Buford T Justiice

For those who have done the JVD through Rebel Yell ( the NCL tour ), how was getting from the cat to the shore? This is my only concern. One of us is not a strong swimmer. How far do you swim and how is the water; rough, swells, currents? I assume if people take their kids, it can't be that bad.

Great question! This is the only thing holding us back from booking this excursion. Last year we did the Tortola island tour with beach break, but it was a Sunday morning and not much was open, and there were no facilities at the beach.

I had a similar situation (No available options Feb. 18th) for our upcoming Gem cruise and simply called NCL with no problems booking.

I think we all need to step back and think about that comment. First we want our free promos and then we want the company to pay more help so we can get served quicker. Talk about a "me" attitude.

The me attitude is NCL / FDR increasing revenue, decreasing expenses by REDUCING staff and rationing the "free alcohol".

... and when I saw the activity on the thread I was hoping for an update on the waterslide

Boy do I feel bait and switched...

Another point is that the recession is over for most of us... Great recession pricing for the last five years is over ... and many individuals have more discretionary income going into 2016...

Am I the only person who thinks that someone should not be called Dan-Dan past the age or 5?

Dan 1 and Dan 2 doesn't work for me

Wasn't it the Kings Foundation?

They seem to be recruiting for both NCL and Carnival:

http://www.kingsrecruit.com/partners/norwegian-cruise-line/

We had one good experience, one less than stellar experience, and now we drive.

For us living in Southern RI is was a pain to drive north to go south; hanging around the terminal waiting for the 1:00 PM pickup after the cruise was not fun.

Now we drive and are home in RI by 1:00 PM;

The second time we took the bus, the driver was over an hour late, and pulled up with a clear case of "bed head"; of course we had to stop for coffee for a half hour at one of the McDonald's rest areas on 95 for his break, and after we finally got to the port, priority embarkation (old system) for Platinum had already started and we didn't get on board with the regular customers until after 3:00 (after having been at the RI pickup location at 6:30 AM

I found a website that had a coupon for a significant parking discount to park at the pier and although its expensive I would never do it any other way. You literally walk off the boat and are heading out of NYC in a very short time frame! We do it this way every time.

 

I will hunt for the coupon site...

Here is the coupon site (coupons expired 10/3/15), but keep checking:

http://www.nycruise.com/manhattan-terminal/parking/

Hoping to get a coupon for our February cruise

I seem to recall a cruiser indicating that NCL held the bike and essentially gave it back to the passenger on the dock each time / each port it was used

Thanks very much for posting the dailies.

I think the NCL Gem full day in San Juan has just started; I think 10/10 - 10/20 was the first cruise. In past years the Gem arrived mid afternoon and left around 9:00 PM and El Yunque was not an option.

Hopefully someone on a recent cruise will post; I am also interested in NCL's hiking tour.

A choice of paid gratuities would be awesome.

My vote as well.

Back when the promo FIRST came out it was one port one $75 excursion.

It was subsequently amended to reflect three port days.

Sounds like the PCC was reading old material.

Also recommend Somerset Bridge Watersports

Agree with others staffing is way down. Last week on the Dawn passengers were four to six deep at the poolside bars most late afternoons.

Definitely rationing the free / UBP.

Did you have to pay Bermuda VAT taxes while in Bermuda?

No,

We just returned from Bermuda and had the free UBP, incl. gratuities and paid sales tax while leaving Boston... 50 or 60 cents a drink.

Would fathom being in Cuba help the other Carnival Corp brands though? I mean, if fathom can port there, that doesn't mean that Princess, Cunard, Hal, Carnival can- does it?

 

It doesn't seem like it gives them a leg up on mass market brands. I would think that fathom isn't really a mass market brand- it is a cruise line with a single ship and a singular mission.

 

This all would make more sense if they were doing 2 week cruises.

There's something to be said for being first; by the time the other mass market brands get into Cuba under normal conditions it may be a decade. CCL by then may be the "trusted partner" of the regime

This program is simply Carnival's way of getting into Cuba before the other mass marketed cruise lines. Of course ,they will go the DR and a few other countries for a while until they line up the "volunteer" / "exchange program" permits necessary for entry into Cuba.

Genius marketing / capitalism play by CCL!

FDR said there's always the arcade if your kids are locked out of splash academy :eek:

Looks like they will be spending the night with high tide and the inspection

Low tide was 4:06 ADT

She looks too far away to have run aground ... no?

Bermuda is shaped like a hook so it is difficult to know for me

Do they use a Pilot in Bermuda?

Yes.

NCL Dawn Bow Cam shows her facing Bermuda, several miles offshore