NCL Sky October 9-19, 2024 Quebec City to Baltimore live

Denise T · October 6

5 hours ago, boffoboffo said:

All that worry for nothing. NCL still does care about me.

I got my first email with the safety video as did my sister. She was somewhat disappointed as she expected more in the video. I am sure will have to watch it again tomorrow.

debenson0723 · October 6

51 minutes ago, Denise T said:

I got my first email with the safety video as did my sister. She was somewhat disappointed as she expected more in the video. I am sure will have to watch it again tomorrow

You don't have to watch the video in the email at all. I delete them without opening. There is no way for NCL to track if you watch it or not. Just check into your muster station as soon as you board and you are good to go.

boffoboffo · October 6

My wife has got her selection of ducks and other creatures picked out and ready to go.

boffoboffo · October 6

Just got an email to pre-check in at the Hôtel Clarendon for our night in Quebec City. Looks like it will allow us to basically just go straight to our room upon arriving there without having to go to reception at all. That’d be nice since we’ll be getting there just after 10pm if the train is on time and after 13 hours of travelling the faster we can be in bed the better.

Plus I won’t even need to attempt to converse using my grade school knowledge of French which is better for everyone, although I expect they’ll speak English but I prefer not to assume that. For being a bilingual country Canada does a fairly poor job of making sure that their public school students can speak both languages. Not bad for teaching you individual words but little attempt to teach us how to put them together into sentences or have a conversation.

Only so much we can learn from watching a talking pineapple teach us how to say ananas.

Just putting this here for reference. I don’t recommend anyone to watch it. Even for October it’s too scary.

boffoboffo · October 7

Nice.

mking8288 · October 7

7 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

You don't have to watch the video (Youtube) ...

Right, the stateroom TV channels will (should) be disabled until OP is forced to listen (and watch) the 10+ minutes safety video, to the end (don't fast forward it or else ...) as part of the drill, even after he/she find and report to their assigned muster station onboard, and either get checked off and bar-code scanned in compliance with maritime requirements.

When staterooms and ready, while waiting for other deliveries (i.e. checked luggage, if not carried onboard) - this is a great time to unpack, use the restroom, look for those blue pool towels (tips: no longer in the staterooms) or ice bucket or hot water/coffee maker, etc. - as the video continued to play. If I remember correctly, on newer ships like the Prima, the life vests are no longer stored/kept - by design - in the staterooms but rather, will be at the muster or assembly stations.

We cancelled our Sky's TA booking next month and friends are going to be on and I'm pretty sure the posse are going to be entertained by the 2+ live reports. Best wishes for a great cruise and when life toss a monkey wrench in your way, just go with the flow and recover, and move forward ... very often, a life changing event can turn out to a turning point for the better.

boffoboffo · October 7

Got the safety video again this morning. I’m starting to feel good and safe…….unless the ship gets boarded by pirates. The safety video doesn’t prepare you for that so now I’m concerned. I guess you can blow your life jacket whistle at them and hope that scares them away.

boffoboffo · October 7

In the past we’ve always had plenty of time to print out all the various cruise documents like the boarding passes and luggage tags and felt that extra level of security with having everything physically with us. However, with the very short amount of time between booking and sailing this time we haven’t got around to doing it, so it looks like we’ll be trying this all digital. That includes train and bus tickets and our virtual check in at our Quebec hotel. Also means not checking our luggage at the port and just carrying it all on with us which’ll also be a first. At least this is the first time where we’ve packed light enough that it shouldn’t be a problem.

Just a few final things left to pack and we’ll be ready to head out tomorrow morning.

boffoboffo · October 8

4 hours since we left home and we’re currently sitting on our second train in Toronto waiting to get started. That is kind of depressing but at least we can relax for the next 5+ hours to Montreal.

Here comes the city bus to take us to the train station.

The train station.

Here comes train number one of three.

Getting on train number two with far too many people wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys.

boffoboffo · October 8

Did get the safety video email again today but YouTube doesn’t seem to work on the train wifi and I’m too lazy to switch to the cell network but I’ll watch it later. Feel bad at this point making a post without including at least one picture. We’re out of the Toronto area now and have found the Lake Ontario shoreline which I assume we’ll see a lot of between now and Kingston when the St. Lawrence River starts.

boffoboffo · October 8

The Sky is spending the day in Quebec City before the passengers disembark tomorrow, so the ship is already sitting there waiting for us.

boffoboffo · October 8

Welcome to Quebec. Unlike the roads train tracks don’t have welcome to signs that make for an easy landmark to take a picture of.

boffoboffo · October 8

Made it to the home of the worst hockey team in existence and therefore the worst city in the world, Montreal.

boffoboffo · October 8

Too dark for pictures anymore. We’re about 15 minutes behind schedule but we’ve finally made it to the train going to Quebec City. Only three-ish hours to go.

boffoboffo · October 9

15 hours since we left home but we made it. Conveniently our hotel was almost completely uphill from the train station. No issue for me, but my wife made it take twice as long as it should have. Hey. Only 12 hours until check in for the ship starts.

Quebec City train station.

Our hotel and a bed we’ve been looking forward to since at least Montreal.

boffoboffo · October 9

Up and basically waiting until we can head out to try and find the cruise terminal. Basic plan is check out and then find some place for breakfast. Walk to the cruise ship to check in at 11 or whenever they decide to start. Wait until they let us on the ship which hopefully won’t be long. Find our muster station which from the looks of videos I’ve seen are all around the promenade deck instead of inside venues like normal. Head to the main dining room for a quiet sit down lunch. Unless they’ve done something weird like change the embarkation day lunch menu for the first time in years I’m thinking Caesar salad, maybe soup if it’s cold enough outside(radar shows some snow just across the river from us), Philly Cheesesteak, and orange chocolate mousse. That’s as far as my plans go so we’ll make it up as we go after that.

cruiseny4life · October 9

Like I said to DeniseT, have a wonderful and enjoyable trip. I'm still excited to hear more about the St. Lawrence and the ports!!

Slow walking - that's my department in our marriage. My husband gallops. I appreciate my surroundings by walking slow and steady (and portly).

Whatever NCL throws at you for lunch, enjoy!! Your proposed order sounds tasty (minus the orange).

boffoboffo · October 9

A nip in the air but fortunately still comfortable shorts weather for me. Some random pictures from our two minute walk to breakfast.

McDônald’s sounds like a nice French place for a quick breakfast.

boffoboffo · October 9

Made it to the terminal around 10:30. Checked in and waiting in about 15 minutes. Fairly easy but as suspected a very small waiting area, hence the late check in times.

Our first glimpses of the ship.

The second in my series of carpeting in cruise terminal waiting area photos. New Orleans clearly maintains first place since they actually had carpet.

boffoboffo · October 9

On board and mustered. Main dining room wasn’t scheduled to open until 12 but they opened 15 minutes early. We were the second or third table seated.

Dining room entrance and lunch with a view of Levis across the river. It’s the classic embarkation day lunch menu.

boffoboffo · October 9

Quick service. The waitress really seemed to know what she was doing which isn’t always the case on day 1. She even offered buns which in the past they tend not to do at lunch. Food was all served hot when it was supposed to be. I went with exactly what I predicted although I splurged and added a fruit plate.

A good start.

boffoboffo · October 9

Just sitting back in the main atrium killing time until cabins are ready. With it mostly taken up by the panoramic elevators there’s just a few seats here and the guest services desk. It’s actually quiet since there’s no space to hold any events here. Not even anyone in line at guest services which is odd for the beginning of a cruise. Glad guest services was where I thought it was because some lady was looking for it while we were waiting for lunch and I gave her directions despite having only explored the ship on paper.

Sitting on and oddly placed couch where I can basically hide under the stairs. I am planning on hitting my head when I attempt to stand up.

boffoboffo · October 9

Advance preview of the MDR dinner menu.

boffoboffo · October 9

Rooms were ready about 2:15. Benefit of carrying our luggage on was were completely unpacked by 2:45. Pulling off the pier now in the rain. Here’s some random pictures with no explanation.