mking8288

YMMV, returning to the ship at the end of the day when tendering, Haven (and, I believe, sometimes extended to suite (not mini or club) pax - priority to take the next available tender (in other words, skip the line or go to the front of the line from a separete waiting area ... typically escorted or assisted by the concierge/butler/Haven teams assigned to be ashore to be on the lookout/watch for "their" guests). Check with them before going ashore for details & how/where ... Nevertheless, the entire tender trip easily takes 20 to 40 minutes under ideal circumstances, no lines, no wait and not waiting for the tender boat to be 95% full before it leave or depart. That's for a "short" 5 to 10 minutes time to do the crossing between the ship and tender pier, or vice versa. Sunscreen for high SPF+ protection plus a hat, and water for hydration - highly recommended while under the hot sun and strong UV lights.

T minus 2 ... 48 hours from now, we should be inside Pier 88 ready for embarkation, perhaps onboard by now. Escape at Halifax, NS this morning ... wondering if we are going to keep the ports as scheduled. Saint John, NB also on Atlantic Daylight Time, 1 hour ahead of NY. Windy app forecast showing sea swell by mid week in the Maine maritime but nothing serious at this point. Whatever, we are going no matter what, vacation mode is coming on.

On the early lookout for Lee next week - ooops, deja vu as we managed to avoid Fiona last September onboard the Joy. Others (ships and sailings) had to deal with ... Going to make this report/blog more interesting and exciting to follow along, LOL ... Reference - Sept 2022 Okay, maybe this is a good excuse to start "g? fun? me" to upgrade to unlimited WiFi with streaming (premium) WiFi this weekend, hahaha. DW said to me earlier, let's "save" those OBC and not upgrade & stick with the 300 "free" airtime minutes. Somewhat true, if weather turns nasty later in the week, satellite reception could be adversely affected and useless to try to stay connected. This is going to be fun. Where is Pelican Bill when he can be of great help - CC quasi-expert on reading storm forecast - I know there is all points bulletin out, trying to track & find him and see if all is well ... Nearly T - minus 2. Mrs. M finished packing & I just close her 24" rollerboard with plenty of room, AirTagged and ready to go. Still undecided about our ground transport options - BIL/SIL planning to get to MCT / Pier 88 on their own, one way or another and will meet us there.

Go for it, see if you can stack some extra discount coupons/codes, etc. New zipped bottle holder design is a vast improvement - for the typical 16 or 12 oz. bottled water or soda ... although seldom use it. Transferred the adjustable waist straps from "senior" - apparently the new ones in both sizes no longer come with them, good way to distribute weight in backpack mode thru airports & parking lots. Bottom of the laptop compartment could use a little extra cushioning or padding, again, took the foam insert from senior and all good. Samsonite (that's eBags) did cut some corners, i.e. no more D rings for locks and/or shoulder straps (it is smaller). Lots of compression straps to help keep the package's bulk down to a minimum. Overall, a 4.5 stars rating and should be good with long-term durability. TAP-Portugal's gate dragon (bag police) at Lisbon had it on their scale as it was obviously not physically over 22 x 14 x 9, came in at 22.8 lbs and wave it thru as I didn't have another personal bag (4 lbs permitted), no "bonus" for them. Flying outbound again with them soon, but not expecting to get hassled - especially if I deploy the travel vest setup to easily relieve 10 lbs 😁 😉 😆

Configure and use email's "spam" filtering's advanced options to screen, divert & group those repeating emails into its own folder - check the message headers that you didn't miss anything else important or urgent, i.e. like you got a free upgrade to Haven (just kidding, okay - wishful dreaming) Then, it's one click to delete & wipe them all clean from the Spam/Trash bins of your In-Box. Give it a try - get the "geek" friends, kids, neighbors, etc. to do this for the less tech savvy ones.

Advance planning and reservations - being Sapphire or Platinum, we haven't heard a word from NCL about any sort of pre-cruise concierge services with restaurant and/or show reservations as described, haven't feel the need for asking nor believe it is worth the time or efforts to find it or chase it down ... somewhere in my archived Gmail travel-n-cruise folder was the contact email address for them, possibly an office number (HQ in Miami, FL) to call or use - it was a waste when we did that in 2022 with the Joy, and, we had 2 Family Inside 2BR Suites booked then. As always, YMMV ... just our collective experience. Our BIL/SIL was in the upgraded midship balcony that contacted NCL's Access Desk, their eDocs reflected that confirmation for wheelchair assistance for embarkation & disembarkation ... we will report back on how that go ... there are a number of others on the roll call, apparently using the services - in the "always good to know" sub-category. At 125 days, we did made our specialty dining reservations and confirmed all 6 of us - Bayamo, Cagney's and Moderno plus La Cucina. Our reservations are also linked ... not that it really matter much. Also ... have MDR reservations for 2 other nights, should find us in Taste early in the evening as the "seniors" in the group prefer to eat instead of going later. Onboard Entertainment - wow, that's a challenge ... what is there to book or worry about ... we did reserve the one and only "big" production show in the main theater ... Choir of Man, Day 2's late one at 9:30 pm - should be plenty of time for us to finish up at Bayamo with a 6:30 pm reservation & make our way over at a leisurely pace. Not to worry, in case anyone else on the sailing hasn't book it - 9:30 pm still available earlier this evening, 7 pm is full. Day 7 - both 7 and 9:30 pm are still open & available. Everything else can and must be book onboard and/or reservations not taken, FCFS ... but, yours truly do not enjoy going across town to stand in line 45+ minutes before doors are open, just to get inside with open seating & sit for another 15 or 30+ minutes for a short 45 to 60 minutes show ... not with a busy & port intensive schedule for the week ahead. Will, however, sign up onboard at CruiseNext Desk for Dine With Officers but likely skip the complimentary, abbreviated Behind The Scene tour (60 minutes) for Platinum/+ members only - unless, a quick tour to the bridge is included, LOL ... NOT ("do" the paid one for those interested 🙄 since ship security on the bridge is apparently no longer a risk factor) If I find or learn things differently, will stand corrected and share the changes here with an update.

Packing continued - this eBags Motherlode Junior - expandable & convertible with a laptop compartment, also use to pack a light 3 season or fleece or puffer (down) jacket/vest - has become my favorite international carry-on, at 19.5" x 14" x 8" with compression straps, light & durable, CRJ commuter jet friendly in the OHB or under the seat if not fully packed, paired up with packing/compression cubes. Not easy to keep it under 10 kg or 22 lbs when flying on airlines overseas (especially LCC) with strict weight limits and gate dragons stationed at "checkpoints" policing unsuspecting infrequent flyers. For shorter cruises like this, no problem whatsoever, pack as much as desired & as little as needed - flexibility is the bonus. Not really on the pricey end but can be brought online on sale for under $90 w free shipping, the 10 years old eBag Motherlode (full sized carry-on at 22 x 14 x 9 was $60 shipped then) with lifetime warranty - lots of similar ones on Amazon for less ... you get what you paid for or spend on it. Hurricane Lee - too early to be overly concerned about next week, forecast models with the charts are all over the place - probably become clearly by the time we embark. On the Joy last September doing a similar NE Canada route and made it back in a hurry from Halifax just fine. "Fiona" most definitely left her calling cards in the Canadian maritimes, including Halifax & disrupted cruise ship schedules - click on this CC link from 2022. 2022 cruises after us (following week) had to reroute, postpone and deal with cancelled ports or skipping from just "moderate" damages - ports on the longer Quebec route took more hits & were closed to cruise ships while recovery, repairs and restoration were underway. Specifics & details should still be in those affected roll calls for those interested. Threads in the CC Hurricane Zone are chatting about it ... although, one of the many "resident" storm/hurricane expert @Pelican Bill (Rochester, NY) hasn't posted since Jun 3rd, hope all is well with him or perhaps away - over the years, his expert analysis, not as a trained pro were helpful & often spot on. The remote possibility of this massive hurricane Lee making a turn and come up coastal US as a Nor-Easter shouldn't be ruled out - currently, appeared it has the Carolinas and/or Bermuda in the remote distance sometime next week ... depending on the jet streams, could spin or stall, curve & head north toward the Canadian provinces, etc. Will be monitoring the NHC (NOAA) website & online portal, as well as Weather Channel & AccuWeather apps for news, updates & forecast - along with "Windy" app (iOS & Android). Pack one's motion sickness remedies or meds/OTC Rx, ginger candies & gums, etc. along with green apples & saltine crackers. Stock up on a little extra inventory of OTC meds as well as 1 extra week (minimum days) of prescribed meds (and a script for refills) just in case the ship and/or travel plans are disrupted from safe return or port closure, or stranded for flying home with flight cancellations, etc. Having sailed many times during the height of hurricane season - and, spending funds for trip & travel insurance coverage to guard against unpleasant surprises and changes, etc. should not be skipped. We are prepared and just going to rock & roll with it - hold on to railings while out & about.

Kivanc has been promoted to being HD/GM and was last reported onboard the Escape (1st sailing this August) in charge of a new team - expect to see him onboard unless he's on vacation. Thanks. We are too far away from those Canadian wildfire but mindful of the wind & smoke. Hopefully, won't sail into them next week as the ship will be turning north. Our next cruise is on the Prima, about 3 months out with sea days ... details to come later as we get closer and Mrs. M bringing an extra (empty) bag for shopping, perhaps some more leather shoes, haha. SIL isn't coming along - I should be able to manage the extra luggage ... you wish to "volunteer" ? Doesn't look like we will be near New Orleans this winter, perhaps, Galveston in mid December ... Alaska is on extended radar lock (early in the season, iceberg & closure risks, etc.) - one of the "older" NCL ships ... planning to upgrade to a balcony either with accrued points or that use of the one-time Diamond single meta option. Sounds like a semi-busy schedule ahead for us. Blessed with good weather, on the hot side this week in low 90's - expecting return to seasonal September temp's... "Lee" maybe coming towards our bow later next week, chasing us later on our return, I think we should "luck" out - similar to our Joy ride to NE/C last September (but was a click ahead of that big storm). Will stay tuned to NHC's daily updates ... kind of missed the timely analysis by CC'er PelicanBill on hurricanes & storms (hasn't posted since the start of summer) Meanwhile, getting my 19.5" eBags Motherlode Junior ready ... convertible & expandable backpack and carry-on, easily do 25 to 35 lbs load as a carry-on, fits in overhead bins of most regional commuter jet, with an AirTag for discrete tracking.

Upgrade Advantage bids - this sailing appears to be sold out or upgraded early, especially Haven & spa cabins, with zero availabilities for new bookings except for Insides for the past 10+ days. I can release 2 of the successful upgrade bids, both "awarded" up to balconies, the first one was weeks ago (more than 6 to 7 weeks ago) to a BA category, Deck 15 MID/AFT at a relatively low (poor/fair borderline). The 2nd awarded bid happened this morning at 5 days out, to a BB category, Deck 12 MID with a higher offer / amount was increased by $25 to $50 p/p x 2 more than before. Exact amount, I can disclose once we sail when all bids are final - to avoid disturbing other pending bids ... It's a strange set of calculated formula that's difficult to analyze, just going to leave it alone. Apparently, there were last minute cancellation(s) for whatever reasons & others got bumped up. For others playing this game - don't give up hope ... as many know, upgrade can be done at pier check-in and/or even after getting onboard (from no-shows ?? ... unlikely, but) Beyond this, we have another NCL cruise coming up pretty soon - booked straight into a balcony and have no plans to bid for anything higher. Here's that email that was forwarded to us this afternoon ...

@Steelers0854 - great, welcome and please by means, join in ... pitch in ... past and share the torch ... it will just make a semi/live trim report and blog that much more interesting & informative. Where I come from, prefer an approach to be inclusive and not exclusive. With your cruise history & profile, it is certain that a new & unique perspective can be appreciated by all here on CC. If "intel" is correct, GM (formerly HD titled) was in charge of F&B, and if there are issues with special needs, whether it's dietary or something else, I am confident that you will be in good hands - go straight to the top after giving the front end & mid level or junior staff a chance to get things done right. One of the many issues that I "advocated" for putting some efforts to setup that M&G next week ... timing-wise, not "ideal" but perhaps with the extra meet the officers event, get the names of the department "heads". There is also a mail/dropbox known as "Dear xxxxx" for the attention of the GM onboard - use it & write out comments and concerns early, the senior team do respond & follow-up on it ... might not be the ideal answers needed but they do try. For all, will share photos & describe the latest with a large Family Oceanview cabin that can sleep up to 5, convertible sofa & upper pullman (none of which we'll need) but the extra (2nd) HDTV will become useful. I'm sure we can survive without a balcony for the week (Escape's balconies among the smallest of them all)

Thanks and will do. While sorting out what and how much to bring along, niece's dog is dozing off but came to sniff things out. Serious packing underway with the cubes, pouches, ziplock bags, meds, essentials and oh no, some surgical and KN95/KF94 masks (I know, many feel strongly against them, so do we but ... continuous planned preparedness cannot be overlooked, not going crazy or being paranoid) - don't like to be surprised. Hit the jackpot onboard the Joy last May & 2 more times since then, thankful for being fully vaxed & boosted - DW "needs" it more than me with her medical history but her PCP/specialist feel we'll be fine, just need to be wise & strategic to not let our guards down. Still have a good stock of rapid test kits that are good thru 2024 ... these will expire sooner, might as well use them & not taste it by throwing them away. Of course, that mobile mini Rx pouch is going to be well stocked. Memo to others - ship's gift shop & duty-free do not sell popular OTC remedies (and/or will quickly run out) and the Medical Center's dispenser was bare or nearly empty, and very costly to see a nurse unless well insured as a traveler since it's "outside the network" care. Although, not as worried due to the nature of this itineary & port of calls. Hello there, I see another familiar name from the roll call - planning to be at the M&G & gathering with the officers ?? (which I find it kind of odd, as NCL typically do not plan or announce those in advance - being in the large Supper Club ... hmmm) Anyway, let's check it out to see what it's all about this time. Have a good & pleasant Amtrak ride up from BWI, it's been decades since I rode on that NE Corridor, enjoy & perhaps you want to share that part of the journey - not too many CC'ers share their land segment using the trains. Will be very informative - especially over at the East Coast forum. Weather forecasts changed again, weekend with humidity & t-storms in the area, not good but at least - Noreaster or hurricane/tropical storm nowhere near us.

@canadian bartender Unless Kivanc is on vacation or joined another ship, should be onboard this Sunday, promoted since then to HD/GM position (apparently, a common pathway or step-up from being F&B Manager to being HD/GM (or, in Acting capacity). Back in the days, the Escape was known to be run as one of the best within the fleet and they're proud of it My/our SIL was doing fine last year on the Joy to Bermuda in early Spring, then she fell outside on their house's front lawn - resulting in compound upper right thigh fracture, surgical steel rods & screws put in, spend 2+ months in rehab & doing PT, since recovered & walk unassisted or use a cane for short distance, otherwise has come to trust her rollator-walker to get around. She's going to be at Pier 88 waiting, plus BIL, for WC assisted boarding - upgraded to a BB mid-ship balcony, which should make their onboard experience better. Definitely not planning to attempt to tender. We might stay with them to await boarding but otherwise, across in the roped-off Platinum seating area (which tend to fill up quickly & early) at Pier 88. Odds are good that you will see them in the buffet and/or outdoors once underway. With Day 7 being the only Sea Day, not sure if you are going to have luck finding other LCR players - the roll call isn't exactly very lively or exciting either. @shof515 Great idea but I think we both know it's wishful thinking on our parts ... I know what to "not" expect and going to plan accordingly, that is to "wing" it depending on foot traffic management with tendering. At least, we don't have to deal with clearing immigration or CBP unlike then, that created extra bottlenecks ... despite any efforts or attempts to provide priority tendering. I am sure they rather skip, cancel or switch to an alternate port of call at the last possible moment due to weather, to dock instead of tender operations. On the Getaway this January at near capacity, we're suppose to tender at one of the ABC islands in the Caribbean ... "due to unforeseen circumstances" was the opening lead announcing the decision by the bridge to skip & sail to another port where we docked. Local taxi drivers/guides are knew about us coming to visit their town, said NCL just doesn't really like to tender large ships packed with pax. Let's talk about nicer and finer living - DW and I really should eat light for the next few days ... had a great weekend buffet brunch of seafood, so I think we will do fine skipping the ship's Garden Cafe. Preparing to "de-commission" our gallery (kitchen) for a while - no cooking and garbage disposal, dishwashing & doing one's own laundry ... all good reasons to do a nice, long cruise and pay someone else to take care of those boring tasks. One of our local bagel cafe & shop have great smoke salmon along with other freshly prepared items, at very good prices and NCL doesn't come anywhere close to their choices... plus the bakery with all the desserts & sweet stuff ... yummy yummy. But, we want to tender ashore at Bar Harbor, gotta hit up that Restaurant 66 slightly up the hill from the tender pier/dock for an excellent lobster roll, New England style ... properly done. They are opened (checked & confirmed)

@sanabeans - We have a somewhat less than active Roll Call this weekend, not sure about yours but apparently, most being alike, for whatever reasons - also seeing not as many active solo posting ... I hope you have a great one. Tendering at Bar Harbor and Newport are not going to be easy nor fun, as a matter of personal opinion, going to be rather frustrating for the average & even seasoned cruisers - trying to get onto the ship's lifeboats for tendering purposes. It is a "steep" climb down into these large lifeboat and once docked at the pier, climb up & transfer to the landing - hopefully, it is not going to be windy and calm seas, and no waves, as it could be rocking & rolling ... you will (should) need both hands free to firmly hold onto those railings (crew members will be standing by, either sides to help with the tendering transfer) Just think for a moment - pretty sure we are sailing at 98% or higher double occupancies (if not above or sold out entirely) - ship's lifeboats typically carry 150 to 200 pax, the *Away/Plus might be a click or two higher at 200+ and will take at least 15 trips for 2/3 of the pax onboard to get ashore ... repeat again for the return later; plus, crew members that need to be shoreside. It takes an average of 15 to 20 minutes to board (and get off) the lifeboats plus another 10 or 15 minutes for the ride & docking on the other end. Do the math & add them up together - from what we saw, took nearly 2 hours for those that wish to go ashore ... folks with priority tendering, booked NCL shorex and then, all others doing independent or private tours on their own. It was no simple then on the mid-sized ship with 2,200+ pax Dawn and we are on the Escape with easily 4,000 pax. Pack patience & bring it along, I can see a bit of madness ahead. Don't count on being on that last tender returning to the ship, many others will have the same idea ... each lifeboat can take no more than 200'ish, up to legal & safety capacity. Linked pictorial review from our Dawn tendering in 2019 visiting these ports - including Bar Harbor & Newport - (post #79 - BH) and also (#130 - for Newport) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2662250-semi-live-dawn-canada-new-england-5112019-our-old-favorite/?do=findComment&comment=57479255 As viewed from the seated position, climb up 2 or 3 steps, thru that hatch opening & onto / across the gangway ...

@nancyt609 Should be able to book it online at 21 days, have a great cruise - will post what we believe are useful & helpful, thus far ... not seeing anything related to the Escape on this seasonal itinerary and weather is turning slightly chilly for the ports. With luck, might see some early & beautiful coastal Fall foliage en route. For our sailing, COM is scheduled for 7 and 9:30 pm on Day 2 and Day 7 (last / sea day on the return) Cheers 😎

Always looking for ways to help pack & travel light - our large cabin has bedside USB charging port and extra outlets, including that often under-utilized 220V outlet - going to downsize what I bring along, fewer bulkier cables for power, smart (PD) dual USB charger, 10' and 4' USB 3.0 extension cables, and a 10,000 mAH battery bank/powerpack, NC earbuds - should make the carry-on gears more compact & lighter ... since we aren't expecting staterooms to be ready until 3 to 4 pm. A pair of "hidden" Apple AirTags should help us keep track of our checked luggage via the compact iPhone SE 2022 (dual sim enabled ... on both AT&T and T-Mo networks), until they are delivered to our hallway. Android smartphone backup is the good old Google Pixel 4a 5G (unlimited "cloud" photo storage) also dual-sim enabled, Global roaming ... as long as we have decent cellular signals somewhere (aside while out in the Atlantic or away from land towers) - posting not expected to be a major obstacle next week. The plan: convert/upgrade to basic, unlimited WiFi after midnight at the start of Day 2. Just came home from a quick 2 nights resort-hotel stay in nearby Catskill, NY (only 2 hours away) - spoiled by the property's housekeeping standards, tech-friendly outlets and satellite TV channels on 55" HDTV ... and fast & "free" WiFi bundled into the resort fees, including 2 bottled water - it's a junior suite at only 650 sq. ft. (talked about being spoiled, haha) with separate toilet & walk-in shower behind frosted glass/door ... (kind of being reminded of the Epic's room setup) and nice double sink, vanity desk & walk-in closet. No issues doing a week ahead without the extra Haven perks, thus no bids to upgrade.

@www3traveler - now that our summer break is over, we are back out cruising again 😎 and prepare to ride the waves & sea swell again. Thank you & trust all is well out on your coast lately. Much appreciated - doubtful that I am going see anything new posted, shall do my part to get it updated. I should print out some of the photos taken from the Escape M&G then, should be a nice talking piece to some of them ... Kivanc, I believe he was (is ??) on the Escape as GM, read that in one of the recent FS Dailies - but, he could be on rotation and/or vacation. Alvin was on the Getaway in 2022. Oops, fat fingers managed to add an extra 0 (zero) to my post, VOS carries up to 4,000 pax and not 40,000 pax (that could be crazy) - corrections should be noted before the grammer/typo/spelling "police" catch me.

This sailing would be our 3rd of its kind, sailing the NE/Canada route this season ... thus far, haven't seen or read any posts and comments of happenings onboard, maybe no news is good news ... things running smoothly as a whole. We've visited Halifax/NS twice back in the 80's and 90's via the overnight "ferry" - love that city & gone back since again as getting extended vacation time off then wasn't easy. Norwegian Sea and RCI's Voyager of The Seas, then the largest cruise ship at over 130,000 tons carrying up to 40,000 pax ... had since taken us back to these ports some 20 years ago. Still have no idea who's up on this ship's bridge, not that it matter or who's running Haven ops (butler/concierge, etc. ... some / others do, I know) Deepak Punia was HD then in 2019 (when we had an official outbreak of norovirus onboard - yike, we made it thru that 14 days cruise & back safely) and I believe he is onboard as the GM, not sure about the rest of his team from those days. No idea who is the CD onboard, Alvin O. was then. Will most likely skip the BTS tour this time around but going to sign up for Dine With Officers ... won't mind chatting with the iCafe manager is s/he is part of the team to host these to pursue one of my favorite subject area - WiFi & satellite signals on high seas and evolving tech, ask questions about the status of Starlink deployment among NCL vessels. Calling card w names & direct extensions distributed back in 2019 at the M&G then - just for reference, where are they these days ... let's find out. I did put out a friendly request to this week's "better" organized roll call and M&G to post any details, however - watch is still "on" & results pending. @www3traveler - I know she sometimes has the insider's intel & perhaps ... she has an update that I somehow missed on that "2023 who's where 😉 Weather forecast for nearly all the ports at this point - looking fine & great, seasonally warm, mix of long & short sleeve, fleece vest/jacket for layering, windbreaker/hoodie or light jacket should suffice - hats, gloves & scarf not needed yet. Not sure if others onboard this sailing are planning to post and do live reviews, add their comments & observations, etc. - welcome to add here, impossible to cover it all ... i.e. alcohol & drink packages as we do not. Please do not feel that one is barging in and/or should be posting their own. Constructive & helpful and useful additions and viewpoints are always appreciated ... agree to disagree, friendly differences of opinions are recognized here, and opinions on food are always highly subjective & personal in nature, our own "biases" shall be expected.

It's just sad to reflect on all the changes in cost-cutting while overall costs continue to go higher ... global pandemic and rising inflation, and labor issues not ignored. Little & insignificant amenities like mints on the pillow nightly, towel animal, ice buckets refilled, cabin refreshed, trash emptied, towels exchanged (notice that beach towels no longer in most cabins) and coffee maker, not to mention bath robes & slippers in the closet (balconies & up, unless requested) That's what used to make a cruise specials, and without the Haven concept then ... Things that matter a little & taken for granted, gone with the wind of change. Stayed at a resort hotel this weekend and yes, housekeeping protocols have changed - like elsewhere & isn't what it use to be ... but, there is a ice machine down the hallway, self-service machine that dispense soda, juice & bottled water at fair hospitality prices, and if needed, guest service or front desk without a long line of guests standing & waiting for the next available agent. We leave a good tip, nothing crazy, nightly for housekeeping and they actually wrote a short thank you note for us ... when was the last time room steward did that, hmmm 😉 🤔 The silly question, what do ship's housekeeping staff do when they are done for their "short" work day onboard, say from 6 or 7 pm until 9 in the following morning, unlike others that work in dining services with longer hours ... or do they end up tasked with additional work elsewhere.

Good news, Joy is on her way, thrusters sideway and leaving Dockyard now at 11:50 AM local BDA time and the Faithful (tugboat) port side to guide her thru the narrow & shallow coral reef channel - we're on that route last May when seas were calm, unlike this run. BDA's Marine Forecast - Today - Winds north-northwesterly 15 to 25 knots gusts to 30 knots, easing 12 to 18 knots towards evening... Isolated showers with mainly fair visibility. Swell along with possible rip current and dangerous seas diminish... Seas inside the reef 3 to 6 ft... Outside the reef 10 to 16 ft, decreasing... Sunrise: 6:55 am. Passing along indirect info from someone booked on tomorrow, now Tueday's sailing to Quebec, Canada on the modified New England route, edited with key details only. ... Still disembarking in Quebec City a week Wednesday. Getting a prorated refund as they have their own place in (locally in NYC). Others are not so lucky. NCL will pay up to $300/person for airline change penalty. If you flew in independently and booked your own hotel, you are out of luck. NCL will only covers those booked airfare/hotel thru them. 9:04 AM BTW NCL called to offer additional 15% all cruises for the balance of 2023. IMHO, these are times where travel/trip insurance as one choose to obtain or take chances & ignore and go "self insured" ... during the peak hurricane season. Maritime weather/storm systems beyond NCL's immediate & direct control. I know, prices are higher this year than in years past and sailings are still going basically full. It would be better if NCL would extend that 15% discount beyond 2023 but that is what it is. Off-topics slightly, just talk our nieces in not booking 2 cabins to sail the short 5 days Bermuda route this December on the Getaway, but if one has vacation time and/or otherwise can go, prices aren't that "bad" - instead, they booked 2 balconies days ago to do 10 days on the Getaway with a day at Dockyard, for not that much more - combined with a 15% discount.

Oh mine, Escape is practically home, already sailed under & past the VZ Bridge before midnight, approaching Statue of Liberty soon in the Upper New York Bay, what's the hurry this week ??? That meant for our CAS friends, slots & table games was shut down much earlier than usual 😳 It could be due to tides and river currents on the Hudson so they rushed back in, or perhaps for an onboard medical emergency not urgent enough for medevac. Wasn't following her closely earlier with her speed & position along the planned route track. Good news being that, disembarkation in the morning will be early and one-time, likey ahead of the planned schedule. Just realized, as of this hour - it is T minus 7 Days for this cruise ahead ... going to be a fun semi-live'ish report next week, not to mention that it's likely going to be a sort of live chats at times 😊 😁 😉 seeing who has already seen or read " the early "heads up" as I usually wait until the day before or morning of ... to post about it. Apparently, strange happenings with those bidding for upgrades so I'm going to embargo the details until later on, sorry about that, as I rather not release anything yet, with bids still outstanding and the possibility of really last-minute & onboard upgrade.

Congrats for reaching the top tier ...

Conditions will improve & better tomorrow, but further away from Bermuda, still going to be a rough ride to rush home as best as conditions permit. Excerpt from Bermuda's official weather service - maritime conditions: Tonight - Winds north-northeasterly 25 to 35 knots gusts to 45 knots, easing 20 to 30 knots during the night then tending northerly 20 to 25 knots towards dawn... Patchy rain and isolated showers with fair to poor visibility. Peaking swells with possible rip currents... Seas inside the reef 3 to 6 ft... Outside the reef 14 to 18 ft, decreasing... Sunset: 7:42 pm.

Safety first, there's no way that ships currently anchored there are going to set sail before 9 am tomorrow, better yet to probably wait until midday 😕 based on forecasts & dynamic models, the storm will remain over the islands beyond sunrise with the back of tail end of the storm ... seas going to be rough & very choppy. Advice to those crossing the Atlantic ahead to/from Bermuda, start those motion sickness remedies 🫣

Started tracking the Escape within the last 2 weeks, she sailed from Halifax yesterday ... smooth & calm away from the island. This morning, the North Atlantic is nice and flat, just one more turnaround tomorrow and then, it's ours to embark next Sunday 😎

TGIF. Gosh, single digit countdown - already slipped past T minus 10. Has been a busy summer for us but time to get ready - knowing that a handful or two "CC'ers" knew that this cruise is just around the corner. Neither DW nor myself had begun packing for our upcoming 7 days cruise to New England & Canada "Escape", last sailed her in 2019, but on the Dawn in 2019 and Joy in 2022 - revisiting some of the popular New England & Canada ports. Weather forecast ahead looks reasonably good, pack accordingly & always going to have a weatherproof jacket & layering with something warm, not really expecting to see early foliage ... mother nature can surprise us and of course, it's hurricane season but at the moment, nothing serious on alerts, let the free "Windy" App be part of the toolbox to track maritime changes. Found these old, really old NCL luggage tags a while ago among the pile of FS Dailies from 20+ years ago ... use them inside checked bags as extra ID's. We will be in one of the 3 cabins, our brother-in-law & sister-in-law in their 70's coming back, counting on us being around as needed - SIL since recovering from surgery & rehab with compound upper thigh bone fractures from an accidental fall ... Access Desk contacted months ago to request wheelchair assistance for embarkation & disembarkation ... bringing along her rollator-walker plus a cane to get around the ship a bit easier. She's not planning to go ashore at 2 of the tendered ports due to logistics and other limitations -stay onboard to enjoy the ship while some of us head down to the gangway (Newport, RI and Bar Harbor, ME) We typically only do some planning and often just "wing" it - let's see how well things go. Since we are all either Sapphire or Platinum, specialty dining booked around the 125 days mark, earlier than many others, successfully - true also for the one & only main theater production show ... comedy isn't our cup of tea, going to take a pass on those. Ditto for game shows like Deal or No Deals and I don't consider a paid $$$ Behind The Scene Tour truly onboard entertainment as classified. This is a port intensive itinerary with 6 stops, and Day 7 on the return from Halifax, NS to NY is the one & only sea day. KN95's and KF94's again, hopefully not warranted or needed. Have a decent supply of PPE in reserve and probably will be packing, bringing & likely using them in crowded places, just in case, strictly as a matter of personal choice and in line with guidance, per one of my RN nephew, working in a busy ER here in N.Y.C. Next Sunday morning, we will either find ourselves stopping here first and/or sitting next to our SIL/BIL boarding earlier than fellow Sapphire/Diamond & Platinum tier pax in the roped off area, as SIL will use wheelchair assistance - thru Door C here ... assuming things haven't changed lately. Roll Call is somewhat lackluster & not impressed (yours truly not organized nor really involved ... details just updated/posted within the past week, will attend and perhaps, say hello again to the good old Escape team & leadership onboard. Posted a request on this week's Escape roll call to see if someone going to the M&G can upload the list of senior officers, HD, etc. waiting to read about it ... This Sunday's sailing apparently have a loosely organized roll call & no M&G, not expecting any useful, helpful or practical info before we embark next Sunday ... I do have & know of someone from a previous M&G, so maybe - some insider's alerts & heads up (thanks in advance, Bonnie ...) Otherwise, best efforts on my / our part to report & update - subject to the given & usual limitations of satellite WiFi at sea, as always. Unlimited WiFi upgrade on Day 2, most likely, agian. Cellular (5G and 4G LTE) coverage is expected to be good to excellent as long as we are within range of the port's land signals and/or docked, and, data roaming in Canada isn't going to slow us down in any significant ways. Well, no news while we are at sea - can be assumed to be "good" news or nothing worthwhile to post urgently - or, else, the CC community will get the gossips and non-verified "rumors" here first. Since NCL does not wish to have guests board the vessels with 2 meters/70 cm portables (ham radios/walkie talkies, etc.) - will continue to respect those rules ... scanner apps that I have should suffice. Live TV news & weather coverage onboard NCL ships are poor to fair at best, not counting on it for any breaking news alert - on our own, so not going to be "off the air" with the smartphone & iPhone (to track those cute AirTags "hidden" inside checked luggage) shut off & locked in the mini-safe. MCT / Pier 88-90 has free WiFi for public use, unsecured of course but usable & reasonably fast - cell signals inside, poor to bad or horrible. Unlike others, we have neither dogs (not permitted as we live in a co-op townhouse style garden apartment community) nor cats to worry about, watering of our houseplants will be taken care of with a simple watering set-up. Will be a trial run for using a travel vest to carry about 10 lbs. worth of digital gadgets, essentials & meds, for embarkation & disembarkation ... sticking to our notion of packing smartly & traveling light, one checked 22" or 24" spinner or rollerboard plus a carry-on (10 kg or 22 lbs) backpack only - avoiding the personal bag if we can. Leaning toward using a Lenovo Chromebook again vs. the slightly heavier Sony Vaio notebook PC, keeping the cables & adapters, etc. to a minimum as our cabin has USB charging outlets, good for the portable power/battery bank. After this, another TA on the horizon later this year 😁 😊 🙂 Here's a preview of some of the evolving set-up, gadgets & items that are coming along: * Specialty dining, booked & confirmed @ 125 days out as Sapphire, success ! * Onboard entertainment, booked & confirmed @ 25 days out, success ! (others as Platinum, 21 days out) * Online Check-In done & completed @ 21 days out - eDocs ready & available @ 20 days out ! * eDocs & eLuggage tags printed @ T minus 9 days out ! * iPhone SE 2022 paired up with AirTags to discretely track our checked luggage, will board her early with just a backpack each. The sailing we are on is practically full, sold-out already except for Insides & some Studio cabins (likely from upgrade bids) since last week, apparently ... will share some of the "direct" observations & findings from what "we" knew about the "Upgrade Advantage" bidding - expecting the ship to be at or near capacity, but not many children or teens (most should be in schools & classrooms by then) Costs and prices for local / ground transportation here in the city have been rising, surging might be a better term - last time we parked above MCT at Pier 88/90 was probably 20 years ago, out of convenience then at $20 a day. It is now $45 a day, all inclusive but a relative bargain ... considering that whether it is by Uber or Lyft, Carmel (our "preferred" car service) or using a neighborhood FHV service, a sedan ride with tips will be about $80 to $90 each way or $110 to $120 for a minivan (4 adults plus luggage) Leaning toward just do the short 25 to 30 minutes drive ourselves and do the rooftop parking, and split the costs with BIL/SIL. It should also be "news worthy" for the East Coast / NY Destination Forum. Reference and background - finally got around to refresh & located those broken or missing links to previous review on the Escape and the NE/Canada ports that we visited in recent years - they are working & accessible, just follow the hyperlink - click to read - might have to "expand signature" to find the ones of interest.