mking8288

Not exactly good weather at Dockyard / Bermuda at this moment (and today) - BWS's marine forecast, as predicted earlier, with 2 to 5 ft. waves inside the reef and 12 to 16 ft. waves outside the reef, wind gust of 20 to 30 kts ... 40 kts. Check out ive Bermuda portcam at DY, white caps & strong wind inside the reef/around the harbor. https://www.portbermudawebcam.com/ GA sailed from Nassau on Tuesday and been at sea, sailing an entirely different route vs. the typical return from Bermuda, and has been hugging much closer to the coastline for a smoothy cruise. Ship is sailing above double occupancy, common for holidays/school breaks but still below technical lifeboat capacity/maxi of over 4,800 plus crew. Lately, she's been sailing upwards of 4,600+ vs. 3,900 this January and last Spring's numbers, well below 2,000 pax plus crew.

Yippie ... another CC addicts checking in, here and over there ... to join virtual cruising from the relative comfort of our armchairs.

It would be a cyclone ride to try to sail out of Bermuda this afternoon, a very rough ride & choppy seas, wind & swell. Captain & NCL made the proper call to not take the ship there. Selling these winter sailings with a stop at Bermuda, that's a different call above the bridge's pay grades.

These were typical speed on the Getaway on unlimited basic WiFi but with better hardware, quite good most of the time ... Above results on GA's satellite WiFi, initially very slow esp. on upload - typical & faster than usual for download - "my" device settings not optimally configured. If you can, lock onto 5 Ghz band (WiFi 5 or 6 if supported by your own "hardware") Google Fi (T-Mobile) connection in Bermuda, but this was apparently relayed via ship's cellular tower/network ... no, this did not result in a huge data roaming charge b/c our plan has it covered, free. This was quite good on one of my "hardware" but not the rest ("older" devices) Results varied widely and were all over for multiple days onboard the Getaway - YMMV "wildly" over the dynamically shared & cached satellite connections. STARLINK is expected to bring "relief" soon - but, just about all the ships are still waiting for deployment, except as reported being on the Breakaway & in use.

Without taking up too much of Pete's "space" - yes, we've done a # of NE cruises over the last 30 years, except for sailing to/from QC/Canada - it's on our bucket list, maybe 2024 - Pearl is a mid-size ship and easy to get around onboard as long as the extra bells & whistles aren't important, and IMHO, balcony and even OV aren't a "must" unlike Alaska, Hawaii or the Caribbeans. If you have the time, budget & never done it - take a good look at the current prices & deal, book it if you like or wait until final payment - risks being, it might sell out (probably not, there will be Insides GTY available) We did NE/C last September on the Joy and it's different, the Observation Lounge on Deck 15 Fwd was great, and never really crowded - far more spacious than our balcony for sure, and light snacks/refreshment & mini sandwiches available, etc. If you haven't check it out before, follow signature link below to find the Joy's Semi-Live reviews from 2022. Coming the Fall, cruiselines got multiple ships lined up to make their milky runs to Canada/NE out of the Northeast, with a few doing B2B from Quebec. Baltimore is the new NCL addition, with the port and ship. Last season, a month before sailing - Insides, Oceanviews were on fire sale and Balconies, mostly GTY only (no option to choose a specific cabin) were available - one can gamble and take chances by waiting ... we're set to switch to Plan B and just drive again to see foliage, as we did that in 2020 and 2021 before the Fall Covid-19 surge. @PistolPete13 - you nailed those shots perfectly sailing under the VZB coming home as well as the golden sunrise.

These triple outlet taps by GE are great, along with the 6 in. short extension. We also upgraded our 6 ft. USB extensions to 10 ft USB 3.0 extensions, giving us over 13 ft. of extra reach when needed. Going ashore all day to do excursions, a high quality 10,000 mAH USB power bank is a must for a quick smartphone & iPhone boost.

Good & useful info, thanks. GA docked early this morning in Nassau, bow facing out into the harbor ... if onboard maintenance needed extra help, I'm sure they can call in a local maritime plumbing firm to assist ... LOL (since we are not onboard and they aren't doing any update here, just tossing in a bit of humor to help entertain CC addicts looking to cure those post-cruise minds) Gotta that funny feeling we are going to read about more it this weekend after they disembark in NY - just leave them alone so that they can explore Nassau, in lieu of skipping Bermuda that they booked for. Seriously, there's a little extra info / limited update on this Getaway's southbound journey or sailing in the Roll Call section - it's not a very active group. Now, to "entertain" for a good laugh until someone do a review for this week - please try not to freak out if and when this happened (... in our cabin, DW almost stepped right into that puddle (last March on the GA) ... at least it didn't smell or unlikely to be grey water. Only took 2 or 3 calls before engineering showed up (hours later) to do the "simple" fix. Poor room steward had to do the mopping & clean up afterward. Asst. manager for Guest Service & Housekeeping called and also stopped by the next day to make sure things were okay. Even Metin (GM)'s secretary knew about it ,,, in part, I was reasonably sure that they knew, this "minor" incident was read being read on CC then. Pack patience and bring a good dose of humor, and go with the flow - and, if you must hold onto railings while walking around the ship these days ... *** Video clip is about 10 seconds, might not load on a slow connection PXL_20220327_214554077.mp4

Our steward this January was fine & busy, mostly catering to the corner Fwd PH Suite - going in & out. We had trouble nominating vacation hero and not having the name(s) didn't really matter this time, LOL. Are you going to be on Viva's TA this Fall ??

Some of these observations, IMHO, attest to the overall "competencies" of NCL's IT and accounting systems interface, sales and customer services, including CruiseNext ... even when it is written in writing, there is no absolute guarantee to assure that you will receive the promised items under the contract(s) and T&C. It is what it is ... for your (in)convenience, of course - now with the new taglines.

Latest AIS data uploaded with updated destination - Nassau, Bahamas will be next port of call, arriving in the morning @ 07:15 (UTC -4) local time. GA still at GSC anchorage but as per above, will not be going to Bermuda this Thursday ... weather related. Addendum - BWS's official maritime forecast details (extends out to 25 n.m. from shorelines) Marine Synopsis - A complex low continues to meander to the northwest and will drive a series of troughs through the area through Thursday. Winds ease moderate for a time tonight before increasing strong tomorrow with occasional stronger gusts. Conditions remain mostly fair early this evening before blustery showers begin to move through the area. Rough to very rough seas persist through the week. Wednesday - Winds westerly 15 to 25 knots, increasing 20 to 30 knots by midday with higher gusts possible, occasionally tending west-northwesterly overnight... Isolated showers with fair visibility... Seas inside the reef 2 to 4 ft... Outside the reef 10 to 14 ft... Sunrise: 7:29 am; Sunset: 7:27 pm. Thursday - Winds west-northwesterly 20 to 30 knots, with higher gusts possible, veering northwesterly during the day, easing 15 to 25 knots overnight... Isolated to occasionally scattered showers with fair to poor visibility... Seas increasing, inside the reef 2 to 5 ft... Outside the reef 12 to 16 ft... Sunrise: 7:28 am; Sunset: 7:27 pm.

They made it to GSC early this morning, drop anchor & pax gone ashore - all abroad extended, instead of 2 pm departure to 5:30 pm ... a full day on the private island. Poster not feeling positive about the odds for heading to Bermuda, nothing announced yet onboard. Storm systems in the Atlantic nearby ahead, not favorable from what's forecasted & per another frequent resident CC'er from the island.

Turn on your TV in the cabin, it's on the main/first screen - this one, from 2022 - on both the Joy & Getaway.

AirTags (by Apple) - no wonder it's gaining popularity these days, even for cruises *** ... we saw an APB (all points bulletin) for a missing piece of luggage, printed & distributed to all cabins on day 3 or 4 of our recent cruise asking all guests to help look. How can someone mistakenly "claimed" it and store it under the bed or toss into the closet, I just don't get it - even if it isn't one with a TSA lock. We cross-pack ours (packing cubes) and always take a photo of the luggage, content & exterior, make it easier to file a claim & document the loss, etc. *** Although, ship's steel hull likely making it less likely to get ping & tracked, unlike bus terminals, trains & airport tarmac and luggage claims area, etc.

#cough #cough - except, good luck finding fresh beach towels being stocked in a balcony cabin next time, b/c we certainly didn't see them this January and I just checked with those that sailed more recently on the Getaway ... and, no can't do - in line with sail & sustain, apparently - beach towels are no longer automatically provisioned in all the staterooms. Maybe in Havens and/or spa cabins only ?? "For your convenience" - you can pick them up yourself on the pool deck and/or sign them out near the gangway when going ashore or doing an excursion, etc. Or, speed dial the butler to bring them along 😉 🤣 👴 Another subtle thing we've noticed, the personalized name of one's room attendant (steward) has been "de-listed" or no longer shown on the stateroom's interactive TV, recently on the Getaway (at least) but could be an I.T. issue. Go with the flow and pack lots of humor & patience.

Thank you, short - concise, succinct, focused on the critique. I knew & recognized your CC screen ID on that TA roll call and was wondering if you're going to be joining onboard ... now, think I know & understood. Our newest strategy ahead is to book for price, itinerary and ship in this order ... just had weekend brunch in town with another (NCL) Latitudes Sapphire couple, chatting about competition MSC - giving NCL a run here in the Northeast (plus Princess - not a fan of RC's monster size ships). There are some good last minute NCL deals around, as long as one is prepared for unexpected surprises - some of the cuts - my gut feelings - likely to find their way upstairs and into the corner suites, sooner or later, i.e. black tiger prawns (gone from Cagney's & elsewhere ... ) BTW, do you recall seeing pool towels stocked in your stateroom during your sailing ... b/c we don't remember seeing them lately. Those were missing in January and GA was still on a twice a day housekeeping schedule then ... already used to not having robes & slippers, coffee-maker stashed & on request only, etc. I know we can get them on the pool deck & also sign them out when going ashore. Subtle things, do matter to the overall cruise experience. Too bad that your sailing skipped Amber Cove/Taino Bay at DR, we found the best duty-free prices there, lower than St. Thomas/USVI (except for its more generous CBP customs allowance) and ship's prices for duty-free continue to rise.

Waze is now part of Google Map for real-time GPS navigational purposes - here in NYC, its AI benefiting from access to DOT's traffic management & signals ... new vehicles using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, making it much easier to get around vs. old school mindset. From NE Queens to points south in NJ, Cross Island/Belt Pkwy is sometimes slower than the LIE to BQE thru Brooklyn, other times it's over the T.Neck or Whitestone Bridge over to I-95, across the Bronx & upper Manhattan across the GW Bridge and then catching the NJ Turnpike - it might cost more in tolls paid but saving 30 minutes is worth it.

Sine you are cruising solo - and fine with an Inside, which is often inexpensive when booked last minute (more "spacious" than a studio) - just plan ahead to take a week off from the office, and wait until mid May and/or early June as prices nearly always dropped after final payment/cancel deadline cutoff ... you might still be able to use 2 CruiseNext and possibly miss out on doubled Latitudes points (it's now "triple points" per night, depending on what's "important" to you - i.e. becoming Platinum) It's funny to see hundreds of Platinums at MCT in the past years, doesn't take much efforts with this new NCL marketing tricks. Mid September is good out of NY, despite being in the middle of hurricane season, to sail north ... doesn't always worked out that way but much better odds than another Bermuda run & too "risky" to book anything going south.

Maybe, they are too busy hanging on to railings - Friday morning, she was sailing just off (south of) Elizabeth City, VA at 18 knots, seas were rough at 2.8 m ( 9 ft. isn't bad at all) with a strong breeze (tailwind) and the GEM off their portside, a little further out at a slightly faster speed of 19 knots, near gale force wind and seas rougher at 3.3 m. Both ships were heading toward south and changed headings, GA to Florida and GEM toward San Juan, PR. Here's an update that they just posted on their roll call & alerted - about an hour ago ... 10 p.m. EDT Sunday evening (and, I quote - passing along ... verbatim) "IDK I you saw but we only got to Port Canaveral at 9:00pm. We got here late, a ship was in our berth and we had to wait for a pilot. "

Just wanted to say, these pro quality pictures are beyond beautiful and thank you. B2B is good, also you should consider doing a TA, there are a number of them embarking and disembarking in NY and since you are comfortable with an Inside or OV as solo, prices are good (especially if you vacation time is flexible ... think "last minute deals on "short" notices) and you just need to figure out your one-way air options, etc. Look up the prices for this April.

@cruiseny4life - a bit late here, catching up on all the upcoming live report among CC'ers sailing soon to get the latest scoop. How's weather up in Utica this weekend, hehe ... As long as everything is cleared next week, right. Looking forward to reading about your adventurous journey. First, adding congrats for the newest U.S. citizen and everything straighten out with all the necessary arrangements, etc. Here's one for you, just kidding ... remember to cross-pack items if you are checking bags, not knowing whether your connecting flights are on regional jets with small overhead luggage bins as gate checking is often done. OK, just kidding. (One of the nephew and his spouse used to work for them here at JFK ... ) Wishing you both Bon Voyage ahead.

Posted speed limit on stretches of the Belt Parkway is anywhere from 40 to 50 mph, signage far & few in between - most drivers drving off-peak routinely ignore and drive above the speed limit, regardless of speed enforcement by NYPD Highway Patrol & occassionally, NYSP marked RMP. Weekend mornings, it is not uncommon for packs of vehicles to travel well above the safe & legal speed limit ... ditto for the SSP, not that this is endorsing reckless driving and breaking the posted speed limit. LIE on weekend mornings, especially before 9 or 10 am, it's the same from points east to the Nassau/Queens county line - cars routinely go well above the posted 55 MPH speed limit, plus the HOV-2 lane ... not available on the SSP & Belt Pkwy. It does make a difference in choosing the "best" and/or "faster" routine to Cape Liberty - aided by Waze or Google Map using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay in vehicles equipped. Weather, lane closure, construction zones, accidents and detours, etc. obviously will and do wreck optimal time to get to cruise port(s).

Once-a-day-cabin-cleaning works, perhaps for solo and adult travelers traveling as a pair or couples ... I am doubtful that families with infants, young children and teens find this "new" service tier acceptable and workable. Yeah, yeah, yeah - just ask for this, ask for that, ask for those, wait for them, and expect ... By the way, oops, DSC shared by all NCL crew members is now $80 a day for a family of 4 - kind of difficult to "sell" and to tell those that saved for that once a year or twice a year cruise vacation. On our January 2023 cruise, ship was still on twice a day cabin services and yet, none of the staterooms were ready until after 1:30 or 1:45 p.m. - except possibly for Haven. Now that it has gone to once-a-day-cabin-cleaning schedule with 22 rooms per "attendant" - it has been reported to be worst and later than that. Not to mention, more than 150+ crew positions once needed ... are no longer being filled. This comment was just posted by someone else on a different CC roll call for another NCL vessel, verbatim: (FWIW - not facts-checked, of course) "just got off he Getaway. The cutbacks were so evident not sure will sail NCL again. Once a day service meant very cursory cleaning sometimes at 4pm. No sheet change in 12 days." Let me bust another myth, feel free to flame - I have some "idea" that at least a few cheerleaders are sailing frequently on discounted and partially "comp'd" NCL cruises b/c of other affiliations or "memberships" perks - consider yourself lucky, you earned & paid for these enhanced cruise in other ways - but, others on the same ship aren't privileged. Okay, my "rant" for the week is over - feel free to strongly disagree, resume stalking of the latest live reports onboard from ships.

Brace for weather ... welcome home. You will awake in the middle of the night, maybe hearing the wind & rain and wondering why nothing is moving or shaking, LOL. Going to miss that rocking & rolling and we've been on Deck 4 and 5 quite a few times over the decades, it's typically not bad on bigger ships. I could tell you did the Express Self Walk-Off with all that luggage and make your way across town, probably wondering where and what to do for midday lunch. Now, we are waiting for part 2 - photos & videos, etc. - it takes time to sort, organize, compose & put them together ... everyone on CC appreciate the efforts when one choose to share their precious time on a cruise vacation, and, afterward. P.S. @GSfromCT - see "comments" on your RollCall, don't want to cluster up further as this is Pete's Report. Happy sailing.

Bingo ... no, not CD on the ship announcing it's bingo time (they don't make those announcements as annoying these days, maybe you remember the old days) LOL Seriously, given how things are lately - my/our motto is not get upset, cruise with good sense of humor, consider being blessed & fortunate to be able to cruise, and be thankful. Yes, yes to booking late or plan too far ahead, if one can (and we do that "luxury" in the past several years) and eat smartly on the cruise & off, to stay healthy - you have the nearly ideal mindset, plan & optional extras to cruise. Another CC friend is coming up on another ship with one stop for a 5 nighter = Bermuda. Emailed to ask - what do I think will happen if "things" happened like lately with these "unforeseen" last minute port changes, cancellations & adjusted timetables. Probably chuckling reading this now, LOL, often hanging out here like the rest of CC "addicts". First, I hope not b/c I got F&F booked on a Bermuda run next month during Spring break, actually, ia fairly "large" group and they paid a mini fortune for overpriced itinerary on another NCL ship. Another CC couple, friends - doing TA next month with a planned Dockyard stop - skipped already once on their 2022 TA crossing. We got a stop there coming up but we'll survive as "ours" will just become another sea day. Not going to suggest that it might become a quick run to Grand Bahama or Bimini in the Bahamas instead. Apparently, NCL came up with Bimini recently as an additional option since we all know about GSC. Mother nature making the call, that we just have to live with and accept. I am not, however, accepting or buying that S&S nonsense. Anyway, yield this back to Pete's report/blog & trip stories - sunset and a fine evening - GA north of Ocean City, MD doing 15 kn - approaching Delaware/NJ followed by the GEM 25 mi. behind at 16 kn. Both should be within range of Marinetraffic's AIS tracking in the next 2 to 3 hours, usually somewhere off Atlantic City, NJ and then another 5 to 6 hours into NY - depending on ship's speed & other conditions ... don't see a late arrival tomorrow. 7 am pulling into the pier and 8 am "express walk-off" is probably my best guestimate at this point for the GA, and the GEM not far behind. Smooth, happy & healthy sailing to you and others.

IMHO, this read like issues with BOA and MasterCard's fraud prevention, call them to escalate and ask to speak with a supervisor and or email them to assist in resolving the denials. Are you using 2FA on the account or had other settings that might trigger these measures. Have them review to help you Good luck 🤞