Just booked the GEM in February to FL & Bahamas and have a few questions

[lauren75]

I just booked & have a few questions...

 

Since we are leaving from NYC, it will be COLD. How many days in until you don't need the long pants and can start swimming & such?

 

Also, does it make sense to rent a car in Part Canaveral? It would be nice to have flexibility, though the places I called all seem to close early & we get there at noon and leave the same day.

 

Also, when registering for online check in, NCL asks if you are a 1st time cruiser. Is there any benefit/negative in answering yes? We have never done their cruiseline before, so I don't know if there are any perks for 1st time cruisers...

 

Any insider hints & tips are appreciated!

[Birdnutty]

I just booked & have a few questions...

 

Since we are leaving from NYC, it will be COLD. How many days in until you don't need the long pants and can start swimming & such?

 

Also, does it make sense to rent a car in Part Canaveral? It would be nice to have flexibility, though the places I called all seem to close early & we get there at noon and leave the same day.

 

Also, when registering for online check in, NCL asks if you are a 1st time cruiser. Is there any benefit/negative in answering yes? We have never done their cruiseline before, so I don't know if there are any perks for 1st time cruisers...

 

Any insider hints & tips are appreciated!

 

It will be cold pretty much the whole first day at sea, but the hot tubs can be fun. We did a feb cruise once and the kids were swimming while we were still docked. Go figure. And when the swimming starts is very subjective. The Port Canaveral water is a helluva lot warmer than NYC, but still cool by Florida standards. Depends on your personal tolerance to water temps.

 

We're gonna rent a car (What date are you going? We're going on the 21st) Most places let you make arrangements for late drop offs of the cars, so there's no need to rush to get back before the rental office closes. Just call the individual rental office (not the 800 number) to confirm that. Having a car enables you to get around easily and cheaply.

 

Don't know of any perks for first time cruisers. I tend to doubt it. This board and the ports of call boards are packed with hints and tips. You could spend MONTHS reading them and never run out of material. What specifically are you interested in?

[lauren75]

Thanks for the reply...which company are you renting the car from?

[MSH2007]

Did the Gem cruise 12/6-13. It was cold until about lunchtime on the 7th and then started getting cold in the evening of the day home. The seas were rough around the Carolinas and I was told this is not unusual for the time of year. We walked off the ship in canaveral and got a car to take us to Cocoa Village. It's a delightful little town with nice shopping. Had lunch at Murdoch's. It's a historical building turned into a bar/restaurant. Very laid back, great food, and a very hospitable host. We made arrangements with the driver to pick us up and return us to the ship. Called him on the cell and he was back within 10 minutes. It was a lovely day.

[MSH2007]

Sorry the proper spelling is Murdocks. You can google them and see the menu!

[Cruise_baby]

We were on the Gem last March, and by the second day the kids were in the pool. They were begging me to get in, and when I checked the water, it must have been warmed up because it felt like bath water.

As for Port Canaveral, we rented from Budget and there was a really nice worker there that gave us his card if we got there after closing hours. He drove us back to the port and we gave him a nice tip to show our appreciation.

It gave us a chance to go to Orlando and visit Downtown Disney with the kids.

 

Grace

[lauren75]

We are also going on the 21st. It should be nice...one month to go! I wound up booking the car. We can always take a cab back to the port.

[garycarla]

They ask about first time cause if a repeat, they would like to find your number.

[superbonnie]

We too are going on the Gem in March and I have tried to book a car but cannot book online when I put in a return time of 8 p.m. I booked with Budget and typed in 6, but we won't go if we have to get back that early. Did you feel you had enough time to do some of disney. We have a 3 and 6 year old and they can't wait to go, but I don't want to spend all that money for just two or three hours in the park. How long did it take you to drive over and did you get into port at 12 or 10? Thanks for any advice.

[scg1a0]

Thanks for posting this as I too am going on the 2/28 sailing and had the same questions!

 

I heard that there is a good zoo in Cocoa Beach that I am interested in going to!