mets07

This family name is indeed very familiar in Northern NJ, with a small park near us and other historic sites and houses with the name Van Buskirk.

My favorite concerts are Kenny Chesney concerts and I have been to a ton of them. Whether you like island / country music or not, he is a great performer and crowd-pleaser. 🌴🏖️ Probably the most famous person I saw in concert was John Lennon. Madison Square Garden, NYC. I was a young teenager. It was called the One to One concert and I was able to go as I was a volunteer with the mentally disabled. "Imagine" all the people.... 🎸 🎶 ☮️

We are of the once was enough crowd. Just did not find it that appealing. Don't care about the presentation. But clearly this is all very subjective.

Understand. We are more used to it based on many years of driving to Manhattan for work or other reasons. We have done 4 cruises out of Manhattan, and many more out of Bayonne.

We are in Bergen County NJ and can be in either place (Bayonne or NYC) within an hour. We also prefer Bayonne, but my point was that if you are making a four hour drive to Bayonne, it is not a drastic difference driving to NYC. Of course if we are starting to discuss staying in hotels, that is a whole other subject!

It is a bit more expensive than Bayonne, but they have adequate parking at the NYC pier. We have done it multiple times. We are much closer than you, however I imagine you are leaving early to drive to NJ, and would need to do the same for NYC.

Have done 3 NCL cruises. Those cruises were mostly positive. Loved the Waterfront area. We are also big fans of JVD. We did a Royal excursion to JVD. Hope to get back there. Thanks for your feedback, @Momof3gurlz I have posted this pic before.... taken on our way to JVD. And here is to Kenny Chesney. Look up his song It's That Time Of Day - Adios To Jost! .

Hi, we have only used the free loungers/umbrellas at South Beach, of which there are many. There is a snack shack (burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, etc.) right on the beach and there is also a bar on the beach and another in the water. I think there are lockers available there, perhaps someone else can confirm. Enjoy.

We just get off the ship as early as possible and head over to South Beach. Love it there. We also especially enjoy the last 90 minutes - 2 hours or so of the day. Most people get back on the ship so early. The place gets even more beautiful, as seen below. Have a great time whatever you decide.

I would add that it can happen that an excursion sells out prior to getting on board and then no additional slots or times are added/available. We once had an excursion we wanted where I could add myself but not my husband. There was only one slot left. When we got on board, we went immediately to the Excursions "desk," however all they could do was put one of us on a waiting list. We did that but they had no cancellations and did not add another departure time for the same excursion. So, it can happen. Best wishes that you get whatever excursions you are interested in....

And you might want to print the luggage tag page.....

You do that online as well. You upload the file. You can even use a photo taken in your home as long as it follows their guidelines (white / off-white background, no shadows, etc.).

The new online option (a pilot program) is different. You do not need to send documents. Your current passport becomes "cancelled" immediately when you submit online for renewal.

We visited more wineries on the Sonoma side. We did enjoy Silverado and Rutherford Hill in Napa area.

You do not need them. Print the page with your luggage tag (with as many copies as needed).

I used to run to Dumbo immediately upon park opening with my younger son... he was probably 2 .... while my husband took off elsewhere with our other son who was about 3 years older. We would do the Dumbo ride at least two times in a row before the line got insane.

We were on the January 2nd cruise on Anthem. The only show that required reservations was Spectra's. Just show up for the rest.....

Hi, I am a different mets (mets07). It is complimentary (free), but on Anthem they still require reservations for it. FYI, about 10 minutes before the show, they do start letting people in who do not have reservations as long as there is room. It is simply because the particular space/location of the event is limited. I was able to make a reservation prior to the cruise. Hope this helps. Enjoy!

You can definitely do the same restaurant twice as part of a 3-night (or other) package. We have done that quite a few times. Enjoy.

They were available at 270 Cafe on Anthem just this month, but you have to know to ask for them at salad bar. They are no "on display."

Most ships we have been on lately still have bottles (vs. cans) of water. So, this can vary by ship.

We always find it lovely at South Beach. We get off the ship early and walk right there (you can take the tram if desired).

As stated above, you can select arrival time online (or in app) starting 45 days before departure. The procedure also varies once you get to the specific port. On a recent Anthem cruise out of New Jersey, other than Suites, Pinnacles, Key, no one verified a time. They just checked you in and had you sit row-by-row, then boarded row-by-row. Other ports may be more strict about time slots. For departure, you will have an opportunity while on your cruise to select self-assist (on Anthem we could select a time range), or indicate flight info, etc. to determine an appropriate luggage tag and time (for non self-assist).

This was an 11 day cruise (January 2) but will give you an idea of shows.....

@John&LaLa Someone on this thread mentioned author Allison Brennan. She writes "romantic thrillers" .... with central characters such as FBI agent Lucy Kincaid, reporter Max Revere, and more. I am making my way through them.