Lanic24

Hi everyone,

As someone who previously sailed on Getaway, Escape, and was supposed to do Encore.. how would I like the Gem? 
 

What were some of your experiences? thank you for your input! 

Hi there.. does anyone know about Norwegian's Platinum Protection Plan for cruises. If your cruise is cancelled, do you get your airfare reimbursed if you purchase that independently through the airline? Also, are there certain reasons that count for medical cancellations that you are aware of to get 100% coverage?

On 2/4/2020 at 11:23 PM, tx121 said:

Day 3- San Juan

 

Last night the clocks went forward one hour so we would be on San Juan time. I don't know if we were just so tired, but we slept in until 12pm! Good thing it was a late arrival in to San Juan! 

We decided to get a quick snack in the observation lounge before heading to the outer decks. We found some loungers on deck 17 under a shaded area. I noticed we were heading in to some rain clouds and I smirked a little because I knew what was about to come. Sure enough 10 minutes later, the rain had come and some people ran for cover with their belongings. It only rained for about 5 minutes. Veteran cruisers stood their ground and weathered the "storm". But 1/3 of the people (probably new cruisers)on the pool deck scattered and abandoned their chairs! There was some prime real estate available and I chose wisely. Lol! I was able to get these seats!👍

 

We enjoyed our time sunbathing, listening to the Caribbean band and using the pool for about 3 hours. We were approaching San Juan earlier than expected so we went back to the room to get ready to go ashore. 

Since San Juan is on a different time zone, our early arrival allowed us to have more daylight time. We had time to walk around old San Juan and visit the fort just in time for the sunset. It was so peaceful and tranquil. 

 

After visiting the fort, we walked downtown to see some shops and have a pina colada at Barrachina which is supposedly where this drink was invented.  It was good but of course needed more alcohol! Lol! Our waiter recommended us to try a authentic puerto Rican dish called Monfongo which is mashed plantains with pork. It was good and I'm glad I had it even though we had reservations at Ocean Blue tonight back on the ship! Don't judge! Lol 🤣

As we were on our way back to the ship, we saw some outdoor markets and cafes open with many cruise ship passengers. 

 

One of the benefits of having a late departure is that you are able to get nice pictures at night with the cruise ship all lit up! Usually ships leave before sunset so seeing a ship at night was a treat! 

 

Once we got back to the ship, we cleaned up and then went to Ocean Blue for dinner. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice but I wish the quality of food matched the decor. Let's just say I was happy that we were using the dining package than paying al a carte. The food although passable, it did not impress. For anyone who is considering going here, do not pay al a carte for this restaurant. You will pay a pretty penny for food that does not match the price. If you have the dining package, then it may be worth your time. I have to say this restaurant is comparable to the "Bonefish Grill" chain restaurant back home. 

I started with the scallop and pork belly appetizer as it was recommended by the waitress. It was "ok"...a weird combination which I dont think works.

I then had the clam chowder soup which was actually very good.

My entree Cipponi,  which was also recommended by the waitress was not good at all. It had a foul smell to it and I believe one of the items in the soup/stew went bad. The waitress asked if I liked it and I said actually I don't. With no questions asked, she said let me get you something else which I thought was very accommodating.  I decided to get the Halibut with a white wine garlic sauce. This dish was better and the fish seemed to be very fresh. 

 

We skipped dessert because we were so full and we also had to get to our Comedy show at The Social Club.

 

Side Note:

By the way, be careful if you buy any drinks or eat at a specialty restaurant on the ship while in port especially in San Juan. They will charge you 11.5% tax on your bill! We did not know this and surprised they charge tax while in port! So if you decide to eat a specialty restaurant while in San Juan port, be prepared to pay 31.5% extra in tips (20%) and tax (11.5%)! In my opinion that will be one hefty bill if you ate somewhere al a carte! I ordered a double grey goose on the rocks which came out to a whopping $39.45?!! I am all for tipping my bartender / bar server, but I feel like $6 for them to pour vodka over ice is a bit generous for a automatic tip. Grey goose is not part of the package, so it is $15 a shot. For a double with tip and tax, I could have bought a nice large bottle of grey goose! Lol! All I'm saying is Buyer Beware while in port in San Juan.

 

Anyways, back to the show!

We thoroughly enjoyed the Comedy show. This was a 18+ adults only show, so the comedians could say whatever they wanted. We saw the same comedian at the First Night  welcome aboard show, but we didnt think he was funny because he had to watch what he said because there was kids in the audience. 

Overall, we had a very nice day! We are looking forward to our very first time in Tortola! 

Do you remember the time of your specialty dinner that night? How was the timing to the forts/back? Did you tour the whole thing or just take pictures?

Just trying to see the timing if we got off to see the forts when we would be back on the ship to make a reservation for dinner 

Does anyone know who will be the cruise director on Encore in April? Thank you! 

Hi there, I have read that main dining menus are always the same.. and then I have read that they change. I am traveling on the Encore and was wondering if anyone can comment. I was looking to see what was offered each night to influence my speciality dining days. Thank you! 

On 8/29/2019 at 8:32 AM, AlohaLivin said:

@FionaMG  shared this thread with our roll call. A year ago when we booked another San Juan port cruise I decided to do as you are doing and look around for a walking tour. But I didn’t find options that I thought were ideal for us (for example I didn’t need to see both forts set a long distance from one another) and we wanted to mix in some shopping areas and some amazing food finds that I had run across in my research. It seemed to take forever to compile it and lay it out, but I finally pulled together a tour with all we wanted via google maps (I called it the “three amigos take San Juan” 😂). I don’t know that it would fit your needs, but I am happy to share it. Have a great time!

Hi there! Could you please share the trip with me as well... nfalvo12@gmail.com

thanks so much!!

9 minutes ago, poohdreaming said:

The fort is closed at 6 pm. If you get off the cruise ship at 5 pm, there's still 1 hr for the fort.

If the fort is not an option - then just stroll around near the waterfront / streets that are safe.

 

What shore excursions are offered by the cruise line?

Walking tour? - This you can do yourself.

 

Do you remember how far of a walk the fort was? Trying to see if I can make it there in time. 

Hello,

Just checking in to see if anyone has ever done the Stormy Pirates Catamaran Snorkel in St. Thomas on "Sail Pending" ... or been to  Maho Bay to snorkel & swim with the turtles, then we sail to Christmas Cove... with a Pizza Pi stop. Please let me know about your experience. Thank you! 

Hello,

Just checking in to see if anyone has ever done the Stormy Pirates Catamaran Snorkel in St. Thomas on "Sail Pending" ... or been to  Maho Bay to snorkel & swim with the turtles, then we sail to Christmas Cove... with a Pizza Pi stop. Please let me know about your experience. Thank you! 

Hi everyone,

Looking to find something to do in San Juan when we are there in the evening. Do you recommend any locations, places, forts, shops? I am probably eating dinner on the ship, so no food needed. Thanks in advance! 

Hi There,

Looking for places, forts, streets, shops to see in San Juan. Can anyone give any advice of must see locations during the evening time?

Planning on eating dinner on the ship, so no food is needed.

Can we still go to the forts at night time? I heard it closed at 5. 

4 minutes ago, rlong405 said:

Not too sure as we sailed from Miami however the doors opened at about 08:30 so by the time we walked over to the building, found a porter to take our luggage etc. It was probably around 0815-08:20. We lined up outside the building. 

 

Then when we got into the building, there were chairs to sit down on which also kept the line in order for when security opened at 09:30. 

 

Doing all this got us boarding group 1 card. 

 

Then its the small matter of working out which door out of the holding area he ship boards from and running to headliners for the tickets. 

 

It sold out about 5 minutes after we go there so yes this was all necessary 🙂

Thank you! 

22 hours ago, rlong405 said:

On the Escape it has sun loungers, big sofa type things, one hot tub and a bar. 

 

Beyond that - the obvious benefits that you probably are already aware of - I.e exclusitivity (there are far more chairs than there are people), adults only. 

 

I also found that as there were only only a few people in there (or at least this was the case when I went a couple of years ago) that the bar staff would bring you drinks when you finished the previous one. So you didn’t need to get off your chair. 

 

We got there at 8am and that did the trick. I think we were number 56 in the line. 

Thanks for the info.. 

I read that the security doesn’t open until 9:30 and parking starts at 8:30 at the Manhattan terminal.

Were you able to get in earlier? 

With the rise in price, is the vibe still selling out on the escape?

what time to get to the NYC pier?

what is offered at the vibe? 

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

I haven’t been able to find any videos or reviews on Zara Luxury catamaran and snorkel trip.. wondering if anyone has done this trip or heard about it .

thanks in advance! 

Hi everyone-

I have tried Heidi and quintin from reading everyone’s post. Unfortunately, both are booked. 

Who else do you highly recommend for day trip tours of Bermuda? 

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

As a person who lives at the beach, I am just looking for the best beach experience.

Has anyone been to Elbow Bay Resort? Is there anything to see if you go snorkeling?

who do you book Mayan Princess through? Is there multiple shuttle times to get back to the port?

Hi. I am leaving miami cruise port to FLL airport. I heard we can drop our bags off as long as we are back by 5 to pick them up?

What can we do for the day?!?!

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Has anyone ever been to Palomino Island like while in Puerto Rico??

Was it worth going to? Were you able to go even though it is a private island to the hotel?

I found a water taxi that goes there and just want to make sure it is legit.

Any other beautiful Puerto Rico beach selections?

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