Day by Day Dawn NYE Review LIVE

[shoreguy]

So I'm happy to report... She said yes.

 

 

 

Shoreguy, we spoke directly with the IT guy and the captain and they are working on getting the webcam time fixed. IT guy said the time is programmed in Miami.

 

 

Let me know what kind of questions and comments you have.. I’ll be around.

 

 

 

Chris Connolly < =====Live from the Dawn

 

Congradulations - You got the important thing done :)

 

Miami :eek: It will never be fixed :) We all know the best part of NCL is the ship operations. I worry if the the two IT guys with internet diplomas and their hamsters will ever get it right.

[travelgurl]

Chris,

 

I just want to say congratulations, I am so happy for you both!!! Thanks for taking the time to give us a peek into your vacation on the beautiful ship. It sounds like you're having the time of your life! Happy New Year!

 

Mary.... appreciating your postings!;)

[Dolphins]

We thought the musicians on the Dawn were outstanding in every venue. What is this "modern music" Chris is seeking? Is that the music which has everything except a melody?

[CSM]

Chris:

 

Can you access the net with your own wireless card in your own laptop from the balcony cabins? Or do you have to use NCL's wireless card and go to a public area? We'll be on the Dawn on Jan 20 & Mar 20.

 

What is the internet cost per min from your own laptop?

 

Carole

[dongordon]

Great way to start the New Year.

 

Thanks for providing all that great information.

 

Don

[sclauss]

Congrats Chris!

 

I was just in the Owners Suite on 12/9 and am hoping to be back on some time soon!

 

Have a great trip!

Sharon

[WaldosPepper]

So I'm happy to report... She said yes.

 

 

Congratulations! What a wonderful way to start the New Year, and a new chapter in your life!

[fin]

The cost per minute of using your own laptop is the same as using one of the ships computers. The advantage is the savings in time. Say hi to Rado from the passenger on 11/28 cruise with 'the package' from room 9017.

[Kalos Orisate]

The opening night entertainment was an introduction by the CD, Paul and comedy by Dave Heenan. I’ve seen Dave Heenan now twice on different ships and I have to say this guy isn’t funny.

Hansen had two shows - opening night and a "new act" in the Spinnaker Lounge a few days later. He was better in the second act. Some pretty good observations about ship life: Recall the Polish passengers on the fantail who threw popcorn at the helicopters...

[ChrisConnolly]

Dolphins... What I mean by modern music is stuff that is currently played on the radio including hiphop. I'm sure you don't like that type of music but please avoid flaming me. The discos plays 70's and 80's era dance songs. I'm younger...

 

 

Regarding internet access.. Suites have a wired ethernet port so I can type on my laptop from my room. The wireless access is only in the hot stops, which is poolside and in the atrium....Incidentally I get transfer rates of about 30k and when I read cruisecritic from the ship I'm able to logout and read all the posts I've preloaded as well as respond without wasting expensive internet time..

 

For everyone that gave us good wishes... Thank you very much.. We are both on cloud 9.

 

Chris Connolly <== 79 degreee and Sunny

[CSM]

Thanks for the internet info Chris and congratulations! What a great way to strart the new year!

 

Carole

[ChrisConnolly]

Just out of the hot tub and responding to some email from my business. We had dinner tonight in Venetian and saw a great comedy act.

 

Please feel free to post you specific questions... Tonight was country western night on a new york cruise... That doesn't make much sense to me...

 

 

Also 2 out of three of my excursions were cancelled.. quads in antigua and screaming eagle in st. thomas.. I'm bummed about both.. If they cancel virgin gorda, then I'll really be sad.. Oh well... Should be a fun post engagement night...

 

 

Chris Connolly <== putting his hat on the door like in Meet the Fockers.

 

 

p.s. glanced that garden villa thread that has been a hot topic... A quick reminder... Even if someone can get to the 14th floor, then they still need a room key to get through the door.

[lvstocruise]

Hi congrats!

I will be on the Jan 20th sailing and just curious how the seas have been? calm or rough? Why did they cancel your excursions for st. thomas and antigua? any reason? post when you can and have a great time. When is the wedding? will it be on the dawn?

Thanks for replying to all of these crazy questions

bye

felicia

[pathubia]

LOL, the hat!!!

 

I almost forgot about that part of the movie.

 

Patty

 

Have a great time.

[iceburg1]

Congrats!!

 

Nice to hear you're having a great time so far.

 

What time did the ship actually leave from NY? Has the restaurant service been slow at all? Any chance of posting some of the menus, if you can photo scan?

 

Enjoy your special cruise.

[uneamie]

Please feel free to post you specific questions... Tonight was country western night on a new york cruise... That doesn't make much sense to me...[/Quote]Country Western night? In the restaurants you mean? Sounds like fun, not sure I'd want the entire cruise to be about New York. :rolleyes:

Also 2 out of three of my excursions were cancelled.. quads in antigua and screaming eagle in st. thomas.. I'm bummed about both.. If they cancel virgin gorda, then I'll really be sad..

Why were your excursions canceled? Bummer I'd say!:( Were you abe to book something else?

 

 

p.s. glanced that garden villa thread that has been a hot topic... A quick reminder... Even if someone can get to the 14th floor, then they still need a room key to get through the door.

That's what I was thinkin! ;)

[swmrgrl]

We only experienced one dining problem on the 12/19 cruise. My parents went to the Aqua for lunch and were one of the 1st people in. They had extremely poor service from the waiter. He had a sour look on his face, disappeared from sight 99% of the time and brought them cold food. My parents watched other diners get served immediately and leave - all before they had finished their meal. They gave up waiting for coffee to be served and went to the garden cafe to get dessert and coffee. They filled out a customer comment card and told our concierge, Ruth, what had happened. They felt like they were invisible to the waiter. What is interesting, I was talking to other people on an excursion the following day when a small group of older senior woment heard me. They had exactly the same experience with the same waiter. I don't know what happened to him once the complaints were filed. Other than that we didn't experience any other dining problems on the 12/19 cruise. After that incident Ruth booked the reservations for the restaurants we wanted and the service and location were top notch.

 

I had wanted to make the cc meeting on the 20th, but the bad weather had me hanging my head over the toilet and motion sickness bags all day. When I originally ran on a treadmill at 7 am the ships motion wasn't too bad, but it progressed to higher waves fairly quickly. Ranging from 27 - 42 feet was pretty incredible. Our villa had glasses fall out of the cabinets onto the floor during one of the waves. Only 3 in our villa were enjoying the storm with no ill effects. Two of us sustained minor bruising when we tried to stop stuff from falling. We forgot that once the ship goes one way it has to come back the other. Ouch, those walls are hard.

[Kalos Orisate]

My parents went to the Aqua for lunch and were one of the 1st people in. They had extremely poor service from the waiter. He had a sour look on his face, disappeared from sight 99% of the time and brought them cold food. My parents watched other diners get served immediately and leave - all before they had finished their meal. ...They filled out a customer comment card and told our concierge, Ruth, what had happened. They felt like they were invisible to the waiter. What is interesting, I was talking to other people on an excursion the following day when a small group of older senior woment heard me. They had exactly the same experience with the same waiter. I don't know what happened to him once the complaints were filed.

It's always a problem deciding when to complain. Seems to be all human beings deserve grace and forgiveness for the occasional bad day. Some of these waiters are on duty every day for 6-10 months at a time. I wouldn't want to have wait staff so deathly scared of being "reported" by persnickety customers that they go around with a false smile and feigned interest. I would have waited for a second or third day of bad service - and even then I would not demand the waiter lose his job.

 

On the 12/19 cruise I noticed all service was slow - in every restaurant. I think the kitchen was having problems keeping up - so I'm reluctant to blame the waiters - even when they have a "sour face" which is easy to dislike. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes...

[swmrgrl]

The Aqua didn't have many customers at the time and my parents were very respectful and polite. The waitress who was serving the other tables had orders taken and water within minutes of the guests sitting down. I think waiting 10 - 15 minutes for the same service when this particular waiter had no one else is not acceptable. Isn't it odd that another group of seniors had the same experience from the same waiter at lunch. They also rec'd their food cold and with no condiments. When the waiter didn't come back, they flagged down another waiter to have them call the waiter to their table - again with no immediate success. This group filed a complaint and used the same terminology "it was as if we were invisible."

 

While I realize the crew staff work very hard to please guests and can have an off day - it still doesn't excuse the way the seniors were treated this particular lunch time.

[Kalos Orisate]

I think waiting 10 - 15 minutes for the same service when this particular waiter had no one else is not acceptable. Isn't it odd that another group of seniors had the same experience from the same waiter at lunch. They also rec'd their food cold and with no condiments. When the waiter didn't come back, they flagged down another waiter to have them call the waiter to their table - again with no immediate success. This group filed a complaint and used the same terminology "it was as if we were invisible."

While I realize the crew staff work very hard to please guests and can have an off day - it still doesn't excuse the way the seniors were treated this particular lunch time.

Yes, I don't deny you and the seniors had a bad experience that day. It might have cost the waiter and his family a livelihood... :(

[greenie]

I would imagine that the two complaints about that waiter caused him to be spoken to by his supervisor and asked to maybe do his job better, not cause him to lose his job. Comment cards are really useful this way and a good supervisor will use them to spot a trend--and nip it in the bud (so to speak).

 

Chris, I have a techie-dummy question for you, so be patient with me, OK? :rolleyes: I'm still trying to figure out if my BF and I will be able to use the internet onboard using his laptop. We are in a suite and his laptop does not have the card (or whatever it is) to make it work via wireless. I know you said the suites have a "wired ethernet port." WHat does that mean (in dummy laywoman terms :) )? Does that mean we will be able to use his laptop for sending/receiving e-mail?

 

Thank you and CONGRATS on your engagement--that's so cool and romantic!

 

Greenie

[ChrisConnolly]

All in All the seas have been calm but we will be late getting into St. Thomas today as it will be around 1pm. The first excusrion was cancelled because of the late arrival the second was cancelled due to a request by the operator.

 

Since we will be arriving after 1pm on a Sunday in St. Thomas, basically all of main street will be closed but Havensight remains open.

 

 

Dinner in the venetian was good last night except for one gentleman who was literally cursing out his wife Roz. I asked him politely to stop cursing and he said to me "I don't see any babies around". Oh well..

[Kathyh1313]

Yes, I don't deny you and the seniors had a bad experience that day. It might have cost the waiter and his family a livelihood... :(

 

I am always a very happy and congenial cruiser. I often take the good with the bad. That being said, when service is unacceptable it should be reported. Perhaps speaking to the restaurant manager at the time. I am a nurse manager and occasionally get a complaint about an employee. If that employee is having the rare "off day" I can excuse it. If it is an employee who has chronic issues, then corrective action is warranted. You do not know that this employee was fired. And just becuase it is his livelihood does not make it my responsibility to accept poor service. It is that employees reponsibility to give good service to maintain his own job!

 

Happy cruising, Kathy

[swmrgrl]

The service that was rec'd was an isolated case only. I can't imagine the waiter getting fired over this and if he does, it would have had to be an accumulation of a poor track record. We did not encounter any other problems while on the cruise and the staff was very efficient and friendly.

[Kalos Orisate]

...I can't imagine the waiter getting fired over this and if he does, it would have had to be an accumulation of a poor track record.

It really depends on the ship, the supervisor, and operational requirements. Third world staff can be dismissed for quite trivial "offences" and they have little recourse - because very often they are easily replaced. According to conversations I've had with cruise ship wait staff, a typical situation is that a new batch of waiters arrive based on previous projections, but for some reason there are a few more waiters than necessary. Management needs an arbitrary excuse to cancel a few contracts prematurely. So they pull out last week's complaint from Mrs Plushbottom, and Hamid finds himself fired and on the next plane home... :(