mking8288

Probably b/c they might not have adequate quantity (supply chain logistics) of fresh fish fillet & other ingredients on hand for the limited # of sushi rolls on the menu - I would go for some nice sashimi instead, then 4 items for 1 person will be just fined. There are certain refrigerated & frozen items that they can easily & creatively add, once properly defrosted, to compliment the very limited selections now Yeah, wholly "whale" (cow) that's a lot of rolls on each tray, looked practically like the portions served in Food Republic - let's hope that NCL isn't going to start shrinking them somehow ... magically, which they are known to do well these days.

Didn't someone reported that GA came in 1hour early & perhaps left earlier than scheduled ? Not much to do past midnight & beyond, maybe over to Atlantis? I would be surprised that the shops by the pier stayed opened that late.

Oh dear, Sharon - load up on Vitamins C, fluid & rest, virtual chat with your PCP if necessary. Otherwise, a bit of OTC cold/flu meds might help ... what do I know, LOL. Susan tested last night & I waited this morning, fingers crossed that we stay negative without being gifted. You'll be fine & should feel better in a day or two (usually) and on your feet in almost no time, get groceries & food delivered, etc. Our mindset was / is that we will catch it again, XBB is highly easy to be exposed & infecting others, repeatedly - but, on the brighter side, help prop up our natural immunity - as long as we stay out of "long Covid" Please take care & get well soon, the Prima awaiting you. BTW, you meant to say "Getaway from January 20 - Feb 1, not Feb 20-March 1 ... unless you discovered the secrets to time travel, beam us there too.

(continue towards Wrap-Up Summary # 4 - from notes, etc.) A good Saturday morning for those still following on a chilly cold morning, post-cruise dieting continue ... Getaway as a ship / destination / use of space - For winter 2022-23 that rather not go south as snowbirds or fly, NCL has 2 ships sailing out of NY - the mid-sized GEM (which we like & prefer) and the newer, mega-sized GETAWAY - more bells & whistles, although honestly, some of the extras aren't important to us, i.e. water slides, rope course & spa services. It came down to itinerary options and pricing, with better last minute deals for the GEM ... which we probably will sail again - with a better "walkability" index. Post final payment deadline dates, there're changes to port times or schedule, and the uncertainty with Puerto Plata - Amber Cove, DC stop ... not much we can do but roll with the punches, cruise with the flow and tailored expectations - perhaps, a day at Nassau or GSC instead of an extra days. Never happy with the 4 pm to 10 pm brief stopover at San Juan, PR ... but hey, the GEM got a 7 hour visit to Nassau with a 9 pm arrival instead of a winter visit to Dockyard, Bermuda - what can we do about it, nada - just pound sand & beat the drums, have another drink (ice coffee, for me) & toast to 12 nights of doing absolutely nothing around the house, nearly everything done & taking care of. That's the spirit of it all, as much as being critical and pointing out some of the "minor" things the average / new cruisers would not noticed, and/or perhaps not felt bothered & annoyed with. That's being a "critic" here - cheers when things are done right and boo when one feel & see things not going along well. Along the way, if the report & review helps a few here - mission accomplished & happy to be a part. Our 2nd time on the Getaway (within a year) and like others, including Sharon "The P" - we clearly noticed the changes and the big differences, not just in occupancies but the passenger's mindset and behaving onboard, lot more pushing and jamming (not music) into elevators, although we did see others using the stairs, especially walking down the stairs when it isn't difficult. From Day 1, Embarkation to Day 13, Disembarkation morning, lines were just about everywhere ... except the "public bathrooms" and hand wash sinks just outside the buffet (Garden Cafe) as practically nobody was doing their share of washy washy, not even using hand sanitizers - nor were the staff asking or suggesting. Menus were reused immediately, tables were quickly wiped & we felt lucky that there was NOT an outbreak of norovirus on the ship ("this" used to be a big topic here CC as passengers were quarantined & kept in isolation ... remember those days) One (1) washy washy crew member, maybe 2 at most, "guarding multiple (4 to 5) entrances into the buffet & food stations - folks walking around, eating & licking, as they hop around to fill more food on their plates, yike 😳 😠 ☹️ Those were done for suspected/confirmed noro outbreak ... what a difference, and, these days After 9:30 pm - once they shut down the buffet & begin cleaning the cafe, there's one water station (just outside toward the pool area) left open, unattended mostly by a crew, with empty cups around for a while, until it's picked up somehow. NCL could, should, can at least leave some "bins" around & mark them for DIY "collection" once pax were done filling their bottles & mugs, etc. & don't mind properly disposing them - nope. NCL has YET to install dedicated water bottle refilling stations, so platic cups & mugs remain necessary, if one followed the info-graphics nearby on how to. It is most often ignored and not enforced, even if & when crew member(s) are around or nearby - most simply pretended not seeing anything and did not say anything, let alone offer to help or show the passenger(s) how to. Going above & beyond, not here - sorry but ... I stand corrected, otherwise & if they are reading this, better coaching the crew would be nice & appropriate - despite the cutback. It's health & safety. Aside from using Spice H20 for evening & late night events, gathering & parties, the pool deck area is pretty much empty of chair hogs (and, they're out in full force by the morning of Day 3 as we've reached much warmer weather by the afternoon of Day 2) - claiming their prime spots, well prepared with all sorts of tags, clips & personalized towels & pool items. Good thing is that, the adult pool area didn't look too crowded at times ... unlike the hot tubs, always a small gathering sitting & sharing, often well past dinner time into 9 p.m. plus (closed after 10 p.m. for daily cleaning) Haha, ain't no way that we would get into them, unless we are the first in the morning at 6:30 or 7 a.m. Yes, the pools are heated. During the day, a bonus tip - Spice H20 is a better place to soak in the sun, loungers & chairs, and 2 hot tubs and bar services available, directly above the buffet area (1 deck below) Otherwise, don't expect much use of the pool on Deck 15, as the chairs/loungers were all stacked up high & basically closed by 7 to 8 p.m. for the evening, most folks gone to (stand in lines) dinner or to catch a show, etc. - nothing much going on, check the most "current" Freestyle Dailies to see where & what. Atrium - that's the premium gathering space for just about 1/3 of the onboard events - far, far too crowded and inadequate space, let alone seating for the gathering crowd ... and there's a small group that stalked & claimed the best seats there, from dawn to dust, especially on sea days. Area just in front of Starbucks aren't always filled - if you are willing & able to stand and watch game shows, demonstrations, presentations or just listen to the singing duo, etc. Or, try one deck above, upstairs on the opposite side of O'Sheehan's with fewer foot traffic thru the area, except when there's something go on in the Trop Theater. Watch from "high" above where you are less likely to catch anything airborne but I still suggest putting a mask on, your choice. Spiel Tent, now renamed "Illusionarium" no longer used for dinner (paid/extra upcharge) show(s) were used sometimes, but appeared under-utilized and could help "divert" some of the better attended events in the atrium. My understanding is that some of the comedies & shows are restricted, by virture of the contracted performance & copyright reasons, cannot be moved to a bigger venue, despite the popularity - "sold-out" for the lucky ones that managed to get tickets or reservations and have VIP (Haven) access, perhaps and otherwise, unavailable to the rest onboard, not a good way to fool some of us. CruiseNext/Shorex - with the last minute changes and the latest DoubleUp promotion valid for any stateroom booking, go there early during open hours or expect to stand on lines for a while. That's where we signed up on Day 1 for Dine With Officers (Sapphire & up only) and wine tasting, as BTS (Behind The Scene) Tours haven't resume (soon, they said) yet and spaces filled up quickly - collect the new Latitudes pin (NCL ship pins disconnected, for those that haven't sail NCL in a while) while giving them a chance for their marketing & sales pitch. We did NOT attend the "Welcome Back" Latitudes reception organized mainly by the CN team - do not think we "missed" out on anything, no prize drawings & no giveways, just 1 or 2 rounds of basic alcoholic drinks - if new, feel free to attend & join. Onboard satellite WiFi & related - sailing soon on the Getaway, consider lucky as Starlink is just around the corner, next on NCLH's fleetwide adoption & deployment of superior satellite services - see this CC NCL thread - click - for additional details & discussions, etc. Just hope that prices & bundled, package prices will hold instead of going up ... fingers crossed. NCL will catch up to the other 2 major mass lines in bringing better broadband access ... still dependent on overhead orbiting coverage, it is NOT going to be better or fast like cable or fiber optics at home or at the office/workplace (microwave beamed, (multi)point to point). For the Getaway, as is - using mid to high-end hardware on our end, can and do, make a difference, often, a big one to be noticed vs. using a 3 or 5 years old iPhone 8 or smartphone running Android 9 or 10. As I've documented in earlier posts here, Google Pixel 7 Pro (considered 1 of the top 3 best) beat the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus @6 to 7 Mbps vs 2 to 3 Mbps download and 3 Mbps vs 1 Mbps or less on uploads - difference of being able to do a HD 720 zoom/FT video call vs. a low resolution video or voice call ... discussions about video streaming or extended Zoom session excluded here, on purpose. Take a look at your own "gears" coming along for the cruise, if you can connect to a tri-band WiFi router or connect regularly to WiFi 5 and/or WiFi 6, or 802.11 ac or 802.11 ax dx VPN - ditto if you are using an iPhone and/or iPad/Air/mini ... are they all recently updated, running the latest & newest OS and all the security/patches & apps flashed/installed - to squeeze every last bits out of the dynamically cached & shared network onboard, easily among 2,000 to 3,000 end users over a narrow patch and bandwidth. Pleasantly surprised, unlike last year's Joy cruises - where the network barely delivered actual speed beyond 2 to 2.5 Mbps download speed, off-peak and struggled with 1 Mbps uploading. I can confirm, both with iOS and Android OS, device-specific (hardware & settings, as configured properly) you can "receive" free, at no extra charge from either NCL or your own cellular/ISP provider, in-bound message headers, including some, not all - non.graphics based or simple text / SMS messages, including chats sent via FB's Messenger, WeChat & even Google Voice/Chat - without being "blocked" - all these, while only connected to ship's WiFi inTRAnet only, that's the "free" side of the Getaway's "network" that you can use for the duration of the cruise, while in "Airplane Mode" & WiFi connected, cellular/roaming OFF, typically used for checking Onboard Account charges, booking dining & shows, access deck plans, etc. Some have luck & success also in sending messages without being logged in & using those "access" minutes. On a timed plan (by the minutes or MB data used) - remember to logout after each use and login again the next time, or else ... your 125/250 or 300/600 minutes will be gone even before Day 2 - iCafe manager can, at her/his discretion ... partially restore some of the "wasted" minutes as a one-time only courtesy if you speak to them nicely & ask for a review to help, be thankful if they do it. When using the special iCafe/login.com and logout.com to reach digitalseas.io URL to connect to the "paid" side of the WiFi network, you then connect to the inTERnet - either on a timed/metered minutes or MB data plan or one of the unlimited plan option / package bundled - which unblock & open up full access, to read the "entire" message & not just the headers, including CruiseCritic. It worked best when trying to chat or message from iOS to iOS devices, and Android to Android, and not across mixed platforms (or iOS to/from Android). Otherwise, using the free inTRAnet only, you can read but typically cannot post or log into your CC account, etc. This is an known loophole, open secret and NCL can choose to block & shut it down, upon their I.T. Dept figuring out how to tweak other settings - enjoy & use it while you can, just don't expect this free gift to last forever. While on my Pixel 7 Pro, not turning off the built-in VPN functions didn't affect the ability to connect to various online sites as it's default enabled by design, running "pure" Android 13 without carrier or OEM bloatware. Once we were within solid signal & range of land-based cellular towers, (that's "roaming" and/or global/international travel for most of you, not all & not to us) we switched back & adjust settings for an optimal cellular signal, meaning much faster & reliable speed and connectivity, at little to no extra costs to us, already covered by our existing Google Fi MNVO carrier's plan. Two calls at 20 cents each/per minute + tax, and about $25 in extra 5G/4G data on DW's plan & taxes, that's our net extra add-on cost over that 13 days period - about twice of what we typically spent cruising non-domestic ports, mostly for data usage with multiple devices running. It's far, far less than the extras for trying to use it onboard. Both San Juan, PR and St. Thomas, USVI are considered by carriers as home use while others do not, including most MNVO or prepaid carriers - very good to excellent 5G or 4G LTE cellular coverage almost everywhere. The other Caribbean islands that we visited on this cruise, all have good to very good coverage, mostly 4G and LTE coverage even higher up on the hilltops & mountains and in semi-remote areas, where 5G isn't really necessary with its population size - widespread use of solar and wind for energy helping to sustain, maintain and grow their local infrastructure *****. Islands coverage are considered & recognized as being in "Jamaica" and roaming/partner services are mostly from DigiCel (for T-Mobile) and also by Flow (not a partner for our "Fi" services, however). Adding extra onboard satellite WiFi - 100 MB/minutes to one's account to continue access are expensive, $75 for 100 and $125 for 150 minutes - did not see 30 and/or 60 minutes, once sold by NCL onboard on the last 1 to 2 sea days as disembarkation specials. A word of caution for those using one's iPhone and/or smartphone to keep track of "local" time (and "ship time") when going ashore, be advised that due to varying device settings as configured, always double check & reconfirm whether your "time" is correct and set to match's time, especially those "All Abroad" time - ship can, will and has sailed & leave passengers behind to be enrolled into the not so honorable "Pier Runner's Club" to get back home or catch up, at their own expenses, with the ship at subsequent port of call. Confused & don't understand what I'm trying to explain in simple, layman's language - you aren't alone, it's okay. Will update and add an extra summary about WiFi access on NCL ships, using and tricks for "better" WiFi access onboard, knowing that they next cruise is ready to go in 2 days. BTW, just for fun, pulled out an old pix of Alvin, CD - taken on the Breakaway, either 7 or 8 years ago ... a slimmer & younger Asst CD then & lead one of the BTS tour. Last time on the Escape, he was doing the cruise ship operations & about the solo cabin of a typical CD, his, on overhead HDTV slide shows. Somebody on the next cruise might want to show him this, LOL ***** For many of the less developed Caribbean islands, overseas investments by the mainland Chinese government & industries apparently making a huge difference, financing and supporting the construction of hotels & resorts, new roads, energy and other technology transfers - whereas the Taiwan/Chinese government has also been a partner for some of them for as much as 40 years. Two of our independent drivers/guide explained, as they are boosting the government's revenue sources, creating jobs (even if it's indirectly, as the labor pool often are flown in from the other side) - it's a win-win to many, questions remained to the local people are ... what do they want to get out of it, no such thing as a free deal for these costly & long-term investments. Nobody has a good answer & are left chatting, chalk it up to more urban legends and water cooler talks.

See - post #346 - photo illustrated. No bedside outlets, family balconies are just like other balconies, designation refer more to its location & sleeping up to 4 persons. You will need at least a 12' extension cord, 15' feet is better. Happy & healthy cruising ! Yes, whether beds are together or separated, each side/person will have her/his own "slim" vertical nightstand with 2 open shelves.

Hi, Sharon ... how was disembarkation for you and getting home 👴 😁 at nearby Hell's Kitchen, stay warm & toasty today, we are "sheltering at home" not going out anywhere today. Susan missed those 80 degree days down in the Carib's already - yours truly looking at something toward in early Spring, now that we got our email addresses, easier way to stay better in touch. We had to walk thru the casino multiple times throughout, the smoke was still annoying with our masks on. When we ate in SN, we tried to get seated further away and it wasn't too bad. Oh, don't we missed last year's Getaway & Joy with far fewer passengers, the better days then. This time, we had far more children & teens than expected but otherwise, generally a much older mix of folks, far more accessible passengers ... perhaps, for some, it's either sail now or not ever again ... with some of the CruiseNext (re)extended expiration dates coming up soon/this year. NCL managed to sell out nearly all the ships cruising out of NY this winter, even the current "almost Cruise To Nowhere, Bermuda to Bahamas high sea express "Cannonball Run" - just looked at the GA's live shipcam, much choppier sea state & waves, more typical for this time of the year in the Atlantic as they move further north out of the Caribbean waters ~ 8 to 10 ft. and cloudy ... as least, they "escaped" the coldest day of this winter (thus far). Start packing soon for the Prima next on your cruise radar ... Just to let you know, as I just read (click for CC link) someone else on our GA cruise came home "positive" which wasn't a surprise. Susan & I just wrapped up, our post-cruise 48-72 hours rapid tested negative & mine early this morning also - used up 4 boxes of "free" test kits instead of letting it sit, expired & wasted. Haven't been out except for her pre-scheduled routine mamo/ultrasound exams, 99% conclusive that we didn't catch or bring home anything from this cruise - that we can terminate our self-imposed "isolation" & see friends & relatives with much higher health risk factors than us tomorrow and next week. Woohoo !!! P.S. @RadioPeri - hi, we didn't get much chance to chat & mingle at the Meet & Greet but the turnout was pretty good as I expected, just that nothing else was planned.

(continue towards Wrap-Up Summary # 3 - from notes, etc.) VZ Fios line repair completed, 2 fiber line feed in townhouse's (co-op) was cut while we're still away from the cruise, almost certain by Spectrum tech doing their installation as they also needed access thru cellar's limited crawl space - services restored & full connectivity, had to reconfigure the router (factory reset) settings optimized for home automation & security/camera systems in use. It's all good now. Deck 12 - "BA" Balcony (port side 1211X and our friends, 3 doors away 1211X also) Nothing out of the ordinary, beds were closer/next to the balcony's sliding door with the sofa-bed next to the closet - the person sleeping next to the balcony has limited space to get out of bed without touching the curtains or balcony's sliding door. BA/GA & Escape has the smallest balcony among NCL's fleet of ships ... the Joy's a tiny bit larger, not by much either. It has a night "porch" light, controlled by flipping a switch nearby, just enough room for 2 chairs & a tiny coffee table (12' x 12") NCL has yet to upgrade the bedside lamps to add an USB port, perhaps ... never will. Same reasons that the Dawn and the Gem did not have them added during recent dry docks - costs & labor involved, certifications & maintenance from wear-n-tear. Having a 10 ft. and 6 ft. USB extension cable, together with a typical OEM 1 meter/3 ft. charging cable allowed us to reach the far end of the bed and out to the balcony - 2 (magnetic) clips to hold the wire along the wall helped against tripping it by accident & out of the narrow passage. CPAP user(s) are advised to bring one's own 15' UL-listed/approved extension cable without surge protection circuits as they are prohibited & not compatible with maritime electrical grounding system. There's plenty of open shelves for storage and as I shown earlier, use of packing cubes (eBags, Eagle Creeks, Ikea, Amazon & similar "systems" allow everyone to keep their clothings & belongings neat, clean, organized & easy to re-pack, etc. and you'll come to appreciate it when traveling light - fold, roll, squeeze & fit, then compress & pack it all together. Contents of a 22" rollerboard or spinners will use 2 open shelves while some can be put on hangers. Small, half & quarter-sized packing cubes will fit into the oddly shaped shelves behind/next to/below the TV with the doors - electronics, underwear and misc. items called them "home" for 12 days. Carry-on size bags will stand vertically (3 to 4 of them) or lie flat (2 - 3) in the non-illuminated small closet, as long as you don't have lots of long dresses & coats, etc. Use your smart/iPhone's flashlight to check for any small items forgotten before disembarkation. All staterooms has a mini safe is just big enough to fit something like an iPad mini, can't even fit an 11" Chromebook (unnecessary, it's PIN protected & secured anyway) - wallets, passports, and small digital cameras, smartphones, Rolex watches, diamonds, pearl necklaces, etc. will fit. Housekeeping & Laundry services - being Platinum or higher, we each get a free (downsized) paper bag's worth of wet wash & dry, folded services anytime during the cruise (once only - on 14 days cruise - you get 2, reconfirm that again as "rules" are known to change often) - use one of those hotel laundry bag with a drawstring as a liner/insert, or use one of the pillow cases - it'll help against the ultra paper bag from breaking & you don't need duct or clear package tapes to secure it. We did a bag under DW's name on Day 6 and a 2nd bag under mine on Day 9, got them back folded in a wicker basket, ready to re-pack clean clothes to bring home - about $200's worth of laundry. Use it or lose it - a 24" rollerboard and spinner (42 lbs & 46 lbs each) plus a smaller cabin/carry-on bag (heavier electronics, toiletries, essentials & 2 change of clothes, etc.) on wheels were all we needed for cruising the Caribbean in the winter out of NYC. Irene, our room steward just started her 2nd contract on NCL, returned from her vacation / leave in December - title changing later this month to an "attendant" with base salary "reductions" but hoping to offset it somehow with additional rooms & duties. Cheerful & always say hello whenever she see us, prompt & efficient and does a good cleaning job as expected. We didn't asked for ice bucket, coffee maker, robe (DW's only) & slippers - given our plans on sea days and in ports - not spending a lot of time in the cabins. No surprises either like unexpected and not suggesting extras like towel animals (still can't figure out how our last one on the Joy managed to do those elaborate ones while being so busy then) - twice a day services with a quicker evening turndown - we skipped it 2 or 3 times flipping the DND light, gave her a little extra time to rest/sleep ... our corridor's stewards are usually done by 9 p.m. nightly. We cash tipped her appropriately on Day 3 and Day 11 in appreciation of doing her job well, but nothing that we considered going above & beyond - find it difficult to fill out that Vacation Hero Card. Unlike other cruises, we didn't see or noticed any extra or special cleaning done in the hallways, corridors & stairs, including wiping down doors & handles with a diluted bleach/disinfecting solution mix. The repeated appearance & apparent indifference of permitting full-size strollers, rollater/walkers and even motorized scooter to remain & stay in the hallways and side passage on multiple days, IMHO, pose a serious fire & life safety hazards - something that I would not tolerate as (former) administrator of an ambulatory care (Article 28) facility in NYC, subject to standard set by the Joint Commission (JACHO). Perhaps, they're left only briefly outside to be stored by housekeeping in a designated area or exceptions made, but unlikely when I discovered some of them still "standing" after 10 p.m. - there're also a good # of families with children on our deck, with the Splash Academy (older "kids") just behind the Fwd elevators. In the morning, the sight of these plus the assorted housekeeping carts, vacuum cleaners, etc. is not something that I consider acceptable - if there's an emergency nearby. Mario was written to via the "Dear M" mailbox system (not in exchange for a plate of strawberries or a bottle of house wine as I don't drink, LOL) - perhaps the next 2 or 3 sailings can help others with updates if you see something, go ahead and say something again - let them known at the M&G - it's on "CC" already. The "Norwegian Way" tagline and Attention to Details - My critical analysis for this cruise, it seemed, suggested that the team & crew members in general, seemed to be somewhat coming up just short of attention to details and sometimes, seemed ignorant of the obvious, i.e. pour coffee at the breakfast table in the dining room but didn't check, look or asked whether milk or creamer are there, sufficient & refills are called for, same for sugar packets & even butter (yes, we learned later in the week - they were low or running out on things, that's poor strategic and just-in-time planning). Somehow, we just aren't picking up and feeling that good old Norwegian Way feeling anymore - times have surely changed and I cannot believe that we've graduated to being old-timers. Crew members as a whole just aren't expressing that warm & fuzzy feeling that we used to see all the time, not as friendly and not as outgoing, and saying much less than usual - simply doing their job, no more and at times, doing less. In the MDR and Specialty Dining, perhaps we are being too observant, asst. manager(s) barely come around, if at all, to walk the tables & see, ask the guests how things are going, meals eaten & whether there are issues, etc. - no, no, and not on this cruise. Another else see it and noticed, perhaps our comments helped refresh your memories from recent cruises - it's that synergy that's somehow deficient and missing here. Maybe, it's the leadership and team building efforts failing, not necessary a direct result or side from the rounds of cuts and frequent changes taking place. I don't know but interested in hearing other's thoughts on this. Another Sapphire members on this cruise also commented mid-cruise, they were all - looking- busy & running all over, except they aren't really doing anything ... and, seen them whispering into each other's ears. Almost forgot to mention Shanghai Noodles, when it first launched on the Breakaway in 2013-14, it wasn't that popular but slowly & surely, became known for its comfort food, back then, it had a few more real good items (some had a nominal upcharge, if my memory is correct) - also served nice, hot & freshly prepared in the "Open Kitchen" directly behind the counter with high seating ... fun to watch them cook on the spot & seeing the spotless stainless steel kitchen vent/exhaust system in use. Old days, you can just walk up & get seated for quick service - nowadays, the lines formed by 11:45 am for lunch on sea days, if not earlier and everyone got seated & by the time meals are done - it's 1 to 1:15 pm - when they are supposed to stay open until 1:30 pm. Second seating are quickly filled, orders taken & served - everyone is happy with the available & limited choices there. Recommended - fried dumplings (not steamed), mini spring/egg rolls, spicy seafood noodles with the chau siu (thinly-sliced roast pork) noodles soup a close tie (aside from the heavily soy sauce seasoned "broth") and the Singapore thin rice noodles with a touch of spicy yellow curry ... and the desserts. Quality is on par and as good as, if not better, than food served on the Gem, Jewel & Dawn class ships with the sit-down Asian restaurants. Without paying extra for SD or without Haven or suite access to upscaled dining, O'Sheehan's and Shanghai Noodles are the best option onboard the Getaway. Give it a try, at least once, you'll most likely sold & go back again. Oddly enough & it's probably not a coincidence, portion sizes in the MDR on that 2nd/last sea days as we return to NY were larger - as if they we bumped into a 2 of 1 sale and free extras ... nearly everything from the starter/appetizers to the entrees were bigger than usual, quite noticeable as we were accustomed to the newly petite "Cooking Lite" servings. We joked with the servers, trying hard today to win our hearts and ... (to be continued - final "thoughts" later / tomorrow - to wrap it up)

(continue towards Wrap-Up Summary - from notes, etc.) Restaurants - MDR, OSH and Specialty Dining & the new paid/fees-charged (Breakfast) Room Services Showing up, crowds everywhere and waiting in line(s): Embarkation night - we had booked, pre-cruise, dining for 4 in Tropicana MDR at 5:30 pm, easy enough ... it should. Showed up a few minutes early and there is only one line for everyone, anyone, with a reservation or just walk-up freestyle ... when asked during the Q&A part of the CC Meet & Greet on Day 2, GM super "Mario" insisted that it should be 2 lines and that ... well, a number of us respectfully disagreed & challenged him, looked to his F&B and Beverage manager to help, enough said. By the 3rd evening, situations there improved (night 2, we reserved & ate in Cagney's) with 2 host/ess stations, but still unclear which line is for what, no signage and if you dare to walk straight up to the podium to ask, get the deadly look "by a thousand cuts stare" by others waiting ... Services in the MDR being friendly, at times very helpful with suggestions, other times somewhat average to indifference - quick to get the soup, salad & appetizer(s) out and then, sometimes with a long, long pause for the entrees to show up - and, just warm to sometimes room temperature, worst than the buffet sometimes with the "steam tables" to keep things warm. If NYC's Dept of Health inspectors are permitted to be onboard & show up without warning, NCL would definitely fail to pass ... looking closely at their operations & having done the BTS tour of gallery ops below deck, those plastic covers aren't doing much to help retain hot food's temperature & keep them ready to be served quickly. Probably worsen by the overwhelmed staff having the covered food sitting at the wait "stations" for minutes too long, without putting them on the guest's table. Hey, what do I know ... For breakfast, lunch and dinner in Taste and/or Savor, the 2 smaller MDR - it's pretty much the same, especially on the first few nights, with just one host/ess working the podium/desk, greeting & touch contacting the RFID guest key cards, finding a table & printed out a slip to hand off to another crew to direct the party to their table ... and, of course, answer "quick questions" from others trying to figure out why there is a long line and/or can they just get inside with a preservation. Toward the latter part of this 12 nights cruise, the upfront greeting, hosting & getting everyone seated became smoother, not perfect but at least, moving along without major delays. MIXX Bar sandwiched between Taste & Savor is always busy until past dinner services, packed with pax getting drinks and there's always someone socializing in small clusters of groups while waiting for a table - making the corridor or hallway area very difficult to transverse or walk thru or go pass & around them. It's 5:45 p.m. and seated, ready for a quicker dinner service to be out of there in 75 minutes to rush over to the main theater to join the line for doors to open, catching the 7:30 pm main shows. Best of luck & our server team tried their best, we skipped dessert & almost ran out of there ... make it, whew. Otherwise, plan for 90 minutes to 2 hours+ for a full dinner onboard a full ship. Whereas NCL used to do an early & then late show, it's often just one per night at 7:30 pm and good luck booking it, quick & do it early once onboard - hope for the best. Hence, on 2 nights, we ended up going to the buffet for fruits, dessert & tea/coffee ... continuation of our unfinished dinner, LOL - watching them promptly shut down & close up shops, pulling the ropes to block latecomers from getting in at 9:30 p.m. (Hurry, 2 of the MDR are open until 10 p.m. along with Specialties ... OSH is 24/7 or Room Service with a $9.95 charge + 20%) We dine in Cagney's, Teppanyaki and La Cucina on 3 different nights ... and checking in & getting to an assigned table seemed fine & smooth - still, just one host/ess on duty & when s/he is away showing the guests to their table or doing something else and distracted, no greetings whatsoever & you can just walk in and around (and, slip out with plated dinner and/or dessert to go ... station/kiosk left unattended as free-for-all. I do not remember these being the case in years past, including 2022 - I stand corrected, of course. Those salted Edamame beans served in Teppanyaki are no longer given, availability shortage ?? but you're given a spoonful at best last year - not a big loss & deal breaker by itself, the increased pricing is - idiots & fools would spend extra & pay almost "full price" for it, not a good buy for just plain large shrimps instead of jumbo black tiger shrimps. What kind of beef is being served, look & ask - ours still good & cooked fine at medium. 1/3 bowl's worth of diluted miso soup and 2 forkful of salad, nicely decorated - thankfully, I got an extra 1/2 bowl of fried rice as fillings. Consider a reflection of corners being cut and hoping that most guests will not noticed the subtle measures to save a few bucks over time. We went cruising with tempered expectations and knew/read some of what to look forward to, and just roll with the waves - sometimes laugh things off & try to maintain our sense of humor, not to blow steam at anyone or get mad or upset at the crew & even the junior/senior officers - things way, way beyond their direct control ... at times, trying to appreciate as tiny, tiny NCLH shareholders in this complicated calculus. None of the SD restaurants were really filled up full, seeing empty tables with dirty plates & nobody in a rush to clean up & turn it around, setting up for 2nd round or late dining - as it's easily 2 to 2.5 hour for full services in a place like Moderno and Cagney's. It's quite possible that there just aren't enough crews to rotate & assign to "staff" all the available table ... otherwise, it's quite amusing to watch an uniformed "officer" ranked dressed in a white shirt/blouse to clean & prepare tables, and showing guests to their seats with menus, etc. Roll up the sleeves and just do it - can you really expect some of them to be cheerful & smiling all the times, I don't and just cannot imagine. Some no longer do the friendly greeting at 10 steps away when coming toward you and/or barely try with a simple hello or hi - not what they are supposed to do as trained & instructed. We did asked at Cagney's on whether the server can wrap and pack our dessert to go, and the polite but firm answer, with a sad look on the waiter's face tell it all, that it is not allowed & against ... Haha, the portions served, from the starter & salad to the sides, and even the once oversized desserts have shrinken - won't likely leave empty but not much remaining to pack & go, unless you had a recent gastric-bypass procedure done or on a 500 calories meal diet. As far as food temperature goes, the MDR delivered the worst experience, nearly almost just luke warm or barely above room temperature and the buffet (Garden Cafe) isn't really much better - except, perhaps for the hot soups and carving stations, or catching a freshly grilled hamburger or hotdog and items coming off the skillets. O'Sheehan's get the honor of getting the server to bring out hot food when it should, and cold food kept cold, as they are expected to do so - Wagner beef burger with cheese, mushrooms, bacon, etc. is almost perfect ... Five Guys Burger's "competition at sea, just avoid & don't waste money and time eating almost the same at the up-charged American Diner. La Cucina served up an excellent cut of beef tenderloin at no extra upcharge (yet) unlike Le Bistro (and, Cagney's - I think, off-hand) but it came plain, no sides whatsoever. The new policy of 1-1-1 just isn't sitting well with us, and we certainly don't wish to upsize one of the pizza choices to make it an entree instead. BTW, thin & smaller cuts of pizza in the buffet are good, if not really good & edible, quite a surprise & change for the better - thumbs up to the chef responsible. Despite being charged for SD, we still cash tipped our servers, as we always do - ditto when we used our Platinum meals - a little cash put directly into their hands, I think, do help to let them know - times might be tough for all, but we aren't "stiffing" them. There's a Starbucks logo'ed Cafe on Deck 6 Fwd, next to iCafe Center & atrium lobby, opposite Guest Services - smells nice in the morning as you walk by but never too busy. Didn't get a chance to test out using my Starbucks App to paid for a cup of Joe, sorry. In terms of variety in choice of food, buffet is the place to go, lots of meat if you wanted to stuff yourself full. It's often full at peak time, go further back as it's easier to find a table next to the window. The Asian section at lunch served up some pretty decent comfort noodles soup, give it a try. Many items, including soups are not as high in sodium or salty as before, including the French Onion Soup, NCL gets an A for doing this, thank you. The new Breakfast Room Service menu, for a single $4.95 delivery fee + 20% (and, optional cash tipping) is same as before, adding 3 hot items - didn't use it on this cruise. Started to see more dirty & finished plates, cups & misc. items left on the carpeted floor outside the staterooms - apparently removed, picked up & gone by the next morning. Provisioning the ship isn't easy and apparently true -as noted by Mario, the GM, during those 12 nights - they began to run low or out of things like bananas, fruits & yogurt, regular Pepsi/Coke in cans and even juices ... unreal, but believe it, as in "huh, no whole wheat bread this morning, white bread or something else is fine ?? ... hmmm, oookie doookie. Ladies & Gentlemen, girls & boys of all ages, this is the new age of "normal" and resuming sailing to 100% capacity for your convenience and sail & sustain - get used to it, like it or not, the harsh reality ... grass isn't greener on the other "side". .... to be continued shortly (my VZ Fios tech is finally here 😇 )

Trust and hope your hubby's symptoms aren't bad, usually the worst is over in 24 to 48 hours even if meds are necessary - check with his doctor. Last time we got exposed, I tested positive first & immediately isolated and slept in the extra bedroom/home office & started masking indoors. DW slept in the king sized bedroom nightly by herself - felt fine for 4 or 5 more days, tested negative twice before she felt "something" isn't right & turned "positive" - tele.med called into her PCP for a virtual consult, etc. (CVS & Walgreen - as our health plan partners do offer pickup AND local "script" deliveries) Long story short, we self-isolated at home for 2 weeks until both of our test results were negative, even though we're not experiencing illness or symptoms much sooner, just to not "gift" anyone else with it. Please kindly take care of yourself as well as your dearest. This isn't going away anytime soon, IMHO and we'll just have to learn to best cope with all the tools & available resources and smartly live with it. Regards.

Good morning - before resuming the wrap-up 👴 A big question for us (and, some of you - perhaps, given how critical the wrap-up might read/sound) - do we and will we continue to choose NCL ahead. Answer is a conditional yes, NCL is close to being placed on probation - we cancelled our booking just before final payment for late April on the Prima, too expensive & not worth the money/value in going to Bermuda again (just there last May on the Joy with 2 Family Insides 2 BR suites booked). We do have a shorter 7 nights NCL cruise in September (hurricane season ...) out of NY again & locked in very good bundled deals for now, points with our BOA card account to do a direct upgrade, OV to Balcony - will wait & see - final payment in May. One of our nieces just got an excellent - sweet - deal for 4 in a family balcony for under $5,000 all inclusive, including DSC for Spring break week with 2 grown kids out of LI schools (how, high roller friends of her somehow, got a super deal via CAS & arranged it for them - they weren't going to pay over $8,000 with a 1 BR suite, however - not worth it. Nephew & his GF are looking at over $4,000 for a balcony themselves. Current DoubleUp promotion of being able to use gifted 2 CNC helped cut the deal - DW brought 4 certificates on this cruise, slick NCL marketing "win" this one. More bangs for our bucks - looking at some last minute deals, MSC sailing out of NY in April/May on our maritime cruise radar, not just NCL and possibly Princess - with our retirement calendars, still pretty busy at times, haha.

Health & Personal well-beings: our personal approach & mitigation measures, none required but endorsed by 2 licensed nurses in my extended family. We heard more (deep) coughing onboard the Getaway and progressively, seemed to hear more of that as the days go by, especially during the final sea days and perhaps, in "surround sound" mode on the morning of disembarkation as we sat in Taste MDR for a sit-down breakfast. DW joked, half-seriously, perhaps we should've paid NCL $4.95 + 20% for room service & eat on our balcony instead - and cut our risk of catching anything to bring home as unwanted "gifts". We packed some of our really old stock of Covid-19 Ag/Test kits with us, and thus far - I am happy, feeling fine and healthy, and we remained "negative" on rapid testing - not conclusively but fairly "reliable" as indicators. Self-tested "negative" on Jan 13th before the cruise, as we had holiday gatherings & had been out & about - before we started to semi-isolate to avoid eating out & going to crowded indoor places, as the XBB sub/variants had been surging in the metro NY area since December. Tested again "negative" just before we embark on Jan 20th, out of an abundance of precaution - being fully boosted (mix of Pfizer & Moderna) & extra "naturally protected" already with prior infections - DW's PCP prefer her to be extra cautious with her healthy history & risk factors, etc. (me, too - to a lesser degree, perhaps) We used up about 2 boxes (50 surgical masks x 2) for our cruise, including some KN95's worn in the main theater for BTF and MDQ shows, carried & used our own hand sanitizers whenever appropriate, better to be extra cautious (and, we were the only ones onboard doing it). Midway thru the 12 nights cruise, tested again - no symptoms or reasons to suspect of possibly being "exposed" - to be "negative" but plenty of basis while listening & watching others behaving ... and things not being done well onboard as a whole - need to remain cautious & stay on our guards. Early Wednesday evening, after dinner at home (diet time for us) - rapid tested again to be "negative" ... yay, cheers & reasons to be happy, as we have extended families with recent medical history at high risk, and do not risk to unknowingly "gift" them anything unwarranted. One more set of post-cruise rapid testing at home should suffice tomorrow (48 to 72 hours apart) to consider ourselves to earned the "all clear" as the newest threat CB.1 or something like that is on the rise. The last longer NCL cruise that we sailed was January 2019 on the Escape, and there was an norovirus outbreak onboard, about 1/3 of the way after our 2nd stop out of NY to the W. Caribbean - and that wasn't fun for anyone and everyone, with very strict measures put in place & washy washy enforced. We saw none of the similar measures and honestly, quite surprised to see a very relaxed ship with inconsistent public health measures in place, including personal hygiene, not just washy washy at the buffet with inadequate crews assigned - worst of it all, MDR and Specialty Dining, no efforts at all & no suggestions or hints by the crew/host/hostess for arriving guests to sanitize and/or wash hands ... I consider those best practices and gold standards in "today's" onboard environment. Cleaning & sanitizing efforts onboard were default to the quick & simple, unlike when there is a norovirus outbreak on the ship ... and that's just the "stomach flu" with far less danger vs. Covid-19. Passengers were jamming into elevators, nevermind social distancing in the crowded atrium lobby and packed areas outside Taste & Savor, and the Bar area busy with social drinking while waiting - folks feeling fine & decided to live with the viruses and get on with living, contributing to herd immunity by being exposed ?? and treatment readily available, sure - okay, I'm fine with it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing our 4th cruise since the beginning of 2022 & just stay home. If not wearing a mask, at least cover one's mouth & not openly cough & sneeze into the air, releasing airborne droplets that can travel quite a distance to others nearby. Called me biased and being too cautious - I learned, indirectly, that some reported on social media site (FB) that they themselves tested positive during/after the 12 days cruise ... not a good thing to bring home, especially if flying or sharing public transportation with others. Taking a 12 nights cruise on NCL soon, whether it's the Getaway or another ship - my best advice is to be careful and do whatever you - personally - feel is good, proper & appropriate to best protect yourself & other loved ones close to you. Pack a good personal travel/medical/first aid kit to bring along - description above is just an example of what we did, not a model, not a template, not a guide, not required or suggested, only an illustration of what can to be done to minimize the risks a little more. Or, simply do nothing and take the chance, play the odds too - it's freestyle cruising, your choice. There is no guarantee whatsoever that we will absolutely avoid being exposed to XBB and the CB subvariants or other viruses for that matter. This isn't to start a discussion and/or debate about testing & measures, so let's stay off & take any further chats about this elsewhere, agree to disagree about ongoing public health measures, etc. etc. Thank you in advance for not side-tracking the overall reporting. Just sharing what we choose to do - on our own - with resources readily at our own disposal ... retired professionally but still "active" status in the Medical Reserve Corp and FEMA trained as first responder/receiver in ICS protocols as administrator in EM.

Arrrrh, left out the emoji for the tongue-in-cheek face, let's fixed my response to "one size mostly fit nearly all" I'm with you that doesn't fit me either, not close or about 2 sizes smaller, LOL. Ditto for the slippers, no matter how nice they looked ... including the ones from Haven that they sometimes get for me - doesn't fit me either - size 13 or even size 12 ... can't see how these two once "givens" are useful to about 1/4 to 1/3 of the passenger mix on any given sailing. Travel with my own slippers & usually don't bother with a silk robe at all, and DW is now known to "steal" my slippers to get into the bathroom ... especially after last March's mini kiddie pool incident on the Getaway with the water reversed flowing out of the floor drain, she nearly step right into it, had it not for her quick reaction. A big mess for the room steward to clean up & sanitize about 3 hours later after engineering finally responded after repeated calls to Guest Services & Housekeeping ... at least it wasn't "black" water, we think.

Hola ... Hi, all (continue towards Wrap-Up Summary - from notes, etc.) I am back with my/our post-cruise review and comments, some critical - will skip over areas & services on the Getaway that we didn't use/explore and direct interactions & observations or knowledge of ... with the goal with providing a few of you with a snapshot of our experience, feel and values for our money, including some indirect notes from my colleague & good old friend of 40+ years that sailed solo this time (he's done 8 cruises since 2022, mostly NCL but isn't active on CC). Sidenote - Verizon home Fios (300/300) service was down a day before we disembarked, hardware (ONT) failure & replacement on the UPS truck this morning to be delivered for DIY exchange, always having a backup to insure continuity - tethering on Google Fi's unlimited cellular 5G data & back online, usually we don't "burn" a lot of data from our house. Townhouse's upstair neighbor left for Florida 2 days ago as otherwise, we would've used their "guest" access to log in ... Same/similar reasons why we travel with at least 1 backup smartphone (iPhone SE 2020 w integrated battery case, acts as MiFi hotspot on a global travel Sim) as you can't just walk into a local Digicel store on one of the Caribbean islands to "buy" a replacement on the spot. Ground transportation to/from Manhattan Cruise Terminal (MCT) Pier 88/90 & parking - Transfer costs for taxi, car services (Carmel), Uber & Lyft (used more often for short hops if not using Carmel) has gone up by 15 to 20% on average, higher tolls & congestion pricing, and taxes/surcharges all not helping. Uber & Lyft in NY area were once competing at a lower cost, plus surge pricing when cruise ship(s) docked - be careful when requesting them on the app, especially airports & longer distance, like ours. Parking at Pier 88/90 - there are plenty of open, secured & outdoor parking (when we disembarked yesterday morning, Pier 90 was virtually empty whereas 13 days ago, there're vehicles parked there next to us at P88. Winter travel, there's no excuse not to have snow brush & other emergency gears to clear windshields & rooftop. $40 a day, taxes included & no surcharge for vans, pickups and oversized SUV & even campers that fit into those wide, marked parking spots is a good deal in 2022-23, especially folks with those bulky & heavy 27" or 28" suitcases @ 60 to 70+ lbs each, to park somewhere nearby or to deal with being dropped off & picked up, IMHO. Accessible parking spots are set aside & closer to the giant elevators that access both street level & embarkation's level 2 and porters, usually not far away if assistance are needed. Checking in, easy & simple, curbside dropped off & ship-tagged tags given to the porter, tipped & walk inside & go thru 1st screener. This time, accessible help desk was off to the right (usually, it's to the left, closer to the Intrepid or downtown side ... signage is clear & just ask if you aren't sure. Haven guests keep left to security, everyone else joined the roped line to security screening - we got there a few minutes before 10 a.m. and took only 5 minutes to clear the x-ray machine - these are shore opeartions managed by local authorities & contracted employees, not directly oversee by NCL. It's the 4 time we sailed from here & each and every time, the set-up is slightly different. After that, you are directed by another greeter, with NCL name tag (shore-based per-diem contracted employees, not NCL crew) on where to go, Decks 5 thru 11 have the shorter walk and Deck 12 & higher, including Priorities, Platinum/+ and Haven have to go to the far end of the terminal to do the check-in. We're given Group Boarding #6 already & when I asked the greeter about #1 or #2, she basically ignored 4 of us and said that's the lowest # available already ... huh, oh. How to they deal with someone paying for "Priority Boarding" and not arriving before 10 or 10:30 am ? Perhaps, there're too many Platinum & Sapphire cruisers on this cruise, as the next available agent to check us in ... were the "general" line in the back of the terminal, barely a 2 minutes wait & as usual, one of us had our photo taken again - got our key cards & we're sent walking ... no explanation about the roped off Platinum waiting "lounge" situated near Door C, in the middle section of the terminal by the restrooms, opposite 1 of 2 designated seating area for accessible passengers/others traveling with them "together" While walking over, we passed by the Haven lounge ... not really impressed, fairly simple & looked pretty crowded inside, waiting for their early & escorted boarding - not seeing any passengers still coming off the ship, NCL doing the zero counting & should be good for an early start soon. There's a mobile vending cart in the terminal selling things, beverages & coffee, soda & water & snacks, etc. (hint hint: here, you can buy & load up on sodas if you like ... nobody is checking) NCL used to provide flavored water in this area, not anymore - just plain water w. paper cups & also setup the Reservation "kiosk" for folks to book before boarding ... no, didn't see it. Didn't take long for the "lounge" to reach beyond standing room only & others trying to enter were turned away & they actually started checking everyone's Guest keycards to make sure they belong there or traveling in the same cabin that's eligible to stay there. Terminal was filling up quick by 10:45 and we could tell, this is going to a full cruise at/near capacity (turned out to be around 3,900 pax - around 98% at double occupancies but well below the max berth capacity of 4,800+ (81%) with up to 1,600+ crews/officers ... previously reported, sailing with about 1,400 crews only or about 200 less. There're crew turnover - reporting as new & returning from vacation or leaves - both in NY and in San Juan, PR - as we saw them (easily 60 to 70 of them in PR) lined up outside on the lower/street level, waiting to board, luggage & personal/backpacks, etc. Alvin, the CD was among them ... and, we learned directly from Jose, head of Housekeeping Services during our Dine With Officers, that you can spot new ones that just joined the ship by the fact that they are required to wear a N95/equivalent face until they are cleared - a 5/5 rule (assumed they are also given screening tests initially) MDR & even specialty servers onboard all had these crew members working & performing routine duties like the rest, masked up at all times. Shortly after more announcements after boarding, Haven team & security were ready & started doing theirs, followed shortly by accessible pax, and then our turn. We saw signage/tall & vertical banner about CAS check-in but didn't see a special area for CAS, not sure if they're given a little priority and boarding after us, before other groups by zone #'s were called. It's fair amount of walking from mid-terminal to the "Z" gangway to go up the FWD gangway, then, walk along Deck 7 in the open, next to the lifeboats to enter the ship near Fwd theater area. Perhaps, there aren't enough "greeters" to funnel & direct passengers, crews were not trying to send everyone up the AFT elevators nearby to the buffet for lunch ... it was only about 11:20 or 11:30 am & MDR (Taste & Savor) aren't open yet, the other choice being O'Sheehan's and lunch being served ... food there are almost, always served nice & hot, freshly prepared. What we're directed to, instead, was to go to our designated Assembly Station to get our guest key cards (RFID enabled) swiped to get credit for the mandatory emergency drills in lieu of the in-person mass drills while waiting for a few to come late. Nevertheless, CD Alvin still verbally repeated things again over the ship's PA system before we sailed - but, we're spared from being prompted to watch the full video muster/emergency drill again upon turning on the stateroom interactive TV for the first time ... haha. Staterooms weren't ready until a little after 1 p.m. and those heavy fire doors near the elevators & stairs remained closed then, with signs that rooms are being cleaned with final touches, to not enter until announced. Plenty of folks walking around with those heavy 28" suitcases & big, bulky backpacks & nowhere to go ... maybe, next time - they'll be smarter to check them & tip the porters a few bucks instead, less than the "cost" of Starbuck onboard, hahaha. Both of our checked 24" bags were delivered outside our cabin by 3 p.m. and we finished unpacking before sailaway, which wasn't really delayed that much & that's "on time" given NCL's routines in NY lately. Disembarkation - (skipping ahead) - most of the time, NCL ships return to NYC early, sometimes very and super early ... not this time for the Getaway, and we're "late" leaving Amber Cove by only 30 minutes at most, easily catch up with 2 full sea days but apparently, we've never exceeded 21 knots sailing mostly against headwind coming from/across the bow, sometimes easing to 17 to 18 knots only under nearly ideal, perfect sea state and conditions with waves no higher than 4.9 feet in the Atlantic. Sure enough, we slipped under the VZ Bridge around 5:45 to 6 a.m. and then Statue of Liberty at 6:15 - and came up the Hudson, docking at Pier 88 before 7:30 a.m. - gangways being set up usually not a big deal but ship wasn't cleared by local "officials" for a good 35+ minutes later, as the crowd began to pile towards Deck 7, jamming the stairs, with some elevators skipping floors & on bypass mode (crew operated ... typically & commonly set for Haven pax for quicker exodus) Thus, with the ship nearly full at 3,900 pax (and, the info given that this week's short Bermuda cruise to Bahamas with 4,700 pax turned out to be quite close, just a little under the "reported" onboard number) - it was madness that we haven't seen in quite a few years out of NY (holidays/school break weeks aside). Worsened by human traffic jams inside the cruise terminal - line(s) were halted at several points. We made our way around 8:30 a.m. into the central atrium on Deck 7, just as they were calling for Platinum & Priority guests (Footnote: we never received written info onboard nor luggage tags delivered ahead - had to go downstairs to Guest Services & ask ["NCL" - failed ... what perks] about priority disembarkation [both of us as Sapphire/P+ prior to 2020] with luggage being sent downstairs into the terminal & ready for pickup.) Helps that we knew from sailing out of MCT over the past 2+ decades: using the AFT gangway gave us a shorter walk onto the terminal and inside for the escalators that go down to street level. Majority pax were directed to the Fwd exit for the gangways, and, it's not fun with a much longer walk, especially if you are each hauling 2+ large & heavy luggage on your own. There was a massive jam with the single elevator used by accessible guests ... and others with oversized, jumbo luggage that shore employees would not permit, for safety reasons, for them to be taken onto the escalators. It's so much easier to leave the luggage outside before midnight, properly tagged & let the crew do the hauling on arrival (tips already "paid" as part of the DSC ... unlike the unionized porters outside by the curbside when checking in or embarking) Once downstairs, we quickly made our way to the color coded area & retrieved our 2 bags, our CAS friends also got their 2 bags nearby - and DW walked over to the porter area & got one with a cart ... followed him as he took all our bags past the "checkpoint" for facial recognition and we went ahead, green light & cleared to go with the immigration check - rejoined & headed for the exit ... about 9:20 a.m. I made the decision to call Carmel toll-free # just before 8 a.m. after our MDR breakfast in Taste, to postpone our scheduled pickup by 15 minutes to 9:45 a.m. instead - bingo) or else, we would be late & charged for waiting, worst - the driver might cancel our booking as a no-show & pickup someone else ... and could've easily discovered no availability for at least 45 to 60 minutes. Uber & Lyft surge pricing had already been bumped up higher by 9 a.m. for pick up in that area (vs. the one-way fare quotes that I priced earlier) There was a shortage of licensed yellow taxi across 12th Avenue at W. 48th Street too while there're at least a dozen of drivers flashing "Uber" on their smartphone & offering rides - no, no, no ... there are no Uber dispatchers & drivers don't stand around or hangout on 12th Avenue to solicit ride - use the App to request a pickup if one rather choose Uber/Lyft. By 9:35 a.m. - our Carmel driver was assigned & called us on the mobile #, he's already in the immediate area, probably just dropped someone off & showed up within 2 or 3 minutes, picked up all 4 of us and our luggage in a nice Toyota hybrid minivan, had us all buckled up (thank you) for safety & headed north on the Henry Hudson Pkwy, across I-95 thru the Bronx & then BWB back into Queens - relatively light traffic on a late weekday morning, home within 35 minutes ... dropped us off first and then our friends, six city blocks away ... unlocked & home sweet home by 10:15 a.m. $70 base fare + toll + tips and $10 extra for the 2nd dropoff - rounded up to $110. Rooftop parking at MCT would've cost us a total of $400 for the 12 days or $200 for each couple. Porters are permitted to bring/take passengers with luggage to cross 12th Avenue to be picked up - car services can be arranged to meet disembarking pax upstairs - where embarkation drop-offs are ... and taxis dropping off pax upstairs, can also pickup pax leaving the ship & going "home" but availability can vary. Many for-hired drivers prefer to meet across 12th Avenue, especially if more than 1 ship is at MCT for the day. Weekends are usually easier for everyone with lighter traffic in the city, and it's even possible to get car service to pickup on street level in the ship terminal area, where buses & mini coaches usually drop off & pickup, including airporter "shuttles" runned for NCL. NCL sailed numerous ships out of NY on a regular basis for the past 20+ years, and, this cruise remained just as poorly organized and managed as the other cruises, except this time was worst sailing at 80%+ capacity. Above is our take on embarkation & disembarkation - FWIW and as always, YMMV but perhaps helpful as a general guide on what to expect & how to best prepare for and deal with unexpected surprises. A good, solid & reliable cellular signal from VZW, AT&T and T-Mobile were usable by 6 am as we slipped past the VZ Bridge and off Staten Island, a full 2 hours before disembarkation were announced, plenty of time to book & change/adjust pickup time for car services or limo / black car pickup ... or call your kids/neighbors/friends & someone to come meet you in the mid/late morning. Tomorrow, I'll summarize key areas like food, services, ports of calls & shorex, and other misc. matters relating to this cruise. That's all for now.

Once upon a time on NCL, 2 bath robes and 2 pairs of disposable slippers were standard in balconies & higher cabins, along with coffee makers & other bath amenities - eroded and faded away, that was well before the current tagline of "Sail & Sustain" theme when NCLH was up in the $50'ish range. I supposed, it should be available upon request for the basic one-size-fit-all waffle ones, whereas for suites & Haven, the plushier & thicker cotton ones are automatically ... Believe it, actually seen a few pax hanging out in the atrium lobby several years ago as in, OMG. Silk ones preferred here 😁

Just off the GA with the Semi-Live report read by some here, internet speed actually wasn't bad by satellite standards 95% of the time while on 5 Ghz band & much slower if connected to the congested 2.4 Ghz band. It's also related to your own hardware used to bridge or make the connection to the onboard Cisco servers via the NEC hotspots or routers strategically deployed. A summary overview of the varied speed of our basic unlimited WiFi attached. Even with 3,900 passengers onboard, it was quite good with my Google Pixel 7 Pro with built-in VPN vs. the top end Samsung Galaxy S22+ which under-performed, similar speed with iPhone SE ... hence the radio transceiver chips used do make a difference. Starlink is coming soon & GA is supposed to be next for the simple upgrade & should be a world of difference for the better.

It surely will be one - what's staying open at 10 pm in Nassau ... nada. It's for technical reasons. Otherwise, an almost cruise-to-nowhere situation and then, they turn the ship around and set sail for NY at 4 am. Southbound last week, we're able to do 21.5 knots at times under favorable conditions but coming back this week, best top speed northbound was no better than 20.6 knots under fair weather conditions. When I stopped at Guest Services this morning to ask while still onboard, and was given the answer that they are still going to Bermuda, I knew it was very fishy but she insisted that nothing has changed. Anyway, got home in about 30 minutes using Carmel in a hybrid minivan, prices were reasonable & just enough room to fit 4 med-sized checked bags and 3 carry-on/personal bags plus a long tote bag ... sitting in the living room & opening up mail by 10:30 am. Facial recognition (eye glasses removed) was used inside the cruise terminal for passport/border control purposes, passengers that failed the matching were referred to the CBP officers nearby for full inspection & interview - quick & simple and fairly easy - wait for the green/checked mark & go forward toward the exit. Being Platinum/Sapphire, etc. on this cruise - I believe/felt - hardly gave us any recognition or privileges, like appreciation - just another cruisers to them, maybe there're simply too many onboard. When it comes to priority disembarkation (not escorted like Haven) - we received zero information, no gold luggage tags and no offer of assistance whatsoever. "You" are on your own and it's not my style to go to Guest Services & loudly demand things as if DYKWIA and expect the hard working crew to go out of their way to help us with the small details. Luckily, we knew when it was the best time to join the end to disembark and positioned ourselves for a quick getaway in leaving the ship for the terminal. It's quite fun to watch grown ups trying to push, pull and walk along the pier to the exit with 28" or 29" oversized heavy suitcases ... nothing "express" about this particular sailing with the "tight" time table. I'll do a short write-up & see if there are other photos to share & upload to wrap it up as a summary, and try to answer outstanding questions. It is going to be interesting to see a continuation of live onboard reporting on the Bermuda run to the Bahamas, and then the 12 days cruise to Amber Cove/Puerto Plata - especially with 800 more passengers than this past week with "just" 3,900 pax on the ship.

Thanks, Bonnie ... my pleasure to share. How's your dearest hubby doing, recovering well, I trust.

We made it outside fast w porter services & Carmel is 5 minutes early.

Congestion (people traffic) inside the building, Express stopped and lines not moving, no idea when priority groups can proceed to gangway - 9 am

Hanging out in our stateroom for now, Express Walk-off just called at 8:18 am - this group expected to take 45 minutes before priority is announced with luggage taken into the terminal. Price quoted now for Uber to LGA airport & to our townhouse in NE Queens, Whitestone/Bayside area.

Disembarkation delay, gangways set up but ship hasn't been cleared yet at 8:08 am - asking guests to wait in staterooms as those on Express Walk-off already jamming 6-7-8 plus luggages everywhere. Called our Carmel car services to delay our pickup time by 15 minutes to 9:45 am, just in case, for the ride out to Queens - not in a rush like others. Surprised to see a light coating of snow outside.

Getaway's Bermuda update - FWIW, I asked and was told just now by onboard Guest Services that they are not aware of changes to itinerary for next 5 day, that they will be sailing to the island. That's their words now, take that with a grain of salt (lots of it) and if true, brace for a very rough ride getting home, unless they do not stay overnight & leave earlier & spent more time at sea. Prepare for motion sickness with high & strong gale force wind, and large waves. Henry a/k/a mking8288

And isn't the Viva on her way ... It's been my pleasure to do this and be aknowledged, thank you for being mentioned in sharing a tiny spotlight among so many others. Taste MDR not that busy, everyone up in the buffet or standing in line to jump the gangway ... almost turning into Pier 88, in about 5 minutes (7:20 am) Express Breakfast menu used on disembarkation day only. 7:30 - fully stopped

Statue of Liberty @ 6:35 am - port side

Rise-n-Shine 😎 we are almost home, just coming under the VZ Bridge now @ 6:20 am, on schedule - should be at MCT around 7:30'ish. Oh, no ... It's almost time to go. Let's continue our tradition, MDR for that full breakfast first before we disembark.