mking8288

@Fogfog  Pollen count might've been high, outdoors in Amsterdam & Brussels but didn't think it was exceptional high in Le Harve ... taking those (port) shuttles was "risky" business as far as I'm concerned with all the surround sound in a confined space.  Not to stir up the pot & get into a debate here as public health has drastically downgraded the virus threats, well except for high risk individuals with known ...  I should've passed along (too late) the few test kits to @Sugar Magnolia just in case someone can benefit from it, as extended expiration date is later this month (on a cool shelf at home - 2 dozen+ test kits, mostly from iHealth & relatively new production batches, good as late as next year)   Lordy, this is become annual like the seasonal flu with the booster/renewal shot.  

As for our airline (Norse Atlantic Airways) asking for contact tracking email, not that I'm aware of - I believe we provided them with an email address & emergency contacts, just in case, when we confirmed our booking but nothing since then.  Got prompted twice to bid for upgrade to the Premium cabin.  Perhaps the airline is going above & beyond, for our convenience to have that info collected - doubtful that they plan to do contact tracing,  

There was nobody in the Priority Check In line at LGW when we showed up, and they only asked to see & check our passports, didn't even bother with our bar coded reservation number ... proceeded to weight our bags including tagging our carry-on items.  Had I been worried about excess weight, (Rick Scott's) travel vest tricks with 3 to 4 assorted pouches and 7 to 10 lbs of electronics & heavier gears would've definitely passed the "test"  The nice thing about flying A380's and B789's is their large & well designed OH bin space, with the regulation sized bags stowed correctly to max out # of bags per bin.  There was no gate-checking of carry-on bags due to lack of space above, enforcing a 10 kg / 22 lbs limits is good & I support that, watch some of the coach travelers struggled to lift their big & heavy carry-on items to the storage bins overhead.  

4 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

You must share your secret weight loss cruise diet. 
Weight loss unlikely on my next cruise to Italy, Spain, France and Greece as I plan to dine locally for lunch every day. 

Sy, when you are traveling - eat well and stay healthy, Susan gained slightly while I lost, nothing significant - no secret to it, aside from skipping red meat except when doing specialty dining and we only managed to eat lunch - once, at Indulge FH.  Had cheeseburger and hotdog once, chose fish and/or seafood otherwise, even vegetarian entrees & ate 1/2 of the dessert, fewer bread w butter.  

Enjoy your port intensive "Escape" coming up - are you doing a live or semi-live write up ... and, I have 100% empathy for you to treat yourself nicely and jealous that you are able to keep your cruise heading straight, port to port, city to city, country to country and then back.  Happy, safe & healthy travel ... 

Body clock still adjusting to EDT, tired & went to sleep early and both Susan & I woke up at 4 AM - catched up on a bit of CC gossips, oops, I meant news & happenings - then, went back to sleep.  It's now almost 4 PM ?  your way and boosted by a good cup of home brew coffee, awake ... cloudy & wet (occassional showers/light rain & about 60 deg F) 

No smoked salmon on a toast bagel this morning, yogurt in the refrigerator past expiration date - LOL.  Lunch - too lazy to cook, either reheat the sandwich from Paris Baguette or call for delivery.  This was our breakfast earlier.   

My final free "roaming" 5G and 4G LTE data use - associated with the TA - during this billing cycle, 4 GB were for tethering - with up to 4 devices connected concurrently. The only other extra charge is a 28 cents voice call + taxes, other calls using Google Voice & WhatsApp were entirely free. 

The rest were picked up using the trade-up basic StarLink WiFi data plan from NCL while onboard & at sea, charged against part of the $250 NR-OBC. 

Downside, StarLink's bandwidth allocated to pax use was throttled by NCL and slow but usable. Ship & it's crew using far more wireless devices over hidden SSiD.  5 Ghz band remained less congested. 

Our body clock adjusting a little better to another new time zone, now that we've been home for almost 48 hours - EDT, up to 6 hours vs. Europe. 

Those rich Belgium chocolate made it and we passed rapid testing again, did it once onboard early on to establish a baseline ... prepared as best as we can against those invisible micro-devils. Our last booster is more than 6 months ago ... 

During the course of the TA cruise, especially towards the 2nd half, more coughing can be heard around us at times ... respiratory illness know no boundaries and I didn't see best practices before meals.  They do theirs & we did ours ... worn our mask once on the plane, for the duration except for the short late supper break. 

We're blessed with not noticing any signs of possible norovirus activities onboard. 

I've been alerted that "a few" have tested positive during and after disembarking the vessel ...  Since some of our free test kits w extended dates are going to expire soon, will do a final round of testing this weekend, out of an abundance of precautions. 

Selected random photos coming soon once I sort them out, plus a final summary review. 

Stay tuned as I think a few curious friends are probably going to ask questions. 

@graphicguy  Yes, indeed & honored, thankful and blessed with many "contributing" CC'er putting in their tips, jokes, comments & remarks to make it a fun and not just informative live report.  This week, I hope to go thru DW's Samsung's smartphone to "extract" additional photos & possibly upload some short videos to share on the thread.  

I wish I can just stick with Android but nowadays, Apple's eco-system including Air Tags are invaluable, sometimes find it important to keep up & do both.  Chargers (lite & high output) that I'm now carrying are compact & efficient, compatible with both platform since it's on USB-A and -C with a mini adapter, next cruise - bring fewer extension cables & cords.  

On our last day / disembarkation - we took a lot of pictures and nearly all of us ran down our batteries, to critically low level and despite having a 10,000 mAH battery bank.  We barely had time to sit back & checkout London Gatwick's airside & eat a light meal before boarding, then the entire row of bulkhead seating (I took up all 3 seats in the middle, hahaha, at no extra charge) failed to charge via the USB port and there're no underseat power source.  Luckily, the iPhone SE came thru to make calls & text the nephew to meet us curbside to get us home.  

Will now go back to "lurking" mode here & follow yours next month ... unless I hear/read or learn something else after the other 4 return from their BDA cruise on the Joy this month.  Thanks & happy planning.  

22 hours ago, graphicguy said:

While not nearly as tech laden as @mking8288  on a cruise, I do pack some….

Dan, that is a LOL.  After a 2nd TA onboard the Prima, Station Zebra will be planning for a further adjustment, not "downgrade" to travel lighter with fewer cables, extensions, adapters, etc. on the newer NCL ships, including the Joy if and when they add "useful" bedside USB charging ports and a 110/220V outlet (or at least make it easier to "tap" into) by the bed(s) .... very important & useful health & wellness feature for CPAP users, questions asked by others on the roll call. 

We're treated - again, thank you to our onboard "heros" behind the scene - to free, almost all PPV movies in our stateroom to watch & enjoy, but never got the chance or "down time" to watch, can you believe that - with 7 full sea days and evenings without "live" games & entertainment "shows" to keep us busy.  Hence, on our next cruise - will likely leave the Amazon Fire HD tablet at home & just bring a iPad mini along for DW to use.  

I was hoping to sneak onboard this coming Sunday, on a last minute sailing on the Joy as 4 others within "our" inner circles are going for 7 nights to Bermuda ... they'll be back during Fleet Week.  Alas, it's all sold out ahead.  Mid June, we are on a week+ road trip to Canada, including Toronto and Montreal - otherwise, wouldn't rule out taking a Joy'ish ride to Bermuda again.  Countdown to our next confirmed & paid up cruise, still 4+ months out ... will just watch & wait and see.  For now, it's these semi and live reports ahead that's going to "cure" those post-cruise withdrawal - DW and I woke up this early morning around 5 AM, hungry as it's already 10 or 11 AM over in Europe ... a case of moderate jetlag.  

P.S. Sylvia, don't blink if you think this one fits your schedule and book it.  

@schmoopie17  I believed you asked the question of where's the RLD in Amsterdam, we apparently drove right by and even walked around the "fringe" boundaries while in town, heading back toward the ship in the failed quest to find a place to eat.   

Now that you can share this w a friend, just take the "Fifth" should Mrs S asked what this is about if she see the red circle on this localized map ... tell her it's a reference point to the nearby Central Station (trains & transport, buses & ferries, etc. along the riverbank) 

19 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

OH, you know I'd be saying "hell yes to BK!" I wouldn't be able to pass up a French BK.

LoL 😆 glad to see you enjoyed this, once "live" to relive last Nov's Prima TA. 

What about KFC in Iceland, apparently very popular whereas along coastal England, it was McK'D's and their driver-thru.  We laughed seeing Domino's Pizza and no Dunkin's spotted.

What's on your 2's radar in cruising this year ?  Was checking out the Joy for a last minute, short 7 days to Bermuda out of NY - all sold out this weekend 😳 Oh well, will just wait & see what my BIL, SIL and best friends have to say about the newly refurbished, again, have to say or report back.  

Regards 😎 

Catching up on posts while we're at sea or away, onboard & ashore as it wasn't easy to keep up w everyone's remarks & comments.

On a sad note of closure, without further details - please do not ask and to respect privacy - my understanding that one of the Prima guest taken ashore for medical care in Iceland has been granted eternal membership on a different heavenly cruise line, in good hands.  Thoughts & prayers for the family, loved ones & friends and thanks, NCL in  providing urgent care, speeding up arrival time to Reykjavik and doing all the trained professional onboard can do to help.  

7 hours ago, www3traveler said:

When is your next Grand Adventure?

Mandy, thanks ... we have a road trip planned next month.  Nothing for the hot & humid summer months.  Next mini adventure will NOT be on NCL - 9 nights on another line in 2nd half of September, drive-park-cruise.  The bigger one in late Fall is booked but ... having doubts, may cancel & move the booking w discounts to another ship/date/itinerary.  

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

… curious, now that you're home... how long did you have to wait for breakfast or lunch today? were you seated right away or are buzzers in use … 

Hahaha, breakfast was just oatmeal & coffee in the good old dining table, no window views or watching ship’s wake. Good enough, no buzzer and no wait, but I missed having a double order of smoked salmon w bagel & yogurt.

The good news is that I didn’t gain weight, actually slimmer by 2 lbs while DW complained about the scale being off by 3 lbs, gotta get a new digital scale, lol.

Before I even get to decompress, NCL already sent out the post cruise surveys … will write up the final report this week, and see if others wish to pool their thoughts too.  

Lunch treat from another niece as we safely got mommy home for them - Shabu Shabu or hotpot, DIY cooking in a personal pot w choice of soup stock or broth. 
 

Lunch price - a fraction of NCL’s specialty dining costs, wait - this isn’t an option at all onboard.  We better get  on a diet starting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, our steward isn’t answering anymore so Mrs M is in the laundry room - reality  ….

On 5/12/2024 at 12:38 PM, brookie848 said:

Can you give me a ballpark on the cost for this? We are on the Encore TA in December and are staying pre-cruise in Southampton. To keep things simple, we want to hire a car service for the transfer rather than hauling our luggage on trains.

If you go to CC's partner/affiliate site @Tripadvisor ... you should be able to see a ranked list of tour & transfer, car service & taxi companies that offer basic PTP airport-cruise terminal transfer, in addition to the option of half-day add on/side tours.  PT - Adrian's price quotes are very competitive, affordable & reasonable vs. NCL port transfer @ $75 p/p ship to LHR or LGW.  He is very responsive & answer email and questions promptly (take into account time zone difference) and details-oriented.  He was outside Berth 103 with our name on a digital device ready & waiting to greet us & help us get to his vehicle, we're able to SMS/text him using WhatsApp and/or by calling - I'm sure he can do that at LHR or LGW.   He has larger vehicle / van that can fit more adults and more luggage in the back. 

His recommendation would be to fly in a day or 2 early, picked up and do a 1/2 day tour at Windsor, perhaps stay there overnight, and then go direct to the ship terminal the morning of embarkation and shall personalize options for one to choose (i.e. SIL with some mobility issues & get around with a walking cane ... we opted to do less walking & go easy with fewer steps)  We learned about his services reading Trip* reviews and word-of-mouth from others here on CC.  

It made plenty of sense with our party of 4 to do this vs. using NCL and spending more than 3 to 4 hours sitting at the airport (unless we paid extra for one-day lounge pass x 4 people)  Our ballpark number, including 1 extra hour of "tour" time was about 330 UK pounds (approxm $360 USD) - grats/tips is strictly optional, USD and Euro are fine, as he doesn't expect clients to have the UK currency on hand.  We paid for our Cloisters lunch using c.c. - easy & simple.  

@Fogfog  Here's to wishing both Robert & you enjoying the remaining time in & around London.  Thanks, Judith @Turtles06 in the suggestion about car service ... which I thinks is better suited for 2 of you w luggage.  Otherwise, the train leaving from Victoria Station in London will get you to Gatwick in 30 minutes, we saw plenty of lightly packed travelers going to/from the airport, also saw National Express bus services where our driver-guide dropped us off.  You will need a coin to insert into the slot to use one of those free luggage cart to haul them up 1 level (via elevators) to departure level for your homebound flight check-in.  

Allow plenty of time to get thru airport security, after a quick swipe of the bar coded boarding pass (and, if you are out of ziplock bag, not-to-worry, airport has plenty of free zip lock bag just before security, to place all of the 3-1-1 items)  Brits take the screen measures very seriously unlike our embarkation last month.  

If the airline is asking to check the weight of all carry-on luggage on the scale while doing check-in & bag drop in issuing those boarding passes - once satisfied, they should give you a tag to affix to the bag, marking it as approved to avoid further issues at the boarding gate (where they just scan & check one's travel documents & BP again).  (My tips for other prospective flyers: this is a travel vest comes in handy by removing a few heavier items (3 smartphones, 1 iPad mini, 1 battery bank, and a batch of charging cables & adapters) can be "worn" on a "temporary" basis, to pass the "test" ... and "wear" the heaviest coat, parka, 3 season jacket, etc. - the magical "expandable" carry-on bag surely can help to pack everything again, once airside)   

5 hours ago, bedfordmom said:

So glad that your flight with Norse went smoothly. I also had taken that airline ... not sure I would fly them unless I had a lot of flexibility ... purchsad their classic economy and upgraded for like 200 for premium that day ... Welcome home!

After being away for just a short 15 nights, it's good to be home & sleeping in our own comfortable bed again ... slowly waking up with coffee, no room service and no Hudson MDR or The Local, we only managed to eat once in the Surfside Cafe, a very light meal after a busy port day before dinner elsewhere on board.  

DW and I reached the same conclusion about whether we would fly Norse again to/from JFK since this is a new route and if they don't succeed here, they aren't going to get anywhere with the "internal" interline and partner alliance connections as a gateway to other major US cities ... I wouldn't be surprised if NCL would book their "Air" option with Norse. 

Hard product - aircraft & seats get a B+ (bathroom conditions 2/3 way into the 7 hour non-stop was becoming gross w the wet floor) but at least it's more "spacious" than those A321 NEO LR or B737 Max used by other airlines flying across the pond.  In-flight entertainment as a whole is a B and too tired to be bothered with getting out our own headset or connect with a Bluetooth adapter (NAA will sell one at $35 for your convenience or $7 for el cheapo wired headset, blanket for $6 but no travel pillow)   Niece sitting behind us (with SIL) was able to switch seat to keep a middle seat/extra leg room open between them - that was good. 

There are no 110/220V outlet to charge electronics & keep laptops running and the single USB-A outlet below the 9" TV monitor screen didn't work at all (tried both 11D and 11E, didn't bother w 11F - niece reported 12F worked & her Samsung was 100% charged by the time we deplaned) Our seats were 11C, 11D and 12C and 12D (all aisle seats, mine with extended/extra legroom & bulkhead ... ending up seating in the middle - 11E and 11D and 11F unoccupied, seat width was tight with the tray table & a poor design. 

Flight status map gets a D for very limited info (unlike TAP-Portugal & other carriers like Cathay Pacific, Korean Air & Lufthansa.  Not being in a window seat, it was difficult to figure out what's below us flying 550 mph, as I figured we caught a good jet stream and wasn't against a headwind, cut our scheduled flight in-the-air time by 40+ minutes, cruising at FL 400 most of the way with little to no in-flight turbulence, seat belt signs remained off after we're at our initial FL 300 until gradual descent somewhere off Nova Scotia toward MA on the LI approach, and we did a loop or two to circle before coming in for a fairly smooth landing - to be ruined by taxiway delays of 20+ minutes and then gate/jetbridge issues of 20+ minutes before door #2 finally opened at Terminal 7.  

Within 5 days of flight departure, offered us the chance to upgrade (15% off) for about $350 per seat to premium cabin ... since we already paid for priority check-in, priority boarding, checked luggage (1 pc at 50 lbs/44 kg) and carry-on (1 at 22 lbs/10kg) and 1 basic meal ... didn't think the extra reclining seat in premium for a 7 hour non-stop is worth it, declined.  Premium cabin was nearly full by departure when door was closed, main cabin was probably 95% full although the forward cabin section was closer to 80% full - most flyers selecting Norse for its bargain fare and not to earn/accure mileage or points, etc. 

A few pictures from the boarding area, Gate 15 at Gatwick's South Terminal - security screening was time consuming as they're very strict, laptops & electronics, especially large tablets & iPads, etc. had to be out along with 3-1-1 bags, and bags diverted for secondary were given the visual inspection as well as chemical swipe/analysis before being cleared. 

Once they began boarding, as seen below, Priority boarding (Zone 2 for us, Zone 1 is Premium) helped us cut the line of 50+ people and we're seated inside the cabin by 7:45 PM, almost 1 hour before push-back as the door wasn't closed until about 8:25 PM with 1 last pax boarding late.  

Memo to others - use the bathroom first before joining the boarding line as there's no access once there, buy your juice/bottle water/soda, etc. at the vending machine before proceeding to board - service once airborne was slow, selling extras before meal service began with the boxed "meal" around 10 PM ... no beverage services at all and no FA come out to offer water (never mind anything else ... unless your "ring" the FA call button for service).  

Between TAP-Portugal & Norse, I think we'll rather book TAP on the same route serviced over Norse ... 

@UKstages  Will do a post-cruise summary & put some final thoughts into this trip, allow for a day of rest ... been a long day for us.  Norse non-stop departed LGW a few mintues early and wheels down @JFK almost 30 minutes early, tarmac delayed due to gate at T7 not being available and then issues with the jet bridge aligning with the B789.  A very quick walk thru CBP w facial recognition, waited 10 minutes for luggage & zip thru USDA inspection, nephew got our text and drove over from cargo ops to fetch & drive us home.  

A few thoughts on Norse Atlantic Airway, nice B789 & even bathroom is "larger" than expected, maintenance & cleanliness in-flight below average & in need of improvement.  Aircraft staffing level is higher from minimal services in-flight, being a LCC.  Airport check-in open and opens 4 hours prior to scheduled departure. even carry-on luggage are weighted and tagged.  Gate assignment info wasn't available until 80 to 90 minutes before gate departure and with early boarding (we're in Zone 2) - leave little time to buy food, beverage and/or snack for the flight (highly recommended) - the economy "box lunch" is small (with a choice of soda, juice or tea/coffee included, no refills offered - and NOT worthy paying upcharge for.  

No WiFi onboard offered, only some of the USB ports worked  & good for charging.  Overhead storage bin size is generous and bags are stored vertically to maximize space.  

We paid extra for extra leg room, forward section of cabin and priority check-in & boarding.  Ended up having use of 3 bulkhead seat (11 D, E and F) but seat width being reduced -  a  tight squeeze. 

Bring a water bottle to refill airside, post-security and food/snacks for a long flight.  

Norse started priority & early boarding almost 1 hour before departure and we left the gate a few minutes early, just landed at JFK runway at 10:46 & long taxi to gate, not available yet as other aircraft hadn’t pushed back - sitting & waiting.

@The P @Arzeena and @Fogfog 

Susan & the ladies were exhausted and didn't feel like going inside to shop.  

Chichester - photos batch #2 

Chichester tour stop - photos batch #1 

Jones Beach, NY out in LI, Coney Island  and or Atlantic City beaches & waterfront, doesn't come close to match this coastal naval &: military seaport and active base.

Boat cruise, all electric - up to 5 

(children)

Additional photos from Portsmouth - 

1st batch of photos from our quick tour at Portsmouth this morning - 

That's Adrian, our Paragon Taxis driver-guide 

For those that were outside the cruise terminal, hope transport wasn't too bad - know the pickup or Baggage Pod # if calling your driver to come over.

Airside inside Gatwick, it's another warm day in the UK according to our driver-guide, the hottest day thus far - 2024.

Liquid diet ?  Iced cold coffee will do, Starbucks being the closest 😁 

We are airside now at Gatwick, 2 hours to priority boarding, security screening is strict.  Wish 2 of you a great continuation of cruising to celebrate retirement. 

Don't worry about catching up till later. Best wishes & regards - Henry a/k/a mking8288