mking8288

Rise-n-Shine, let's get ready. Our ship is here, see all soon. Always take pictures of your bags, besides using whatever, like Air Tags, for tracking & lost recovery.

FYI - considering booking NCL despite all the "adverse" chats & negativities around here lately, here's one. Mentioned in the Getaway's Freestyle Dailies as part of the extras/inserts that many just throw away. As described and it is valid, that's all I will say, did a mocked booking for a Fall sailing ... could a few months to decide since those CN Deposits are sitting around & paid for, got nothing to lose - can always cancel if a better deal come around. Verified myself and able to use 2 deposits and it's not a balcony being booked (assumed it's good for a Studio on mega/plus ships). Coupled with the current extra points promotion - a nice deal to not say "no" against booking. It might not work for everyone and anyone, but worth taking a look. Too late for those Spring T/A crossing deals, but. Psst ... triple points per night (and, possibly more with suites too) concurrent with other promotion. If you like the terms, play it and see if prices drop, etc. etc. Have fun, good luck & enjoy this find, hopefully. Off to the Getaway in a matter of hours, time for getting a little zzzzz's

Unless NCL relocated the entire Medical Center from Deck 13 elsewhere - I can vouch and confirm, 100% that it has always been on Deck 13 Fwd, just behind the bank of elevators, behind a set of fire doors that's kept open except during emergencies. The door to gain access into the MC, including a waiting area & reception for clinical services, is beyond the 2nd door - with the coin-dispensing OTC meds cabinet on the wall cabinet to the left, exterior to the center entrance. We had stayed on Deck 13 Fwd in 2019 and walked daily passing the area multiple times, and knew what's been there all along. Current deck plan just removed the description & make it a white space - and isn't shown anywhere else on NCL's official deck plans. What's on Deck 5 are Guppies Nursery and further back in the middle section, Splash Academy. Getaway & Breakaway has the MC on Deck 5, not the Escape by design. As to helping with the questions about noise below - sorry, can't help with that.

Getaway currently north of Atlantic City, approaching Toms River, NJ at 14 kn, light breeze and calm seas, waves at 1.3 meter or about 4.2 ft, aided with a good tailwind. This is earlier than being already quite early ... welcome home to all those onboard.

NCL's Online check-in opened up for everyone at 21 days, promptly completed ours - eDocs and eLuggage tags were available in less than 24 hours ... unlike our NCLH shareholders, which took 2 attempts at 10 days apart during the Christmas/New Year holiday. Finally & perhaps, someone was WFH and on Jan 2nd - a legal US holiday, posted our $100 OBC to the account, all good. I.T. glitches aren't new with getting checked in, etc. but that too recovered. One of the questions for tomorrow's Embarkation is the mandatory safety/emergency & muster station drill - is it Live or not, virtual or in-person. Take a wild guess, whatever. The only thing that is certain is we already 6 emails already - don't recall when we initially booked - between 2 of us, to re-watch the 94 seconds YouTube Video about emergency/life/fire safety drills & putting on the PFD. Hence, is it Live, Semi-Live, or Limited - definitely not Memorex per se ... not looking forward to being jammed into the (main) Stardust Theater - as I think, being Deck 12 Fwd - our "Assembly Station" is probably there and not O'Sheehan's - will be packed as ship is full, egress will take easily 20 to 30 minutes jamming the elevators if sailaway is on time at scheduled 3 pm. Time to wisely mask up ! We booked a "BA" Balcony on Deck 12 Fwd, Port side with considerations to bid for a Club Balcony, as they are usually mid-ship, not that we care for the bigger double-sink bathroom or the tub with the taller side to step over, in/out of ... or the tiny extra space (length-wise) in the "living" area, as long as the bid is reasonable. Well, no Club Balcony for us. Reason for staying put, our best friends will be coming along as CAS guests. Cancelled & postpone cruises since the pandemic & it's their first return "post-Covid" They bidded and won, very early, surprisingly, on an upgrade bid in early December (not a typo) for a low/fair offer - under $350 in total. Assigned "BA" balcony on Deck 12 Fwd (port side) - stone's throw from us a few doors down. Nice win. Cancelled our pending bid for Club Balcony, money "saved" to do other things ***** A few words about Upgrade Advantage bidding - this isn't new to most seasoned NCL cruisers on CC, but my basic analysis lately suggesting that NCL and its partner handling the bids are re-writing their playbook and gaming strategies, with live bidding ... Psychology 101. Haven suites & spa balconies listed as sold out by end of December ... Insides & Studios remained available last week. Club and Balconies were briefly available this month and then "sold out" again. There are those doing live bidding (eBay style) - end up paying for, on top of whatever base fare all-inclusive total already, an extra $1,500 to $5,000 plus (+) to be in Haven, ship within a ship. What a frenzy, good for them, win-win results. Everything is ready for tomorrow and the next 12 nights with us. Those "live reports" are really useful and the Getaway is going to feel very different unlike a year ago, with less than 2,000 onboard then. Looking forward to doing the Dine with Officers again but not expecting Behind The Scene tour to be offered unless NCL feels they no longer need to protect & isolating the bridge team. ***** Google & Samsung got our money, pay for the balances on 2 out of 3 smartphone upgrades. DW's Samsung Galaxy S22+ was free, after trading in her barely used Galaxy S21 into Google Fi. More about this later as it's not related to the Semi/Live Cruise Report. A single checked 24" bag for each of us, final check on its weight, mine at 42 lbs, hers at 39 lbs. NCL eLuggage tags attached and an interior tag, photo'ed for easier ID in case they are "lost in transit" to file insurance claim, with digital proof of content. There are, at least, 3 power outlets in each stateroom - excluding the one in the bathroom clearly marked that it is low voltage & for shaver use only - two (2) for 110 volts and one (1) for 220 volts, which with a simple adapter plug (used with the Samsung charger on the right) - you can tap it for your iPhone/smartphone charger as those are dual voltage, auto-sensing ones. Now that newer iPhones are almost switching with fast charging (middle one) with USB-C connector, invest in 2 or 3 high output, dual or multi-USB charger (on the left - by Anker) so you can quickly boost them. Check that they are UL-approved/certified, electrical & fire safety on a ship are vital.) Also, bring along a 10 ft. and 2 6 ft. USB A-B extension cords, making it much easier to reach all the way to the far side of the bed and out to the balcony. There is a fourth hidden power outlet that should be hiding but easily tapped - need to verify first onboard before I share this "secret" - perfect for laptop, notebook & Chromebook connections and charging devices. Follow this & if I am correct, "reveal" and share this discovery. Take a closer look at Pier 88 port's pier operations, see those safety nettings - they are there in case the forklifts used to lift fully loaded luggage carts (20 to 25 bags easily or about 1,000 lbs total) lost its balance or slipped, to avoid being dropped straight into the Hudson River below on the pier. There was a report going back a few years that CC'er spotted luggages floating beside the ship during turnaround. Accidents do happen and tip those unionized port workers accordingly as they aren't with NCL - and, yes, they now do cross 12th Avenue when you disembark the ship post-cruise.

@kitkat343 - Thanks for the comment about various SD and we aren't going upstairs to Haven, zero chance ... The last remaining Courtyard went past $2,650 p/p x 2 is what I read, crazy - that's enough for 7 to 10 days worth of vacation, not necessary cruising. Please do feel free to comment on Ocean Blue as we have yet to try it, Le Bistro was our favorite for a decade plus until the cuts that started several years ago ... Cagney mostly still good, Moderno can be hit-n-miss with the earlier days being superior w more variety choices at the salad bar (just need to resist offers of sausages & certain cuts and wait for the better cuts to come along) We have both Platinum & SD meal meal vouchers but beginning to feel like Teppanyaki is a waste, seen the junior chef's show often, more than "once & done with and enough" now with the substituted meat cut. Too bad, Food Republic isn't on the GA - but we'll not go hungry for 12 nights. As always, opinion & reviews of food are personal and subjective, but temperature of food served isn't one of them - having different perspective in dining onboard are always helpful. To all and all others onboard the ship, have a wonderful evening onboard the Getaway.

For a typical 7 nights NCL cruise, final payment has consistently been at 120 days. Keep in mind that the cancel date is 1 day earlier than payment. As always, refer to the fineprints. I remember the older days where different deadlines (longer) applied for holidays and select sailings. YMMV.

Set aside those xx pages of contract terms in fine prints written & designed by lawyers for a moment, perception is important when you are promoting and selling a product and/or services to the customer, client, consumer or prospect. It looks as if NCL has been not been responsive and in good faith, rather - handling matters in a less than trust-worthy manner after final payment is made, and, that perception seemed valid in the eyes of some but absolutely not for others. Using the contract signed as an escape and being evasive, in my books, isn't acceptable while others are free to disagree. Later, it looks, perception-wise, that NCL isn't making decisions ahead (in advance) not in good faith and using vague excuses ... feel free to disagree, strictly my "biased" opinion and we've sailed mainly NCL for 2 decades and own their stocks. Just got words on another (current) Getaway Live Report, indirectly, posted by a CC'er on the Feb 26, 2023 sailing (12 nights So Carib) that 2 of their port stops now has modified time departure/arrival ... Getaway had this week's DR stop at Taino Bay-Amber Cove cancelled entirely. This Friday's Getaway 12 nighters has San Juan's stay reduced by 1 hour, I called it woohoo, an extra hour at sea /s This aren't "emergency reasons" by any means - I have no problem whatsover if the bridge needs to turn the ship around for a Medevac, stop and do figure 8's at the request of USCG to do a SAR due to MOB, or ship diverted for high sea rescue of refugees, in the highest worldwide tradition of mariners at sea, and, if for whatever reasons, one of the engine lost its sealing rings or the thruster damaged, etc. These changes aren't and reflect poor management planning, and especially after final payment or cancel has long passed, at 120+ days ... NCL loyalists and cheerleaders will defend, fine ... and why not agree to disagree, not so hard, isn't it. I think, maybe, one possible solution, sort of, is that to review third-party trip/travel insurance and make sure it has CFAR coverage - still, vacation cancelled and other pre- and post- cruise arrangements are then disrupted, but at least one isn't captive or held sort of being involuntary hostage. The overall package costs will go up for sure. Just don't get insurance thru NCL, go independent or else you'll end us with more FCC.

@disfan13 - Tony, aren't you driving or getting someone to drop you off ? I just priced out on Carmel's App (go online to their website/portal) - one way from Paramus Fashion Center/Mall, NJ (off Rt. 4 and Rt. 17) as a random pickup point, not knowing where exactly your whereabouts, a full size sedan for up to 3 and 3 checked bags is $56 or $64 for a luxury sedan, and $74 for a deluxe sedan or minivan (up to 5, maybe 6 plus bags) plus toll ($16 across GWB) and tips. That's not bad at all. Use digital coupon code "CNY2023" and it will save $3 off the base fare, cash/credit card accepted in advance or pay the driver directly. On these longer trip, we often book just a basic sedan for 2 and 50/50 chance of getting a free upgrade to a mini-van. With 4 people ride-sharing and 4+ bags, booked a minivan, sharing the costs with our friends. Will check those Uber/Lyft rates in the morning just to compare & see how competitve everyone is - a typical yellow taxi return to our house is about $70 to $80 including toll + tips, traffic permitting on weekends, higher on weekdays. See you all onboard soon and are you ready to run the M&G, don't worry about it.

@Laszlo - we are ready to embark tomorrow. Thank you. The North Atlantic looking ever so calm, peaceful and just wavelets, beautiful day at sea - enjoy every minute of it. Last Fall, CruiseNext onboard announced that they had staterooms available on the spot if anybody wished to stay and do a B2B, that they got deals ... LOL as ships were sailing close to capacity. Not so much tomorrow, like yours, sold out at this point but oddly enough, indirect reports over at another online portal that folks getting upgrade last minute & rushing to re-print eDocs & eLuggage tags. Tell us about last night with La Cucina, we booked an evening with them ... maybe, we'll bail over to Ocean Blue & make a change once onboard. Thanks & look forward to those videos later.

@JIMESOPUS That looks like OSH's classic breakfast, almost forgotten what they are like ... after a few months. We are ready to take over coverage on the Getaway while you move to the Breakaway this weekend. Happy, safe & healthy travel coming home and then dance the way to NOLA. How was services, quick & served nicely & hot (warm) ... we might just bypass the MDR for embarkation lunch & eat in O'Sheehan's for a change, avoiding the GA's buffet if we can, sailing sold out & full tomorrow. Regards

Ground Transportation - these not always "newbies" questions are often asked here and on East Coast Departure Forum ... including important questions about how, where & what in terms of parking, options and freebies. Posted a batch of pictures on the sailing's roll call (collection from multiple cruises out of MCT Pier 88/90) go there & find them - update/amend them on this cruise & afterward, as necessary. This Friday, using Carmel car service again, best prices around for 4 passengers with 4 checked bags & of course, carry-on or cabin bags, etc. A comfortable minivan will do, sit high to look around while in traffic for a 45+ minutes ride (weekends - just 25 minutes) as it is a weekday. Coming from NE Queens, past LGA and distance-wise, like coming from/to JFK. With a digital discount, $66.75 not including toll & tips (usually do 20% of base fare) - about $90 all inclusive & get FF miles added. Carmel has been 95% reliable (nearly always 5 to 10 minutes early when pre-booked) & with a fleet of 600 to 700 assorted vehicles, fairly dependable with backup if/when the assigned driver/car failed to show up or got lost ... happened once to us, late by 25 minutes getting to MCT. With rising costs and inflation, prices for Uber/Lyft are catching up to traditional car services, sometimes worst with their surge pricing models. See these sample fares from LGA to Pier 88 - Uber X for 3 to 4 passenger is $59, Uber XL is $80. Lyft is almost the same at $59 calculated on a slightly different routing & morning pickup time. Uber X from our area to Pier 88 is $62 and XL at $87. Carmel's minivan (equivalent of XL) is $69 before a $3 digital discount plus toll at $10 - difference of about $10 for a longer ride. It's 2023, NYC's TLC regulated yellow taxi fare rates have gone up, about 20% higher - which many recognized as long overdue and appropriate. A short cab or taxi ride of 1 to 2, 3 miles going across town is going to cost more, on top of congestion surcharged pricing for the popular midtown Manhattan zones as a whole, including Pier 88. Stay tuned to our ride from NE Queens via the Upper West Side to Pier 88 ... in less than 36 hours. Views of Pier 92, 90 and 88 southbound coming off the Henry Hudson Pkwy approaching W. 57th Street near the Con Edison plant next to the river. Additional pictures - helpful for those driving to Pier 88 can be found in the Roll Call section for the Getaway's Jan 20, 2023 sailing. While there's been a lot of chatter over at the NCL forum about ships docking at Taino Bay vs. Amber Cove in the Dominion Republic - NCL did notified us on Jan. 4, 2023 via email (16 days out) that our planned stop, port of call at Old San Juan, PR next Monday has been shortened by 1 hour. Ha, we are gaining an extra hour at sea ... leaving the port an hour early at 9:30 pm instead of 10:30 pm, all abroad will be 9 pm local time, arrival scheduled for 4 pm. Our plans changed, no shorex (cancelled, not rushing anywhere ... been there & done it) - early dinner (onboard as it will be less crowded) and afterward, an evening walk along the waterfront & photo ops, then back onboard. No further comments from yours truly on this.

Sure - It's a Google Phone Plan, launched in 2015 and we've been on it since, global coverage that expanded from 120 countries to then 130+ and now available in 200+ countries, unlimited voice & text messaging, at low cost or included plus data on PAYG basis at $10 per GB, The Simply Unlimited Plan, or the top tier Unlimited Plus Plan (which is the current one that I'm on). You can change your plan & move to a different one at the next monthly billing cycle (thus, a little planning ahead) especially if you are going abroad, doing a short or T/A or extended B2B / B2B2B cruise visiting multiple countries. DW is on the Flexible Plan usually, $20 /mo plus actual data used, with taxes/fees/etc. and about 1 GB used as she's mostly on WiFi or tethering off my on the go, about $35 to $40 each month for NY ... charges are lower in certain states with lower regulatory fees, taxes & surcharges, etc. Mine is about $75 a month - no contract and bring your own smartphone/iPhone supported or get one of their approved devices, choose from a list of mid-range and top-of-the line - mainly Androids, usually with generous discounts and trade-in allowances for older devices. In terms of coverage, if you have good T-Mobile 5G and 4G LTE signal in your area, home & office/work and highways/roads frequently traveled - this is ideal. Those on AT&T and VZW, check & give it a try to see whether it works for you or not, cancel if not satisfied & pay for usage, no contract terms or penalities. If there is 2 users or lines, 3 or 4 - further discounts applied and it is price competitive vs. using T-Mobile or one of the other MNVO, like Straight Talk, Mint, or low cost Red Pocket, because - you have full access when traveling abroad or overseas. On a typical 7 nights cruise, except for zero coveage at sea, our extra data & cost for calls - usually no more than $10 to $15, all inclusive ... not even a day's worth of NCL basic unlimited WiFi at $30. See below - https://fi.google.com/about/plans Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Europe - it's all covered by Google Fi. The Plus Plan comes with 1 year of Youtube Premium free, that's well worth paying a little extra for. After our upcoming cruise, probably going to downgrade my plan to save money, until the next oversea trip - even on the Flexible Plan, the extra $10 per GB billing charge is capped at $60 for that billing cycle, no matter how much fast data is used ... avoid horror stories of hundreds on the next monthly statement of charges due. Read and "Google" Fi by Google for more details. Happy to answer additional questions.

Thanks, well aware of and using them to sort out several batches of test kits. The ones that we are bringing has about 30 days remaining on the re-extended already expired production dates from 2021 to early 2022. It's either use them or waste them. Each them we hit the unlucky jackpot, we used 3 to 4 tests each & they go quickly, 😆 LOL. Then, we go to Walgreens & reorder and they bill our insurance at no costs to us. Inventory that's newer stored in a cool closet are good thru 1st half of 2024, just hoping by then, they aren't needed anymore. I hope this upcoming 2.0 update will bring a little extra useful info & tips for those sailing soon. Meanwhile, ready to test my newest toy gadgets. Google Pixel 7 Pro, Galaxy S22 Plus and iPhone SE 2020, all factory unlocked and dual/eSim compatible plus the USB power bank, native wireless charging, 5 years OS update, security updates and OS upgrade/support, plus ample storage, should handle nearly all situations easily - including 10 X digital zoom lens. Except, satellite connectivity for now.

"urban, cruise legend" rumored root-causes being that the clean water used onboard for everything is high in sodium, causing swelling, etc. Drinking bottled water alone isn't sufficient according to untested claims. My PCP said to just watch it carefully, take prescribed meds for hypertension on time, and avoid sauces and soup whenever practical & possible, and easy walking to exercise. Isn't Google Fi great, using that this weekend and free hotspot tethering without restrictions, well worth it - access from 200 countries in voice, text/SMS and fast data.

Less than 48 hours, 2 Days from now as in "Tee minus Two" As of yesterday, rechecked this morning, this GA sailing is sold out, full ... remaining Studios & Insides are gone. Haven suites & spa balconies listed as sold out by end of December or 3 weeks ago. Although, apparently, they were "awarding" upgrades within the few days - can I say, smell a bit like the old Fulton Fish Market. Whatever, good for NCLH revenue and happy campers onboard, call it a win-win. This cruise is going to feel and look very different unlike a year ago, less than 2,000 onboard then. Will get an "official headcount" on how many souls onboard later on. Our selected MCT Pier 88 check-in time is between 10 and 10:30 a.m. and depending on how organized MCT's shore side operations for embarkation, we'll either make use of Sapphire/Platinum status among 4 of us to board, or perhaps our friend's CAS (Casino At Sea) status, after Haven & Special Needs, and Priority Boarding are called. Unless there is (un)scheduled USCG and/or CBP special inspections or other issues, GA is currently ahead of scheduled arrival, early into NY for her turnaround, expecting nearly everything to be normal with probably boarding time around 11 am. Unlike the last year's 3 cruises on NCL, no Covid-19 testing (Yay !!) required nor recommended, different than going to Bermuda or Canada, no travel authorizations needed. YMMV. Pier check-in should move a lot smoother, quicker once thru port security (see pictures below). Nevertheless, being careful ourselves these few days to not catch anything "foreign" & ride along unknowingly - home tested using soon-to-expire test kits - 1 line or negative, our pre-cruise "baseline". Windy App forecast not showing any major Atlantic or maritime storms in the area affecting our route, maybe for a few hours enroute, always expected that especially when crossing the weather fronts - just ride it up. Online check-in opened up for everyone at 21 days, we promptly completed ours ... unlike our NCLH shareholders, which took 2 attempts at 10 days apart during the holidays, new Amenity summary issued just in time on Jan. 2nd. There was an I.T. glitch earlier, check-in rolled back to 83% instead of 100% - data entered in several important fields missing, re-entered & 100% completed. Fingers crossed with pier check-in and facial recognition, as eDocs & eLuggage tags available within 24 hours had already been printed. Got the email message to watch the safety video - earlier and this week, additional email to watch again ... supposed to go back to old fashion in-person safety drill & not just go to the assigned Muster Station to swipe the key card(s) & then leave. Probably still have to watch it in the stateroom's interactive TV. Round #3 of emails (just now) to watch the safety video again, what the ... eDocs saved to the smartphone in a travel folder and also as PDF file, just in case we don't have broadband access. BTW, Pier 88 - Manhattan Cruise Terminal has free (non-secured) WiFi for guest/passengers to use, log on not needed, just connect - wait briefly and go online, unrestricted in time/usage and more than fast enough, superior to satellite WiFi for sure. If you need internet access while waiting to board, use it - it is NOT, however, not a solid & dependable signal from the ship's balcony or open outdoors. Just a good fallback. Upgrade Advantage bidding comments - our best friends as CAS guests cruising with us & convinced them to bid up (his spouse is super afraid of cold weather & would not step out into any balcony.) Cancelled 3 or 4 cruises over Covid concerns, recently reboosted and remained very careful everywhere. Surprise, they won an upgrade bid in early December (not a typo) for a low/fair offer. Assigned balcony on Deck 12 Fwd (port side) - stone's throw from us a few doors down - nice, they can waive up to the bridge. Under $180 p/p x 2 for 12 nights from their Insides - paid upgrade would cost much more, nice deal. We cancelled our pending bid for a Club Balcony as we are nearby & going to hang out together ... Been watching & tracking this over the years, NCL/partner handling the bids are definitely amending and writing up new formulas to maximize revenue for any & all remaining, unsold cabins up until sailing time - long & impossible odds but, it's good gaming and well calculated. Live bidding a Haven CY suite that sleep 2 to 3 max, went up beyond $2,650 p/p - higher DSC on top and tipping optionally for service: well, well, well and there are folks with the bankroll feeling it's worth it. Good for them, as it's then a win-win. Different timing and strategies needed, that's what I see ahead in my crystal ball for the bidding game. Next pre-cruise topic - ground transportation from Queens (both JFK and LGA Airports are in the borough or "county") choices & plans: in brief, stay tuned ...

Tee minus 3. Standby, all systems going. 10 months after our last "Semi-Live" Getaway in March, 2022 - getting ready to embark this Friday for a 12 nights/13 days South Caribbean cruise, round-trip from NY. Not sure of doing another Sem-Live Report, but .. what the heck, with all things going lately. Perhaps, this will just be an incremental pictoral update of 2022's Report, to put a personal perspective against the wind of change these days. Interested, come along and follow - if not, nothing of interest, feel free to move along at your convenience. Thanks to the currently Live Report onboard the Getaway by Laszlo, JIMESOPUS & cruiseinfoseeker, and others ... super informative, helpful & useful - this Friday's roll call is quite informed on what to expect & prepared - much appreciated. Questions and constructive comments are always welcomed and appreciated - this is written, in part as a tribute & remembrance to the legacy of a fellow CC'er - see further below. Packing is 98.5% done for both of us, one 24" spinner/rollerboard for each of us (42 lbs & 45 lbs, well under domestic coach travel limits.) Plus, we'll have a smaller carry-on bag with all the essentials needed, including a change of clothes & toiletry, medications, etc. Had to check expiration dates, check with our PCP (family doctors & specialists) and pharmacies ... while out of town, CVS & Walgreen is our backup as well as Teledoc (urgent care/nurse line consult, as needed) and not just onboard ship's medical. Insurances checked & toll-free/help #'s checked. Credit card/banks with our travel plans on file. Home testing kits & masks, additional items not shown, packed - out of an abundance of precautions. Peace of mind - nurses in the extended family gave thumbs up, OK. Unlike shorter 7 nights NCL cruise's 150/300 minutes, will have 600 "free" FAS satellite WiFi minutes to use onboard ... unless we upgrade to at least the basic unlimited WiFi plan for 11 days (max) ... Day 1 access onboard/at sea, usually not needed - only possible "want" or like to have full internet access for 3 or 4 hours, after dinner & sailway - save us $30 for 1 day's upgrade cost. (NCL ships were held at Pier 88 last month for 1 to 2 days due to maritime weather, going nowhere - Gem & Getaway) Getaway's satellite WiFi connection by EMC was poor & slow last year, let's see if it's better in 2023 (Starlink, pipe dreaming - not here soon enough as it will make a big difference.) Otherwise, falling back to our Google Fi 4G LTE (5G, where available at the islands visiting) for superior data access, speed & secured VPN. The challenge review - comparing & documenting results and differences this weekend (last year's stats for the GA below): TECH - Galaxy S22 Plus, Google Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone SE 2020 as hotspot/backup - on Google Fi ... 10,000 mAH usb powerbank/standalone battery pack. Just in case, iPad Mini will come along & possibly Fire HD 8 tablet with 64GB mSD card storage (w offline videos/MP4 and music for playback) and also downloaded eBook reading. My favorite Sony Viao notebook, upgraded memory & SSD will come along, as the HDMI output is very useful to hookup to the Sole HDTV in the stateroom, a simple & direct 6' connection. A little more about these later ... we scored nice deals before last Fall's Black Friday, upgraded with excellent deals, DW has been using her S22 Plus & absolutely love the pictures taken - not a fan of Samsung's add-on apps, sticking with pure Android 13. It's too much gadget to carry for 2 of us, the Lenovo touchscreen tablet is staying home ... I think, although on shorter road trips, it's just as good to meet most needs. Extra tips: nowadays, smartphones, tablets, iPads & iPhones, etc. (as well as laptops/notebook PC's) do a lot of background uploads, refresh & downloads, OS upgrades & pinging servers remotely - we always optimize the configurations & disable some of them, allow for a streamlined device that won't slow down too much - making the most of the very limited & narrow satellite bandwidth onboard and while at sea. Over the next 48 hours, making sure all the security patches, monthly updates & apps are current & working, rebooted and batteries fully charged. Ever wonder why that email and/or website/news page isn't opening up or still loading ... hmmm. Legacy Tribute - a special virtual heavenly hello to one of the departed CC'er (since 2005) - first met years ago on a NCL cruise at the Meet & Greet and kept in touch ever since - Jenette L @jaja from Northern NJ. A regular poster on CC then, probably others from metro NY area recalled & knew/met her onboard over the last 2 decades. The pandemic disrupted cruise plans, ours and hers included; and, her health wasn't good even before that. About a year ago, just before our 2022 Getaway cruise, she emailed her update wishing us bon voyage that she wish to join & resume, also her last post on CC. Jaja was fighting her life battle with her ups and downs during the pandemic. Sadly, last December - reaching out again and her hubby (John) emailed back instead, with news of her passing just weeks ago. Going to miss a good friend, she sent along her treasured postcards & pictures from the Norwegian Sea & Crown days - while cleaning, perhaps knew then, and passed them to us to keep. John, her hubby is fine with sharing her passing with those that knew her on CC - they sometimes cruise together while Jenette sometimes go solo. This Semi-Live is being written in part for remembrance - she's in a better universe but not forgotten. Janette L. a/k/a @jaja - R.I.P. Unlike Google, Facebook & other platforms - making a commentary here that CC does not have a way of addressing legacy account or contacts for continuity. The disabled Message function, not making it any easier without figuring out a workaround. I've done a fair amount of work dealing with hospice care, comfort (end of life) care and planning in my career, some of it ad hoc - something to think about for a moment & perhaps for CC admin/mods to chat among themselves about ... all those inactive & dormant accounts over the years. to be continued - and find out "is it live or is it (Memorex) ? ? Almost only 2 days remaining ...

July is a long way from now with the current "status quo" and trifecta/winter surge going on. Until NCL revert and update its policy of "isolating and protecting" the bridge team, the captain isn't going to be out & about, as much as some of them are very outgoing and will be available for photo ops in the atrium/lobby & other areas. One can always book those portrait sessions onboard with the photo staff and on the last 3 cruises, we've seen folks were dressed up for those photo sessions - but not others and certainly not in the MDR. Check again as the sailing get closer.

@cruiseinfoseeker We sincerely appreciate those FS Dailies uploaded, sharp & clear - thanks again. As for that fancy "accessory" on the railings - a quick check on Windy App - scratching my head as I don't see anything until, perhaps late Tuesday (tomorrow) night into Wednesday morning but I would be more concerned for Thursday ... with an extra 1/2 day plus, surely ... the bridge can plot a course/heading to do their best to sail around, something is brewing in the North Atlantic surely, as always. Looks like they are putting on just a show each evening in the main theater ... in a way, it's good to do and plan supper time around it and well before nearly everything close shop after the show & not being rushed.

Thanks, our cruising with NCL goes back to the Norwegian Sea days, that's 22+ years ago ... Minds being alike, feeling annoyed would adequately describe it. I commented the other days, life is too short to be critical so bring in a good dose of humor, chill out & a bit of joking around is healthier for almost everyone. It's no secret that NCL, like other lines, are deep in red in a nutshell - stock trying to rebound. Boarding this Friday, have a first hand look ourselves with 3 other pairs of eyes & ears in the group ... We shall see with an open mind. My feeling is that, with all these taking place, some of the crew members will end up worst off overall, not necessary just from reduced extra cash tipping ... something that we always do, as we see fit. What some folks seemed to overlook, after 10 p.m. if one ate SD early & wanting a snack - not even the buffet is open or serving anything. It is either O'Sheehan's (or, The Local ... and whatever on the Prima/Viva next) and Room Services, for a "nominal charge + 20%" Ooops, I forget, almost - Haven option.

Oh, excuse me. You are grossly generalizing, aren't you. But, that's okay. Your use of your PC has no relationship whatsoever with other's reported trouble here on CC lately in using their digital device, nor does it help resolve my previously 100% check-in issue that surfaced. Perhaps, it could be my Linux OS browser on a notebook and not theirs but I'm doubtful since the error didn't go away on Android and iOS. Have a nice day. P.S. In any event, mine issue with this fixed, don't matter who's wrong - chill out. And, what makes you believe that I am not looking at other travel & vacation options ahead. Irrelevant, IMHO and we are also NCLH holders.

Hotels and airline operations have an I.T. Dept that runs 24/7 with backup on call & remote ops, unlike NCL's highly in-competent teams, not just I.T. (think proof-reading published contents) Yulp, issues with mobile app for MyNCL ... fully OLCI 2 weeks ago, eDocs printed & eLuggage tags printed. Yet, what do you know, only 83% and incomplete, WTH. Personal info missing and passport numbers disappeared. Re-keyed and now done. "Wait for eDoc" yet still showing "Finish your Online Check-In" Things like this consistently inconsistent and at other places, heads would roll. Looks like those sample SD menu samples are gone, perhaps they are "updating" them - pulled them offline to do the 2023 revision. Sail & Sustain, for your convenience, of course.

Norwegian Escape ran aground or into the soft sandbar, damaging her bottom, etc. last year with a pilot boat escorting her out of Taino, as I recall. Has anyone seen the (final ?) incident report but it is still going to be an asterisk on ship captain's career history ... and subsequently disrupted sailings, etc. etc. Amber Cove isn't far away, 20 minutes car/taxi ride but realized, it's not a cheap Uber/taxi ride ... still not as bad as overpriced ship tours booked if you can DIY. Rates are posted & regulated by authorities.

Thanks for the heads up ... With all the reported changes lately, out of words and expressions. NCL already streamlined the options to 1-1-1 (P voucher) and 1-1-1-1 (SD/FAS package coupon) and petite side dishes - shouldn't be too difficult to finish the dessert. Coffee/tea (French press) is still complimentary, I hope ... we're comp'd with 2 nice Cappuccino last time at no charge (and, that was above & beyond) If we can't finish it, ocean fishery will get treated to the leftover ... "sail and sustain" /s

Welcome home from the wild North Atlantic ride with those strengthen sea legs. Yeah, sometimes port security (has absolutely nothing to do with NCL as it is facility operations) will direct & allow car services to also dropoff and pickup on the lower level ... sometimes, it's confusing for Uber/Lyft & car service drivers as they are sometimes turn away. We used porter services once off the ship & downstairs in the luggage hall, and the porters do know by then - their buddies aren't going to give their fellow workers a hard time, unless security protocols in place dictate otherwise ... and CBP only deal with securing the zones inside the fenced / gated area, not out on 12th Avenue. The other difference, I think, is yesterday was Sunday - a weekend for disembarkation and traffic in town & for that area is light ... no street fairs nearby, no half-marathon, or other major events in the neighborhood/town ... everybody got along fine. Gem is a mid-size ship and even at capacity, isn't letting more than 2,300 or 2,400 passengers - unlike the mega Escape, Joy or Getaway. We rather go across 12th Avenue with the porter minding our heavier bags on the cart, and hail a taxi or wait for car service or Lyft (prefer over Uber) to come around, mostly quicker than waiting for them to get into the secured terminal pickup/dropoff zone, especially with that left turn traffic light on 12th Avenue (not all pro drivers know to use W. 55th approach).