mking8288

Welcome home and back to all. Here a screenshot of this morning's Escape arrival into Pier 88 ... Sorry to read that @raisedonboats got exposed ... We continued to exercise caution, mask up in elevators and/or use chairs whenever possible, and, didn't do the Choir of Man or lounge shows ... limited our visits to the buffet or never stay long in the atrium lobby for long. The reasons for some of the crews observed wearing N95 or equivalent masks is that it is their HR protocols when returning from vacation & when first reporting back for duties onboard ... mandatory for them to mask up in public for the first # of days, despite rapid screening testing upon boarding and relaxed subsequently unless symptomatic with possible exposure, before easing up & no longer required to mask up in public. Asked and confirmed the masking among crew members (and, officers) when we did Dine With Officers back in April.

Here ya go - happy reading, my apology as it is long, very long but detailed. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or your favorite beverage of choice, some snacks & break it into sections - tips from another CC friend of ours mini-series, lol 😁 If you still have unanswered questions, feel free to ask - another CC friends @graphicsguy is sailing her in about 10 days out of the "Med" Sea, and I have 200% faith & confidence that he is going to help update mine to his unique 2.0 version, Haven-focused - ours in "steerage" Need to amend the latest from the Escape, but most of the newer one from the last 5 to 6 years are "fixed" with the broken CC links ... the "search" function within CC is bad, I re-established them, follow & click (below) under the "Signature" tab/section - should get you to find the yellow brick road. Regards & best wishes for a happy cruise /mking8288 - Henry P.S. @schmoopie17 Greetings ... and thanks, just paying back by sharing our experience as I enjoy other's reporting. I think you picked up on the latest Escape semi-live. Early "notice" a different TA coming soon, westbound is next.

Norwegian Escape finally felt her anchorage (since late Friday) this morning off Staten Island to shelter from Cyclone Ophilia - not as bad as our week earlier ...coming into Pier 88 after 6 AM. This week looks fine weather-wise. Sky in rough sea, swells, gale force wind yesterday with a big go-around loop on her NE-Canada run, docked safely too this morning in Beantown. Our twin nieces coming home from Orlando after a week in Epcot-Disney-Universal Studios now sitting at MCO, first non-stop flight @0700 delayed until 1130.

Nope, but 🤫 post port-security in NY, Pier 88 MCT has vending machine selling soda, juice & bottled water, as well as snacks & light snacks, for our convenience - pick up those prior to embarkation since there is no secondary screening of carry-ons. We rinse clean & reuse it to refill water from the buffet, and go ashore without spending extra - frugal ways. If only NCL would install these onboard -

Welcome back and home sweet home, and you slept thru all that gentle rocking and rolling with 4 meters wave, wind and sea swells coming into NY harbor. Sorry about our local city streets, especially around Red Hook area around the cruise terminal, prone to flash flooding & closure - by slowing down nearly everyone, you probably avoided many of the cleverly hidden red light and speed camera, haha 😳 😉 🤔 in the name of safety (and, revenue collections, regardless of who is behind the wheels - registered owner get the friendly "ticket/fines by mail" just like EZ-Pass toll-by-mail, for the convenience - credit/debit cards cheerfully accepted. Nice, very nice photos of your YC cabin. Have a fun feeling that the tires that we are kicking in the 2nd half of 2024 aren't going to be NCL, less than 50:50 perhaps for our CAS friends - he just learn that his "sponsor" (land casinos) play are switching (??) to Celebrity and Royal, and the nieces with YC offers on MSC and Princess. Dunno what NCL is doing to cut themselves away from these affinity partnerships, maybe they calculated the group chartering business has a better payout 😬 For the price of a typical oceanview, 7 nights to Bermuda - we can do a balcony on the Celebrity Summit or equivalent, more spacious, etc. That afternoon high tea ... reminded me of being on Carnival years ago, nice !

On our recent modified NE-Canada itinerary, early riser breakfast was 5:30 AM somewhere up inside/near the buffet (listed in the Freestyle Daily distributed) - not a full breakfast but adequate ... too early to ask since everything is subject to change, with & often without advance notice(s). Grab something the day before & put them in your cabin, refrigerate as appropriate - food safety reasons, and ask for that 1-cup coffee/tea maker ... and you can have a hot cup, i.e. coca/hot chocolate pre-dawn before heading ashore or to meet up. Enjoy your winter cruise !

We used to bring less but these days, out of an abundance of extra precautions, and for our convenience, these are items that are in our carry-ons, especially when on longer cruises & out-of-home country vacations. No issues with border security or customs, etc. abroad since none are Class or Schedule 1 or 2, and we kept either the original bottles or the extra labels from our pharmacies. Also, first aid kit, masks & hand sanitizer and wipes, instant coffee & energy bars in the small packing cube. Expect the unexpected.

Escape on the move soon ?? Last week, we started leaving anchorage before midnight to head up the Hudson for Pier 88. Not seeing a pilot boat next to the Escape yet (Marinetraffic) Waiting for tides & river current conditions ... Mein Schiff 6 backing up of Cape Liberty, ready to head out to sea next ?? Emerald Princess still anchored next to Norwegian Escape - she had a FDNY Marine response earlier as well, Fire Boat 6 and/or Fire Boat 9 had the "Box" for medical assistance ... that was hours after Fire Boat 9 returned for the 2nd time in the early evening to transfer an onboard passenger ashore via tender. NY's Bravest answering the calls to assist, thank you. MSC Mera inbound to Red Hook, sailing thru rough seas at 4m and near gale wind conditions. 2 other cruise ships also coming into NY, not far behind Mera. VHF marine radio traffic on the uptick with activities again.

@Sand and Seas - FWIW, fingers crossed ... going to wait until next Monday or Tuesday & see as of this moment, showing a negative balance ... we know better to 100% trust NCL's promises and take their words at full face value. Reservation appeared otherwise still in order, if our friends see this on their account's booking, they will panic ... You might recalled a recent topic/thread here about someone doing a mock addition of optional items to their paid in full reservation, didn't "paid for it" immediately and their entire booking was cancelled & disappeared - along with checking hotel and air reservations, etc. - nowadays, making a habit of checking MyNCL just to make sure things are in order, "for our convenience" of course. #cough #cough Final Payment Due $-35.60 Due by: Jul **, 2023

It's a known issue this weekend and NCL's infamous and highly competent I.T. Dept #cough #cough is aware of it and will fix it - saw a negative balance on our fully paid cruises that are coming up soon - called into and got transferred for the answer. Support agent said not to worry, it's fine and all good on their screen - whatever that means ... just have to take their words for it and trust them to do the right thing by next week. Folks on roll calls getting ready to cruise & print out their final eDocs might be freaking out as well. Have a support ticket on an unrelated matter earlier this week, and they acknowledged by email and ask for patience, and allow up to 14 days for problem resolution. FWIW #cough #cough

Used to see a limited selection of OTC meds inside the gift shops onboard NCL ships, not lately since the restart in 2022. Supply chains shortage also not helping the store in offering sunscreen, and popular items like keychains, magnets, logo merchandise items, etc. If the duty-free shop is open while at sea, take a look inside as some items are now available there, behind the cash register ... could be related to "loss prevention" a/k/a theft. From our recent EPIC T/A in April, did check and confirmed that some items are available & offered for sale in the duty-free section ... grossly over-priced for the given quantities sold, best to pack & bring your own, and shop when you reach the next port with local shops in the vicinity - restock as needed. Last week on the Escape, didn't get the chance to pass by to see if duty-free section is similar ... could vary by specific ship. When in doubt, Siri, Alexa or Google it and let AI come to your aid.

Two for your scrapbook - Emerald Princess heading out now, passing under the VZ Bridge after waiving at the Escape, with a FDNY fire/medical rescue boat action now in play, live ... unable to tender earlier due to sea state & conditions

NYHC's camview - screenshot Live update - (Alert) FDNY Boat 9 en route again to meet Escape w medical transfer at tender dock, port side ... smaller boat (#6 likely) coming along - go to NY Harbor Webcam, VHF marine radio traffic relayed live

@JIMESOPUS - How's that ride coming home thus far, rough but apparently not too bad at 4 m or 13 ft. +/- with the strong/gale wind on the tail. The bridge team charted a good course deviation to "sneak" in as safely as they can. CM showing, perhaps an early arrival for Red Hook, maybe around midnight - high tide is around 10 PM'ish - "watch" out for the Escape port side since it's foggy. Satellite WiFi usable again, good 👍 👍 Enjoy dinner. Tunnel To The Tower Run & Walk tomorrow morning, Waze your way home live on alternate routing.

Lower Manhattan skyline entirely not visible. Last week, tug boats were shadowing anchored ships but apparently, not needed thus far. Last Saturday afternoon ... same spot, Escape at anchorage BTW, that NYFD patient transfer this morning was cancelled, Marine 6, a "small" 30' + medical response boat dispatch turned back & a bigger boat returned shortly, still couldn't tender over with sea state conditions, unsafe with patient on stretcher for the transfer. Medical conditions stabilized & will wait till ship is securely docked. Kudo to crew, FDNY & USCG for their coordinated efforts.

200% agreed, NCL 1 Day Air deviation is just inadequate, IMHO, 2 Days at a minimum or better yet, take charge of one's own flight & travel plans. Not sure if @dexddd and others read/know about this other parts scandal - globalized ... Flying - the bogus engine parts by a 3rd party vendor and FAA is on the case ... United & American affected, others are searching theirs to rule out. Hitting older aircraft engines, apparently - Flyertalk buzzing on this topic.

Dunno, are you sure about that ... AirTag that "cute" vest and/or yourself, share with us the URL link to track (you do trust some of "us" - right) and we can take care of matters with lost & found 😁 😊 😳 Dogs ... niece's pair, always find their favorite command positions when we visit. Who's pet-sitting who, I sometimes wonder. Kiddings aside, aren't you down to the single digits routine now ?

@dexddd - when did I become the quasi weather person 😆 paging @Pelican Bill from Rochester, NY (hope he's okay, fine & just busy somewhere) CC need someone like him during hurricane season to decode those charts for us. Then, there is @PistolPete 13 for his pro photography from S.I. - at least we heard from him, busy with an out-of-town air show, missing all the excitement. Surprisingly, MDR wasn't too busy or crowded last Saturday ... folks were busy packing to get ready to leave the next morning, maybe. Specialty restaurants has lines but very orderly & smooth, we had a great dinner at our unofficially reserved round table again. @raisedonboats if I am reading your post/question correctly, you are currently onboard Escape ... at her anchor, one of the best natural shelter as a jumbo, luxury hotel inside the harbor. Wind (gale/near gale) will continue to pick up past midnight & lasting into tomorrow, rain/heavy rain & foggy, waves are relatively small but I see swell from the live streaming NY Harbor Webcam - high tide should be later tonight, perhaps timing & coordination to sail up the Hudson River to dock, as strong current conditions were said to be one of many factors last week. DENver airport tops the list for delays & cancellations today, although JFK and EWR are on the misery chart. Unless you are on the upper deck, forward or aft ... should feel just fine, we're low & mid ship and barely felt movement on the ship or that it finally left anchor for Pier 88 before midnight. Just enjoy, relax and make the best out of it all - I know, all of the ship's "limited" TV news/weather channels were "temporary unavailable" - blackout, licensing restricted while in the harbor was the reply. See charts below: (uploading next) Reminder to all onboard now, do check the onboard stateroom accounts, look for any balance remaining with non-refundable OBC as we had about $14 left but didn't feel like walking over to stand in line for 2 cups of Starbucks. Darn it, could've ordered that Cagney's filet as an extra entree in "Taste" - almost "free" by paying that 20% surcharge, for my convenience, of course. (and, not waste the $14, hahaha)

In other news, medevac by FDNY Boat 9 to transfer (ambulatory) patient off the Escape, port side - in progress ... returning shortly with a larger boat from SI marina base, USCG monitoring. Conditions earlier and continuing ...

@als1428 We shared your sailing's disappointment, as you might know, we're on the Escape's modified cruise last week and spend 3 nights onboard, safely, onboard what I referred to as our "floating hotel" - casinos & shops were closed. Announcements were made onboard prior to reaching NY by the CD (and, possibly the captain from the bridge) - at times, difficult to hear, depending on our "whereabouts" on the ship. We also understood that a # of junior officers from various departments were going on vacation, departing the ship on Sunday and coverage will be maintained by others qualified ... is Captain Mattias in charge as master of the vessel, just like last week ? Was the announcement about the decision made by the bridge team given yesterday, day before - I know, myself being a bit surprised this morning, seeing the Escape already crossing toward Cape Cod, in a hurry ... full speed at 21+ knots. We're only doing 19 knots last Thursday at sea, steaming toward NY for safe harbor. We also received refundable OBC for 2 skipped or cancelled ports, $30 p/p x 2 for our stateroom (and, others) - perhaps that's coming next. Sea states, swell and waves are forecasted to increase, worsening tomorrow - outside the NY harbor ... tidal tables and currents also are in play here. Just to be clear, I am not cheering blindly for decisions made by NCL but when we sail, you should have faith and trust the captain ... s/he is responsibile for a lot more, including passengers and the crew, along with the ship, etc. etc. It's like flying commercial aircraft - the pilot has the final say & authority to take off and land, and divert for reasons - we pay to come along for the ride, some paying more than others. We've experienced enough cancelled and diverted ports of calls for different reasons, some of them questionable but we weren't going to jump ship and swim ashore ... not safe or advisable. Take a look at maritime forecast on Windy app - just a matter of hours from now, by morning & around sunrise ... just outside NY Lowe Bay, conditions will deteriorate rapidly, wind in excess of 30 mph, waves above 10 ft. to 14+ ft and sea swell from 7 ft. to 10 ft. IMHO, better to come in early than late, trying to get that extra few hours - leaving little safety margins and trade it for a rougher & bumpy ride. We've sail thru quite a few 30' to 40' storm in gale/strong gale force cross-wind over the decades in mid-size and mega sized cruise ships, given the choice to skip them - let's say, hold off - jump ahead and/or pull back and wait, ride it out. Perhaps, this isn't helpful to you and if so, please feel free to ignore. I understood some were not happy last week on our cruise. Cheers and best wishes.

(optional reading for some, others are welcomed to skip, no comments and/or replies, etc. needed or expected - intended to be informative & not a "debate") A few words about the week's associated CruiseCritic Meet & Greet gathering, first, the organizer hovering from the get go wasn't going to have one. Reason: the one & only full sea day was Day 7, en route back to NY (while anchor off VZ Bridge near Staten Island ... sadly, like this weekend too b/c of mother nature, another storm in-bound) Then, a # of CC'er asked and then, IMHO, reluctantly set-up and request submitted to NCL ... then, announced (prior to "official NCL" confirmation, that it would be held at a given date/time & location - Supper Club) 😳 Subsequently, a 2nd M&G date/time and elsewhere - District Brew House earlier in the week (actually, 6 PM on Day 2 ... which, also, isn't exactly a good time either for many - prime for folks going to dinner) Roll call wasn't very "active" with less than 40 to 50, and only about half (re)confirming to be there, for one or the other, or both - not the way that "yours truly" would organize and run the M&G. I wasn't really involved nor too active within the circle either - just a gut feeling from years of being in these. In fact, most of the roll call for the NE-Canada "Escape" sailings this year are similar, loosely & not well organized, some didn't bother to do one until up close & near embarkation. Social media private groups apparently were the domain. Not saying anymore about it and what my thoughts are - CC admin & mods, sometimes, should "patrol" these roll calls a little better, but that's me & my views only. Anway, some of us did attended the 2nd M&G announced for the roll call, perhaps no more than 20 to 25 people showed up, could be 30 - the sign-in attendance sheet had a short list on it, and I wasn't there early either. M&G held later in the week, which was the one initially announced on the roll call - was bad, poorly attended - less than 10 showed up ... none but one "junior" officer walked by, not even sure if he was just in the "Club" from an earlier gathering. There was supposed to be a slot pull, didn't go myself as those are always optional - the energy and synergy just wasn't there as a whole ... better things to do for the time slot given. For "our" upcoming cruise(s) - looking much better, roll call is more active, has a bit of energy, folks chatting & sharing tips on ports, tours, transport & other matters - lively and feeling of being spirited. Let's see how it go ... last week's gathering wasn't the worst, but certainly not a successful, nope - not sure if I would grade it with a "passing" grade. A # of CC'er are / were following this as they are sailing the Escape soon or next, perhaps - if some of you see & are reading this ... consider taking another look at the roll call and whether the M&G is happening or not. This week's cruise with Charlie coasting along and riding shotgun, I'm confident it's fine. Next week and subsequent ones ... there's some chemistry happening with one that shouldn't and let's leave it at that. To me, it's just bad karma for someone to wear multiple hats, a foot on each boat and not putting enough efforts - end up calling names, hijacking rosters and confusing the hell out of others, not eveyone wish to be here or there, on both and sometimes, with the mess - why bother. Aside from the ones that knew us from previous M&G - ship will continue to sail. Go undercover and slip behind the curtains - if I stay silent & quiet and just act as if I knew nothing and not troubled by it. Maybe that's fine too, right. Okay, "ranting" done for these - every now & then, another CC will post similar concerns and asked "why" and "why not", etc. No need to chat about this sensitive topic/subject and respond - my other motto, agree to disagree, stay civilized ... not just go with the flow, humor and patience, and "wing it" - useless to get upset about matters beyond one's "control" Life is too short for some, cherish, enjoy & cheers. Goodness, less than 2 months and time to shift focus and compile that packing list, will be back soon - hopefully, the next installment and continuation of the Semi - Live series, different ship and different itinerary, ports and adventure ahead; and, try to make it fun and informative. This chapter or series edging toward closure, with the Escape now returning to homeport again (early) and chats going on - allow someone else to pick up the torch & continue, it's a good thing too. Just wondering if anyone on "this" week's Escape that signed up and get to do their "Dine With (NCL) Officers" onboard - I always find that interesting, informative and fun to do, and meet other "serious" cruisers from all walks of life. There's always "next time" and better luck - and, with mother nature & weather, never hurts to ride with the lucky stars and wind direction. /mking8288 - Henry (and, Susan)

@MeriToT The last few posts have chats among several geeks here, which I am sure will leave others wondering about the language & codes, jargons that we are using. Rest can just skip or not try to decipher & not worry about a thing. Image of the back of the LG monitor, used the smaller iPhone SE22 as it’s tight quarters there. 90-deg HDMI right angle adaper would made it easier to plug the 6' or 10' cable into the slot, sort of touch & feel for making a solid connection. Next to that bright one is HDMI 1. Go to settings and scroll down several to find the locked input tab within setup and change it. Will need to use the proper unlock code (think of the most common, default digits - didn't bother to change it, perhaps too complicated for the installer(s) at the shipyard or during dry dock upgrade ... An universal remote or one that’s compatible with newer LG HDTV, tuned to the same WiFi network, will help to change the input source since it’s Ethernet hard wired (black Cat-5E/6 ??) to boot the interactive, customized Linux OS. A good project with sea days in the itinerary and for someone staying onboard most of the time. We’re too busy to try more or put my time on it. Please kindly reset & resort changes made to the HDTV, for the next cruiser’s convenience. Have fun 👌 If NCL would make it easier, for our convenience, of course, to provide the common HDMI connector somewhere as universal ... as most hotel chains do these days. Disclaimer: This is not recommended for most, unless you know what you are doing - there are other input ports there, including VGA/digital signal source - safety hazards caution must be observed. Otherwise, invest in a light Chromebook or tablet, iPad - since you are likely "casting" or "streaming" offline, pre-loaded content and not live OTA.

NCL's portal (regular) is working ... fingers crossed as we cancelled weekend out-of-town getaway. NHC called it at 14:00 EDT - CYCLONE BECOMES TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA (storm tracking further west toward inland - should not be too bad for our neighborhood.) In case anybody else is lurking & thinking about the above reference deal, that Haven suite is back and available, perhaps folks upgraded to a nicer Haven suite & "free" it for bidding or a direct deal - GTY cabin to be assigned. Hush, ya blowing our cover ... it's 11 plus 14 for 25 days of floating only 😄 pre-cruise air / independent sightseeing, together is an entire month ... getting cold feet. Minor things, just us, will houseplants "make" it - maybe get one of our trusted nephew to come over with a set of keys to check on things. And, hold mail at the post office.

Here's hoping that folks flying in are insured against travel disruption and coming in early - cause airports and airlines are likely going to hit their cancellation commands, triggering delays and backups. Safe travel. Latest storm track appeared to be further inland away from NYC's corridor but further south, BWI, PHL, DCA/IAD. ATL - major hubs for major carriers are going to be impacted, no matter what. Escape really pushing hard, aided with a strong tailwind - already off the Rockaways (appro. 25 to 30 miles SE of JFK Airport) NYC ... should be picked up by the pilot boat already at Ambrose Channel for the inbound escort. Sea swell increasing with a few white caps, not bad thus far. Going to tune to marine VHF frequncies on the scanner to listen ... Will they drop anchor or come into Pier 88, tide and strong river current were factors last week for us. For a bird's eye view - have a look and check back ... https://www.flightaware.com/miserymap/

Short answer, yes - several Acer micro space-saver PC in the iCafe, 2 of them were off-line for whatever reason, but other terminals worked. Bare bone desktop, just the browser and zero apps to run anything else with and locked down otherwise.