Semi/Live: an "Epic" TA, 15 nights NY to Barcelona 04/22/23 - 05/07/23

[mking8288]

39 minutes ago, bedfordmom said:

... wondering when you split the 2 Spain Day tours as when we were going inn 2020 we were going to do the city tour and Montserrat in one full day tour. 

Lots of walking with Montserrat and lines, plus it's an hour each way from city or cruise port.  Park Guell was sold out and long lines, lots of walking & steps, too much for doing both together on a single day.  To fully explore & appreciate, need a full day to see Monseratt and 3/4 day at Park Guell ... weekday traffic also slowed us down going from one place to another. 

 

If one is flexible, stay for 4 to 5 days pre-cruise or post-cruise here in BCN to explore & enjoy city life here. So, so much to see, do, eat, shop, enjoy and appreciate. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Last morning in Spain, quick checkout of our hotel at 7:45 am. Taxis outside just across the street at their stand, 25 minutes later w typical weekday traffic, reached T1 with a fare total of 33 Euros.

 

TAP Portugal opened their check-in counters at 9, our bags checked & paper boarding passes issued. Flight was 99% full & glad we paid 6 Euros extra pp for priority boarding with the A320's

 

Connecting at Lisbon is more challenging, extra security & passport checks AND the weight scale for carry-on & personal items, quite a few got caught.  It's a shuttle ride & free tarmac tour around the terminal to the field to climb the ramps up to this wide-body jet.

 

Looks like we should be set to close the doors, cross check & head from the parking area to the taxiways for the runway.  

 

Homeward bound. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Good afternoon, our post-cruise stay (too short ... next time, plan for a longer stay) in Barcelona is now over, done and got home safely.  Nice to get a good night sleep, without alarms (unlike the last few days with early morning schedule) in one's own bed, minus a few pampering efforts.   Our house plants are doing well, the simple watering "system" from Amazon worked well - green and no yellowish" and they didn't "complaint" or "bark" from being dehydrated and lack of "attention".  

 

This sub-report is mostly about our (air) experience with TAP-Air Portugal or TP flight, hard & soft "products" and our thoughts on it - it's not your Lufthansa, British Air or Singapore Airline products but with their LIS(bon) hub - allowing for up to 10 days free layover - and connections to almost everywhere in that region, something to know & consider when booking a cruise ...  Feel free to skip over or ask questions, TIA.  

 

Our non-stop flight on Airbus A330-neo turned out to be 98% full including many arriving at the airports without seat pre-assignments.  We departed almost an hour late but once airborne, made up for the delay and landed almost exactly on time at NY's JFK.   The worst part / downside to making a connection or flying thru/in/out of LISbon was/is that the terminals are in need of further development and insufficient gates with jetbridge, thus many passengers/flyers have to board shuttle buses from the "gates" (ours: 45A) after stepping down/out to the tarmac first.  We get a free tour of the airport's field & ground operations ... to the other side/aircraft parking area, then, get to climb up the staircase(s) to truly board the aircraft (2 stairs used - Fwd for First/Business/Premium) and Mid for Premium/Coach/the rest) with one's own (heavy) luggage - and some with multiple bags & jacket(s) plus duty-free shopping bags, not fun or easy, especially anyone with mobility issues.  Duty-free prices at LIS aren't that good either as DW/SIL strolled thru, price-compared & checked a few, promptly left and came out empty-handed, said "let's go, keep moving" b/c I was watching our luggage.  

 

Our BCN-LIS flight was on one of their narrow bodied A320 series, no IFE and meal/beverage services offered as optional service for a nominal fee - for a 90 minutes flight, not a big deal to skip ... legroom was more limited, as expected.  We purchased or added priority boarding (Group A) for 6 Euros extra p/p and that was worth it, but did not add to our LIS-JFK segment, sticking to Group B ... which was still reasonable fast & no trouble with overhead bin space at/near our chosen seating area. 

LIS-JFK on A330 neo:  2 aisle seats plus 1 window seat (A-C and C) which gave us easy access to get up, use the restroom or just to stretch & walk, leg room was fair to good vs. UA, DL or AA legacy products flown typically on these routes, some of the "non-stops" using B737-Max or alike ... yike)  Ours have a little seatback recline & good 12"+ interactive touch-TV screen for IFE.  Pair of disposable earbuds provided to all pax plus a pillow & light blanket, free.  In-flight paid WiFi is available (several plans/options for purchase, 10 Euros for basic web access) - 15 minutes after airborne, until 15 min before landing) for the 7.5 hour flight.  Traveling light, we didn't bring our NR wire/less headset - would be perfect to plug into the mini stereo jack under the monitor.  USB port provided for charging mobile devices, useful ... as long safeguards & measures are in place, i.e. burner smartphone for travel to minimize cyber security risks (hint: reasons # 8 that I carry at least 1 secondary dual-e/sim smartphone)

 

 

Dinner services - choice of pasta or meat (beef stew) started about 1 hour after wheels up, after we quickly climb to initial FL 370, then 390 (Flight level 370 as in 37,000 ft.) starting with a beverage service (wine is complimentary for all in Coach) - coffee/tea/water available throughout at the gallery, staffed by FA rotating (others "disappeared" into their secret rest compartment via a "discrete" door near the restroom).   

 

 

LIS additional baggage & security screening and questions asked as well as passport check at Gate 45A - this was/is a TSA requirement conducted pre-departure, after an automated BP check (bar-coded Boarding Pass) just prior to X-Ray screening ... shoes on, but laptops & electronics, laptops & iPads, smartphones, etc. on a tray.  

 

TP "gate" "police" at work - caution, they were eyeballing & checking most & nearly all larger "carry-on" sized luggage & personal items permitted for mostly compliance with weight - 10 kg/22 lbs even if it is 22 by 14 by 9 (very easy to exceed that limit, mine routinely at 30 to 35 lbs on domestic flights)  I switched to my eBags Mother Lode Junior expandable and it wasn't difficult at all to be in the 25+ lbs range.  They also have the "sizer" nearby to check for compliance with carry-on & cabin/personal bag, but apparently weren't concerned with width or depth ... many of the spinners & rollerboards being obvious that they are more than 9" in depth & bulky. 

 

Overhead bins on both the A320's and A330 neo that we've flown on, do seem to fit bags depending on they slide in or stored, at the expensive of taking up doubled or even triple spacing for a bag, not good if you are in that last boarding group or had a tight connection & barely ran from the other gate to your plane's gate, with no space remaining & ended up gate-checking.  Junior sized backpacks were stored overhead, reducing overall storage space for other flyers.  We had our portable digital scale with us and made sure we didn't exceed the limits once the bags were packed & ready to roll - bags "caught" by the gate police are charged $150 USD per bag to be checked into the cargo hold - that's a double ouch.   Coach seats have a 17.2" width (narrower than expected - 17.5" to 18" being "better" depending on the airline & aircraft flown, with 31" legroom, not much & better than many ... how I missed the old days of 19" and 32" to 34" legroom in the B747, DC-10 and B767 long-haul days, flying all over & living out of the suitcases plus a garment bag)  

 

 

TP has the apparent advantage of being the national airline for Portugal and from the parking/remote field location, just a short rollout to the taxiway for the runway, to line up for an easy & quick takeoff roll.  The view as the A330 roared down the runway & make a fast climb, despite a full plane & heavy load, easily climb to FL 200 in less than 5 minutes FL 300 in about 30 minutes, the views outside our windows were great as we headed straight out west toward the Atlantic toward Canada/US.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two (2) hours before landing, cruising at FL 400 (higher altitudes after fuel/weight is lighter & climbing higher) cabin lights were turned on while crossing from Canada airspace toward the U.S. (over Nova Scotia toward New England & across Long Island) - time for a cold/chilled snack & beverage service.  Trash & other disposable items collected with time to use the restrooms before seat belts sign come on again, as we began a fair quick descent down to FL 200 and then FL 100 for nearly a straight in ILS approach toward JFK.  

 

 

Made it thru CBP / immigration-border control with face-to-face passport check in about 20 minutes (Global Entry - no lines, of course) as we're the only international flight that landed at that time - luggage were out in the carousal waiting by the end we got there, and our nephew that worked cargo ops drove from his office, 5 minutes away, pick-up and drove us home, gate to home in about 90 minutes. 

 

A long day of travel, which began by 6 am in Barcelona for us - officially ended about 9:45 pm EDT when we walked into our townhouse co-op apartment ... almost 21 hours in total.  I could use a cold drink (a beer or glass of wine for most CC'er, perhaps a Pina Colada, Mai Tai or Long Island Ice Tea - a refreshing tall glass of Spirt or iced Cappuccino will do) after hauling all the luggage inside - Susan was tired & exhausted, exclaiming ... see, I hate flying and next time, we will find another cruise to return to NY (do a B2B) - if that's going to be 30 or 35 days, so be it.  She promised to pack & bring less, and trim her luggage weight by another 5 to 10 lbs - hence, leave more room to shop & buy new clothes, shoes & handbags, etc. hahaha, LOL.  

 

[www3traveler]

Welcome Home

[mking8288]

One of the most cherished "souvenir" that I picked up while the ladies were shopping for other things in a local gift shop that also sell other inexpensive everyday living items, including slippers, sandals, personal products, and iPhone/Samsung smartphone cases, were a number of electrical adapters & converters - this one, apparently, preferred & popular with off-duty ship crew members when they are in there - fit perfectly in NCL's cabin 220V outlet, fitting 110V dual-voltage devices with USA styled plugs - has an On/Off switch, also does NOT block the other 220V outlet in the stateroom.  

 

Now, I "regretted" not buy an extra one or 2, maybe 3 as gift for others - going to "need" to find them online (and, probably pay a lot more for it) or, to take another cruise that stop at Funchal, Portugal while on a TA again, soon ... perhaps.  How's that as an "excuse" to plan another cruise ... in 2024 ?? 

 

This only cost 2.50 Euros in that store and is very sturdy, going to be in the cruise luggage along with other adapter plug & items.  It also worked great in our Barcelona hotel room with the EU style outlets.  

 

 

 

P.S. Test results are negative thus far (YAY - good)  as we heard, while onboard the TA, progressively more "coughing" while out & about, including the few times we're on those shuttle buses by NCL and commonly in the MDR (we mostly tried to avoid the buffet, especially at peak times) ... also while in-flight on the planes coming home.

 

Did a batch of rapid C19 test about 2/3 way thru our TA, which were negative for us ("relief") as I mentioned earlier, saw more N95/equivalent black masks being worn - most/average cruisers usually do "NOT" bring and/or use them on a daily basis, most likely "dispensed" by ship's medical center as a pre-cautionary practice.  This morning, did another round of rapid C19 home test again, also "negative" so we are good, fingers crossed ... will repeat this again in 2 or 3 days as a final wrap-up on bringing home any unwanted & unwelcomed micro guests, since we have a very good stockpile of "free" home test kits in cool storage, sitting on a shelf (valid thru mid 2024.)   After tomorrow, it will not be as easy to just self-order additional test online from Walgreens ("free" at no cost to us - billed directly to Medicare on our behalf) and pick them up at the nearest store location, 7 to 8 city blocks away.  

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

On 5/2/2023 at 7:30 PM, podgeandrodge said:

Works with Pixel Pro 7 too? Thanks 

Just to wanted to follow-up on this unfinished "tagged" item - tried & gave it my best efforts with everything in the gadget pouch, cables & settings, etc. and short answer, does not work with Pixel 7 Pro but, with DW's Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, a piece of cake or walk in the park, once I adjust the display/output resolution on the smartphone to match/made it compatible with the Samsung TV's native/default HDMI signal input, running in DeX mode (foreign to most non-SS users/not familiar with Developer's Mode enabled, etc.) 

 

I think, with other NCL ships using "Sole" branded monitor/display - connecting thru the default HDMI input will make for a simple & direct connection - as you said, Google disabled, blocked or otherwise does not provide the necessary "drivers" for a proper handshake - to output the display signal.  Our next NCL voyage is on the good old "Escape" which I'm very familiar with, that's going to be fun - with both the Pixel, S22+ and the Lenovo Chromebook, all of them should easily take advantage of the larger display output ... and live stream Youtube or Prime Video, etc. while in ports with our own cellular data connectivity in superior ways - and not to wait for & dependent upon any Starlink or equivalent upgrade to the onboard systems / server / portals.  Since my devices are otherwise running in native VPN mode, had to disable them temporary to make it compatible with ship's WiFi/data network or else ... 

 

I haven't look into XDA-Developers Forum lately to see what's new with the geeks coming up with workaround and/or the added possibilities in rooting the P7P and running custom Rom, etc.  - I'll play soon with the Pixel 4a 5G, now that the Pixel 7a is officially out, as of today and will need to decide whether to trade my S22+ for something different, or hold on & keep it (since Samsung pledge to 5 years of firmware/security updates & patches, etc. - Google got to do the same or better vs. 3 years now with their hardware) 

 

Footnotes: (unrelated) - 

NCL's post-cruise surveys have been emailed to us already - going to do that next.  Meanwhile, I got notes to pull together on this TA, including some of our "entitled" perks & rewards, or lack of it unless questioned, impression of the overall onboard experience, the ship itself & the crew ... and some of the casual observations & minor items we've noticed.  

 

Overall, in short, it was a wonderful TA for us, a first and we embarked with tailored expectations and 15 days/nights just sailed by, off to a slow start & with the 4 full sea days once we left Bermuda (knowing that there's a chance we might skip the port due to weather forecasts & storm systems in the Atlantic, etc.) - the last 8 to 10 days were nearly non-stop and kept us occupied & busy, and sometimes, barely able to get extra nap time to rest ... so much to do, see & explore and so little time or hours of the day/night to try it all.  Will try to spell it out with a little more specifics in the next 2 or 3 days while things are still fresh in my/our minds.  

 

Now, to catch up on things at home, making sure bills were paid & appointments upcoming are confirmed.  Life is short, don't blink and keep that sense of humor, pack & travel with patience and tolerance, respect & courtesy for/with others, and go easy.  Time for a little afternoon nap ... to be continued.  

Edited May 10, 2023 by mking8288

[bluesea777]

Thanks @mking8288 for the informative review on your return journey. We're on the Viva TA - westbound - from Lisbon to Miami in Nov this year and I have been eyeing TAP for the flight from JFK to Lisbon. 

 

Our son, with his gf and her brother, just ended their 4 days city break in Lisbon and they have said it's a fantastic city to visit, sightsee, eat, etc and they felt safe.

 

I have enjoyed reading this thread of yours and seeing the fabulous photos!

 

 

[dexddd]

So Aloma means Subway but with better desserts in Portuguese?

 

So there is an airport worse than EWR?  We've thought about TAP so find info helpful.

 

Welcome home.

[graphicguy]

Thanks so much.  Great review.  Loved following along!

[mking8288]

19 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

... on the Viva TA - westbound - from Lisbon to Miami in Nov this year and I have been eyeing TAP for the flight from JFK to Lisbon ... 

Friends of ours have been to both Lisbon & Barcelona, with high regards for both cities, especially the latter and its airport.  LIS has consistently rated among the worst airports in Europe, small & crowded and in need of modernization - think LaGuardia in NYC before its recent multi-year expansion & redevelopment.  There are plentiful info, chats & feedback over at Flyertalk forum - very useful & helpful as we did plenty of research prior to booking this TA last minute, knowing that we'll probably need to bit the bitter candy & deal with it ... and allow 3+ hour for doing the connection flying back to the USA (EU flights are okay as pax do not have to go thru passport & security screening again - with the long'ish walks with automated walkways being somewhat & somewhat limited multi-lingual signage & directional info, and virtually zero greeters or helpers for the "confused looked" travelers.  That's the airport & gov't operations - one security personnel / TP employee hearing some of the "complaints" claimed these were at the request of TSA with the homebound non-stop flights, and has little or nothing to do with 3-1-1 rules or electronics, rather seizing every opportunity to extract extra bucks or credit card taps to pay for exceptions.  Both BCN and LIS has free airport WiFi, unsecured but fairly fast & adequate for non-banking use.  

 

TP's hardware are fairly new & overall, maintained to satisfactory good to VG standards as expected, the typical restrooms onboard could be better kept while on long haul flights including sanitation and infection controls in getting periodically wiped, but that's not necessary what FA's are tasked with and/or getting paid for, leaving in for the ground support crew to quickly refresh while on a stopover or turnaround.  Cabin temperature was kept to a comfortable level and just about right, and serving a full meal (lunch or dinner service) plus a cold snack pre-arrival on a 8 hour flight ... is probably more than what US carriers are doing these days - give them an A minus for it, as I wish they can serve more than 3 to 4 oz. worth of liquid (water, soda, juice or wine) in a small water-cooler sized paper cup < remembered me of the small cup offered at my dentist's office while doing semi-annual cleaning >    Well, just get up & take a short walk, good to stretch & exercise briefly, over to the gallery & ask for whatever's needed, and they cheerfully obliged.  TP's ground crew have a tougher job to do and it's probably mandated from their management to find extra revenue opportunity and then to collect on the spot - leave the overall customer services experience below full satisfactory level to some of us.   Check carefully & heed the warnings when booking & checking in online.  Our ticketing was based on the Economy "Classic" tier and was worth the extra costs - including 1 free check luggage plus carry-on, careful if using the USA-sized 22 x 14 x 9.  

 

Rather than using my 10+ years old eBags Mother Lode Convertible Carry-on, I switched to the Convertible Junior that's about 2.5" shorter in height and with compression (internal & external) straps, kept it as a slim & smaller package and almost tipped the 22 lbs. scale.  Had my old walking shoes/sneakers that's seen it's better days, set to throw it out or dump it, if weight was a problem.  

 

6 hours ago, dexddd said:

... Aloma means Subway but with better desserts in Portuguese?

So there is an airport worse than EWR?  We've thought about TAP so find info helpful ... 

Aloma apparently is the brand / business name of the award-winning bakery with its famous Portugese cream tarts, a bit on the sweeter side & different than the famous egg parts we ate in Macau, China years ago.  Well, it's the one and only dessert, 6 to a pack for 11.50 Euros for about 2 or 3 full bites per tart - washed down with wine, beer or expresso/cappuccino.  

 

This was the TAP onboard snack - some sort of Brown cake, Portuguese style - not sweet, tasted okay when re-heated or warmed briefly in the mini/microwave oven .... with coffee/tea.  Next time in Portugal, we'll check things out further. 

 

See comments above for the extra thoughts on Air Portugal we had.  TAP's one-way fare was about $415 USD p/p each with a 1-stop connection, about 50% lower than other well-known US legacy/partner carriers when we booked - other carriers flying narrow-bodied new'ish jets across the pond that are ETOP certified, but heck even with B/F class lie-flat products available, over-priced & not worth the extra, plus most require a connection anyway.  7 or 8 hour flight is just medium-haul and not worst than a US transcon routing or West Coast to/from HNL.  

 

Online check-in opened up at 24 hours for us, as I recall as we're in BCN by then - wasn't too difficult doing that online, didn't bother using the mobile app as others on Flyertalk reported issues & frozen app, etc.  During the final steps before clicking, see if the option $$ to upgrade to priority check-in and gate boarding, etc. is available, definitely worth the extra $6 USD p/p for the BCN segment to LIS.  The Recaro-designed seats were nice, width at 17.72" (not 17.2") is good for most EU travelers but not a match for American's bulky built/bottoms - haha - and 31" legroom on par or better than AA, UA & DL's domestic products for sure, unless one is flying E-Plus with 32" to 34" legroom.  E plus or Premium offered extra legroom, plus exit rows with extras - only available $$ at the airport when checking in.  

 

TP's luggage rules - this section apparently has been revised recently, kindly always check back prior to & upon booking, and review again during online check-in - fairly complicated rules, i.e. low season, high season, origination & destination, etc.  

https://www.flytap.com/en-pt/baggage/hand-baggage 

https://www.flytap.com/en-pt/baggage/hold-baggage?ctseg=high-season

 

TP and NCL would make, IMHO, a great partnership in nickels & diming the less informed travelers - for one's in-convenience, of course ... using your/mine taglines, to fly/cruise and sustain.  The "problem" that I see is for anyone with mobility issues that connect thru LISbon Airport, not just with TAP but other carriers as there is no way of being assured that the tarmac/stairs are avoidable .... reminded me Dulles (IAD) with the mobile lounger back in the 1980's and 1990's - modified but still in use.  

 

[bluesea777]

Thank you @mking8288!

 

We will be flying one way from JFK to Lisbon, so we should be okay. When our son returns home at the weekend we will press him for his opinions on TAP and LIS - they were flying between Heathrow and Lisbon.

 

We have flown in and out of JFK many many times, from various terminals, and international.

 

[mking8288]

FYI - I've uploaded the additional pictures on our Montserrat (Cataonia) trip/tour to see the jagged mountain & monastery, under the Port of Calls for Spain - in case someone is looking for specific info or details, without having to scroll thru these pages to find them (CC's Search Function ...) 

 

As for using BDT, we highly recommended considering and using them, given our and other CC'ers experience - up to the readers to decide, of course.  And, it is also possible to do this yourself - allow plenty of time to fully appreciate the experience.   

 

[schmoopie17]

I'm hoping you'll do a comprehensive review of the Epic. We're booked on her for Italy/Greece next September and I'm envisioning horror stories from what people have said in the past. It sounds, from reading your excellent review, that things were "okay". 

 

My fingers are crossed...which makes typing very difficult...

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I'm hoping you'll do a comprehensive review of the Epic. We're booked on her for Italy/Greece next September and I'm envisioning horror stories from what people have said in the past. It sounds, from reading your excellent review, that things were "okay". 

 

My fingers are crossed...which makes typing very difficult...

I’d suggest keeping them crossed and your expectations low. 

[mking8288]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I'm hoping you'll do a comprehensive review ... It sounds, from reading your excellent review, that things were "okay" ... My fingers are crossed...which makes typing very difficult...

Hahaha, my fingers are tired and needed a rest, this old man needs to recover from a modest jet lag - 6 hour time zone difference is manageable, but for last 2 nights, eyes wanted to shut me down by 9 or 10 pm (that's 3 to 4 am in Spain ... no wonder)  

 

No problem, I will do my best to write a short but fairly "inclusive" review of this Epic TA adventure of ours.  Things are okay and overall, met our modest expectations as a fellow CC on the ship, roll call commented above.  I wouldn't say ours were "low" per se but tailored - and in all fairness, we live in an imperfect world / universe.  The grass isn't necessary greener on the other side or over the horizon, and we pack patience, humor and appreciation of what we've spend vis-a-vis return of our vacation dollars invested into NCL, it's a fair & reasonable product.  There are a few minor issues, not deal makers or breakers - will comment on those a little later.  

 

We decided to go ahead & just made final/full payment on our next NCL cruise - not around the corner but soon enough ... that's a "statement" in itself that we still haven't lost faith in NCL - 3 staterooms, 3 couples and it's going to be a gang of six.  Made our Specialty Dining reservations - locked in 3 evenings onboard, as I "hate" standing around & wait or show up to see a long line - not too happy with the entertainment offering on this upcoming one, but it's a port intensive & short itinerary, enough things to keep us busy on most days.  

 

Standby as I'm getting ready to upload another major addition of photos to the Destination Forum under Spain ports - on our Barcelona Highlights: 1/2 day city tour ... that's over 100 photos, good enough & almost a virtual free tour by itself ... going to put BDT out of business, haha (not, just kidding - they are excellent)  Next time, someone has questions about the "must see & do" in BCN, they can hopefully search & find it more easily.  

 

I'm not current on Epic's dry dock and maintenance schedule, perhaps by next Fall - things will be turned & move in positive ways as a whole ... 15 to 18 months. are rather far ahead.  Think positive.  

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Hahaha, my fingers are tired and needed a rest, this old man needs to recover from a modest jet lag - 6 hour time zone difference is manageable, but for last 2 nights, eyes wanted to shut me down by 9 or 10 pm (that's 3 to 4 am in Spain ... no wonder)  

Oh my! Haha, I rest my eyes every night at about 9 or 10 PM. No jet lag necessary. 🥸

 

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

We decided to go ahead & just made final/full payment on our next NCL cruise - not around the corner but soon enough ... that's a "statement" in itself that we still haven't lost faith in NCL - 3 staterooms, 3 couples and it's going to be a gang of six.

I'm so excited for this! You've made my Friday - it was a tough Friday too. I can't wait to follow along on your next live (if you choose to do so)! And, I understand if you're sick of feeding all us CC'ers content.

[mking8288]

Barcelona, Spain - City Highlights - direct link is here (Destination Forum - Spain ports) -

this has a large dump of photos taken during our half day tour of the city ... pretty impressive tour & sightseeing routing that we managed in about 4 hours, covering the most popular tourists attraction.  

 

 

[dexddd]

So what ship and area you going to?  Glad to see you are able to sustain to sail.

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

So what ship and area you going to?  Glad to see you are able to sustain to sail.

Give you some hints to figure this out:  one of the "older" *Away / + ship that we haven't sail in a while (that used to homeport in NY) on a "short" 7 nighter, port-intensive.  Got a nice deal with promo discounts/offers, booked it using 2 CN certs - and "should" be safely away from most tropical storms/hurricane for that time of the year (you know we avoid the busy summer season ... all those likely to be crazy full at 115%+ or near lifeboat capacity out of NY this year)  Best friends on this upcoming one plus oldest BIL / SIL with access needs for embark/disembark, recovered from her serious femur fracture last May with permanent SS implants and subsequent rehab. - gets around with a walking cane & prepared to use a foldable rollator-walker.  

 

HD (GM's) secretary remembered us - last time I saw "C", she ran up & said hello, not knowing we're onboard - partially b/c my name wasn't on the M&G as organizer.  No idea whether she's with still her "boss" and on the same ship all these years.  Probably will not be a "Live" update/report, almost certain to be just a Semi review as it's been like 5 or 6 years.  Anyway, we shall see when we reach that spot in time. 

 

Cancelled/postpone the Prima with an interesting & unique itinerary, but still considering a different & slightly shorter one after this short one - despite all the not-so-positive feedbacks & reviews, trying to cruise her at least once to see for ourselves.  Spoke to our niece and nephew about their recent Prima spring break Bermuda cruise - they weren't impressed & somewhat surprised by the lack of ... 

DW wants to think it over - as we got time & options, final payment isn't due yet - maybe we'll sail a different ship/itinerary - it's all up for considerations. 

 

Let me try to finish a full overview and summary - in draft, partially done - of the Epic and our TA, since some folks are eager to read what we think & see, subjectively as they often are ...  For now, I see less compelling reasons to avoid the Epic vs. the Prima with its disliked designs, layouts & offerings - positive attributes being the new Prima/Viva are more spacious that matched its higher fares. 

 

See below: this was how 3 of us managed to sustain in Barcelona as late night supper, around the corner from our hotel, H10 Casanova - in a very nice area.  All that & more, plus 2 beverage for only 55 Euros, including a small cash tip for "Water" our amigos waiter.  If only NCL can do this onboard their Shanghai Noodles or Food Republic with the Fusion menus 🤔  Tapas were very good & inexpensive.  Morning breakfast at one of the cafe across the street, 3 to 4 Euros p/p for fresh bakery item plus coffee/juice - pleasantly surprised. 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by mking8288

[smillerholmes]

On 5/11/2023 at 5:45 PM, mking8288 said:

TP's luggage rules - this section apparently has been revised recently, kindly always check back prior to & upon booking, and review again during online check-in - fairly complicated rules, i.e. low season, high season, origination & destination, etc.  

https://www.flytap.com/en-pt/baggage/hand-baggage 

https://www.flytap.com/en-pt/baggage/hold-baggage?ctseg=high-season

 

TP and NCL would make, IMHO, a great partnership in nickels & diming the less informed travelers - for one's in-convenience, of course ... using your/mine taglines, to fly/cruise and sustain.  The "problem" that I see is for anyone with mobility issues that connect thru LISbon Airport, not just with TAP but other carriers as there is no way of being assured that the tarmac/stairs are avoidable .... reminded me Dulles (IAD) with the mobile lounger back in the 1980's and 1990's - modified but still in use.  

 

I flew TAP in Dec/2022 and I was pretty impressed.  I flew Rome/FCO to Lisbon, and yes LIS does remind me of LGA pre recent facelift.  Maybe I was impressed because my previous experience with air transport within Europe was Ryanair???  It's all about perspective.  Ha!

[mking8288]

Epic - a recap & journal of the 15+ days, summary review of our overall impressions, key areas, observations and thoughts - FWIW, many of these are personal, subjective and strictly based on what & how we felt ... we've been on over 30+ cruises over the last 30 years, many with NCL.  

 

  Epic is the "oldest" mega ship in the NCL fleet, until she was launched in 2010 - we've cruised on the Sea, Crown, Dawn, Star, Jewel and Pride of America, small & mid-sized ships then (and, by today's standard) - we've come to learn & knew about some of the hated designs & features of the Epic ... but, decided that timing is good, get onboard and see/find out for ourselves - with a 15 nights TA crossing out of NY to draw our own conclusions - sailed with an open mind, tailored expectations and packed humor onboard, to go with the flow, and to expect possible nasty North Altantic storms & weather during our crossing.  

 

  We live in an imperfect world and when you book and do a cruise, surprises do happen and things often do not turn out - but, we're pleasantly surprised for the most part - it was worth it, less than 3 months after our 12 nights Caribbean "Getaway" this January ... as the 2023 changes began to kick in. 

 

Let's start with NYC's pier check-in - for Latitudes Sapphire ... booked this about 10 weeks out, not exactly really last-minute, was semi-hopefull (35%) that we might possibly receive information about priority options, luggage tags and even pre-cruise concierge.  Nope - none of that, not a surprise.  We booked the 1st. available pier check-in time, from 10:30 to 11 am and arrived earlier than that - since traffic was light that morning & our car service was early, got us there quickly than expected.  Once security screening was open, we went thru that fairly quickly, no more than 5 to 10 minutes and then were directed to the rear half of the Pier 88, designated for upper decks and for Haven check-in, with large hanging banners showing "lanes" for Platinum, Casino At Sea, and Priority Boarding - I recognized quite a few "regular" pier agents - outsourced contractors working that morning, same ones working recently on our Getaway cruise in January & knew to what to expect ... indifference.  I suppose, when there are more than a few hundreds Platinum & Sapphire on a given sailing, it's not possible - right, or ... 

 

  Had a conversation last May on the Joy with Asst. Mgr. for Guest Services about "issues" inside the cruise terminal - NCL HQ in Miami are well aware of it and working to address the concerns, but is limited in what they can do, as that's outsourced by port operations and not subject to direct management from NCL - made worst last year with the changing Covid-19 protocols and screening requirements, etc. - especially with Bermuda's pre- rules, etc. etc.   Wait, the bucks stop where, again - but I hear Port of Los Angeles are worst ... 

 

  If you are booked in Haven, your rescue is when one of the ship's Haven team are around & will escort and helped smooth things out for your boarding party. To a lesser degree, cruisers with special needs are generally handled fine, from what we've seen over the the years, decade - until that small area filled up, sometimes quickly, as it's possible for an extended family & friends to follow along, and get the gloved treatement to embark early together.  Families and parents traveling with smaller children, it varied widely and sometimes, not getting any preferred assistance to early board - this isn't your favorite airline with the gate agents in an always cheerful mood - 3,800+ souls rushing Pier 88, good luck to anyone and everyone for that matter.  

  Once Haven & special needs starting boarding, and the pier contracted agent began calling out others to start boarding while others need to clear the area, and to step back & away, the pushing from the herd began, almost got out of control ... thanks to the roped metal poles on stands & generous dose of yelling to maintain order.  Those of us that managed to get into the overcrowded & too small of waiting area designated for Platinum & higher, began joining the 4 to 5 lines that merge into just 2 lines manned by NCL ship security with the laptop podiums, tapping & scanning to board the ship.  

 

  That was still before noon, not bad at all but there're a handful that ran ahead of others walking, some with mobility issues but not in need of wheelchair assistance, obviously couldn't care less - where do they think they are running toward ??  Must be a bowel emergency or they are about to faint from lack of food or fluid ... whatever, humanity at its finest, hey - we are NOT going anywhere and ship isn't scheduled to sail until 7:30 pm, that's 7 plus hours later in the early evening.  Relax, take it easy and take a deep breath - nah, these are the "younger" mature adults doing the pier running toward the ship.  About a dozen (or less) children & pre-schoolers onboard this sailing with 3,800 or 3,900 pax in total - plus 1,600+ crew & officers.  

Fast forward to disembarkation - no specific information or instructions for any sort of Priority Disembarkation (if any) and/or Yellow Luggage Tags from the CruiseNext/Latitudes team onboard.  But, we've learned to check & go downstairs to see, ask & get information out of them.  The guy with the mustache & eyeglasses at the CN desk most of them, not exactly what I consider friendly, cheerful or friendly ... no, sir - not all all.  Each and both times I stood in line and ended up with him, barely made eye contacts - nope, not my idea of earning any recognition for being a Vacation Hero - unlike someone like Alvin, whom I first met on the Breakaway back in 2014 - Assistant CD then and since became CD, recognized & love by many.  DW retired from retail banking and don't know everything about customer services, but it often starts with a simple hello, welcome, smile and perhaps conclude by saying, is there anything else we can do ... In my youthful managerial days, I used to train the trainers - maybe, it's just a reflection of the current NCL corporate culture & state of mind. Not a good direction or trend if things continue.  

Thankfully, we had no tender ports and priority isn't needed, and, of course, non-US ports do not grant Platinum preferred access.  Perhaps, that's why no port maps were distributed and added to the Freesytle Daily's inserts ... or, did they lost sponsorship from Diamonds International to print those simplified maps showing their preferred vendor partner's location in the ports ??  Afterall, these aren't the typical Caribbean or Mexico ports.  Trust me, Google Map is more reliable, useful and true to scale - and show all the shops, stores, cafe, restaurants, local businesses, bus stops & ferry locations, etc.  **** remind me to review/comment the 3 Spain port shuttle services, 1 was free and 2 were not, not covered by that $50 shorex credit under FAS.  

 

Disembarkation in Barcelona, that went pretty smooth - quick & organized, the plan & timetable worked fine.  Took us no more than 45 minutes from the time we got into one of the less-than-full elevators to reach Deck 4's Fwd gangway (one or more of the elevators are often, if not nearly always - put into "priority" mode, presumably for exclusive use by Haven guests & crew/teams - skipping floors entirely, on express mode - especially port days) - then, a short pause to go down the escalators, thru quick Spain border/immigration check - visual/passport checks & a stamp ... into the luggage area, then - one is ready to exit the area to go outside, for ground transfer, limo & bus, etc.  It was definitely not chaotic, unlike NYC, whenever ships return to disembark passengers on turnaround days - BCN port operations got it down to a science, kudo to them - one of the, if not, busiest and biggest cruise port in all of Europe on a year-round basis. 

Offered room upgrade biddings - we're offered & prompted numerous times to submit bids using the Upgrade Advantage Offer.  Nope - not going to happen as we booked one of the secret angled large family balcony (coded B4) - starboard side - that can sleep up to 4, with the upper bunk over the sofa, next to the balcony (not everyone knew about pulling the bed/frame out to use the full width of the foam mattress at just 6 ft. in length - sorry, if anyone is over 6' 1" and plan to use it to sleep.  

 

Next to us is the officially designated angled large balcony (Deck 13 Fwd/Mid) that sleep 3, ours connects to the balcony on the opposite side (#13039) sleeping up to 3.  Ours just slightly smaller than #13043, probably around 90 sq. ft. vs. 35 to 45 sq. ft. for most "regular" balconies on the Epic - and, much bigger than the ones on the Escape or the Breakway/Getaway ... with the Joy seemingly the biggest, until we managed to book this, without paying an extra premium for it.  Very spacious, enough to fit 2 loungers, probably 3 will fit - plus a decent sized round or square table.  The tiny balcony end table is barely big enough to fit a dinner plate, let alone anything else - it's a shame to not have something solid to put cups, glasses & bowls on ... aside from the floor itself.  The French designed interior looked nice but there is hardly any desktop space to enjoy room service breakfast.  We didn't mind paying $4.95 + 20% plus a nominal cash tip for hot breakfast delivered on a sea day ... how about bringing along a foldable table for us to use, wishful & dream on ... mking8288, yeah, sure - try Haven & better luck next time.  Nope.  

  As for the main/queen bed, I called NCL directly and asked ahead, with request to split the bed, one for DW and one for SIL that's cruising with us as pax #3.  Thankfully, that was done upon embarkation by our room attendant/steward - Menzi has been with NCL since 2004, first on the Majesty and promptly taken care of our simple request - ice bucket filled daily (stored in the small refrigerator - works well, kept melting to a minimum until late evening) and the 1-cup coffee maker with the set-up/restocked as needed.)  

 

  A recent live CC post referred to the Epic as "the" most hated & controversial NCL ship in the current fleet, ship's officers said it's because of its French design vs. Italian ones from the other ship yard.  I do not have hope or should anyone have expectations that at the next scheduled drydock, changes will be made to enhance the hard product, like adding USB ports or outlets bedside, or drill a few holes and add extra towel hooks, good while changing clothes or taking a shower, instead of tossing some things on the floor.  

 

  Similar to and like the *Away/Plus ships, there are cleverly designed & semi-hidden storage built into these cabins.  Assorted sized packing cubes, as I often say, helped us to make full use of them while keeping clothes & other personal items neat, clean, organized and without disappearing into the dark corners inside the overhead bids above the sofabed & behind the sofa's headboard (backboard ??) 

 

  A small sticker near the sink or next to the mirrored vanity cabinet would be a simple "enhancement" to quickly point to the light switch to flip on/off the overhead LED lights for the micro wash-basin.  It's not fun to play hide-and-seek. 

  With the connecting cabin's shared doors near the balcony, storage cabinet/hanging closet space is lost - not good with 3 sharing a cabin and worst if there's a 4th pax, even a child or teenager ... Silly design, there is a sliding mini-curtain, for what purpose(s) - to hide the access to the other cabin (required a key to unlock it on both sides.  We made it work, put all 3 of our 24" spinners in that "wasted" space, horizontally first and vertically later, and add a carry-on as a flat surface, becoming a large shelf for clothes & packing cubes.  If NCL add a retractable cord or rod near the top, provide hangers - dresses and coats will have a home during the cruise.

 
  Under the desk/dresser table, hidden behind a swing-out door is the electrical outlets - 2 for 110 volts and 2 for 220 volts.  I always have two 220 volts outlet adapters - this put all 4 to good use, as one is often used for the 1-cup coffee/hot water maker that brew a 4 to 6 oz cup at a time.  Using two 6" extension adapter, the cords and plugs were able to do a longer reach when chargers are being used.  Having two 10 ft. USB 3.0 extension made a big difference - able to reach the sofa and out to the balcony.  Still, it was easier often to just use the 10,000 mAH powerbank to quickly charge the smartphones.  

 

... to be continued (with food, entertainment, WiFi, public space & gatherings, ports, etc.) 

(typos to be expected - spell checks not always working as intended ...) 

Edited May 14, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

... continued - 

 

Both bed mattresses have seen its better days and sagging toward the middle, use of a mattress topper helped but really, they're overdue for replacement long ago, perhaps in 2022.  Same is true for the high density sofa foam, and the topper with a flat sheet alone cannot make up for being worn out from wear-n-tear, sloped toward the floor & away from the backside.  The dirty fix - easiest for 2 adults to do this together, lift, flip and turn the foam bottom cushion around 180 degree around, so the less used half is facing out - now, it sloped inward toward the back cushion instead, less likely to feel one "sliding" toward the floor.  

Bonus privacy curtain dirty fix - bring 2 or 3 binder clips, yes - use them to secure the sliding shower/privacy curtain that separate the main area from the toilet and shower closets, especially if the beds are closest to them - or else, risk being seen semi/fully naked while changing or what not, if you are sharing the cabin with ... another creative solution.  However, it does NOT fix the loud flushing sound whenever the toilet's flush button is pressed - it is rather loud at late night while someone else is sleeping ... after a while, we all got used to the sound.  Smells from the toilet closet - not really a problem as the exhaust fan is always running, but we had an air freshner in there, somehow, but not a single hook in there.  Go ahead, blame the French designer(s) and builders of the Epic.  

Both the toilet and shower closets (tiny stalls) have a flexible floor, especially the toilet - seemed almost ready to crack and break into pieces when stepping on it - a decade plus of everyday use would wear them down for sure.  Have faith & trust, I'm sure it was design to withstand xxxxxx number of cycles of routine use and will fail sooner or later, with and without warning - high density, reinforced plastic component that can be replaced.  The shower drain in our cabin seemed to drain very slowly, stepping out of the shower - a pool of water will swirl for at least 1 to 2 minutes before they slowly drained away.  As long as there is a backflow trap and brown/black water doesn't coming splashing out of the floor drain - like the Getaway last March - nothing to worry about.  If all hell break loose, grab towels & press hard against the drain - should work to slow things down ... direct pressure to seal the opening (hey, that sounds like First Aid 101) 

 

Our room is directly across from a large white space, which included the crew use elevators and staircases - laundries, luggage on carts during embarkation/disembarkation time are funneled thru this area.  Just as quiet and as noisy as any other rooms on a given deck and only loud noises & conversations come thru the walls that separate the cabins
 

None of the balconies onboard NCL ships these days are automatically provided with 2 white robes, disposable slippers - used to be a given, not long ago.  Even when they do it, too small to fit my built - being prepared ... and, probably had our room steward scratching his head for a moment, LOL. 

 

 

We came well prepared, just in case - despite packing & traveling light.  

Edited May 14, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

18 hours ago, smillerholmes said:

I flew TAP in Dec/2022 and I was pretty impressed ... and yes LIS does remind me of LGA pre recent facelift ... previous experience ... was Ryanair???  

That's true, perspective - BCN Airport runs an excellent ground ops vs. LIS with it's lack of gates & slots, use of shuttle buses to board ramps to jumbo aircrafts ... don't need to climb those even in Vietnam or mainland China 10+ years ago. 

 

TP's soft products could use some tuning and perhaps mystery shoppers with the undercover boss in disguise, to see how it's like from the customer side. 

[The P]

Beautiful weather now in NYC welcomes you and Susan home, Henry! I'll guess Breakaway to Bermuda.......

[mking8288]

Happy belated Mother's Day to all ... 

continuing the wrap-up with the reflective review - this will deal with general observations - 

 

Food and Dining on the Epic - 
With 15 days at sea, we felt blessed to get the time to sample, taste and eaten meals in almost all of the venues onboard as chosen.  Some of the prime dates & time slots onboard were gone & taken quickly by the end of Day 1 and definitely disappearing quickly by Day 2, as expected with a full ship of 3,800+ passengers, plus a sold-out Haven.  Not all of the tables in Cagney's or LeBistro, or even Moderno were full all the time.  There was always a line and wait, folks holding vibrating pagers hanging out nearby - next to Shanghai Restaurant & Noodles, a complimentary option that's open only for the evenings and they do NOT accept or take reservations - not uncommon to see folks getting in-line 15 to 30 minutes before they open to get a table ... so much for Freestyle Dining in 2022-23 with mega ships doing donut runs and even on a TA.  

On Day 1, both the Manhattan MDR (larger one) and the smaller Taste MDR (there isn't a Savor MDR, unlike the *Away class ships built later with modified designs by the Italy shipyard)  - lines started forming before they open, and confusion abound - there was no differentiation among those with confirmed (pre-cruise) reservations and the rest doing walk-up, long lines and clusters of folks standing around - 30 to 45 minutes wait were the given or normal, much of it unchanged for the duration of the cruise.  

 

This was obviously a problem that nobody appreciated, expected nor wanted - and mentioned briefly during the CC Meet & Greet on the morning of Day 2 by the GM during his remarks, with a promise that things will be better by that evening.  #cough #cough - not so sure but apparently, most folks get it and just dealt with it.  We booked Cagney's for Day 2 and didn't walk past Deck 5's Taste then, apparently there was a different line, on the left / starboard side for those with reservations.  The problem next, was, that others coming from behind & stood at the back of the line(s) are clueless and there was no greeters to "work" and "walk" the lines to check & help smooth out the impatient crowd.  

 

For the rest of the cruise, the lines to get into the complimentary dining venue, varied between 30 to 45 minutes as the stated wait time, unless you have a prior reservation or somehow, managed to get it booked onboard ... we didn't bothered with it.  Interesting enough, there was seldom a long line at O'Sheehan's, not for breakfast, not for lunch, not even in the mid/late afternoon on a typical port days as folks begin to come back, hungry & not choosing to raid the buffet upstairs - with a limited selection from 2 pm'ish until 5:30 pm.  Weather permitting, the Outdoors dining area near the pools and nearest the Fwd elevators were open for snacks, PM tea/coffee - nothing fancy, good enough if you are hungry and need to boost your sugar level.  

 

Even on a full sea day, the Manhattan MDR was never open, I repeat, just to be clear, not open for lunch - despite the ship being packed with 3,800+ passengers going nowhere ... just the smaller Taste MDR, the buffet and O'Sheehan's.  Wait, one has the option - for your convenience - paid Room Services Delivery, or is it Swift Delivery via the exclusive onboard App/QR coded - for $9.95 + 20% charge, tipping cash optionally at one's discretion - to order & consume in the privacy and comfort of your own stateroom or mini suite, etc.  Good luck, however, finding a large & flat surface (besides the floor) to spread out, sit down and eat ... the bed or sofa do work, just be careful to not spill things.  

 

With the demographics onboard, somehow, everyone managed to get along without food fighting and screaming or yelling as to who's cutting in, etc. - LOL, just kidding (remember - humors goes a long way) - median age was probably 65 to 70, being younger onboard is the exception - it was a fairly mellow crowd, 1/4 to 1/3 probably has the drink package, nearly almost with a big wine glass in hand, walking into & sometimes out of the MDR ... not too many fancy drinks like Mai Tai, Pina Colada, or similarly colorful fruit drinks.  Of course, it's more difficult to tell if someone is holding one of those L.I. Ice Tea in hand that often passed for something else. 

 

The end results of how dining venues and times are managed onboard were such, breakfast weren't finished until 10 to 10:30 am for the ones that got finally got seated at 9:15 or 9:30 am.  Lunch weren't done until 2 to 2:30 pm with the crew still cleaning, setting up and already getting ready for dinner service - as the early birds would be standing outside Manhattan & Taste no later than 5 pm for the 5:30 pm waves.  Manhattan officially closed at 9:30 pm and Taste at 10 pm, thus possible for one to be finishing up late supper at 10 to 10:30 pm, ditto for the apparently beloved Shanghai place - which is actually quite spacious with seating for 100+ including 2 semi-private room behind the curtains ... the Noodles Bar is smallish with counter-height stools for maybe 16 or 18 at most.  
We didn't go near the buffet on the ship, except on port days and once-in-a-while hurrying to/from a scheduled port stop, with a quick breakfast or perhaps mid-day lunch in mind.  Susan & SIL spend a little more time "upstairs" on the Epic than us (not the "Escape") and informally alerted me - I subsequently did my CC "patrol sweep" on 2 or 3 separate occasions to see for myself.  Also, did that more than once or twice - mid to late evening before they shut everything down & roped the place off, promptly at 9:30 pm - and noticed the "reduced" offerings and varieties.  

 

Beyond a reasonable doubt and I am quite comfortable to conclude, on our 15 nighters, that the varieties and options for both the once impressive salad bars and dessert sections of NCL (pre-Covid and even from the 3 cruises in 2022) ... things have "changed" and not for the better, I'm afraid to stand by my personal biased opinion - others are free to disagree & flame me for it - challenge me on what "we" saw on the Epic over those 15 days.  It is NOT a direct reflection of the entire NCL fleet of ships or other ships, but we / I was disappointed on a full sailing with 3,800 pax onboard doing a TA crossing, that we weren't "offered" more daily rotations in the buffet.  In contrast, the MDR with up to 21 days worth of menus for dinner, and 3 sets for lunches on sea day when Taste was open - the perception was better, some choices were only seen/available once, some of them toward the end of the cruise ... that could be inventory/provisioning issues with what NCL can stock & serve onboard.  I want to give them the benefits of my doubts and "bias" - none of us left or went to bed hungry.  

 

Some of the starter items, appetizers and salads were actually pretty good, simple but finely presented, portions on the smallish side at times.  We started ordering multiple items from the left side of the daily changing MDR menus, skipping the entrees - but will do the desserts, and made it a full meal.  Taste buds for food are subjective, so I'm not going to highlight individually, what we liked & disliked.  For a nice & juicy burger, cooked to order - go to OSH's for one and cheerfully served with a smile, skip the one in the MDR.  I like fish (cake) sandwiches, usually, except on the Epic - it's probably the formula & batter used.  

 

I mentioned earlier, OSH's menu got shortened again - if you are hungry, the "full" American Breakfast is loaded with everything, lots of meat but somehow, they'll just give you one piece of toasted bread - flour must be pricey or in short supply as I'm sure it's baked on site.  We gave up on the newly formulated chicken wings, too lumpy & soggy, with parts of the skin coming off easily - tried it twice and enough, thumbs down.  

 

As for chair hogs up on the pool decks and sun decks, apparently - it was NOT a problem on this TA, despite good & reasonably warm weather.  Clusters of hogs migrated indoors to hang out all day in the buffet or Garden Cafe, stalking out multiple tables as their popular gathering spots to shoot the breeze - that is, in between packing into the Card Room on Deck 5 Mid/Fwd, just ahead of the Atrium lobby.  At any given time during the cruise, except late evenings - there was probably 5 to 8 tables or more of Mah Jong games going on, in addition to the regular card games among other passengers.  They came prepared and almost certain to bring their own MJ sets from "home".  LeBistro was also opened in the morning and afternoon for additional MJ games ... until it was time for them to prepare & open up for evening dinner services.  Wasn't sure if Haven was using that space at all to serve breakfast & lunch.  

 

Being Sapphire - we decided to test out priority restaurant seating - by the time we approached the podium or host/ess stations to check-in and get our pager, especially if the place was really busy with several dozens already standing around, waiting for their turn ... I would discretely ask to see if we can get seated faster.  This, apparently, worked most of the time and usually cut our wait from 30 to 45 minutes down to a "better" wait of 10, 15 or 20 minutes instead - often with a requested section that's quieter, as the MDR can be very loud & noisy, the worst being the Manhattan MDR - with the dancing & music mixed in.  

 

A few lines about Specialty Dining next ... (will continue)