Tuckster

On 12/29/2022 at 8:39 PM, SunshineGal2022 said:

Which specialty dining did you enjoy? What did you like in the MDR?

 

How busy did the pool and hot tub get?

 

Did you stop at Amber Cove? 

As expected, the pool and hot tubs were crowded on sea days. Our Specialty dinning was Cagney's and The Italalian one. Both were excellent. probably too much food to be honest. The main dining room was very nice. They served the same menu as Taste and Savour. They we just a little more quaint. The food was hit or miss. Totally depends on what you order. I'm being picky but we are older and remember the days when ALL meals were spot on.

We missed the last stop due to high seas. Couldn't tender in It was the private island.

On 12/29/2022 at 8:04 PM, JohnBoy in NC said:

How was the live music (bands/musicians)?

They had an all male group called "Choir of Man" and they were good. Several other spots had music and all were good.

On 12/29/2022 at 7:35 PM, Jean A said:

Were their pools heated? Did you stop in Puerto Plata Dominican Republic? Any suggestion for tour or things to do. What two times were their show?

 The only show we scheduled and saw was Malevo. It was entertaining but I can't say it's a must see. It's a group that plays drums and stomps their feet a lot. They were on America's Got Talent. The show was 7:30 and lasted an hour.

We did stop at Puerta Plata. They have a nice touristy area with shops etc and a nice BIG pool area but not a lot there and it's not near any big town. We chose to "hang around". The pools seemed to be heated.

 2nd time with NCL (1st was 2008) and here are a few comments. We have cruised with RCCL 5 times and most comments will be personal preferences.

We like the openness of the Oasis class (RCCL). Escape seemed more crowed.

Wi-Fi- was pretty poor.

Food was nowhere near as good as in the past. I'm sure budget cuts are affecting all cruise lines. The "specialty dining" was excellent but who wants to pay for that. The main dining room was hit or miss and the buffet was .... a buffet. Not the way it use to be.

Crew/staff were excellent. 

Cabin (balcony) had only 1 electrical outlet and that was under the mirror. Wife had a C-Pap and they brought us an extension cord.

Any questions and we'll try and answer.

We'll, we got back 12?24 and tried to use the app but there were so many ships in port it wouldn't load. I was lucky to find one and got to Sanford airport in plenty of time. $140.00 + tip on Christmas Eve not too bad, but I do admit, I was a little worried there for a bit. AND it was cold as heck !!!

I found Terminal 10 @ Port Canaveral to be a cluster both embark (the worst) and disembarkation (not too bad) so allow plenty of time or best advice is just arrive around noon or later and don't fight the crowd. We had a 10:00 a.m. check in time and there were passengers still leaving combined with the ones arriving. Never do that again.

I'll contact CocoaBeach shuttles. Hopefully they go to Sanford/Orlando Airport.

Any recent NCL Escape (Port Canaveral) times clearing customs ??? We have a 12:30 flight out of SFB (Sanford/Orlando) which is an hour from the port. It will be Christmas Eve so we're a little nervous taking an Uber. I've "booked" a ride with them but not much experience booking an Uber in advance. Hopefully they are trustworthy. Anyway, what time do you think we can get off the ship and thru customs ??

We know about the MDR and buffet but RCCL has a few "hidden" breakfast spots. Any suggestions ??

Thanks ...... I think I read somewhere that you get your boarding time 21 days out ??

We are RCCL cruisers trying NCL and not sure what time boarding starts (on average). I kinda like the way RCCL did it last year (assigned boarding times) but that was due to covid. Also, certain reservations can't be made until you board so waiting too late to let the crowd die down could cost you.

 Now with the new relaxed rules, wondering what the boarding times etc. are. 

mfriedman@captainsairport.com

Great service

We used M & M Car service from Port Everglades to PBI and it was great and about the same as an uber.

mfriedman@captainsairport.com

 Any past cruisers (Escape) that can comment on beverage deals as we get closer to sail date (Dec)  ?? 

We are looking at a Dec cruise on the Escape and on a budget. Want a balcony but now daughter and granddaughter (18) want to go. Anyone have pictures or videos of what a cabin would look like setup for 4 ?? I read somewhere that a bed drops down from the ceiling ??? I know it would be tight but we are never in the cabin much so considering it. It would save us about $1000. All comments and suggestions appreciated.

2 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Did you look at the Deck Plans for the ship (available on NCL.com)?

That way, you can consider the locations of the two cabins, and also proximity to other "things", be they distance to elevators, above or below public areas, etc.

GC

I see videos/pictures of the cabins but is there a video of the access hallways etc. It sounds like the insides have their own hallway which means no they are not across from the balcony cabins. 

1st time on NCL (previous RCCL). If daughter and granddaughter go with us on the Escape, can we get a balcony cabin and they book an inside cabin near or across from us ??

We stayed on ship time (FL time) all week.

Enjoyed a nice 6 day cruise on the Allure (3/13-3/19). We are an older couple that have cruised 7 times, all on RCCL except for 1 Norwegian. So we are not experts but here are a few observations. Keep in mind we are older and we realize many things will never be as good as they use to be.

1. Food was very good, but not as good as 10 years ago.

2. Windjammer was ok (very good for breakfast) but they now serve you and that just makes the cluster, more of a cluster. The ship was not full thankfully so I would advise visiting the Windjammer only at non peak times.

3. We all felt the crew was as courteous as they have ever been. The service was fantastic. Everyone was soooo nice.

4. Embarkation and Debarkation a piece of cake. I really like the new customs facial recognition. We docked early at all 3 ports and got off the ship easily. 

5. We decided on My Time Dining and my only complaint was you cannot make reservations until onboard (via the app) and we were later boarding so most of the times we got were 7:45 or later. MTD starts at 6:30. We went down early 2 nights and they worked with us nicely but remember the ship was not full (4400 I believe).

6. The lines for guest services were Long for the 1st 2/3 days. They need to fix that.

Overall, we had a great cruise. Any questions, and we'll be happy to try and answer.

 Here is how our trip went. I asked about the wine where you drop your bags and was told to keep the wine in my carry-on. Had to lug it around a bit but oh well.

It went about as smooth as it could have. Got off the ship quickly and walked thru the terminal to the taxi's. Got on to the marina where Alison was waiting and off we went for 2 great dives. the drive was probably 5 minutes.

 I read somewhere that the wine should be packed in your carry on .... that if it was in your checked luggage, you would have to pick it up, it wouldn't be delivered to your room ???

Just now, jcc1025 said:

Ships always remain on the time zone that the ship sailed from. 

I have heard this before but I have also had folks that have had the ship go by the local time. Doesn't seem to be a "set" procedure.

I may be looking at this time thing backwards. If the ship docks @ 7:00 am Florida time, that will be 6:00 am Cozumel time correct ??? I get confused easily !!!!!!

1 minute ago, msuspartabigten said:

I would contact your excursion company and clarify the details so there are no accidental misunderstandings. 

They said they would wait for me (45 minutes) It's a small dive op and I've used them before.