JulieAF

10 hours ago, disneynan said:

Is there a way to search within this thread for the ship or room I want?

I remembered that a compilation of all cabins reviewed had been posted in post #601. 

30 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

What "sites" are you hoping to see?  There is a whole lot to do in Portland without taking an excursion.

I am not sure, but I just started researching after I booked my cruise this morning. I thought I might take a boat to the little nearby island. From reading these types of suggestion boards, I may need to wake up before Dawn and look for the Head Light before we dock. Then, in port, maybe try a Holy Donut, visit Becky's Diner and High Roller Lobster. LOL!

39 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

The schedule on that site is incorrect. Norwegian Joy and Voyager of the Seas will be in Portland that day but Adventure of the Seas will be in Portland on the 18th.

Great! Thanks for letting me know! Nice to know it may be quieter than I thought.

I was just doing some excursion planning for a cruise I just booked for next month. I went to the site: https://crew-center.com/cruise-ship-ports-schedules to see if any other ships would be in port on 9/19 when my ship arrives in Portland. I was shocked that my ship, the NCL Joy, will be joined by RCCL's Voyager of the Seas AND RCCL's Adventure of the Seas!! The capacity of each ship is close to 4,000! All 3 ships will be arriving around the same time and leaving around the same time in the evening. This makes me feel very sorry for the locals, and it is forcing me to book a cruise line's shore excursion so I will be able to see at least some sites.

Ship - Breakaway

Deck - 8

Stateroom # - 8710

Stateroom Category – BX (Sail Away Balcony)

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – NOT QUIET AT ALL!!! This cabin is located all the way forward one cabin away from the crew bar!!! CONSTANT foot traffic with loud conversations, partiers, arguing, etc. The whole front of the ship is the crew bar which is open until 1:00am. SMOKING is permitted 24 hours a day for crew members outdoors in this area. When it's windy, the smoke blows right into this balcony cabin and also on the balcony itself. 

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – No obstructions

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - HUGE balcony! Very long. Had a table and 2 chairs PLUS 2 loungers!

Was wind a problem? - Yes....it was windy and the crew's smoke was a constant issue on this balcony and in this cabin. 

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - See above. I had to request to be moved, it was so bad.

Any other comments? - Not recommended if you don't like smoke and continuous noise. I think NCL reserves this cabin as a BX cabin so guests cannot choose it.

33 minutes ago, Carpe-Diem said:

It was escargot 

OHHHHHHHH. When I have had it in the main dining rooms, it was scallops. 

2 hours ago, Janicept said:

I'm going to eat escargot everyday❤️🥳

I was thrilled to find out that the escargot serving dish actually had little scallops and NOT escargot! In each little compartment is clarified butter, some breadcrumbs, garlic and tiny scallops. YUM! Counting down the days.....17 to go......

1 minute ago, logan25 said:

Yum!  Buttered drenched scallops!

 

Did you notice whether the Grand Pacific was serving Shrimp Arrabitta?

OMG...those are my 2 favorite dishes! My lunch on embarkation day is always shrimp arribbiatta!!!!

5 minutes ago, Carpe-Diem said:

I was on this cruise and meant to do a daily update for everyone. Sorry I decided to leave my phone in my stateroom most days and just enjoy it. 
 

The new terminal is great. My arrival time was 930. I showed up around 9 and was administering my own covid test by 915. After sitting in the waiting area for my number to be called, I received my wrist band and could proceed to checkin. There was no wait to check in and I received boarding group 1. I was on board about 1030. I was directed to my muster station so they could scan my card and show me how to put on a life jacket. I then went straight to my stateroom where my luggage had already arrived. 
The terminal announcements kept saying lunch is only served in the buffet. Luckily the Grand Pacific was also having lunch. 
No masks were required once getting on the ship. The crew had them on which is just all for optics. They don’t wear them in their crew areas. 
I did four nights of specialty dining. Two in Le Bistro and two in Cagneys. 
Spa pass was only $150 for the week and it was usually very empty up there. 
I didn’t get off the ship except for HC Belize because I didn’t want to wear a mask. 
You know when you stay on the ship when I’m port and it feels like there is nobody on the ship? This is what the entire cruise felt like. Since capacity was so low there were always loungers by the pool. 
Sorry I’m not great at these things. If you have any questions, just ask. 
 

 

Awesome pix!!!! I saw so many of my favorite dishes! Glad your embarkation went so smoothly. I sail on 9/12 so I think my experience will be different because they need to disembark the previous sailing and yours was the first, right?

Not many cruise directors make an impression, but Dan Dan is the exception for me. I was on 2 sailings... He was an assistant on the first one and direcor the second. He is just really talented! I found this clip... 

Not many cruise directors make an impression, but Dan Dan is the exception for me. I was on 2 sailings... He was an assistant on the first one and direcor the second. He is just really talented! I found this clip... 

This forum is awesome Thanks for the great info!!

Just curious. Is it hot and stuffy in the thermal spa? Like an hotel indoor pool? Or is it a good place to go with a book and relax kid-free?

Following. I have an 11-night on the Gem coming up in November. Never got a spa pass before, so I am also curious.

Maybe it's time to try NCL.

LOL!!!! Fixed it!!!

I always bring a soft cooler like this one. It collapses flat in luggage, but I use it like a packing cube. On the ship, I use it as a refrigerator. In a Studio cabin on NCL, there is no fridge so I have used my ziploc bags filled with ice and put the cooler on the shower floor filled with with the ice bags and anything I wanted to keep cold. Last cruise, I was sent gifts of chocolate covered strawberries and a cheese plate and I kept it all cold/refrigerated this way. On port days, I bring a water bottle, snacks, juice, etc.

I was on 2 sailings with Dan-Dan, 1 with Sinan and 1 with Julie. Dan-Dan made such an impression both with his sense of humor and his incredible singing voice. Sinan was hilarious at the game shows and Julie was forgettable.

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I have been on 2 sailings with Dan-Dan. He is quite talented.

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I just finished reading that linked review as well. So funny!!

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I am really enjoying this satirical version of a cruise review.

 

Can't wait to read more, lol

Me, too! I honestly can't understand the criticism of these synopses! Hilarious and well-written!

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I would opt for a kid-free cruise as well.

I love children, (I raised a terrific one,) but not when they whine to get their way. Kids know that the more they whine, they will eventually get what they want. Parents nowadays can somehow tune out the screeching and whining until it dawns on them that their child is annoying others.

On a recent cruise, in one of the nicer dining rooms at 8pm, parents brought in their tired, whining identical twins...around 2 1/2 years old. The kids were running around, hitting each other and when they were loudly reprimanded by their parents, they would scream and cry. The parents, finally fed-up with their behavior, put them into a time-out ..... on the windowsill AT MY TABLE!!!! :eek: YIKES!!!!!

So...my point is, although I booked a date which was not during school breaks, younger ones are still there enhancing the voyage. :rolleyes:

I think we all need to acknowledge and/or remember just how ANGRY and IRRITABLE smokers can be, (understandably), when either denied access to their habit or confronted with the reality of just how horibbly devastating smoking can be. Been there, done that. And I have lost four close family members, cradled in my arms, to lung cancer.

 

I hope I quit in time- 1994 after 20+ years. Thank god I promised my dad I would quit on his deathbed. It still took me exactly one year. I hope all you smokers can find a way to quit. Personally, I don't think e-cigs are the answer unless you use them for a very limited and predetermined time.

 

And please stop telling everyone, basically, "I know I shouldn't but it's my life and what I choose to do." Trust me, a lot more people than you are affected.

I am so glad you have kept your promise to your dad! Happy 20th anniversary! Btw....You're one of my favorite posters/cruisers! :)

I am so grateful I quit in 1991, after smoking for 19 years. I also hope I quit in time. I hope many more make the choice to stop so their loved ones don't have to see the results as you & I have.

Why does country,s , and company,s etc. are always making rules about (not) smoking and not worrie more about obesitas ?

 

" Can I order more than one dessert/entree" are so normal here. But at the end it can be just as bad for you than smoking......

Totally different scenario.... sure, it's bad for the person eating the extra dessert/entree, but that has ZERO effect on someone standing/sitting close-by.

Like....you posted what I was thinking. We all have choices. None of us are limited by where we go on a ship (except for certain age restrictions which hold true for everyone). We all are limited by what we can do on the ship and where. We all have the choice to smoke or not. If you choose to smoke then there are limits on where it can be done. We all have the choice to play basketball or not....but we can't play a game of basketball around the lido pool with a real basketball. There is a place for smoking and there is a place for playing basketball....we all have the choice to do either. We all are limited on where we can do it, if and when we choose to do it. Those limits, in both instances, are there for the health and safety of all passengers. No rights are taken away in either case.

You explained it clearly & simply. Definitely logically.

Thank you.

I have heard, on several occasions, that quitting smoking is as difficult as quitting heroin. Maybe that's what he/she was trying to compare? :confused:

the only problem with this is that no rights were taken away. A rule from a cruise ship was altered. This is a bit over the top.

 

maybe there should be one more thing on here

 

Dont like the non-smoking balcony rule? Don't book that cuiseline

best post ever!!!!