mking8288

Hola ... Hi, all (continue towards Wrap-Up Summary - from notes, etc.) I am back with my/our post-cruise review and comments, some critical - will skip over areas & services on the Getaway that we didn't use/explore and direct interactions & observations or knowledge of ... with the goal with providing a few of you with a snapshot of our experience, feel and values for our money, including some indirect notes from my colleague & good old friend of 40+ years that sailed solo this time (he's done 8 cruises since 2022, mostly NCL but isn't active on CC). Sidenote - Verizon home Fios (300/300) service was down a day before we disembarked, hardware (ONT) failure & replacement on the UPS truck this morning to be delivered for DIY exchange, always having a backup to insure continuity - tethering on Google Fi's unlimited cellular 5G data & back online, usually we don't "burn" a lot of data from our house. Townhouse's upstair neighbor left for Florida 2 days ago as otherwise, we would've used their "guest" access to log in ... Same/similar reasons why we travel with at least 1 backup smartphone (iPhone SE 2020 w integrated battery case, acts as MiFi hotspot on a global travel Sim) as you can't just walk into a local Digicel store on one of the Caribbean islands to "buy" a replacement on the spot. Ground transportation to/from Manhattan Cruise Terminal (MCT) Pier 88/90 & parking - Transfer costs for taxi, car services (Carmel), Uber & Lyft (used more often for short hops if not using Carmel) has gone up by 15 to 20% on average, higher tolls & congestion pricing, and taxes/surcharges all not helping. Uber & Lyft in NY area were once competing at a lower cost, plus surge pricing when cruise ship(s) docked - be careful when requesting them on the app, especially airports & longer distance, like ours. Parking at Pier 88/90 - there are plenty of open, secured & outdoor parking (when we disembarked yesterday morning, Pier 90 was virtually empty whereas 13 days ago, there're vehicles parked there next to us at P88. Winter travel, there's no excuse not to have snow brush & other emergency gears to clear windshields & rooftop. $40 a day, taxes included & no surcharge for vans, pickups and oversized SUV & even campers that fit into those wide, marked parking spots is a good deal in 2022-23, especially folks with those bulky & heavy 27" or 28" suitcases @ 60 to 70+ lbs each, to park somewhere nearby or to deal with being dropped off & picked up, IMHO. Accessible parking spots are set aside & closer to the giant elevators that access both street level & embarkation's level 2 and porters, usually not far away if assistance are needed. Checking in, easy & simple, curbside dropped off & ship-tagged tags given to the porter, tipped & walk inside & go thru 1st screener. This time, accessible help desk was off to the right (usually, it's to the left, closer to the Intrepid or downtown side ... signage is clear & just ask if you aren't sure. Haven guests keep left to security, everyone else joined the roped line to security screening - we got there a few minutes before 10 a.m. and took only 5 minutes to clear the x-ray machine - these are shore opeartions managed by local authorities & contracted employees, not directly oversee by NCL. It's the 4 time we sailed from here & each and every time, the set-up is slightly different. After that, you are directed by another greeter, with NCL name tag (shore-based per-diem contracted employees, not NCL crew) on where to go, Decks 5 thru 11 have the shorter walk and Deck 12 & higher, including Priorities, Platinum/+ and Haven have to go to the far end of the terminal to do the check-in. We're given Group Boarding #6 already & when I asked the greeter about #1 or #2, she basically ignored 4 of us and said that's the lowest # available already ... huh, oh. How to they deal with someone paying for "Priority Boarding" and not arriving before 10 or 10:30 am ? Perhaps, there're too many Platinum & Sapphire cruisers on this cruise, as the next available agent to check us in ... were the "general" line in the back of the terminal, barely a 2 minutes wait & as usual, one of us had our photo taken again - got our key cards & we're sent walking ... no explanation about the roped off Platinum waiting "lounge" situated near Door C, in the middle section of the terminal by the restrooms, opposite 1 of 2 designated seating area for accessible passengers/others traveling with them "together" While walking over, we passed by the Haven lounge ... not really impressed, fairly simple & looked pretty crowded inside, waiting for their early & escorted boarding - not seeing any passengers still coming off the ship, NCL doing the zero counting & should be good for an early start soon. There's a mobile vending cart in the terminal selling things, beverages & coffee, soda & water & snacks, etc. (hint hint: here, you can buy & load up on sodas if you like ... nobody is checking) NCL used to provide flavored water in this area, not anymore - just plain water w. paper cups & also setup the Reservation "kiosk" for folks to book before boarding ... no, didn't see it. Didn't take long for the "lounge" to reach beyond standing room only & others trying to enter were turned away & they actually started checking everyone's Guest keycards to make sure they belong there or traveling in the same cabin that's eligible to stay there. Terminal was filling up quick by 10:45 and we could tell, this is going to a full cruise at/near capacity (turned out to be around 3,900 pax - around 98% at double occupancies but well below the max berth capacity of 4,800+ (81%) with up to 1,600+ crews/officers ... previously reported, sailing with about 1,400 crews only or about 200 less. There're crew turnover - reporting as new & returning from vacation or leaves - both in NY and in San Juan, PR - as we saw them (easily 60 to 70 of them in PR) lined up outside on the lower/street level, waiting to board, luggage & personal/backpacks, etc. Alvin, the CD was among them ... and, we learned directly from Jose, head of Housekeeping Services during our Dine With Officers, that you can spot new ones that just joined the ship by the fact that they are required to wear a N95/equivalent face until they are cleared - a 5/5 rule (assumed they are also given screening tests initially) MDR & even specialty servers onboard all had these crew members working & performing routine duties like the rest, masked up at all times. Shortly after more announcements after boarding, Haven team & security were ready & started doing theirs, followed shortly by accessible pax, and then our turn. We saw signage/tall & vertical banner about CAS check-in but didn't see a special area for CAS, not sure if they're given a little priority and boarding after us, before other groups by zone #'s were called. It's fair amount of walking from mid-terminal to the "Z" gangway to go up the FWD gangway, then, walk along Deck 7 in the open, next to the lifeboats to enter the ship near Fwd theater area. Perhaps, there aren't enough "greeters" to funnel & direct passengers, crews were not trying to send everyone up the AFT elevators nearby to the buffet for lunch ... it was only about 11:20 or 11:30 am & MDR (Taste & Savor) aren't open yet, the other choice being O'Sheehan's and lunch being served ... food there are almost, always served nice & hot, freshly prepared. What we're directed to, instead, was to go to our designated Assembly Station to get our guest key cards (RFID enabled) swiped to get credit for the mandatory emergency drills in lieu of the in-person mass drills while waiting for a few to come late. Nevertheless, CD Alvin still verbally repeated things again over the ship's PA system before we sailed - but, we're spared from being prompted to watch the full video muster/emergency drill again upon turning on the stateroom interactive TV for the first time ... haha. Staterooms weren't ready until a little after 1 p.m. and those heavy fire doors near the elevators & stairs remained closed then, with signs that rooms are being cleaned with final touches, to not enter until announced. Plenty of folks walking around with those heavy 28" suitcases & big, bulky backpacks & nowhere to go ... maybe, next time - they'll be smarter to check them & tip the porters a few bucks instead, less than the "cost" of Starbuck onboard, hahaha. Both of our checked 24" bags were delivered outside our cabin by 3 p.m. and we finished unpacking before sailaway, which wasn't really delayed that much & that's "on time" given NCL's routines in NY lately. Disembarkation - (skipping ahead) - most of the time, NCL ships return to NYC early, sometimes very and super early ... not this time for the Getaway, and we're "late" leaving Amber Cove by only 30 minutes at most, easily catch up with 2 full sea days but apparently, we've never exceeded 21 knots sailing mostly against headwind coming from/across the bow, sometimes easing to 17 to 18 knots only under nearly ideal, perfect sea state and conditions with waves no higher than 4.9 feet in the Atlantic. Sure enough, we slipped under the VZ Bridge around 5:45 to 6 a.m. and then Statue of Liberty at 6:15 - and came up the Hudson, docking at Pier 88 before 7:30 a.m. - gangways being set up usually not a big deal but ship wasn't cleared by local "officials" for a good 35+ minutes later, as the crowd began to pile towards Deck 7, jamming the stairs, with some elevators skipping floors & on bypass mode (crew operated ... typically & commonly set for Haven pax for quicker exodus) Thus, with the ship nearly full at 3,900 pax (and, the info given that this week's short Bermuda cruise to Bahamas with 4,700 pax turned out to be quite close, just a little under the "reported" onboard number) - it was madness that we haven't seen in quite a few years out of NY (holidays/school break weeks aside). Worsened by human traffic jams inside the cruise terminal - line(s) were halted at several points. We made our way around 8:30 a.m. into the central atrium on Deck 7, just as they were calling for Platinum & Priority guests (Footnote: we never received written info onboard nor luggage tags delivered ahead - had to go downstairs to Guest Services & ask ["NCL" - failed ... what perks] about priority disembarkation [both of us as Sapphire/P+ prior to 2020] with luggage being sent downstairs into the terminal & ready for pickup.) Helps that we knew from sailing out of MCT over the past 2+ decades: using the AFT gangway gave us a shorter walk onto the terminal and inside for the escalators that go down to street level. Majority pax were directed to the Fwd exit for the gangways, and, it's not fun with a much longer walk, especially if you are each hauling 2+ large & heavy luggage on your own. There was a massive jam with the single elevator used by accessible guests ... and others with oversized, jumbo luggage that shore employees would not permit, for safety reasons, for them to be taken onto the escalators. It's so much easier to leave the luggage outside before midnight, properly tagged & let the crew do the hauling on arrival (tips already "paid" as part of the DSC ... unlike the unionized porters outside by the curbside when checking in or embarking) Once downstairs, we quickly made our way to the color coded area & retrieved our 2 bags, our CAS friends also got their 2 bags nearby - and DW walked over to the porter area & got one with a cart ... followed him as he took all our bags past the "checkpoint" for facial recognition and we went ahead, green light & cleared to go with the immigration check - rejoined & headed for the exit ... about 9:20 a.m. I made the decision to call Carmel toll-free # just before 8 a.m. after our MDR breakfast in Taste, to postpone our scheduled pickup by 15 minutes to 9:45 a.m. instead - bingo) or else, we would be late & charged for waiting, worst - the driver might cancel our booking as a no-show & pickup someone else ... and could've easily discovered no availability for at least 45 to 60 minutes. Uber & Lyft surge pricing had already been bumped up higher by 9 a.m. for pick up in that area (vs. the one-way fare quotes that I priced earlier) There was a shortage of licensed yellow taxi across 12th Avenue at W. 48th Street too while there're at least a dozen of drivers flashing "Uber" on their smartphone & offering rides - no, no, no ... there are no Uber dispatchers & drivers don't stand around or hangout on 12th Avenue to solicit ride - use the App to request a pickup if one rather choose Uber/Lyft. By 9:35 a.m. - our Carmel driver was assigned & called us on the mobile #, he's already in the immediate area, probably just dropped someone off & showed up within 2 or 3 minutes, picked up all 4 of us and our luggage in a nice Toyota hybrid minivan, had us all buckled up (thank you) for safety & headed north on the Henry Hudson Pkwy, across I-95 thru the Bronx & then BWB back into Queens - relatively light traffic on a late weekday morning, home within 35 minutes ... dropped us off first and then our friends, six city blocks away ... unlocked & home sweet home by 10:15 a.m. $70 base fare + toll + tips and $10 extra for the 2nd dropoff - rounded up to $110. Rooftop parking at MCT would've cost us a total of $400 for the 12 days or $200 for each couple. Porters are permitted to bring/take passengers with luggage to cross 12th Avenue to be picked up - car services can be arranged to meet disembarking pax upstairs - where embarkation drop-offs are ... and taxis dropping off pax upstairs, can also pickup pax leaving the ship & going "home" but availability can vary. Many for-hired drivers prefer to meet across 12th Avenue, especially if more than 1 ship is at MCT for the day. Weekends are usually easier for everyone with lighter traffic in the city, and it's even possible to get car service to pickup on street level in the ship terminal area, where buses & mini coaches usually drop off & pickup, including airporter "shuttles" runned for NCL. NCL sailed numerous ships out of NY on a regular basis for the past 20+ years, and, this cruise remained just as poorly organized and managed as the other cruises, except this time was worst sailing at 80%+ capacity. Above is our take on embarkation & disembarkation - FWIW and as always, YMMV but perhaps helpful as a general guide on what to expect & how to best prepare for and deal with unexpected surprises. A good, solid & reliable cellular signal from VZW, AT&T and T-Mobile were usable by 6 am as we slipped past the VZ Bridge and off Staten Island, a full 2 hours before disembarkation were announced, plenty of time to book & change/adjust pickup time for car services or limo / black car pickup ... or call your kids/neighbors/friends & someone to come meet you in the mid/late morning. Tomorrow, I'll summarize key areas like food, services, ports of calls & shorex, and other misc. matters relating to this cruise. That's all for now.

Once upon a time on NCL, 2 bath robes and 2 pairs of disposable slippers were standard in balconies & higher cabins, along with coffee makers & other bath amenities - eroded and faded away, that was well before the current tagline of "Sail & Sustain" theme when NCLH was up in the $50'ish range. I supposed, it should be available upon request for the basic one-size-fit-all waffle ones, whereas for suites & Haven, the plushier & thicker cotton ones are automatically ... Believe it, actually seen a few pax hanging out in the atrium lobby several years ago as in, OMG. Silk ones preferred here 😁

Just off the GA with the Semi-Live report read by some here, internet speed actually wasn't bad by satellite standards 95% of the time while on 5 Ghz band & much slower if connected to the congested 2.4 Ghz band. It's also related to your own hardware used to bridge or make the connection to the onboard Cisco servers via the NEC hotspots or routers strategically deployed. A summary overview of the varied speed of our basic unlimited WiFi attached. Even with 3,900 passengers onboard, it was quite good with my Google Pixel 7 Pro with built-in VPN vs. the top end Samsung Galaxy S22+ which under-performed, similar speed with iPhone SE ... hence the radio transceiver chips used do make a difference. Starlink is coming soon & GA is supposed to be next for the simple upgrade & should be a world of difference for the better.

It surely will be one - what's staying open at 10 pm in Nassau ... nada. It's for technical reasons. Otherwise, an almost cruise-to-nowhere situation and then, they turn the ship around and set sail for NY at 4 am. Southbound last week, we're able to do 21.5 knots at times under favorable conditions but coming back this week, best top speed northbound was no better than 20.6 knots under fair weather conditions. When I stopped at Guest Services this morning to ask while still onboard, and was given the answer that they are still going to Bermuda, I knew it was very fishy but she insisted that nothing has changed. Anyway, got home in about 30 minutes using Carmel in a hybrid minivan, prices were reasonable & just enough room to fit 4 med-sized checked bags and 3 carry-on/personal bags plus a long tote bag ... sitting in the living room & opening up mail by 10:30 am. Facial recognition (eye glasses removed) was used inside the cruise terminal for passport/border control purposes, passengers that failed the matching were referred to the CBP officers nearby for full inspection & interview - quick & simple and fairly easy - wait for the green/checked mark & go forward toward the exit. Being Platinum/Sapphire, etc. on this cruise - I believe/felt - hardly gave us any recognition or privileges, like appreciation - just another cruisers to them, maybe there're simply too many onboard. When it comes to priority disembarkation (not escorted like Haven) - we received zero information, no gold luggage tags and no offer of assistance whatsoever. "You" are on your own and it's not my style to go to Guest Services & loudly demand things as if DYKWIA and expect the hard working crew to go out of their way to help us with the small details. Luckily, we knew when it was the best time to join the end to disembark and positioned ourselves for a quick getaway in leaving the ship for the terminal. It's quite fun to watch grown ups trying to push, pull and walk along the pier to the exit with 28" or 29" oversized heavy suitcases ... nothing "express" about this particular sailing with the "tight" time table. I'll do a short write-up & see if there are other photos to share & upload to wrap it up as a summary, and try to answer outstanding questions. It is going to be interesting to see a continuation of live onboard reporting on the Bermuda run to the Bahamas, and then the 12 days cruise to Amber Cove/Puerto Plata - especially with 800 more passengers than this past week with "just" 3,900 pax on the ship.

Thanks, Bonnie ... my pleasure to share. How's your dearest hubby doing, recovering well, I trust.

We made it outside fast w porter services & Carmel is 5 minutes early.

Congestion (people traffic) inside the building, Express stopped and lines not moving, no idea when priority groups can proceed to gangway - 9 am

Hanging out in our stateroom for now, Express Walk-off just called at 8:18 am - this group expected to take 45 minutes before priority is announced with luggage taken into the terminal. Price quoted now for Uber to LGA airport & to our townhouse in NE Queens, Whitestone/Bayside area.

Disembarkation delay, gangways set up but ship hasn't been cleared yet at 8:08 am - asking guests to wait in staterooms as those on Express Walk-off already jamming 6-7-8 plus luggages everywhere. Called our Carmel car services to delay our pickup time by 15 minutes to 9:45 am, just in case, for the ride out to Queens - not in a rush like others. Surprised to see a light coating of snow outside.

Getaway's Bermuda update - FWIW, I asked and was told just now by onboard Guest Services that they are not aware of changes to itinerary for next 5 day, that they will be sailing to the island. That's their words now, take that with a grain of salt (lots of it) and if true, brace for a very rough ride getting home, unless they do not stay overnight & leave earlier & spent more time at sea. Prepare for motion sickness with high & strong gale force wind, and large waves. Henry a/k/a mking8288

And isn't the Viva on her way ... It's been my pleasure to do this and be aknowledged, thank you for being mentioned in sharing a tiny spotlight among so many others. Taste MDR not that busy, everyone up in the buffet or standing in line to jump the gangway ... almost turning into Pier 88, in about 5 minutes (7:20 am) Express Breakfast menu used on disembarkation day only. 7:30 - fully stopped

Statue of Liberty @ 6:35 am - port side

Rise-n-Shine 😎 we are almost home, just coming under the VZ Bridge now @ 6:20 am, on schedule - should be at MCT around 7:30'ish. Oh, no ... It's almost time to go. Let's continue our tradition, MDR for that full breakfast first before we disembark.

Relative wind, northerly at 50 mph or 40 knots as we are still doing 20 knots, about 7 hours to go.

Sit-down leisurely breakfast on sea days are the best, including O'Sheehan's w it's simple choices as food is served hot there, MDR can be slow if you wish to rush out of there w booked Shorex. We tipped $2 USD each way for both of us, which they cheerfully thank us - there's no suggested minimum, as my knees were complaining about too much walking lately so it was good for that short ride in the hot sun. AFAIK, the casino bar stays open quite late and as long as there are players in the gaming area. Oddly enough, even the pool deck shut down quite early on a nightly basis & all the chairs stacked up by 10 pm. If you can plan ahead, given how crowded & ships are sailing lately, I would book ahead now if you can. For port days, we left ours open & just try to show up 10 minutes before they open and always get seated quickly, without much waiting even when / if given a pager to hang around nearby. Maybe, our Sapphire status also sometimes gave us a bit of priority & a better table.

200 nm to go at 8 pm, cruise speed at 20 knots or 10 hours+ to port. Barf bags are placed on stairs when we came out of MDR, oh no ... seas remain calm and waves at 4.9 ft. - scratching heads 🫣🙄😳🤔 Our two 24" bags packed & ready to go by morning, tagged & photographed to aid in tracking ... handed off to room Steward already, took care of cash tipping her in the morning. Sweeping the buffet for fresh fruits to relax & watch the food sections roped off & closed at 9:35 pm as latecomers from MDQ came up for supper, still folks sitting around - using it as a lounge to socialize. Atrium lobby remained too crowded & busy throughout the cruise. Heard far more coughing everywhere in the last few days. 😷😷😷😷 Noticed slightly more masks being worn & used, vast majority aren't & carry on their cruise vacation as usual. About the fate of tomorrow's 5 day Bermuda cruise, thus far, nothing to share or update, sorry ... will continue to try Code Alpha - (not a drill) just called around 9:40 pm over ship's PA system, location - La Cucina, Deck 8 Port ...

MDR Menu on Day 14 on this ship - everything seemed better tonight, we even get an extra treat of cookies. Hmmm 🤔

FYI Memo - We had lunch with a friend of 40+ years & retired colleague of mine, sailing solo and he confirmed that on the Getaway, Platinum & higher Latitudes member have been able to invite each other or have a guest to share their dining vouchers (not the SD package plan) so he has done 6 nights of Specialty Dining on this cruise. An average of 20 to 30 attended the nightly solo events, moved from the solo lounge to the Bliss Lounge, to the Illusionarium.

There are others onboard doing B2B and staying onboard, I will try & see what I can find out ... maybe Mario's secretary might let me know. I looked at Windy App & also Bermuda's island maritime forecast, the 2nd leg of the short cruise returning to NY is the main challenge, similar to the Gem was facing earlier this month & as you probably recall, Getaway was also delayed.

Those that are returning to cruising NCL for the 1st time since the COVID shutdown, do remember to pickup your Latitudes pin, complimentary. Ship pins like our Norwegian Sea's,, discontinued and none ever made for newer ship's like the Joy or Bliss

Earlier's lunch menu ... MDR serving oversized starters or 2 for 1 portions, final Sea Day Specials. Large serving of meatball sliders, entree portion. Boston bluefish was good.

Costs for add-on extra WiFi minutes if one's limited plan were used up & needed a little extra toward the end of a cruise - $75 for 100 minutes and $125 for 250 minutes, used to sell a 30 minutes add-on plan.

Update on our ETA tomorrow for @EllieinNJ and others following, bon voyage & best wishes for sailing 👌 Expected to meet the pilot around 5 am, passed VZ Bridge & past SOL around 6:15 and docking between 7 to 7:30 am. Express Walk-off starting at 8, Priority around 8:30 (all guests to be out of the staterooms by then) and other color tags around 9'ish. Zero count after 10 am.

Well, it was clear last night but apparently, unavoidable during the day, not shown ... 2 full sized baby strollers in the inside passage with the inside staterooms connecting port & starboard side, not primary egress route But ... something to be aware of when sailing the Getaway. Concern was communicated in writing to Dear Mario, the GM with a note in the atrium mailbox. There are no accessible cabins in this entire Fwd section at all 🤔

Latest Ocean Blue menu, note items with upcharge. Ice Bar on Deck 8 Mid.