mking8288

Ditto We'll find out, sooner but likely later, sometime in 2025, what NCL has done in butching FR's diverse fusion menu, now calling it some sort of global menu selections instead ... and, with a flat / cover charge. I suspect that, by mid January, just a few short weeks from now, CC board here will be flooded with stories, for better or worst. Just realized from my other roll call, that we'll cross path with the Viva at one of our January port of call (assuming that their itinerary isn't being changed last minute, for your convenience of course ...) maybe I should see if I can "interview" live some of the passengers from the Viva on the dock for a news flash.

Woohoo, records-setting as it's approaching mid December and you are in the middle of a westbound TransAtlantic, lots of folks joining you out & about in the sun & pool deck, shorts and swimwear ... not just the hot tubs. That is good enough reasons to call for crispy chicken wings, Buffalo sauce on the side, not in a wired basket, delivered via Swift to poolside. Let's hope they get it right this time or else, time to have a little friendly conversation with the F&B manager on duty. As for GG, shouldn't NCL invite him to an official dedication ceremony onboard ... maybe on the inaugural Aqua TA next Spring in honor of best practices 😂 😄 😁 Glad that Dan finally made it home 15 hours after disembarkation, good grief - could've nearly flown a non-stop from Houston to Beijing or Seoul to do a Pacific cruise. Jokes aside, have a great day, maritime forecast ahead looks good ... near term. Maybe, the bridge wanna slow down a little bit ... they are speeding along toward Bermuda (unless they are planning an unscheduled stop at Dockyard first with the Pearl out front). Besides, you aren't in a hurry to disembark this weekend.

@dexddd you looking for one, here's a big hefty one for you. @Sugar Magnolia Have you checked out Food Republic on the Encore for its "global" menu 🤓

Gotta give NCL credit for 2+ weeks of incredible interior remodeling ... afterall, they learned from reconfiguring the Joy, that poor ship has gone thru so many dry dock work since its 2018 launch. Maybe, the Diner will be going away soon and become something else next year ... never say never - hence, why bother signage for an under-utilized space, needed for maybe 4 to 5 hours a day while at sea only, including prep & cleaning up. BTW, looking at AD's menu - doesn't that remind others and you of the really not-so-old O'Sheehan's Everyday Menu around 2016-17, before FDR took out the chopper to begin hacking away selections. I'm 98.5% sure that I have those menu collections in my photo archive. Regardless, The Local's menu pale in comparison (nevermind the Late Night options) There is security, ooops, I mean a server station in front of that sliding partition ... sliding wall or doorway ?? A private room, service area or ?? That's a lot of food photos from Palomar, are you burning your non-refundable OBC hosting a big party onboard for select invitees 🤣 🤣 🤣 Gift bags not needed tonight, looked like no rock-n-roll from the engine/below the surface this late evening, aside from strong tailwind - which should mean NCL can benefit from faster speed using less fuel, on top of the lighter load/gross tonnage being pushed toward Miami. Pearl is the wingman ahead ... way, way ahead by probably 800+ nm.

Gooood afternoon, it is "rare" that you dine in the MDR (with new friends and/or posse together, I presume) - have you noticed others sitting nearby, possibly using their dining package or Latitudes "voucher" to try out that "Taste of Specialty" ?? Just curious 😄 Thanks for posting the late night menu at "The Local" Enjoy an easy going sea day, afternoon tea time ... perhaps 😆 or onboard shopping to figure out how to spend down that $$ onboard credit. Whatever you do, have a great one ! BTW, can't view or download that IMG_7977.mov clip, wondering ... maybe a CC server error.

Bingo - you and @coaster hit the lottery jackpot of the month. Simple math, with most cruisers likely NOT opt out of M.A.S. - the extra 20% charged for dining on top of the DSC (which is almost certain to go up in 2025, not down) - NCL got the crew's base salaries largely covered. It is as simple as Math 102 and 201, nothing "wrong" per se - it is the business model, LOL.

Ditto and add multiple votes from us on that salt-baked whole Med fish (sea brass ? not 100% sure) in Palomar, it was very, very good & much, much more enjoyable (and, healthier) - the presentation in front of your eyes when they sliced & deboned, plating it. Of course, a matter of personal taste & preference, the setting is more intimate & less hectic compared to Cagney's and LeBistro. Let's say, to each her/his own and YMMV. Been working lately on consolidating my recent cruise photo collections and backing them up to NAS (network storage) not entirely relying on cloud archive. If you don't mind - sharing with those following you, I got a few good & clear picture of the lakes when we're there, Tours By Local personalized tour with a minivan that we shared - it was cloudy at the first scenic overlook stop and then later on, we got to the other side (both required a bit of moderate walking/hiking) Whether it's ship tour or TBL (guaranteed return to the ship, etc.) - well worth the efforts to do this tour.

Hmmm, those aren't valid for more CruiseNext Certs ?? Aside from overpriced Pringles, if available & sold onboard in the gift shop (200% markup from what I recall at your recent post ... ShopRite near us sell them (5.9 oz can) for about $3.49 ... plus 5% senior discount, if applicable) - that'll still net you easily 2+ carton of 36 cases to haul off the ship. Wait, are you staying in FL for the holidays and to rest and recharge before 2025 ?? If not, checking out what's on sale at the Photo Shop, maybe a pair Bose NC headset along with digital "toys" One of your fellow CC'er had a more serious challenge not too long ago, he had something like $1,000 + non-refundable OBC to spend it or lose it. Be nice & kind to yourself, a bit of pampering, maybe the spa ?? First world problem, of course.

Great and hi to fellower New Yorker north of us, from the island side in Queens. Hey, Jim O. - you got neighbors onboard. Welcome to CC and enjoy those sea days ahead. I'm pretty sure that Sugar / Sy don't mind contributing & helpful post to enrich the barely live.

Stay tuned for almost live Merv update & feedback ... 1st time status matched Latitudes Diamond friends boarded, 90 minutes from arrival via car services to onboard at the buffet. IMG_20241208_134748.heic

Wait, aren't you two planning to invite each other to dine together and double up on maximizing use of those complimentary vouchers 😁 ... somehow, if on the same cruise (LOL) Just stirring up the pots here since Dan isn't exactly stuck at the airport waiting to board his late afternoon flight but minutes away from getting into the Lounge to relax. Sy, aren't you the lucky one, 7 more days on the Encore.

👌 This 👍 as in YMMV Thank you for this gentle reminder, CC is about being a critic, for better and for worst ... the good, the ugly and the OMG along with the OS and WT? or WTH. When we cruise enough, we think we've seen it all and then, turn that corner and then the unbelievable and amazing happened again, sometimes raising the bars but other times, jaws dropping. Agree to disagree, move on and respect differences, get along - some of us seen & enjoy the good, suite (Haven, club & lounge) life while others are perfectly fine in steerage, windowless inside with the sub-par "water closet" or WC ... and don't need concierge, butler and others to "kow tow" every time we step out of our cabin, etc. OP, thank you for sharing and telling your stories onboard ... what do I know as we're not onboard; and, you were / are. Make the best out of it and enjoy the crossing, it's a beautiful & sunny day in Ponta Delgada today

That's picture perfect, beautiful & sunny PD ... get out there (if not already by now) and enjoy the stopover. After this, 6 full sea days ahead (of course, you know but for others joining in late) Perhaps, a late lunch stop before heading back to the ship ??

Ditto, we're planning with a 8 nights "Escape" in early March but decided to pull the plug & freeze, shortly after we dropped - due to other personal reasons - our Sky TA that Sy was on (imagine 2 of us on that leg, along withothers). Come next month, we'll be lurking ... watching the rollover into More At Seas first, and give NCL crew members & corporate time to resolve their training & coaching, before we step onboard again - NCL has been know to do plenty of flip-flopping in the past decade, not just recent years. How we dealt with these scripted spiel is to stop him/her on the track as soon as they started, hold up & wave my Guest Key Cards, "stop that, here's my card & I'm covering for any and all excess items we are ordering, upcharges, etc. Let's just get straight to ordering what we want to get, not what we are excluded from or entitled to, okay. Put those charges on this (Sapphire/Diamond) card of mine." Works every, single, time - and oddly enough, 8 out of 10 times, it is at Cagney's with the incredibly shrinking "sides" that keep rising in prices. Surprise, surprise - magics happened almost all the time, somehow, we're not charged or they're waived or shown up on the itemized slip that we sometimes have to sign for. This was true when we are cruising in a party of 4, 5, 6 or more and using both Platinum & SDP together. And, a few times, the maitre d' on duty come by to check on us to ask if everything has been fine and whether they can do anything else, and wish us an enjoyable dinner. Odd and strange, huh. On 2 different occasions, the waiter even offered to wrap our dessert to go and walk us out toward the elevator lobby, when "takeout" items were not allowed, especially when they received special recognition/appreciation for services at the end of the meal. Maybe it was the discretionary "bribe" for sodas ... "too busy to bother & run up the minor charge" (when he/she had at least 1 of our key card at the beginning) Of course, YMMV, these "tricks" will not be useful come 1st of January ... but, I wonder, what are the "enhanced" perks forthcoming to those of us with higher Latitudes tier status, not that I'm holding my shallow breath & not inhaling air this morning.

Hmmm, no more pork chops (nevermind lamp chops or shank) or even a chicken selection in Cagney anymore ... OK.