Live Breakaway Repo NYC-NO with crazy start

[Newleno]

Yes what a cluster that first "day" was.  So many rumors about times, I "heard" the muster was going to be in the afternoon on Sunday so I went to sleep, then I had to put my clothes back on and go to muster.  The terminal in nyc was horrific as well, communication etc...  No where to sit, people everywhere, upset, anxious, angry. 

 

We were walking to the pier and saw the  breakaway go by (not a good sign) not even docked at 8:30pm,  stood in line for over 4 hours, All in all a good cruise.  I thought the average age of people on board was well over 60 but others have their facts and state the average age was 48, hmm go figure could have fooled me.

 

NCL wanted to charge service charges for Oct 27 when we did not get on the ship until oct 28.

 

provisioning they literally ran out of salad.  Oh what great shrimp they had night after night in the buffet, big shrimp cooked many different ways, the best shrimp cruise I ever took

Edited November 14, 2018 by Newleno

[PelicanBill]

Disembarkation. We chose the last scheduled time because we had nowhere to be urgently - just a taxi to a hotel.  Gangway is level to ship which is nice.  No hills to climb up or down.  Long halls as at most ports and airports.  Escalator down required with your luggage, or wait for one elevator.  Claiming of luggage was a bit difficult.  We went to the area marked by a sign with our tag color, but many of us could not find our luggage.  It was 10 minutes later someone could tell us our color was split up and there was another area - around the corner.  Luggage found.

 

Now to find a porter.  Hmmm.  busy.  busy.  busy.  then nobody.  Someone went looking for one for us.  Nothing.  Decided to start moving even it's not easy with 2 weeks luggage.  Went through immigration faster than ever. Looked at our passports, looked at us, said welcome to New Orleans, and on we went. (No forms to fill out, no questions either!)

 

Turned a corner and found

 

madness and mayhem.  Crowds of people in a small space. People yelling instructions to go to door numbers 4, 3, 2, 1 depending on what transport you have - and yet nobody could move.  Then I saw why.  I had wondered about how this port would handle 2 large ships with a 2-lane service road.  The cars were not moving out there.  Not at all.  My theory formed quickly and was correct:  The vans, buses and taxies that needed to take us away could not get in.  Meanwhile, since we were the later people, we now have hundreds of arrivals for the next cruise.  Their cars are out there trying to drop off luggage.  Those people have to CROSS THROUGH those of us trying to leave in the same 15 foot wide 300 foot long hall.  They were getting in line with us thinking they needed to.  The officials did not know this and were unable to marshall the 5 or 6 different categories of people in a small space.  Many people jumped the line moving forward and cramming in at the front and people started getting hot and hostile.

 

Eventually, they got the taxi line organized down one side of the hall, the new cruisers down the other side, and others escorted through in small groups (airport, tours, etc.)

 

It took 2 hours 45 minutes to get a taxi.  I kid you not.  Standing all that time, carrying luggage, my wife on her cane.

 

Moral of the story:  If there are 2 large ships in port:  Get off early, before the crossover with arrivals begins.  If departing on a new cruise, arrive later, like 12:00, not in the 10-12 window that we experienced.

 

There is simply not enough "front door" space for departing and arriving people on 4 cruises.  With a 2 lane road.

 

 

[Newleno]

4 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

 

Eventually, they got the taxi line organized down one side of the hall, the new cruisers down the other side, and others escorted through in small groups (airport, tours, etc.)

 

It took 2 hours 45 minutes to get a taxi.  I kid you not.  Standing all that time, carrying luggage, my wife on her cane.

 

Moral of the story:  If there are 2 large ships in port:  Get off early, before the crossover with arrivals begins.  If departing on a new cruise, arrive later, like 12:00, not in the 10-12 window that we experienced.

 

There is simply not enough "front door" space for departing and arriving people on 4 cruises.  With a 2 lane road.

 

 

We are walk off passengers, we were surprised when about 7:15 am we hear DAN DAN say red tag walk off can get off, the ship has cleared, holy smokes we jammed out of there and literally made an earlier flight at 8:25am, saving 4 hours of our day.  So glad we did otherwise if we waited we might not have got a taxi and perhaps even would have missed our 12:20pm flight!  Wow

[PelicanBill]

Endnote: New Orleans

 

I've never been to New Orleans and my wife only for a business trip and never as a tourist.  So we were excited about our 2 days there.  We stayed at the Prince Conti, one of a few boutique hotels right in the French Quarter.  Loved it.  You will too if you like old style charm.  That means peeling paint and uneven floors and a long wait for the hot water to reach your faucet.  But for some of us that's wonderful.

 

We enjoyed the afternoon walking the French Quarter, getting lunch, and then riding the St. Charles streetcar to the river bend, and back to the Ponchetrain Hotel's rooftop bar to watch the ships sail.  We watched Carnival Dream but gave up on Breakway, late again! (sailed after 6, was supposed to be 4?  or 5?)

 

Headed back to the French Quarter and chose a seafood restaurant.  Dining with 2 others from our cruise, we enjoyed dinner, and then:  My wife and I both started getting fraud alert text messages from our bank and credit card companies. 

 

And her purse was gone.  

 

It had been at our feet between us.  Someone scooped it from under our noses. It was caught on the security video.  But her cards, driver's license, and both our passports were gone.  We waited 2 hours for the police, who did not show.  Went back to our hotel to make all the necessary calls.  The police called us back and send someone at 11pm and we filed our report.

The next day I convinced my wife to still go on the 3 hour tour I had booked.  It was very enjoyable and made her feel better about New Orleans.  I called the airport TSA and learned what we had to do with no ID for her (Just show up an extra hour early, they open at 4:30am.)  The tour dropped us at the other end of the French Quarter and loaned us an umbrella so we could walk back at our leisure and find stores and see the sights.  We had Po' Boys for lunch.  She rested and I went to the Three Legged Dog, a local bar, for a couple of drinks and had fun talking to transplant/locals. I have a three legged dog so this was a required stop for me.  Then we went to dinner for a second time with our friends, this time with no thefts!  My wife headed in and I stayed out for a while listening to music and taking in the scene.. somewhat suppressed due to the rain and cold.

 

The next morning we got up at 4:00, arrived at the airport at 5:15, checked in, and headed to the checkpoint. On arriving the identity check announced our special need and set aside to wait.  Several people came to talk to us.  After a half hour they took her away (Yes we were separated, be prepared for that, I knew it would happen.)  I went through security as I had my driver's license still and waited.  They looked her up in the secret databases and quizzed her until satisfied.  A half hour later she was clear and through security.  With plenty of time until the 7:30 flight.  Phew.

[PelicanBill]

That's all folks!

But other questions are welcome.

Time to start planning my next cruise!

[Newleno]

4 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

 

 

Headed back to the French Quarter and chose a seafood restaurant.  Dining with 2 others from our cruise, we enjoyed dinner, and then:  My wife and I both started getting fraud alert text messages from our bank and credit card companies. 

 

And her purse was gone.  

 

It had been at our feet between us.  Someone scooped it from under our noses. It was caught on the security video.  But her cards, driver's license, and both our passports were gone.  We waited 2 hours for the police, who did not show.  Went back to our hotel to make all the necessary calls.  The police called us back and send someone at 11pm and we filed our report.

 

So sorry this happened to you guys, sounds like you made the best of it, I would have been crushed

[PelicanBill]

10 minutes ago, Newleno said:

So sorry this happened to you guys, sounds like you made the best of it, I would have been crushed

 

Thanks.  One nice thing is that given this was a one way to New Orleans, and we were in touch with hundreds of people on the cruise who lived here, or were also staying here, we had lots of people willing and able to help us if we needed it!  Lots of love to all those people who responded while I was there.

[sunshine55]

1 hour ago, PelicanBill said:

That's all folks!

But other questions are welcome.

Time to start planning my next cruise!

 

 

Wow!!  You two have had some eventful cruise!!  Sorry to hear of the theft but at least you are home safe.   Sounds like you had a good time.  Hope to see you on a cruise.

 

Linda

[BabsinTX]

Bill, we talked to a NOLA native while waiting for our Uber (a little over an hour, with one driver cancelling on us).  He said if you can manage your luggage, you can walk up Julia Street to Convention Center Blvd since it's easier to catch a ride in front of the convention center.  From now on I'll do better research beforehand.  He also said that they're building a new terminal and/or expanding the old one.  Disney and Royal Caribbean are coming to NOLA and will need space.

 

I thought the captain and Dan-Dan (CD) missed an opportunity by not acknowledging the problems with embarkation.  Yes, we got a refund, but I would have expected the captain to make an announcement about it, and thank the passengers and the crew for making the best of a bad situation.  And certainly the muster drill announcement should have said something about it.

 

Don't know where your muster station was, but ours was the Manhattan Room, which was still serving dinner when the muster drill was announced.  We got there before many of the muster crew members, and waiters were still delivering meals.  Perfect example of bad communications between the powers that be and the crew. 

 

I wasn't impressed with Vuk.  The TVs on the gym equipment didn't work, so I contacted the concierge, Guest Services, and wrote a "note to Vuk" during the first week.  I get it if they can't be fixed, but seems like someone would have replied to me.  Sigh.

 

We LOVED Syd Norman's Pour House.  The band was great!  We also enjoyed the Queen cover band and the Rock of Ages singers when they performed in the Pour House.  I agree that the seating is bad, and we had folks standing in front of us for a while (picture steam coming out of my ears).

 

Sorry to say this, but Rock of Ages itself didn't do much for me.

 

Did you try the Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy (??).  Loved it too, and the steak was much better than the one I had at Cagney's.

 

Bill, I wish you were on all my cruises!  Thanks for all the documents and weather alerts, plus the embarkation day postings in various places online.  Those were a real lifeline!

[PelicanBill]

19 hours ago, BabsinTX said:

Bill, we talked to a NOLA native while waiting for our Uber (a little over an hour, with one driver cancelling on us).  He said if you can manage your luggage, you can walk up Julia Street to Convention Center Blvd since it's easier to catch a ride in front of the convention center.  From now on I'll do better research beforehand.  He also said that they're building a new terminal and/or expanding the old one.  Disney and Royal Caribbean are coming to NOLA and will need space.

 

I thought the captain and Dan-Dan (CD) missed an opportunity by not acknowledging the problems with embarkation.  Yes, we got a refund, but I would have expected the captain to make an announcement about it, and thank the passengers and the crew for making the best of a bad situation.  And certainly the muster drill announcement should have said something about it.

 

Don't know where your muster station was, but ours was the Manhattan Room, which was still serving dinner when the muster drill was announced.  We got there before many of the muster crew members, and waiters were still delivering meals.  Perfect example of bad communications between the powers that be and the crew. 

 

I wasn't impressed with Vuk.  The TVs on the gym equipment didn't work, so I contacted the concierge, Guest Services, and wrote a "note to Vuk" during the first week.  I get it if they can't be fixed, but seems like someone would have replied to me.  Sigh.

 

We LOVED Syd Norman's Pour House.  The band was great!  We also enjoyed the Queen cover band and the Rock of Ages singers when they performed in the Pour House.  I agree that the seating is bad, and we had folks standing in front of us for a while (picture steam coming out of my ears).

 

Sorry to say this, but Rock of Ages itself didn't do much for me.

 

Did you try the Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy (??).  Loved it too, and the steak was much better than the one I had at Cagney's.

 

Bill, I wish you were on all my cruises!  Thanks for all the documents and weather alerts, plus the embarkation day postings in various places online.  Those were a real lifeline!

oh gosh thanks for your vote of support.

I sure agree with your comments!  Going up Julia Street can be difficult with 2 weeks luggage and my wife needing a cane to walk. And not clear that Taxis will be waiting up there... or that there will be enough Ubers to get one (I waited a LONG time in NYC twice even though the map showed dozens nearby... all busy I guess.)  We have never done Cirque because it's a waste of a meal to me. I want a show without the meal. I don't care for the one meal fits all approach.   Hope to see you again on a future cruise!

Edited November 19, 2018 by PelicanBill