mking8288

Joy was the last ship we're on with FR, and it was actually the hostess & server that cautioned us that it is going to be a lot of food if each dining person in the party use their allocated voucher on any 4 items ... in the end, we couldn't possibly finish - and they actually cheerfully packed the sushi rolls, etc. to go, gave us utensils & napkins. That was then and I read about the newest "flip-flop" rules that NCL could well back peddle next ... who knows, except them onboard. I would say, ask nicely the first time dining there ... "hmmm, what if - or, can "we" do this instead - and, see what they say" Worst come to worst, since there's no minimum "cover" charge per person, guest #3 just order 1 item. Doubtful that the food police would stand there & watch ya all eat, or whether something slipped off from one plate to another. The FR team on the Joy last year was very friendly, helpful and make us feeling welcomed & appreciated, and the place wasn't crowded then (at reduced sailing capacity) - oh, won't "hurt" to tell him you are doing a live report on CruiseCritic 😉 😉 😉

Correct, together - this will give you at least triple points per night as booked, quad points if yours being a suite or Haven ... On top/page 1 of this forum's "home"page - there is a Sticky decoding all the known ones, past & present. LATDBLX 2 extra Latitude points per night

@cruisernut88 and @Marine Mom FWIW - this was shared on one of our upcoming NCL cruise's roll call - (edited/snipped for "key points") Kinky Boots on the Encore ... , sorry ... but NCL is closing the show in January for "financial reasons". The current cast on board was told yesterday that they're getting their contract cut by almost 3 months. NCL is also closing Priscilla on the Epic and a handful of other production shows across the fleet. It's part of the "changes" for our (in)convenience ahead. We'll just have to deal with it, adjust and find ways and workarounds, much like the "new" once-a-day housekeeping protocols onboard. NCL's image has taken a beating and lashed at, with at least, ships are operating and sailing quite full lately as a whole. @styles27 - apologize for the sidetracked replies above. Seeing the Pearl live at sea, looking fine aside from a bit of sea swell, not even white caps - smooth sailing back to Beantown, slowly - the ride back should be fine, nothing really of significance to worry about. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and thank you for posting & sharing.

Nice pic of the club balcony suite ... My gang on the Prima made its way into Dockyard this morning just fine. Enjoying the ship's infinity pool this afternoon. Didn't look that crowded. No complaints about motion sickness either.

And, let's not omit the Atlantic hurricane season, that's supposed to run from first of Jun thru end of November each year. Plus, the unpredictable Nor-Easters that apparently didn't take the winter months off. @styles27 - Prima is definitely en route, possibly pull into the wharf earlier than originally scheduled - current running at 18 knots with waves at 4 meters (up to 15 ft. - which is rough but manageable for mega ships) ... haven't heard anything different from my gang otherwise. But, I expect them to share stories after anchoring at the pier. Situation expected to gradually improved and if not, they will do a number of figure 8 loops around the island first until they can come inside the coral reef channel.

Good morning ... thanks for the update, wow - Day 4 already, time flies. Sorry about the weather, nothing much given the wind gust increasing toward gale force today, not surprised that NCL's ferry operation is suspended for safety reasons. What is your backup plan? Prima currently en route to Dockyard as well, coming across sea swell & waves increasing - expecting to arrive & dock earlier than scheduled - going to be busy on the wharf. Comment - Asian menu from Lotus Garden is practically the same as the shorter ones used on mega ship's complimentary Shanghai Restaurant / Noodles, except for 2 or 3 entrees. Looks pretty good too.

As of this date, the Norwegian Sun currently doing her westbound TA from Lisbon, Spain to NY & continuing to Miami - they are using 14+ days set of menu in rotation. Food is reported to be good, no issues or shortage thus far - according to my update this morning from pax ashore at Funchal. Will have more updates later this month on eastbound TA crossing ...

See below - this is the contact info / email address & contact number we've used before. Whether you will get a response and/or not, and the request(s) will be properly addressed, that's something to find out & learn once you are onboard the ship - YMMV. Suffice to say - kindly keep your expectations low. Personally, I've come to know & met a # of HD and/or GM's secretary or executive assistants over the years, but not personally aware of them being designated as the liaison or contact person (vs. the CruiseNext team) to "help" with reservations & bookings, etc. etc. They are sometimes my "go to" for other things needed but not as a routine contact whatsoever - cannot imagine a single secretary or assistant able to be designated to serve sometimes dozens & dozens of Platinum Plus (pre-Sapphire & pre-Diamond days) ... maybe, times have changed & it sure have lately, been only on 4 NCL cruises in the past year - soon to be on another. Will see if this is true ... certainly not from what I heard from our Sapphire friends currently onboard the Sun's TA. If and when 95% of things expected & promised are uneventful and satisfactory - I see no reasons to bypass Guest Services, CruiseNext or Housekeeping. Link below & reply were more associated with suite services and not really for Sapphire tiered help - but you get the "general ideas" Thank you for your inquiry. We have sent your request for dining directly to the ship and it will be confirmed once you are onboard with Concierge. You will not see the request on your end as its sent internally. Please speak to the maitre' d in regards seating as we cannot guarantee seating. If you have any further questions feel free to let us know. At your service, Norwegian Concierge Desk P: +1 855-625-4283 NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com | www.ncl.com Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. 7665 Corporate Center Drive | Miami FL 33126

Good morning, Pearl ... right on schedule - approaching St. George's & got ahead of the storm moving across the Atlantic. Forecast improving, just check local weather updates. Let us know if the ferry will be running tomorrow as the ride across will be choppy. Enjoy !

As long as we get our 1-cup sized hot water maker, we are happy even if they run out of those weak coffee pods (flat) & not strong enough (personal preference) for a 6 oz. cup. Being from NY, Cafe Bustelo instant coffee is our choice, creamer/half & half with sugar for that boost. Dunkin & Starbucks not strong aside from the aroma. We also have our small stash of hot chocolate, assorted tea bags just in case - always travel with them. Ranch-99 is a California based Asian supermarket chain, they carried coffee in a filter pouch by Lee's (Vietnamese) Sandwiches, now available in their Long Island, NY retail store. Pre-measured, just add hot water for a great 8 oz. cup anywhere, without fuzzing with French press or the little stainless steel drip filter setup & carrying it along. Buffet & ship's room service coffee are inconsistent and some of it horribly bitter, Joy has the stronger brew lately but the rest, worst than those at fast food chains. Still, no excuse for provisioning to run out of them or get low in the inventory. Hot & iced coffee sold at Lee's Sandwiches retail stores, mostly in California & also in Las Vegas plus select cities will get our business when we are in a mood for great coffee. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S5M3VS8/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&th=1

Let me guess, about 3 cookies ... similar to the fresh ones found in the cafe yourself.

Very limited heads-up from the Sun's current TA, ship at Funchal today - relayed from our CC friends on WhatsApp: " Good morning ... Strolling around Funchal and enjoying the beautiful weather. Sunny and warm with a shirt ( not really shorts weather ). Wifi is Ok it died for a few hours a few days ago. We stumbled upon the M&G but the officers didn’t offer to take any questions. So no idea about passenger count. I would guess about 75% as there are few line ups. Service and food is not bad, good presentation. May be one third of the passengers has mobility issues. Just sent in one bag of laundry yesterday, plan to do one more next week. The Sun set up is very strange as the main kitchen sits midship on deck 6 which break the walkway into two part. One had to go down to 5 across then back up to 6. We had dinner at the sushi bar only one other couple Dinning. The Teppanyaki had 2 couples at two separate group for dinner. Not busy at all. " and that's their snapshot or preview for this day ...

Uploading 2 pix - captured these earlier today on the BDA port cam panning at Dockyard - lots of pax on the Spirt of St. George, looks like a long queue to disembark the ferry returning to the wharf and with 2 ships there. Check out those waiting at the taxi/tour bus pickup/drop-off area.

Happy cruising ... our friends currently onboard her doing TA, 16 nights and disembarking NYC on April 18th - their booking code should yield them 48 points, your code should add up to 60 points for 20 nights ... could take you up to next higher tier of Diamonds. Ship loaded up with plenty of fresh produce, vegetables & provisions in Libson, Spain before they sailed - last heard from them using WhatsApp. Possibly hear from them again in the morning when they dock at Funchal for the day. Ship apparently sailed near capacity and their upgrade bid(s) did not go thru, unlike previous TA in December 2022. Will see if I can relay any practical & useful info to share here on CC.

Never heard a beep or seen an email from the so-called pre-cruise concierge help desk (not on-board help) on our last 3 out of 4 sailings post-Covid returning, 2022-23 /now. Not even a pro-forma welcome back email, nothing about priority check-in, etc. The one and only time we heard was when we actually last-minute booked the Joy, May 2023 with 2 Family Insides 2 BR "suite" with the water-downed perks. Requested dining reservations with our preference and was acknowledged, supposingly forwarded to the onboard team & advised via email to check with them once on the ship. Suffice to say, restaurant help desk had no record of our requested reservations except for 1 evening but at the wrong time of 8:30 pm instead of 5:30 pm, absolutely useless. We did get the name of the concierge/his team available with certain, limited help - but otherwise, directed to see the CruiseNext team - wasn't sure if that had more to do with our "suites" than anything else, like being Sapphire, LOL. I believed we're cruising then at 70% capacity but Haven being sold out due to all the upgrades done - wasn't really expecting much, but decided to give it a test run. Epic failure, IMHO. Like everyone else, pretty much written them off as a joke - misleading and false promises that NCL never delivered upon - either omit & delete the fake "benefits" and/or revised & live up to the pledged offers.

@disneylover89 iOS and iMessage functions and currently known "open-secret" loopholes onboard NCL ships has more to do with TCP and UDP (data traffic) port control/flow issues (firewalls & ports) - regardless of the data traffic management further upstream, whether it's EMC or Starlink or another ISP/vendor doing the relays. WhatsApp working just fine this week with friends on the Sun's TA, currently somewhere in the Azores but having issues with iMessaging loophole ... and, 99% positive that Starlink isn't deployed or being beta pilot tested. Bottomline, NCL's IT Dept just need to get their acts together and move forward, at a faster pace instead taking 2 steps forward and go back 3 steps. Issues with Starlink itself, among other challenges, is that they need to launch more units up to the low orbits and enabled them. If NCL "choose" to block the exploited iMessage features onboard - as is now, they can do that anytime - regardless of other elements; but, apparently, will cause unwanted problems somewhere else in their systems, including the poorly coded "Norwegian" App functions. We have yet to sail on the Prima but by most accounts, it's onboard WiFi network being among the worst, if not rockbottom - and, that raised the question of competencies, lack thereof. Harry, current CEO-elect/designee, probably was napping or fell asleep when NCL announced Starlink being piloted late in 2022 ... on the Breakaway. Previous news - https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2022/11/norwegian-cruise-line-tests-spacex-starlink-on-norwegian-breakaway/

Bon Voyage - AIS tracking has her under way at 16:48 EDT currently at 11 knots with Boston Pilot Mystic at her starboard side. Norwegian Gem vacated her berth at Dockyard about an hour ago, early & practically on schedule, apparently leaving no pier runners behind. NCL being one of the major player bringing cruise ship passengers back to Bermuda, tourism bureau continued to email us to promote & encourage visitors to return ... remember those pre-authorization to travel with PCR/rapid antigen testing in 2022 with the $45 p/p fee (and, was initially set at $80 or $85) Just noticed, on page 1 of today's Freestyle Dailies, door decorations are "strictly prohibited" ... flip flopping again ? Lotus Garden, Deck 6 mid-ship available for luggage drop-off holds until staterooms are ready ... Okie Dokie (good idea, not fun to haul those jumbo 29" rollerboards with the kitchen sink or whatever inside and not porter-checked at the pier.) How was that seafood paella, looks pretty yummy 😋

One of our favorite ship, the Gem, watching her sailing away on-time from Dockyard now - slightly ahead of scheduled, hence - leaving no pier runners behind (Tug boat, The Resolute, standing by on starboard side & apparently now returning to her berth as the Gem is quickly up to 11 knots already aiming for the coral reef channel) Thank you for taking time to post, share & enjoy the ship. Do find your way to the ship's port-side bridge viewing room, open on sea days, dawn to dust - and check out the mermaid. Happy cruising !

Happy cruising - expect a good tailwind later leaving the Bay out to sea, just a little rougher than usual and some choppy seas, nothing bad and tomorrow should be fine, until you get closer to Dockyard ... faster & sooner that the captain can get the ship docked this Sunday, the better things will be ahead. Pearl does look just fine, looking the same as it was then when we first saw her in Alaska in 2008 - we're next to her on the Norwegian Star - days of the chocolate midnight buffet, mint on the beds nightly and dial-up-alike internet speed at sea. NCL's first mega ship built, the Epic was still on the drawing board somewhere in the shipyard then.

Behind the walls and viaducts, there are miles and miles of wirings for electrical and data connections - and we would be in serious trouble if the ship builders didn't take consideration for future growth & expansion needs - like running premium industrial-graded Cat-7 network cables to connect to their onboard WiFi hotspots, repeaters, switches and hardware/servers, etc. etc. Cisco servers that are currently in use onboard the Joy, Escape, Getaway & even the "older" NCL ships all have fairly robust hardware and network servers in place - I'm doubtful that NCL needs to upgrade their access points or hotspots already deployed, i.e. Breakaway "live" beta testing 1.0 was done fairly quickly several months ago. End users that're onboard & got to experience it reported mostly positive results and faster connections. Upgrading and replacing the Starlink shouldn't take weeks or months to deploy ... besides, it's field tested and used by million others on a daily basis, including cruise ships of other lines around the world already. Not expecting NCL (or other lines) to deliver 1 or 2 Gbps speed onboard while at sea over WiFi 6ax or 6ac - WiFi 4 or WiFi 5 speed would be plentiful to share on most users; and, NCL can surcharge more for a premium unlimited package. Besides, if it is needed or required for work - just "expense" it while on a cruise & claim reimbursement afterward. Not everyone wanted to and/or need to be connected & willing to pay extra $$$ - save the bandwidth for others that do care. On the Norwegian Joy, wait staff in the dining venues were using mini tablets to take food & drink orders in 2022 ... and a direct benefit was that, far fewer errors & mistakes at all, if any and get food on the table seemed to be a notch faster - so, yes, it does make a difference and is a win-win move.

Happy, fun, safe and best wishes for a smooth sailing. Bon Voyage. Following - going to be tracking along with "tools" on Marinetraffic, CruiseMapper, live shipcam (satellite signals permitting while at sea) and do leave a berth open (Dockyard) for the Prima b/c we got our gang of 20+ on your tail leaving Sunday from NY. Current indicators, Prima facing a rougher ride out at sea with their timing vs. yours. A good, strong tail wind to your advantage and if the ship is pushing 22-23, 24 knots to get in earlier than planned, it's for good reasons (hand railings are designed and intended for use when necessary) Be on the possible lookout, however, for Right Whales sighting - slow zones designated NE of Boston, and also near the waters south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (NOAA advisories issued, effective thru 15 April 2023) ... it's their seasonal migratory movement up & down, along coastal North Atlantic. https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USNOAAFISHERIES-3537071?wgt_ref=USNOAAFISHERIES_WIDGET_1

Right ... and, yours truly waiting for the promise that high-end smartphone (next generation ??) will gain full access to satellite signal for voice comms & text messaging, not necessary fast data connection at sea since I'm on a premium unlimited global subscription. Wishful thinking. Of course, this is NCLH - the industry leader of ... sail and sustain, for your convenience.

@styles27 Sharon "The P" from last week's Prima asked me to help call things out - and, ready to walk the gangplank if I missed the mark, but ... Mother nature changed her mind & they got sunshine instead - could've re-destined for Bahamas or (highly likely) New England instead. Half or a day's worth of rough seas rocking & rolling should be expected - and, with many using their Unlimited Beverage "benefits" anyway, have an extra one & it's all good, LOL. Windy App is free on iOS & Android - use that to "read" the graphs & charts, explore and click to come up with the waves & sea state forecast, move the "pin" around on a touchscreen or with a mouse pointer, and dig deeper to see the odds. @bluesea777 is the other "resident" CC expert on/from Bermuda and he'll probably come follow along to help, if appropriate. Think positive, homes & buildings on the islands, as we know, are solidly built to withstand hurricanes and they are better constructed to offset threats from tornado Sailaway from Boston, MA out to Bermuda tomorrow & en route (Saturday) at sea looks okay, rougher sea state and waves for some, but not terrible. Sunday afternoon/evening into Monday would be the worst - gale force wind and waves outside the reef 11 to 15 ft. (higher to the west/north of the islands) but calming - these are based on BDA's official local gov't weather service forecast - not AccuWeather or The Weather Channel, etc. Will hop over to ride along the live threat/post to catch up. Happy, healthy, fun and safe travel - cheers.

OMG - This wasn't announced or published by Cruise Industry News on April 1st or else, I would've this would win the joke of the year 2023 winner by NCL insofar as the NCL technological innovation, soon to be under Harry Sommer's stewardship as FDR continue to collect his consultant fees & incentives. Be thankful if you are sailing on the Breakaway next or soon, too bad if you are booked on the Prima & hoping to be next - apparently, next in-line being the Viva later this year ... sometime. Fast forward to 2024 and cross your fingers. All that accordingly to the newly re-announced ??? deployment plans, yet to be ... https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2023/04/84491/ https://cruiseradio.net/starlink-internet-norwegian-cruise-oceania-regent/ Good luck for those that is hoping otherwise for something sooner, faster and better onboard NCL ships in the near future. Of course, if you are planning to disconnect and lock up the iPhone/smartphone in the mini-safe while on a cruise vacation, etc. etc. - this isn't news worthy & feel free to skip ahead without the necessary commentary, as this isn't for your convenience. Just a heads up for some of us that prefer & desire connectivity at sea, for whatever reasons of our choice and some paying a hefty premium for the upcharged, unlimited streaming digital experience onboard. Not too long ago, the unofficial story was that between NCLH and Starlink, they are holding things up waiting for necessary regulatory & licensing approval to use the radio spectrum in certain ports/countries ... and that the hardware are already onboard and a matter of being connected to go live ... not fact-checked for accuracy or details.

@emarismom Looks like you are sailing NCL in late September - street exit / disembarkation will leave you out on 12th Avenue and W. 48th Street - MapQuest's 11 minutes walk to Alamo on W. 44th near 9th Avenue (without luggage) - about 7 or 8 long city blocks. I would probably add another 5 minutes & make sure your rollerboards or spinners got "sturdy" wheels that can handle NY's pavements & sidewalks, etc. Depending on the number in your group - you might also want to consider, using NCL's airport (bus) shuttle or transfer services post-cruise / disembarkation ... was recently priced at $37.50 p/p one-way to either LGA or JFK. You can book this onboard the ship and cancel up to 48 or 72 hours ahead of arrival back into NY. That's a fraction of your Alamo one-way rental with drop-off plus gasoline ... and careful with surcharges on toll with the PlatePass program option. Bus transfer will be a little slower and you'll need to wait for the bus to fill up/load other pax & luggage before they leave for the airport - relax on the way to JFK & let the city driving pro deal with the traffic and road, and, a little slower. Otherwise, licensed yellow-taxi is a fixed flat rate, with toll & all surcharges, congestion fees, etc. all inclusive is about $75 plus tips ... looking at about $90 in total; always the same as using NCL's bus transfer for 2. Uber/Lyft are almost the same these days as yellow taxi, except that on our last 2 cruises returning to NY - their surge/congestion pricing kicked in - upon demand, jacking up the fares much higher. Either option is good for 3 pax plus reasonable luggage. Car service is competitive and almost the same as well - do whatever is within your comfort zones. It seemed to me, these are all "cheaper" alternative and options to get out to JFK from the ship terminal on weekend mornings, travel time shouldn't be more than 45 to 60 minutes, curbside to curbside. If you do use NCL's airport transfer, they will drop you off at one of the terminal and/or AirTrain station's parking lot, and, then you will need to board & take the free AirTrain to the rental car stops, and from there - head over to your car rental place. If rental car pickup is preferred, keep checking back as Hertz use to / likely will continue sometimes - offer excellent deals on one-way car rental between the "city" and their airport corporate locations - with a 4 hour allowance for pickup & dropoff. Pre-Covid, those rates were dirty cheap ... I haven't check them lately. Good luck in whatever you choose & decide upon.