AL3XCruise

A penalty would be applied to either recoup an expense or deter a behavior.  Unless the cruise line engages in an expensive search or delays the ship, I would think the cost to them would be negligible.  I also feel like the expense, inconvenience, and lost vacation time would be a sufficient motivator to most people.  

I'm sure there are scenarios where we'd all be sympathetic to the late arrivals and situations where we'd all be happy to see them getting what they deserved.  

38 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

here is a poster who trolls passport threads who will reject the expert information generously provided by these resident authorities. He is just a passenger, so of course he knows better than those experts, and will always fervidly discredit the search-the-safe-for-passport process as "not guaranteed".  

Not sure who, but I found a recent thread about ship damage quite entertaining.  Not only was the expert refuted, but so were pictures, videos, and eyewitness accounts of the damage.  I also think they may have had an issue with a dictionary at one point...

51 minutes ago, Jessieasanders said:

We are now in the sub 30 day countdown ... anyone else have any ‘must do’s’ on the Escape?

I need to second the need to brave the cold, heat, rain, whatever to see NYC.  Either the upper decks or Waterfront are great.  Waterfront is less crowded and provides a great aft view of the city.  We had the distinction of leaving and arriving at night,  as we left late and got home a day early (pics below).

The Watefront is a nice, quiet alternative to the upper decks if you want someplace outside to relax, read, drink, etc, but don't require a pool or a lounge chair.  I was always amazed how quiet it was.

Howl at the Moon is very popular, though hardly a secret.  They alternate nights with the comedy shows.  Individuals or small groups perform in several other locations, though getting a good seat at these can be tough.  Prime sight-lines and comfortable chairs are sometimes at a premium!

There are some free dinner shows in the the Dinner Theater featuring various performers on the ship.  These will change as performers rotate and are worth trying if you see something of interest.  The food wasn't great, but there are plenty of options to get something else after the show!  I think Choir of Man is now in the Main Theater and I support its universal designation as a must do on these boards.

It's a big ship with a ton of options.  The list of things I didn't do is far longer than what I did, so my thoughts are hardly exhaustive.  Best wishes on for a great cruise!

On 1/27/2019 at 9:40 PM, tumblew467 said:

is there bowling on the ship?

Yes (if you haven't already found it).  Across the atrium upper level from the main area of O'Sheehans.  I didn't know it was there until being routed through when disembarking!

As an inexperienced amateur, I share the desire to learn and respect that.  However, when someone is willing to share there knowledge I view it as my responsibility to make the most of it.  That includes researching things I do not understand, such as cameras I'm not familiar with.  I think most folks here are more than generous when it comes to answering questions, but I hesitate to ask them for their time and expertise for cut and dry info like camera specs that can be easily found. 

Your point about why someone chose a lens, for instance, is something you can't really find through google.  I feel that is more along the lines of what a forum like this is for, and most people are happy to share.

5 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Dont forget there are different measurements of “bigness”.  GRT is interior volume, so it’s possible for the new ship to be shorter or narrower than Oasis yet still have a larger GRT due to the open areas of Central Park and Boardwalk.

Just FYI, most modern cruise ships use GT, not GRT.  GT is interior volume, like GRT, but is based on a logarithmic function, which makes your point even more valid as it is even harder to draw an apples to apples comparison, though if the ships are close in size the logarithmic aspect matters less.  And it is probably the best publicly available number to quickly compare ship size.  

5 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

There was an entire thread about this when it was first announced. I think the stack is retractable. 

My understanding was the stack was retractable, but the mechanism was disabled and possibly removed at some point shortly after delivery.  I'm not sure if they are reactivating the original equipment or installing something new and more robust.  After all, the initial stack was basically designed for going under one bridge one time.  That said, someone may have been speculating it could eventually be needed again.

On 2/15/2019 at 10:04 AM, pierces said:

Tamron's 150-600 superzoom is a beast but it does a stellar job for the price.

Been doing some reading on that.  Pretty amazing lens!  A little bit slower than some, but I guess a stabilized, good quality lens with that kind of zoom has to give up something to meet that price point.  I imagine it wouldn't be a big issue unless shooting at dawn or dusk.

On 2/15/2019 at 10:04 AM, pierces said:

Sigma's 105mm f/2.8 macro for Canon is very highly rated and quite reasonable for the level of performance it offers.

Seems like that might be a cost effective alternative.  I know Canon offers two 100mm Macros, one an L series with stabilization for $$$ and one a regular series without stabilization for less.  That Sigma might fit nicely between them in budget and capability.

On 2/16/2019 at 2:50 PM, Heidi13 said:

70-200 f/2.8 and the 2x extender.

How do you like the extender?  Seems like opinion is split on them.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!  I guess the biggest takeaway is to think about what I'll be doing daily or weekly.  While I love taking landscapes, I only travel to interesting places a few times a year.  But there are wildlife at macro targets of interest either at home or in some local parks, so those seem like the best to start with.

I remember seeing pictures of the Sovereign-class as a kid and being fascinated that something could be so big.  It blew my mind.

It is interesting to think that in that in 1901 the largest passenger ship was just over 20,000 gross tons.  By 1935 ocean liners had grown to around 80,000 GT and that would be the size range of the largest liners and cruise ships for the next 60 years.  In 1996 Carnival Destiny became the first cruise ship to be larger than any of the "classic" ocean liners and broke the 100,000 GT mark.  By 2009 it was dwarfed by the Oasis.

7 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I am happy with a standard sized balcony on every NCL ship except for the Breakaway or Getaway. On those two ships if I couldn’t get a large balcony I would probably just go for an ocean view.

Just want to second this!  Though some of the aft, angled, and "large" balconies are great, but if I couldn't get one I'd probably pick an ocean view and invest in a spa or vibe pass!

Also, as you are new to NCL, keep in mind the "mini-suites" on some ships are really not much different from regular cabins.  On the Escape, for instance, the bathrooms are larger but the cabin itself see only a negligible increase in size.  Nothing wrong with them and they may be a good fit for you, but you just want to make sure you understand what you are getting.

4 hours ago, Bigbluegal said:

How do those loungers differ from just relaxing in the observation deck?  How would the hot tub or pool area be different than what is available in the Haven courtyard?  Still trying to decide on this purchase.  Do folks wear swim wear in this area?

The loungers are padded and indoors, there are also heated stone loungers that most people like but a few find uncomfortable.  The T-pool is kind of like a big whirlpool with a number of features like powerful water jets and a "waterfall" intended to relieve aches and be relaxing.  Effectiveness varies from person to person.  Minimum age is 18 and it is generally fairly quiet.  Most folks wear swimwear, but a few come in regular clothes just to lay on a lounger for a bit.  There are saunas, etc, but I'm not a big fan and did not use them much.  The video posted above will probably fill in the blanks.

As far as is it worth the $$$?  To me it depends on a lot on the time of year and what else I have access too.  If I have loungers on the balcony and its comfortable out there, I don't really need indoor loungers.  The T-pool is very nice, but I'm not sure if I'd pay extra just for that if I had access the Haven pool.  The sauna/salt/etc. rooms aren't of interest to me, but may be to others.

On a winter cruise out of NY I'd recommend the Spa... during the summer it is still nice, but there are probably other things I'd want to spend money on first.  But that's me, and the various amenities are subjective: if you've never done it before and its in your budget, it may be worth a try at least once.

1 hour ago, Jessieasanders said:

Can you bring drinks with you into the thermal suite?

Yes.  Just make sure you ask for a plastic cup (most of the bars on the upper deck will do that anyway, but if you want to bring something up from a lower deck bar you will probably need to request it.)

On 1/28/2019 at 11:44 AM, pierces said:

As we sailed into St. Kitts shortly after sunrise, the clouds over the island started pouring rain as the sun broke through elsewhere. The result was the brilliant double rainbow pictured here

What lens and settings did you use?  I recently saw a great full double rainbow in Barbados, but between my inexperience and limited equipment my photos don't come near doing it justice!  

I recently acquired a used Canon 5D MKIII with a 28-135MM lens (not the Kit "L" lens that it shipped with, but at the price that was fine).  I'm trying to figure out a plan on how to slowly get some diverse lenses in an order that makes sense.  My main interests are Macro, Landscape, and Wildlife.  I'm not really planning on much portrait work, so anything for that can come later.  I know there are a lot of ways to tackle the same challenge (extenders vs zoom lens, etc.) all with various pluses and minuses (often a price vs quality/flexibility trade-off).  I also know different versions of similar lenses are built to different standards but I'm not sure how much that will impact my day to day results.

In short, I want to figure out how to add capability at a reasonable price now while getting in a good position for later should I decide to invest more $$$.  I'm not opposed to new or refurbished products as long as they have a reputation for being durable.

I know that I'm asking a very broad question, but would appreciate some advice on how to plan and narrow down my search!  

Thanks!

On 2/13/2019 at 5:41 AM, chengkp75 said:

Even with 2 diesels off line, there is full power to power consumers like thrusters.  With one diesel generator off line, the ship can still provide full power to hotel and thrusters, and about 90% power to propulsion.

Thanks for the clarification.  I take it all on-line generators send power to a central "bus" (not sure what the nautical term would be) and then it is drawn off to different subsystems as needed?

Also, thanks for clarifying what happens after such an incident.  I've seen a lot of misinformation in various places (not just boards) about captains being fired, etc. despite no evidence a significant wrongdoing.

It is interesting Epic has conventional shafts; I think she is the largest passenger ship with that configuration.  

2 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I suggest that everyone who does not believe in the Bermuda Triangle being responsible for the deaths of possibly thousands of people google Avi Loeb.He is a Professor of Astronomy at Harvard. Read his theories.

 

You can also read The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz.

I tried a quick search for Prof. Loeb's views on the Bermuda Triangle but didn't find anything.  Recently he has been more heavily involved in speculating about an alien probe entering our solar system.  While I'll admit his alien theories are interesting and I cannot personally disprove him as I'm not an astrophysicist, he seems to be have earned the scorn of most of his peers.  If you have a direct link to his theories on the Bermuda Triangle I would be interested in reading them.

Berlitz is who I was referring to when discussing those that have twisted and made up facts to sell books.  His work has been discredited numerous times by many different researchers. 

While Loeb may have a reputation for being out there, he seems to rely on fact based assumptions, even if such assumptions are controversial seemingly unlikely.  Berlitz, however, twists and fabricates fact to support his conclusions.  

7 hours ago, SRF said:

Actually there are more disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, than many other places.

 

But, when you correct for the amount of traffic, the rates are about the same.

 

Like remember, they used to warn you about the higher number of traffic deaths on 3 day weekends?  Then someone realized, that there about 1.5 times the number of deaths on a 3 day weekend than on a 2 day weekend. 😄

Exactly, which is why I mentioned "similarly busy".  That's the "fun" with those types of statistics ;).

In other cruise related news, nearly all docking incidents occur near the pier and ships are far more likely to run aground in shallow water.

On 2/11/2019 at 10:12 AM, JamieLogical said:

If it's cold out for your sail-away from NYC, a GREAT place to hang out for it is actually in the Garden Cafe. It has windows that go all the way around the back of the ship and it's very high up, so it has great views and it's heated!

I agree, the aft view leaving NYC is great.  Depending on temps the Garden Cafe is an option, but if you can stand it the view from the waterfront is fantastic.  Not only is it less busy than the upper decks, but it also has fewer glass panels, loungers and other obstructions.  Makes it easy to get from one side to the other if desired.

10 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The perfect place for sail away is all the way forward on Deck 19. But, you need to head up there as soon as muster ends,,, and use the stairs if the elevators are busy. 

The negative on 19 is that the deck isn't full width (at least if you don't have access to the Haven Sundeck).  You'll see the Statue of Liberty in front of the ship, but as the ship passes it you'll either loose site of it or need to quickly walk to a different area.  Plus the windblocks limit photography if that is important.

The view of the Verrazano Bridge, of course, is best from Deck 19 or 20 though.  

2 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

What about the vessels that disappeared in the 19th.century and the WWII aircraft ?

What about them?  You do realize there have been unexplained disappearances of people, ships, etc virtually everywhere around the world?  Just because a few have been more publicized doesn't mean there is somehow a higher number happening in the Bermuda Triangle.  Every worldwide analysis done had found nothing to suggest there have been any more losses in the Triangle than in any other similarly busy area.

A few anecdotal examples are interesting stories, but they do not change the overwhelming evidence.  

6 hours ago, pacruise804 said:

I know some vessels that travel on the water that list their sailings as cruises even though they don't have private cabins.

  I think that is pretty common marketing for those type of lines.  "Scenic Dinner Cruise" sound better than "Sightseeing Boat Ride with Food".

But I think there is definitely a blurred line between cruises and ferry trips on some routes.  To me, a lot of it has to do with if the primary purpose of the trip is to get from A to B... but then how do you account for Ocean Liners versus 50,000 plus ton ferries?

26 minutes ago, cruiserchris613 said:

 

There's no particular "propulsion engine", as all the engines function as generators, powering electric motors for the shafts and thrusters.

 

 

That was my understanding.  It makes me wonder if there was an issue distributing sufficient power given several engine/generators were offline, though I don't know enough about how those systems are set up to speculate too much.  

Hopefully the Chief has time to stop by and give us some knowledge!

5 hours ago, CozGurl said:

Ahhhh I see now. Large balcony is a category. That'd be nice but with just 2 of us I don't think it would be worth the extra $200 to get a large.

Keep in mind the standard balconies on Breakaway are VERY small.  @meatball_nyc posted some great pictures.  Personally on BA, I'd probably stick with an ocean view and save some cash if my only options was the tiny balcony.  The bigger balconies and aft balconies are a different story.  

Also, as you can see from the pictures, some of the balconies in this area are fairly exposed to views from above and below.  That may be worth considering.

Finally, it isn't relevant to this trip, but the BA+ ship's have large balconies.  Just FYI if your future travels take you on one Breakaway's big sisters!

5 hours ago, Chardonnay Char said:

Note, however:  When NCL offers a drink package, you still have to pay an 18 percent gratuity PER drink.

 

That is incorrect.  It is a flat charge per day per person as I noted previously.  Well I agree it is important for folks to know there is a gratuity despite the perk being "free", please make sure you understand how it works before giving people incorrect information.

4 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

And is NCL still charging a per drink gratuity even when you have the package as a perk?

NCL applies a service charge that is 20% of the beverage package price if you were to purchase it.  There is no per drink charge.  Worked out to about $20/day/person last time I cruised.

Like most promotions, you just need to do your math to see if it makes sense for you.

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Many respected people have written books about the Triangle.

Its entirely possible to write an interesting and accurate book about the Triangle.  Lots of interesting and unexplained things have happened there.  However, if you look at comparably sized chunks of ocean that are very busy, they have very similar numbers of interesting things happening.  

Reporting on unsolved mysteries in one area is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.  Claiming that more such mysteries occur in the Bermuda Triangle while ignoring all the worldwide data that contradicts that is disingenuous at best. 

To be fair, such statistical analysis was more difficult in when the Triangle was first hypothesized than it is now.  It is possible some of the early writers saw events in the Triangle and didn't have the resources to fully explore similar mysteries worldwide.  Nowadays, though, it is hard to make such an excuse.

41 minutes ago, brillohead said:

My point was that it's not a defined / legal border because it's not even an official "entity".  

That was my understanding of your point.  No government nor industry organization I am aware of charts the Triangle; any "map" is based on some stuff folks drew up in the fifties to sell newspapers, magazines, and books.

I've been through the Triangle many times (at least eight transits on cruise ships).  I never heard it mentioned by an officer or staff member, though on one cruise a comedian referenced it in a few jokes.  It is also possible that other cruisers will discuss it.  

I wouldn't expect it to come up, but it couldn't hurt to have some facts handy as a plan B in case they happen to overhear something.  Some folks interest in selling books and "documentaries" (I use the term loosely) has led to the legend but it is easy to disprove with some rational analysis.  Of course, quotes from Lloyds of London and the USCG probably won't sway a nine year old.

On 2/6/2019 at 12:58 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

TW: as small sailing yacht owners, we always chuckle at comments by folks who think any accommodations on most cruise ships are "too small."

So if you load that onto a cruise ship, does it become a ship within a ship?  Or at least a sailboat within a ship?

Just trying to stay on topic.  🙂

6 hours ago, Newleno said:

The Epic is so bad that they cancelled making the sister ship,(cost millions in planning)

14 hours ago, MikeC1610 said:

Not sure how accurate this is but was told that there were initially plans to build more ships in the Epic Class, however these plans were scrapped when the ship turned out to be not as popular as was expected.  

She was supposed to have a sister ship, but it was not cancelled because of customers disliking the ship.  The second ship was cancelled in 2008, well before Epic's 2010 service entry.  As such, feedback from customers had nothing to do with it. 

Three ships were planned (two orders and an option) when the contract was signed.  NCL's ownership changed, and this led to design changes and friction between NCL and the shipyard.  For a time NCL considered cancelling Epic and writing the project off, but ultimately the first ship was completed, the second never started, and the third option never exercised.  

Epic seems to have a loyal following while some design features are quite divisive.  I do wonder what a second Epic-class ship would have been like if some changes could have been incorporated.  

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The Epic was NCL's first megaship and for a very short time, was the biggest cruise ship in the world

She never was the largest.  Oasis OTS entered service in 2009.  She also was the first ship to have a full Broadway production onboard, though I'm not sure how her other entertainment options compared with Epic at launch.