Smitheroo

I saw a question about what a solo balcony was but now cant find the thread. Yes, I've done a search. Does anyone know what this solo balcony is like? I read that it is only for solo travelers and the balcony is designed for 1 person. I was given the option of picking another solo balcony cabin than the one assigned in the search, i saw some on Deck 14 Aft. No chance of seeing that again, the website is horrible. You get one chance and then every attempt after you get the choice "Keep This" which means the screen freezes or the dots dance and nothing happens. Yes, I emptied my cache. Can anyone who can navagate the website better than I can take a look at the solo balconies on Deck 14 Aft on the Epic and advise which one you'd pick. I see one in the bottom right corner, next to a white area and wondering if that's a stairwell. I should add that I am mainly interested in the view of the ocean although would sit outside if it was a nice day in April. The cruise is a transatlantic to Italy 4/7

I am new to cruising but not to travel. I would think keeping a valid passport ready to use would be wise if you travel frequently I take mine even when its not needed. I feel it just makes things a lot easier.

maybe

That reminds me of when I was recently in Encinada. We were on a main street and noticed military style jeeps driving past, each with about 4 men, some standing on the running boards (?) dressed in camoflauge (not green but dark, grey and black i think) with guns/ ? Sometimes I wonder if they do these type of things to thrill the tourists. It sure was creepy looking.

I sailed transatlantic West to East on the Cunarder QM2 in January 2013. New York to Southampton. I packed the type of clothes I would wear on land that time of year. Winter clothing but not necessarily parkas and heavy boots. For fancy wear I choose winter fabrics and always had a pashima or shrug to wear. There was only one night when the seas were rough. It snowed one morning but the hardy walkers were still going round the decks. England was miserable that time of year. Grey, damp and cold. We left New York later (about 9 pm) than usual because it was the voyage after the voyage with the norovirus outbreak. It was over the Christmas holidays. I heard half the crew were affected. The ship had to be disinfected which took time. Many people went up on a high deck as we pulled out of the harbor to see the lights and it was bitter cold. On board ship very comfortable dressed for winter.

I will say that will effect their business. People are less likely to risk losing their deposit. I guess because the only cruises I have booked so far have been at a point where full fare has to be paid I havent been aware

Good to know Would travel insurance cover this?

I dont rank entertainment high on my list for cruises, I prefer the sea experience (rough seas and all) but I do like to have some entertainment. If they replace it with something else, that is fine. I know nothing about "Choir of Man" so another show will suffice ( in other words, I didnt choose this cruise so I could see Choir of Man) Just so happens that on my last cruise, Footloose was also cancelled although for a different reason We were told "cast injury" which I can understand and because it was the middle of the cruise I understand they couldnt replace it with another show.

I love your calm style of writing. I think I would have just stayed in my cabin and most likely prayed lol. I remember a transatlantic voyage I was on in 1966 (the original Queen Mary) My mother and I were stuck in a microscopic cabin with two bunk beds on each side, bathroom down the hall. One night as we were crossing the Irish Sea the seas were very rough. We left the midnight buffet to return to our cabins only to find the other passenger (yes, passengers of the same gender were often assigned to the same cabin even if they didnt know each other), an elderly woman, down on her hands and knees. praying. (I was only 16, my mother in her early 50's so she looked elderly to us)

thank you, that is reassuring

being "confused" is okay. You have the right to be confused. I was commenting on the conclusion that the Captain "blew it" (which I dont think was you because your writing style is not like that) I dont know what the alternative choices were, although some on here do think they do, so I might have been confused too. i.e. I did not think about the fact that the ship would have been like a wrecking ball at the pier. And I would definitely not be happy about not communicating to the passengers but as far as the navigational choices the Captain had to make, I just dont know and so I defer to his skills and experience.

THis is something I do have concerns about. I think the ship excursions are very expensive and if I were alone would not even bother with them. But my traveling partner likes them, so.... If they cancel the port where I am scheduled for an excursion for which I paid about $150 (ok, I know for some that is not a big purchase but for me it is) I am going to be livid. I know the weather is not the fault of NCL but in this imagined situation they are not delivering what I paid for. If this happens and I lose $150 I will reconsider NCL in the future because that is lousy customer service. Not getting angry yet. Does travel insurance cover this type of expense?

I'm curious to know what you base your decision on that the Captain "blew it" . Dont mix navigational skills and communication skills. Yes communication was definitely lacking. maybe someone else is responsible for that. Maybe there was another reason. I dont know, the only experience I have with that is one night on a ship in 2013. But unless you have the necessary skill and experience to suggest what would have been a better decision on his part then you should not comment because *that* scares people too. And do you know for sure it was the same person in charge (the Captain) who hit an iceberg (really??) Someone with experience (Air Craft Carrier, typhoons) commented that it would have been worse to shelter in port. Damage to pier, damage to ship which may have caused injuries to passengers. You dont believe this person? Have you even read the entire thread? Has anyone from this cruise actually claimed an injury? And then you write "and also apparently experienced similar seas in July" You dont' know if that is true (apparently? no, I am not a lawyer) ? Stop listening to the comments of everyone who think they know better when they have nothing to prove that they should know better. Yes it sounds as if it was an awful experience but you are here to tell about it. Maybe you could reserch and report back some suggestions on what would have been a better choice for the Captain to make in those *same* circumstances.

I have little cruise experience and none to Alaska yet I was aware that a cruise to Alaska at this time of year is iffy. Probably the reason why they cost much less and summer cruises more. How did I know? Only way I can think of is that i read everything I see, come to this forum (and sometimes I do get off for awhile due to hurt feelings by different communication styles) I've also heard that Bermuda is iffy at certain times of the year. No experience to fall back on. Common sense tells me that when a cruise costs so much less one time of year compared to another there is a reason.And for a cruise to Alaska weather is high on the list of reasons. Unless those who said the Captain made a bad decision are skilled in navigation they should probably not comment on the decisions the Captain made at the time. You are absolutely correct saying there should have been more communication

and yet the ship was able to take on new passengers after docking? Or am I confusing your experience with someone else who commented? What ship was this and did another cruise follow it? I hope I am confusing two situations because I find it very hard to believe a ship that had this much chaos would be ready to sail again shortly after. I dont agree with you that the captain "blew it" unless you are trained and certified in navigation. Someone gave a explanation about why it would have been worse to shelter at a dock. Since I know nothing about navigation and he had experiences with typhoons I believe him. Unless you were on a cruise in the past in very similar circumstances you dont know why the Captain made the decision he did. This was an individual event and cant be compared to a situation you've been in on a past cruise unless you know all the navigational details, weather patterns, location, etc. I do agree 100% with you that it sounds as if there should have been more communication. I can understand why passengers were frightened and some reassurance that someone was in control would have helped.

I agree with you but some are complaining also about the reactions on this forum.

I wonder if your faces told what you had experienced. Kind of reminds me (well, sort of) coming out of the bathroom in Mexico and seeing the women lined up to come in. they looked grim. Maybe saw a lot of rolling eyes coming out. I'm not a snob nor used to only high class experiences but that was an experience I've never had before and not one I care to repeat. 50 cents for a wad of toilet paper going in, half the toilets/doors werent working, similar for sinks. We shared some paper towels to dry our hands. I really do think that a porta potty would have been better. Maybe they put this on for the tourist experience?

I am aware of all of this so I must have read it somewhere. Shops close because much of their staff are seasonal and have returned home, weather cancels excursions, etc. I chose this cruise (10/22 on the Encore) because it fit in our schedule, it was reasonable and it may be very different than as planned, but I am fully aware of this. I have my insulated mac and winter boots ready.

thanks for your explanation on why the ship didnt shelter in port. I knew there had to be a reason. I do know the navigation crew has to weigh all the choices and pick the best one considering them all but did not think of the damage the ship could do to the pier and itself. I think people in general have lost confidence in the "Authority" these days and forget that the Captain, or Pilot, or anesthesiologist in surgery have extensive training and ability to make decisions. Movies like Titanic dont help when you see crew fooling around on guard and miss seeing the ice berg in time. Of course now we have way more navigational aids in place but that movie...... and third class people being held being a gate while the corridors filled with water until the first class people were situated in lifeboats.

Dont you think if there was concern for your safety the cruise staff would have taken more action? I agree there could have been more communication but dont assume that the cruise crew would have not taken action if people were falling on the decks. I also agree sometimes the answers on this forum (and most forums) are brutal but people have different communicative styles. I have felt beat up myself at times but I'm still here. It is true that events like this do happen at sea, not extremely unusual. How often do you here of ships falling apart or sinking? I can only think of a couple in my lifetime. I always bring up this example- do gruesome car crashes deter you from driving? Probably not. Yet the chance of that happening vs something like what you experienced (sounds like you had an experience on the extreme end) is astronomically more likely. And its something that in many cases you cant control You can be the best driver in the world but there are lots of jerks on the road, many of them impaired and you are at their mercy.

when I sailed on the Joy last February from LA when we arrived to park our car we were directed to another car lot that we needed to take a shuttle back to the ship (just a little too far to walk with luggage) The first car lot was full but we were also told that the lot we were being directed to was closer to where we would dock when we returned and it was. It was just a short walk to the car. So yes, sounds like NCL was negligent not giving you this information

an angry ocean is impressive

I got the same feeling with my experience with rough seas during the night- I felt like I needed to hold on to the sides of the bed to avoid being dumped out on the floor. I was also semi-conscious and fell back asleep.

They put those barf bags out at the stairwells for the slightest ripple it seems.

I agree, it does sound dreadful to have experienced that but I wouldnt have been shocked that it could happen. Still dreadful though. I'm guessing that most of the criticism is the fact that NCL waited out in stormy seas instead of sheltering in port I dont know anything about navigation but there could have been a reason for that. (other than not wanting to pay the port fees which I would think if that were the reason it would be very risky concerning liability) My only experience with rough seas was on the Atlantic where there is nowhere else to go. I'm sure the cleaning crew was stretched thin by the demand. Stay in your cabin unless absolutely necessary if the sight of vomit on carpets bothers you. Those in your group where this was their first cruise ever and will never cruise again need to realize that this can happen. The impact might have been lessened a little by what you feel should have been more communication by the crew but anyone who says they'll never cruise again after a first cruise probably shouldnt have been on the cruise in the first place. Maybe NCL was negligent in their communications, I dont know. I do know though I was on a Cunard vessel with what I consider very rough seas during the night and there was no communication. Not even from the room steward (I would think that would be part of his/her job to make sure his assignment was as comfortable as could be) The captain did apologize in the am. I remember thinking that was nice of him to do that but he had no control over the seas. But again, this was the middle of the Atlantic. I agree it must have been a horrible situation especially for the first timers but I've heard some horror plane stories also that didnt include crashing. Several of my Aunts were on a cross Atlantic flight and somewhere before landing (I guess they test the landing gear??) they realized some of the landing gear was not working properly. the crew was down on the floor, ripping up carpet in the aisle to check it out. I imagine that was quite scary. In fact, for one of my Aunts it was her first time flying. Previously she was known for saying "they'd have to drug me to get me on a plane". The plane was scheduled to land at JFK but they were concerned about something (perhaps fuel?) so it was diverted to Logan in Boston. The runway in Logan is very close to the water. (just to add some drama) The fire engines were waiting for them (not needed) and CEOs from Pan Am (the airline, this was the 70's) were waiting in a room where they were all escorted. So yes, perhaps NCL could have been more considerate but that was 50 years ago and everything was done differently then. And my Aunt flew many times after that.