mking8288

Newport, RI is a TENDER only port - ship(s) calling there will stop & anchor in the harbor, for that last leg - a 10 minutes ride (actual time once underway) to the town's pier (and, it is beautiful, been there via cruises but done a # of road trips - waterfront is nice, shops & stores across the street and just a few blocks away) It's NOT fun for the *Away/Plus ships sailing at/near full double occupancies to tender, using ship's lifeboats ... these are large lifeboats but (still) can tender between 150 to 250 (max permitted capacity is higher) plus boarding and getting off is slow & time consuming. It is not our "usual" GSC private island double decker tender - and, if it is windy and sea state is just slightly not glass smooth - have fun riding and hold on tight, take your seasick or motion sickness meds earlier. Hold on with both hands on the railings while making that quick transfer down the 2 or 3 steps on the ramp as the boat's vertical (up & down) movement can make it very challenging to safely go across. Been there & done that. Plan accordingly and enjoy the boat ride from the mother ship - you will want to invoke your priority tendering if not booked on a NCL shorex. Have fun going ashore & coming back ... or, stay onboard & relax, enjoy the late summer on the sun decks, etc. Cheers 😎

Thank you for the Escape report from last week ... was there a Meet & Greet and if you attended, would you happen to have the placard with the names/titles of the senior team, HD/GM, heads of housekeeping, guest services, F&B, etc. Any idea if some of them are going on vacation & rotations, perhaps new assignments on another NCL ship soon ... ship is going to reposition later next month & spend time in NY until the (late) Fall. We got the Escape on our radar ahead and starting to see if we can "home" in, always nice to get a heads up of who's who since the ones we are looking at, along with other sailings, got logistically challenges in pulling off a successful M&G gathering, the only full sea day is on the last (sea) day & inbound to come home ... port intensive itinerary with 2 tender stops. Again, TIA.

Real crabmeat are expensive (it's always like that) so that's to be expected nowadays, no matter where we go and order them, especially buffets and AYCE places, unless specifically indicated. OMG, that tray of powdered eggs served in the cafe / cafeteria 😳 ... and, I for one, always caution that opinions on food are personal, and subjective and subject to our own preferences & biases. But, who can find that tray of eggs ... well, some can and will and, to each her/his own. Thank you for your time and sharing with another come along live cruise adventure ... continue to follow & lurk here. Great pictures as always, they are unique, different and special in many ways, not the usual ones that we've seen often ... why do I think of our IKEA store, haha.

@Eggs2Go don't worry about quoting ... just wanted to offer whatever we knew from before, to try to be helpful. We actually like our stop at Amber Cove, walking around the port area after getting off the ship ... there is a local beach nearby, looked pretty crowded (mainly locals there, during our January stop) If you click our Semi/Live Getaway report, there's a # of photos & descriptive details of what was there, etc. that should be useful, FWIW. Taxi fares to various destination nearby were zoned and posted, published & regulated by authorities - and, they're a bit on the "pricey" side - although, NCL's shorex aren't exactly bargains either, LOL. @FlynGall - hopefully, you'll find some of the chats here helpful. NCL isn't known for top-notched communications excellence and very often, stay vague and only announced "last minute changes due to unforeseen situations or circumstances, etc." that a port change, cancellation or alternate stop / port has been made "regrettably" to "sail & sustain" for one's (in)convenience 🙄 😳 😤 But, it is what it is. Plan ahead and make your best call as to what's likely to expect, but do not get upset or be surprised if something else happened while en route and at sea - it's not terrible in itself if you booked NCL shorex, but some of us do plan & book private, local or independent tours on our own - and it's sometimes a mad scramble to contact the vendor & make changes, obtain refunds or able to notify them to cancel and make substituted arrangements for a new pickup & meeting location ... and, to make matters worst, if arrival & sailing time are changed. Of course, on top of it all - one cannot get mad at mother nature & maritime disruptions. Go with the flow, pack humors, have patience, and reasons often for us to just "wing" it when & once we get there. It does sound like TB is ready and good for mega NCL ships to safely dock there, but if AC is listed - well, plan for it. There is no practical reason for the pool & other facilities to be closed to NCL pax arriving on a ship and docking there. Afterall, the shops & stores are open, vendors are selling their crafts, and the locals will do all that can to roll out the welcome mats - and, cheerfully take our mightly U.S. dollars ... and credit cards, etc. Happy planning, cruising and safe travel. Cheers 😎

We're on the Getaway this January (2023) and like at least several other sailings before & ours, DR was one of the scheduled port stop AND instead of docking at TB, sailed straight to Amber Cove ... this is especially true for mega ships within NCL's fleet as the harbor channel at TB was (is ??) shallow with work in progress to make it safer then. Amber Cove can take 2 ships and when not used by Carnival vessels visiting, is open & available to other cruiselines ... it is a nice facility, duty-free shopping with prices lowered than USVI at the time. Taxis are available to POI including TB via highway route (not exactly walkable on the basis of distance alone, Google it to see for yourself), AND, they are relatively "expensive" vs. other typical Caribbean ports. We didn't use the pool while there but others on our sailing did - there are (unsecured) WiFi hotspot(s) in the shops area, clearly marked & off-duty NCL crew members were there as well to get "connnected" to F&F overseas. Cellular (roaming) signals are solid & strong in coverage, 4G LTE only. It is a fairly long walk from the ship's berth to the "port" area, and more walking to leave & exit out to ground transportation, "free" golf cart styled shuttle are available for those who rather ride - with the hot sun & tropical climate/weather - but a nominal cash tip is welcomed & appreciated, never declined. Bring sun protection and bottled water for hydration

@dwr777 - typically, you can check on bidding availabilities within 90+ days, sometimes more than 100 days out, of embarkation for your specific cruise. It used be less than 90 days, I think at the 80 days countdown mark before the bidding option to upgrade - with the rules & disclosure fineprints, etc. etc. Good luck !

According to one of our extended family's relative - head of housekeeping for a major hotel chain, bring a 3 oz. bottle of vinegar onboard, dilute that 50%, and run it thru the 1 cup coffee-maker ... allow the mix to cool in between deep rinsing, repeat - then, run thru 3 to 4 cycles of tap water. It should get rid of lingering coffee taste/flavor in subsequent hot water brewing. But, I'm told that the water doesn't quite reach the ideal temperature for proper tea service. What do I know, I'm a coffee drinker. Yes for Bubble tea with milk, however 😁

Just a FYI & cautionary note about doing any one-way cruise to/from Quebec - please be sure to carefully check out and review ground transportation options available, unless you are doing a B2B. Amtrak just briefly resumed (this Spring' 23) NYC to Montreal thru train services, suspended since Covid shutdown ... before "freezing" the segment north of Albany thru/across the US-Canada border into Montreal (it's about a 11 - 12 hour ride ... done that, long) As of this week, limited services continued or available only as far north as Saratoga Springs, NY (which is just north of Albany, less than 1 hour's worth of driving time) Services on the entire length, "expected" to return to normal by mid September. This has nothing to do with NCL. Flight options between Montreal and Quebec are infrequent and limited, NCL Air booked might leave cruisers trying to find their way to/from the port ... and/or requiring an extra day of travel time on top due to train, bus & regional commuter flight schedule. https://www.insider.com/amtrak-adirondack-train-suspended-from-albany-to-montreal-2023-7

A lot has changed since 2019 ... Latitutdes new tier pins, collect them ahead when you sailed. Housekeeping is now once a day except for Haven (and full suites). Coffee/hot water maker, ice bucket and robes are on request only for balcony & even club balcony (formerely "mini") "suite". Luggages are now often delivered later in the afternoon as staterooms (aside from Haven) aren't often ready until 3 to 4 pm with reductions in housekeeping services, not necessary b/c of crew shortage as on 2 of our recent 2023 cruises, GM (formerly the HD) reported that ships are "fully staffed" but maybe they are counting based on the reduced headcount census. Onboard entertainment undergoing major changes this year, fewer production shows in the main theater & toward lounge/comedy solo/duo acts. Shorex prices has gone mad, IMHO, grossly over-priced but sweet deals can still be found for solo cruisers. Specialty Dining package & add-on prices skyrocketed as well, in part, to boost that 20% gratitude charge automatically added. Upgrade Advantage bidding are sometimes live bids for Haven, winning bids nowadays are possible at 7 to 8 plus weeks out and no longer cutoff at 48 hours, processed as late as embarkation day (afternoon ... onboard, due to last minute no-shows/cancellations). Ships are basically sailing full these days, but not for Alaska sailings, apparently ... last minute deals plentiful. DSC has gone up quite a bit by percentage. Non-refundable OBC cannot be used to buy CruiseNext Certificates, unlike then. Just one ship this coming winter out of NY, the Getaway & fewer sailings with stops in PC and/or GSC and even Nassau (fewer chats of "tired of the old milky runs") whereas Dockyard is now almost a year round stop and/or overnight stays for shorter sailings, even into late November ... Closer to south Jersey, Baltimore got one of the older mid-size ship doing (seasonal ?) runs out of there (haven't really look closely at availability schedule) so those in MD/DE & PA might find it attractive. Parking & ground travel costs in NYC in 2024 is going to go up higher with congestion pricing. Out of NY's Pier 88, embarkation day remains sometimes chaotic and disorganized, but facial recognition now used for disembarkation do seem to help on the morning rush ... scheduled sailing time are now moving toward later in the day at 4 to 5 pm, as late as 6 pm on a routine basis as turnaround time are taking longer. Last but not least, satellite WiFi onboard NCL ships remained being the "leader" 😳🙄😳 in being among the slowest and most expensive across cruiselines in the U.S. market, only the Breakaway gotten upgrade to Starlink earlier this year with the rest of the fleet's "announced" roll-out stalled in pilot & testing phrase, until 2024 for select ships only ?? - starting with the newest ships (Viva, soon to join the fleet ... next month) and the Prima said to be among the worst. That's more than a handful, I am sure that a few other notable changes are missed & omitted, and some will have their own spins & impressions of the changes, for the better or ... 🤔 To each her/his own, decide for yourself - out of NY, you are just as likely to find old CC friends over at MSC and Princess, along with Royal & possibly even the Carnival vessel now homeport in NY. One of our nieces hopped over to Cunard's QM2 ... their food, goodness 👌 Should get you going to research. Cheers !

Yes !! Concur, this is true (as least lately and post-Covid) with the extra point and double points promotion) Our SIL was sharing ours and we got all the extra points whereas she didn't ... not that it's a big deal.

Bring back the Jean Ann Ryan Productions from the "old" days, seriously ... just kidding, can't afford them & then it was NCL Productions that taking over. @Red-Sol - OMG, listening to that FW Mac video in my 72 Dodge Demon then ... can't held but to admit, getting old.

Decide for yourself, 🙄 🙄 🙄 this is being shown ahead for one of our upcoming sailing with multiple full sea days ... solved our problem of trying to find an ideal dining time, including specialty restaurants, and we will thoroughly enjoy a leisure 4+ course meals without rushing in lieu of rushing to line up 30 to 60 minutes before the lounge act(s) for that 45+ minutes live 😳 😳 😳 Different strokes for different folks ... with AI full speed ahead, perhaps the days of virtual 3D onboard entertainment aren't going to be a pipe dream. Why bother wasting that main theater space - pending that "announcement" ahead about new, exciting and innovation concept of redefined entertainment.

Deck 11 and 12, Fwd/Mid by the elevators & stairs, there are a # of semi-secret large angled balconies (listed as "BA" and or "B4") priced as any other regular balconies, right next to the "official" large balconies ... nearly just as deep, easily fit 3 loungers outside with room to spare - like the ones we booked for our 15 nights TA, and, all without taking out the regular balcony chairs. The tiny end/coffee table outside, however, is just way, way too small - identical to the ones on other *Away/+ ships. DW was truly surprised when we open our cabin & walk in, and I pull her out to see the semi-covered balcony (from the overhead cabin's flooring) - it's like 3 to 4 times the size of the *Away ship's regular balconies - easily move to a spot/corner to sunbath or to opposite corner to stay in the shade. Our steward brought us a third chair ...

Checking our Latitudes account's cruise history before - it seemed that sailing history dating older than 2005 were not always included, but 2 were restored & credited from 2003 and 2000, it's been so long - we might've 1 older NCL cruise missing ... not a big deal to chase after. Worth a try, back in those days, NCL mailed out printed confirmations and our TA issued our paid-in-full reservation statements with all the details, etc. Oh, color luggage tags mailed. They're listed as "Res Arch Cruise" with the booking reference numbers and the ship name, etc. September 28, 2003 Res Arch Cruise 2653xxx Norwegian Dawn May 10, 2003 Res Arch Cruise 2440xxx Norwegian Sea

Excellent birdeye views images from @shof515 - very, very helpful to tell, worth a thousand words ++ each. That Portland, ME pier has a very long walk (on the Joy last September, done exactly ... by the time we reached the exit / gated entrance, felt like we could use a rest break) If lucky, maybe it's for one & only (smaller ??) ship, which we did with the Dawn pre-Covid ... able to be berthed next to the terminal building & much shorter walk. I believe for Halifax, cruise ship sometimes has to be dock at the industrial pier inside the port (with multiple cruise ships arrival for the day) - requiring a complimentary shuttle ride out to near the bus staging/waiting area - as walking inside the active & busy port facilities aren't allowed for safety and security reasons. Concur with @ggTexasGal and @RN_Prof that best option would be to contact NCL Access Desk now and see if they can provide wheelchair assistance - otherwise, consider renting or bringing a lightweight transport wheelchair, etc. to get around. Sidenote: one of our SIL will be returning to cruising for the 1st time post-global shutdown as she now adjusted to using a rollator-walker for longer walks, instead of just a walking cane - will be bringing that foldable walker along this September. Embarkation & disembarkation, already confirmed with Access Desk at NCL to use wheelchair assistance in NY ... otherwise, she is going to be fine getting around the ship. But, she is going to stay onboard at 2 of the tender ports to relax & enjoy ... probably for our Portland stop as well ... hopefully, will be fine when we dock at the other ports. She just turned 78 recently, in relative good health & managed to exercise and go to the park for walking - happy to be able to resume cruising and to be on a cruise.

@dbrown84 Assuming you have priority tendering or booked on a NCL shorex, you can then head down to Deck 4 (usual for Escape's tender dock platform) with the lined already formed & proceed ... 5 to 10 minutes aren't unusual by itself, for the next available (think GSC private island) lifeboat - don't believe larger tenders are available or used. NCL ship will be using their own "smaller" lifeboat - easily 10 minutes, if not more, to fill up before it can leave for shore. A quick, simple & easy ride ... another 5 to 10 minutes to be secured at the dock, and by the time everyone is cleared for zero count & ashore ... it's another 5 to 10 minutes, if not more. Looking at no less than 30 to 40 minutes each way, assuming harbor conditions are calm, smooth seas and not windy ... and there's minimal vertical movement between the tender gangway and steps down/up from the tender lifeboat, ship's safety crew watching on both ends just in case. That is what it is like, sorry ... Escape (Joy) etc. probably sailing at or close to capacity, it's going to take a while to get all the cruisers that wish to go ashore to "shuttle" via the tender. Then, reversed on the afternoon return ... lines get pretty long when busload returned & get dropped off, usually moving along at a good pace. Haven & suites get escorted with their shortcut to access ... all others, join the regular queue to board the big ship. It's a very scenic harbour & beauty town, even if you don't want to or plan to do any land tours, shops & restaurants, bars, etc. are all within a 8 to 10 city blocks area, with a slight uphill - good & comfortable walking shoes ... ditto, true for other 3 ports. Enjoy & have fun - don't miss BH's fresh lobster rolls.

Bar Harbor is the one & only tender port, about 30 minutes each way with the line to join the herd & get off at the pier. Excellent lobsters/rolls on the waterfront & you can look into tours via NCL or private ones at very competitive (and better) prices. Portland, St. John & Halifax will be docked at the berth, waterfront & downtown are either a short 10 to 15 minutes walk or a quick shuttle/Uber ride. We're on the Joy last September, except didn't have a planned stop at Bar Harbor (can be a pain with the big ships and especially if this stop is on the return, likely need for everyone to clear US-CBP before being allowed to tender ashore) - if you follow the underlined link before, you will see photos & some of the places we visited a year ago ... also did one pre-Covid on the Dawn. Weather - check the forecast before finalizing your packing - should be good, have a light windproof jacket & maybe a fleece or vest, just in case - walking shoes & a (refillable) water bottle. I'm guessing it's likely going to be the Joy ?? unless NCL got one being launched out of Baltimore. With a busy port schedule, it will keep your occupied & busy, enjoy dining & you don't need to play at all onboard. Cheers.

Interesting "assumed" conclusion from OP, where does NCL map the location of their "special departed lounge" onboard the Spirit or any of the the ships in their current fleet ?? I stand corrected in my interpretations.

Going to assume that you are looking at the Epic balcony or up, since there are no "oceanviews" on her. Rooms are cozy & looked on pictures as being equivalent to the ones on the Escape or other *Away class NCL ships, they aren't - the main bed(s) are partially "recessed into the bottom of the headboard, cleverly (anyone over 5' 8" will need to pull firmly at the bottom/base to fully extend the mattresses. Ditto for the pullout convertible HD foam sofabed on the Epic, unlike the Escape. We recently spent 15 nights on her doing TA, fine with the separate toilet & shower "closets" and the wash basin/sink in the main cabin nearby - there is a sliding curtain to extend across for privacy, a bulldog clip or something equivalent will help keep the curtain "closed" as needed. It could use a retractable or pulldown shelf to hold towels & while changing clothes coming out of the "bath" area. Cabins that sleep up to 3 have the sofa nearest to the entry/bath-shower area - and are better for 2 ... 3 will definitely be very cozy, access to the balcony is more challenging - especially with the current housekeeping services being given 1x daily ... We're also able to score an angled large balcony (one of many "secret" ones) at regular balcony price near mid-ship/Fwd. Follow signature below to click link to view the Semi/Live Trip Report, tons of photos in there. IMHO, if you've done the Escape & never tried the Epic, and the price is "right" - consider sailing the Epic at least once, can't really go wrong - pocket the money saved & enjoy the ports, spend it there. Happy cruising & cheers.

@ziggyuk - would this (CC'ers opinion/review) help ?? regarding cabin noise w thrusters https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=662975 Not sure if those are any bigger ... I know on the *Away/Plus class ships with some (maybe a handful of them, which we onced booked pre-Covid, but upgraded & never got to see or use it) of the Insides on Deck 5, they are more "squarish" than rectangular (typical NCL ship's Inside cabins) Found this YT Video from the GEM - #8001 (fairly recent) latter part showing the Inside cabin ... look basically same as most other Insides in these older mid-sized NCL ships. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=662975 Additional pix if you go to cabin #8507 along with #8001 - from the GEM, my Google partner BARD couldn't find anything specific to the Star ...https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/deckbydeck.php?ship=Norwegian-Gem&deck=8 Cheers

@Royals Carol - This is a fairly recent YT video for #8609 (8109 is identical) accessible Inside. It is "roomier" than the typical Inside for ships like the Gem & the Dawn (probably - not 100% sure - alike with the Spirit or Pearl) The bathroom and roll-in shower is quite spacious (by NCL/ship standards) and practically the same as the ones for the accessible Obstructed Oceanview (there are 8 of them just ahead of the AFT elevators, in a semi-private corridor to/from O'Sheehan's toward the midship elevators, stairs & atrium lobby below. Only one of the 4 elevators take you straight down to deck 6 - the MDR, making it 100% accessible. One of my SIL uses a foldable rollator-walker these days when needed but otherwise, get around with her cane onboard. That foldable will fit in 8609 just fine ... however, I'm 95% sure that you are likely going to have difficulty putting the scooter inside, maybe. There really isn't a whole lot of room to move around. It is best to call & check with NCL's Access Desk as they should know and can advise you. Depending on the price difference, I would probably advise my SIL to plan ahead and book one of the accessible, obstructed Oceanview cabin instead - it is "larger" and those cabins can sleep up to 4 with the 4th being an upper pullman that drop down from the wall. Below is an old, very old thread that go back to 2009 - discussing accessible cabins on the Star - our SIL was in one (Jewel #8102) of them - 3 adults sharing ... scroll down and you can see 3 beds across, with plenty of room in the remaining middle space in the "center" of the room. When bed #3 isn't needed or use, it is quite roomy (but, it still doesn't come close to the accessible Oceanview cabins for the *Away/Plus class ships)

Roll tightly & squeeze as much air out before stuffing the bag, after doing an itemized inventory count first, as the laundry department needs an accurate number ... in case, claim is made that item(s) were lost. We began using those ultra-light, elastic plastic shipping bag (Amazon, LL Bean, Land's End, etc.) as liner/insert for NCL's thin paper bag ... leaving duct tapes alone for emergency use. Our trick to not let things fall out is to use a t-shirt or something similar, fold that & put 1/2 on the bottom side and the other 1/2 on top and cover, effectively sealing the bag/plastic liner. Room steward/attendant then bring it down in the morning (picked up by 12 noon) and usually return to us, wash & folded by late afternoon or evening of the following day. S/he has plenty of the bag special "coupons" around and the laundry operations run 24/7 around the clock, more or less. Alert the steward ahead to collect them in the morning - have yet to hear that the offer is valid for one bag only. The bag is about 30% smaller these days but we still managed to get a lot into each bag - 2 bags worth (ours done free entirely - 4 in total during our 15 nights) came back in the laundry basket.

Are you sure about that ?? I just managed to get into 2 overseas portal via NCL - like this URL below https://www.ncl.com/jp/ja/ Maybe, the difference being that I'm on my desktop browser's VPN, so they aren't able to geo-track my access to switch to the "appropriate" country/language sites. I know when we're onboard cruising thru Portugal & Spain, that the "English" portal wasn't coming up automatically and default to EU locations, probably b/c we've on ship's satellite via oveseas location. VPN (using it) is a blessing for sure - my setup has Google One's VPN integrated but additionally, we use a standalone VPN (less than $3 USD a month based on annual subscription) that truly stopped most tracking, etc. etc. on multiple devices/connections.

Joy was designed & built originally specifically for the China ("Asia") market, the pool deck was small as originally built with the outdoor space, and marketing had different ideas and expectations then ... which didn't materialize ... pulling out in a year's time, sadly but didn't surprise me at all, with the faulty assumptions. Perhaps, with this dry dock 3.0 (or, is it 4.0 already) - compromised changes for the "better" - to be fair, not going to be happy campers (cruisers) all around, giving some while taking from others. For revenue purposes, to restore and put back some of the balcony cabins in a section of the OL that're originally designed & built with (the plumbing & wiring, etc. were capped & cleverly hidden behind panels & under the floorboard / ceiling tiles, etc. - can't "fault" NCL for doing that ... the lifeboat capacity isn't an issue here. Getting rid of the under-performing laser gaming & pavilion space for something else instead aren't necessary bad ideas (both times, to us, the space was wasted as it was not utilized well, not at all & only open at select times for short durations) ... Our balcony cabin on Deck 15 were near/underneath the virtual pavilion and at times, feel the vibration ... not that it really bothered us, but will be glad to not "experience" that midday and/or in the evening 😆 😁 A leaner and more compact OL is better than being onboard another ship (like the BA, GA or Escape) without one at all ... now, if they can add new stairs that lead to/from the garden cafe, one deck above/below, that would be a nice & welcoming addition, huh ?? Wishful thinking, doubtful that will be done. With an open mind, I will wait until the work is done & finished to see what it looked and what we think of it then, reserving opinions. And, if that does help with getting out of debts and restoring their balance sheets, I'm okay with that ... leave that DSC alone and slow down, easy on the next batch of increases in fees & upcharge, those are getting out of hand fleetwide. While they are doing the work, bring on Starlink or equivalent before next Spring, other cruise lines are way, way ahead of the game AND charging less for it ... different strokes for different folks, I know & not an important elements in cruising to many.

With regards to what @Sand and Seas was referring to ... when we're on our Epic TA with numerous sea (7 or 😎 days, as otherwise ... the MDR aren't likely to be open for lunch, we did realized that a slightly different lunch menu were presented, with enough variations but not completely changed. Will go thru DW's Goo Photos to see ... never got around to finish sorting or post some of the ones that I've missed (was going to put together a slide "show" of food items only ...) Going to be looking for these - bay scallops gratin onboard NCL again, in a few weeks. 😉 😋 🤔 Meanwhile, other lines are enhancing the onboard experience, including complimentary dining & late night snacks ... while making changes & "managing" their costs ... NCL #cough #cough might need to do a bit of catching up, no longer "always" leading the pack.