Breakaway Semi Live: Oct 29 - Oct 5, 17 Halloween Storm Special, Take #2

[Yorkvillain]

Great job mking. That was fun.

[mking8288]

Breakfast menus, free and hot options w delivery charge, also All Day Menu.

 

 

 

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[HistoryGirl4Ever]

mking8288 - Thank you for taking the time out of your cruise to keep us up-to-date on all the happenings. I’m thinking about doing the Breakaway out of NOLA in 2019 so it was nice reading your reports! [emoji846]

 

 

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[Snowrose]

Nothing new there...I used to travel with my mother with her wheelchair, and people just had no respect for those reserved for wheelchair signs....crew would only enforce it, if we couldn't find another location accessible, and I complained to them..

 

Not to start a controversy but I would use that table if there were no other tables available - but I would immediately give it up if someone with a wheelchair came along. (That said, I'm walking handicapped myself and have a handicap sticker in my car, but I don't need a wheelchair.)

[mking8288]

Tips for early, non-Haven, non-VIP/Special Needs boarding, Platinum/Plus members should get Zone 1 boarding card & get seated in roped-off & reserved area, following Special Needs to get on board. While waiting, you should be able to pickup and connect to ship's WiFi ... activate iConcierge and make dining reservations, etc.

 

 

Tendering returning full from GSC.

 

 

 

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[mking8288]

Farewell from officers & crew, following Rock of Ages on Friday evening

... ending with Washy Washy

 

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[jrlamour]

Love the posts, I'm on the BA Hallowe'en sailing next year. Just checking, is that $5 a game per person?

 

Bowling, anyone - $5 a game, next to OSH

 

 

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[mking8288]

Love the posts, I'm on the BA Hallowe'en sailing next year. Just checking, is that $5 a game per person?

Almost a year from now, next Halloween ... might be price adjusted upward to $5.50 per game, per person. Passed it a few times and never saw anyone in that area playing this past week.

 

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[jtonra]

Don't worry about noise around from elevators & stairs, and no serious vibrations - 9288. Assembly Station inside Manhattan MDRk

 

Just to give a slight counter point to this... We were on this same sailing - all the way in the back on deck 12 (12310) and we did feel a fair amount of vibration over the course of the week. The sea conditions definitely factor in - it was pretty noticeable on Sunday night, not so much once we got further south. It's most prevalent when the ship is maneuvering, turning, etc. It never bothered us but if it's an issue for you, you should keep this in mind.

[mking8288]

... We were on this same sailing - all the way in the back on deck 12 (12310) and we did feel a fair amount of vibration over the course of the week. The sea conditions definitely factor in - it was pretty noticeable on Sunday night, not so much once we got further south. It's most prevalent when the ship is maneuvering, turning, etc. ...

Understood ... I would look at our different vantage points along the "continuum" - us being closer to midship than aft, 3 decks lower, differential perceptions are valid for our individual experience. Your observations are equally valid.

 

Sunday evening/overnight - it was "rough" for a few hours, progressively better into the early morning hours with lots of squeaks & banging metal noises overhead inside our ceiling and between the wall panels ... and, the very, very poor & weak mattress springs on my side of the bed (and, I went down to Guest Services to speak to them directly about it **** ...)

 

Ship was pretty much going full speed against the head wind going southboard to outrun the storm, which turned out to be a lot less disruptive than forecasted - maybe it was the precise timing of our fast sailaway down the Hudson, leaving 10 minutes earlier.

 

We've yet to sail in an AFT balcony on the *Away ship(s) so the vibration while turning or sideway steering, IMO, is to be expected with the azipods.

 

Northbound, we had 12 ft. to 15 ft. at some point and we barely felt some lateral movement in relation tothe horizon ... far less than our 2016 Bermuda crossing on the BA with 15 ft. sea, large waves & gale force wind across the bow - and, we're on Deck 10 Fwd, 3 doors from those front Oceanviews in a Balcony, which lasted maybe 1/3 of a day.

 

We've sailed enough ships, medium, large & small with our "immunity" against all but the worst, rough seas in stormy weather to take our chances with GTY room assignments, anywhere on the ship ... last week, we upgraded with the GTY bid, yielding our hand-picked midship OV on Deck 5, and, lucked out with our Deck 9.

 

Unrelated to above quoted response, but related to my blog/brief review for this sailing and our cabin experience:

**** The mattress was flipped over and probably turned around, it was only - really - just a little better & squeaked less. Housekeeping supervisor was obviously aware along with Michael, our Room Steward - I opted to not make a big fuzz out of it ... another guest who woke up tomorrow with a sore back in #9288 isn't necessary going to be forgiving, or settle for sleeping on the sofabed. :o

Edited November 6, 2017 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Welcome home!:)

... last week, when you sailed away by her, did they play NCL's traditional Lee Greeenwood rendition of "God Bless The USA"?

We usually sleep thru these early pre-dawn NY harbor arrival, glad to share those pictures of SOL, wished they're better HQ images.

 

No music played that I recall, although we didn't go down to the atrium for the indoor sailaway party ... maybe they did. Nothing over the PA or Ship's Nav channel with the soggy & foggy sailing as we hightailed quickly down the Hudson & out beyond the VZB in a hurry, as soon as the safety drill was completed ... 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

 

I am self carrying off tomorrow ...

How did you do this morning - our Platinum (Yellow) tags called about 8:30 and we joined the long line that snaked around inside deck 7, managed to get down to find our luggage around 9:05 - flagged a porter & were outside 12th Ave - #33 stall, ready for our ride home ... Carmel was a different story.

 

Carmel car service pissed me off this morning, car/driver was dispatched & cancelled on me ... after they're on the way, supposingly 5 to 10 minutes to pickup. Dispatcher then called to apologize saying they did not have a car/driver available to service - without further explaining. It was somewhat not a complete surprise and a delay in pickup would be expected & not annoying with street closures from the Marathon. Luckily, plentiful taxi across 12th Avenue & we virtually did not had to wait at all when we walked across @ 9:45 AM.

 

Be aware. The NYC marathon is today ... I'm getting really excited and thinking about trying a live review this time.

Safe home.

Thanks again to everyone on the FYI - we knew about it & had been giving heads-up to everyone on the Roll Call.

 

Challenge for me to post semi-live & blog with photos were ... to get it done with just a limited WiFi plan on the BA with 250 min/1GB + 60MB of data, plus - whatever cellular roaming data we used on GSC & Nassau (with "BTC" being the roaming partner) ... conclusion, we did it - got 1,200+ minutes worth of on-air time. And, ready - just checked our Google Project Fi data usage/charges - 83 MB worth of roaming data for just under $1 USD (taxes/fees) ... which is almost as good as free. < It wasn't unlimited, but still sufficient with all the pictures uploaded >

[mking8288]

I'm wondering about this ... hook up ... Roku ...

 

... I just ordered a Hootoo Titan with the hope of just sharing ...

 

Curious if you have used the iConcierge app at all ,,,

Last night, I had some limited WiFi data/minutes remaining so hooked up the Roku again and played. Conclusion, it was easy to bring up Roku menu on screen with HDMI-Port 1 ... but, unable to get past the WiFi signal, not even with the double bridged nano travel router (Edimax) with WAN/LAN ports - those tcp/udp ports were blocked or not accessible as configured by Roku for managing the streaming/casting, etc.

 

Solution to play your own contents - bring a HDMI extender (easier to connect/disconnect) & a small LED flashlight (easier to see the HDMI ports, it's facing downward, behind the LED/LCD panel of the Sole TV ... along with a 6' HDMI cable, should be just long enough, although a 10' cable is even better. Make use of that "semi" secret inside the cabinet door outlets with a non-surged power tap/connector

 

Use of iConcierge App (impressions) - we used the free features of the newest App, it worked fine largely - did not use the calling or texting features on the ship, or to use it to call landline #'s over satellite.

 

Network speed over ship's WiFi (Cisco hardware/servers used) are fine, only seen sluggish slowdown on Day 7, last full sea day in the afternoon - not too bad as I connect over 5 Ghz band instead of the popular 2.4 Ghz band.

 

WiFi calling works fine as I used Google's Hangouts to make some calls while on the ship to landline #'s in the U.S. - making those free calls under our plan. Those iMessage (hidden "free") featuers mentioned here by others, apparently blocked & no longer worked.

 

Youtubes & other video streaming functions, most definitely, are blocked and not working this past week.

 

There is still, no social media plan nor 3 tiered internet plan - currently still on the Getaway Escape & Epic only.

 

Keep in mind that even with an upgraded $85 fee to full unlimited WiFi plan, it is not valid when off the ship and in foreign ports ... Have a cellular and/or WiFi plan available to use as backup. (For example, the nearest McDonald with "free" unsecured WiFi in downtown Nassau is a good 10 to 15 minutes walk from the ship terminal)

[jrlamour]

Almost a year from now, next Halloween ... might be price adjusted upward to $5.50 per game, per person. Passed it a few times and never saw anyone in that area playing this past week.

 

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Thanks for the info!

[Jaime0528]

Curious to know if you are going to post the dailies? Thanks in advance if you do!!:D

[mking8288]

,,, post the dailies? ... :D

Sure, no need to be curious ... just suffering a bad case of post-cruise withdrawal symptoms, I would be more than happy to oblige and post them to help. Best wishes for others and you on upcoming cruising.

 

Will get them uploaded in the next 1 to 3 days ... are the Tapatalk direct images of the text/documents good enough for reading, or scanned / PDF converted ones better (as those will be slower to do) - either way, please let me know. Regards :') :D

Edited November 7, 2017 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Post Cruise Review:

a quick summary/recap and post-cruise review of our BA sailing last week, NYC-Port Canaveral-GSC-Nassau ... our 4th. time sailing on the Breakaway in 3.5 years.

 

One day after getting back, both Mrs. M and I "randomly" received our official NCL eSurvey, again ... before we do that, might as well do a review tailored to the CC audience first ... and, without tagging on to our "Semi Live" blog/post & follow-along last week, that some of you read & had fun with.

 

As Dexddd commented, maybe bring up "hot" topics debated or raised here, keeping the "Semi Live" thread clean ... taken into account, views of 2 other Latitude "Gold" members, BIL and SIL plus another "Bronze" extended family member.

 

Thinking about the overall impressions, subjectively - of our 2016 BA sailing, our April 2017 Gem sailing and last week's BA sailing - this one came in last to the finish line, on the relative bottom ... sorry, quite a few missed the high marks for excellence. Thus, a few caveats are indicated, with the mass cruiseline industry's changes in recent years - not a big deal, but for something who infrequently sailed NCL, to avoid being disappointed ... almost everyone are still going to have a great time cruising on this mega ship.

 

Let me get this "review" component going -

Embarkation, including check-in, boarding & welcome abroad, etc. - missed that "wow" factors that we've come to expect. What happened - minimal words about available onboard Concierge services, not even a pro forma "Welcome" letter or packet ... maybe, NCL going "Green" - had to ask or else. The less than "well-informed" average NCL cruisers with Platinum status not active on CC would likely missed the opportunities to take advantage of what's available & offered. What do I mean: one need to ask about the Behind The Scene tour (not to mention, they knowingly did NOT want to change their scheduled time to avoid schedule conflicts and overlap with the CC Meet & Mingle ... at least several CC members walked in rather late, probably came after the end of their tour) & "new" GSC priority tendering and priority disembarkation with "Yellow" luggage tags. Implications - it's a good thing we didn't have a 11:30 or 12 noon flight out of LGA, EWR or JFK ... as it would be a close one, with porter services thru CBP and taxi run to get to the airport before 10:30 or 11 AM to make a domestic flight ... that's even true, IMO, without ours being a NYC Marathon Sunday.

 

OK, those are pre-cruise & post-cruise and secondary issues, moving on to the onboard cruise experience and services, and I will briefly touch on the subjective opinions of food/meals on the BA ... "Washy Washy ... 95" had started the ball rolling on that corner "live" last week.

 

We had #1 Boarding Pass and quickly followed those seated opposite us in the "Accessible" Lounge area to board, using the Fwd gangway around 11:30 AM ... it was a good thing that our carry-ons were easily managed & we walked down to Deck 6 for an early sit-down lunch in Savor around 11:45 ... 15 minutes earlier than posted schedule.

 

We enjoyed our lunch and stayed until 1 PM + and never heard PA announcement that staterooms are available or not, but ... managed to successfully dropoff our bags quickly on this 2nd. attempt. Sure enough, our Room Steward was still finishing up with final touches like cleaning the toilet area - we tried to get ahead of the curve ... being bad. Took another 15 minutes walk and came back again, finally able to settle in & take a quick nap before the safety drill.

 

Our Assembly Station was inside Manhattan Room, thankfully, we got there early & there're adequate seating for almost everyone, except those arriving late. Safety Demo drill was held quickly - and, before we knew it & while others are heading toward the indoor sailaway party in the atrium (due to poor weather ... mist & fog, etc.) - BA began backing out 10 minutes earlier than 3 PM, for a quick "getaway" ahead of the tropical storm heading north in our direction ... rough sea conditions forecasted, etc.

 

Well, I had picked up 2 blank Vacation Hero card, ready to fill them out ... for our friendly Room Steward or server(s) in the MDR, etc.

 

But, I instead found myself looking for a "Comment Card" on the morning of Disembarkation ... our ritual of enjoying a sit-down Express Breakfast in the MDR, not in a hurry to leave the ship to go home. A few blemishes, alone, are to be forgiven but when they add up - it's worthy of a "write-up" here, away from near perfection ... suffice to say, annoying (I will get into that) None of which, made for a bad cruise and/or ruined our vacation onboard - could and should've been better & NCL has delivered that, except in the eyes of us being "mystery shoppers"

 

I will explain the good, the so-so's and #cough #cough, what's going on (huh) - of a somewhat, disappointing (to us) mega ship cruise on the Breakaway last week, a ship that we are quite familiar with.

Edited November 7, 2017 by mking8288

[Jaime0528]

thanks! We're getting excited with our countdown, big family party this weekend so we're going to try to plan out the week, I know it may not be exactly the same but will relieve some time onboard planing the day.

 

I think the images should do fine. Thanks!

[princess_mom]

Hi mking - We are so excited to be on the BA thanksgiving week. I followed your Live thread closely, love all the pics and tips! Thanks much! Question regarding your wifi usage - you mention "We made good use of our "free" 250/1GB WiFi data " and that you had about 1258 minutes online. But I also see a line for "Latitudes30" in the pic. Was the 1258 minutes only using the 250/1gb promo? I took that promo and wondering how much online time we will get out of it. Travelling with 2 teens, we all have agreed not to be on our phones too much but would like to have 20 minutes each online per day. Looks like that wont be a problem? Also, any idea if Snapchat works with the wifi?

Thanks again!

[dexddd]

Welcome home MKing. For those post-cruise blues just get the UBP at home sans the 18% gratuity!

 

Interesting about the survey. We've never gotten one, not that it would really change anything.

[mking8288]

Q&A for Breakaway's satellite WiFi ... and, tips/bonus info w. screenshots.

... Question regarding your wifi usage - you mention "We made good use of our "free" 250/1GB WiFi data " and that you had about 1258 minutes online. But I also see a line for "Latitudes30" in the pic. Was the 1258 minutes only using the 250/1gb promo? Looks like that wont be a problem? Also, any idea if Snapchat works with the wifi?...

"Snipped for quotes, easier to reply & for others to read"

 

This assumed everyone is somewhat familiar with iConcierge and how their smartphones operate ... turn off roaming data, power off and/or switch to Airplane Mode - then turn back on WiFi ... look for SSiD "NCL Breakaway" to connect to - both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands (better/less congested - Cisco server's signals are solid, trust me ... sluggish noted only twice, while leaving Nassau at sea and again on last/final sea days when lots of folks logged in, even Internet Cafe was "occupied".

 

Very important if not using upgrading to the BA's offer for unlimited WiFi Plan for $85 (non-refundable OBC can be used, it's a reasonable "buy" if you need it - can be shared by multiple users, one device at a time ... don't bother with those nano/travel router to share, it will "act" up & not worth the slow speed or getting dropped. That is, turn OFF all background updates, App install, uploads, etc. and anything that consume and use data while you are online, i.e. cloud server - as that 1 GB or 1,000 MB / 250 minutes "free" data will go fast - I turned almost everything else not critical OFF. If there is a data saver mode, turn that ON except that it sometimes do funny things while on WiFi instead of cellular, but this is "paid" satellite WiFi.

 

When in doubt, buy a tech geek an iced Latte or cold beer or what not and, get expert help to tweak and fine tune those settings before cruising. Download the free iConcierge App (and, optionally, the SpeedNet App, by EMC) and install it first.

 

Most of the free iConcierge App functions connect to the "free" side of WiFi inTRAnet on the ship, it is safe to leave that on - as long as your device's battery can last all day ... or carry a spare/external usb power pack. The App can be used to text/call other registered & paid user, with a one-time fee of $9.99 for the duration of the cruise - with no further charges, and nothing is deducted from any data allowance.

 

To call others off the ship, the rate was 79 cents a minute billed to registered Stateroom account - there is no need to pay that $9.99 fee. Otherwise, use your own home carrier's voice calling (at prevailing rates) and/or SMS/texting (for one of our T-Mobile prepaid line, it's 50 cents per SMS/text to send or receive.) Off-topic, that semi-secret iMessage function for iOS device is no longer "good" and blocked, disabled and otherwise not going thru ... when I tested it on 2 or 3 different occassion. Youtube & similar streaming are disabled and blocked. There are no available offer(s) for the limited social media plan, unlike the other 3 NCL ships with it (GA, Escape & Epic).

 

PM - to answer your specific question, being Platinum, Mrs. and I each has 30 minutes or 30 MB of free data, even without the "Free At Sea" WiFi promotions - it is automatically added & shown when checked-in online. We had a total of 60 MB or at least 60 free minutes, plus the 1 GB or 1,000 MB/250 plan - this seemed to be only true for the Breakaway.

 

For anyone considering the upgrade, you can use those "free" minutes and see if it worked for you, before you upgrade - deadline is 10 PM on Day 2, plenty of time for a "sea" trial. I had to ask the Internet Cafe manager to add Mrs. M's bonus/free 30 minutes/MB to my log-in credentials ... thus, we're able to share over 1,250+ minutes and 1,200+ MB among 6 devices (3 smartphones, 1 iPhone, 1 iPad and 1 laptop/notebook PC running Windows 10) ... one at a time, of course.

 

I've uploaded screenshots of our data usage, each time you log in and log off, the "Usage Meter" will display time on/connected, MB/data used and remaining ... time/date stamped to help keep track of what we've burned. Caution - somehow, the devices managed to stay connected after I logged off ... be careful & switch off WiFi when not needed, as that's the safest way to conserve ... by day 2 or 3, everyone and you should be familiar and comfortable with the usage pattern.

 

The URL to type in/bookmark for sign-ins are:

https: // digitalseas.io (without the extra spacing) - also for signing off. Previously, login.com and logoff.com worked ... not this time

 

The way that I approached our data allowance was to budget about 3 hours of usage per day ... 180 to 200 minutes, less when we're docked and/or in foreign ports, where we used our own cellular roaming data options ... probably going to cost us a big $5 USD from our carrier, Google's Project Fi, at mostly 4G/HSPA+ speed.

 

There is cellular roaming data coverage at GSC, if you get to stop there & tender ... move to the side closet to the island, as you can see the antenna tower in the middle of GSC, probably serving the nearby Berry Islands as well. I picked up its good signal from the ship's Outdoors & on our balcony, Deck 9 AFT, I was impressed. Also, ship's WiFi signal was beamed or relayed (via microwave antennas ?? with line-of-sights, I think) onto GSC ... a nice feature.

 

Keep in mind, that, I uploade a large quantity of HQ pictures & images using Tapatalk and also refreshed/reviewed it again whenever I posted - if you do less of that, your 1 GB data will last even longer - checking emails and basic web browsing are good on not burning data in big chunks. With Chome Browsers, I turned on Data Saver to cache & reduce usage ... uploads were pretty fast for a satellite connection (and, I'm spoiled by ultra-fast 125 MB business class servers by Google)

 

Even without the extra Platinum "free" MB minutes - you should expect to get about 2.5 hours or 150 minutes to use per day over 7 days ... land signals faded once at/beyond the VZ Bridge and likewise, switched back to land towers as we approach it on our return ... at Port Canaveral, the side of the ship nearest to the cruise terminal building are best.

[mking8288]

Welcome home MKing ... Interesting about the survey. We've never gotten one, not that it would really change anything.

Thank you, :D ;p :') Ha ha, you know that we really don't drink alcohol, Mrs. M will sip maybe 1/2 a glass of wine for dinner - how are you doing, booked anything coming up soon ... cruise-wise.

 

"Treatment" plan is to book and sail again soon on another cruise ... started to look even before we sailed, for 2018, she's out of vacation days this year. But, a member of the extended family member (not on the cruise & often do come along) has an acute medical diagnosis recently, and the bad news got worst on the evening of Day 2 while at sea, fortunately - we're able to stay in touch (always have Plan B & C ... texting worked !!) with the TNM staging update, so a bit reluctant to plan too far ahead at the moment ... crisis management plan in force now.

 

Isn't that very interesting about those random surveys, BIL/SIL also gotten them when we had our post-cruise chat yesterday as off-topic conversation about the other matters on hand. You are absolutely spot-on, very unlikely to effect the course/outcome ... but, will put our penny thoughts into it ... later this week, a matter of priorities at the moment.

[mking8288]

Review of some of the key elements of the cruise experience, as we see it ... (keep in mind, that, anyone sailing in Haven and/or have VIP services, above & beyond ... will and should have a different sets of benchmark to compare with/against)

 

Itinerary/Ports:

To us, this is a "milky" run that we've done quite a few times over the last 15 years, largely on NCL ships ... including then ... longer port time in Port Canaveral and the extra day stop in Miami (which NCL is doing again in 2018 doing 8 days, which is a good & welcoming move - just for a change, especially if they aligned it with those extended holiday weekends) vs. shorter time in Nassau. Unless, ship isn't able to tender at GSC (rumors - RCL is said to be building a dock at their private island, right next door)

 

Given the distance to be sailed between NY and Florida, there is no good reasons to arrive at PC at 12 noon + for a 1 PM docking ... making it a challenge to attempt an expensive bus run to "nearby" Orlando theme parks, with round trip travel time of 2.5 to 3 hours - and, a DIY or private excursion a risky one. Alternatives like KSC, air boat runs, etc. are better advised, but, pricey for families on a budget ... time to crack that piggy bank to pay for it. Coca Beach/Village - low cost/budget option, if you have never been there ... or, roll the dice and bet that the herds will run from the ship, vacate the pool deck area & hair hogs disappeared for a few hours, weather permitting.

 

We sailed last week with a limited # of children/teens, largely pre-schoolers and the lounger situation on deck, where the outdoor space were open & accessible, was not bad ... it was chilly on Day 6 and by Day 7, many retreated back indoors - not a problem. BTW, those oversea Chinese travelers are known to stay away from the sunny spots ... (I revealed later, where to find them instead)

 

We left PC 10 minutes earlier, all abroad time was 8 PM but some're late - not too bad as I don't recall hearing names being called out over the ship's PA system to contact Guest Services. That's a red flag that pier runners are coming, still not accounted for onboard & it's not a bad idea to leave those bad apples behind, along with their luggage ... (OK, not trying to be mean & cruel :evilsmile: )

 

GSC / NCL's private island - we sailed from FL at a pretty good speed in almost calm seas, with waves reported at 1 to 2 ft. and moderate wind, slowing down around 9 AM and spotting RCL's Enchantment of the Sea already there on my own binoculars was a good sign of feets hitting the rocky beach via the tender beach ... I still remember jumping off the Dawn on tender into the shallow beach for a few extra steps to reach dry land 14 years ago.

 

From a distance with binoculars, I can see that the lagoon is now largely the Haven "campground" for a day with the new/upgraded cabanas, still work in progress & a long walk ... with the tram services not being runned yet, we've learned. We're on GSC just this May via the Gem's stop and did not feel a strong urge to join others to run for land - there are cabanas close to the main beach and it's a shorter walk from the tender pier. I thought they are constructing zip lines on GSC, not a lighthouse or watchtower - well, it's not yet done either.

 

Platinum members, be sure to look for any written & detailed information about "current" procedures for "priority tendering" at GSC ... things might've changed since the last time you sailed this itinerary - ask at the CruiseNext/ShorEx Desk about it. Guest Services might not know ... for sure - checking the interactive stateroom TV to book/reserve a # group is not needed - this time, at least. Just show up at the gangway to go ashore, Deck 4 - Starboard AFT - show your Guest Key Card & join the line to board the next available tender. Of course, you could be subject to being cursed, yelled at and dirty looks from other fellow passengers, some of them - I heard, as we're not down there at all (decided to stay onboard, last minute) ... others cut the lines and joined up with their friends "together" and it was not nice. Whatever ... caution is advised.

 

Much to NOT being surprised, we found plenty of fellow pax staying on the ship, the pool deck was busy but not crowded, and choice of both sunny & shaded spots for loungers, go up to Deck 16 & you can claim multiple chairs as you wish.

 

Casino apparently kept their slot machines open for generous contributions while stopped at GSC ... table games were closed when we walked past Shanghai Noodles - smokers were in the "non-smoking" section and they were not even playing ... announcements made to remind them, actually saw a crew member nicely "telling" one person to move along. The smokey odor, yeah, was bad at times - anyone with respiratory conditions are advised to exercise caution & "divert" when possible. How difficult can it be to retrofitt and add an air filtration/exhaust system to vent and circulate fresh outside air, maybe a custom HEPA design that can address the concerns of the non-smokers. Mrs. M spend some time on the first 2 days playing there and largely decided to stay away ... we got our share of "complimentary" bottled water & beverages, alcohol isn't on our bucket list of freebies, no matter what.

 

There're plenty of open specialty dining spots at most places earlier in the week to choose from, we booked Le Bistro, dinner for 2 ... as we sailed away from GSC.

 

Nassau, Bahamas - after doing a series of donut and/or figure 8 loops for the short distance from/to GSC, we arrived very early, with the ship turned around to back into the middle berth ... only 2 ships scheduled - the Carnival ship coming in shortly after us (and, they also sailed or left earlier than us - around 5 PM, I think) Freestyle Dailies has a US DOS citizen's advisory about crime & safety tips for the Bahamas on page 1 ... interesting. Well, didn't stop us from flipping a coin to stay on the ship or head for the Straw Market entrance, beyond the checkpoint ... to find something to do and go some place.

 

Been to Atlantas resort too many times, destination is set on this run, Baha Mar - resort/casino/hotels ... west of the cruise terminal/piers - a quick 10 minutes taxi ride from Diamonds International & Del Sol - LOL, I meant, downtown's shopping district. Taxi fare is a flat $5 p/p one-way, same for coming back.

 

It was well worth our 90+ minutes un-escorted, self-directed walking tour this place on our own, exploring & taking pictures, checking out the largely empty casino with a handful of slot players & dozens and dozens of dealers & pit bosses, standing around, smiling & some saying hello ... plus, a very helpful & friendly, uniformed security officer to help us avoid "selfie" pictures, and snapping instead for us - expertly using 3 smart/iPhones ... thank you, if your supervisor is reading this.

 

Now, imagine getting a reasonably priced day pass, tee time on the golf course, maybe a "real" day cabin for 8 hours - packaged with a lunch one of their themed noodles bar or gourmet dining spots on our next visit to Nassau. This place is cool, nice & definitely has my personal seal of approval & endorsement stamp ... very good to excellent landscaping. Shoutout to a new friend we met, Mr. Hai L. managing 2 of the on-site restaurants for the Hyatt, that warmly greeted us and gave us an impromptu tour of a small part of the facilities connected to/part of the casino. Hello again, if & when you read this ... as promised and best wishes.

 

Now, here's a secret tip for those looking for free WiFi on a day trip off the NCL ship, Baha Mas has free on-site WiFi ... and it has very good speed, really. Our time was well spend exploring ... before we walk back out, thru the garden & water fountains, passing the fleet of sleek Benz SUV parked outside - and, we got into a taxi for an easy ride back toward our ship, for a late lunch.

 

As BIL/SIL had some difficulties with longer walking distance, we opted to take the "free" pier shuttle (air conditioned) from the terminal building back to our ship's berth ... driver was appreciative of the $1 tip per person we gave. Ambulance was parked on the pier and apparently, a fellow passenger was in need of medical care off the ship, as we walked those final few steps to the gangway - hopefully, they are covered by travel/medical insurance for whatever (please, do not ask for any details or particulars.)

 

We spend the rest of the afternoon chilling out on the ship, I had to attend to a # of extended family matters. Thankfully, we had great cellular roaming/data coverage via local provider/partner - logged into "BTC" for WiFi calls and online, to change airline & hotel bookings for post cruise as changes were needed for this Monday. It was easy to do sitting near our Deck 9 balcony facing the nearby Hilton - there is no way to find a solid, working WiFi signal from our location, paid or free, that I know of. BA's own (paid) WiFi remained on and very usable, if anyone is concerned about it and coverage is bow to stern, just about everywhere.

 

We headed downstairs to Moderno for our 5:30 reservations made/changed earlier in the week - for 5 of us, and as we sat down with our salad plate filled with nice starters, the ship began moving - 5 to 10 minutes ahead of scheduled 6 PM sailing time. Woohoo, everyone is onboard and no pier runners to wait for this time - excellent, so we headed out to sea, bound for New York.

 

Remaining areas/topics to be covered (and, to be continued):

Dining, Public Area, Cabins/Extras, Services/Details, Values for Money/Wow Factors, and, Issues/Concerns/Opportunities for a better cruise ...

[mking8288]

Post Cruise Review - Take #2 (continued - #2)

Dining:

For NCL's mega-ships like the BA, especially with the SDP & Free At Sea offers, etc. - it's a given that for best choice of time slots for popular days, to book and (if needed, prepaid for them ... unless it's an A La Carte dining options like Le Bistro or Cagney's, etc.) at 100 or 90 days out if already booked - otherwise, ASAP for late/last minute booking, etc. This system is fine & great for some, although not all the slots are released for advanced reservations - some are held, and I am sure set aside for magical access by the ship's concierge desk ... to please their upscale Haven/suite/VIP guests, etc.

 

Well, having sailed NCL since 2000 - like many, we've seen the trends and changes - and, we are less impressed these days with upcharge Specialty Dining in general, and find MDR meals to be okay, acceptable ... with the gallery serving 10,000+ meals daily (Platinum status, do the Behind The Scene tour at least once, to appreciate & see how things are done ... and the steps & escalators that the server teams (waiter/ress & assistants) must walk & take to get our meals, sides, and desserts, etc. - to appreciate how difficult it is for them, all day long.

 

On our last Gem cruise, we actually skipped both our complimentary Platinum meals, including the bottle of wine ... finding the MDR meals to be good enough, as we're traveling with others in different cabins, not really missing the "official" deal of 1 starter, 1 entree, and 1 dessert ... without further upcharge for "extras"

 

For the BA, we booked - in advance - Cagney, just for a change as Mrs M isn't a red meat person - and, also Le Bistro - as we have absolutely no interest and desire for Tappanyaki at all (20 minutes from us, real surf & turf with lobster tails for $30 p/p as a full dining package, locally ... need I say more) Well, I called in and cancelled, and released both about 10 days out. Once we got to Pier 88, logged into ship's WiFi & setup iConcierge access, while waiting to board ... found plenty of open time slots on almost all days - and booked LeBistro & this time, Moderno instead. Plans changed again due to show times & preference of our BIL/SIL - so I walked down to the Reservation Desk on Day 2 and requested more changes, moved LeBistro to Day 4 for just 2 of us and Day 5 for 5 of us ... easily done (and, it showed up online in the "Day Planner" on our interactive TV screen, as a reminder (if only it has an alarm function, LOL)

 

In other words, if you haven't book & wanted to do Specialty Dining, regardless of a package, comp'd meals or upcharge using OBC, etc. - don't panic or worry, odds are pretty good you can find a day/time to eat there ... Tappanyaki being the possible exception (hey, look - Google for a Benihana nearest you while in NYC (if coming from out of town) - trust me, it's better, for real. Our favorite joint in Queens has options for chicken, shrimp, salmon as alternative - walk ins are welcomed, if you don't mind waiting a bit.

 

Le Bistro, Mrs. M had the shrimp entree and I selected the beef tenderloin - came out as medium, very good as ordered. Shrimps were large but not really jumbo size, not really worth it, IMO - but, it was fine otherwise. We had an attentive & friendly server, she also worked the MDR earlier in the week - it was all good, almost forgot to bring our sodas (not included) in a tall glass ... for $2.99 + 18%, really. Her assistant was good too, took care of our dessert and coffee while she fetched our bottle of red wine, unopened as we wanted it for Moderno dining to share. As usual, I signed for the receipt & tipped cash directly for services ... we didn't rush our meal & enjoyed the evening, taking about 1.5 hour - would likely take more time if we had both soup & salad, plus starter ... and no longer get the "compliments of the chef" upon being seated ... the warm basket of bread, still free ... woohoo. :halo:

 

Next time on the mega ship, we will try again to go for Cagney - only with our certificate, however.

 

Moderno - that's the first time we've done this, and it's fun with 5 of us together, lasted about 2 hours, as the ship was about to sail from Nassau & head north for NYC. The upcharge, ours being free (or choice for La Cucina) for the other 3 guests - $25 p/p plus 18% is reasonable enough, given the variety and options, quality of meats offered and the salad bar - I absolutely loved salmon ... chilled smoked salmon was excellent, highly recommended. Caution to all but big eaters, do a sample and don't overstuff yourself, leave room for the parade of server with the flipping of the red/green card ... Mrs. M enjoyed the juicy chicken wrapped with bacon, and I like the lamb chops. Cocktail shrimps at the salad bar ... as good and as big as the ones served with the entree, the night before in Le Bistro. We had a fun and great time over our meal, and, they almost finished the bottle of red wine ... don't have to take the wine home.

 

MDR's - we ate meals in all 3 dining rooms, finding that we really like Taste & Savor better, for whatever reasons - it's less noisy, services in general are good, speed & pace are hit-n-miss ... it seemed when they forget something or missed an item, the assistant being the "runner" can dash away, disappear and come back within 5 minutes with it - so, everything is in the gallery, ready to be served - it's silly to sit there & play with our smartphone cameras while waiting in between ordering ... and getting our soup, salad or starter ... then, more waiting for the entree. We actually left in a hurry on Day 6 to catch Rock of Ages, right after waiting 20 minutes in between for the Entrees ... skipping coffee & dessert.

 

Some of the NCL newly hired, trainees and/or oversea interns onboard the BA seemed to be lost and in need of better coaching, mentoring and supervision ... and, learn & be instructed to smile, greet the guests in a warm manner, as they are supposed to (it wasn't happening to many of them, some are good & learning/adapting to the service "culture" at NCL ... hopefully, they all go home to their homebase with the experience ... I am trying to imagine cruising the "Joy" (not booking it, for sure, anytime soon - seriously, don't do it.)

 

Room Service/Breakfast - no comments/reviews - we never once tried, ordered or used it. We only ran into 1 delivery up & down our corridor all week long during the cruise ... in the middle of the day. It's far easier for us to go fetch something from the buffet in the late evening (before 11:30 PM) for a quick bite, if hungry ... instead. Our BIL/SIL on Deck 10 felt the same way as well, they also noticed some plates, cups & dishes left outside in the recessed hallways every now-and-then, but usually picked up & cleared so nothing to step upon in the early morning hours, as they are up & out at dawn ... unlike us, we sleep late.

 

O'Sheehan's - it's same menu & choices, fleet-wide and we ate there only once mid-week. Wings with sauce on side, nachos, sandwiches, etc. - services friendly, pretty fast and good comfort food, hot in temperature vs. "warm" for the MDR. Place is usually busy but seldom saw a long line for waiting.

 

Shanghai Noodles - open daily only for snacks, I meant, dinner time with "petite" serving portions, especially the noodle soups (order 3 or 4 bowls for a real adult-sized serving, not kidding at all ... NCL, are you reading this !!) if anyone really - seriously - are going there for supper. The dumplings are fine, everything else - get my (at best) passing grade, as edible, maybe just 1/2 click better than those served on the Gem (Orchid Garden) recently - well, at least the soup base/broth is good, generous use of sliced ginger & scallions (chopped green onions)

 

Suggestions for NCL, #1 - make it a stand-up noodles bar/counter, like Starbucks - that would keep the crowds moving along once they are done eating, and free up those "tall" chairs for others who want to eat something quick, cook to order ... next to the smokey casino. #2 - with the ultra limited menu choices, consider making it an integral part of O'Sheehan's and/or even part of the (paid) Room Service Menu for delivery - going back to the "Blue Lagoon" days on the Dawn class ships, where Wonton soup, along with other items, were complimentary choices.

 

Margaritaville - we went up there on Deck 16 for a late morning breakfast and coffee, just to check it out, as it was complimentary. The bar wasn't open yet and the place wasn't utilized (bring/wear a hoodie or something warm like a fleece jacket, it can be windy & chilly up there.) As for the paid deal, 12 noon to 4 PM, it was pretty sad - almost empty - hardly anyone ate there during our cruise, and, I checked it out twice during the week. Time to restore it and put it out of its misery - what a waste it is now.

 

Misc - our BIL/SIL spend a chunk of their time hanging out near the pool / outdoor deck during the week on the Gem, as they're doing outdoor BBQ in the afternoon ... NOT, none being sighted or reported by them during last week on the Breakaway, for whatever reasons. Don't know why or what's happened ... another cutback or is that out-of-season - changes again or coming soon, whatever - just an observation.

 

In general, if it is just 2, 3 or even 4 of you dining together in the MDR, except for busy weeks onboard like holidays & school breaks (and, with a fully soldout sailings) - as long as you can go eat at 5:30 PM in the MDR, advanced reservations aren't necessary, IMHO - just wing it, go there a few minutes early, join the queue and they should be able to seat you quickly (odds are that folks made multiple bookings & there are "no-shows") as long as you don't insist on a nice window table, etc. Or, go late - like 8:30 or even 9 PM - have something light in the buffet (if necessary - being hungry) before running to a show or whatever.

 

(to be continued)

[bob brown]

Great review!

 

I agree, Margaritaville should revert back to Uptown Grill....

perhaps when NCL's contract with Jimmy Buffet ends, it will...

I noticed the previous 'celebrity' contracts on the Breakaway have gone away...

The Rockette's....The Cake Boss Buddy Valasto's Carlo's....and Iron Chef Geoff Zakarian....all gone...as well as the Nickelodeon character's....

[princess_mom]

Thanks so much, mking, for the very understandable explanation of the best way to use the wifi! I will definitely follow your advice!