Hoya NICU RN

I was onboard NCL Spirit very recently for 2 long cuises. The ship departed Civitavecchia (Rome) just before the major Italy outbreak. (There were some cases in Northern Italy.) Our ship was able to remain completely Covid-19 free, due, I believe, to equal parts screening, behaviors, and dumb luck. We had temperature checks at every embarkation .point, and in conjunction with immigration screening at the ports we visited. Some were done by local authorities, and some by ship's crew. I don't know if any passengers were denied boarding, because that's not information that would have been shared. NCL implemented fleet-wide infection precautions. We were reminded before excursions to be careful with handwashing and sanitizing. 

No handshakes,Ship Cards were wiped with antiseptic wipes after scanning. Infection control measures were maintained in all dining facilities. I observed extra wipe-downs of handrails, constant emphasis on handwashing and using hand sanitizer during announcements and in the Freestyle Daily.

When we were still allowed to visit ports, the ship's personnel sprayed and wiped down buses prior to boarding for excursions. The culture everywhere among passengers was to use hand sanitizer constantly. Everyone seemed to have their little bottles with them, and people were consistently using them. Most passengers coughed or sneezed into elbows. Knuckles and elbows were used for elevator buttons. Public area bathroom doors were propped open (twofold benefit- peer pressure to wash hands, and not having to touch the door.). I'm sure there were many other measures that we didn't see.  

We all believed that we were in the safest place on the planet- and when our port calls were cancelled, many of us were relieved.  Many of us also had anxiety about leaving the ship and going into airports, and long flights from South Africa to our homes.

There are still some construction glitches- but the staff is working hard to resolve problems.  There are also "accounting" irregularities, that I'm sure will be easily resolved.  I'm waiting until the lines dissipate a bit at Guest Services- would rather enjoy the ship than stand in lines. 👍😊

Look forward to meeting you!

We'reooked in Spirit for 4 B2B cruises. Leaving Civitaveccia on 11 Feb, to Dubai; next leg to Cape Town; next leg to Singapore, then from there, arriving Tokyo on May 1. 

5 hours ago, www3traveler said:

So far I have seen 3 DIFFERENT dates for dry dock.  One press release says entering dry dock 2 January, another says leaving dry dock on 2 January.  A staff member friend says that dry dock is 2 February to 10 March according to the schedule posted to staff.  Wonder which is correct.

I am on January 16 cruise it looks like they have not fix the problems. Do anyone knows can they make every port from Singapore to Australia with the slow speed of the Stars.

 

 

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I believe they think the final fixes will be accomplished during the 2-day Singapore port call.

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I am taking that to mean...That is the day that they expect to ship to be fixed...People want to argue, disagree and complain about the post I have listed...I am not the enemy...If you want an answer and/or a different answer...I suggest you get your own from NCL which I am not!!!

I think she just screwed up with the date, and said Jan 11 instead of Jan 16. Our itinerary is definitely changed for the cruise leaving Jan 16, to include skipping Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand, and spending two nights in Singapore instead of one. It seems to me that they expect to finally fix the problem (maybe getting parts?) during the Singapore stay. This would explain why they expect this cruise to be the last affected.

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Enjoy your cruise. 😁🎉🚢

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We booked "guaranteed balcony". The NCL agent we booked with advised that it was a better value.

 

What does "freestyle" mean?

"Guaranteed Balcony" means that you pay a lower cost, and the cruise line assigns you to an available stateroom. It might be in a really good place, depending on how many people are booked, or it could have a restricted view, or be in what is considered a less desirable location. (In my opinion, you'll be fine. There is so much to do on the ship that a lot of people don't spend a lot of time in their cabins.)

"Freestyle" means that there are not assigned dining times. There are lots of restaurants that don't have extra charges. I always enjoy the dining rooms, and the cafeteria has good variety and is convenient. There are a lot of other places that are fun-- O'Sheehans has breakfast, burgers, and other casual food. Go onto the website, and have a "lookaround" at the different options.

You are going to have a great time. Enjoy!!!!

Also- as a Veteran, I understand the "crunch decisions" that sometimes need to be made because of sudden deployments. It is great that you will be able to have this time together. I sailed in Epic, and while the huge ships are not my favorite, we had a wonderful time. All the ships have stabilizers. We were in a similarly positioned cabin, and rarely felt any motion.

Relax, look forward to your trip, and enjoy your blessed time together.

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We booked a cruise in Norwegian Star departing Hong Kong in January. There were no perks available when we booked (a year and a half in advance.) Many months later, perks were available, but outside rooms were all booked, and we would have had to cancel our reservations and rebooked- at a much higher cost, to take advantage. Our bad luck-- but it happens, and a lot of others who will sail with us are in the "same boat." And it's a 21- day cruise-- at $79/day plus gratuity-- je pense que non.

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Thinking of you all, and hoping things resolve soon. I appreciate the information. We're scheduled to board in Hong Kong on Jan 16, debarking Feb 18 in Auckland, so I'll be following closely.

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I'm retired Navy, so have TriCare until Medicare kicks in at 65.

Ziacruising, I would love to take my grandchildren cruising along with us 8 adults, but there are "15" grandchildren, and that can be very expensive. They range from the age of 24 to 6. I have the older ones may not go, but it is expensive with that many, no matter what. I'm going to see if I can get a discount for the 8 of us, when we do our trip. Doesn't hurt to ask, does it?:)

Beshears-- you might be able to work out a "tour group," which, if I recall some of what I've read, get you a "free" room as part of the deal as the organizer, thereby reducing the total per-person cost. Aside from that, some of the cruiselines put together promotions from time to time where the 3rd and 4th guests stay free in a room. Not my cup of tea to have "extras" with my husband and me, but 2 older kids in a room, with a couple of younger ones in a connecting room with adults might work. Just my 2 cents.

I live in Silver Spring, MD. My husband was in Georgetown Hospital twice after having viral encephalitis. I have had a few students graduate from the University. My son and daughter-in-law are both nurses and went to Marquette University.

Small world. I'm in Alexandria. My daughter lives in Gaithersburg, I'm originally from the Chicago area, and my niece lives in Milwaukee.

Yes. I attended Nursing School at Georgetown, and just retired from the hospital. :) Laura

The thing that really kicked me into serious retirement thought was the Panama Canal Cruise we took 2 years ago. We went from New York to Los Angeles via the Panama Canal on Norwegian Jewel. The ship was to continue to San Francisco, Vancouver, and Alaska. As we watched the ocean go by, I said to my husband "give me one good reason I shouldn't go down to the bursar and see if we can't continue." He said "work." It hit me like a ton of bricks. We are still in that funny "just retired" place where we're trying to get the finances settled down, but we're getting there. And happily.

On our first cruise, we had an ocean view mini-suite--- large windows across the entire room. We loved it, except that we were under the shuffleboard deck, and a bunch of youngsters played hockey until 2 am one night. (I went upstairs and told them to knock it off.) The shuffleboard precluded afternoon naps.... I check floor plans now.

We had OV on our New England/Canada cruise. OK because it was cold, not so great because it was at the bottom of the casino steps. Smoke. All the time. We spent a lot of time in the windowed forward lounge.

In Hawaii, my parents got an aft suite. Really nice, with whale watching, and a nice, large deck for my infirm Mom to relax and watch the water, with enough room for me in a semi-private sleeping area.

Going through the Panama Canal was enhanced for us by having a balcony room-- we had the option to have breakfast on our balcony while transiting the canal.

Would I get an inside stateroom? Maybe-- not closed to it, but would depend on the cruise and the ship.

Norwegian Gem departs New York on Jan 12, 2016 for a 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise. There are some great deals right now (dinner or drink package, or gratuities included).

Laura

Febreeze; Magnets to secure notes, schedules etc to walls. Duck tape, crystal light, scarves (wear during meals to "save" shirts from drips), coffee "go-cup, ""Poo Pourri"-- (look for it online--makes life much more pleasant); binder clips-- (use to secure papers, use as clothespins,) . I also get "business cards" printed up from VistaPrint, with my name and email address to give to new friends. I can add address and phone number on the back if I want to.