Turtles06

Just to be sure the OP is not confused: the OP said they want to visit Ellis Island, not the Statue of Liberty. (It’s the same ferry, two different islands.) I agree that it would be worth visiting the SOL.

Really, it was making me crazy.

Congrats on your first Cruise Critic post. I'm not speaking from personal experience here, just stating that it's hard to see NCL allowing this without advance permission (which you'd want in writing). Without it, your father would be an unexplained no-show in Galveston. Unclear how the port staff (who I don't think work for NCL) would even handle that. And for him to board in Aruba, he'd have to be processed for embarkation, which the ship would not be set up for if he just surprisingly "shows up." And then there's the leaving the ship in Curacao issue. That might well need to be arranged with immigration/local authorities. I'm not surprised you aren't getting clear info from NCL phone reps; you're proposing something unusual. I hope NCL will be able to accommodate you, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't. What about a nice land-based trip to the ABC islands for the three of you? 🙂 (It's not like the Prima itinerary is so special. Just mho on that.) Good luck, and all the best to your father and with his health issues.

We had this dinner two years ago on the Silhouette, and as I reported at the time in the thread below, it was exceptional. We would definitely do it again.

Thanks for the update. It’s good to know that you were able to embark at Fuerte Amador itself.

That's a huge negative. Also, E-class ships use the new locks. For guests going through the Canal for the first time, imho it would be more interesting to go through the original locks. So on a partial transit from the Atlantic side, seriously consider the shore excursion that leaves from Gatun Lake and takes you on a small, ferry-size vessel through the original locks on the Pacific side. Plenty of information about this and all other things Canal-related over in the very helpful Panama Canal Port of Call forum. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/54-panama-canal/

A suggestion. When you are asking people for thoughts about a specific itinerary, it’s helpful to identify the actual itinerary. 😊 What islands? Is it a full transit of the Canal, or a partial? (Sounds like a partial, since you refer to unidentified islands, and not ports along the Pacific coast.)

No doubt about it. In fact, drive from VA to Boston on I-95 and you just want to slit your wrists.

Agreed. One of the worst drives in the U.S.

As stated in comments above, no need to be nervous about getting a cab. And if you want to make it even easier, get a Red Cap to help you with your luggage (even if you don’t need the help). They’ll bring you up from the platform to the street and put you into a cab. Give them a nice tip! 😊 (Tell the conductor on the train that you’ll need a Red Cap on arrival and they will call ahead and arrange one.)

Thanks for the update and the photos!

I hope it's finished by then too, but I don't think the decision on tendering v docking is necessarily dependent on the status of the cruise terminal. We docked at Fuerte Amador in February, and the terminal was of course not finished then. And many ships have been docking there all year.

I was going to note the same thing. Big difference in being able to head over to the beach at 9am rather than at 11am.

SIX is fabulous. We fell in love with it two years ago on the Breakaway, and went back to see it again the next night. We’ve since seen it twice in theatres on land, including in London, which was very special. It’s a fun, high energy show, and we’ve left each time smiling and dancing. Enjoy your cruise!

I was curious about the mystery of a nighttime transit as well. I just checked the Roll Call for this cruise, and someone on board the Bliss reported this today: “They made an announcement yesterday morning. And they posted the revised schedule in the atrium. They said the revised schedule was (at least partially) due to the tides, we had to go when we could fit under the Bridge of America.” That post was in reply to a comment by another guest on board who had said this: “On the cruise right now and tomorrow is our transit . Well looks like our day light transit is becoming an overnight transit. Information is very scarce sounds like first lock is 2:00 Am . Only noticed by reading the daily free style schedule have not heard any announcements about it and I have a feeling tomorrow a lot of people waking up at 6:00 are going to be pissed we were half way through the canal.” 😵‍💫😮🙃

I’m getting tired of saying this, but this is absolutely not a negative. Once it’s dark out, having your curtains open in your stateroom when your lights are on is really useless, because you can’t see out. You just see reflections on the windows. It’s no big deal to pull the curtains. Also, the darkness in the bow at night makes for incredible stargazing, weather permitting.

We’ve sailed in this stateroom and 10000 next door (on the Gem and the Jewel) a total of four times, never heard noise from the theatre. There are two decks of cabins between the theatre and Deck 10. These are great suites.

We brought mosquito repellant on all four of our Panama Canal transits. Never saw a single mosquito. (Was more important to have the stuff for certain shore excursions, but even then, no mosquitoes, most likely because we were not ashore at dawn or dusk.)

And this is why the usual lack of sympathy from the NCL cheerleaders is especially unwarranted here. No one booking these suites could expect rehearsals in the middle of the night. I’m really sorry this has happened to you. And it’s inexcusable that the GM did not speak to you. I’m not sure what the appropriate compensation is, but it’s not what’s been offered. Good luck, let us know what happens.

We always buy third party travel insurance. But regardless of what a TA or anyone else may tell you, please read any policy carefully before you buy and make sure you understand what’s covered and what isn’t, and whether it’s a policy that does what you need. (For instance, how much of an itinerary would have to be changed for a guest to be fully reimbursed by the insurer if the guest cancels?)

Years ago, my wife and I stayed on board the Gem anchored off GSC, so that we could have a quiet day at the pool. Many other adults did the same. At one point, just about everyone around the pool lined up and went down the slide — with great difficulty, since it really was a kiddie slide. (I’d already tried it on the Jewel and came to a stop before the bottom, so that was enough for me. 😂)

Thanks for the kind words. And yes, the Gem went through the original locks. In case you haven't seen it, there's a sticky at the top of this forum that lists, by cruise line, their Panamax ships -- those ships that, barring some very unusual circumstance, will use the original locks. I'm sure you already know that the Coral Princess should use the original locks. I think going through those locks is the most interesting choice for a first-time transit. 🙂

It can. We were on a Northbound transit aboard the NCL Gem this past February. I took the photo below at 5:29am; we sailed under the Bridge a few minutes later. A lot of folks were upset that they missed it. As Bill said above, you should be able to get some time estimates the day before. You’ve picked a great gift for your retirement! Enjoy the planning and your cruise! Be sure to read David McCullough’s “The Path Between the Seas” before you go. You’ll appreciate the Canal even more.

The new cruise terminal at Fuerte Amador has actually been under construction for years, is well behind schedule, and is still not done. A good place to get information about the status is over in the Panama Canal Ports of Call Forum, where this is a subject of discussion: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/54-panama-canal/ When is your cruise?

Wow, doesn’t look much different from when we were there in February. ☹️