- WYB

Well now that is twisted. Hope they keep me put. I had a new cabin number  yesterday. 13th deck rather than the 14th deck like they originally had me on. They did give me a cabin that is one of those that you can share with a neighbor.  Thought that was a bit crazy since i am solo.

really hope no more surprises. I am too old to be learning the new cabin number every few days.

10 hours ago, PugsRuleATL said:

One time on Princess we booked a guarantee cabin and loved our cabin assignment. Then it changed. And changed again. And three or four days before sailing it changed yet again… to a glorious balcony on the starboard side midship. We had thrown our hands up at that point… but it turned out great. BTW, that was the Caribbean Princess out of NYC after Hurricane Sandy. I’ll cross my fingers that you end up with something just as awesome. 

I did receive a cabin number yesterday. Totally ok with it (13th deck rather than 14th deck) hope i did not waste my printer ink printing the luggage tag to fast. Lol  

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

If that cabin holds 3 and they're only a party of 2, and someone comes along with a group of 3... then it makes sense to bump someone who didn't pick a particular cabin and give them a room meant for only 2.

It makes since but I am traveling solo so seems they would have given me a cabin for two only not 3 or 4.  Honestly I haven’t even checked to see how many it holds

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

Partial charter?  We once got booted from an inside (NOT sail away - I picked the cabin) up to a suite.  This was on Celebrity and happened only a day or two before the cruise.  Once we boarded we could see what was going on.  Large groups made up of largely first time cruisers who likely would have been upset to be separated from their leaders.

Now wouldn’t that be dandy.lol

it is just me so doubtful. My daughter and granddaughter are on deck 9. 
I can tell you right now if that happened my daughter would want to trade cabins

42 minutes ago, hallux said:

OP booked a sail-away, I'm going to agree with the above...

Wonder why they gave it to me from the get go. Can’t say i am the lease bit upset so that is a plus. Just wonder who would have so much pull to bump someone out of it.

agree with Bird Travels 3 weeks is a long time for any repairs. 

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

@cruisinmeme - if you don't mind, perhaps you want to share partial info about the balcony statement that NCL just blocked & took away from you, without necessary disclosing the exact cabin number but at least whether it's port or starboard side, aft, mid or forward, i.e. Room #1454x or similar.  Is it one of the few connecting cabin or possibly an accessible stateroom ??  Angled balcony ?? 

 

If there are serious maintenance and plumbing issues, I can see the cabin being blocked off for 3+ weeks, starting now or very recently.  There are qualified plumbers & electricians onboard that should be able to address most minor problems like a clogged or blocked grey or black water line ... which typically affect not a single cabin or two, rather an entire section and/or corridor of rooms running along the line & serviced by it.  

 

Let's chase down the mystery reasons behind unassigning the cabin after it was "given".  Regardless, happy cruising ! 

It was cabin 14786. It was an assigned cabin. I believe it had the pool above it or pretty close. 

12 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Did they tell you that it was "blocked for maintenance?"

Actually it was the sweet lady at NCL that I always use that called the help desk. They just told her the room had been blocked by inventory dept. No explanation.