Turtles06

I agree. It’s foolish. Assuming they are concerned about your not booking something that has a time conflict with a prior booking, that problem is easily solved by technology. On Celebrity, for example, if you try to book something (be it a dinner or a shorex) that conflicts with a prior booking, you’ll get an on screen message flagging the conflict and asking if you want to cancel the prior booking. You can’t double book, but you can still see everything available.

Happy to hear that. While we've always enjoyed the appetizers there, we've never enjoyed the entrees. Sounds like they've improved. 🙂

Before a pre-cruise visit to Copenhagen several years ago, we'd read enough about the Little Mermaid to know we would not go out of our way to see her from land. It did, however, turn out to be fun to view this scene from our (wonderful) canal cruise: (photo by turtles06) Speaking of Copenhagen, and no offense to anyone, it's not a city we would have visited independent of other travel (e.g., it's not like London or Paris to us), but we really enjoyed it and are very glad we had the opportunity to spend several days there (and also outside the city). So that's a sort of reverse of this thread: what places have you visited that you did not expect to enjoy as much as you did? 🙂

You’ve misused the quote function; I’m not sailing on the Escape; that’s not my comment in your post above.

The requirement that those visiting the roof of the Cathedral of León remove their shoes is not out of religious-based respect but because the roof (as you know) is entirely white, and the no-shoes rule is an effort to avoid damage. It was totally permissible to have one's shoes on while walking inside the Cathedral itself; the shoes only had to be removed once one got to the roof. (Very different from the religious-based/respect dress codes that the OP was asking about.) (photo by turtles06)

Yes of course, do you think I don't know my way around CC? 😂

If you mean the cruise terminal, it's not complete. I don't think anything is happening inside it besides construction. Look (again) at the end of the video in comment 95 above. 🙂

You are of course talking about "drive by" cruising to Antarctica (so I assume an expedition cruise with landings is not on the table). I haven't sailed on the Star, but I have been to Antarctica, and I think you've perhaps answered your own question in terms of taking a mostly (and very) cold weather cruise to an exquisitely beautiful part of the world (what an understatement) on a ship with no indoor observation lounge. Celebrity's S-class ships, of which the Eclipse is one, are stunningly beautiful. (I've sailed on the Eclipse and the Silhouette.) And the Eclipse does have the Sky Lounge, an indoor, forward-facing observation lounge, in addition to the Solarium, which is an indoor pool (in addition to the outdoor pools). I enjoy both NCL and Celebrity, for different reasons. But if I had a choice between sailing on the Eclipse and sailing on the Star, it would be the Eclipse for me. (With the caveat that you haven't specified the itineraries, although I think it would be hard for me ever to pick the Star over the Eclipse.)

Are you scheduled for Puerto Plata for Jan. 23? On that date, the Amber Cove web site is only showing one ship scheduled (the Carnival Freedom), so it's possible the Escape might dock there (assuming NCL doesn't want her calling at Taino Bay). Good luck!

That's a private web site, not an official port site, and I would not rely on it (at least not solely). For example, it shows the Gem (a cruise on which we are booked) as calling at Puerto Plata on Jan. 29, 2023. In fact, while that was the case when the cruise was first released for sale way back when, NCL changed our itinerary three months ago, and we are not scheduled to call at Puerto Plata until Jan. 31, 2023. Likewise, it shows the Gem (second leg of a B2B on which we are booked) calling at Puerto Plata on Feb. 13, 2023, when in fact we are not scheduled to be there until Feb. 14.

The Taino Bay port schedule web site that I've found, link below, doesn't have any info for 2023 yet. Do you have another site? https://www.porttainobay.com/es/arrivals As for Amber Cove, not only is the Getaway not shown for Feb. 15, but the port schedule lists two Carnival ships there that day, which means there's no other docking space. https://ambercove.com/Port-Schedule.aspx

I don't want to take this thread further OT, but I just want to point out that discussions about "why doesn't NCL build a dock at GSC" have been going on for years here on CC. See, e.g., the thread linked below. And see answers in that thread. Not all private islands are the same, water depths are not the same, not all are as amenable to having a pier built that ships can dock at reliably. See particularly comment 10 by @chengkp75: "Long and short answer as to why Disney, and not NCL is geography. Castaway Cay had a nice "corner" that Disney could blast a channel to that provided not only a dock, but a breakwater to shelter the ship while docked. You cannot just stick a pier out into the water and hope to be able to tie a ship up to it in any weather condition. GSC does not have that fortunate shape to allow for a dock and breakwater in any economically feasible fashion. . .. "

So far no one has been able to answer that question (which has also been posted on one of my Roll Calls); I hope you get a reply. One thing you should take heart in -- if you tell the taxi or Uber to take you as far as they can to the Cruise Terminal, I have to believe there will be signs for embarking passengers, maybe on Flamenco Island, maybe on Perico. There will be some point beyond which the taxis and other vehicles simply cannot go. I am just guessing here based on what others have been posting about Fuerte Amador.

While I agree that what’s going on with NCL and the scheduled port calls to Puerto Plata is becoming unacceptable, it is very common for ships to miss GSC because of the weather.

There is an entire forum here on CC devoted to ports in Northern Europe, including those in Norway, where you will find a ton of information about cruising in Norway and the Norwegian fjords, including discussions of "is this a good fjords itinerary?" That would be the best place to do your CC research and ask any additional questions you may come up with. Good luck with your planning! https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

That is truly bizarre. Then add in the fact that NCL's web site still markets the cruise as going to the DR. You folks booked on the cruise should get a reporter who covers cruising interested, give them the conflicting info and documents (the itinerary change letter only some folks have receive and the NCL web site showing no change) and have them ask someone very high up at NCL for an explanation. Or maybe start a social media campaign: "NCL, where is our ship going?" Something that might catch attention... Good luck on your mystery cruise. 🙂

We've booked with them for this July, so I'm happy to see another recommendation for them, thank you. Sorry about the weather you had that day though!

I totally agree with the comments in your post. The OP is right about the following though: even though NCL sent out the notice of an itinerary change nearly ten days ago, NCL is *still* selling this cruise on its web site as going to Puerto Plata, which is still shown on the itinerary as the last port of the cruise. In fact, the name of the cruise on the web site is: "Caribbean Round-Trip New York: Barbados & Dominican Republic." That's just inexcusable.

As noted above, your FIRST thread in this forum asking the same questions was moved to the NCL forum (at the link below), where it belongs, since your questions are specifically related to NCL, and this forum is for general cruise-related questions. If you enter Cruise Critic at boards.cruisecritic.com, you'll see ALL of the forum categories. You might want to familiarize yourself with the categories, as this will help you know in the future where to post what.

Hello! This forum is for general cruise-related questions. Since your questions are specific to NCL, you should ask them in the NCL forum, here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/64-norwegian-cruise-line/ Enjoy the Bliss!

Thanks Paul, that was my inclination, and that's what we'll do! 🙂 A very happy and healthy New Year to you and your family, Judith

My wife and I have cruised many times on NCL, but in Jan./Feb. we'll be taking our first B2B (aboard the Gem). These have been booked as two separate cruises, each with its own reservation number. Naturally, we'll be checking-in on line (or via the app) when we get to 21 days before Leg 1. But what do we do about the pre-cruise check-in for the second leg at 21 days before that leg? Obviously, we won't need a boarding time... Do we just ignore that pre-cruise check-in for Leg 2, or fill it out? My inclination is to fill it out, as I wouldn't want NCL's system somehow to think we aren't "checked in" for that cruise. [For purposes of clarity, check-in for Leg 2 will open up before Leg 1 begins.] Thanks for any information!

I'm really sorry you had that bad experience with Bernards. Some years ago, based on their great reviews, we booked a tour with them that seems very similar to your Adventure 2 Tour (I've just checked that itinerary on their web site.) We had a pleasant day. Small van, people showed up on time, etc. It's quite possible things have really changed [for the worse] since the pandemic (staffing, ruder travelers, etc.). I hope you have a much better day in Antigua, and thanks again for sharing your trip with us!

Thank you! And I will add that the research you do, which you are so kind in sharing, has helped so many others here evaluate, plan, and enjoy their own trips. (An aside: after a years-long delay because of the pandemic, we are hoping this coming fall finally to stay at the Albergo del Senato. 🙂 )

Thanks. Any idea why she's tendering? She's the only cruise ship there today... (Maybe docked commercial ships again?)