Turtles06

Even more than "quite limited." 🙂 Having just spent a few days there this fall as the jumping off point for touring the Highlands, I would advise the OP, with just one day in port in Invergordon, not to spend any time in Inverness but to find a good Highlands tour that takes in whatever may be of interest to them, be it the gorgeous natural beauty, the history (Battlefield of Culloden), plain fun (looking for Nessie), whatever. 🙂

Well, if you look at the second paragraph of my comment, which you quoted, you'll see that I specifically noted that Roll Calls may be more or less popular depending on the type of cruise. I'm on a Panama Canal cruise Roll Call for a sailing later this month; the Roll Call is now at 23 pages and more than 500 posts. I think these are examples of more interesting cruises that generate more Roll Call activity. But I do think that, overall, Roll Calls are less active than they used to be. I'm just going by my own personal experience of more than 13 years here on CC.

Yes, B2B on Gem to Panama and back. 😊 (It’s actually our first B2B!) Second scheduled call to Puerto Plata is Feb. 14. We also have Catalina Island in the DR on Feb. 1 (the day after the first scheduled PP call). Hardly any ships seem to go there! NCL threw that in a few months ago when it eliminated Grand Turk and added Bermuda and San Juan on the first leg.

Yup. As with so many things, the port schedule must be wrong. The Escape's itinerary shows Jan. 23 for Puerto Plata. (I've been reading the Jan. port calendar in Spanish [Enero], but just noticed that Google's English language translation of that page shows that the NCL Exhaust will be calling at Taino Bay on Jan. 22. 😁)

Agreed! I hope folks with scheduled DR port calls will let us know what happens!

For anyone on an NCL ship scheduled to call at Puerto Plata in January 2023, the January port schedule for Taino Bay has finally been posted on the port's official site, here: https://www.porttainobay.com/arrivals.php We're on the Gem, scheduled to call at Puerto Plata on Jan. 31, and I'm happy to see us on this Taino Bay calendar (along with the Dawn that day). I know this doesn't mean NCL won't skip this port call as it has been doing, but we'll see . . . February 2023 has not been posted yet.

First, a big welcome home, and a big thank you again for sharing your trip with us! You certainly made the best you could of a shortened cruise, as well as a ship with a lot of kids over the holidays. I'm sorry to read about the brush off you received from the concierge re assisting with a couple of dinner reservations, especially when it turned out there was in fact room to move you to an earlier time slot as you wanted. Were there any "show tunes" shows in the theatre? (Happy to learn about Blazing Boots, thanks for posting about it.) Again, welcome home, and have a very Happy New Year!

The refund for our TAs for the Nov. 12 Joy hit our credit card on Nov. 18. I recall their saying 6-8 weeks, but I think it's crazy that you haven't received yours yet, and I wonder if things may have slipped through the cracks. Is this the number you've called? 833-570-2594 You can always try the direct web submission contact form, here: https://www.gov.bm/contact Good luck!

What? You seem to hate NCL, yet you keep booking with them? As for ship-sponsored shorex, the cruise lines often use the same private tour suppliers in the same ports; if an NCL excursion is bad, probably the similar/same XYZ cruise line excursion in the same port is also bad. You've been a CC member for ten years and haven't been able to find recommendations for private shorex, especially in the Med?? The Ports of Call forums, particularly those covering Europe, are full of them. Also, Roll Calls are often a good source of that info; in fact, putting together a small group from a Roll Call to do a private shorex with is, imho, a big advantage of Roll Calls.

I agree. I don’t want my credit card easily accessible when I’m on the Tube (or anywhere, frankly). Much prefer to use an Oyster Card.

Yes, thanks. Love this: "Returning passengers will be directed to awaiting coaches, taxis/limousines, and car parking." Directions across 12th Ave to the scrum of people trying to get a taxi. 😂 Helpful to know that, thanks!

@njhorseman Thanks Paul! It's two miles; yes, a walkable distance, but might well kill any bags you might be rolling along the streets of NY that far. 😂 Happy New Year to you both!

Paul (or anyone else reading this) how hard is it to get a cab at the Cruise Terminal amid the departing throngs? I’ve read you have to cross 12th Ave and join what may be a free for all. Is that the location, or can you easily hale a cab elsewhere, for example by not crossing the street. (Where do the cabs go that have just dropped off arriving guests?) If using an Uber, what’s a good location to be asked to be picked up? I’ve read it’s best to walk a block or so away from the Terminal and the taxi mess, or at least turn a corner off 12th Ave. We usually drive, but it’s Penn Station this time. Thanks!

I love CC Roll Calls. But sadly, I think Roll Calls began declining even before the pandemic. Many folks have migrated to another social media site, where you must join with your full real name. Not all have followed though. Lots of folks have objections to that site (and its role in spreading disinformation). Also, depending on your living circumstances, it’s not necessarily too smart to be broadcasting your travel plans to the entire world. (Please don’t tell folks not to be concerned about supposedly private groups on that site.) A separate issue is that I think Roll Calls are more or less popular depending on the type of cruise and how much there is to plan for and discuss such things as private shore excursions. Not so much with your standard Caribbean cruises, much more on a Med cruise, etc. In any event, I agree that Roll Calls aren’t what they once were, which is a loss imho.

“Videos” is one of the menu choices for looking at the results of a Google search. (Along with “news,” “images,” etc. You can find a video on the internet for just about anything you’d like do.) 😊

I think the OP is wanting to start their day with their visit to the Castle (with booked tickets for a specific time slot), not walking up the Royal Mile, which they plan to walk down after the Castle. So it may well be best for them to take a taxi to the Castle. OP, I'm sure you've already found it, but the site for purchasing tickets to visit the Castle is here; you select the date and a time slot: https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/ One suggestion for the OP, if time allows: the Palace of Holyroodhouse is at the other end of the Royal Mile. We did the self-paced audio/video tour there this fall and it was fabulous, really well done, a highlight of our visit to Edinburgh.

Yes, yes, and yes. My first time seeing Hamilton (of the six times I've seen it now in person) was in the West End in 2018 with the original West End cast, and I'm still talking about it and will continue to do so. 🙂 (Also, seeing SIX in the West End this fall was fabulous; we saw it three times before, but one really should see this British show in London.) And theatre tickets in London are so much cheaper than on Broadway, where the prices have become absolutely obscene. I will say, though, that I also remember the Rosetta Stone, as well as the Lewis Chesspieces. 🙂 I totally agree with your recommendation to use an Oyster Card. I'm not sure, though, that there's any need to pre-order it unless there's a real benefit to doing so. (The OP would need to decide that.) It's really simple to buy in person, and plenty of videos for @cruisinqt to watch in advance to see how to do it. (Google "How to buy an Oyster Card" and pick "videos." 🙂)

I've noticed that. The NCL Gem will be transiting the Canal on Feb. 5 and Feb. 7, but is not listed. I've been wondering why, especially since cruisetimetables.com does correctly show the Gem in Panama City on Feb 6.

That's the excursion I suggested the OP take. 🙂 (photo by turtles06)

Obviously I know that. I was giving you some apparent rainforest options. Your choice is do do what you’d prefer to do and forget about your excursion credit, or not. Frankly, I agree with the comments above that seeing monkeys on St. Kitts doesn’t seem to be much of a “thing.” I’d use the shorex credit and, if it’s offered, take the St. Kitts Scenic Railway tour. Interesting, beautiful, and fun way to see a chunk of the island.

https://www.shoreexcursioneer.com/st-kitts/rainforest-beach.html https://www.viator.com/tours/St-Kitts/St-Kitts-Rainforest-Nature-Tour/d930-25635P2

It’s not NCL, it’s NCLH.

Here you go. These folks get good reviews. We haven't used them yet personally, but are booked with them for another port this coming summer. I checked your May 11 date, and they still have room on their Geiranger, Mt. Dalsnibba and Eagle Road Tour. (It's showing as "partially booked.") https://www.norwayexcursions.com/en/destinations-in-norway/geiranger/ Note their caveat that: "In the month of May, the road to Mount Dalsnibba may still be closed (snow and risk of avalanches). Should the road be closed on the day of your visit, our stop there will be replaced with a visit to another beautiful place. Rest assured that this will not lessen the duration or the quality of the tour." https://www.norwayexcursions.com/en/tour/geiranger-mount-dalsnibba-and-eagle-road/ Good luck!

It's not. We're already booked with them for July 2023.

Just scroll right down your screen in this forum and you'll find this very active "live from" thread