mking8288

One solution that we came up with - reuse those "Just Water" refillable cartons (16.9 oz) after rinsing them clean ourselves, fill it up in the buffet station with a clean cup each time, and take them along when going ashore. Nowadays, we get 4 of them waiting on embarkation day. We then return to the ship and empty them out before reaching security - put them thru x-ray or have ship security hand/visually inspect them - problem solved. One less item to fit/pack in the carry-on/checked luggage embarking on a cruise ... environmental friendly and NCL getd to keep them when we disembark, recycle or whatever. With CAS drink cards, our friends usually can get premium sparking water in a bottle from the casino beverage folks ... tip them as always, of course.

Thanks for sharing the thoughts, always learn something new & different each time on CC, where I'm hanging out these days. Small pool area on a crowded ship - BA, GA & Escape's adult pool(s) are big compared to the the Joy, now - hush and don't tell the herd about Spice H2O (only on some) in the back of the ship. NCL's infamous & pricey satellite WiFi, foolish to get tricked into streaming unlimited WiFi - IMHO. Tendering, especially from/returning to a mega ship, regardless of what cruiselines, is always going to be a pain, no "ifs" and "buts" - gangway passage is "one at a time, often holding on to the rails" for safety reasons, even if sea state is calm and not windy - worst when it's near/at (sooner or later, back to above capacity ... holidays & school breaks ??) Crew/employee staffing and retention isn't just a problem for maritime and aviation, also true for good told office and frontline service personnel - expect the unexpected. Going to bookmark & read this, thanks again.

Perhaps, that's how likely some were exposed and positivity #'s on an upward curve - the quasi-official numbers from this Memorial holiday weekend aren't in yet, masked by many self-testing at home, apparently, under the public health/CDC radars. We surely did not catch anything in NYC, our hometown - both the PCR and Antigen Rapid test results done 2 days prior to our Bermuda cruise were negative and up until day 5 to day 6, after we arrived into the islands (the Joy skipped Norfolk, VA) - everyone in our group was fine ... (or, at least, asymptomatic for 4 out of 6 that eventually tested from negative to positive, like domino effects). 6 of us staying in 2 "suites" - all but 2 in the 2nd. suite were exposed eventually, probably from being close contacts. Well, all 4 of us recovered fine and at the end of 2 weeks of self-isolation, our Antigen Rapid tests are now all negative ... Haha, we can bravely with boosted immunity - book a new cruise, last minute for this weekend and sail again - and get a new Bermuda TA (ignore the questions - since the test results will be negative) and complete online check-in. Seriously, just kidding on that last sentence - point being that, there are all sorts of loopholes in the current screening process. Going to take a brief pause, road trip to Ontario, Canada later next month - ArriveCan is much easier to deal with.

@PATRLR We're there in 2017 & 2018 - yes, those good old pre-Covid days, it was permitted. Times are changing 🙄🙄🙄 It went up to $45 on our "Getaway" at GSC and not covered by the $50 shorex credits

Spotted something on NCL for your short list ... good, tomorrow is June 1st. - see if there are any good promo or insider's deal. As for hotel, assume that you want something in the Times Square area - a short hop over to Pier 88, a # of Joy cruisers on our Roll Call stay near Hell's Kitchen and just roll down W. 48th Street, don't have details of the property(s) & whether they recommend it or not (sorry). Have you check out TripAdvisor's with recent reviews & ratings, that's always good to see what's going on ... Getaway is doing 10 days in September out of NY (added to the system earlier this month) - Bermuda & Nassau, GSC and PC, plus a stop at Norfolk ... gut feeling, they need to drop prices to make it attractive, lots of ships competing for the same demographics.

Hello to both (and, all others) We are nearly normal, stray cough every now & then, far less frequent than last week (gosh, can't believe it's been 15 days since ...) No longer feeling tired by mid/late afternoon as I usually go all day & transition to being a night owl, maybe an occasional power (cat) nap - same for DW. The coughing began to fade and feeling great over the past few days - of course, the nurse nephew forwarded an article about long Covid for me to read ... LOL. Roche test last Wed still had a faint line for both, DW had a routine visit with her PCP on Friday & she said, stop testing as we are no longer considered contagious to others after 5 to 7, 10 days max ... Anyway, both our test results this morning are negative, not even a faint line ... what a way to use up some of the stockpiled, soon to expire home testing kits 😁 (gotta to keep our sense of humor in all these) Our boosted immunity "should" now give us a little extra shield for the next 2 to 3 months, according to "expert" medical-scientific researches - plan is time ourselves to get the "next" booster by late summer/fall. Meanwhile, we are planning an early summer road trip up to Ontario, Canada & stopping at Niagara Falls on the way back ... Will be dealing with the ArriveCAN mobile app next month, far easier & simple compare to Bermuda's TA. Going to deal with our Fall cruise after we get back - BTW, we've decided to NOT book the Joy "SP" Family Inside Suites again, going to miss all that extra room or space but - to us - not worth paying extras for. We'll still get priority embark/disembark, dining reservation with our Latitudes tier status. It seemed that NCL has basically stripped almost all the remaining "perks" for the suites. We are better off in a balcony or club/mini and oceanview/inside nearby - and 2 bathrooms.

@kjquilts - Thanks for sharing and please get some rest, lots of fluids and vitamins C ... get in touch with your PCP using tele-med if necessary ... For some (most) of us, symptoms remained mild with our baseline vax/booster protection and things ease up by day 3, 4 or 5 - gradually, slowly and feeling not as tired. Funny thing is that, we ran thru several boxes of home testing kits quickly over the past 2 weeks ... thankfully, USPS just delivered 8 more free tests that we ordered. We finally left our house for a Sunday brunch, after sheltering in place for nearly 2 weeks. Maybe, cruiselines will be asking us to all sign 😷 a waiver/disclaimer that we cruise with known risks as implied consent, holding them harmless.

Pre-Covid, clamshell & other similar rentals were all covered by shorex credit ($50 per stateroom associated with guest #1) #cough #cough - not anymore. Clam shells (vented one are best for air flow) are no longer offset by the $50 shorex credit, signed for & charged to onboard account this April on the Getaway (thankfully, we had a bit of NR OBC to use against) Pick a location & the shore crew will set it up for you, same for the umbrella (although you will need to move & adjust to stay in the shade with the sun overhead) Clamshell fits 2 with better UV/direct shades and along with high SPF+ suntan lotion are a must ... bring large bottle of chilled/iced water for hydration.

We had CNC that we purchased in Jan 2019 & was set to expire Jan 2023 ... they're extended, I recall, this January (2022) automatically - didn't have to do anything, call or request - by 2 years, reset the new expiration/sail by date to Jan 2025 instead - right around the winter Covid-19 surge and cancellations, etc. NCL didn't email or otherwise notify us either but we saw that once signed into MyNCL account. It might've set in motion a fresh round of email & calling/voice messaging from just about PCC to get to boost their sales target. Not a glitch and it is for real ... but, we've already applied or used it on a new booking, it's "gone" - which the CruiseNext team onboard were cheerfully eager & waiting to help us buy more ... citing long lines on the prior sailing 🤣 🤣 🤣 The line was, in fact, much longer & moved a lot slower at Guest Services. Enjoy the 2 year extension given.

What the CEO of NCLH was quoted as saying recently in terms of the predictive occupancy level - https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/27460-norwegian-won-t-sacrifice-cruise-pricing-for-full-ships-65-expected-in-q2.html Would be reasonable and appropriate for the detailed numbers to be held competitively for trade and operational reasons, including pricing and marketing, IMHO. There is also the challenges from recruiting the workforce that is trained, competent and compliant with labor & health/safety requirements and certifications as required. It's not just the POA is running into head wind in fully staffing the US-flagged ship and restricting in what's available & offered ... Carnival & Royal Caribbean running into similar challenges. Our 2 most recent cruises (Getaway & Joy) were below 50% - cruises that sailed during holidays and school breaks were much higher.

Of course, even on 4 or 5 nighters. Just ask & alert your steward ahead so s/he can bring it down early (by 9 am) and get it back sooner. And, you can do 2 or 3 bags, 4 if you like. We lined ours with Marriott's plastic laundry bags to prevent breakage and to stuff it as full as possible by rolling them as inserts, roll tightly and squeeze to fit them in. Our 2 bags came back smelling fresh, cleaned & neatly folded in 2vwicker baskets.

Taking a closer look at Bermuda Dept of Marine & Port Services' published cruise ship schedule, dated May 10, 2022 (subject to change without notice, per disclaimer) - screenshot from PDF file http://www.rccbermuda.bm/shipping_button_link.aspx It appears unlikely Getaway will be stopping at Dockyard for its first stop out of NY this September - both berths taken already / anchoring isn't practical - rather, it is reserved/assigned on the return route to stop there. Thus, folks will all get tested "free" onboard the GA after going to VA, FL and GSC/Nassau first. NCL is doing more and more of these longer 8 to 10 days itinerary on the NY-Florida-Bahamas-Bermuda route, especially around holidays later in 2022 and also 2023, it seemed ... Going to be interesting to watch. Too bad, this one conflict with our plans for the Fall or make into a B2B somehow with the Joy & Breakaway also running donuts (late August thru October being a popular time of the year & ships used to sail pretty full out of the Northeast, pre-Covid) - otherwise, we would put this on the short list to book & cruise if bargain prices with "better" promo deals come along. Game plan - get one's annual influenza shot and next booster shot done, stock up extra KN95/KF94 masks, hand sanitizers and disposable wipes ... personal & OTC meds as needed just in case, and, carry on. From what I've been reading, it does not appear that Bermuda government is planning to ease up their TA rules with testing anytime soon, the $40 head tax to be "approved" not expected to be dropped until 2023 - but, they seemed to be making it a little easier - now, if only NCL can straighten out their critical info and updates/alerts to booked passengers bound for Bermuda ... everyone will feel relieved.

10 days in September - smack into the Bermuda triangle ... peak hurricane weeks / time of year and NWS predicting an above average active season for storms, hmmm. It is showing on NCL's site, but I don't recall seeing it last month nor do I recall CruiseNext promoting it ... could be tied to the recent corporate decisions & ships redeployment. I guess NCL can't possibly have 3 mega ships sailing Canada & New England this September ... Looks like some of the cruise ports hasn't added the GA to their published schedule yet. Otherwise, it looks legit ... Yeah, this gets interesting ... payment in full since this should be (is already) past cancellation & change timeline, etc. Now, if they offer triple points & DoubleUp, etc. as extra incentive, those with FCC might bite, if they haven't book anything yet and their schedule is flexible for a last minute "Getaway" Launch your browser (different one ??) again and do you see what I see 👴

Look for these, Laundry Special - ask your steward. It's usually offered on 3rd or 4th day after embarkation, $29.99 per bag, stuff it full.

@pcakes122 - almost home, tracking the Joy inbound but still out of radar reporting range on Marinetraffic, appeared to be a pre-dawn arrival before sunrise. Was a bit bumpy earlier but nothing like what we ran into 2 weeks ago getting there. Did they restore ship's livecam view on Ch.12 yet ... someone sailing this Sunday should ask at the M&G or slip them a note ahead, to ask what's been going on in their IT Dept 🤣 @The P - Sharon, no news is excellent new for you post-cruise. Next up is Bonnie's turn and appeared she's fully prepared - maybe they've still straightening out the cruise terminal's embarkation mess, and fingers crossed. Our CC friends from Bayside are sailing after MsTabbyKats and I'm feeding them "intel" Just got a fresh supply of free home testing kits this week, and more on the way soon - should probably pack extras to take on a cruise in the coming months, whether it's Bermuda or somewhere else - just for peace of mind ourselves. Royal and I believe also, Carnival, extending their current protocol thru Sept 30th ... Happy Memorial Weekend to all 😷

@FM - Two weeks ago on the Joy (and, similarly on the Getaway this March/April) - our average itemized total for Cagney's came close to 85 or $90 only per person using the Platinum/Sapphire free vouchers ... that was zeroed out, just signed for it (unless there were upcharged items like the crab cake lump.) With the Free At Seas Specialty Dining being more generous, extra choice of starter/soup/salad and extra sides - we ran up the dining total for 2 to $207 with one and $217 on another, excluding an upcharge - just sign, add extra tips as appropriate and say bye. Porterhouse 20 oz. is $45 and covered, no extra charge. Prices in Le Bistro are fairly similar, La Cucina is slightly/somewhat low, all being a la carte. With Food Republic, we had a great time and used SD (it's open for lunch on full sea days) from 4 of us, choice of 4 items per person, no caps or upgrade on anything in the current menu - for 16 items, more than enough for 6 to share ... itemized, it came to much less - about $250 only or $61 p/p. It's perfectly and absolutely fine to do Specialty Dining again for the same evening, go to Q or Moderno, Le Bistro or Ocean Blue, etc. depending on which ship & restaurants with available reservations ... Already booked on an upcoming sailing, sign in and go to the dining section, click & view the menu ... best to download it. Once onboard, the reservation desk or kiosk also has the menu (in addition to stateroom's iTV menu, just use the remote to scroll) It is supposed to be available via QR code, scan & download to save and read later ... but, for whatever reasons - technical errors, didn't work for us. Here is the latest, current May 2022 Teppanyaki menu, prices & options as shown. P.S. do use the "Block User" option below Account Setting - best way to ignore is NOT to respond and feed. Teppanyaki_Mobile-Menu_v011122.pdf

It's a subtle change in place since earlier this year, we've noticed it - it's a calculated move to upsell, and if you aren't careful, end up booking something a lot more than you had in mind. For example, when looking for another balcony vs. the recommended, "best available" as offered with a cabin # - gotta go back, a few extra clicks - before other balconies are shown - AND - it could well include large balcony and even AFT balcony, usually priced much higher. Our workaround, is to open the "regular" deck plan for the specific NCL ship on a split screen or another tablet, iPad, or smartphone, etc. while doing the mock booking - giving us better overview of location & what's nearby, etc. The good thing, advantage, about this - we can also see a lot more than 15 available cabins in these categories ... for a better idea of inventory & occupancy at that moment. It is, surely, more work on our part. By default, all the Free At Seas are included and the calculated NCL-affiliated travel/trip insurance protection also come up quickly, for "our" convenience, of course 😄😳🤔

@susiesan - Hmmm, not necessary. Mega ships with medical center located on Deck 5, do seem to set aside & block cabins nearby on Deck 5, easier & convenient and minimal movement of affected passengers. Not all of the MC are located on #5 - some, like the Escape and the Joy, are located much higher, as in Deck 13 and apparently, some cabins nearby set aside. Someone on our last Roll Call recently stayed in a balcony nearby, per his report - never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Been on both the Dawn & Gem, and other similar mid-sized ships with the MC typically on Deck 4 MID, and, they are behind 2 sets of double doors behind the stairs/elevators - except during clinic hours (very limited) are closed to foot traffic as a general rule. Notice the blue lights above in the ceiling, almost certain that is an UV light designed as part of infection control measures, probably with an upgraded, enhanced negative air flow HVAC system as ship operation's response to the global pandemic ... that's peace of mind, as far as I'm concern on "Environments of Care" Obviously, without checking current cabin status & whether a block of them are set aside, the possibility cannot be ruled out on Deck 4 (passenger cabins are Port side only) but doubtful Deck 5 is being used for said purpose. Your cabin is a deck above & far from the MC - if you consider that unacceptable, well - IMHO, unwarranted. It's your choice. BTW, you do know that for tendering purposes and even for some of the port stops, Deck 4 is where the gangways are used, sometimes. Wishing you a happy cruise.

$4 to $5 million bonus annual revenue for BDA government isn't something for them to sneeze at, at their convenience, at our expense. #cough #cough (punting, intended.) They have no intentions of getting rid of the fees until 2023, despite opposition by local businesses hurting, citing negative influence to visitors & tourists alike ... of course, it was $75 p/p earlier, should be "thankful" Cheers, I think not. The other venue where masking was enforced, onboard Bermuda's Fast Ferry ... sadly, not once onboard the NCL (free for passengers) Spirit of St. George ferry/shuttle - another reason to sit/go upstairs, more comfortable, air conditioned & wasn't crowded, and 110v outlets to quickly recharge our smartphones & iphones (yay for "free" T-Mobile 4G roaming on the islands.) P.S. Cruise passengers that obtained the BDA TA should receive a post-cruise survey for feedback from their Tourism Authority as a follow-up, do fill out and tell them your honest opinion and what you think of the experience, and, for us - the head tax collected and the unnecessary bureaucratic mess & toll-free long distance calling on hold, etc. IMHO, expressing our dissatisfaction.

@MrPhil101 Based on your planned boarding time, I would say relax & eat first - especially if your muster station is on the far side (1/2 of them AFT and 1/2 FWD, depending on your deck (and balcony's) location - all are located Deck-6-7-8 (if you look at one of the letter that I uploaded earlier in the "Semi-Live" Joy to Bermuda mini / long series 😁😁 ) Figure out your shortest route between boarding the ship, dining preference (MDR or The Local) and where your assigned muster station is ... and carry-on items in tow ... Take the essentials (include Rx/OTC meds, digital gadets, CPAP & 1 set of clothes) with you, check the rest (luggage) with the porter - it's not fun pushing & pulling 75 lbs+ up the Z gangway (sometimes, pretty steep with rising tide) Wiping the key cards took 15 seconds or less, quick & easy but not if you have to make a 10 minutes walk to get there & then a big U-turn to reverse route for lunch when it's already 1:15 pm. If you don't report & swipe your card before 3 pm (or 4 pm) sailaway - you risk holding up ship's sailing.

Post-cruise, misc. reflections - better prepared for "your" upcoming cruise ahead, whether it's Bermuda or another similar destination, where pre-embarkation Covid-19 testing is required (and, not necessary just for NCL) If you are going to be in the NY/NJ area prior to your sailing date - at the moment, free testing are still currently available with quick turnaround for the Antigen Rapid test. Our recommendation & suggestion, that, to plan ahead, look and see whether you can go to one of the community or neighborhood-based mobile testing sites, get it free and done with - with a simple QR-code based mobile registration with your iPhone or smartphone (you will need your cellular/mobile # and email address, text messaging or SMS will be used). Fewer & fewer CVS/Walgreen sites are doing rapid testing these days (and, CVS's partner Quest Lab billed our insurance, at no cost or out-of-pocket expense to us). We've used RRT at least 3 times within the last 5 months, very convenient and simple to us, and fast turnaround for getting our (negative) Antigen Rapid test results ... PCR testing also done at the same time, both free and no insurance info needed or used (good for travelers and the uninsured, etc.) At any given date and during mostly daylight hours, easily 50+ mobile sites are running and testing ... nowadays, no or very short lines and practically no wait, take "more" time to register for your first/initial testing (and, just 1 or 2 minutes on subsequent testing to answer several screening questions) The digital reports was (are) ready in about 30 minutes for Antigen and within 24 to 36 hours for PCR results (longest wait in early January 20222 during the winter surge.) To locate a free walk-in testing location within NYC - use this official link (updated weekly ahead, early Sunday morning) - https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/covid-19-testing-sites/ Bing and/or Google to map & check the location to see if it's accessible to you & convenient. Most of these mobile locations will have one or more van or mini-bus as seen in pictures below and signage, scan the QR code to start the registration for first-time visit & testing (if in doubt, check and ask first) You will need to confirm & verify your email & phone # used on your device to complete the account setup. Of course, you can choose one of the recommended or endorsed options, including Euro Fins at the NY cruise terminal for a fee, one of the proctored test & reporting services - including iHealth home kits shipped free by USPS as some received them as ordered from the official federal government online website, CVS/Walgreens or urgent care clinics, like CityMD and others, as long as the digitally generated reports are in a standardized format with all the important biographical & clinical data shown. Below is the free testing & reporting (sample only) issued by RRT, affiliated with and a partner with NYC Dept of Health and has been accepted for most travel, including our 2 recent cruises on NCL. Personally, we also recommend bringing your own testing kits, and of course, high quality (K)N95/KF94/3-ply surgical masks to use - just in case ... you just don't know, while onboard and/or shortly before disembarkation & traveling again/going home.

@MrPhil101 - belated welcome for joining CC. It's Fleet Week in NYC, expect traffic to be a little heavier near MCT tomorrow (as I see you will be embarking) Are you on the (click) Roll Call & signed up for the M&G, they are a nice group and you should find it informative & getting to mingle. MDR (Savor & Taste) Deck 6 AFT should remain open for sit-down lunch until 1:30 pm, as long as you get in & seated, enjoy the pampering. Staterooms are typically ready after 1 pm - you should be boarding the gangway on Deck 7. The Local is the later option and wasn't crowded, for simplicity & convenience - plenty of tables (ask for regular top, not a high top unless you don't mind seating on those tall chair) with continuous service thru the afternoon & into evening. Either will help avoid the buffet & taking the elevators up to Deck 16. If you are only taking lighter carry-on luggage to embark, checking the rest - I recommend reporting to your muster station, before going to your stateroom, getting your guest key cards swiped by the crew is a mandatory requirement in lieu of the full scale emergency/evac drills at the assigned assembly stations. Disembarkation morning, we always eat in MDR since we are close to home and never in a rush - open until 8 to 8:30 am (Savor was open, Taste closed - many crew members reassigned to work luggage & other turnaround duties) Basically, everyone is asked to vacate the stateroom and if not eager to leave, can remain in most public area throughout the ship, except near atrium / guest services or near gangways - should be off no later than 9:45 to 10 am as they need to reach zero count, allowing the next embarkation to begin early boarding.

@NW Pacific I cannot give a broad answer about "any US port" and NCL providing testing at the Pier. But, I can vouch for NYC - Euro Fin partnering with NCL to do testing at the cruise terminal (MCT) for a fee - they're setup near the entrance. There was (is) apparently a need for it and folks willing to pay for the service, at whatever established rates (I believe the specific charge vary depending on the where & what, etc.) They looked pretty busy, don't they 😷

GG - hey there, sorry to tease you. How about checking your Delta flight options quick - next Sunday out of NYC, Joy to Bermuda with a planned stopover at Norfolk, VA ... not a rock bottom or cheap solo fare, but knowing your taste & preference and extra OBC/rebate options (AE). Looks like with a balcony guarantee, to be assigned and FAS, maybe a chance to get a free, large balcony or even aft balcony - Haven, lots of upgrades done, Spas gone but Club/mini-balconies remaining ... Super cheap ones at sailaway prices, of course will be there with the upgrading not completed processed. Bermuda TA is now easier. Although you prefer MIA or another FL port ... Joy is the only ship running out of NY this summer, demand is definitely going to be there and supply only going to get tighter. Total $1,863.43 STATEROOM 1 Guest Balcony $2,912 70% OFF Second Guest $1,419.60 FREE AT SEA Open Bar Selected Specialty Dining Selected Shore Excursions Included WiFi Included +MORE OFFERS 70% OFF Second Guest Included Subtotal $1,419.60 Gov. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses $287.43 Open Bar Gratuities $138.60 Specialty Dining Gratuities $17.80 Total Due $1,863.4 P.S. We think alike, hahaha - Henry

$35 limit not enforced on Getaway and Joy as we're on both, March-April and May with Cagney's. Host/ess and servers know & aware of the current rules as those booklets with mini coupons were printed long ago. Had 20 oz. porterhouse & grilled seafood platter with no extra charges. Only "complaint" and it's minor, crab lump cake priced at $19 with $5 upcharge was just blah & not worth it, a subjective & personal opinion only. Everything else were fine & good, we used both Platinum & SD vouchers that're more generous, as most knew. P.S. We live 10 minutes from the nearest Outback Steakhouse chains - if one can show us having a similar lunch (or dinner) for 2 for $50 or less - kindly prepaid it for us and we'll cheerfully reimburse you via Google Pay.