mking8288

This is the view (May & June 2022) outside MCT Pier 88's (within the building) Haven check-in area, additional staging area roped off right next to the lounge as posted above. Noticed the ropes for the line 😳 to ??? Clear signage and marked also as Boarding E. Platinum waiting area is just ahead of here, opposite the section set aside for accessible passengers. The mini concession stand, accessible to everyone, that's near the restrooms was still closed. Vending machines are nearby & stocked.

For weekday mornings, do keep in mind that commuter buses have priorities and dedicated lane(s) inbound for the tubes until 10 am, if I'm not mistaken - the rest are funneled into the other lanes. OP is driving up the MD ... the NJ Turnpike has HOV-2 in place, weekdays until 9:30 or 10 am (haven't driven at those peak hours in a while) so take advantage of it, plan ahead for the Holland Tunnel (Exit 14) to merge back into other commuter's traffic. Most definitely, use Waze or Google Maps for Navigation, or flip on Apple CarPlay to use real-time traffic guidance to help choose the faster & better route ... for safety, have a fellow rider look ahead for options to minimize driving distractions. Most if not all regional crossings are now cashless, using EZ-Pass or toll-by-mail ... but, bottlenecks at some of the toll plazas still, a pain.

It’s a 1 size fit all, waffle type in balconies & up, or ask if not hanging in the closet + slippers. Never seen children size ones … not even at our typical upscale land hotels 😉 nor oversized ones either. BYO silk ones 😌

@Drumstix40 - do share how your embarkation is being handled and good luck, bon voyage - hoping for a positive outcome, ship is sailing much fuller now than before but the onboard team do try very hard, some of the junior officers/alike that we met might still be on their rotation & vacation ... and not 95% familiar with this ongoing issue. We are going to be back onboard the Joy next month and going to "monitor" this - our Platinum friends are sailing as Casino at Sea guests along and we, being Sapphire, aren't staying in the SP this time (not sure if we are going to again, for other reasons) - we should get Priorities for checking in and boarding, not escorted unlike Haven, if we get there early & there's room in the roped off & designated "lounge" area, minus any refreshment or goodies. Priorities were difficult to sort out for the shore-based (sub)contractors - and cruises that're going to Bermuda had the extra screening "stop" for the TA checks, making it much worst ... after the "general" security screening first, with the third checkpoint for the "actual" check-in where Platinum, Haven & others get "sorted" out & directed by the "greeters" & they are often overwhelmed and under-staffed. From what we observed in early May, even some of the accessible passengers were not given considerations to skip ahead to the front of some of the lines - inconsistent, period. Some were helped but others were snaking thru the main line like the masses, not good. If your sailing has a good Roll Call going, you are on it and there is an onboard M&G, perhaps - make an effort to join them & see if some of the key officers, like the GM or the deputies are there, get their names/calling card ... and have a private conversation with them afterward and/or as a follow-up. Let them know you ("we") are on and with CruiseCritic and it's an issue with NY Terminal and we aren't giving up ... not just with Byrd's Miami office. Ship has plenty of staff roaming inside the terminal, including the concierge team - it's not as if they aren't seeing & possibly hearing about the chaotic situations in Pier 88. Again, be positive and enjoy the cruise ... on disembarkation morning, Mrs. M repeated the lines, must we get "rushed" off the ship again. We are hate standing in long lines, anywhere.

@Drumstix40 Assuming that you booked the SP (Family Inside Suite w the virtual balcony ... dual 720p HD screen w live feed, it's not 1080p or 2k) a while back - almost all the perks & benefits should be granted onboard. Newer bookings since the beginning of 2022 no longer include these & reflected in the current descriptions on official NCL website, ESPECIALLY priority check-in and/or embarkation. But, you might've still received nicely printed color luggage tags that say "Priority" in the mail (either by now or no longer being "issued") and you will most likely get "Priority Disembarkation" luggage tags and possibly, a farewell letter with what the Joy team can do with embarkation, up to the gangway at the front of the line. It's supposed to be a known problem both with Joy's onboard leadership/team as well as NCL Miami HQ, citing issues with the outsourced, shore-based contractors on the pier. You "can" write or leave a message with the GM onboard and possibly get a follow-up response with the asst. manager or manager of guest services ... and possibly even a token OBC for your "trouble" & maybe also a bottle of house wine of their choice with a note. No butler services and even though we booked 2 SP for our May cruise, never once heard from the assigned concierge ... never did we pursue help with reservations onboard; and, as stated in writing - butler services was never part of the bundled package deal. Everything & anything needed, just go to your room steward ... we did get a visit from the head of housekeeping mid-way thru our cruise b/c of something else, not directly or indirectly related to our "suite" classification whatsoever. The F&B amenity "treat" was the biggest laughing joke for us during the week ... could've done better by going upstairs to the buffet to get them fresh or pay a little to get more goodies from room services, afterall - we had quite a bit of non-refundable OBC to burn anyway. On the plus side, the size of these suites are truly spacious by NCL standard, nice - just not fancy unlike Haven, basic no-frills with superior beddings ... it's about the same size as the top tiered Haven 2 BR suite, minus the hot tub - just the double sink with bath tub & shower, like the ones in the mini (club balcony "suite" as renamed these days). It was nice for 3 adults to be in one of these - the extra bathroom was most important to us, and even the smaller bedroom designed originally for larger family with children - is quite roomy & better than almost all the typical "Inside" staterooms onboard. Think positive & make the best out of it ...

Within 30 minutes of sailing out past the VZ Bridge, off the shores of NJ and Long Island, you are more than 12 to 15 miles away from from land & international waters, any stray cellular (3G/2G ... nevermind 4G) signals - VZW usually the strongest - long faded. Can't hold on to a voice call, let alone cellular data. Forgetaboutit. Upgraded WiFi "should" get your better VPN success - latency is ultra high at 550+ns and higher, regardless, it simply unblock those http ports (tcp/udp) not available to standard WiFi users ... it, also, does NOT allow you to use more than 1 logged in & connected device at the same time, you can register multiple devices for that connection, share & switch among them at will. For your convenience, of source, NCL will sell you WiFi packages for 2 devices, 3 devices, and 4 devices, etc. - billed to your onboard account. On Canada / New England runs, the ship will cruise typically 50 to 100 nautical miles off shore ... within that 30 to 60 minutes of arriving or departing from one of the ports, you should begin to pickup a weak cellular signal from a nearby land tower.

Ellie ... I would be very surprised if 1/2 of those coming from the external "recruiting" efforts will actually show up for the M&G, from the ones that I've come to known. My last Joy sailing earlier this year was sort of hijacked last minute and it was a disaster, poorly organized, etc. - not going into details here - I made the M&G just fine as one of the attendees, that was it. I've commented on these in the past, just shocked browsing thru some of the roll calls - full roster of everyone, last names & first names, pets elsewhere, hometown info & of course, their social media profile ... time to market the list to evil-doers with the moving truck & repair van while they are gone for sure. It's a good thing that "our" upcoming M&G is doing quite well, old-timers are back & joining ... good attendance on my forecasted watch, without "others & them crashing further" - I am beginning to worry a little that the District Brew House might not be spacious enough and going to request consideration to move into one of the specialty dining venue instead ... for better social distancing. NCL assigned us the location based on a very conservative headcount as submitted - we shall see soon.

For some (if not all) of the upcoming Canada & New England cruises out of the Northeast, mainly NY/NJ - prices for Insides & Oceanviews have been dropping again after a brief increase, the "solo" penalty supplement are still not waived or reduce ... balcony prices & club/mini suites has been holding and now trending on an upward curve. Haven isn't anywhere close to being sold out or full from early upgrade bids ... it's anybody's guess on true last minute pricing at 5 to 10+ days from embarkation. Those with flexible time on time and can travel / cruise on short notice should be in a good position to score something. Itineraries are mostly port intensive, and, Oceanview with reasonable & true bargain sale prices can be enticing to some, not everyone ...

Have you follow the steps & checked ?? Otherwise - human help from them isn't too difficult, per my understand - quick & call them now - https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan/help.html Roll call member reported issues on an upcoming sailing using the smartphone to register or log in - once s/he used a desktop portal to access, apparently, easily resolved & fixed. They are much easier & friendly to get to on a toll-free #, unlike the infamous Bermuda TA. Good luck !

Follow-up, official confirmation from NCL, approved by ship team, Meet & Mingles for CruiseCritic as arranged and it's free, no charge whatsoever (coming up soon, next month) for our request.

Just dispatched an email this afternoon to specialevents<ship>@ ncl . com, earlier than usual for an upcoming September sailing out of NY, as we already have a good # of CC members affirming their plans to attend - typically, wait until we are closer as per CC recommendation. *** "insert/replace <ship>" with the name of the specific NCL ship, i.e. Dawn. Haven't used groupevent<ship>@ ncl . com ((no space, when emailing)) for the last few years - I looked back into previous emails with NCL on hosting CC Meet & Mingle/Greet and have always worked for mine, with success & no charges whatsoever. Try this instead of using specialevent<ship> @ ncl . com for a prompt response. Make it very clear that this is with CruiseCritic and the person is the group leader, taking responsibility to organize ... coordinate, etc. - do not expect nor request any special considerations or privileges, etc. etc. if one is committed to do this. Just like the one we held in March, I received almost an immediate response - from NCL Corp (Miami) Special Events Coordinator, later this afternoon, acknowledging the request and is being forwarded to the ship for approval & scheduling. It's a different coordinator from Special Events (and, not Group Events) as the contact person - no mentioning of fees, charges or costs, etc. whatsoever. However, I am thinking along the lines of logic of what casofilia wrote above, if it is not clear to NCL that it is for members of CruiseCritic but possibly benefiting or coming from other "channel" or platform's membership, then not sure what to say. I have high confidence that ours coming up is almost set and good to proceed - there are a good number of CC old-timer on the Roll Call and planning to be at the Meet & Mingle ... and, not taking names coming out of somewhere else just to boost headcounts. Part of the response included the following - with the direct telephone extension of the coordinator assigned, I recommend calling her/him to clarify as necessary. Good luck to OP, please update as appropriate and do appreciate sharing & posting what you're "told". Likewise, if there are any surprised on our upcoming mid September M&G - will post the details here on CC so that other Roll Calls will get a heads up. Norwegian Cruise Line ® 7665 Corporate Center Drive | Miami FL 33126 Note: The health, safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew remains our highest priority. Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to adjust venue, times, and guest counts based on the fluidity of CDC guidelines. P.S. The reply email from NCL, if finalized, the "Group Leader Memo" should include a footer - Cruise Critic meeting #5000XXXXX - Norwegian <Ship> - XX/XX/2022

It's very easy and simple to do this from a PC (or Mac) ... bonus / extra advantage for us - having access to a flatbed scanner to trim & upload. Once you completed the initial enrollment or sign-up - remember your userid (email address) and password(s) as you can "transfer" back-n-forth then on the mobile app, there was another recent update to the iOS and Android apps (since we just came back on a land trip to Canada in late June) ... make sure it's updated. Other members of the same party traveling together can register & obtain approval with just one app. (more "user-friendly" than Bermuda TA procedures ... having done those too, not to mention the extra 🙄🙄🙄 fees or costs)

@febtober - GA as I used them here on CC generally refer to one of the NCL ships - the "GetAway" and the BA for the "BreakAway" ... not airline's ground-based GateAgent(s)

Hmmm, you are going to need more than good luck. (Life) boats don't have WiFi - yes, NCL ships do have WiFi signals, except that - NCL changed their island coverage at GSC, unlike pre-Covid, they no longer "beam" (microwave tech involved, I believe - in those better days) the WiFi signal between the ship & the island, effectively killing the signal. For a serious & important zoom call that's work related, I wouldn't count on it - we're on the Getaway this March & simply could not find, despite using my scanning apps - to find the ship's WiFi signal. BUT, there're multiple secured WiFi signals (SSiD) that I found so they knew - exactly - what they've done, changes made & were doing. Your ALIV WiFi hotspot won't work either, because - we had trouble picking up the local cellular 4G signal on the island, again, they (NCL) blocked it ... needless to say, 5G smartphones & iPhones with 5G bands were equally useLESS. Next morning, we docked at Nassau & that was sweet - because, we got solid 4G cellular signals and far superior over ship's satellite WiFi ... uploading & surfing, downloading crazy - probably spend about $10 USD for the usage due to "roaming" charges with 2 devices. My advice - YMMV, but can you do your Zoom call the day before GSC or after - assuming that you might be at another port in the Bahamas. We're also cruising below 50% capacity 5 months ago, unlike these summer weeks with occupancies inching much higher ... extra loads stressing the satellite links.

Wait until embarkation day and you are onboard ... then do the single person upgrade, basic/standard or "premium" streaming WiFi ... easily and directly using the NCL App, you don't even have to stand in line, wait or speak with the iCafe manager. Besides, if you have any non-refundable OBC, you can only use and offset the WiFi up"grade" charge then & there, not possible in advance. What's the hurry to spent hundreds on WiFi before you get onboard ... while waiting for your turn to embark and at the cruise terminal, you can do this if and when within range of ship's WiFi signal (turn off cellular services on your device to avoid issues).

Good luck finding a butler for OP's "SP" Family Inside Suite on the Norwegian Joy - there ain't any ... but, there's an extension to contact the designated concierge (for dining & show reservations only) 2. Priority Luggage tags is just for the luggage - unless your eCruise Doc say otherwise & printed "Priority Check-In ... and/or Boarding) - as it is meaningless these days, since the beginning of 2022. We booked 2 SP cabins & sailed in early May - NCL ship management "acknowledged" the discrepancies and pledged to report back to Miami HQ to address & resolve, still waiting to hear affirmative changes since ... My analysis: chalk it as a useless "recognition" unless you have Platinum or higher tiered status, etc. - which isn't prioritized after security screen, and document checks - until you reach the 3rd. stop for screening before pier check-in for the key cards. 7. The fast NCL ferry is docked across the pier, and runs on a published scheduled aligned with the ship (available once onboard) - weather & sea conditions safely permitting - has a capacity of 500 passengers per run - one way or round trip transfer to St. George's on the east side of the island, free - show your NCL Ship keys to board. Last return on overnight stop from SG is 5:30 pm and only does one morning trip when ship leave Dockyard on the same day. 9. Hertz car rental place was still closed when we're there in early April - check & call the local location directly - it was nice in 2019 when we overnighted there, free shuttle pickup to/from the cruise terminal. Inexpensive then - nowadays ... good luck.

Arriving on a weekend or weekday, not just morning "rush" hours for commuter traffic, can affect whether one can unexpectedly run smack into road constructions, closure & detours, etc. to/from the cruise terminal(s) in the metro NY area - it's a given. Friend of ours came from S.E. Brooklyn to N.E. Queens yesterday (Bensonhurst, a little closer than Bay Ridge toward JFK - spent an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic just to get past JFK's onto VWE or Rt-678 North) One can and should factor in these unknown traffic bottleneck whether it's going to/from LGA and/or EWR when flying, no matter what. LGA is closer and there are multiple ways of getting to/from there & midtown Manhattan with a good driver & assisted with real-time GPS traffic navigation guidance. Buses or motorcoach, with the exception of certain designated airporter buses are generally not permitted to travel on parkways in the State of NY & that includes the Grand Central Pkwy linked with LGA, and they aren't permitted on the West Side "Hwy" or FDR Drive (East River) - and will always take longer to get to/from MCT where NCL ships are docked. Buses near the MCT have easier & good access to the nearby Lincoln Tunnel during peak travel time with exclusive bus lanes - weekdays, advantage is EWR, usually but not a guarantee, i.e. a minor accident or vehicle breakdown ... and all bets are off the wall. Cars, taxis, Uber, private car service (Carmel or Dial 7, etc.) and limos (black car) will have the advantage of not being restricted on taking the best/fastest route to/from the cruise terminal - airport. OP is flying in from Canada, earliest arrival is typically between 7:30 to 8:30 am - it's quite possible the first NCL transfer bus will fill up before/by 8:45 and leave for MCT ... getting there before 10 am - look at your airline tickets and plan the pier check-in time accordingly. LGA's brand new, modernized Terminal B has officially re-opened since January 2022 and Terminal C (now inter-connected to Terminal D ... both well known to Delta flyers) had its grand re-opening this June, the multi-year (6 years) airport redevelopment project is nearly final completion - massive gridlock that once spilled out onto the GCP (Grand Central Parkway) are now history. Granted, some of the interior / airport access roadways & terminal connectors aren't fully finished & wide open - it is now a much better experience for air travelers using ground transportation to/from LGA. https://qns.com/2022/07/laguardia-airport-redevelopment-major-accolade/

You are charged for and paying an extra or full day of DSC for that late night departure, assuming that she's on time & will sail as scheduled before midnight 🤔😉 Do try to get onboard as early as you can to enjoy that afternoon & evening while docked. Especially, if the MDR & Specialty Dining will operate as usual with regular hours and there's no longer a midnight buffet of any kind. Great if you flying in on that day & better odds of not missing the ship's all abroad time of 9 pm 😁

All you have to do is to click on the image shown and it should open - but here's the other way https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2840868-getaway-semi-live-limited-ny-florida-pc-gsc-nassau-3272022 At the bottom of the post - part of the signature link is "Newest Review" and the "Semi-Live Joy to Bermuda ..." pictorial review has all the details ... it's a lengthy & long one.

We're going to book 2 balconies (5 adults ... became 4 as one didn't go) on the Joy last minute this April ... to Bermuda, looked at that 2 BR Family Inside w the virtual balcony (split/dual HD screen @ 720p, not 1080i or 2k resolution - upper & lower monitors ... kind of cool) First, you don't necessary need to be near a major storm, Nor-Easter ... let alone, hurricane or strong gale force wind to run into unexpected rough & high seas and large waves (think 25' to 30' plus for 12 to 18 hours if the captain can't outrun, go around or otherwise avoid the weather systems - instead - going thru the least choppy side or eye of the storm) - so, just be prepared. We've sailed this route enough times in the last 20 yeas to know, and rushing on her way back to NY with all engines running - hold on & brace ... otherwise, it's a slow & easy, smooth ride on the way out there, usually You will NOT and do NOT get any "suite" perks, no priority embarkation and it's nada, same perk & benefits as if you are in a basic balcony - everything "advertised" before has been discontinued & dropped. But, for 4 passengers - the space is "huge" and comfortable, you gain the living room and its sofa, 3 TV's for 4 of you to share - even the smaller room with a lower & upper (bunk/Pullman that drop down) is bigger than your typical Inside/OV stateroom in one of the ships in the NCL fleet. The larger bedroom's bath is like the ones in the Club (formerly "mini" suites) with the bathtub & double sink. Nothing fancy unlike Haven suites, beds were very comfortable with mattress topper added and the sheets/linens were upscale ones. You can read more & check out some of the pix we took - if you haven't book yet and still plan to go ahead (prices dropped & it was good enough for us - and, it's worth double points, 14 points for 7 nights, bonus gain. I recommend finding one on Deck 10, 11 or 12, as close to the forward elevator as possible but avoid the 2 portside ones next to that "white" space as it is a big service/steward room with supplies & where they come & go all day/evening - there's a bit of door closing that you can hear. Layout is a little different on the opposite side, but practically - no real difference, some will only sleep 5 ... Link is here - questions, feel free to ask - good luck deciding & enjoy the Joy.

Contact NCL Special Needs at least 30 days before scheduled embarkation (recommended to give the ship advance notice) on meal requirements, picky ones & special preference and allergies, etc. - once onboard, be sure to meet with the designated contact person from F&B, and, should be just fine. Garden Cafe a/k/a - the AYCE buffet will usually have something that's edible and/or can set aside something with planning from the day before ... gallery preparing 15,000+ passenger meals daily and can't just spin on a dime without notice. Enjoy the cruise ...

Personally, being on CC all these years (like the OP) and cruising NCL, and as an informed end user with a little bit understanding and appreciation (not really, but it is what it is with NCL high orbit, hybrid tech ... unlike Starlink or other global satellite ISP partner's) of its known limitations and bottleneck, I would NOT spent more than minimum (if at all) for a deluxe, premium, premier, upgraded unlimited package at the established price tiers ... plain & simple. It isn't anything like, let alone close to cable broadband or "slower" Fios at home or at the office, and is much slower than 4G LTE over land tower ... DW and I now have our "5G" smartphones and trust me, the grass isn't always greener (faster) on our end of the data spectrum. I am sorry to read about OP's issues but not surprised nor shocked, it is to be expected, especially if one has been around here for a while and done a bit of "research" to ask around. Last 2 cruises, we had the basic unlimited package, upgraded at a somewhat reasonable price using non-refundable OBC, so it was "acceptable" Once within range of land cellular tower(s) - we're doing catch up, uploading & downloading ... superior & much faster. While onboard & connected, we still got most things done online, at 2 Mbps d/l and under 1 Mbps u/l mostly ...

The old mini "suites" renamed club-balcony-suite, I believe, is marginally bigger (length-wise on the long walls) by 2 ft. or maybe max of 3 ft. - which is barely noticeable, the tiny extra space is in front of the dresser/better width while standing there if the queen bed is behind/next to the closet. Also, you might need to measure to confirm this - tiny & slight extra space on the other side of the queen bed toward the sofa - hardly call it spacious with the slim night stands. The pull-out sofabed is the same, but there is also, possibly a little tiny, extra space toward the sliding balcony door. All these are barely noticeable, if true & validated. Sure, the bathroom is bigger ... double sink & the tub/fancier shower. If seas are choppy & really rough, watch out - as the sliding shower door(s) could open & slam shut, all day & all night long. Put a wet towel there to "stop" the action for peace & quiet while trying to sleep, rocking & rolling.

@psac - Spot on, hitting or nailing some of the issues ... had conversations and discussions with a # of veteran CC'ers onboard and off this forum (in person, over lunch as we live in the same hometown & neighborhood) Demographics of "some" of the long time CC'er fall into the high risk/at-risk Covid categories, even while returning to cruising, and, some aren't comfortable in the M&G gathering, despite best efforts for social distancing (venue, seating & spacing of tables and chairs, etc.) Slot Pulls are lots of fun but a crowd of folks, shoulder-to-shoulder shouting & cheering in close proximity to everyone else ... aren't exactly the cup of tea for a few, since the virus/sub-variants are highly contagious & airborne (per "most" medical-scientific experts & studies). And, personally speaking, I'm not in favor of organizing cabin crawl either, for fairly obvious reasons. It's often easier to put together and run a good & successful M&G on longer cruises or itineraries, dependent at times on the # of sea days. I still see some very organized & successful roll calls with M&G being organized, too easy and simplistic to generalize, and declare categorically, that demise is pending. As a matter of fact, scroll to the bottom of the page, almost all pages here on CC, guess what - CC itself has a presence on several social media platform including ... One of the many challenges, is, for CC, to figure out the pathway to channel and synergize the chats back here to this platform, or migrate over, or, perhaps make it a trifactor matrix.

I cannot specifically comment on the Epic's HDTV port (including whether one of the HDMI port) is active and usage - but ... assuming it is branded "Sole TV" using HDMI for its input signal, then - it should work (by carefully disconnecting & not damaging anything) the HDMI cable input. Connect your own source signal/HDMI cable to the same "port" on the back or side of the HDTV, and, your signal should come thru. If their HDTV has been updated to something newer, like a LG or Samsung brand, which uses a locking RG-59 coaxial/cable connector plug or RJ-45/ethernet style plug, then the above method won't work successfully, as its input source was firmware locked down and, most likely, not switchable with an universal remote to one of the other HDMI port for its input signal. Having said that, I had good luck & success on the Breakaway, Escape, Getaway and even the Joy as the HDMI port was enabled, just a matter of connecting to the proper output signal. With the Dawn & Gem being out of dry dock in recent times pre-Covid, their HDTV were firmware locked down - no input signal via HDMI.