bedfordmom

Had two comedians on the Getaway TA. They weren't bad but repeated their shows word for word. They had the three main shows Broadway Unplugged; MIllion Dollar Quartet and Burn the Floor. They had some great juggles, magicians etc. Some of the repeat shows were new while others were an exact repeat. Overall except for 1-2 nights of the 13 night cruise we found at least one if not more shows that we enjoyed.  

Bon Voyage. Looking forward to dinner.

  FYI on my recent Getaway, TA I never received my chocolate covered strawberries. By the time I was able to notify Cruise Next of the oversight it was third day and guess what I ended up receiving two within a couple of hours (unless one was for the club balcony)

3 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Sharon, happy Thanksgiving to you ... there's room in our luggage plus an oversized weekender tote. Okay, won't exceed CBP

The best thing about Went to East TA   To NYC is if you live near by you don’t have to worry about luggage weight restrictions 

Do you have enough time to see Monserrat? Remember taking a train from Barcelona to this magical place

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Good late & relaxing Sunday morning, a light conteniental breakfast from nearby for less than 5 Euros, juice & banana excluded.

Looking good. Curious does your hotel offer breakfast for a fee? More times than not it is a lot less to go outside the hotel but sometimes I like the convenience of eating at the hotel. 

I was on the Getaway in February of the first week of once daily cleaning and  it was awful with some cabins not getting service as the stewards were overwhelmed. We were back on the October Getaway and the same  service was seamless and agree like the once a day better. This last time I was pleasantly surprised how stewards were able to anticipate our needs to get into the cabin when we were out  of it even though we had 5 sea days. 

Didn’t realize you could get full breakfasts in Barcelona. Last time I was there the American chain hotel where I stayed in 1992  gave us a hard roll and butter and jam. Your breakfast looks way better. 

Wow. Little drama on the transfer to keep you awake. Thank you for letting us hitch a ride on your TA and as always looking forward to your posts. 

10 hours ago, mking8288 said:

It's right on the corner, when you exit the port or terminal area, cross the street to your left, do your window shopping - about 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile walk, 3 or 4 blocks.  Sells things like toothpaste, lotions, slippers, underwear, along with souvenirs, and vast collection of iPhone and Samsung smartphone cases (only) and other essentials for cabin living, not your ordinary mini-marts or 7-11's. 

 

@bedfordmom hi 😁 just reaffirmed what I said, unique to PD only about screening when returning to the ship. 

 

Anything locally made, pineapple based are good & bargain priced. Azorean gift shop is the store mentioned above with the liquor and the long lines. Check out the side streets behind the waterfront for inexpensive meals & lunches, many as a combo w soda or beer / wine.  Happy cruising & safe travel, get well 🙏😁

Carry on with the chats ... NP at all. 

 

Hi again actually every European port we encountered  was lax on the collection of alcohol as the check was done by their version of their TSA not NCL and they were no where to be found if you wanted to turn it in. Also interesting to note that now you have to pick up liquor bought on board 5 to 7 pm the last night instead of it being delivered to your room as in the past. We don’t drink but bring liquor home for gifts and prefer bringing it back ourselves thst day in order to figure out the packing prior to the last day. 
 

Agree there  is a lovely gift shop with Azores goods across from the port. Next door there is a small grocery store where you can get inexpensive wine snacks etc. even in the port there was a tiny store. ( unless I am mixing it up w Lisbon)  I’m sorry we missed the other store you referred to but it was a Sunday and they may have been closed. Our private tour stopped at the pineapple farm so picked up my pineapple liquor and jam at good prices and did not see this brand in town. 
 

you are actually getting me motivated to book another TA with your excellent reviews. We actually looked at your cruise but since I hold a  large Thanksgiving it was not an option . 

Thrilled to find this semi live as having made my first TA on the Getaway last week(  finally and going through TA withdrawal.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that customs operated the X-rays at each port allowing me to bring alcohol and soda in from each port. What is your favorite wine from the Azores? We brought back their famous pineapple liquor. A grocery store is across the street from the port ( green letters but can’t remember it’s game)with  lines  out the door was the place  to get reasonable priced snacks and alcohol. I saw bottles of wine for 3 euros. We also loved the soft serve ice cream on the same side of the port with large cones for 2 euros! 

Last time we were at the port there was a private tour company Lucky Tours that gave a 2 hour tour of old and new San Juan for only 25$ cash payable at the end. We got in at 5 pm so it was a good way to spend 2 hours with all the stores closed except for Walgreens snd CVS which were packed. 

As they are in Europe chances are that the stragglers at their own expense can take a train or plane to the next port. No passports needed unless a hotel requires it.  Getaway does not leave for the TA to NYC until 10/22. 

On 9/24/2023 at 7:16 PM, Pitzel said:

The only other limitation is that you cannot use both Latitudes vouchers for the same restaurant, so if you want to return to the same place twice, you will need to use your specialty dining credit for the second visit.

Not true I used Cagney's twice on my platinum, even asking numerous times if it is OK, I did not have the free at sea at the time. Also I have never been offered the extra soup or salad in addition to my app and when I hand in the  coupon they are very clear about that distinction  Too bad as my tip would very much reflect that appreciation.  This was in Feb of this year on Getaway but of course it could have changed. Will be on the same ship in two weeks so can report back then.

On my upcoming TA, NCL has a NYC city tour that drops off at the airport (probably picking up incoming passengers, I guess) but is almost 200$ per person. For that money you could probably hire a taxi or uber to give you a quick tour of the city.  There is also the HOHO.   On trip advisor, viator  and airbnb experiences, there is tons of tours available. If I was on a b2b, I would want to go to the nearest CVS to pick up supplies  then get an authentic NY deli sandwich and go to the Intrepid. and then return to the ship

21 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

 

@bedfordmom - going to be an interesting one, stay tuned - T minus 64 days, westbound out of Barcelona to NY ... we twice cancelled her but decided, got to check things out in person to decide ourselves with the mixed reviews.  And, "The Price is Right" so it's a "Deal" - balcony booked outright, no bids and see no need to upgrade to a mini-suite (not Haven people, steerage "buys" more cruise days & fit our easy-going lifestyle better, and Mrs M doesnt care for a spa balcony but the max upgrade bid price isn't bad ... cheaper than minimum for the club balcony "suite".  NCL's partner surely is tossing out a complicated 

You must be on the Prima. I’ve never been on anything newer than the Getaway. We go for itinerary and price. I considered that cruise but it was during Thanksgiving and that is my big holiday. BCN is a pain to get to fromBOS plus a little too cold for me. My DH is not a travel or so thought we would try the TA with a direct flight to London but need need to get to Southampton.

Speaking of flights I finally after 3.5 years got my refund from Level for our cancelled oneway from BCN April 2020. Initially They had offered a six month voucher which I refused thinking that travel insurance would cover it. Which they would not. So last month I wrote on Level  fb advertisement how they were crooks and before I knew it I was taking to the right people at Iberia. At first they only gave me back money for one ticket though the credit card was charged for two and finally got the second this week. 

21 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

@Sugar Magnolia

Great review as always. So you had had the  cancellations but you dealt and presented with the changes with grace, dignity and a good sense of humor. What is your next TA?

Remember being there in June 2013 with Carnival from Boston and as we got off the ship each lady was presented with a rose. It rained every day of that cruise. Only good thing is that my 19 year old daughter met her future husband on that cruise!

The ship needs to leave port of NYC so that they can open the casino. Too bad they can’t use it as a floating hotel for those who would would like to visit tge city snd return to shop similar to Bermuda overnights. 

Good morning : safe travels. For Halifax, I recommend renting a car ( across the street from terminal) going to Peggy’s Cove  beating all the crowds stopping at this lobster place ( sorry can’t remember name) in the rough. Circling back to Titantic graveyard all in a half day. For St John we did a speedboat tour in the raging rapids which no longer exists, not surprised lol

Yes I will bring the Getaway back to NYC safe and sound. Today I bought 4  AirTag key holders from Walmart only 5.88 to attach to the inside of suitcase. One will eventually go into the car and perhaps my key ring. 
 

Doing great and even better since I have collected on my one way Level/Iberia 2020 BCN to BOS airfare after 3 years. After a social media post brought me attention they gave me back one fare but still waiting for husbands.
 

I really had my eye on the Escape TA for April but wanted  something sooner. At 1600 plus for inside it is too much for me. I will try to have patience this time and wait for the 60 day mark to decide. 

Hi so glad you are doing another semi Live. Not sure if you remember me but I almost took the epic TA with you after a later Getaway cruise. Well I am finally getting to do my TA after a cancelled 2020 one and ironically it’s the Getaway out of Southampton. Other had better ports but this worked better with our schedule. Although I booked this 3 months ago the prices dropped so much that I was able to upgrade from balcony to club suite for nothing.

I have a question about AirTags. Do you need to put them in a case outside the suitcase for them to work? 

Thank you John I did not listen to you and bought the bus tickets  before the train went down which was more than advanced train tickets. You are always right on your advice. 

On 9/1/2023 at 10:26 AM, debenson0723 said:

I travel often for business and just spent 2 weeks in 2 different very nice Hiltons. Upon check in to both, I was told there would be no housekeeping for the 5 days I was there. The bathroom was stocked with towels and I could text the front desk or stop by for more if needed.  There were large trash bins near the vending machines where I could put my daily trash (and they were emptied often so no smell). This isn't the first time I have experienced this recently and for me, it's really no big deal. Once a day service will be great once I get on a ship!

I wouldn’t mind self service of towels and garbage however NCL chooses not to do it that way perhaps hygiene issues around the towels. At home I do use my towels more than one day but the thin NCL towels take forever to dry. I have checked out pool towels when I’ve needed new towels and steward was mo where go be found. 

Hello again: As advised I will wait until August 29 to make my decision whether to take the bus or train to Southampton on October 22 from Central London. I am leaning towards taking the bus. If I take the bus, do I have to pay extra for luggage if I only have carryon and personal item?  Are reserved seats necessary?

2 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

 

 

One of the issues is that it is probably too early to be planning the fine detail of this, because (I suspect) plans for engineering work that weekend have not yet been confirmed. For example, if SWR is selling Advance tickets to Southampton Central on Saturday but not Sunday, it's possible that SWR has not yet confirmed the timetable for Sunday. (Notably, the Advance tickets are only available on every other train on Saturday, so there appears to be some uncertainty about that day in any event.) Also, if there are Advance tickets from London Waterloo to Eastleigh, but not to Southampton Central, then it's possible that SWR may yet do something on the line between Eastleigh and Southampton Central. One indication is the specific warnings on the National Rail website that John Bull has also given an example of: the currently-published timetable is not the final timetable for that weekend.

 

Whatever you can buy on Trainline, you can usually buy directly from the train operating company, but without Trainline's booking fee. This means that you can already replicate what Trainline seems to have sold to your fellow cruisers - an Advance ticket from Waterloo to Eastleigh (£8.70), plus a walk-up fare from Eastleigh to Southampton Central (£3.90) - by simply buying these tickets from SWR.

 

However, split ticketing comes with disadvantages. If all you ever do is look at the total cost, you can miss the hidden pitfalls. If you want to try to save money in this way, you really ought to do it with your eyes wide open and with a full understanding of the rules and their implications. The potential disadvantages, given the (probably) unconfirmed state of the timetable for that day, include:

• The Advance ticket can only be used on the specific train that has been booked.
• If you want to take a direct train from Waterloo to Southampton using a pair of tickets like this, then you must choose a train that calls at Eastleigh (even though you don't have to get off and get on again there). There are fewer trains from Waterloo to Eastleigh than there are trains from Waterloo to Southampton, so you have less choice of train times. The Advance ticket is not valid on a direct train from Waterloo to Southampton if the train does not call at Eastleigh - you could well be made to pay a penalty fare for Waterloo to Southampton onboard the train, but you probably couldn't get a refund for the Advance ticket because these are non-refundable.
• If the timetable is amended so that there are no trains between Eastleigh and Southampton, then you will have to get off at Eastleigh and change, probably to a rail replacement bus service.
• If the timetable is amended so that there are no direct trains between Waterloo and Southampton that call at Eastleigh (which is the normal situation on a weekday), then you will also have to take a train to Eastleigh and change trains there; or alternatively junk the tickets you have already bought and buy a replacement Waterloo-Southampton ticket.

 

So don't be blinded by the siren lure of saving money. If I were in your shoes, I would stick to what I've already said above: do nothing for the moment and see how things settle down. Your worst-case train fare scenario is that you have to pay £41 for a walk-up fare, just like you would pay now if you were to buy a ticket for 22 October. The difference between that and the best-case split ticketing scenario is less than thirty quid. Historically, whenever I cruised from Southampton I'd always just paid the walk-up fare for the train because the travel flexibility on the day of departure was worth paying the extra money for, although I haven't done one of these for a long time now.

 

Finally, BTW, the place really is spelt "Southampton".

 

 

It's dead easy if you simply take a taxi - on a Sunday morning, I reckon that this should be something like £20.

Thank you for your wise advice. I will wait. And thanks for the spelling correction. In the States we have a similar named city with two Hs.