Panhandle Couple

I've been to the UK 5 times, and dealt with business folks there for 5-6 years at one point. Never heard of Guinness Day. Most pubs (outside of London touristy ones) have a tie in with a semi-local brewer for their draft beer. Most won't have Guinness on tap, but in a bottle, the same as Heineken or other mass market beers. Going to a pub and NOT having a sample of the local draft selection would be an insult to the pub owner. (IMHO)

From each port, there are 2-4 different tours you can take. The guide simply says to keep driving, and as you approach major intersections, it will tell you which attraction is in what direction. If the vehicle already has a built in map screen, then simply turn it on and the guide calls out the road name or number. It generally doesn't use distances, but will say "just ahead" or "turn left once past the large red building" if road signs are small or sometimes non-existent. It will describe a side alternative with brief info on why you should go that route or town to visit, and also pull over scenic view locations. If you don't, it will simply say, "OK, on to XXX destination". It gives you time to make a decision for each suggestion. Also, outside of some stretches on the big island, (and Oahu interstate) most highways are 45 mph or less. This gives the guide time to describe things you are seeing, Hawaiian history, or other side routes. The app highlights each tour on its map on your phone. It does not cover every road on each island. You can also skip each narration if you find it boring. You will learn a lot about Hawaiian history, especially 1700-1900. You will figure this all out in the first 20 minutes or less of using it. There might be some u-tube videos showing this, but we never searched for them. If I'm remembering correctly, it will give you a time estimate for the route chosen once you start that route. You can stop when you want to, and it will start up again once moving.

I can verify that it also worked thru Apple car play in a Jeep.

Only missing passengers, potentially kidnapped or murdered. I guess their families feedback might be a little negative on Tortola.

It took me 5 minutes to find this, which just MIGHT have an explanation. https://bvinews.com/two-tourists-missing-in-the-bvi/ Summary: Two men missing from the NCL Sky stop on 19 April. No contact from them since they got off. If NCL thinks there is not enough action to protect their passengers, they will skip the port until the locals make some changes, or add security. The removed tourist spending should energize the location, or maybe not. If you review this web site, you will also see stories about increased illegal immigration, and increasing theft in businesses. I wonder if all this is connected?

Also, if you get a waiter early that you like, you can ask them their schedule for the next few days (they typically rotate around MDR locations) and go to their next MDR rotation, and ask to be seated at one of their tables. We have done this a few times.

OTOH... Our re-opening Princess cruise placed our large group at the table just inside the door. Our waiter was new and incompetent. Every dinner was a 2 hour ordeal. We did get to watch other parties come in 10 minutes after us, and leave 30 minutes before us. We even asked for a different table and waiter after the 2nd night, but they said, no, that was our spot. On two show nights, we were finding seats after the start due to the long delays we had in MDR. On NCL, as a couple, you stand a good chance of getting a window seat for lunch or dinner. Our only window option (on Princess) was fighting for one in the buffet in the morning. As I recall from our 90's experience. those new and friendly people at your table can also be obnoxious, and sometimes inebriated. The way politics are today, I wouldn't risk sitting with 4 to 6 strangers who might be very vocal in disagreements, either with me or the others.

Still undecided. Maybe just a walk around town or the HOHO bus.

Thanks for the travel log. Enjoy your outlook on cruising and life. I generally find the couples stop in front of me after going through a door, leaving me with elevator or train doors closing on me.

Keep in mind the drink pkg includes mid-level wine in the MDR and specialty restaurants in addition to bar drinks. 1 drink before dinner, 1 wine at dinner gets you the 2 per day for "break even" on the tips. You can also try different drinks (outside of your regular ones) and if you don't like them...no problem (or cost) with simply setting them aside. Many of the bartenders have their own favorite drinks to make, not always on the list. Simply ask them if the bar is not crowded. And if it is hot out, a dessert drink like a Bushwacker or Mudslide is great. If you do rebook later, it might not include the AMEX credit, which is probably time limited. Need to factor that in your costs.

Per the Rain man... "Quantas" Wait, they are an airline. And had an accident after that movie was made. Never mind...

Thanks. I guess I learned a few things today.

I am sad that your cruise didn't go as planned. I'm not certain how the long flights to Hawaii have anything to do with NCL. Do you think you will miss your flight home? Until a problem is verified, and a new part delivered and installed, there is not much updates they can provide. Hourly updates are pointless unless something actually happens. I think sailing by Molokai in the daytime would be nice, as very few ever visit it. Sailing at night removed any scenic views on any of the islands, which was sort of odd. Also, they stay mainly inside controlled water area, so may be using the next available slot for the route they are planning, similar to ATC for flying.

Does POA have azipods? We seemed to be shadowed by tugs in each port, and at one (can't remember) the tug actually did "tug" us (as opposed to push) away from the dock. I thought azipods were new for NCL starting on BA class.

It has been posted that POA will dry dock for 2 weeks in June, so maybe another item that they can add to the list of repairs then. We sailed POA 5 weeks ago, still in reasonable good shape, but certainly needs some TLC during dry dock that you simply can't do on a cruise.

I grew up much further north, so maybe more immune to cold than avg Floridian. At that time of year, you will have 16 hrs or more of daylight. Sun will set at 10-ish. Most people bring flannel shirts and wear jeans during the day. For embarking, carry on a set of clothes (we use backpacks) for everyone. If the kids want to swim, it will probably be warmest before you leave port. Day 6 (sea day) on way back to Seattle will be very choppy, bring meds if you think it might effect the family.

All NCL excursions will be near or at the dock. Skagway will likely be at the end of the dock due to landslide restrictions. I haven't seen any comments from the first sailings this year on Skagway status.

Thanks. We have one ending in San Juan, but stopping in St. Thomas first. Any idea which will be the customs point?

Find a Columbia outlet store. They will be placing winter items on discount now, so you can pickup light raincoats and some long sleeve sun shirts, along with hats, etc. We have cruised AK 3 times in September, and never really been cold, but expect at least one day of misty rain and fog. Over July 4th, will be the busiest time of year, so patience is needed. The ship will be over capacity, and every port will have 2 or 3 other ships at the same time. A good DSLR camera will provide the best pictures for wildlife. Glacier Bay is great, but your phone camera can't zoom in enough for great pictures. (Others may disagree)

We love the Rum Cake martini!! We were told by one stage manager that Burn the Floor is a turnkey operation. NCL contracts with them and the company supplies all the talented performers. Stage props are not too hard to do compared to Six or Jersey Boys. It will probably be around for awhile.

This company also reduces fares for people who advertise for them on CC. I have pointed this out several times to the rulers of CC, but they keep letting it happen.

We have had some very good conversations with bar staff during slow times. They have generally been everywhere, but still have family they miss back home. I hate how some people here complain about them and staff in general. Get to know them, even on a minimal level, and you will get better service, and help them with a rather boring job.

These new large ships, maybe not even through preliminary design yet, will be predicting what the cruise world (and the world overall) will be 10 years from now. There will obviously be some hits and misses along the way. It is easy to project better port infrastructure worldwide.

The older ships are well past their financial payoff date. While older technology, they are much more similar to the majority of cruise ships, and all the commercial cargo ships. The true life will be determined by the fatigue status of the main structural components, the beam and ribs. Whether NCL uses them to that point, or sells them is the question. Smaller ships also have less water and wind drag, allowing them use less fuel. That trades off against newer more efficient engines and drive trains. I'm sure NCL keeps track of fuel consumption vs miles traveled for all their fleet.

Recommend you review NCLH debt schedule, and finance terms for new ship builds.