NutsAboutGolf

NCL's primary Maui dock is in the north, and Lahaina was in the west, they only stopped visiting Maui for 3 or 4 sailings. Coincidently, we've been on all three of your itineraries in the past five months and all were amazing yet I am taking into consideration their location of NZ. One and Two are just too far and I just feel they would appreciate Japan more than Hawaii

Before COVID, the embarkation windows weren't enforced very often. However, they've sped up the check-in process which keeps the congestion down. Before, for the terminal check-in you had to use the check-in desk which took at least a few minutes for some unknown reason, and while they did have to print the keycards, that part just took a few seconds. Now with the current iPad check-in, it takes what you expect them to take, 10-15 seconds to take a picture of your passport and a picture of you then you move onto the gangway checkpoint. Immigration now has those facial recognition kiosks where you don't need your passport at all and are setup at some disembarkation terminals but maybe we're a few years away from them also using them for embarkation further slightly reducing the check-in time

I think deep down we knew this...From your article

Considering your distance, I'd recommend Asia. The most magical place I've ever been to was Singapore yet you do have to be there at night; the street food has Michelin stars and its cheap. There are 3 sailings on the Millie that have start/finish in Japan and Singapore, here's one:

It's sailing-specific

Go to guest services at least the day before, show them proof of your tour, and ask them how can you get on an early tender. As @cruisestitch states, they'll most likely tell you to show up early but one time I've personally been told to go directly to the tender just before it starts and show the crew proof of your early tour

Everything is true however it should be noted that SOME, not all, of those with X tours get off on the first tenders; just those with early tours. Also there are those with Elite and above status who get escorted on if there's still room in the tender boat

The theater hosts the main show which starts at 7 and repeats at 9 (730 and 930 on some European sailings). It has four total entrances and therefore doubtful you'd experience a line

If the hot tub is 100f-102f, an adult will sweat between 1-2 pints an hour while soaking so a shower doesn't prevent sweating. In a pool, however, a person may not sweat at all unless they're performing an activity like swimming laps

Usually do laundry by the midway point. We personally aren't too concerned as we do get free pressing for two items and dry cleaning and pressing for a 3rd item

Yup, can be incredibly rough seas and while I personally do not think you'd be in a dangerous situation, it can be quite uncomfortable for several days. Stabilizers only somewhat help with the side-to-side "roll" and not the front-to-aft "pitch". To our surprise, we've spoken to a few fellow X passengers who didn't realize you don't get off in Antarctica and/or didn't realize how rough the sea is. I had to show one couple in particular on my phone that the Falklands were part of South America and not Antarctica as they later revealed they didn't realize penguins could outside of Antarctica (lol). There are pros and cons to both kinds of sailings but it isn't uncommon for folks to not realize you don't get to step foot on Antarctica when on a big ship or how rough the seas can be on that route

From @chengkp75: " Sorry to disabuse folks, but all pools on cruise ships use chlorine (or bromine) to sanitize the water. Salt water pools: The chlorine generating systems for land salt water pools are not accepted as being precise enough for use on cruise ships. If a ship with salt water pools is going to be at sea for more than a couple of days, they will simply pump filtered sea water into the pool continuously, and the overflow flows back to sea. The problem is that when the ship is within 12 miles of shore, it must switch to "recirculation", which stops taking in sea water, and merely recirculates the pool water, just like a land pool. In this mode, the pool must maintain a residual chlorine content, and this is done during the recirculation by real time chlorine meters, and metering pumps that add chlorine and acid as required, based on the bather load. When switching from "flow through" to "recirculation", the pool must be shut down until the residual chlorine level is reached, which is why the ships don't do it unless they have a couple of days of operation in flow through, as the passengers complain when the pool is shut down, and it also uses a lot of chlorine to re-establish the required level. Fresh water pools: These are operated in "recirculation" mode, just as the salt water pools are, when the ship is within 12 miles of shore. Many sea water pools still exist, and even newer ships use them, as it saves energy from making tons of fresh water that needs to be dumped weekly. Further, it is not the salt that you smell in sea water, it is dimethyl sulphide produced by bacteria as they digest dead phytoplankton. The chlorine kills the bacteria, but the dimethyl sulphide remains "

Like it or not, embarkation windows are suggested and unenforced. In 2021, we were on the same sailing, there were local rules preventing too many people from being inside the terminal at one time so they queued us up outside. Sailed in Feb 2022 out of FLL/Hollywood FL and another half dozen times since and there are no embarkation queues or enforcement due to the removal of terminal capacity limit rules. If you arrive before they allow guests on board, they'll have you wait inside the terminal with another 100-200 guests who are doing the same thing you are

It was pretty stunning. Remember the sun will set after 10pm and rise before 4am

You have to have a specific credit card that allows you to transfer points/miles. But I'll do you one better, don't worry about any of this. If you want a "travel" credit card with generous rewards look no further than the Costco Credit card which offers straight cash back. As long as you have a Costco membership there's no annual fee

You mean at Cafe Al Bacio? That's how it should be yet they have been known to comp a second drink from time to time. I'm specifically talking about when at the Elite coffee house breakfast

Thanks, I always write please and thank you. I've even spoken to the stateroom attendant who told me to write that on the slip. Didn't come back on hangers

I have tried multiple times with ZERO success always came back folded inside a bag or two. Have you had success with this since the restart?

It can be incredibly rough seas, keep in mind with X and other big ships you never actually get off when in Antarctica

You can check with your stateroom attendant too who you usually meet the first day/evening. Guest Services can be slammed

Whatever solution someone wants to use, a laptop, travel route, Bluetooth connection, wifi connection, etc, absolutely test it out before you board. Most are only concerned about wifi, however

You do not need a travel/wifi router if you bring a Windows laptop or a Mac, they have a "wifi repeater" function built-in, just search your laptop for "hotspot"

You should each upgrade to $2.99/day. Basic is around 1mbps and Premium is 5mbps, or in other words 5 times faster. It should be noted you cannot receive incoming calls or make outgoing calls on basic wifi, must be the upgraded premium. On basic, you could make phone calls on 3rd party apps like WhatsApp but if you're like me, I'd probably be fired if tell my work "So I can cruise and save $3/day on wifi, don't call or text my phone number, contact me on WhatsApp!"

Always helpful to state that you did reach out to the Exec office and either they didn't reply or replied in an unsatisfactory way as part of your complaint