Turtles06

I've been following this thread but haven't posted on it, because I can't think of any significant destination that my wife and I have visited where we've been disappointed. Perhaps that's because we choose to visit places that we know from our own interests and research will be of interest to us, and not in order to check something off a list or because others have created expectations for us. I've been wondering whether it's the case that some folks on this thread who have been posting their disappointments in "bucket list" items have gone to places out of an expectation created by others that it is something they would find interesting, exciting, etc. ("you MUST see Paris!"), rather than a self-generated desire to visit that place.

Hi Bill, thanks for posting that video as said you would! Ugh, what a mess of a site. (And now I see what folks mean about a bumpy ride!) I can't imagine how the cruise ships are handling embarkation/disembarkation of guests and luggage on turnaround days. I'm glad we're on a B2B so we "only" have to deal with a port day on what is otherwise a turnaround day for the ship. (Still, like you, we have a private tour booked.) Happy holidays to your and your family, Judith

You are asking to do what is called "dowlining," leaving a cruise before the disembarkation port. You will likely find more info here on CC by doing a search for that term, which is how I found the thread below here in the NCL forum. I believe you may need NCL's permission to do this; coordination is involved, it's not as simple as saying goodbye to Guest Services and walking off with your luggage.

Unfortunately, the actual port web sites (for Taino Bay and Amber Cove) either have no arrival information yet for Jan. 2023 (Taino Bay) or don't have the same info (Amber Cove) as the private sites, cruisetimetables.com and cruisemapper.com. We're on the Gem, scheduled to be in Puerto Plata on Jan. 31. The Amber Cove web site only shows the Carnival Celebration there on that date, which would leave room for another ship, but both cruisetimetables and cruisemapper also show the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam there on that date as well. Since it's a Carnival Corp brand, that would mean the Gem (and the Dawn, also scheduled for PP on Jan. 31) would go to Taino Bay. That's where my PCC told me a few months ago we'd be docking, but given what NCL has been doing recently in skipping Taino Bay and PP altogether, it seems like a crap shoot as to where we'll be on that day. And we're on a B2B, with another port call scheduled for PP on Feb. 14. That day, all the sites are showing the Carnival Celebration and HAL Nieuw Statendam at Amber Cove, so it seems pretty clear the Gem won't be going there. Again, who knows about Taino Bay. . .

Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. No question that so much of this trip is weather dependent, in terms of views, etc. We'll keep all our fingers and toes crossed. 🙂 BTW, my wife and I visited your beautiful city in mid-October. I'd been there a couple of times before, many many years ago. It was wonderful to return, and, speaking of weather, it was mostly terrific. Blue skies! Friends in Glasgow could not believe our good fortune.

Thanks! That explains why most of us are not aware of this news. I agree. There's that old saying, "if everyone has priority, no one has it." 😂

What notice/update from NCL are you talking about? Thanks.

Here’s someone who booked such a cabin and regretted it: “I agree that I would never try an upgrade to a mini-suite on a Jewel class ship because there are so many cabins you don't want to end up in. That being said, if you could choose your cabin anywhere on the starboard side under the spa, library, card room, salon, or photo gallery; and anywhere on the portside under the spa, those cabins, to me, are some of the best cabins on the ship.Just don't book under the fitness center!! Made that mistake once, and the pounding of feet on the treadmills at 6:00AM was not a welcome sound!!” Quote above is from comment 17 on this thread https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2872394-should-i-regret-this-upgrade/#comment-63734358 We would never book a cabin under the fitness center, or any other noisy or potentially noisy public space.

And to you and everyone else as well!

We’ve found that to be the case generally, but one year we saw commercials from the Caribbean region in which we were sailing.

Happy holidays to all! Our 21-day Norway cruise on HAL next summer includes a port call to Andalsnes (from 10am-8pm). Apart from excursions to the Troll Road, I'm not finding a great deal of information on other options. I'd appreciate any suggestions folks may have for our time there. I did come across the Romsdalen Gondola. If anyone has taken it, I'd love to know your thoughts. Folks on Trip Advisor say it's not great if the weather is bad (no views), but with two ships in port that day, I suspect we need to invest in tickets in advance. Thanks for any info, tips, advice!

But DIY by rail is not the only alternative to an NCL tour. There are private excursions one can take with a reputable company like Romeinlimo. The CC port of call forum for Italy is a great source of information regarding tours of Rome from Civi. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/464-italy-ports/

OMG! That RCI page is just SO wrong! 😮 It's bad enough when cruise line phone reps don't understand these things, but it's inexcusable for official guidance/information on a cruise line web site to be incorrect. Not only does RCI have the name of the law wrong, but the page makes it sound like a foreign-flagged ship can NEVER transport guests between two different U.S. ports, when in fact it can, as long as it stops at a "distant foreign port" (as defined in the PVSA) along the way. For a roundtrip out of one U.S. port, the ship need only call at a "foreign port." (So yes, your question about a possible PVSA violation was relevant, if the RT cruise out of NY did not make it to a foreign port.) Now, back to our regularly scheduled program ... what's NCL doing with ships scheduled for Puerto Plata? 😂

Just an fyi. The Jones Act applies to cargo. The Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) applies to passenger ships. 😊

Another possibility is to book a private whale watching tour in advance, from a group like Whale Watch Cabo. Ten people max in a boat, and you can pick a boat with a cover (rather than a zodiac), which really does help in the sun. We toured with them some years ago, in January (peak whale watching season). It was a fabulous experience. http://www.whalewatchcabo.com/ (photos by turtles06)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and many congratulations on your wedding (and what a great spot to pick)!

If you're asking which side of the ship is better when you are in a particular port, it's generally the case that a ship does not always dock the same way in the same port each time. (While you're in port, the crew may be doing drills on one side of the ship, and next time it may be on the other. Etc.) Also, I don't know your itinerary. Some of your ports may be tender ports.

Yes, HAL is a Carnival Corp. brand, which is why I assumed Amber Cove would be full up on the Gem's (and Dawn's) scheduled day there. Thanks for the good wishes; we are doing B2B Panama Canal cruises on the Gem, so it's all good. 🙂 In fact, we have another port call scheduled for Puerto Plata on the second leg, so two chances to miss this port! 😂

That's too bad. I totally agree with you -- if NCL already has letters in cabins about an itinerary change, they should be able to tell folks before boarding, maybe even long before boarding. I appreciate your posting this info about the Dawn. It doesn't seem to bode well for the smaller ships either. We're on the Gem, scheduled to be in Puerto Plata on Jan. 31, along with the Dawn and the Encore as well as a Carnival ship and a HAL ship. I've been assuming the Gem and Dawn would make it to Taino Bay, but now who knows. San Juan is already on our itinerary.

The Manhattan Cruise Terminal has only one level for parking — an open deck up top. Whether you arrive early or late, you will “end up on top.”

All good advice above. In addition, ATMs not physically connected to a bank branch are also more likely to be compromised by skimmers.

I was just looking at very recent reviews for Raices on Trip Advisor. Some folks think it’s not what it used to be. (It’s always hard to judge reviews.) There are some threads in the CC San Juan forum worth checking out re where to eat mofongo in Old San Juan and also where to eat near the pier in general. Our Gem cruises call at San Juan, so if you do have a meal ashore, I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to reading about it. 😊

I was sorry to read of your delay last night. I hope you still have a fabulous cruise, and happy holidays to you and your family! The Gem is also one of our favorite ships, and we'll be aboard in Jan/Feb for a B2B, so I'm looking forward to your reports. Totally agree. It is a shame that NCL has not updated the staterooms. And I suspect that they don't have the $$$ to do so now. Sorry you are missing the day in San Juan. If this is of interest to you, you could go ashore for a nice Mofongo dinner (maybe at Raices). 🙂 Enjoy your day in Manhattan, and have a great cruise!

The OP is worried about taking a private tour with a vetted tour operator and not getting back to Civi on time, and.you’re suggesting they pick some random cab off the street? Far better option is a private tour with a reputable company like RomeinLimo, as suggested above. Work out the itinerary in advance and see what you want to see.

Funny where our minds first went at the news of the Gem's delayed sailing. 😁