sicness4x4

On 4/30/2024 at 10:24 PM, doolfan said:

I’m trying to book a transfer to our port and I’m not sure what time to arrive. Our ship sails out of Athens at 8 PM. I would like to board as early as possible since we have no other plans that day and being our first cruise ever we’re excited to get on board and look around and settle in. Everything I read says the latest times you can arrive by but not how early. If we arrived at the port at 1 would we just be wandering around for hours? Thanks!

Greece is one of our favorite places to visit and we have been there several times. The weather, history, food, drinks, people and more are wonderful. I have sailed out of Athens/Piraeus three times in the last few years since corona. We want to get on the ship early as we can. I know each experience can be different but this is how it has played out for us.

We sailed the first cruise after lockdown on the Jade in July 2021. Sailaway was at 23:00 and we were on board around 11:30.

I sailed solo on the Epic from Piraeus to Civitavecchia. My wife joined me in Civitavecchia continuing on to New York for the Epic's transatlantic in November 2021. I was on board in Piraeus for my solo cruise before noon, and sailaway was the following morning at 06:00. This was a unique and great sailaway.

Sailaway for our Getaway sailing in July 2023 was at 22:00. We were on board and back in Spice H2O with drinks by noon.

We sailed the Norwegian Joy transatlantic this last February. Our route was the reverse of yours, sailing from Southampton to Miami. We didn't have any port stops, but we did sail to Ponta Delgada for a medical disembarkation. We followed a southerly route to avoid low-pressure systems across the North Atlantic. The temps were cool, but not as cold as I had expected and prepared for. Highs were in the upper 50s to low 60s for the 11-day crossing, warming the further south we went. The last couple of days were mild and temps were close to the 70s. We had a mix of sunny, foggy, and rainy days, with a consistent wind of ±50 knots. Sea conditions were rough with the Atlantic swell at 10 meters on most days, sometimes higher, sometimes lower.

Being a mostly indoor cruise, I wore shorts and flip-flops every day. Indoor temps were a little cool for me, but a hoodie was enough. I did pack jeans and wool socks though in case we were able to enjoy the outdoor areas. When we left home to go to Southampton it was snowing, so I had a bubble jacket and beanie. We fully expected this crossing to be cold and rough, and it was not as bad as we prepared for. If we sail the Bliss next February from Southampton to Miami, I will prepare the same and hope for fair weather.
 

20 hours ago, brookie848 said:

We're planning our first transatlantic and trying to figure out the timing of our flight home.

 

We're docking in Miami (on a Sunday). I'm assuming customs is a bit more rigorous in situations like this. We're in the Haven, so we'll have priority, but how much time should we allow? For reference, we've easily walked off with our luggage on "regular" cruises and made flights at FLL before noon with no issues.

 

Thanks!

In February, we were on the Joy transatlantic from Southampton with approximately 2200-2300 passengers. Without any stops, Miami was our port of entry to the US. We were in the Haven and utilized priority disembarkation a little after 0800. We waited in the customs/immigration line for maybe 30-45 minutes. Our flight was not until 1710, so we got an Uber to our dayroom by MIA and arrived before 0930.

In 2015, we did the Escape inaugural transatlantic with Miami as our port of entry to the US. I don't remember the exact times, but I do recall the line was long, as was the wait to go through immigration, taking about 4 hours. I still lived in the US at the time, so my flight was domestic. I made it to FLL around 1400, just over an hour before departure. 

We have sailed several transatlantics to the US. When the port of entry is before the final port, disembarkation tends to move quickly. A few TAs into New York with an early arrival, we were able to complete immigration the night before disembarkation. The Escape TA in 2015 was the longest disembarkation we experienced.

19 hours ago, Pie said:

I'm wondering if you did stay in 17730 and if so any review?  I have it booked in June and don't really see any reviews online for that specific cabin

We stayed in 17730 last month on the Joy transatlantic from Southampton. It is a wonderful cabin, and we did not hear anything other than a bit of creaking from the rough seas. The cabin is located beneath the interior section of the Haven restaurant, not the exterior part.

5 hours ago, sasand01 said:

I was on the Feb. 24th sailing in The Haven (my first time) and felt the same about the Haven Restaurant. Service was so-so, often had to ask for water or a drink more than once. We ventured to Cagney's one night, and it was also underwhelming. Food Republic was excellent! 

 

The new spa was incredible! 

 

It is a beautiful ship...willing to give it another chance! 

We also look forward to sailing on the Joy again.

15 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

Since you are more experience than we are on transatlantic crossings than we are (first on coming in October), could we pick your brain for a little bit?

We've been researching a transatlantic crossing for a few years now and I hope we have a realistic expectation of what we will experience.

Have you done a transatlantic from Rome to east coast of Florida?

In mid-October?

Could you give us an idea on what you've seen/experienced?

We know the weather is at the mercy of Mother Nature and can/will change on a dime, but curious if you always had one type of weather or did it vary (we assume it will vary from great to crappy!)?

Is there any chance we will see sun/warm? Or just cloudy/rainy?

We are hoping for some sun, but this is a cruise for my sister and I to just relax and chill, so some rain will be welcomed. 

We are good with some waves/swells - it's pretty fun!!  

We are also in the Haven section on the Epic.

Does the pool deck top open and close or is it fixed?

 

Thank you for anything you share with us.

We haven't specifically sailed from Rome to Florida, but we've have sailed from Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Southampton to Florida, as well as from Rome and Southampton to New York. We have sailed westbound in September, October, November, and December. We've encountered 15m waves with gale force winds and experienced the North Atlantic as calm as a placid pond.Our smoothest crossings were in mid-October to mid-November sailing to Florida. Temperatures vary, but generally hover in the 60s and 70s during a southerly crossing from the Mediterranean to Florida.

We are booked on the Epic TA this October. I think it will be something like my 7th crossing on her and my wife's 10th. It is great ship for a tranatlantic. The Haven pool deck does not have a roof and is open to the elements. I anticipate pleasant weather with temperatures in the mid-70s and sunny skies. The Mediterranean is wonderful in October. While some nights may feel a bit chilly, especially for me as I get cold easily, a hoodie should suffice for the first few nights. As we leave the Azores, each day should bring warmer weather as we approach Florida.

16 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Nice review..... As far as motion sickness goes I swear by Reliefband Premier. I don't get motion sick often but when I do this will work in 5 minutes. I bought one for a friend when he was going thru chemo for cancer in 2013. He was horribly sick and not of the drugs that are supposed to help did much for him. The band works, my wife and I each have our own and I keep two spares. They are pricey but that price is well worth  

 

https://amzn.to/3Pedwzp

Thank you. I never knew such a thing was available.

19 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

Is there a reason you choose to not experience other cruise lines?

We have a little and always enjoyed NCL more. My wife will reach Ambassador in a couple of cruises, and I have around 100 points to go. However, all the changes NCL has implemented over the past few years might be reaching a tipping point. We find ourselves discussing other cruise lines more often now. While we still enjoy the NCL product and mostly know what to expect, I am beginning to think that the day when we say "enough is enough" might come soon.

17 hours ago, CSK71 said:

I was curious if this cruise line has TVS with access to the HDMI, I wanted to bring a game console to play some shows or movies.

I was able to hook up my AndroidTV on the Prima. I don't remember if the box was auto detected or if I had to switch the input with a universal remote. You might need a long HDMI cable. I used a 15 or 25 footer since the power outlet was not close to the tv.

This transatlantic was my 15th and my wife's 20th. We were in the Haven for this crossing, and it was our 2nd time in the Haven on the Joy. We knew what type of cruise this was going to be when we booked...a North Atlantic crossing in February on a ship just out of dry dock. Not a very desirable cruise for most. It seems the price dropped very low, enticing some to book without fully understanding what to expect. Anyways, we had a general idea and attempted to manage our expectations accordingly.

Weather is always a big topic for transatlantic voyages. We sailed a more southerly route to avoid low-pressure systems across the North Atlantic. The temperatures were cooler than I like, but thankfully it wasn't as cold as I had prepared for. Most days, the temperatures were in the 60s with occasional rain and fog. The sea conditions matched my expectations, with the captain mentioning the Atlantic swell was 10 meters on most days, fluctuating between lower and higher levels, accompanied by a consistent wind of ±50 kts. Unfortunately, I experienced seasickness for the first time in all my cruises, which sucks. I suspect it may have been triggered by a hangover. I suppose turning 50 last year may be starting to take its toll on me, considering I've experienced slight airsickness on a couple of turbulent flights in the last year or so.

The Joy is a beautiful ship and the Haven on her is wonderful. As far as changes out of dry dock, I noticed the new cabins on deck 15 port side. There might be new carpet in some public areas. We never made it to the new spa area, but heard it was really nice. Vibe was closed so we did not get to see the expanded area. My assumption is the dry dock was not very extensive since I did notice some worn carpets and places that needed paint. But hey, I have no idea what is and isn't included and about as far away you can get from an expert.

This cruise had ups and downs, and not just the 10-meter swell. We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite. The cabin is perfect and our favorite. Our steward was great and took great care of us well. We saw the butler 2 times. Once passing in the hallway while he was delivering snacks to rooms and the other time on the last morning to get his tip. We do not require anything extra, so no big deal. We figured he might have had a couple of special cabins. Before this cruise, the Haven restaurant on the Joy was some of the best dining we have had while cruising. On this trip, it was very underwhelming. The service and food were very inconsistent. The hostesses were wonderful, but the servers were so-so. We had to constantly ask for water refills and other drinks. Even with how slow the Haven bartenders were, sometimes it was faster to go downstairs and get a drink.

We initially intended to have most of our meals in the Haven but ended up changing our plans due to its inconsistency. Specialty restaurants were ok this trip. Food Republic was outstanding as was La Cucina. Food and service were awesome in each. Q was pretty good even though I don't care for that type of smoked meat. Ocean Blue was good and fun. Le Bistro was not very good, but amazing service. Cagney's was typically not very good. My salad and side of onion rings were nice, but the steak... I ordered a ribeye, med rare. The first steak was past well done, maybe even past burnt. The second was better, closer to medium and seasoned properly. It was lacking flavor though and had stringy sinew throughout. The quality of beef just is not that good or what it used to be.

I guess while I'm complaining so good, I'll discuss the premium plus drinks package. At almost $800 for this trip and my wife has to go to certain bars to get champagne bugs me. Having only one champagne available for that price is ridiculous, but my wife does like the Pommery. When the Pommery ran out, it was substituted with La Cool, which she didn't mind. The La Cool ran out and a Moet appeared. Then the last couple of days Moet Chandon and Veuve were available in the Haven. I pretty much only drink beer and the brewhouse is great but has most of the beers I don't care for. Having Guinness on tap was nice and Fat Tire in the bottle worked for me, but I do miss Molson Canadian on board. I rarely drink coffee, but figured I'd try to get my money's worth with Starbucks instead of getting into trouble with the scotch. I did enjoy some Macallan Terra though.

All in all, it was a great cruise. The ship is beautiful and the crew are wonderful. Our last few cruises have not been as enjoyable as before. To us, it seems the price keeps on the up while the quality is on the down. We do enjoy the NCL product and plan to continue sailing with them. Part of me wants to try a transatlantic on another line, but I'm hesitant because we do enjoy NCL very much. I'm not sure if we'll do another crossing at this time of year, but we have a few months to decide before the Bliss next year.

Just a few hours ago we paid to uprade our cabin for our sailing next month. Called the main line and it took less than 5 minutes. We were in a forward Haven suite and moved to a 2 Bedroom Villa for €670. When we originally booked, the 2br was €1200+ p.p. higher than what we booked the forward suite for. We did have a bid of €800 (€400x2) in for the 2br. The max possible bid for the 2br was over €1000 p.p. We are happy getting the upgrade for less than what we were bidding.

On 11/10/2023 at 2:42 PM, freepirate said:

I am booked on the Joy from Southampton to Miami on Feb 13th, 2024. On every itinerary map it shows a direct route diagonally from England to Florida. I am wondering if its possible the ship would head South along the coast of Europe following the Canary Current and then go West following the North Equatorial Current. To that end, is there a website or other resource that ships report their scheduled route to prior to sailing? I assume they have to but cannot figure out where. Thank you in advance.

We did the Escape inaugural transatlantic in 2015. It was a 10-day crossing, and I believe around day 6, the weather started to improve as we were getting closer to Bermuda. It was still windy and a bit too cool for me, but the sun was shining and we enjoyed being out on deck. I am thinking that the Joy TA in February will have less than ideal weather for at least the first half, then hopefully improve each day the further south we get.

The pic is of the route we traveled. We had a course deviation in the beginning for medical reasons.

12 hours ago, BDL said:

I will be going solo on the NCL Joy from Southampton to Miami Feb 13-24, 2024. This is to cross off a bucket list item.🙂  It will be after it's 3 week drydock so I realize work may be going on in some areas during the crossing.  Hoping the Haven isn't one of them.  

In your experience, is it OK to book a flight out of Miami on the actual arrival day? I'd usually book a flight around Noon or later. Wondering if there is possibility of a late arrival. Thinking I may use some hotel points to stay in Miami that first night then fly out the next morning.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Barb

If your schedule allows for an extra day or so of relaxation before flying home, my advice is to take advantage of it. It's nice to be able to extend the vacy and be able to repack at a hotel before flying out. We've done it a few times, but generally, we need to get back home. Half of the time, I had to fly back to California, and now we return to Europe. While we've never had any problems making it to our flights on time, that is only the case until we do, for the first time. My closest call was on the Escape inaugural from Southampton into Miami in 2015. Immigration and customs were a cluster, but I still made it up to FLL from Miami by 14:00. Most of the time, we are out on the street around 10 or so. After the Joy into Miami in February, we are flying back to Europe around 17:00 the day we arrive in port.

16 hours ago, MrsTabs said:

Looking for advice, I'm thinking of doing a transatlantic on my own.  Need advice.  I'm female from UK 49 and three quarters (lol) it would be my first solo cruise.

 

probably looking Southampton/Miami 2025 ish, indoor cabin ( possibly studio)

 

which way is best? and early in year or late in year? Smoothest sailing?

 

Ship wise looking at Breakaway, Getaway, Encore, Bliss or Joy - any favourites for TA and why?

 

I know these questions are subjective, so looking for people that have done either and can advise. Looking to find things I may not have thought of to consider.

 

And I'm fine with multiple sea days, I love them, and not prone to sea sickness.

 

Thanks in advance!

In my opinion, even if you are traveling solo, you should definitely consider doing a transatlantic cruise. I took my first solo cruise ten years ago at the age of 39, and a few months later, my first transatlantic solo. That initial transatlantic remains one of the best cruises I have ever taken. Oh, and I also met my wife on that sailing. She has a couple more crossings under her belt than I do, but in the last ten years, we have completed 14 together.

We have sailed three eastbound routes, and the rest were westbound. When I lived in the US, the westbound crossings were easier adjusting to the home time, and there were typically 5-6 days with 25 hours each. Now that I live in Europe, adjusting to the home time zone is easier on the eastbound crossings, but the time changes don't influence our choice.

For us, the ports of call are not as significant as the ship itself. The Prima is the smallest ship we have taken on a transatlantic. While we are not opposed to smaller ships, we are more inclined to choose larger ones. Perhaps that preference will change in the future. The inagural Encore and Prima TA's were not our favorites, primarily due to the absence of Spice H2O. We've completed seven transatlantics on the Epic and four on the Getaway, and we would gladly embark on another one on either of these ships. We are eagerly looking forward to our winter crossing on the Joy in February, sort of. I'm not particularly excited about the cold weather during the initial part of the voyage, but it should improve as we get closer to Florida. During the corona lockdown, we had four TA's on the Escape canceled. We really want to experience another crossing on the Escape, hopefully in the near future.

I aim to wear shorts and flip-flops everyday on all my cruises. Ideally, we prefer to depart from the Mediterranean and arrive in Florida, or vice versa. As far as I recall, these crossings were predominantly filled with mild and warm sunny days and calm seas. We've departed from Southampton three times, and on each occasion, we encountered unfavorable sea and weather conditions. The conditions were rough, cold, and windy. However, on the inaugural sailings of the Escape and Encore from Southampton, the weather did improve the futher south we sailed.

In my opinion, an 11-day Transatlantic cruise with no ports and the likelihood of cold and suboptimal weather conditions, especially at the beginning of the journey, makes this TA less desirable. The chances of boredom and encountering unexpected unfavorable weather are quite significant.

My wife and I are booked on this TA, and it will be my 15th crossing and my wife's 19th. This crossing is less than ideal for me, mainly because of the cold weather. Transatlantic voyages are all about sea days for us. We've done crossings where we never disembarked until the end. An eighteen-day stretch at sea, from Santorini to New York, is the longest I've ever experienced. Ports on a Transatlantic journey are not important to us; the ship itself is the destination.

Cold-weather cruises can sometimes lead to a bit of boredom for me, but it's relatively rare. We don't pay much attention to the daily. We participate in trivia now and then, but it's infrequent. We have never done the spa and don't think we ever will. My wife enjoys champagne breakfasts, noontime catch-ups with friends, and occasional leisurely lunches with them. We also enjoy afternoon games and daily gatherings at the bar. I attempt to read a book from time to time, though it doesn't happen very often. What I truly savor is watching the ocean pass by with a cold beer. Keep in mind that the outside decks may close due to the weather.

We've sailed on the Joy only once. Last year, we stayed in a Haven Family Villa and knew we wanted to experience a crossing on the same ship. We consider the Haven on the Joy one of the best in the fleet. Typically, we don't attend shows, but there was live music throughout the ship. The fact that the ship has a District Brewhouse is a major plus for me, although I'm prepared for the possibility of certain beers on tap running out. Spice H2O on the Joy is fantastic, although we may not get to enjoy it until later in the cruise. I'm hoping that the weather will improve around the halfway mark, meaning temperatures in the 70s or even better, in the 80s.

The quality of Wi-Fi on our previous crossings has varied from excellent to non-existent. My wife usually needs to work during most sailings, and for the most part, she has been able to complete what she needs to. However, there have been times when not even an email could be checked. During the Prima crossing last year, we were able to stream video when we were quarantined with COVID-19. I don't know if the Joy has Starlink now, but I would think it would be available after drydock.

21 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

The V!va is probably arranged the same as the Pr1ma.  I can’t be sure about Haven stateroom TVs, but in the regular cabins last year on the Pr1ma it was not possible to connect other devices via HDMI.

We did the inaugural Transatlantic on the Prima last year and I was able to connect my Android TV. Before the cruise I did notice I would need a long HDMI cable and brought along a 15 footer. It worked great and we were able to stream Netflix which made cabin quarantine with corona somewhat better.

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

The rumors of specific liquors/wines/beers being dropped always makes me wonder how these rumors actually gain traction.

 

I didn’t put much stock in these latest reports.  

 

Thanks for confirming they had no traction!  

Dated 04/2023

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Beverage_Package_Flyer_04_23.pdf

On the Escape in July Newcastle in the bottle, Guinness in the can, and Guinness on tap were available in the brewhouse. Photos in the everything Prima thread show Newcastle on tap.

23 hours ago, malcliz said:

Please can anyone tell me whether any of the Club Balcony suites on Epic have a walk in shower as we can’t climb in over the bath? If so what numbers would they be as this is not mentioned on the deck plans. Presumably if there are any with just a shower, the room itself would be a bit larger?

We've stayed in 5 different club balcony suite cabins on the Epic. Three cabins (10082, 10264, 12083) had the bed by the balcony and a climb in tub/shower. The other 2 (10094, 11270) had the bed closer to the door and the walk in shower. I don't know if this how it works with the bed configurations in other cabins. If the NCL rep or your travel agent can't give you an answer, I recommend looking at YouTube videos of the Epic club balcony suites, also know as mini suites and deluxe balconies.

4 hours ago, turtle tavern said:

Any upgrades accepted this week? We sail 2/19 and I'm patiently (maybe impatiently lol) waiting.

Haven upgrades for the 19 Feb 22 Joy started yesterday.

5 hours ago, RBrowny said:

Thank you very much for the reply. I will wait until final payment is complete, and then see what the options are. If not, I will ring and enquire.

 

We are based in UK, so yeah, you might be right! Thanks so much.

We have received the offer to upgrade with bookings through the EU, UK, and US NCL websites.

15 hours ago, numberguy said:

I should have clarified that we're sailing out of Athens on Nov 24 on the Getaway.

 

--Michael

We received these on the Jade from Piraeus in July and the Epic from Barcelona in September.

9 hours ago, Notamegagirl said:

Hello, Did they offer self service buffets? Any change in buffet food selections post covid? Thanks!

6 hours ago, zdcatc12 said:

Buffet selections appeared the same, but nothing is self service.

We had lunch and a couple dinners in the garden Cafe and the one thing we noticed missing was the pasta station. We also heard the omelet station was not available for breakfast. The only thing we were able to get for ourselves were little ramekins with salt and pepper packets. Everything else was served by the crew.

17 hours ago, Elo Moreno said:

Were anyone ( to your knowledge ) taken by surprise by the new Italian restrictions of no private walk off ?

We just cancelled our cruise; supposedly going out this Sunday 26. Sept.

 

We did not hear of anyone being surprised by the restrictions in place for Italy. We were aware of the restrictions some time ago and knew what to expect when we booked 6 days before. 

3 hours ago, Ms02 said:

Did you have to fill out the Spain entry form to return to Barcelona? I can't remember what I read about that earlier. @sicness4x4

We were told on board the we needed to complete the Spain Travel Health maritime/ferry arrival form before disembarking in Barcelona. We completed it and received the QR code email. We were never asked to show it disembarking or at the airport.