tsahall01

Looking at the website, there are NO cruises for the Getaway from March 17th to July 28th! It does a R/T NYC-NYC from March 7th to the 17th--Bermuda and Caribbean and then the next date for sailing is July 28th to August 4th--Greek Islands. Maybe Chartered??? If it were dry dock, they would still have the transAtlantic.

The mini-beer is my now favorite drink--I sip it. First discovered it on the Epic TA last April. Unfortunately, I was on the Epic again in September and December and was not able to get it!! So happy to see it is available again on some ships--I will try again on the Breakaway in September and the Jade in November. I like your idea of trying a new drink everyday--I'm going to try it out. I usually stick to wine as I'm a pretty light drinker, aka a cheap date! LOL!

The Epic--you either love it or hate it! The MAJOR complaint is the bathroom set-up. When first entering the cabin, the shower is on one side and the toilet is on the other side. Both are enclosed with frosted glass, so you can tell if someone is in there, but can't really see them. I have been on the Epic with 2 people to a cabin and 3 people to a cabin. Both times we loved it!! One could shower while one used the toilet! There is a curtain that you can pull to seperate the shower/toilet area from the rest of the cabin. It would be akward for a family with teens--especially since there is no room to towel off or dress before exiting the shower. It would also be akward if a cabin attendant walked in while one of the areas were in use. The sink in the main cabin area is small, but no problems. I would recommend booking a cabin with the couch closest to the door as opposed to the bed, due to the sink position. I love the Epic and have sailed on her 5 times--3 TAs and 2 other cruises. Only draw back is no observation lounge.

This is a picture of the hole being closed up! Even with the delay and port changes, it really was a great cruise--we had lots of fun! Barcelona is a great port to get stuck in!! I would sail on the Star any day!

We were on the Star for the TA in October of 2018 (might have been November, but it was in 2018). We started out in Rome, with stops in Barcelona, Maderia, St Martin and maybe a few others--senior, blonde moment--it's a double whammy. Anyway, once we got to Barcelona, we were informed that we would be overnighting as they needed to repair the Azipod. That overnight turned into 2 overnights. They had to cut into the side of the ship to service the Azipod. The port of Maderia was missed, but we made all of the other ports. It was a fun cruise and I actually enjoyed the extra time in Barcelona!

Oooooooh! I sure hope that they do this!! I have a HUGE collection (over 50) of states, countries, and cities of where I have been. Love collecting them, but totally clueless as to what I am going to do with all of them! It's fun to collect them. I always scope out the Starbucks on the ships in hopes that they have ship mugs! I'll look for them on my next cruise!

We always pack/wear our Scott-e-Vest for our trips. They are a life saver for places like Rome and Barcelona where pickpockets are everywhere. We have never had a problem--close calls, but all my money and electronics were in zippered inside pockets, so they got nothing (escalators in the train station in Barcelona to go to Montserrat). They are pricey, but I won't travel without them! They can become HEAVY with lots of things in the pockets, LOL!! Our cousin once almost packed his entire backpack into his Scott-e-vest! Have a wonderful, safe cruise!

try St Thomas to Sydney Australia! LOL!!

That was actually one feature I liked--and I've been on the Epic with my sister, my husband, and my 2 Canadian girlfriends. I was great to be able to use one feature while the other was in use!! We even had one in the shower, one on the pot, and one using the sink. Since I have sailed the Epic for my last 3 cruises, it might be hard to go back to the usual style! Sailing with the Canadians in September on the Breakaway!

We are actually booked on the Viva TA from San Juan in April of next year. I was on the Getaway for a TA in 2019--was my worst cruise ever--that's why I booked the New Zealand cruise--if I hated it as well, I was going to start going to HAL again--LOL! Cruise on the Jewel way my favorite!! Jewel and Jade are similar, so hoping that it will be a good cruise. I have my airfare from STT-MIA-NCL air to Lisbon-JFK-STT already booked, so it will be kinda hard to change, plus my sister and BIL are joining us. I've had 3 Epic TAs, 1 Star and 1 Getaway. Looking forward to the Viva cruise!! Cheers!! Susan--on a side note, my sister and BIL will be on the Spirit with you on May 31st from Seward to Vancouver--they are doing the land tour pre-cruise. I would join them, but my husband and I will be in Australia until the 3rd of June

Great review! My home for the past 22 years has been St Thomas! Magens Bay, my favorite beach, is a 5 minute drive from my house. I can see Magens from my driveway if I stand on my tippytoes. From our house we have an unobstructed down island view of Tortola, Jost Van Dyke and St John. Hope you had a great day on my island! Did you see walkers on the way up to Paradise Point? That is one hill I have not walked up--we usually drive up there--Prime Restaurant there is the BEST. They also make a pretty mean Bushwaker up there. The hotel, the Marriott (now a Westin) at the point on your sailaway was where I worked for 10 years--Pool Bar Queen!! Sadly, it has been closed since the hurricanes of 2017. They hope to open late this year or next--lots of delays. Cheers!!

Have a wonderful cruise. I was on the last 2 TAs of the Epic, making for a total of 3 TAs on the Epic. I would have been on this cruise, but my husband and I are returning to Australia for a 3 week land trip (only Sydney and Melbourne, where he was born. Rotary convention there as well). My husband has not been back to Australia since 1990!! I snuck in a 9 day cruise on the Jewel in December of 2019 going to New Zealand and Australia--my first solo! Anyways, we met back in 2018 for the TA on the Star! I was traveling with the Canadians (Linda, Gwen and Jenny). I still cruise with the Canadians, and have a cruise line up with them in September. My husband and I are doing the TA on the Jade in November from Lisbon to NYC. TAs are my favorite!! Enjoy! Cheers! Susan

I was able to make reservations for Taste and Savor along with Manhattan Room. Once on board the ship, the reservations for Taste and Savor were NOT honored and had to wait in line for a table--many upset people who thought that they had reservations to only be told to go to the end of the line. Reservations for Manhattan Room and Speciality restaurants were honored. This was on the Getaway pre covid (October/November 2019). Don't know if this is still happening, but I have since made all my reservations for the Manhattan Room and avoided Savor and Taste for this reason.

Most of our excursions are independent--using Tours by Locals, Italy Tours EU, George's Taxi (Athens) and Viator. We have things booked for each port except for Naples. We have already been to Pompeii. I'm interested in Capri, but the tours there are very expensive. Just might wing it, or have a "down" day as we will be running pretty much nonstop once the cruise starts. I am looking forward to retuning to Malta--St John's Co-Cathedral is not to be missed! I'm sure that the Getaway was just a one off combination of unfortunate events. I took a cruise 6 weeks later in Australia and New Zealand--my first solo and first time on the Jewel--BEST cruise ever!! Love solo cruising. I'm retired, but my husband is still working and cannot cruise as much as I can. I'm sure the weather will be much better in the Med than what it is in the North Atlantic in October/November/December. After my last TA last December on the Epic, I said never again! LOL! Never say never, I'm booked on the Jade for a TA from Lisbon to NYC Nov 3rd!

The Canadians and I are doing this trip in September. Our ports are slightly different as well: Rome-Santorini-Athens-Mykonos-Argostoli-Valletta-Messina-Naples-Livorno-Rome. I have been to most of the ports, but the Canadians have not! I've been on the Getaway (did not care for it, LOL!), but not on the Breakaway--hoping things will be better. Lots of problems on the Getaway along with most of the passengers getting sick--October of 2019--It was surprising full even though it was a 19 day TA from Copenhagen to New Orleans. Very bad weather, so most of the Waterfront was closed off and we couldn't use our balconies. Long wait times for the restaurants, even those with reservations (they did NOT honor reservations in Savor or Taste--only Manhattan Room, which I thought was very RUDE--why allow reservations if you're not going to honor them!! MANY people VERY upset!) With the number of people getting sick, we were all thinking afterwards that it was pre-covid covid. My sister ended up getting pneunomia and whopping cough. MANY people coughing their heads off (both of our cabins as well, with my cabin mate also getting pneunomia). I was coughing for a couple of months later.... Anyway, that being said, we are looking forward to the cruise and following you on this one for hints and suggestions! Have a great cruise!!

Bird--this is the current list from A List Bar??? It shows Baileys at $13 and Bubly being on board. I thought that Baileys was more than $15 and is included in the Plus package, but not the regular. I also thought that Bubly was discontinued due to the fact that it is a Pepsi product--it also lists regular Pepsi products

It is possible to upgrade just one person and "share" the unlimited package (if 2 are traveling, the one not upgraded uses up their minutes and then starts using the unlimited package)--very easy to switch from one user to another.

We are on the cruise before you, the TA from San Juan to Lisbon. It has not changed. I tried to book your cruise and it showed up as a 10 day cruise from Lisbon to Rome. However, when clicking through, it says that the itinerary is no longer available and to choose another cruise. Charter maybe?

When I worked for American Hawaii Cruises, the ships in Hawaii were all American crew and union. I worked in Tahiti, we started out will all American crew, no union. American Hawaii didn't seem to know that if the ship has a foreign flag, it does NOT need to have an American crew--they learned the hard way. It was great for the first 8 months I was on the ship--then they started to bring in the indonesian crew--started serving fish heads and lots of rice in the crew buffet--they then allowed the American crew to eat at the regular buffet! We were paid $60/day/plus tips/plus bonus. The Indonesian crew was paid $10/month/plus tips/no bonus. We were not brought back at the end of our leave, as all the Americans were replaced with Indonesians. American Hawaii ended up losing the ssLiberte in less than a year of its deployment and they soon went belly up. NCL bought the Indy and the Coni--the Liberte was seized in San Francisco when it arrived there for dry dock (this was a couple of months after I left the ship) I loved working on the ship and considered it one of my best jobs! I love cruising even more!!

Bubly used to be included in the FAS beverage plan--I got it often on my post-covid cruises. Sometimes, I was lucky and they gave me the entire can, but most often, it was poured into a glass. When NCL switched to Coke products, it was discontinued as Bubly is a Pepsi product. I have not seen AHA or other brands of sparking flavored water since the switch over.

I paid for a 12 day cruise and I’m going to get my money’s worth!! OMG!! That made me LOL!!! Brought back fond memories of my Dad! He would fly over to Europe (on a military plane as he was retired military--he was also retired United Air Lines and could fly for just taxes, but the military plane was free, so...) He would always purchase the 14day Eurail pass (for seniors, of course) and he would ride the train for a total of 13 days, only getting off on day six or 7 to wash his clothes (he always stopped near a base so that he could stay for next to nothing). He did not have a sleeper car--slept right in his seat. NEVER got off the train for the 13 travel days, except to change trains--had to get his money's worth! After about 2 trips like that, my mother refused to go with him, so he traveled solo in Europe on the trains until his mid 80's Thanks for the memory!

oops--think I got that mixed up with gold status--I'm now platinum, so I get a free bag--gold gets one bag at half off. My husband will be platinum after this next cruise we take and I will be Sapphire, so we'll get 2 free bags of laundry! On our 19 day cruise in April, 2024, we'll each get 2 bags of free laundry (4 in total)

They usually have a special during the cruise where the bag of laundry is half off, so it would only be about 15 dollars.

On my last two sailings, the strawberries were moldy by the second day--never got to eat one! On my next sailing, those babies will be gone in no time on the first day!

Irish coffee IS on the regular "free at sea" beverage plan--I have gotten it many times with no upcharge. You can always order a coffee and a shot of your choice of liquor on the side--if you have to have the whipped cream, you maybe SOL--you can always add creamer, if you must & if they haven't run out of it!