nybumpkin

It wasn't busy at all, and not noisy. They kicked out the buffet folks around 3;00 each day so they could set for dinner. I think you're right about my reaction - we had so many buffet meals there that it just took away from the "special" part of "specialty" dining. I think if you're planning on Food Republic as a dinner during your cruise, I'd try to avoid sitting there for the buffet overflow.

I did go on the 3/28 sailing, with my daughter-in-law. Since I'm a newbie, I can't compare it to Food Republics on other ships - but we enjoyed our experience. All of our food was really good, with my favorite being the Green Tea Jar for dessert - probably one of the best desserts I've had on a cruise. I would say the only "down" side to our experience was that the space adjoins the buffet and is used as an overflow space for the buffet for breakfast and lunch, so we had a number of other meals in the same space since there were no tables available in the buffet area. It just took away from the "specialty" experience. HBCcruiser, thanks so much for taking us on your cruise!

We've done a number of cruises over July 4. We've had deck parties, trivia, songs in the theater - just about everything except fireworks. And one year we got those too, since we sailed from Baltimore on July 4 and a number of towns along the bay had fireworks displays.

I actually prefer Freeport to Nassau. I wasn't mobbed with hair braiding offers. We went out to Deadman's Reef and did some of the best snorkeling I've done from shore.

The only way we get off the ship in Mo Bay is with an excursion. You can't easily get off and just wander around. The last time we were there our excursion was canceled, so we got off, walked into the terminal to buy some Blue Mountain coffee, and went back on the ship.

Jeff, I had to laugh at this post. You know I grew up in South Jersey - when I married Doug and moved to Upstate NY, when visiting us my dad would drive out of his way to find full-service gas. He hated pumping his own gas. After almost 40 years, I'm used to it. When we visit Jersey, we have our preferred stations where we know the attendants will get us back on the road quickly. Looking forward to your travels and Patti's pictures!

Anyone else remember the "death by chocolate" dessert they served in the steakhouse? It was chocolate served several different ways. I think they replaced with the chocolate sphere, which I don't care for.

For us, it's always been starter, entree, dessert. We've never ordered more than one starter - just too much food. Some folks have said they have ordered more than one starter - but the rule's pretty clear now that there's only one entree.

Back when Conquest was sailing from Galveston, we had an aft wrap booked with our sons in the aft balcony next door. In fact, we booked Conquest because the aft wrap was available the week we wanted. (Yeah, we booked the cruise for the cabin.😉) Two days before sailing DH received a call from Carnival - not from our PVP, from a different part of the sales department - and they offered to move us and our sons to a grand suite for an extra $500. Well, since we booked this particular cruise for the aft wrap, we said "no deal." A couple hours later, the same agent called back. If we'd move to the grand suite, they'd give us the sons' fares as onboard credit. We decided that offer was worthwhile for us. Someone REALLY wanted that aft wrap....

Exactly how we ended up with three weeks on QM2 rather than the two we originally planned. In 2019 QM2 sailed a two-week TA via Iceland, and we quickly booked. When we looked at flights, it seemed that we could book an inside cabin for the TA the week before for less than the flight over - so we did. As for dinner, on our NY-Southampton leg while dining at lunch one day we met a passenger who was a frequent QM2 guest. He told us that he took only breakfast and lunch in Britannia, and had dinner in King's Court. He did not want to dress up, and the arrangement suited him well.

Enjoyed your review, and glad everything worked out for you! I'll use your hints for Indulge the next time we sail!

I really liked Prima's CD. He was very visible and hosted a number of activities himself (Deal or No Deal and Trivia were the two I saw). If there are cutbacks on the available entertainment (and it sounds like that may be the case), that's not the CD's fault - you can't schedule something you don't have.

It's not unique to NCL - I've seen it often on my Carnival cruises, especially Conquest class with tables near the aft pool, the pizza stand, and the Seafood Shack. On one cruise we had a group set up their mahjongg games there to stay all day.

My comment on the buffet on another thread was that there are "campers" who find a prime table and don't leave; it's theirs from breakfast through lunch, and some even stay when the buffet lines close.

We used to sail in February when DH was between teaching gigs and the kids had winter break. I loved it - what a nice break from Upstate winter. But DH doesn't get that week in February now (HVCC has a different schedule). Maybe when he retires once and for all....

I just returned from an NCL cruise a few weeks ago and I have to say that "freestyle" had me more stressed out than planning any of my Carnival cruises. Don't get me wrong - I liked the ship, the service, and the food - but trying to figure out their pre-cruise restaurant reservations and show reservations just about put me over the edge. (And don't even get me started on reserving a boarding time - I stayed up until midnight to do that one.😮) I will be very happy to have my set dining time on Carnival Pride in July.

During the day there was a fair amount of trivia going on, as well as games like "Deal or No Deal." We weren't bored. I'm also very happy to find a seat where I can watch the ocean go by, read, and enjoy a beverage of some variety. There were also a number of the "pay extra" activities like the speedway or the Galaxy Pavilion. They didn't interest me, although I did watch the Speedway a bit. And of course there's the casino. (I've played in the casino on a cruise exactly once. Back when the slots took quarters, I had a bunch left from laundry that I wanted to use up. I put in one quarter, two came out. I put in two, six came out. Eventually I gave up trying to get rid of the quarters.😉) DH and I sailed Southampton to Reykjavik in July 2019 on Queen Mary 2 as part of a two-week Transatlantic crossing. The weather was what I would call "changeable." I would say that there were very few deck activities for us, but that was probably more due to the nature of QM2 (she's not noted for deck activities) than anything. And there were lots of folks who would bundle up (sweats) and walk laps on the Promenade Deck. Another plus to July: the sun sets late. (And another tip: if you have a balcony cabin, make sure your curtains are tightly drawn, otherwise the sun will wake you up at 4 a.m.) We were very fortunate with weather in Iceland. The first day we did the Golden Circle tour and really enjoyed it. The second day was cut short because there were concerns about ice between Reykjavik and Corner Brook, Newfoundland, which was our next port. (Yeah, we saw that movie too.) But we had time before leaving to take the shuttle into Reyjavik (it wasn't walkable from the dock) and do a tour of the cathedral and see some of the government buildings. I hope your enjoy your cruise!

The conga line through the casino to get off the ship was different! I think my daughter-in-law was a bit disappointed that no one looked a her passport when disembarking - all biometrics.

One of the questions that has come up about Carnival Venezia's plan to sail year-round from New York is the weather. Up to now, we sailed from New York a number of times - but all in the June-August time frame. However, I had occasion to sail Norwegian Prima recently, with an end of March/early April time frame, and told some of you that I'd share my thoughts about sailing from New York this early in the season. So here's my review of our 5-day sail to Bermuda. Bottom line: I'll stick to summer. It's just too chilly for my taste. But I do want to sail on Venezia!

Kathy’s “What I Thought” Section – Your Mileage May Vary As I noted at the outset, I’m a NCL newbie. I never really thought about an NCL cruise before – Carnival went all the places we wanted to go, and we have perks like free laundry with them. But this was the “off season” and NCL and Royal were the only options. I went with NCL, and I think it was a good choice. I understand that I’m basing my experience on one NCL ship, and that particular ship doesn’t really compare to other ships in the fleet. I have to admit to some annoyance with the whole process of signing up for dinners and shows in advance; to my mind, “freestyle” doesn’t mean planning your cruise experience in advance. It turned out that we probably could have waited until we boarded to book most of it. Cabin: We had BA Balcony 11782, and I found it to be nicely laid out and comfortable. I liked the shower with a door instead of a curtain, and the supplied toiletries were nice. The balcony had nice faux-wicker chairs and table. I have to admit to being a balcony snob, but especially on sailings from NYC – the sailaway is just that good. You want a balcony. Food: No complaints overall. Everything I had was very good (one minor exception: the corned beef hash for breakfast at The Local). We visited the buffet; Hudson’s; The Local; and Food Republic. The latter was part of a package that also included a drinks package. Aside from the corned beef hash, everything we had was well prepared, tasty, and served timely. For folks wondering about Food Republic, since it’s one of the upcharge restaurants that doesn’t get mentioned often, it’s an “Asian fusion” menu. Amanda and I could choose four dishes each. We had lots to share. My one recommendation above all is the Green Tea Jar for dessert – a chocolate brownie, green tea flavored mousse, and a cookie crumble. It’s unbelievably good. The Local is a great place if you’re looking for something between buffet dining and main dining room dining. It’s a casual menu for all meals, but served to you instead of a buffet. I enjoyed it for all meals. There were times when the breakfast seating seemed to get backed up, but I thought the staff did a good job at getting people seated and served promptly. Hudson’s is the main dining room, where we never had to wait long to be seated. I was very happy with all our menu choices, and the repeating menu didn’t bother me. We had plenty of choices and very good service. I might think differently about the menu if we were on a longer cruise. I had only breakfast and lunch at the buffet – there’s something about me that rebels at eating at the buffet for dinner on a cruise. Having said that, they posted notes about special dinners, like prime rib. In retrospect, I wish I had tried that. Lots of choices for breakfast, although I’m not a big breakfast eater. The chocolate croissants were excellent. For lunch, there was a grill line with burgers and hot dogs that I enjoyed. For you Carnival cruisers who were dismayed about the cutbacks on toppings for burgers, I was able to have both bacon and mushrooms on my burger – just as I like it. Not every day, but I got my fix. A word about Indulge, the food court-style dining on deck 8 aft. The idea is that you find a seat with a computer screen and order your meal by clicking on your selections – from any of the options – and the staff will bring our meal to you. Lots of good options and the food looked good. Unfortunately, on our sailing Amanda and I couldn’t get seating anywhere – it was mobbed. Apparently people arrived before they opened, found seating, and ordered as soon as possible. And stayed. Oh well – maybe next time. Entertainment: I really didn’t have much of an opportunity to go to many venues. We had booked the Donna Summer show, but it was canceled due to weather – too rough for the dancers. We did go to karaoke several times, which is a favorite of Amanda’s, and it was fun. The music around the ship was good. I wish I had time to spend in Syd Norman’s – it looked like a lot of fun. Final Thoughts I think I had an advantage in sailing Norwegian Prima having never sailed an NCL ship. I had no knowledge of the ship’s layout or expectations going in, other than seeing a number of so-so reviews. I really liked the ship – but I wouldn’t sail her again on this itinerary or another North Atlantic itinerary unless it was August. (And then you worry about hurricanes.) With a number of really attractive outdoor venues, this ship just calls for warm-weather sailing. I’d sail the Caribbean on her in a heartbeat. As for NCL in general, I was happy with the available activities and the service. I think we’ll be back – but we’re still working through pandemic-rescheduled cruises. Next up is Carnival Pride to the Norwegian fjords (rescheduled from a British Isles cruise), with a return to New York on QM2 (rescheduled from a TA in 2021), along with an American Cruise Lines’ New England tour. But in the meantime, I’m looking….

We opted to put our luggage out the night before debarkation, since we were taking a bus home that wasn’t scheduled until 11:00. I actually made a newbie mistake: I packed my room key in my suitcase, necessitating another visit to Guest Services. Our tags were called on schedule, at 8:45, and we joined the conga line that wove through the casino to the gangway on Deck 6. Customs was done with facial recognition – we never showed our passports. Leaving the pier, we had a long wait for the bus, but they let us wait inside Pier 90 so they could ready Pier 88 for the influx of arriving passengers.

Here are some of our onboard activities: Trivia, once with CD Simon and once with a new member of the CD staff from Brazil who had just signed on the ship for his first contract. I liked him a lot. Deal or No Deal in the main theater; we just watched, didn’t play. Scrabble in the Observation Lounge – I loved that place. I came back on our second sea day to read and enjoy a drink. A fair amount of karaoke – I’m not a big fan, but Amanda loves it. And one day we watched the Sexy Legs contest, which was funny (and the only time we ventured out to the pool deck). We did not get to see “Summer” – I was able to reserve seats online before sailing, but that performance had to be canceled due to weather.

The second sea day was rough. A lot of folks, including Amanda, ended up in their cabins for a lot of the day. I took time to walk around the ship to get pictures and also spent time in the Observation Lounge. By late afternoon Amanda felt better. I received a letter from Guest Services asking me to go to their desk for a refund due me. I had no idea why I was owed anything, but learned we were being refunded about $90 per person for leaving Bermuda early. A nice, unexpected gesture – I’ve been on cruises where we skipped a port and were refunded only port charges, and others where we’ve left earlier than scheduled and received nothing. Captain Kevin announced that if folks wanted to see the Statue of Liberty upon returning to NYC, they should plan to be on deck around 3 a.m. I heard a fair number of groans. (I’m not sure it ended up being that early – we weren’t back at Pier 88 until about 6 a.m.) At any rate, I gave up rising early to see the Statue on returning to NYC many cruises ago – I decided I value my sleep more. Amanda did too.

A few photos around Dockyard...

The second day in Bermuda was short, due to the expected bad weather. We had one activity planned: Bermuda Fun Golf, right at Dockyard. This is probably the most challenging mini golf I’ve ever done, with holes based on courses in Bermuda, the U.S., and Scotland. Aside from Amanda and I both enjoying mini golf, we had an added bonus: Amanda could return home saying she had played golf in Bermuda, something her husband (who loves golf) couldn’t say. Back aboard was 12:30 and we set sail for NYC around 1:30.