UKstages

an alternative to the cruise mentioned above: https://sethsbroadwayvacations.com/#/

i'd be extraordinarily careful with your request for "sweet breads." you might wind up with "sweetbreads," which is probably not what you're looking for.

this was my thought, as well. a food and beverage director could easily have done this, much the same way they buy fish in some ports from local purveyors. they would need a truck or several workers with handcarts, however. but they could easily rent a truck for a few hours, within walking distance from the cruise ship terminal. and, while there are no "package sores" in manhattan, there are twenty or thirty liquor stores within a one mile radius of the MCT. if they wanted to stock the ship, they could have done so. it would have been problematic, it would have been expensive, but they could have done it to some degree... not saying that they could have purchased their full supply, but they could have made the situation much better.

my goodness! there is a surprising amount of misinformation in this thread, along with opinion and speculation being presented as fact. two and a half years in! wow. just... wow.

the problem with this scenario is that, once you finish your lobster and walk out of the dining room, you're still on a carnival cruise ship.

you do have to be careful which driver you use outside the MCT (or any of the NYC airports, for that matter). many of the folks soliciting your business are unlicensed and uninsured. even that "off duty limo owner" may not have insurance covering passengers that weren't booked through official channels. (there's a great likelihood that he's not the owner of the limo, too.) the taxi and limousine commission has very strict rules governing the pick-up of passengers. and the designation of the vehicle determines the rules, in many cases. there is a difference between a for-hire livery vehicle, a for-hire black car vehicle, a for-hire limousine, a medallion taxi, and a street hail livery service. in most cases, those guys soliciting your business outside the terminal have vehicles for which pick ups MUST be made on what's called, by the TLC, a "pre-arranged" basis. this includes luxury limousines!

sounds like you've never played "deal or no deal" onboard an NCL ship!

some people insist it's easier, but not everybody says whom it's easier for. it's clear that it's easier for you. and for those who think and feel the same as you. that's fine. but clearly from the comments, there are big fans of printing as well as big fans of not printing. i never said using electronic copies was easier... i said printing was unnecessary and acknowledged that if it makes you feel better, go right ahead and print. divergent opinions are always welcome, but we probably shouldn't make universal declarations as to which is "easier" for all or what NCL contractors "love." those statements reflect an individual opinion and perspective.

tastes like chicken. seriously, if you can "tase" the water, they're probably doing something wrong.

once again, if you're inclined to print, all you need print is the QR code. it's completely unnecessary to print out the multipage edocument. (the "e" before the "doc" means electronic!) if there's a sale on a ream of paper down at your local office superstore, sure, be my guest, print to your heart's delight... if it makes you feel better. and that's what it boils down to... given the average age of the cruising population, many are uncomfortable with technology. they like to have things printed. i was the same way when the airlines switched to e-tickets. i did not trust them! over time, i came to see the benefits. as for having paper copies of your vax status, negative covid test and your bermuda TA... absolutely, sure, why not... but those are much shorter/smaller more easily managed documents. you make a very good point about cell phone service (or wifi) being inconsistently available at cruise port terminals... i have made the very same point in other posts in other threads when this topic comes up. but, again, you only need a printed copy of the QR code, you don't need the entire edoc... there is nothing relevant there to begin the checkin process. as for people fumbling with their phone and holding up the line... sure... but, again, that's about the people, isn't it? i can't tell you how many times i've stood behind people who took twenty minutes to locate their printed documents. it's in their jacket pocket, no it's in the zippered compartment in their carry-on; no, the wife has it; no, the husband has it, no, it's in the bag they checked with a porter that is already headed to the ship ... then the two of them argue about who had it last and who's responsible for its safekeeping. (for the record, it's usually either in their hands or stuck to another document.) as for what the reps at the terminal love... they love people who have their act together... it doesn't matter to them whether they use electronic devices or printed documents... it matters that you're ready when you approach the counter.

in my experience, they don't actually send the edocs to your email. they send you an email saying your edocs are ready in your online account. also, you don't have to actually print them out... you can pull up your edocs on the NCL app... all you need is the QR code. if you want to print something, just print the one page with the QR code on it.

this is exactly what i used to say about my ex-wife.

yeah, in my experience, you can't make the haven king into two beds.

had towel animals every night without asking for them on a ten night cruise on the gem this past april. the monkey dangling from the wooden hanger was a stunner.

yes, absolutely true... but they advertise the premium service as being suitable for "streaming." and 2 Mbps doesn't cut it.

traditionally, TAs have been able to book CAS reservations, however many no longer do this because, according to some TAs, NCL has drastically reduced their compensation for casino cruises. not sure how true that is, but that's what some TAs have said. this may not apply to all TAs, but perhaps to some who either cut corners, didn't provide a high level of service or had too much volume (or too little volume)... i can only speculate. i have only used CAS to book comped casino cruises and have been very happy. i generally don't go to a steak house for a good piece of fish, it's not their thing. similarly, i don't go to an all-purpose travel agent to book an NCL casino cruise. they know the ship (usually), but they don't know the ins and outs of casino promos. YMMV.

yeah, the "paper" cartons are a nonstarter for me... could be perception, could be actuality, but it alters the taste of the water for me. actual "bottled" water is available with the upgraded drinks package, sparkling and still. bottled water is also available at no cost in the casino for those with elite casino player cards or who are traveling as a guest of the casino or through most land-based casino affiliated bookings.

you're much better off using your phone as a hot spot in port. much. my experience with the premium wifi "for streaming" on board is that the speed provided is less than 2 Mbps... it's a scam and sham.

many have shared privacy concerns related to the excelsior pass and the underlying architecture of the app. for that reason, i recommend "clear." the clear app is normally a paid service that eases the way for TSA access at airports and provides expedited entry to certain entertainment venues, but i believe anybody can use it to store personalized covid vax data, at no charge.

this is a great suggestion and i don't think it's that unusual at all... i think it's quite common, with many hotels offering packages with a one night or two night stay together with longterm parking.

you're welcome. i thought my post was actually quite respectful and playful and not at all accusatory. i even said that my experience has been that nobody checks your arrival time and that you won't be found out. as for being "that guy" ... as i understand it, you want to show up at a time other than the one you booked, perhaps two or three hours earlier. you want to show up sometime in the morning, even though you booked an early afternoon slot. is that right? well, i'm here to tell you... that does indeed make you that guy. i'm not accusing you of being that guy; i'm simply stating a fact. you will be that guy who thinks the rules don't apply to him if you ignore your arrival time. you've justified breaking the rules and adding to the chaos in the terminal to the detriment of many people by securing a benefit for yourself. we can all understand why you want to do this, but it doesn't change the underlying ethical question. NCL has established terminal arrival times for each passenger group to help control the flow of passengers coming into the building. you've decided that the restriction doesn't apply to you. it really is as simple as that.

NCL offers those booked through its casino program what they call "casinos at sea embarkation." the word "priority" doesn't appear in the description, nor does the word boarding. in most cases, it's a special check-in line that can cut down your waiting time, once you've cleared security. priority disembarkation is offered as a program benefit to the top three elite levels in the casino program.

also, the $25 reference is arbitrary and predates recent price increases on the menu. my experience has been, as long as it's not an "upcharge" item, it's covered by the dining package. you won't find that in print anywhere, at least not yet, but that has been my experience.

oy.

no, i'm pretty sure you did miss the point, based on the way the OP phrased the question and the initial post. the OP was basically saying, "hey, i've kind of already made the decision to do the haven, but i'm having regrets because i'm wondering if it's worth it if it's just me." the OP already compared non-haven amenities and services available outside of the haven and determined the haven was where he wanted to be. the only issue is whether it was "worth it" to cruise solo in the haven. your post said that, for you, you don't need no stinkin' haven... you're just fine elsewhere on the ship. and that is a most welcome viewpoint. it just has little relevance to the question that was asked.