DuckTollerFans

We are looking for a Sept. 2019 for the Canada/NE sailing for a big anniversary. Though I'd love to go this year, of course!

It is a bit annoying having to fix our own meals, no one to place a napkin on our lap, having to PAY at the end of a meal.

Great review! I think your cabin was actually my favorite on the crawl. What a nice group of people, too!

I've been feeling blah since the cruise (not enough washywashy? Too much pollen?) so looking at these photos is a delight.

CJ -- last week I was on the Gem for our first cruise. We splurged on the Mandara Spa passes, and it was well worth it. Loved it - quiet, relaxing, just plain felt great! No kids allowed though, so that might be a barrier for your family. We will definitely do that again.

Oh, I wasn't being hard on myself. I am OK with the deviation. My :( was about the cruise being over!

I kind of like cooler water to swim, but for at last the first few days the pool's water was way too cold for even me. I got my swimming in at Cocoa Beach and Blue Lagoon. It didn't hurt that I had Mandara Spa passes which also satisfied my need to be IN the water. (I usually swim 2-3 times/week)

My favorite meal was probably our last dinner at LeBistro. Amazing filet with 5 pepper sauce (with a much fancier French name). I know a lot of people are fans of the chicken wings at O'Sheehans, but if you're from anywhere near Buffalo - including Rochester - they were tasty, just not "real" Buffalo wings. Clearly not made with Frank's sauce.

I liked the ambiance in the Grand Pacific a lot, perhaps the most of all the locations. When you walk down those steps into that beautiful room - what a visual. And the food was always good.

We got a couple of lunches from the Garden Cafe and took them over to La Cucino to avoid the crowd. So, when we finally made it there for one of our specialty dinners, found the setting so much nicer. I can't pinpoint exactly what they did for that change - it was noticeable though!

Our favorite bar(s) were the several along a row on Deck 6. All had nice seating areas so it depended how much you wanted to hear music or be more quiet. One night, my husband wanted to see a show that I didn't -- so I grabbed a Manhattan and sat in Maltings and read. It was very pleasant.

As for the general condition of the ship: it was my first cruise, and I thought the condition was fine. No spanking new, yet no real signs of wear and tear.

Back from our first cruise. :( I gained about 5 lbs, but all things considered, I'm OK with that. We certainly walked a lot - several days with 10,000+ steps. I didn't concentrate too much on food - rarely ate potatoes, tried to get a lot of fruit, veggies. Sherbet instead of fancier desserts sometimes. Other than walking, I didn't get any extra exercise in. Took the steps a lot.

I exercise (swim, dance, Zumba) a lot -- and though I'm heavy, my mobility is pretty good. I saw a lot of folks struggle getting around the ship, and that's good motivation to stay as active as possible.

We got off the Gem yesterday, as you were waiting to Board. Loved it! It was our first cruise ever, and this size ship was perfect for us. Met a lot of wonderful people in our roll call and enjoyed the whole week.

Sailing out of NYC was awesome, and I just happened to be awake on Saturday morning as we sailed into harbor and passed the Statue of Liberty.

I hope you enjoy your week as much as we did!

even the mini's (oversized balconies, no exra perks) are still showing "choice" of room #'s.

Oh! That is encouraging. Our "Poor" bid might just make it after all!

I have no first hand knowledge of the port (soon, but not yet!) ... but wanted to share this YouTube channel with you that I happened to find recently while scoping out the Gem. Turns out these guys are from my city (Rochester) and offer a lot of help, not only for this ship. And perhaps it would help your FIL feel at ease about navigating around the ships in the wheelchair.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPdJZcTwRNLXmZKY-nc98rg

How quickly should I expect to see my Onboard Credits show up in NCl with my reservation after I "cashed in" my WorldPoints?

We are staying the night before our cruise in NJ and the hotel will transport us over. I am thinking of changing to another option, which would include driving to the port via Henry Hudson. It does look quite easy to manage, esp on a Saturday morning.

However -- how easy is it heading NORTH on the return? Is the access to the highway easy? (also a Saturday morning)

If you have OBC that you don't use, do you get that refunded? It sounds that way from the above posts but I'd like to clarify that.

How easy is it to get fresh fruits -- like apples, bananas, oranges - are they found in the buffets?

And who has taken any fitness classes, such as Zumba on NCL cruises? I'm also interested in swimming laps - are the pools decent for that?

I can't imagine wanting 2 apps, salad/soup, entree, and dessert. That's a lot of food! And trust me, I am not a light eater.

Looked but couldn’t find but thanks

 

 

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https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2493296

Here's the link. I followed it obsessively as we had just signed up for our first cruise and his dates/itinerary/Gem were exactly what we signed up for in 2018. LOTS of photos, etc.

Hi - Pretty sure it's $40/night, but at the moment can't give you a link to verify that.

I've been wondering about this -- though the thought of the roaming fees for my phone is scary.

We just got ours yesterday and it took from Nov 20 - Dec 7, so that included Thanksgiving holiday. We didn't expedite. I am impressed.

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I booked the Hilton. Although I’m from central nj would cost me over $200 to do an Uber. Rather spend $297 and be closer and get a breakfast out of it

 

 

I booked the Hilton for a Spring 2018 date -- with fees, etc it came to $366 - a $297 sounds better though! I suppose it depends on the date you're staying. (I figured $366 still a decent option as I calculated 280 for port parking, $15x2 for G.W. Bridge, and wouldn't find a hotel for the difference of $56)

While watching Good Morning America today, I saw a special price on Biaggi luggage. Half price today only. Need to research the brand a bit more, but thought you'd like to see this too.

https://gma-biaggi.com/

I looked at the hotel rate last night. It would be $324 - so for a night's lodging, parking, and transport into the port it seems like we'd be ahead doing that. Easier access as we're coming from the west and cheaper hotel than Manhattan. Even adding a 75 Uber charge at the end of the cruise it seems to be a better deal.

I've never driven in NYC, but hate it in other big cities like Chicago/Boston/Philly

If you apply and receive your passport before you are married, it will be issued in your maiden name [same as what you are using to book the cruise]. Once married, you can then apply for a name change to the passport, using a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

 

 

 

Darcy

Or maybe not change names at all! (Pretty common practice now, less so when I married in 1989.)

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A side question to this: what kind of locks do you all use? I am guessing it's not the clunky style I use at my Y!

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Pesos, I presume.

I didn't think pesos would use the $ symbol, but Google says Mexico uses $ too. That could throw a lot of people off!

Those menu prices? Please tell me I'm missing something .....