mking8288

😳 Memo to BIL and friends sailing this Springs on the Joy with the "remodeled" OL, kindly bring that insulated mug along and be prepared to get your own coffee from the Garden Cafe / buffet one deck above. Wow, fleet-wide 🙀 That is, as long as eating remains permitted in there. Isn't there a Starbucks station in the OL, that's good for busines & revenue 🫢 What's the latest with the loungers there & afternoon tea service ?

We had 2 balconies on Prima's Deck 9 by that corner and passed by several times daily, it's a small storage closer space, should not be a problem. Look similar like this one on the left side.

She's there now, maybe behind schedule a little. Bow facing northeast, starboard into the bay on live shipcam.

😤 This 👆 👆 👆 ... passengers, are, just, like, chopped livers to NCL

Not anymore, I got folks sailing on the Joy in mid May and no longer able to book a table for 4 on the Joy, as of last week. Specialty dinner is bookable. It has been, no can't do for the Prima ... looking for that Diamond pre-cruise concierge reservation help 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 To sail & sustain, for your (in) convenience with the new "Takeaway" being spinned as back to true freestyle dining - join the queues 😳 & welcome 😤

Here are some photos from the MCT Pier 88 area, should help ... very easy with traffic lights to safely cross wide 12th Ave. Looking at the corner of W.48th St & 12th Ave. from different angles - giant elevators & escalators will going up & down to level 2 for embarkation. You can't possibly miss seeing the GA walking toward the Hudson River and Pier 90 is right next berth over. Happy cruising ... Bonus generic info-guide

How's that westbound "Joy" ride heading away from coastal Spain/Portgual heading for Miami at 17 knots this afternoon ? Just looked at a few indicators, bright & clear skies, not a cloud in front of ship's live webcam. Glad to know that Starlink is live ... you aren't exactly way, way out in the deep Atlantic - still within the region with lots of oceanic traffic in the waters. But, on previous (recent ... 2023) TA crossings of ours, that area was said to have known interference & spotty coverage ... but when it worked, speed shouldn't be that low at all. It does fluctuate a bit, often times it'll recover to the 2 to 4 Mbps range ... maybe the onboard engineers are "testing" and you are cached, bandwidth restricted ... with ship's operations hogging the data traffic. Areas by the iCafe (lobby) generally has fairly consistent speed as a whole, check out a few public area randomly to see if that 0.8 speed varied. Enjoy the TA and ship sailing not quite full ?? No matter what, enjoy !

Other cruise lines choose to go above & beyond, and do the right thing in similiar & other unplanned challenges like this (not nearly identical circumstances ... yeah, apples vs. oranges.) Where as, NCL choose to do the usual mumble jumble. Indifferent, blind & deaf cheerleaders alike - the word empathy is meaningless tossing words behind the legalese contract shields, calling out others. Just ignore and put them on the Ignore List ... use it. Ramen noodles 😆 in a cup from the crew store, for a change. Unlikely to be dining in specialty on this sailing 😬

We have no plans to use them ... too bad they aren't transferable (our understanding) or you are welcome to ours. But, wait, you save more if you sail a week or two earlier, or the the week after ... priced lower without needing to use the coupon discount. Still waiting for NCL's 2024 "Wave Season" promo 🙄 😳 😬 anyone ...

Maybe, if I show this to "someone" onboard and they get the hint ... and have someone in the gallery find some potatoes 😉 😉 😉 A special breakfast order for the next morning 😁 😄 😋 from the Access Desk on our next cruise, since the niece in our 2nd cabin does have allergies and need to alert them ahead & submit a request, regardless 🤔

Agreed ... I had better, faster but somewhat inconsistent satellite speed on EMC, NCL's established WiFi vendor onboard the Escape & Epic last Spring and Fall, Starlink wasn't activated nor onboard. Over Starlink on the Prima, it was clearly capped at no faster than 4-5 Gbps, usually just under 4Gbps but much lower ping time. The end user's choice of hardware also can play a role, i.e. WiFi 5 (mine has WiFi, which didn't boost extra speed). Crew's are on their own hidden SSiD dual band) over their inTRAnet - especially newer ships using plenty of portable tablets & handhelds. It will be years before 6 Ghz or tri-band routers get adopted.

Nice pix of the spare parts & propeller ... Have a trivia question for you & others ... where & how does the Prima do a medevac at sea, as it does happen when critical acute patient in need of higher level of shore-based medical/trauma care ? On other typical NCL ships in the fleet, the bow area is quickly set-up and use vs. using the top/upper deck (which doesn't appear possible based on design & configurations) - trying to imagine if Deck 8 AFT is probable (my guess is no). Forward bow section (Deck 😎 was closed & roped off during our TA while at sea ... for safety reasons as it was rather windy going 18 to 20 knots) ... I suppose that is still likely the logical location. Rescue copter will have a much longer drop and hoist to bring up the transfer in a basket stretcher..

Haha, that's a great self-service option. I know DW walked over to grab some dessert, some free and others ... Perhaps, the crew members were busy or pre-occupied with other tasks. There is no way that NCL is going start charging for freshly baked cookies ... oh, wait - nevermind, anything goes these days. LOL, it was "giving" out brand new & freshly minted $5 USD when we tried out its bill breaking functions. Cashiers behind the "cage" have crisp, brand new $1 ... they are "prepared" What about $2 ones ?? 😄

Ooops ... there's go being on the next "undercover" CC venture of ours, sort of an open secret anyway. @Fogfog as well, already posted. I should have a pretty good idea of other "lurkers" that do not post. Allright, welcome abroad ahead soon, we are going to have quite a crowd. P.S. Appear to have data corruption "issues" with the online roster, if you see this - have a look as I just posted to ask another recent CC'er for feeback. Easy with any "chats" over there as - your thoughts, please. Dan, sorry & apologize for sidetracking your report.

Both wife & I use Google Fi's global services (with T-Mobile USA as the primary and 5G carrier at home) and its network of ISP/carrier in over 200 countries (started out 5+ years ago in 130 countries) with roaming 5G, 4G LTE services - data, text/SMS and of course, voice & WiFi calling, and advance features limited by one's hardware (Android being the preferred platform and iOS supported ... limited satellite connectivity coming soon) In E.U. countries, land cellular towers have a usable range of 5 up to 7 miles from coastal shorelines, sometimes further out to more than 10 miles on reflected & deflected signals on one's balcony and/or open decks ... i.e. off the Portugal/Spain waters and north Africa (Morocco) ... picked up solid cellular signal sailing thru Gibraltar toward Motril in the busy sea channel lanes with lots of regional ferry services. Left Palma for Barcelona and we held a signal as we sail southwest around the island before turning north, and used a sizable chunk of 4G data for several hours before it gradually faded ... if it was satellite at sea being relayed by ship's cellular roaming towers, didn't cost anything extra, arms & legs intact with our monthly billing. All that "extra" costs for being on the road last year, came to about $20 USD in total with our 2 Androids. There are a number of eSims that you can add and use, for a nominal costs & easily activated, all done online, no physical sim card needed - 7 days pass, 14 days and 30 days passes, priced accordingly with a set number of MB or GB data allowance ... not as expensive as US carrier's add on fees by-the-day, plus taxes & other surcharges. Siri, Alexa, Google & CoPilot for the latest details and options, after checking with your "home" carrier to compare options, choices & availabilities. If you are flying into EU, on arrivals - airport shops (and, major train stations & transport centers) will have DIY, self-service kiosk as well as stores/service centers selling these traveler's e/Sim services, inexpensive & transparent in costs. This is the plan used last year by CC friends of ours, it worked well and easy to use once set-up, and additional data allowance easily done once payment is set-up. Have it configured before leaving home & upon connection, more or less self-activate with the timer running. eSim is free and slightly less than Airalo's offered plans - https://knowroaming.com/#plans P.S. Always have a backup or Plan B, one of our secondary line is on AT&T prepaid, and in emergencies, we can quickly switch on those $10 daily plans ... keep in mind, nowadays 2FA and/or passcodes, etc. via a registered/confirmed mobile number is often required and needed for "suspicious" credit card charges & foreign transactions, depending on the bank & card issuer's.

Stock up some extras in the cabin's mini refrigerator, as supplement to what's available in OSH or Local. Not uncommon for that 23/7 place to close down for deep overnight cleaning between 4 and 5 AM. Not a bad idea to pre-order a 4 AM delivery with a nominal fee/service charge, for the convenience, from room services, many items not easily available otherwise.

OMG 😁 Hush ... is that you that I think I just saw on a "list"

Thanks (not really) for the affirmation as it has been reported and observed by others lately, ourselves included - trending that began in 2023, it isn't really new but just heading not - suffice to say - in the right direction (as in going the wrong way) $3 at McD for a single piece of greasy hashbrown and $4 for fries (where it used to be on the $1 menu ... nowadays, good luck finding something under $2 or $3 a piece, maybe the kid's special, depending on the franchise location.) However, comparatively speaking, the average daily costs for cruising (Haven & YC excluded) are still, relatively, reasonable compared to other forms of vacation. We just booked a week of van rental - Budget & Hertz alike, $1,900 all inclusive w unlimited driving in a Ford Transit XLT that seat up to 12 plus luggage allowance - still "cheaper" than flying for 9 adults and 3 kids. Well, to balance things out, it means we are "eating lighter" as NCL menus are mostly "cooking light" in more ways than one. The grass isn't greener elsewhere with the competition.

Where is this wet spot on the floor in/near The Local ? The passage in between - Port/Starboard corridor with the gallery or by the "main or front entrance with the host/ess or podium kiosk ?? (somewhere near/next to that picture you just posted above ... starboard side, I seem to recall the somewhat narrow passage being a bit dark) From a risk management or safety standpoint, condition is absolutely unacceptance and would - where I used to work (healthcare/ambulatory care) written up, documented & acted upon or else. Corporate compliance & safety heads would be all over the department head(s) for allowing this kind of stuff to happen. Cannot imagine pipes, plumbings, etc. leaking on a less than 2 years old ship without maintenance & engineering being called in ! Glad to know that NCL didn't charge a dime for urgent care onboard due to ... Perhaps, someone (the nurse/doctor) should've reached out to you after 24 to 48 hours to do a quick & simple follow-up & wellness call, just to make sure all is fine vs. sweeping it under but leaving the floor wet afterward. That is not best practices, IMHO. Disembarkation sounds excellent ... many times, the bottleneck is really inside the terminal with local authorities, i.e. US-CBP and their staffing level, and it is beyond NCL's reach, cruisers do not recognize these. Even if and when we used "priority disembarkation" (sometimes, escorted up to the gangway for a faster exodus, there isn't much NCL can do to speed things up if there are hundreds ahead already in the queue ... Well, NY has an unique fast track ... porter services and we've been taking advantage of it - absolutely turbo speed and good tipping always cheerfully welcomed & appreciated by the unionized folks (and, they made good money only when the ship(s) are there). Many CC'ers, yours truly included, love these details especially post-cruise & sometimes wonder, who wanted to read the boring stuff ... I do. To remain better informed. # of CC roll-call members following and 99% sure that they loved and appreciated your time and efforts to keep them informed ... LOL, still a good # of weeks from packing. From us, thank you.

Gotcha ... maybe, M&M's in assorted colors, since they are still using them in Haven ... treats, right ?? bean counters of M&M costs should be happy, unless they are getting rid of those too, haha. Oops, my bad, giving them funny ideas.

TGIF, hanging out at one of the nieces' house over dinner, and their watch commander nudging us to share ... He's interested in that pot of braised beef stew. Isn't ours mouth-watering 😸 😁 🤗 What do you think of the new LGA main terminal ? That's a long layover to connect ... routed no on a regional jet again ?

The best is yet to come ... And, it is complimentary, absolutely free to join and all guests are strongly urged to stay (the grass isn't always greener or better across the way with others ... true & sad) Of course, we are all either going to love it or hate it ... to sail & sustain, as part of the "enhanced" guest experience onboard of a lifetime & beyond. Just check our upgrade bidding option, LOL on the starting minimum bid ... in the thousands & up. Gotta cruise with a good, healthy dose of humor, go with the flow and make the most out of it all.

Shrinken, petite strawberries with faked chocolate coating ... could smaller cookies be next, no frills & sugarless. NCL's procurement must be continuously challenged with their bulk purchasing leverage in negotiating prices to keep it low. What's next on the chopping block ... just don't touch my smoked salmon in the MDR at breakfast time 😬 Actually, the size of the half toasted bagel and even the bakery items like white/whole wheat toast, buns for the burger, etc. have all gotten smaller lately. Pennies saved, added together multipled by 50,000 serving units a week ... times X number of ships - sure, add up in substantial savings toward the bottomline for shareholders.

That article came up in one of my news feed/alert 3 days ago - link here so others do not have to search for it https://www.cruisehive.com/norwegian-adjusts-every-port-of-call-on-upcoming-cruise/122744 Reasons given - unfortunately, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances,” to enhance the guest experience, the itinerary has been revised.” "with the time in every port of call adjusted." to "sail and sustain" for one's (in)convenience.

Welcome back and safe travel, smooth disembarkation & getting home.