Brian V

I really expect the laser tag to be removed at the next dry dock, much like they did with Joy.

Any time we looked in on Encore or Joy it was deserted, much like American Diner and Galaxy Pavilion.

Expanded spa and Spice H2O coming? One can hope 🤞

More cabins / less observation lounge? Sure hope not 👎

Glad we got our application in when we did 🙂

Just for TSA Precheck, it's a screaming good deal imho!

As noted above, you are under no obligation to tip over and above what you have already paid when you purchased the drink package.

You are certainly free to slip your server / bar tender a buck or two when they bring your drinks, it does seem to make getting another round just a little quicker and easier 🍹

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

I would suggest not to crawl around on the floor looking under tables.

Indeed, such activities might find one escorted off of the ship 👮‍♂️

LOL, I stand corrected...will have to try that next time we are aboard 🙂

No, you're not - NCL is.

Would be so nice to have deck plans (or maybe a "how do I get to wherever" function?) but I am not holding my breath 😒

11 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Book it through your TA.

Like @RocketMan275 said...and you will likely get a bit of OBC or some other perk 😉

48 minutes ago, Grumpella said:

I only booked this cruise 1 month ago and there wasnt much left for dinner reservations.

It appears that they don't fill all the dining reservations pre cruise so you should be able to book on embarkation day.

If you can connect to the ships wifi from inside the terminal (long shot but you never know) you can use the app to book reservations. Even if you have to wait until you actually board, its far more pleasant to be booking things on the app while sitting somewhere with a drink in hand instead of standing in line at wherever they are doing the reservations on board 🙂

3 hours ago, Broodomni said:

As for getting from the Seward train station to the ship, walking with bags could be a bit of a trek, especially if you have a lot of luggage.

If you book the charter train - the one that picks up at the airport, not downtown - it drops you off right at the ship...and your bags are checked at the airport station and reappear at your cabin door that afternoon / early evening 🙂

If you take that early morning train from downtown then yeah - it's a pretty good hike (or a cab ride? do they have cabs available?) to the cruise terminal.

And yes, the ride is fabulous...many glaciers to be seen, wildlife is possible, fantastic crew on the train serving snacks and beverages.

You get your first excursion before you even board the ship!

On the Getaway, the M6 cabins on deck 8 (waaaaay forward) have the mondo huge balcony - no wider than others but 3 times as deep. The outer 2/3rds is open to above as well so not the most private. The cabin itself appears to be the same throughout the ship, and indeed, the same as we have had on the Joy and the Encore - no surprise I guess.

The cabins are a tiny bit bigger than the standard balcony, the real difference is the bathroom with its huge shower 🙂

Didn't notice the brand but they use the flat paper pouches.

It is better than the coffee in the buffet but bringing your own is not a bad idea.

Let your steward know that you only need him / her to keep your sweetener / whitener of choice stocked up along with an appropriate reward 🙂

Ship -  Getaway

Deck -  8

Stateroom # - 8116

Stateroom Category –  M6 Club Balcony with larger balcony

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Most of the time, very quiet. As you are above crew space that is used when docking the ship it gets rather noisy early on a port day. As long as you don't want to sleep in, not an issue.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Excellent views from the railing, bit of tunnel effect from inside due to the depth of the balcony.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Huge balcony...2 chairs, 2 loungers, and a table large enough to eat dinner off of :). Only drawback is that you stick out farther than the balconies above so sacrifice some privacy.

Was wind a problem? - No problems except when in 50+ knot winds near Bermuda...going to say everyone on the portside was staying indoors 🙂

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - It is a hike to the elevator / stairs, only 4 doors from the very front of the cabins on 8. For someone with mobility issues it could be a problem.

Any other comments? - Love, love, LOVE the big jetted shower and larger overall bathroom. Would book this cabin again.

13 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

bracing for winter storm again & possibly snow next week in NYC. 

Hope that has cleared out by the time we set sail on the 17th but the forecast looks like right around freezing and rain / snow for the three days we will be in the city. Oh well, better than the -40 I woke up to this morning🥶

Thanks @Gappleby for the daily, good to see they have things planned for the Illusionarium, looks like a neat venue.

1 hour ago, Seas2mountains said:

We have never opened the bottle of sparkling wine

It does make "acceptable" Mimosas but on it's own...pass :(

The living area might be a tiny bit bigger as well but I'm pretty sure you would need a tape measure to tell 🙂

2 hours ago, vacation44 said:

It is a much nicer bathroom.   For us, the $200 is worth it. 

We agree, sometimes you can even get the club for less than $100 more than a standard balcony.

The 2 cruises we had on the Gem and the Jewel we didn't go for the club because they are all on deck 11 (the deck below the pool deck) and we were worried about the potential noise from above - that shouldn't be an issue on the Escape 👍

Enjoy your celebration @lovetotraveltx🎉

6 hours ago, TheDawg79 said:

You have to request one and they use pods.

True words...and IMHO the pods / packets they supply were much better than the mass produced buffet coffee 🤢

Just let your steward know if you want regular or decaf, or if you want tea...along with what fixings you need - they will be happy to accommodate and all will be replenished daily 🙂

2 hours ago, CCJack said:

Note that we were on Joy, Deck 8 Club Balcony Suite with the large balconies. 

@CCJack, I have questions about those cabins if you don't mind a slight hijacking 🙂

With them being above the theatre backstage or the mooring station (hard to tell on the deck plans), is there early morning noise when docking, late night noise from the theatre, any other issues beyond the "sporty" 🤢 ride from being so far forward?

51 minutes ago, zqvol said:

The bathroom alone is worth $200

Totally agree 👍, those jets are just what my back needs in the morning!

We had robes on our last trip, Seward to Vancouver in a standard balcony. Did not request, they were just there? Previous trips we have not had robes (nor did we ask) in a standard balcony.

Did get them when we got bumped into a club balcony, not sure if that's a perk or just NCL randomness...

Either way, if you are on the larger side you will find the robes to be rather hospital like...they wont cover everything 

3 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Did they finally fire the guy responsible for annoying the heck out of their loyal customers?

He's locked in a room watching safety videos on continuous loop...

1 minute ago, FLAHAM said:

No, the easiest and most comfortable way to get from Venice to Trieste is by train.  Short walk or, if you have heavy luggage, very short cab ride to cruise port.  

Totally agree...you can catch a train direct from Venezia Santa Lucia to Trieste Centrale with a 15 minute walk (or 5 minute cab ride) to the pier. 2:05 travel time (plus walk) and direct service.

Way easier than getting back to the airport and a 15 minute walk to where the cruise line shuttle would collect you.

Looks like that will work perfect for us, our hotel would be about 10 minutes with carry ons 🙂

Looks way easier than navigating Penn Station!

On 11/11/2023 at 12:24 AM, GTJ said:

. Express bus, operated by Coach USA, from each Newark airport terminal to three locations in midtown Manhattan:

Thank you so much for this!

We were going to take the train from EWR to Penn Station then a cab / Uber to our hotel (E45th and 3rd) but this gets us within a 5 minute walk...for less than $10.00 each? Sold! 🔨

Ship - NCL Gem

Deck - 9

Stateroom # - 9608

Stateroom Category – Balcony BA

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) –

Located 1 deck above O'Sheans and close to the midship elevators we had some concerns when we booked but we were pleasantly surprised! The only outside noise was from the waterfalls as we went up one of the fiords towards the glaciers🙂

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? -

No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. –

Very good, no obstructions.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? -

Normal

Was wind a problem? -

No

Any specific problems with this cabin? -

No

Any other comments? -

Would book this cabin again without hesitation👍

4 minutes ago, cruisinmeme said:

Sales never end. 

It's true...this week it's "50% Off All Cruises", next week it's "Second Passenger Sails Free!"

On 8/10/2023 at 9:59 AM, Grayce said:

You will be fine. Just renew after your trip.

Not so on NCL - they specifically state that all non US residents must carry a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end of the cruise. https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

US CBP may be OK with a close dated passport but it won't matter if the cruise line won't let you on the ship 😞

OP really should reach out to their specific cruise line as policies can (and sometimes do) vary from government policies.