mking8288

@sanabeans - We have a somewhat less than active Roll Call this weekend, not sure about yours but apparently, most being alike, for whatever reasons - also seeing not as many active solo posting ... I hope you have a great one. Tendering at Bar Harbor and Newport are not going to be easy nor fun, as a matter of personal opinion, going to be rather frustrating for the average & even seasoned cruisers - trying to get onto the ship's lifeboats for tendering purposes. It is a "steep" climb down into these large lifeboat and once docked at the pier, climb up & transfer to the landing - hopefully, it is not going to be windy and calm seas, and no waves, as it could be rocking & rolling ... you will (should) need both hands free to firmly hold onto those railings (crew members will be standing by, either sides to help with the tendering transfer) Just think for a moment - pretty sure we are sailing at 98% or higher double occupancies (if not above or sold out entirely) - ship's lifeboats typically carry 150 to 200 pax, the *Away/Plus might be a click or two higher at 200+ and will take at least 15 trips for 2/3 of the pax onboard to get ashore ... repeat again for the return later; plus, crew members that need to be shoreside. It takes an average of 15 to 20 minutes to board (and get off) the lifeboats plus another 10 or 15 minutes for the ride & docking on the other end. Do the math & add them up together - from what we saw, took nearly 2 hours for those that wish to go ashore ... folks with priority tendering, booked NCL shorex and then, all others doing independent or private tours on their own. It was no simple then on the mid-sized ship with 2,200+ pax Dawn and we are on the Escape with easily 4,000 pax. Pack patience & bring it along, I can see a bit of madness ahead. Don't count on being on that last tender returning to the ship, many others will have the same idea ... each lifeboat can take no more than 200'ish, up to legal & safety capacity. Linked pictorial review from our Dawn tendering in 2019 visiting these ports - including Bar Harbor & Newport - (post #79 - BH) and also (#130 - for Newport) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2662250-semi-live-dawn-canada-new-england-5112019-our-old-favorite/?do=findComment&comment=57479255 As viewed from the seated position, climb up 2 or 3 steps, thru that hatch opening & onto / across the gangway ...

@nancyt609 Should be able to book it online at 21 days, have a great cruise - will post what we believe are useful & helpful, thus far ... not seeing anything related to the Escape on this seasonal itinerary and weather is turning slightly chilly for the ports. With luck, might see some early & beautiful coastal Fall foliage en route. For our sailing, COM is scheduled for 7 and 9:30 pm on Day 2 and Day 7 (last / sea day on the return) Cheers 😎

Always looking for ways to help pack & travel light - our large cabin has bedside USB charging port and extra outlets, including that often under-utilized 220V outlet - going to downsize what I bring along, fewer bulkier cables for power, smart (PD) dual USB charger, 10' and 4' USB 3.0 extension cables, and a 10,000 mAH battery bank/powerpack, NC earbuds - should make the carry-on gears more compact & lighter ... since we aren't expecting staterooms to be ready until 3 to 4 pm. A pair of "hidden" Apple AirTags should help us keep track of our checked luggage via the compact iPhone SE 2022 (dual sim enabled ... on both AT&T and T-Mo networks), until they are delivered to our hallway. Android smartphone backup is the good old Google Pixel 4a 5G (unlimited "cloud" photo storage) also dual-sim enabled, Global roaming ... as long as we have decent cellular signals somewhere (aside while out in the Atlantic or away from land towers) - posting not expected to be a major obstacle next week. The plan: convert/upgrade to basic, unlimited WiFi after midnight at the start of Day 2. Just came home from a quick 2 nights resort-hotel stay in nearby Catskill, NY (only 2 hours away) - spoiled by the property's housekeeping standards, tech-friendly outlets and satellite TV channels on 55" HDTV ... and fast & "free" WiFi bundled into the resort fees, including 2 bottled water - it's a junior suite at only 650 sq. ft. (talked about being spoiled, haha) with separate toilet & walk-in shower behind frosted glass/door ... (kind of being reminded of the Epic's room setup) and nice double sink, vanity desk & walk-in closet. No issues doing a week ahead without the extra Haven perks, thus no bids to upgrade.

@www3traveler - now that our summer break is over, we are back out cruising again 😎 and prepare to ride the waves & sea swell again. Thank you & trust all is well out on your coast lately. Much appreciated - doubtful that I am going see anything new posted, shall do my part to get it updated. I should print out some of the photos taken from the Escape M&G then, should be a nice talking piece to some of them ... Kivanc, I believe he was (is ??) on the Escape as GM, read that in one of the recent FS Dailies - but, he could be on rotation and/or vacation. Alvin was on the Getaway in 2022. Oops, fat fingers managed to add an extra 0 (zero) to my post, VOS carries up to 4,000 pax and not 40,000 pax (that could be crazy) - corrections should be noted before the grammer/typo/spelling "police" catch me.

This sailing would be our 3rd of its kind, sailing the NE/Canada route this season ... thus far, haven't seen or read any posts and comments of happenings onboard, maybe no news is good news ... things running smoothly as a whole. We've visited Halifax/NS twice back in the 80's and 90's via the overnight "ferry" - love that city & gone back since again as getting extended vacation time off then wasn't easy. Norwegian Sea and RCI's Voyager of The Seas, then the largest cruise ship at over 130,000 tons carrying up to 40,000 pax ... had since taken us back to these ports some 20 years ago. Still have no idea who's up on this ship's bridge, not that it matter or who's running Haven ops (butler/concierge, etc. ... some / others do, I know) Deepak Punia was HD then in 2019 (when we had an official outbreak of norovirus onboard - yike, we made it thru that 14 days cruise & back safely) and I believe he is onboard as the GM, not sure about the rest of his team from those days. No idea who is the CD onboard, Alvin O. was then. Will most likely skip the BTS tour this time around but going to sign up for Dine With Officers ... won't mind chatting with the iCafe manager is s/he is part of the team to host these to pursue one of my favorite subject area - WiFi & satellite signals on high seas and evolving tech, ask questions about the status of Starlink deployment among NCL vessels. Calling card w names & direct extensions distributed back in 2019 at the M&G then - just for reference, where are they these days ... let's find out. I did put out a friendly request to this week's "better" organized roll call and M&G to post any details, however - watch is still "on" & results pending. @www3traveler - I know she sometimes has the insider's intel & perhaps ... she has an update that I somehow missed on that "2023 who's where 😉 Weather forecast for nearly all the ports at this point - looking fine & great, seasonally warm, mix of long & short sleeve, fleece vest/jacket for layering, windbreaker/hoodie or light jacket should suffice - hats, gloves & scarf not needed yet. Not sure if others onboard this sailing are planning to post and do live reviews, add their comments & observations, etc. - welcome to add here, impossible to cover it all ... i.e. alcohol & drink packages as we do not. Please do not feel that one is barging in and/or should be posting their own. Constructive & helpful and useful additions and viewpoints are always appreciated ... agree to disagree, friendly differences of opinions are recognized here, and opinions on food are always highly subjective & personal in nature, our own "biases" shall be expected.

It's just sad to reflect on all the changes in cost-cutting while overall costs continue to go higher ... global pandemic and rising inflation, and labor issues not ignored. Little & insignificant amenities like mints on the pillow nightly, towel animal, ice buckets refilled, cabin refreshed, trash emptied, towels exchanged (notice that beach towels no longer in most cabins) and coffee maker, not to mention bath robes & slippers in the closet (balconies & up, unless requested) That's what used to make a cruise specials, and without the Haven concept then ... Things that matter a little & taken for granted, gone with the wind of change. Stayed at a resort hotel this weekend and yes, housekeeping protocols have changed - like elsewhere & isn't what it use to be ... but, there is a ice machine down the hallway, self-service machine that dispense soda, juice & bottled water at fair hospitality prices, and if needed, guest service or front desk without a long line of guests standing & waiting for the next available agent. We leave a good tip, nothing crazy, nightly for housekeeping and they actually wrote a short thank you note for us ... when was the last time room steward did that, hmmm 😉 🤔 The silly question, what do ship's housekeeping staff do when they are done for their "short" work day onboard, say from 6 or 7 pm until 9 in the following morning, unlike others that work in dining services with longer hours ... or do they end up tasked with additional work elsewhere.

Good news, Joy is on her way, thrusters sideway and leaving Dockyard now at 11:50 AM local BDA time and the Faithful (tugboat) port side to guide her thru the narrow & shallow coral reef channel - we're on that route last May when seas were calm, unlike this run. BDA's Marine Forecast - Today - Winds north-northwesterly 15 to 25 knots gusts to 30 knots, easing 12 to 18 knots towards evening... Isolated showers with mainly fair visibility. Swell along with possible rip current and dangerous seas diminish... Seas inside the reef 3 to 6 ft... Outside the reef 10 to 16 ft, decreasing... Sunrise: 6:55 am. Passing along indirect info from someone booked on tomorrow, now Tueday's sailing to Quebec, Canada on the modified New England route, edited with key details only. ... Still disembarking in Quebec City a week Wednesday. Getting a prorated refund as they have their own place in (locally in NYC). Others are not so lucky. NCL will pay up to $300/person for airline change penalty. If you flew in independently and booked your own hotel, you are out of luck. NCL will only covers those booked airfare/hotel thru them. 9:04 AM BTW NCL called to offer additional 15% all cruises for the balance of 2023. IMHO, these are times where travel/trip insurance as one choose to obtain or take chances & ignore and go "self insured" ... during the peak hurricane season. Maritime weather/storm systems beyond NCL's immediate & direct control. I know, prices are higher this year than in years past and sailings are still going basically full. It would be better if NCL would extend that 15% discount beyond 2023 but that is what it is. Off-topics slightly, just talk our nieces in not booking 2 cabins to sail the short 5 days Bermuda route this December on the Getaway, but if one has vacation time and/or otherwise can go, prices aren't that "bad" - instead, they booked 2 balconies days ago to do 10 days on the Getaway with a day at Dockyard, for not that much more - combined with a 15% discount.

Oh mine, Escape is practically home, already sailed under & past the VZ Bridge before midnight, approaching Statue of Liberty soon in the Upper New York Bay, what's the hurry this week ??? That meant for our CAS friends, slots & table games was shut down much earlier than usual 😳 It could be due to tides and river currents on the Hudson so they rushed back in, or perhaps for an onboard medical emergency not urgent enough for medevac. Wasn't following her closely earlier with her speed & position along the planned route track. Good news being that, disembarkation in the morning will be early and one-time, likey ahead of the planned schedule. Just realized, as of this hour - it is T minus 7 Days for this cruise ahead ... going to be a fun semi-live'ish report next week, not to mention that it's likely going to be a sort of live chats at times 😊 😁 😉 seeing who has already seen or read " the early "heads up" as I usually wait until the day before or morning of ... to post about it. Apparently, strange happenings with those bidding for upgrades so I'm going to embargo the details until later on, sorry about that, as I rather not release anything yet, with bids still outstanding and the possibility of really last-minute & onboard upgrade.

Congrats for reaching the top tier ...

Conditions will improve & better tomorrow, but further away from Bermuda, still going to be a rough ride to rush home as best as conditions permit. Excerpt from Bermuda's official weather service - maritime conditions: Tonight - Winds north-northeasterly 25 to 35 knots gusts to 45 knots, easing 20 to 30 knots during the night then tending northerly 20 to 25 knots towards dawn... Patchy rain and isolated showers with fair to poor visibility. Peaking swells with possible rip currents... Seas inside the reef 3 to 6 ft... Outside the reef 14 to 18 ft, decreasing... Sunset: 7:42 pm.

Safety first, there's no way that ships currently anchored there are going to set sail before 9 am tomorrow, better yet to probably wait until midday 😕 based on forecasts & dynamic models, the storm will remain over the islands beyond sunrise with the back of tail end of the storm ... seas going to be rough & very choppy. Advice to those crossing the Atlantic ahead to/from Bermuda, start those motion sickness remedies 🫣

Started tracking the Escape within the last 2 weeks, she sailed from Halifax yesterday ... smooth & calm away from the island. This morning, the North Atlantic is nice and flat, just one more turnaround tomorrow and then, it's ours to embark next Sunday 😎

TGIF. Gosh, single digit countdown - already slipped past T minus 10. Has been a busy summer for us but time to get ready - knowing that a handful or two "CC'ers" knew that this cruise is just around the corner. Neither DW nor myself had begun packing for our upcoming 7 days cruise to New England & Canada "Escape", last sailed her in 2019, but on the Dawn in 2019 and Joy in 2022 - revisiting some of the popular New England & Canada ports. Weather forecast ahead looks reasonably good, pack accordingly & always going to have a weatherproof jacket & layering with something warm, not really expecting to see early foliage ... mother nature can surprise us and of course, it's hurricane season but at the moment, nothing serious on alerts, let the free "Windy" App be part of the toolbox to track maritime changes. Found these old, really old NCL luggage tags a while ago among the pile of FS Dailies from 20+ years ago ... use them inside checked bags as extra ID's. We will be in one of the 3 cabins, our brother-in-law & sister-in-law in their 70's coming back, counting on us being around as needed - SIL since recovering from surgery & rehab with compound upper thigh bone fractures from an accidental fall ... Access Desk contacted months ago to request wheelchair assistance for embarkation & disembarkation ... bringing along her rollator-walker plus a cane to get around the ship a bit easier. She's not planning to go ashore at 2 of the tendered ports due to logistics and other limitations -stay onboard to enjoy the ship while some of us head down to the gangway (Newport, RI and Bar Harbor, ME) We typically only do some planning and often just "wing" it - let's see how well things go. Since we are all either Sapphire or Platinum, specialty dining booked around the 125 days mark, earlier than many others, successfully - true also for the one & only main theater production show ... comedy isn't our cup of tea, going to take a pass on those. Ditto for game shows like Deal or No Deals and I don't consider a paid $$$ Behind The Scene Tour truly onboard entertainment as classified. This is a port intensive itinerary with 6 stops, and Day 7 on the return from Halifax, NS to NY is the one & only sea day. KN95's and KF94's again, hopefully not warranted or needed. Have a decent supply of PPE in reserve and probably will be packing, bringing & likely using them in crowded places, just in case, strictly as a matter of personal choice and in line with guidance, per one of my RN nephew, working in a busy ER here in N.Y.C. Next Sunday morning, we will either find ourselves stopping here first and/or sitting next to our SIL/BIL boarding earlier than fellow Sapphire/Diamond & Platinum tier pax in the roped off area, as SIL will use wheelchair assistance - thru Door C here ... assuming things haven't changed lately. Roll Call is somewhat lackluster & not impressed (yours truly not organized nor really involved ... details just updated/posted within the past week, will attend and perhaps, say hello again to the good old Escape team & leadership onboard. Posted a request on this week's Escape roll call to see if someone going to the M&G can upload the list of senior officers, HD, etc. waiting to read about it ... This Sunday's sailing apparently have a loosely organized roll call & no M&G, not expecting any useful, helpful or practical info before we embark next Sunday ... I do have & know of someone from a previous M&G, so maybe - some insider's alerts & heads up (thanks in advance, Bonnie ...) Otherwise, best efforts on my / our part to report & update - subject to the given & usual limitations of satellite WiFi at sea, as always. Unlimited WiFi upgrade on Day 2, most likely, agian. Cellular (5G and 4G LTE) coverage is expected to be good to excellent as long as we are within range of the port's land signals and/or docked, and, data roaming in Canada isn't going to slow us down in any significant ways. Well, no news while we are at sea - can be assumed to be "good" news or nothing worthwhile to post urgently - or, else, the CC community will get the gossips and non-verified "rumors" here first. Since NCL does not wish to have guests board the vessels with 2 meters/70 cm portables (ham radios/walkie talkies, etc.) - will continue to respect those rules ... scanner apps that I have should suffice. Live TV news & weather coverage onboard NCL ships are poor to fair at best, not counting on it for any breaking news alert - on our own, so not going to be "off the air" with the smartphone & iPhone (to track those cute AirTags "hidden" inside checked luggage) shut off & locked in the mini-safe. MCT / Pier 88-90 has free WiFi for public use, unsecured of course but usable & reasonably fast - cell signals inside, poor to bad or horrible. Unlike others, we have neither dogs (not permitted as we live in a co-op townhouse style garden apartment community) nor cats to worry about, watering of our houseplants will be taken care of with a simple watering set-up. Will be a trial run for using a travel vest to carry about 10 lbs. worth of digital gadgets, essentials & meds, for embarkation & disembarkation ... sticking to our notion of packing smartly & traveling light, one checked 22" or 24" spinner or rollerboard plus a carry-on (10 kg or 22 lbs) backpack only - avoiding the personal bag if we can. Leaning toward using a Lenovo Chromebook again vs. the slightly heavier Sony Vaio notebook PC, keeping the cables & adapters, etc. to a minimum as our cabin has USB charging outlets, good for the portable power/battery bank. After this, another TA on the horizon later this year 😁 😊 🙂 Here's a preview of some of the evolving set-up, gadgets & items that are coming along: * Specialty dining, booked & confirmed @ 125 days out as Sapphire, success ! * Onboard entertainment, booked & confirmed @ 25 days out, success ! (others as Platinum, 21 days out) * Online Check-In done & completed @ 21 days out - eDocs ready & available @ 20 days out ! * eDocs & eLuggage tags printed @ T minus 9 days out ! * iPhone SE 2022 paired up with AirTags to discretely track our checked luggage, will board her early with just a backpack each. The sailing we are on is practically full, sold-out already except for Insides & some Studio cabins (likely from upgrade bids) since last week, apparently ... will share some of the "direct" observations & findings from what "we" knew about the "Upgrade Advantage" bidding - expecting the ship to be at or near capacity, but not many children or teens (most should be in schools & classrooms by then) Costs and prices for local / ground transportation here in the city have been rising, surging might be a better term - last time we parked above MCT at Pier 88/90 was probably 20 years ago, out of convenience then at $20 a day. It is now $45 a day, all inclusive but a relative bargain ... considering that whether it is by Uber or Lyft, Carmel (our "preferred" car service) or using a neighborhood FHV service, a sedan ride with tips will be about $80 to $90 each way or $110 to $120 for a minivan (4 adults plus luggage) Leaning toward just do the short 25 to 30 minutes drive ourselves and do the rooftop parking, and split the costs with BIL/SIL. It should also be "news worthy" for the East Coast / NY Destination Forum. Reference and background - finally got around to refresh & located those broken or missing links to previous review on the Escape and the NE/Canada ports that we visited in recent years - they are working & accessible, just follow the hyperlink - click to read - might have to "expand signature" to find the ones of interest.

Two of our nieces just made their cutoff to book 2 adjacent balconies (one being angled) on the Getaway, sailing a little 90+ days and combined it with the 15% coupon. Had to call in to speak with PCC to get it processed b/c with the courtesy 12 hours hold, couldn't combined nor use 2 certs ... easily handled by PCC - nice savings. Reservations linked & special requests made - not sure if these promo will be extended for the holiday weekend or renewed thru end of month, etc. Prices looked good, dropped a bit as "expected" - was past final payment/deadline to cancel without penalty. Oceanview sailaway prices are the same as Balcony sailaway 😳

@Flossygirl Greetings from up "north" again ... those lovely koalas. Those darn useless CC "Search" options came up empty, nothing, zero results despite all efforts - thanks to Bard & Google, was able to locate & restored hyperlinks to previously broken links to the semi-live reviews earlier, which are often helpful. Here is that full review or trip report, enjoy reading & going thru the pix again. Post #28 - has pictures of our cabin ... compared to a regular oceanview, it was big ... perhaps I shouldn't use the word "huge" to describe it. Plenty of space within for 2 persons to appreciate, and there is an electrical outside inside, near the entry door to recharge an electric scooter/wheelchair onboard, as permitted. Others were kept elsewhere & stored by the steward nearby. I should also note that for emergency & safety reasons, in case a crew member has to access the cabin when the red "help" button is activated, the cabin door cannot be doubled lock from the inside ... that was our understanding, please check & ask the Access Desk or steward about it. Be sure to use the "Do Not Disturb" button appropriately if you desire privacy while inside your cabin. Answer - OV on starboard side, I'm 99% sure it was #5706, which is exactly a mirror one of #5708 next door, with 2 more on the port side. Accessible Family Oceanviews are even bigger, they sleep up to 5 from what I saw - #5738 and 5740, and, also #5138 and #5140 - those were "huge" for sure.

@Flossygirl Just realized ... hello to "down under" - "yes" to the Q, not same cabin # but very close & nearby, starboard side - should be virtually identical (from what I've checked - has the same tub/shower combo ... which is very similar to our Joy's 2 BR Family Inside w virtual balcony last May as far as the (main) bathroom goes). It will be very spacious for 2 of us in that cabin, and helpful to have 3 (three) 110v outlet plus 1 (one) 220v wall outlet - along with 2 bedside USB charging port (and, I don't worry about someone "hacking" it or attempting to install malware or hack into our devices)

Dan - it's getting closer, isn't it. Nice upgrade from DL, congrats ... Here's an article that's Starlink related as FYI - interesting details. Cruiselines are mostly adopting their technology & deploying or partnering with additional servers is a plus, except for this line ... dragging its feet for whatever reasons & excuses. IMHO, not a win-win situation and most of us geeks recognized that it is "not" a nearly perfect or ideal solution, but anything is better than the current package from EMC or whatever their ISP partner is called. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Starlink-satellite-Internet-speeds-set-to-increase-with-data-center-deal-as-Costco-Japan-starts-selling-discounted-terminals.743835.0.html Will probably get a chance to speak to one of iCafe manager onboard another NCL ship "shortly" to (try to) find out what they know about the fleet's deferred conversion and upgrade to Starlink system/servers ...

Family Oceanviews on the Escape & Getaway (also, 95% sure for the Breakaway & Joy as their configurations to sleep 5 are nearly identical) are bigger than the typical Oceanviews with picture window, I believe the Sun's Family OV aren't as big in comparison, but like the Sun's "regular" OV, there is a small sofa/loveseat size in the cabin (others can confirm or clarify this) Escape's "O5" or Family OV that sleep up to 5, much bigger than 160 sq.ft. to as much as 239 sq.ft. - bathroom has double sink and most have a bathtub/shower combo (high step-in height, however) Has 2 HDTV monitors, extra closet & storage, shelf space and a much longer dresser/desk surface ... USB charging ports integrated into the bedside USB lamps during ship's recent drydock as an upgrade, not necessary all and for other cabin categories. Search in YT under "NCL Escape. One of my favorite cabin. FAMILY SIZE Ocean VIEW ..." uploaded about 3 years ago. YT video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP1tc9hs-88 We also stayed in an accessible OV on the Escape about 5 years ago ... Deck 5 Mid/Fwd - and that was huge, unbelievable in size but it only sleeps 2. Stay tuned, will have an updated Family OV cabin photos, details & other comments next month ... as part of a (probably, abbreviated Trip Report or Pictorial Review)

I am 99% sure that OP can do the upgrade on Day 2, both the basic unlimited upgrade or the premium upgrade ("streaming" but mostly unblocked VPN access with certain TCP/UDP ports open) - minus the trade-in amount, which varied depending on whether it's 150 or 300 minutes, etc. Up until now, the premium option is priced $10 higher per day or $40 per day ... if and when Starlink is "eventually" chosen for actual fleet deployment, who knows. These are screenshot of upgrade costs - based on a 7 nights and a 9 nights, less the trade-in amount allowed - similar offered upgrade for 11 nights ... Latitudes discount cannot be applied or combined ... however. When in doubt, check the options on MyNCL App onboard and speak to the iCafe manager.

@MIsharona That's a very, very open-ended question asked. We spend 15 nights on her not too long ago and did a full live pictorial review, yes to Q1. As with each and every ship, other ships, there are always good things about her, very good things, average, hard & soft products that "meet" standards, and as one can expect, below and did not align with one's expectations and/or promises. Overall speaking, IMHO only, personally speaking - 3 of us that sailed would consider ours good ... considering prices paid, onboard experience and shore trips taken (mostly independently, that we planned) - and - it did not fail. Good to Q2. Ours was an eastbound TA and weather was nearly perfect, we missed one port (Cadiz) en route due to maritime weather - blame that on mother nature - ended up with a daytime passage thru the Gibraltor instead of a late night one after leaving the planned stop. Without an observation lounge, La Cucina was available in addition to the forward facing Garden Cafe for wonderful indoor viewing ... and, not many knew, it's one of the few NCL ships with a bridge viewing room (like the GEM) that's open on sea days.

Interesting, will check that out in a few short weeks from now - although, we've got multiple nights of specialty dining already booked, LOL. The questions is what about the sides and the choice of steak sauce 😁 😄 😉 Included or not offered or for additional upcharge, curious minds like to know. This was most definitely not offered on our Epic TA this April. How was the Cagney's fillet, if someone ordered it ... understood that food opinions are personal & subjective in nature.

FWIW, we had a recent NCL cruise with 20:00 scheduled departure on embarkation day that was additionally delayed. Our 5G cellular signal were faster, stronger & better by most benchmarks 😁 especially on our balcony & inside the cabin. We had coverage until about 22:30 - long after dinner, skipped the welcome show and ready to call it a night, as it was a rather long day. By the time DW was ready to sleep, practically midnight & did the upgrade shortly there after midnight, saved $30 by not doing the unlimited (basic only, not premium) upgrade - that nearly always come out of our non-refundable OBC. There's no "discount" or savings by waiting until onboard, aside from being able to use those NR-OBC, and, also to ascertain and evaluate how "good" the ship's satellite WiFi access is (it's mostly usable & functional ... will not surpass our true hi-speed Fios, obviously. The other consideration, to "extract" the best & optimal speeds onboard and while traveling, is to see whether - as end users - we are using the newer hardware, if not newest tech with our laptop, chromebook, iPhone or smartphone ... WiFi 5 at least, WiFi 6 preferred as the 5Ghz band is less congested, but has to be closer to the nearest signal (hotspot and/or cellular signal tower(s) - 5G isn't everywhere as many places that we visit while on a cruise are still using 4G LTE as the main backbone.

@Travel Muse FWIW, just transferred 4 CN Deposits within the past week, emailed into cruisenext@ncl dot com with the info, certificate # (from/to with Latitudes numbers, email addresses & phone #'s just in case) Auto-replied with Case No. assigned, and by the early afternoon of the next business day, received confirmations that the transfer has been completed, with emails to the "giving" and "receiving" parties involved. They're immediately posted/loaded into the MyNCL account and available for booking, reservation and/or payment, etc. That was 2 pairs of CND out of 2 accounts and into 2 different accounts ... auto-replied email did mentioned to allow 3 to 5 business days as they do sometimes experience high volume, and to be patient. Apparently, not the case lately with transfers. Good luck.

We are fine with this ... Bermuda government wanted $45 last year to obtain a single use entry authorization b/c of COVID plus testing requirement, and one of the last entity to drop that for all travelers, that fee must be paid regardless of age. When we travel to Canada, there was zero fee for the pre-authorization prior to doing border crossing. This one is good for multiple entries with the validity period at $7 USD, free for some. US entries & the costs for other nationals ... don't ask 🙄 😳

@Ambizzle - Joy out of NYC earlier next month, I see ... Accessible or WC Assistance will board earlier or just ahead of Latitudes, being seated next to Door 3 - across from the designated (and, nowadays - small) Platinum seating area that's roped off. Everyone will board from the upper level, including check-in ... as you enter the terminal (Pier 88) look for a help desk to your left and/or ask one of the shore-based agents where the acessible desk is, etc. - they are usually helpful, together ... you can probably skip the long lines and get to do fast track, to the left thru security & then check-in. Typically, expect boarding for Haven just before 11 am and WC assistance following that ... should get you onboard up those steep ramps in about 10 or 15 minutes - check any heavier bags with the porter, stationed outside the arrival area by the curbside. Older SIL of ours cruising together next month also using WC assistance next month out of NY, but will be later than your cruise - otherwise, will have more details to share. Happy & safe travel and cruising, and, Cheers !