Firstin87

Definitely go with your husband's plan!! Only hope of not having a stressful day is to go early.

I've posted this in the General NCL forum since that is the cruise line we were on, but this relates to the port at Fuerte Amador and others might want to also read it. We’re back from our cruise through the Panama Canal (NCL Jewel 2/4-13) and here is some helpful information regarding our embarkation in Fuerte Amador, Panama (will also apply to those disembarking at that port). So, as many of you have heard, there have been issues with the port in Fuerte Amador. There is a great deal of construction going on and you have probably received information about checking in at the Panama Convention Center as opposed to the actual port. Our cruise was one of the first to experience this new process. First, give your driver the address of the Convention Center (Calle Gral. Juan de Peron; whatever is specified in the email from the cruise line). We took an Uber from our hotel and the driver went the wrong way for a few minutes, so we assume there is more than one place referred to as “Convention Center”. The Convention Center is very clearly marked as being NCL – flags along the entrance road, etc. – and there is good signage where to go and enter the building. Passengers line up to check in their luggage. No priority line for this. The line is long and very slow moving, despite there being a good number of NCL staff taking the luggage. The delay was primarily due to people not having luggage tags already applied. If everyone had their tags pasted on, the line would go soooo much faster. NCL can improve this congestion point by handing out tags to people in line and having them fill out and attach the tags before they get to the table to hand their luggage over to an NCL staffer. We had Priority Check In, so went upstairs and were checked in quickly. I believe others checked in downstairs and it is probably the standard waiting time and lines. There were plenty of NCL staff to give directions. During check in, you are given a group number that is supposed to be used for boarding buses that drive to the port. Having been very lucky to have arrived early and be Priority, we were on the second or third bus to depart. As the day went on, the waiting time to board an air conditioned bus grew and I don’t know if the number system was followed. The bus drive to the port was about 10 minutes. Once you get to the port, you are in a construction zone, the road was not paved, and although work was not going on when we were there (Sat.), you saw the equipment and that a lot is being built. Your only option for getting from the Convention Center to the port is via the buses – you cannot decide to catch an Uber instead due to the dirt road and limitations of accessing the port. Once you get off the bus, you walk through a large tent to go through security (in photo, long tent on the right). Passengers are all in one line and there is only one x-ray machine for every item to pass through. Massive congestion! The line progressed through the tent, back outside, and to the gangway – only one gangway was open – and boarding the ship. Thie gangway was another congestion point. NCL had staff handing out water, but that was it – no bathroom available, uncomfortable weather for some people. As the day wore on, the buses kept coming and were lined up waiting for the security line to progress enough for them to unload. Some people were sitting on the bus for two hours before walking another hour through the security line and boarding. An absolute s------w! We were scheduled to sail at 5:00, but did not leave until 8:00. At 5:00, the line of buses stretched beyond the end of the covered area in the photo and had to be at least a dozen buses long. The Muster Drill (in person now) was set for 4:00, but did not occur until after 6:30. There were literally passengers who boarded the ship after spending hours getting from the Convention Center and onboard who went directly to the Muster Drill. A nightmare of an embarkation day! While the port of Fuerte Amador is responsible for many of the embarkation issues, NCL also dropped the ball badly. They must absolutely improve the congestion points they can. In addition, they failed miserably in acknowledging, addressing, and apologizing for the headaches and delays of the day. Again, we boarded early (about 1:00) and did not hear ANY announcements throughout the day about the delays; no announcements about the change in Muster Drill time; nothing done to apologize (free dinks that day, give everyone another specialty dining, something to acknowledge what an awful experience their vacation began with). As I noted, the Muster drill was supposed to be at 4:00, so we went to our meeting place at that time – were told it was delayed until 7:00. We had a reservation at Le Bistro for 5:30, but when we arrived we were told they were not serving as the Muster Drill would begin soon. We returned to Le Bistro after the Drill, which didn’t start until almost 6:30, and were seated in the order of our reservation times. Absolutely zero communication throughout the day. The first PA announcement of the day was to begin the Muster Drill and was done by the Cruise Director, Tahana. She made no acknowledgement whatsoever about the events of the day – no apology, absolutely nothing said; you can’t just ignore what passengers went through – just the standard introduction of the Muster Drill. Unprofessional, insensitive to the discomfort of the passengers, and just a complete fail on starting people’s vacations on a positive note. And if you disembark at Fuerte Amador, it will take a long time as you’ll be returning to… somewhere… via the buses, so a slow and arduous process. Advice for surviving embarking at this port: 1. Put on your luggage tags in advance. 2. Bring water and maybe a snack in your carry on. 3. Be ready to put your items on the belt into the x-ray machine. 4. Pack a h--- of a lot of patience! After this, the cruise was great! Disembarkation in Colon was typical. That port isn’t undergoing construction.

We’re just returned from our cruise through the Panama Canal (NCL Jewel 2/4-13) and here is some helpful information regarding our embarkation in Fuerte Amador, Panama (will also apply to those disembarking at that port). So, as many of you have heard, there have been issues with the port in Fuerte Amador. There is a great deal of construction going on and you have probably received information about checking in at the Panama Convention Center as opposed to the actual port. Our cruise was one of the first to experience this new process. First, give your driver the address of the Convention Center (Calle Gral. Juan de Peron; whatever is specified in the email from the cruise line). We took an Uber from our hotel and the driver went the wrong way for a few minutes, so we assume there is more than one place referred to as “Convention Center”. The Convention Center is very clearly marked as being NCL – flags along the entrance road, etc. – and there is good signage where to go and enter the building. Passengers line up to check in their luggage. No priority line for this. The line is long and very slow moving, despite there being a good number of NCL staff taking the luggage. The delay was primarily due to people not having luggage tags already applied. If everyone had their tags pasted on, the line would go soooo much faster. NCL can improve this congestion point by handing out tags to people in line and having them fill out and attach the tags before they get to the table to hand their luggage over to an NCL staffer. We had Priority Check In, so went upstairs and were checked in quickly. I believe others checked in downstairs and it is probably the standard waiting time and lines. There were plenty of NCL staff to give directions. During check in, you are given a group number that is supposed to be used for boarding buses that drive to the port. Having been very lucky to have arrived early and be Priority, we were on the second or third bus to depart. As the day went on, the waiting time to board an air conditioned bus grew and I don’t know if the number system was followed. The bus drive to the port was about 10 minutes. Once you get to the port, you are in a construction zone, the road was not paved, and although work was not going on when we were there (Sat.), you saw the equipment and that a lot is being built. Your only option for getting from the Convention Center to the port is via the buses – you cannot decide to catch an Uber instead due to the dirt road and limitations of accessing the port. Once you get off the bus, you walk through a large tent to go through security (in photo, long tent on the right). Passengers are all in one line and there is only one x-ray machine for every item to pass through. Massive congestion! The line progressed through the tent, back outside, and to the gangway – only one gangway was open – and boarding the ship. Thie gangway was another congestion point. NCL had staff handing out water, but that was it – no bathroom available, uncomfortable weather for some people. As the day wore on, the buses kept coming and were lined up waiting for the security line to progress enough for them to unload. Some people were sitting on the bus for two hours before walking another hour through the security line and boarding. An absolute s------w! We were scheduled to sail at 5:00, but did not leave until 8:00. At 5:00, the line of buses stretched beyond the end of the covered area in the photo and had to be at least a dozen buses long. The Muster Drill (in person now) was set for 4:00, but did not occur until after 6:30. There were literally passengers who boarded the ship after spending hours getting from the Convention Center and onboard who went directly to the Muster Drill. A nightmare of an embarkation day! While the port of Fuerte Amador is responsible for many of the embarkation issues, NCL also dropped the ball badly. They must absolutely improve the congestion points they can. In addition, they failed miserably in acknowledging, addressing, and apologizing for the headaches and delays of the day. Again, we boarded early (about 1:00) and did not hear ANY announcements throughout the day about the delays; no announcements about the change in Muster Drill time; nothing done to apologize (free drinks that day, give everyone another specialty dining, something to acknowledge what an awful experience their vacation began with). As I noted, the Muster drill was supposed to be at 4:00, so we went to our meeting place at that time – were told it was delayed until 7:00. We had a reservation at Le Bistro for 5:30, but when we arrived we were told they were not serving as the Muster Drill would begin soon. We returned to Le Bistro after the Drill, which didn’t start until almost 6:30, and were seated in the order of our reservation times. Absolutely zero communication throughout the day. The first PA announcement of the day was to begin the Muster Drill and was done by the Cruise Director, Tahana. She made no acknowledgement whatsoever about the events of the day – no apology, absolutely nothing said; you can’t just ignore what passengers went through – just the standard introduction of the Muster Drill. Unprofessional, insensitive to the discomfort of the passengers, and just a complete fail on starting people’s vacations on a positive note. And if you disembark at Fuerte Amador, it will take a long time as you’ll be returning to… somewhere… via the buses, so a slow and arduous process. Advice for surviving embarking at this port: 1. Put on your luggage tags in advance. 2. Bring water and maybe a snack in your carry on. 3. Be ready to put your items on the belt into the x-ray machine. 4. Pack a h--- of a lot of patience! After this, the cruise was great! Disembarkation in Colon was typical. That port isn’t undergoing construction.

Hi Quillwercruisers, We're back from our Panama Canal cruise and I wanted to tell you about embarking at Fuerte Amador. I wrote a lengthy post and don't want to highjack this thread, so am posting it in the general NCL forum and on the Panama forum (assuming CC lets me post it in two forums). The title is "Embarking in Fuerte Amador, Panama - Nightmare!" Cyndy

Thank you, jondfk. Also appreciate knowing the ship may get cool in the evenings.

Thank you to everyone for your help explaining appropriate attire. I will bring my nice capris, as well as my new jean capris and hope I can wear those in the MDR or will do so at Waves and Terrace. I plan to wear a dress, heels, and nylons in the specialty restaurants. My husband will wear Dockers and a polo or Hawaiian shirt to the dining venues, maybe dig our a couple of his old dress shirts he used to wear to work for the specialty restaurants. Sounds like we'll be fine that way. We are on a 20 day cruise (2 back-to-back 10 days) in the Caribbean next month and will be flying, so I'm trying very hard not to overpack and will take advantage of the laundry rooms. I've found that the people who dress up the most on cruises are often the ones who drive to the port, so much easier for them not to worry about how much luggage they are bringing.

I plan on wearing nice capris and a nice top/blouse to the MDR. Will I be OK in specialty restaurants in that, as well? Also, I've read the "no sandals" in the police and does that mean nice sandals or flip=flops? Are they trying to avoid open-toed shoes? Wondering if I need to go shoe shopping before we leave in a couple weeks. Thank you!

My husband and I hold our NCL stock jointly and both of our names on our the statement from our financial institution showing our ownership, so the way you hold your stock is not unusual. From our experience having used this benefit many times, we would expect that: Example 1: Don't know exactly, but maybe. Suggest submitting them as two separate requests to NCL in two separate emails (one yours and one your daughter). Example 2: Yes. The stock is treated as being owned by the individual who is making the request for the benefit. Hope you get it in Example 1. Enjoy your trip!

So am I. I am glad to be able to step inside and cool off when it gets uncomfortable.

Hi Quillwercruisers, I'll be sure to post about embarkation when we return in the middle of Feb. We booked transportation through NCL (air, transport from airport to hotel, hotel to port, and port to airport). We got the below email from NCL yesterday (1/30) - as usual titled "Important Information from NCL", so don't always assume it's just another nagging email about watching the safety video - the the meeting place for embarkation being changed. Having never been to Panama, I don't know how far the Panama Convention Center is from the the port in Fuerte Amador, but I assume it is close by. I'll post the details when we return. Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners: On behalf of Norwegian Cruise Line, we thank you for your loyalty and for making us your vacation of choice. We have important information regarding your upcoming sailing onboard Norwegian Jewel. In order to provide a smooth embarkation experience, embarkation for Norwegian Jewel's February 4, 2023 sailing will now take place at the Panama Convention Center. Please arrive at the arrival time you selected during online check-in. PANAMA CONVENTION CENTER ADDRESS: Panama Convention Center Calle General Juan D. Peron, Panama TRANSPORTATION TO THE PIER: If you secured transportation to the pier through NCL, your drop-off location has been updated to reflect Panama Convention Center. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you aboard the beautiful Norwegian Jewel for your dream vacation at sea! As always, we are at your service.

Teresa, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed, thoughtful review! We are on the Jewel this Sat., 2/4, from Fuerte Amador to 2/13 Colon. Hitting Costa Rica, the ABC's, and Colombia. Really appreciate the schedule you posted and info about the weather (I dread the humidity). Have been trying to do the Canal since 2017 and it looks like we're finally getting to go. It has been a bucket list item for my husband for a long time. We are in the Haven, a forward facing Deluxe Owner's Suite with balcony, so we've got two balconies - one on the side and one facing the front. Thanks to your review, we now know to look at the aft of the ship for some good views, as well.

I ask for extra hangers. We also ask for orange juice or iced tea in a pitcher in the fridge. When you call, they'll go over a standard list with you and that may also inspire some ideas. Enjoy!

As with anything involving food, opinions vary by individual's taste and preferences. We sailed on the Bliss and Joy when they first returned to sailing and stayed in the Haven. Beautiful areas! Personally, I did not like that the Haven menu does not change. This was a problem for me as I am allergic to seafood, so my choices were even more limited. The food in the Haven restaurant on each ship was very good, it was just he lack of variety for us.

I plan on following the same procedure, LHT28. Nice to know the waiting area is comfortable. Thank you for the explanation of how items are returned. May have to iron a few items, which I'm OK with doing, but will pack as much 'wash and wear' as possible. I agree that clothes may shrink in the wash and definitely not as a result of all that eating!

Thank you both very much for your help. Glad to have three bags instead of two. I will definitely set my phone alarm to return before the loads end. We all remember the days of apartment living with the shared laundry room and there was always at least one person who left their washing for others to remove and put in their basket (then they'd get annoyed when they'd return hours later and find it had not been dried). Don't want to be that person! Being such a long trip, the laundry has been my biggest concern. Breathing easier now thanks to you two!

We are on the Riviera in a Penthouse Suite 3 (which looks lovely in the pictures!)

Thank you, Shepherd Really. Very helpful. I plan to do laundry when the ship is in port, so my assumption that there would be less demand those times is correct - thanks. Did you sit in the laundry room while your loads were going or return when the load was ready? We are on the Riviera and have read that there is a laundry room on each deck - that's convenient.

First time Oceania cruiser, but have been on over a dozen cruises (mostly NCL), and are booked on a 20 day trip in March. I read that we get two free bags of laundry. Am I incorrect and we get three? With the tight limit (20 items for 2 people isn't many days worth of clothes) and the long turn-around time, I expect to do laundry myself at least once. For those who have done that, is there usually a line of people doing laundry? How convenient is it really?

Thank you for your help. Good to know the process is easy and hopefully is quick. Will be tired from the red eye flight to Panama.

Well, I messed up that sentence, didn't I - lol. I meant to ask about Customs when we arrive at Tocumen airport. I do appreciate knowing that we cannot do pre-clearance from Panama, but what are the additional steps for non-stop flights into the US? Both of our flights are direct from Calif. to Tocumen.

Hi, We are on NCL's Jewel sailing from Fuente Amador to Colon Feb. 4-13, 2023. Never flown international other than to Canada and am wondering what to expect when we disembark and get to the Tocumen Airport. Dock at 7:00 a.m., NCL's transportation to the airport, flight departs at 5:50 p.m., so plenty of time, but wondering if the line for customs is typically long, etc. Have found Priority Pass lounges at the airport, which will be a big help. Any advice about the airport is much appreciated. Thanks!

We are on this cruise Feb. 4-13 and also had NCL do our flights and transportation. We got our flight info a couple weeks earlier than expected. Like you, I researched available flights on both Google Flights and Expedia (learned that more show up on Google) and assumed we'd be on the cheapest flight. Turns out that was what we ended up on, so the same may be true for you.

Thank you, thank you!!! Just signed up and will use it a lot, especially to get off the lists of the holiday catalogs that haven't been used in years and years. Getting off junk mail lists is tough. My FIL passed away in June and he was on a lot of charity email lists. Once you give to one charity, your info is hared around quite liberally, as we all know. I returned the mailers with "deceased, no longer at this address" and that worked for most of them. A couple of them started sending mailers to our home (FIL's forwarding address) in my husband's name instead and I wrote them a very hasty letter about wasting their money on fundraising attempts instead of the cause they purported to support - haven't heard from them since. The frustration of junk mail is one of the few things that everyone agrees on.