Semi-limited Live: Escape to W. Caribbean 14 days Jan 6, 2019

[mking8288]

Reflections, brief narrative of how 15 days came & gone in a hurry, quick summary & closing thoughts, comments & tips, etc.  (time to wrap this up, more or less - been a busy week since coming back - home & on land)

 

This was one of our longer cruises, something that we always wanted to do but until now, out of the questions as DW & I got different career paths - her vacation plans difficult to secure, despite seniority, etc.  First time sailing in January (or December) in early/mid-winter out of the Northeast & exposure to blizzard - plus the # of distant ports, not flying but - meant not going to self-insure ... better get ourself covered for surprised (Norovirus & SARS / bird flu, etc. - those, we "can" deal with; walked around with our own N95 masks, LOL)

 

T minus 1 week + ... watching inventory of unsold cabins, had a good feeling about our odds of success for some kind of upgrade, bids accepted (worst case, get a run-of-the-mill oceanview, Deck 5 was fine (quiet, except some nightly theater "gears" being moved) but don't mind a Fwd OV on one of the higher deck.  DW is well-conditioned for rough seas, if run into another ... low odds for a Nor-Easter this time on the way south.  Apparently, only 1 or 2 fellow CC'er reported a successful upgrade thus far - everyone else, holding & wait - given the odds, highly unlikely to score a Spa cabin.  A plain, no-frills balcony on the lowest deck (#8 ??) Fwd would suffice & Mrs. M would be happy - for 14 days - in short sleeves, not fleece jacket or down parka. 

 

Forget the cruise for a day, brought a new car as our own Christmas gift, checked email & online after late breakfast, then off to the dealer to finish up the paperwork, hand over a bank check & take possession of 2 sets of keys, orientation &  a few spins before heading home after a "winning" luncheon - a happy day.  Gifted the "old" Honda AWD to our dearest nephew instead of trading/selling it, paperwork for the title transfer to be done before we leave, life is busy even when we aren't at work.

 

Bingo - double win.  By the time we got home & looked, woohoo, 2 of our bids had expired ... OMG, the "balcony" offer was processing - happy happy, let's do the dance, shall we.   Deck 13 Mid/Fwd, Portside - a "BB" cabin that sleep 4, non-connecting & nothing above or below us in terms of lousy noises (except our neighbors & the "thin" walls ... more on it later)  OK, calm down - print out eDocs, eLuggage tags & do the rest before we leave.  Nephew is off that Sunday, great - instead of going to JFK for work (airport,) his task is to drop us off at Pier 88 at 10 a.m. (federal partial shutdown hasn't hit TSA or CBP in the area yet) ... cancel that Carmel (car service) booked 2 weeks earlier. 

 

Day 1 - let's Go ...  Most of the bags loaded, ship already at MCT early, let's roll.  Waze/Google Nav took us over Ed Koch/59th Bridge across Queens, crossing Central Park & down West End Ave to the pier and, actually, it worked nicely without delays or traffic.  As soon as bags hit the curb, we looked for a porter & handed money & bags over.  Went inside - already somewhat busy (red eye buses ??) but surprisingly, virtually no lines in front of security - thru in less than 5 minutes.  Asked, directed to back of the building for Platinum check-in, passed the designated seating/waiting lounge (next to Special Needs area.) ... Realized some pax were still coming off the ship @ 10:15, apparently, maybe they didn't want to leave but, anyway - announcement made around 10:45 that boarding isn't ready, but soon.  Except, Haven escort happening already while watching the new vendor section across from us, selling souvenirs & tourist items to passengers (in-transit/passing thru NY area ?? that's a new one, never seen that before at Pier 88).  

 

Got the NCL_Escape WiFi connected and a quick check about dining options & availability, plentiful & looking good.  Not in a rush to lock down everything, without a fresh/new "Freestyle Daily" in hands to see what's happening later that day.  OK, we can wait & do it later ... Special Needs started boarding & that's our turn is next (Casino At Seas usually followed us, didn't notice a big crowd.)  Guess what, we're stranded n the back of Zone 1-3 behind a few boarding pax with ID/photo issues, but still managed to step off the Fwd gangway by 11:15 a.m. - cabins not ready yet.  Luckily, not dragging 25" spinners & rollerboards as "carry-on" - strolled toward MID ship via the crew-only passage into Deck 7's casino area, then made our way down to Savor - MDR.  They acutally started seating early boarding passengers for lunch at 11:30+, didn't have to hangout til noon somewhere - got a  window view table for 2, fuel barge still port-side.  Let's see, same old "menu" again - order our "usuals" - sit back, relax & let them serve us (poor souls herded to the buffet lines, no thanks.)  

 

Cabins officially ready after 1:30 pm on this nice, sunny & beautiful Sunday, got to our room - slide open the balcony door & did a quick "check" that most things worked.  A few items missing but came later as they're apparently rushing to get ready ??   Unpacked toiletries & few hand-carried items, meds & other "must" have for any trip ... time for a quick & short nap; then, find our Muster Station ("walk" down to "main" theater, elevators were jammed & hijacked by everyone else already at 2:15 p.m.)  Deck 13 to 7 wasn't bad on stairmasters. 

 

Our 2nd. time on the Escape, just disembarked 2 months ago, meant that we're pretty comfortable with the ship, layout, programs and what to expect/or not ... just about everything meet/exceeded our easy-to-please wish lists, including a good upgrade at very reasonable bidding costs to a mid/fwd regular balcony, bed by the window & I sleep next to the ocean.  It wasn't a "perfect" cruise but we always tried to roll with it. 

 

Last time, we failed on our balcony/spa bid but got an oversized oceanview (see last review) on deck 5, and, this time - wow, the balcony cabin seemed too small for 2 of us (spoiled then with all that extra "accessible" spaces, like a regular, full-size hotel room - a studio suite on land but "jumbo" on NCL ships, plus a real chair) ... By day 2 or 3, we settled in for a comfortable two weeks, ordered "free" room service "lite" breakfast twice for sea days, just to sleep in.  That is part of the joy of being on vacation, no matter how bad the weather was/is and other things not being "perfect" - earth isn't round nor life being "equal" and "fair & just".  

 

Our "young" Room Steward warmly greeted us on Day 1, he was busy & apparently, our cabin at the far end of his assignment - thus, either get to us first or last, depending on ... and on request, would take care of us. We usually tipped a little extra, did that twice this time (instead of doing at the end only) as it was 2 weeks, going out of his way to do a little extra for us.  Watching him & others scrubbing & cleaning with bleach & other chemicals due to the Noro "alarms" - not wearing a mask (gloves were on) - one can appreciate how hard they try to please & meet (exceed) expectations.  

 

Our stateroom, a regular balcony that sleep up to 4, the upper pullman recessed into the ceiling & the sofa is a convertible foam bed, I believe it's flipped over when they made up with bedding & sheets, pretty firm for my size & weight, LOL.  The everyday fabric cover for seating, got a few spots of obvious wear-n-tear, to be expected, been cleaned for stain marks, etc. Everything in the cabin worked, 2 USB ports at bedside, next to the switch for the LED lamps - charging output was good, probably 2 amp or 2.1 amp, good for overnight charging.  

 

Tips: to sit & relax on the balcony, I recommend bringing a good usb 3.0 extension of 10' or 12' long, plus your regular 1m/3 ft. OEM cable, that would be good to sit out there & chill out ...  CPAP users, bring a 15' extension cord, there are no outlets next to the bed, I checked for one with a flashlight. 

 

Mini-refrigerator (emptied by Day 2) - turned the adjustable temperature dial (back inside wall panel) so that beverages stay colder.  It is still too small for the typical buffet plates, the rectangular covered ones used for the complimentary goodies are better if you wish to keep anything there for more than a few hours.  It works otherwise for juices, assorted bottled water & several cans of ginger ale by Pepsi (hate the fountain ones).  Platinum/+ members now get a larger bottle of water, but they are a pain to try to refill.  As usual, we have our own (clean/washed) refillable ones to go raid the filling stations when needed.  

 

These balcony are bigger than the ones on the Breakaway, room for 2 chairs & small table, maybe room for 1 lounger plus 2 chairs max ... 3 adults can enjoy the sun & sea breeze; but 4 would be too crowded.  The railing is high & nobody go over those, IMO, accidentally unless they are ... There is a hose hookup out there for RS to spray & clean, doors to adjourning balconies are locked with a special key - didn't see anyone in our area left open.  Never smelled cigarette odor outside from smoking (port side) - we had wonderful & perfect weather for 5 out 6 sea days, the last day coming back was chilly ... otherwise, a fleece jacket in the evening or early morning would suffice, for me to sit out there.

Edited January 29, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

(Continued with post above - summary)

 

Sailaway - planned for 4 p.m. but we're still sitting still, not moving. Everything appeared ready & outside the terminal, all is quiet - what are waiting for.  The backing up was smooth as unless you are looking out, barely felt the ship moving sideway and/or turning, and it was a golden sunset down the Hudson as we head toward the Statue of Liberty & VZB, out to sea ... 2 of our 3 bags had arrived by now & unpacked, DW didn't feel like going upstairs for the pana-view, still a bit chilly but not freezing cold.  Portside view from the balcony, looking pretty good & let me try to upload a few items ... can't be "Semi-Limited Live" if barely anything useful is being posted until we get to PC on Tuesday, take advantage of Google Fi & T-Mobile celluar data while I can.  

 

Dining, Savor @ 6:30 p.m. and by then, doing 21+ knots off the coast of NJ ... despite the darkness, still seeing the shorelines but land signal faded for a while.  Freestyle - what to do evening #1, let's just wing it.  Wait, it's been so smooth, supposed to be possibly choppy when we leave the NY waters but barely feel the ship moving and we're going like 20+ knots, but DW took a Bonine just in case.  

 

Day 2 - full sea day, on the move averaging 20 knots, we're in almost short sleeve weather by afternoon in the Carolinas.  CC's Meet & Mingle jammed packed full at District Brew House at noon, don't know if Arzeena (excellent work coordinating with help from some of us) got an official headcount for the signed attendance, it was standing room only for anyone that didn't come early ... and door prizes given away.  

 

The Atlantic was calm, nearly flat with 2' seas, almost no waves to be seen along our planned route - overnight, it felt like we're docked & not moving at all, that's how smooth it was.  We overheard two (2) Code Alpha over the ship's PA on the first 3 days, missed at least one other announced ... could've been others ... given this sailing's demographics, generally an older crowd, not surprised at all. Being on Deck 13 Fwd, near the Medical Center, we've seen foot traffic for clinic visits during posted hours.  

 

Day 3 - Room Services ordered for a light breakfast ... checking the onboard data on Channel 21, looked like an early/on-time arrival for Florida.  Pilot boat met the Escape port side & we're on our way into the channel by noon, slowly & docked before 1 pm - somehow, clearing the ship was slower but didn't see a big exodus for the gangway as we watched doing our lunch.  Didn't see lots of buses or motor coaches lined up either, and they didn't start leaving until 1:30 pm or later ... 

 

Debated on whether to go ashore or not, perhaps take a quick shuttle to Cocoa Village or Coca Beach (again ? what, again ?) and voted no to either, hanged out on the balcony & fired up the Sony Viao, catch up on things ... Youtube streaming using T-Mobile is fast & good, no data caps on our account.  Booked LeBistro @ 6:15 pm - time to change & see

 

Both of us really didn't plan to do a whole lot at some ports, been to Port Canaveral way too many times & stop counting, stayed on the ship & joined a rather large crowd ... only saw 2 or 3 buses coming back late, after 8 p.m. - most likely from trips into theme parks and/or downtown Orlando, etc. By the time we sailed from PC, knowing the forecast - I pretty much betted that we'll most likely going to miss/skip GSC, that's a bad average for us - wouldn't minding stopping there & priority tender ashore, to look around & see what's going on with the Haven area on the far end (we've been there twice over the last 5 years or so, going to miss the privacy & peacefulness there)  

 

Day 4, rise-n-shine.  It wasn't meant to be, happy to get there around 8:30 in the morning, seeing us coming to a full stop & the RCL ship off to our side already there ... but, no tendering yet (oh, no.)  At that point, told DH not to rush - ain't going to the secret assembly point to dodge the crowd and next, the other ship began leaving the area & looking around our ship, absolutely nothing happening at all - usually, the tender boats are waiting nearby, if not already loading supplies.  

 

Captain came on PA system to confirm & explain, safety first ... followed by the voices of Alvin, the CD (met him when he was AD on the Breakway, where Shawn, the CruiseNext manager was also working then) saying, blah blah blah.  Well, 2 full days at sea - it is and we aren't going to be miserable or complain at all.  Besides, I still got to take some time to plan/map out the CruiseCritic Cabin Crawl, scheduled for the following day as I volunteered to help Arzeena to put it together.  

 

Staying - mostly, somehow, connected - tracking our metered "free" satellite WiFi minutes, needing to decide by 10 PM of Day 4 of whether I wanted to "pay" extra to get the unlimited package ... not really, everything back home is fine - VoIP called into extended family, no critical matters or emergencies to stay in touch, hopefully, while we are off the radar [actually, they can - SMS/text me on the special overseas # that roam on AT&T and partner networks, just no web/data access (expensive) & calls if needed, will be about $3 a minute to reach us; hangup & call back on a different line, that's Plan C.2]  Yes, we got 3 smartphones, 1 with dual Sims and an iPhone SE, iPad mini (4G/LTE on T-Mobile) and Fire HD 8 tablet w. Android Play Store & 64GB storage (lots of videos loaded) - and, Sony Viao travel notebook (Windows 10Pro & dual.boot Linux Mint) w. HDMI & WiFi hotspot. 

 

Day 5, wow.  It is a Thursday (on a typical 7 days, DW would begin to protest ... not this time) we skipped MDR breakfast, went downstairs to O'Sheehan's as it's a short & quck elevator ride for us, just a short wait to get seated & less than 15 minutes, a pretty hot, full breakfast served ... as good as those as Denny's & iHOP, or local diner.  What is there to say, enjoy.  We walked down one deck to see what's going in the atrium in terms of demonstration, then, headed over to check out the CC Slot Pull, aleady underway - a big crowd gathered, same spot where 2 months ago, we played 3 round of Slot Pull with a blast with my backhanded spins ... didn't win but lots of fun then.  Watching Charlie & company with the clipboard and the cheering, that's what it's all about - a # of folks approached & asked about the Cabin Crawl later.  Oh, good - that means, we won't be just seeing our own cabins & should have fun, especially with the stops at Haven, planned & ready. Before we realized, it was noon & so a few of us headed over to Taste, walked down the spiral staircase to Deck 6 & waited a bit, to chat over informal lunch ... killing time, before the "round-up" of folks outside the Art Gallery for the kickoff to see the suites & cabins, etc. DW is on her own, somewhere on the ship, not lost ... possibly heading over to feed the slots (again, maybe not - they're tight as hell, just like a few weeks ago: lousy odds.)  

 

Time flies & we are cutting thru the Carribean waters to Jamaica, docking tomorrow - had to check & step out onto the balcony, feel the warm breeze to make sure we are moving at speed, not anchored somewhere, barely feel movement ... high on Deck 13.  Laundry piling up, didn't want to "compete" with the ship-wide "Stuff-a-Bag $19.95 Specials" so we are going to wait until the next day to send our freebie out to get them washed.  

 

Day 6: Orcho Rios, early pre-dawn Friday arrival, beautiful sunrise & pickup a solid, good DigiCel signal (thank you, Google Fi.)  Early birds hit the concrete pier early as we head downstairs for breakfast.  Our plan, do a simple local tour and/or walk around - not impressed with ship's shorex offers and prices.  Worst case, we "retreat" back & stay on the ship - George Town has more things to offer.  

 

To make a long story short, we did a 2 hour private taxi drive-by tour, for about 2/3 of what NCL would've charged us for an intro/shopping tour ... about what we expected.  Back on the ship for a late lunch, hangout on the balcony & made some "free" WiFi (VoIP) calls back home, posting on CC and social media shared among extended family & friends only.  After dinner - our fresh & clean laundry were waiting for us in the room, neatly folded on a basket ... and, more chocolate treats.  

 

We booked dining time mostly for 6:30 p.m. to catch some pretty sunset & sailway pictures on the balcony, sometimes, around the Waterfront - then, quickly transitioned to head for the MDR ... seen the "big" shows recently & except for The Brat Pack,  the rest aren't on our short list.  

 

Day 7: George Town, a tender port - beautiful predawn Saturday arrival on another picture perfect morning, as smartphone came to life with 4G/LTE signal again, yay !!  By the end of the day, we would be half-way thru our cruise ... yet, with 3 port stops ahead, stop thinking the 3 sea days coming back to NY & what's this weather alert about storms next week, hell "no" - too early to worry about it.  

 

Meanwhile, something else, apparently "brewing" & unknown to most of the passengers yet ... the fear Norovirus, quietly "spreading" among a few guests (and, crew members) on the Escape.  It helped to explain, we're not getting the towel animals later in the cruise (not a big deal, really) or no more iced filled in the bucket for us.  

Edited January 29, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

(continued - summary/wrap up)

 

Day 7 ... Cayman Islands.  Tendering was pretty smooth as we didn't join the mad rush nor used priority to go ashore.  Getting onto the smaller double-decker boat & off took up most of the time, an easy 5 minute ride to the pier and 2 gangways used ... similar to GSC for those that've been there.  

 

It's a good thing we didn't booked any NCL shorex (those $50 OBC not exactly ... ) local vendors & VIC with maps, etc. and posted tours w. prices, easy to arrange.  DW liked this place & others on our mini bus (air-conditioned) were talking about coming back on their own, seeing the contrast vs. Ocho Rios yesterday.  We got to be driven around, went to "Hell" and back, stops at places for photos, just like being on a ship tour, for a lot less (see photos uploaded earlier) and got back to the pier with plenty of time to spare, no chance of missing the all-abroad time ... only 2 pax asked about shopping near the terminal, nobody else wanted to get drop off at the stores (DI was right there, cannot possibly miss them "NCL" partners)   Driver also explained different options for getting back & prices for the local buses ... if anyone wanted to stop at KFC or Pizza Hut (apparently, popular on the islands ... LOL)

 

We raided O'Sheehan's again, this time for a quick & hot lunch (late) of soup, salad & sandwiches ... with a short wait, not too bad - as we would NOT head up to the crowded buffet, often jammed with folks around meal time, which pretty much run all morning-day-evening long, especially on sea days ... a few folks licking & eating off their plates, walking from station to station, and, yes, some cutting the lines (the design/layout didn't help either, IMHO) but this time around, the water/beverage station wasn't as messy.  Well, can't speak "evil" dirty if we didn't hang around long enough - for our entire 14 days, only ate there 2 or 3X, for breakfast & lunch ... never for the "themed" dinner & its specials (did see the generous availability of shrimp & other items on Seafood Night, impressed.)

 

We sat on our balcony, watching the sailaway & took in another beautiful sunset as we head for Harvest Caye, and, had a good & usable cellular signal from the island's towers for nearly an hour, before we changed & gone downstairs for dinner. 

 

Day 8, Sunday - another beautiful Sea Day, waves of 5 ft. or less, light wind & temp's in the 80's - sunny.  The Latitude reception for Plantinum/Plus & others were scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon and "due to the large # presence" on the sailing, moved to the Supper Club ... although, the place wasn't jammed pack full.  There're also 6 or 7 "Ambassadors" onboard, the highest with 900 points and as usual, servers offering drinks ... but, fewer variety of finger goodies (not as nice as before, IMHO - just little cubes of cheese, hints of cutting back, again) 

 

The Rat Pack was the only show we booked on this sailing, saw both After Midnight & this before, DW only wanted to see one.  We did see folks waking out (not exactly a PG-rated one) early & in the middle, toward the end - no worst than the shows on the Breakaway.  Not sure if others on this cruise noticed it, mini-TVs inside the elevators were airing the "COM" thoroughout, each & every time we rode it - kind of strange & unusual.  Turned out, for good reasons, Pack is gone & replaced by COM in the main theater.  The rest of the "shows" were mainly/mostly different comedy & performers, not our cup of tea but with plenty to do, or doing nothing at all - not a problem for us.  

 

Fwd '"main" lobby, atrium has something going on, morning to night - often jammed pack, even with extra portable chairs unfolded & set out, standing room only and, yes - noisy & loud.  Not terrible but a popular gathering place for the "regulars" - "Golden Octave" seemed to attract many to listen to his vocals & music; and, it's free. 

 

To catch the early show (7:30 p.m. I think) - we went to the MDR early for our booked time - service was prompt & friendly, and we're done in less than 90 minutes, as usual.  Checking the iTV screen and on the NCL App, there were still good availability for the remaining shows, being a 14 nights cruise - just not in a mood to go stand in lines to get into the other ones.  Of course, lots of extra/paid shows in the Supper Club ... none of which appealed to us.  

 

Later that night, I went up to the buffet to get some fruits & flavored Mango water, and noticed some changes - among them, salt & pepper shakers gone ... utensils & napkins disappeared & crew handing clean plates out, and cleaning patrol with the buckets & spray bottles.   Hmmm, something is up tonight - forgot whether the standalone Hand Sanitizer dispensers were out by the elevator, while walking back to the room - it was most definitely out, the following morning - everywhere & shipwide (since we're near the Medical Center by the elevators, perhaps ... and that place seemed busy, whenever we walked by - during posted clinic hours)

 

Got three (3) more stops on this trip - became clear over the next 24 hours that precautions are a must, as a full-scale "Outbreak Response Plan" is rolling out, per the Captain & CD's announcement, and via a letter (written in English only) distributed to all staterooms or cabins, giving official notifications to all guests that ... 

 

Washy Washy time, seriously - soap & running water.  Got a 4 oz. bottle of Purell that we always pack along, in our checked luggage - but, they got them out everywhere.  Just common sense & being more cautious, it's not going to ruin the rest of our cruise ... it explained then, some of the subtle observations earlier, maybe. (Later, printed single-use menus, ice buckets not refilled, etc.)   Being "connected" during the cruise has an advantage ... following breaking news, getting some of the "feeds" on Google News while checking email or posting quick ones on CC (which, actually, was acting up again that weekend, again ... not cool)   That's when I posted a standalone one to CC and also went to Tweeter, just in case, to get the words out ... knowing some were following & coming onboard as we disembark.  

 

As I am writing up some of my final thoughts, reading about another outbreak alert on the Pearl ... yike, these things do happen, more often than we realized or sometimes, missed.  Been visiting - post cruise - a place near us here at home, where another floor unit has been closed to visitors and under quarantine.  

 

Day 9 - Harvest Caye on a great Monday morning, another pre-dawn arrival with the ship making excellent time, ahead of schedule - our first time since it opened.  Smaller & different than GSC, no tendering involved.  A long, covered pier walkway and available golf carts to help transfer passengers with special needs ... instead of making a 1/4 mile trip on foot to the "entrance".  Overall, lots more to do and see compared to GSC - many ways to get one to spend money (cash) and the pool area looked great ... hundreds of loungers and vented clam shells for rent (those can be charged to one's OnBoard account, but not for food & drinks or souvenirs, etc.)  The cabanas, from a distance, seemed "tightly" packed together & crowded just behind the loungers.  Regardless, we can see many reasons why folks like this a lot more than GSC ... and the ziplines, water sports, or the option to ferry to the mainland, etc.  

 

We were getting pretty comfortable with our routine, sit-back on the balcony, watch the all-abroad & push back from the pier, enjoy the sunset as we sail into the evening; and, then go to dinner.  Just like all the other port stops, we had a very good 4G/LTE cellular signal all day long ... don't need to worry about free/paid WiFi or satellite coverage, life is pretty good for us.  DW made some cheap & quick calls home - earlier in the week - to check in on our dearest SIL, just 20 cents a minute - other VoIP/WiFi calls were free.  

 

Day 10 - Costa Maya, Mexico - our 2nd. to the last/final stop on this cruise on a Tuesday.  Forecast, not looking good, despite what it said on the Freestyle Daily.  Sure enough, Plan B.1 - we are going to stay on the ship until, and, then decide if we wanted to get off for a while & do something.  With "MoviStar" showing on the smartphone, we knew our cellular coverage is going to be free & excellent over the next 2 days, until we leave the piers - Mrs. M isn't going to complain or mind one bit, already sitting on the balcony over coffee & pastries.  

 

As it turned out, showered and/or rained off & on, repeat ... decided to call off any plans, stayed onboard & enjoy the services of the ship.  Turned on the Sony Viao NB & watched a downloaded concert video downloaded ahead, casted to the HDTV (Sole) using HDMI in the afternoon ... PPV movies, no thanks (prices went up).   

 

Don't recall the sun ever coming out ... anyway, it wasn't a pretty sailaway leaving the pier, but one cannot be too demanding (still got some "cool" pictures while docked at the pier)  

 

Cozumel is next & our last stop before heading back to NY, and, as long as Norovirus not getting worst on the ship - looked like we will not be faced with a shortened cruise and/or returning home a day early ... and, I don't always trust "extended" weather forecast at 5 days out.  We can deal with bone chilling & cold weather, nobody welcomed a massive blizzard and it's not going to happen to us, fingers crossed.  Let's just do something tomorrow once we docked - it's supposed to be a very busy port with 7 ships scheduled there.  

[Arzeena]

WOW! Love reading and reliving this cruise!

 

 

[dexddd]

Not sure if you saw it, but it sounds like MSC isn't matching as high as it was on NCL anymore.

 

That being said, they do give you 5% discount on booking plus another 5% if military or civil servant which is nice and not something NCL does.

[dexddd]

MKing - you've made rock star status!  CC has your trip pictures as an album featured on the right side of the page.  How will Mrs. M. feel about being married to a rock star?

[mking8288]

@Arzeena and @dexddd - DW and I are also looking at Asia routes this Fall, including Princess.  AR - got the email, thanks !!  So much to see, do and can't possibly to it all, not at once.  Going to get started on the match, downloaded the info.  Now, steering back on course, on the final days of this cruise, thoughts & comments, and, personal & subjective critics ("subjective" & biased in nature)

 

Day 11 - Cozumel ... as usual, subtle beeps & dings on the smartphone is a sure indication of pending port arrival ... as first timer sailing into this coastal city, it's a beautiful landscape, peaceful and it's a sunny, beautiful day, comfortable temperature & humidity good.  Cellular services on TelCel & MoviStar ... 4G/LTE signal is solid, last day as be "connected at minimal charges ...  This is how I managed to leave about 120+ satellite WiFi minutes unused, for the next 3 full sea days, throttling usage to keep some for urgent posts, in case there's anything worthy of posting ... Plan B - spend extra (OBC, really) to get another 100 minutes @ $75, but most likely if on the last full sea day - the special 30 minutes plan for $20.  

 

Meanwhile, the Outbreak Response Plan rolled out just about every and all measures, shipwide - room stewards were scrubbing down wall panels, stateroom doors & handles (inside & outside) as well as cleansing the bathroom, the smell of bleach was - unmistakable.  Crew were out extra early and working late into the evening - it probably explained the absence of towel animals for the rest of the cruise.  Coffee maker was taken away by Thursday night/Friday morning along with the ice bucket, and even the stainless steel tray was gone - just 2 clean glasses.  

 

Once the plan gone into effect, everyone going into the buffet (Garden Cafe) area are stopped, asked to wash (both) hands with soap & dry, then get sprayed for "Washy Washy" again before entering F&B area, get a clean plate & utensils from a crew member, while they also handled everything - point & ask to get what you like/want.  Ditto for any beverages ... no "touchy touchy" to minimize direct contact with the food.  Measures for the MDR, not as strict and for us, not as effective - but I trust that NCL and US-CDC know what they are doing.  Single use paper menus for the MDR, not classy but effective as intended.  Once an empty table is cleared, it is disinfected and wiped down, a paper sign placed/posted, ready for the next guests in 15 minutes, a mandatory waiting time - allow for whatever to air dry and safe ...  We watched this in the buffet, most passengers adhered to these best practices but a few idiots just tried to ignore, sat down & moved the signage elsewhere.  

 

After breakfast onboard, with some of the earlybird off the ship, it was time for us to step foot on the pier - passed thru the Duty-Free Shop (where we got a nice deal on our way back, better prices than ship's store prices ... i.e. bundle of 3 cartoons of Marlboro for $88 USD) 

 

Across the skybridge over the roadway, passed all the shops & stores, and down the escalators to street level.  Looking for WiFi, Starbucks is right there, near the Senor Frog's - keep walking & you will find prices lower & better on all sorts of souvenirs ... gotta add to our collection of magnets.  There is a 7-11 Store, about 2 blocks away and a # of pharmacies/stores, where one can pickup basic toiletries & OTC meds, etc. as well, as reasonable prices compared to the U.S.  Taxis for hire and plentiful of offers to do tours on your own, right at the shopping mall/plaza.  

 

On our short trip back to the ship along the pier (shorter than Harvest Caye) - we rode in the back of a tricycle rickshaw, driven by locals for tips.  One of the few, if not only, times we actually ate lunch in the buffet - it wasn't too crowded & well cleaned ... similar to our previous walk-by food "inspection tours" appeared, not to us, all that impressive - and not much of a variety, unlike previous years on other ships. 

 

The other impression, the buffet regulars can affirm or say otherwise, we did NOT recall seeing or hearing about any pool-side BBQ lunch or mid/late afternoon cookouts (except, maybe for that 1 or 2 themed BBQ/Grill nights)  ... not the week before the "outbreak" & certainly, not this week - not that, we, missed the hot dogs, burgers, or sausages (and, it's been a while we saw pork chops or other "better" varieties.  It was fun then and I know for sure, in 2018 and definitely in 2016, my BIL's used to hangout upstairs by the pool deck to sample them.  

 

By mid-afternoon, as usual - our time was on the balcony watching all the action below.  As we get near sailing time & passed "all abroad" time, Guest Services were paging guests to dial 00, 2 or 3 times, indicating possibly someone staying behind or maybe getting involuntary induction into the Pier Runner's Club.  Hopefully, they got back just in time ... with a lecture.  

 

Leaving Cozumel was nearly on-time: slow, smooth, steady and just as beautiful, finishing up uploading pictures & social media post, email updates and checked the latest weather forecast for NY arrival ... a full 3 sea days on the way back.  We're really on the move, doing 22 knots+ once we're in the clear & off the coastline as we sailed northeast toward the direction of Miami (and, wouldn't be too far from Cuba along the way) - at times, we're doing 24.5 knots ... must be a strong & good tail wind and favorable conditions, sea was ultra calm, waves never exceeded 5 ft. and mostly 2 ft. or less.  One just can't ask for and expect better weather on any cruise in the Caribbean. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by mking8288

[Arzeena]

5 hours ago, dexddd said:

Not sure if you saw it, but it sounds like MSC isn't matching as high as it was on NCL anymore.

 

That being said, they do give you 5% discount on booking plus another 5% if military or civil servant which is nice and not something NCL does.

😮

I matched with my Royal Caribbean status when I did it.

 

5% black card plus extra 5% to 25% for Discovery Voyages which also includes $50 per person OBC. Plus 5% military/CS.......it's a win win.

They were at the travel show last week end and were offering $200 OBC extra  as floor special if booking there.

I'll take a bit of crazy and unorganized for that!
 

Edited January 30, 2019 by Arzeena

[mking8288]

Week 2, fast coming to an end ... soon, time for disembarkation

Days 12 thru 14 ... 3 full Sea Days, sailing north & into the Atlantic, crossing the jet streams & transition to chilly, cold winter weather.  

 

Periodically, even when not logged into the ship's satellite WiFi (signed out) - I would get (hush !! - don't ask, don't tell) Google News updated on my Androids, usually headlines only, but ... sometimes, full text or articles can be read (sort of offline mode) like the older days, probably like a "side" door open on one of the http ports (similar to those reporting limited success with iMessages getting thru).  Good, just don't count on this happening as at some point, it will likely get blocked & routed differently, take advantage of and enjoy it, while it seemed to last ... of course, can't speak to iOS devices.  Via these leaked update, it appear NYC will miss any big storm on arrival, temperature will start to plunge but no big deal for us, as once off the ship - we will be home in less than an hour.  Lucky & count our blessings - those flying home or driving north to Canada, might not be as fortunate (sure enough, chartered buses were cancelled on the Sunday as we arrived home ... from what we overheard while waiting >>>>>>> a good trip insurance & protection package would probably ease the problems.

 

Thursday morning, it was time to do a 2nd. bag of free laundry with our Platinum status, and, off it went - when it's done, just a matter of re-packing it, fresh & clean, ready for the next cruise.  

 

Checking ship's position on Ch. 21, we're going full speed - 22 to 24 knots, on the north coast but way off Cuba, approaching Havana & by evening, should be closest to the Miami area ... if anyone is going to experience a serious medical emergency, the Escape is within easy range of a medevac (luckily thus far, we seemed to managed well.  Simple math calculations, based on speed, headings, distance remaining, etc. - calculated to a very early arrival into NY, easily by mid afternoon Saturday to evening and certainly, by late night ... even if engine speed is throttled back to 15 or 16 knots.  The ride, ocean, sea conditions and waves were all flavorable - smooth as silk as we slept, as if we're docked and not moving.  

 

Friday (Day 13) was a tad cooler, in the 60's but a little windy, 300 nm off the coast of Georgia, 18 to 20 knots speed and it's time to check out the photos to see what we wanted to buy (30% discount for our Latitude status) and cosmetics for Mrs. M.  Onboard Account charges looking fine (on the App or via iTV in the stateroom,) refunds already posted & OBC posted on Day 1 ... the lines at Guest Services, actually, didn't look too bad, longer than earlier but really not too horrible, some're looking for those color-coded luggage tags.  Our special tags were delivered into our stateroom 2 days earlier, while in Cozumel & the "Guide" were placed on our bed the next day.  

 

We booked our 2nd. Platinum meal for Friday evening at Moderno ... so lunch was light for us in the MDR, staying away from greasy & fried options as best we can - and, for these 3 days, they have one (1) single Daily Special offered, asked the server as they might forget to inform  - the tenderized pork loin was pretty good and different (just a little too plain by itself.)  

 

Getting checked into Moderno was much slower than usual due to the outbreak response plans - and, paced further with the crew manning the salad bar.  The choice & variety of meat were good, extra servers were called in to help ... the place packed full by 7 p.m. - services didn't disappoint and we spend nearly 2 hours dining there, Mrs. M finished off our bottle of house wine (we "disposed" of the sparking wine ...)  - apparently, prices just gone up.  It was $25 p/p and now, the $30 p/p - plus 20% for those paying their own ... no surcharges & still covered by our coupon. 

 

Passing thru the Casino area, it was still early but this time - it never seemed too busy or packed full of players ... dealers at the assorted table games were smiling while they waited.  Not having a large # of CAS players and with this sailing's older demographics, probably didn't contribute to "their" winning either (and, the slot's payouts - consistently, poor to bad)  Mrs. M decided to try her luck again & the losing streak continued ... in the end, we recovered our play money for the night, but not those from early & called it.  

 

In terms of cigarette smoke & odor inside and near the casino, by the mid atrium area, it wasn't too bad ... compared to the Breakaway.  Not being packed full or overcrowded also helped - and on Day 1 & 2, they made an effort to "chase" restrict smoking to players, not those watching & hanging out as non-players.  Maybe, they had a stronger/better HVAC to ventiliate and exhaust those harmful particles.  Missed having Shanghai Noodles nearby but it opened up the extra section for revenue ... tradeoffs. 

 

Day 14 - Saturday, last sea day ... near the Carolinas & Virginia coastline in the distance, 16 to 18 knots - much colder today as expected, shorts are out ... a fleece jacket is more appropriate vs. a windbreaker.  Went upstairs to the buffet to get some juice, fruits & cereals - wow, the pool area is nearly empty of the hogs, hardly anyone around - one woman in the hot tub, that's about it ... even the pre-schoolers & younger kids, disappeared, nowhere to be found.  Maybe, still in bed, sleeping ?? 

 

One last lunch in Savior MDR  - that is it as 24 hours from then, we would be home & wondering ... Afterward, we passed thru the lobby - as expected, lines at Guest Services & the CruiseNext/Shorex counters - on this sailing, airport transfers, apparently just for LGA and JFK, nothing arranged for EWR (Newark, NJ)  Well, time to get back to pack our stuff & maybe take a mid-afternoon nap.  Oops, too late - we just missed the crew's Talent Show in the main Theater & the Farewell Special by the officers and crew ... next time.  

 

We never onced booked or tried a walk-up to dine in the Manhattan MDR, not impressed with it - didn't notice any show below while eating in Moderno & the big dance floor, empty for 2 hours - wondered if they bothered with pre-recorded music playback at all, place is just too noisy - besides, it is the same menu, nothing different.  

 

Dinner was booked at Taste MDR - wow, I now have collected & sampled 12 out of 14 MDR menu choices, "mission accomplished" & ready to post/upload them.  Overall impressions: portion sizes are okay for some, but really too petite even for  Mrs. M - seriously - not everyone on Weight Watchers, some of the pasta options are just ridiculously small.  When she said, you need to order a 2nd. entree & I can help you to eat a little bit off the plate, you know, it's just - didn't - looked right.  It helped explain, why, the popularity of the buffet for many "average" sized adult cruisers on this ship.  Yet, with the washy washy scheme in place, they probably trimmed their food waste & unfinished plates of food thrown away upstairs.  

 

Taste-wise, presentation & preparation of the food, as a whole, were fine and acceptable ... reduced use of sodium (salt) also good for healthier living - but, the so-called beef steak served in the MDR that I ordered & ate one time only - was less than good, acceptable & edible, that's about it.  Okay, I might be unlucky & got a bad serving - reminded me of NY's old "Ted's (broiled) Steakhouse" from the 70's and 80's (out-of-towners probably won't relate to).  <<  Food opinions, comments & "reviews" are highly personal, biased & subjective in nature  >>

 

Passing thru the atrium, one last time for the evening's free entertainment - Golden Ocatve & game shows again - then, it was time to head upstairs, moved our luggage into the hallway/outside for transfer into the terminal building in the morning.  

 

By mid-evening, we're nearly the waters off Atlantic City, NJ - probably 75 to 100 nm from nearest land, and slower - at 3/4 to full speed, the Escape "could" be sailing up the Hudson River around 1 a.m.   Time to try to get some sleep, set dual alarms & to be out of bed, ready for breakfast by 6:30 a.m.  The buffet would be open by 5:30 a.m. and the MDR at 6 a.m. - they plan to and like everyone OFF the ship by 9 a.m. to start their top-to-bottom massive cleaning prior to a public health / CDC-compliance inspection, before being allowed to start the next embarkation.  Or else, rumor was that, they might be required to stay in NY for 24 hours until the vessel is clean & cleared.  

 

Everything set, packed, mini-safe emptied, drawers & open shelves checked again - time to get a few hours of sleep, close to midnight.  

 

Much to my surprise, the enabled smartphone started sounding off again by 1:15 a.m. - we're off Long Beach, NJ - not even near Sandy Hooks (old lighthouse tower used by mariners for maritime navigation for centuries) and begin to pickup (somewhat intermittent) cellular signals.  We're approaching the water off the Rockaways & south shores of Staten Island by 2:30 a.m.  OK, maybe I can grab some nice pictures of Lady Liberty as we sailed into NY harbor ... maybe not.  Missed it, next I knew, we're already near Jersey City & Hoboken (meatball_NYC .... aren't you somewhere nearby) & turn into Pier 88 completed just before 4:30 a.m. - shortly thereafter, full engine stop & docked.  ZZzzz's a little more & then, wake-up alarms started going off, neighbors on both sides, already awake & with noises, getting ready to leave their staterooms - whether to join the "Early Bird" express crowds or go to breakfast.

 

A note about noise and those (thin) metal walls or partitions - when we're staying on Deck 5 in an oversized Oceanview, we didn't really noticed the (could be better) insulation & sound-proofing between adjourning staterooms ... this time, we definitely discovered that it could be better (ours not with connecting cabins on either side).  Doesn't take much to hear the neighbor's regular TV sound or their conversation, especially late night or early morning ... fortunately no "honeymooners" next to us this time.   On the positive side, with our beds near the balcony - we seldom hear any noises outside the hallway or down the corridors

 

What's the hurry, not going to bust our tradition - headed down to Taste MDR to say hi & goodbye to one of our favorite hostess, and enjoy a hot breakfast served to us.  To our surprises, the Express Menu - this time - has more items than before ... good, let's eat a big one before going home. 

 

It was probably 8 a.m. that we vacated our cabin, waited a little bit before able to get into an elevator & to wait, as more colors were called already.  Amazing to see how much oversized luggage some folks struggled to take off the ship by themselves ... not us, too old for that.  

 

Disembarkation was pretty smooth as a whole, organized and moved at a fairl orderly format ... from the time we reached the security checkpoint, scanned our Guest ID for the last time and began waiving final goodbye to the crew (about 8:40 a.m.) - the walk into the cruise terminal building was pretty quick & easy, down the escalators & found our tagged bags, joined the line for available porter services (although the "regular" CBP lines looked not bad at all, staffed with several booths opened on both sides - porters down the middle) and we're outside & in a yellow taxi, upstairs by 9:20 a.m. - on our way home to eastern Queens, several miles beyond LGA, dropped off curbside with our bags just before 10 a.m.  With one just one ship at MCT, porter said they usually will allow taxis to wait upstairs, especially when it's early ... and, they had a delay unloading & transferring luggage onto the pier earlier (or, everyone would be off, even earlier.)  

 

Home again !   till our next journey, wherever it will take us to.

 

Open for comments, questions, feedbacks, clarifications and requests, etc. - for items or other unspoken/remaining thoughts.  Additional, extra & other photos, port guides, dailies, etc. will be uploaded as needed here - full-sized hi-resolution images will most likely go to the Member Gallery, viewed by some under my signature - link a few post up ... sometimes, not easy to find if you are new & not sure where to look for it. Enjoy them !

 

(apologize for any typo, spell errors and/or auto-correct mistakes, un-intended mostly 

Edited January 30, 2019 by mking8288

[tumblew467]

this may be a silly question but  I always miss the prime rib night every time we travel.   We are on the escape in may for a 7 day sailing to bermuda.  was your prime rib night on the 1st night ?  thanks

love how detailed your reviews are very helpful and informative.

[DuckTollerFans]

Great to see how proactively they handled the norovirus.   How about in the casino -- all those people touching the machines - were they wiped down frequently too?

[mking8288]

On 1/29/2019 at 2:08 PM, dexddd said:

MKing - you've made rock star status!  CC has your trip pictures ...  

Nah, there's a simple & easy trick to do this ... just about anyone can upload & pretend to be in the limelight.  Just select & upload pictures from one's own collection to CC, under Member Gallery, create a new album/folder - name it, etc. or add to an existing one already there.  

 

See, that's all - just put up some from Harvest Caye, Belize - the full size images are better ... not as easily done "live", semi-live and/or on "roaming" cellular 4G/LTE data.  Doing this over Fios 150/150, that's much quicker from home ... 4 years ago, we're in South Korea and airport's free WiFi was hitting 125/125 (NCL's satellite will not catch up or match Voom on RCL, that's for sure with different technologies deployed & theirs priced better)

 

6 hours ago, tumblew467 said:

... on the escape in may for a 7 day sailing to bermuda.  was your prime rib night on the 1st night ?  thanks

 

Glad that you & others finding it helpful and getting a little useful info out of these posts, trying my best to tell it as it is - without getting too much into controversial subjects. 

 

Prime rib was served in the MDR only once, on Day 14 - last full day & while at sea ... it was okay.  I believed they offered it in the buffet on a different evening at the carving station, but we didn't go upstairs to check it out.  I know on our previous, shorter cruises of 7 days - prime rib was on the menu more than once, and, on a different night (before or after) in O'Sheehan's.   Seafood Basket (fried) was in OSH twice - listed one day ahead in the FS Dailies.   

 

It should be interesting to see, by this May, if they will be making changes ... 

 

50 minutes ago, DuckTollerFans said:

Great to see how proactively they handled the norovirus.   How about in the casino ...  were they wiped down frequently too?

 

Good question, honestly, can't really tell as we hardly spent any gaming time, especially the 2nd. half of the sailing.  I would, reluctantly, say "frequently" wiped down wasn't seen by us - but they probably did so very late at night & overnight before most folks wake up.  We certainly didn't see all those sofas, chairs & seating surfaces in the atrium lobby area being "frequently" wiped down, sponge cleaned, etc.  as we would've smell the bleach and/or other solutions used ... something that was definitely noticed in our hallways & corridors, and they also wiped down our bathroom.  

 

Indirectly, we missed seeing the morning singing in the MDR during breakfast, when the bakery duo coming thru, offering freshly baked muffins or other pastries - going around the tables, during the 2nd. week.  One of the hostess we knew from the Breakaway days jokingly said, they're back doing "Washy Washy" duties instead ... not sure if true or not.  

Edited February 1, 2019 by mking8288