Turtles06

We’ve been to Cartagena twice. The first time, we did a private tour of the Old City with Dora, which was excellent. The second time, we took a taxi to the Fortress and toured it on our own; that’s very do-able, but get a really early start, as Cartagena is very hot and humid. I would suggest a tour for the Old City, so that you know what you are seeing. Does the excursion you are looking at actually include an inside tour of the Fortress, or just a photo op from the street?

My wife and I are on the Gem right now, and have been aboard since January 25. (We’re doing a B2B.). The entertainment is far and away the worst on any cruise we’ve ever taken (including our one cruise on HAL). In a single cruise, recycling a magician, a comic, another solo performer, some nights with nothing in the theatre at all — very sad. And the solo musicians performing in Magnums and the Atrium are just not very talented, I’m sorry to say. While we don’t cruise “for” the entertainment, it does add value to our experience, and it’s disappointing to see what’s happening here on NCL.

Bill, thanks so much for your good wishes, and for posting those webcam photos! We’re having a great time. The northbound transit was our first in that direction, and it was fantastic. No surprise to you, but it was so much more than seeing things in the “reverse” order. A terrific day that started with our sail under the Bridge of the Americas at 5:35am, and ended about 3:15pm as we went under the new Atlantic Bridge. I especially appreciate your screen shot of the Gem in Pedro Miguel, as I’d gone down to the bow for that lock. I’m the little blue dot. 😂

Thanks for taking the time to post your detailed and balanced review. Speaking only for myself, I would have left and gone to the show. SIX is that good. 😊

We’ve been to Cartagena twice. Extremely hot, extremely humid, which I think would make a walk of that length pretty unpleasant. I can’t comment on the safety of the areas you’d walk through (there’s nothing of interest near the Cruise Terminal), but I wouldn’t waste that amount of time. Imho it would be better to take a cab to the Old City and do your exploring there. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g297476-i4451-k12053187-Distance_from_cruise_port_to_old_walled_city-Cartagena_Cartagena_District_Bolivar_Departme.html

On the Gem, outside the MDRs. (I’m not joking. I’m on the Gem right now. The MDR menus are not posted in the app; that would be too logical and guest-friendly. If you want to know that evening’s menu, you have to wander by Magenta or the Grand Pacific.)

If you are interested in something, book it The price may go up in the future. If you later change your mind, you can cancel.

Of course you will. And the folks who just sailed from NY to Panama on the NCL Gem and were flying home from Panama had to turn in their passports on the ship to receive Entry stamps from the Panamanian authorities, to prevent any hassles at the airport when leaving the country.

During this last cruise, I asked several times for information as to where the buses would be running, as we needed to set a meeting point (and time) with a guide. The ship was waiting for information from Panama and Miami about these things, and only received it a few days ago. If you are embarking in Fuerte Amador, I think it’s a good bet it will be handled as it was today.

My wife and I are aboard the NCL Gem today, docked in Fuerte Amador. It’s turnaround day — the Jan. 25 cruise from NY ended here today, and the cruise back to NY begins here today. This is just an update on the status of the Fuerte Amador Cruise Terminal — it’s still a mess and nowhere close to being finished. The area is a construction zone, and guests still must be bused to and from the ship. Because this is not a port call for the Gem, the buses are not dropping folks off at nearby Flamenco Island, but instead are running to and from the Panama Convention Center (several miles away), which is playing the role of a cruise terminal and being used to check in guests who are boarding today. (Probably the best arrangements that could be made under the circumstances.) All disembarking guests who weren’t going to the airport, and those of us on the B2B who were going ashore, also had to be bused to the Convention Center. (We also had to return there and board a bus back to the ship, a tedious and time-wasting process.) I have no idea how long it will take for the Cruise Terminal to be finished, but it’s really not a great situation right now.

Yes. I’m on board the NCL Gem right now, docked at Fuerte Amador. Today is turnaround day — the Jan 25 cruise out of NY ended here today, and the cruise back to NY starts today. My wife and I started in NY and are doing the B2B. Because the cruise terminal here is still an unfinished mess (I will update that info on another thread), the Panama Convention Center, about 3 miles away, is being used as the check-in point. Guests check in there and board big shuttle buses to the ship. It appeared to me that checked luggage was taken at the Convention Center. This morning, departing guests who were not going to the airport were also bused to the Convention Center, as were those of us on the B2B who wanted to go ashore. We then had to return to the Convention Center to get a shuttle bus back to the ship. Given the lack of a working Cruise Terminal at Fuerte Amador, I think this was probably the best arrangement that could be made for a cruise disembarking and embarking here. (It was still a tedious process, especially returning to the ship.) Bonus photo: lovely view of the Panama City skyline from the Gem

Thanks so much, Bill. (We were on the Atlantic side this morning. 😊) Do you know if ships are prohibited from tooting their horns in the Canal (except I suppose in emergencies)? It just seemed so strange that two sister ships didn’t acknowledge each other that way. 😊

Very little warning. Once we reached Gatun Lake, the Canal narrator said we’d be passing the Jewel today. It wasn’t long after that. I was surprised there were no horns, and wonder if that’s prohibited in the Canal.

We’re on the Gem right now, heading southbound in the Panama Canal. What a wonderful surprise to have the Jewel just pass us in Gatun Lake, heading northbound. Particularly special for my wife and me as our first transit of the Canal was on the Jewel. (I hope someone on the Jewel also posts some photos.)

A wonderful surprise — we just passed the NCL Jewel heading northbound in Gatun Lake! She was going really fast, too. I would have expected horn blowing by the sister ships, but there was none. Wonder if that’s prohibited in the Canal.

Thanks. 😊 Brain fart on my end — obviously I was focused on the fact that the chamber was half open. Finally got the gate going now, and the Windstar is being raised up in the first chamber. Gonna be a long day for us.

Got a problem with this first Gatun gate. You can see it stuck open, which is holding up the Windstar and of course us as well. We’ve been sitting here for quite some time.

Greetings as we approach the new Atlantic Bridge. 😊

We were on that cruise too. (Oct. 2021.) Our first after the re-start. We were happy to be back on a ship, and loved those extra sea days, but I do understand the disappointment in missing 2 of our 3 days in Bermuda.

You too! We were in St. Thomas on Sunday. The only big ship! Had a fabulous day at Magens Bay.

So we were just sitting out on our balcony in Taino Bay, and looked up and what did we see — the Dawn leaving Amber Cove! 😊

When we go to the beach, we take as few valuables as possible. Our sea pass cards and photo IDs, some cash, and a credit card go into a waterproof waist or neck pack, as does the one phone we bring. I wear glasses, and on beach days I wear my backup pair and leave my regular glasses behind. For reading, we have cheap little Kindles. I have a small waterproof camera that I either leave in my beach bag (depending on where we are) or attach to a floating wrist strap and take into the water. As for the camera conundrum, I am also an enthusiastic photographer, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown very tired of schlepping a camera, lenses, and batteries around. My iPhone 13 Pro takes incredible photos in most situations. Yes, you give up length, and some other things. This fall, I experimented by leaving the camera behind and taking only my phone on a 3-week land tour in the UK. I did not regret that decision one bit. That said, I’m on a Panama Canal cruise now and have brought my camera too, since we are hoping to see wildlife in Costa Rica. I think the decision is a personal one and really depends on where you are going and what situations you are likely to encounter, and your tolerance for not missing what you may give up if you leave the camera behind. And perhaps also if you are flying and there’s only so much stuff you can take. Enjoy your first cruise!

Three ships can dock at Taino Bay. The Gem is here by herself today. I wonder why NCL sent the Dawn to Amber Cove.

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughtful review. Glad you had a great vacation. We love the Jewel and her sister ships. We first transited the Panama Canal six years ago on the Jewel, and we’re aboard the Gem right now for B2B transits.