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I have sailed the getaway and escape - you definitely smell the smoke when walking through the casino and I smelled it when we ate in the atrium eating area for le bistro. However, I never felt like there was a smoke cloud anywhere, just the smell of it.

 

 

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Le Bistro is on Deck 6, the casino is on Deck 7 ---and smoke rises---it doesn't drift down. I've never smelled smoke in LeBistro, just sayin' :confused:

Yeah there are cheaper parking sites in the area - but NOTHING beats the convenience of having your car on the roof deck when you disembark! I've done it more than 30 times....Do it, it's worth it.

I've done this excursion 3 times. Twice I was able to walk down the steps into about 2 feet of water & walk ashore. The last time. we were 30 feet or so away from the beach & had to swim ashore. The crew gave people noodles if they wanted help keeping afloat. It's a fabulous excursion!

I take your advice every time I get a post cruise survey, I complain that I cannot smoke on my balcony.

 

:D

Good idea, I never thought to complain on a post-cruise survey!

I just got off the 14-dayer last Sunday...the cart was by the pool bars (in between them) on Lido most of the time on the warmer days & quite often at O'Sheehan's otherwise. They are yummy ;)

I LOVE the Breakaway ;)...she's a fabulous ship with a top-notch crew. Some people are just constant complainers...:cool::rolleyes:...I've cruised the BA I believe 7 times & #8 is upcoming. :D

Tell them not to book 10538 LOL - a couple of years ago I woke up early & went out on the balcony to watch the sunrise...and the sliding glass door stuck & I couldn't get back in :eek:! I'm a solo cruiser - so it wasn't as if I could knock & someone would open the door...I had to wait until one of my neighbors came out on their balcony to alert someone! The cabin steward couldn't do it because I had double locked the outside door :o...so they sent security to let me back in :p:o....thank God I had a tee shirt on! They later sent a bottle of wine as a "so sorry"!

Some people are just chronic complainers...and it's best for one's sanity to not read sometimes. I've been on this site for 11+ years & am astonished sometimes by what people write! It's gotten worse lately I think :cool:...way too much rudeness & thoughtlessness & snarkiness.

Go & enjoy ;):D...I'm sure you'll have an amazing time. And wishing you much happiness upon your marriage.

I've cruised the BA 8 times & #9 is coming up in a few weeks...I ONLY eat in the specialty restaurants...My 3 favorites are:

1. LeBistro

2. Cagney's

3. Ocean Blue

But, honest to God, you can't go wrong in any of them...I hope you have a wonderful experience.

1. Drop the carry-on in the cabin

2. Take a picture of your first drink with your watch nearby :p;)

For my first 40 or so cruises I made the zoo...lately I just can't deal with the clutter anymore & ask my cabin steward not to make any (while confirming to him/her that I still appreciate everything they do for me!) ;)

I'm also the mother of twins...but there were 2 born before them :p;). What we did was book a cruise and then leave them all home with Grandma & Grandpa! THEN take the entire family to Disneyworld or Hersey or Williamsburg or to the Jersey shore for a couple of weeks. We always had a Mommy & Daddy vacation and then a family vacation....we didn't take the kids on a cruise until my oldest son was already in college, my daughter was 16 & the twins were 14. We felt that getting away alone was equally important....and we chose cruise vacations specifically for that purpose. Hope you have fun whatever you choose to do!

and happen to be the person who found my camera at Great Stirrup Cay and turned it in....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

I don't have any idea how that thing jumped out of my bag, but it did! I realized it was gone when we got onto the tender. My DH got off the tender and went back to where we were sitting to look for it but it wasn't there, our friends who were still there hadn't seen it either. I was sure I would never see it again. I went to Guest Services a bit later... no camera but I filled out a form, just in case. I was surprised and thrilled when they called me back an hour later and told me the camera had been turned in!!! There are good people in this world! Thank you so much, now all the embarrassing pictures of all my friends from that weekend are not lost!!

A heartwarming story - I'm happy you got your camera back ;). Nope, it wasn't me who did it!

We just returned home this am. I bit the bullet and paid the 280 to park it really was easy, close, convenient, I actually started the car from the ship so it was nice and warm! Getting in and out was easy also.

 

 

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LOLL - I also remote start my car from my balcony!! :D;)

Thanks everyone. I believe a good option for us is the Park Right parking. I noticed that the parking at the port doesn't take reservations and it's a first come first serve. :)

I've parked at the pier maybe 40 or so times & trust me it's worth it. First of all, these parking decks are HUGE...and if they ever DO get filled up (it has only happened to me once) ...then they'll direct you to the parking deck next door - ie, instead of parking at pier 88 you'd park at pier 90. There's nothing like the convenience of disembarking your ship & going through customs & taking the elevator back upstairs, getting in your car & going! There are porters in the luggage claim area who will collect everyone's luggage & follow you back upstairs to your car. If anyone in your party is in a wheelchair, the wheelchair pusher will push all the way up to your car....it's very well worth it!

I've done this twice on a regular boat (maybe 35' - 40') successfully, & it wasn't bad at all. Then one time the tour guide took us to a little marina & wanted us to board a rubber zodiac for the trip across :eek: - and I declined & went back to the ship :o. But in a regular boat or a catamaran it should be fine. Hope you have fun, it's worth it!

We're new to NCL but have sailed the last few years on RCL and Carnival. We're considering the holiday cruise 2017 on the Gem and was wondering about the timing of the Muster Drill vs Sail Away.

 

I've sailed out of NYC many times and the sail-away is a sight, not to be missed! My recent experience, however, is that the muster drill begins about the same time as sail away and unfortunately we are forced to miss most of the sights. Further, the larger the ships (with more passengers), the longer the drill :(

 

Can any tell me their experiences on NCL, specifically the GEM out of NYC?

 

Thanks!

 

~Bob~

You will be out of the muster drill venue well before sailaway...NCL has the "easiest" muster drill in my opinion. You don't have to bring the life jacket with you and you don't have to stand outside under the lifeboats - you will be assigned a venue (according to your cabin location)... such as the theater or atrium or Italian restaurant ;) and will simply go there & watch & listen ;)

To me, it didn't seem overly crowded while just walking around the ship or hanging at most venues...but the elevators were a mess. I didn't attempt to do the skyride...but my friend waited & waited and then gave up.

I did like Dan the Man, but my Fave CD will always be Sinan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, me too ;)...no one else will ever compare to Sinan! Dan-Dan, on the other hand - I really disliked his constant giggling...

Check out the ports of call section of the forum, many people talk about local excursions on there.

Check out Trip Advisor, click on "Things To Do"...input your island & take it from there....good luck!

I thought the elevators on the Vista are the worst at sea....and I've been on ALOT of cruises lol...

Earlier this year I did March 12th on the Gem & it wasn't bad by the 2nd sea day.

I was on the Breakaway for the first time ever that the casino could open while in port - it was terrific! That was in 2014...and I had done around 12-13 Bermuda cruises before then...and there was NOTHING to do at night :eek::o! I'm so happy they worked it out! ;)

Agree wtih you mostly but if you want to pick a night for steakhouse can understand picking a night where nothing stands out to you in DR.

Ahhhh Ok, hadn't thought of that ;). I always book the steakhouse at least 2 times per cruise...and book it before boarding - but I just book it for the nights I want, lol...so it never occurred to me to consider what's being served in the MDR :o.

I cruised with him a few times out of NY on the Breakaway & he was just terrific....sorry to hear he's no longer with NCL...it's NCL's loss.