quercus alba

19 hours ago, Truckcop said:

Darn it, I knew I should have got a Moderna to go with My Astra Zenica and Pfizer, instead of setting for a second Pfizer....

Not sure how to score this, but I suspect my Pfizer three-of-a-kind would've beaten your run of three.

On 10/25/2021 at 3:45 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

BTW you do not need the fish.  Just look at the cabin numbers.  If they are decreasing you are moving to the front of the ship, if they are increasing you are moving towards the back.

I was told there would be no math on this cruise...

11 hours ago, Yinster said:

You will get a spa pass with you cabin.

 

Your bid shouldn't be higher than just buying a spa pass. 

That was my approach with our bid this week. Thanks for the confirmation!

17 hours ago, Yinster said:

One night got shifted due to one of the cast being injured. 

Yes--got that. How many shows did they schedule for the week? Just 2? 5? That was my question.

Thanks.

Thanks--nice to see some familiar patterns being followed--martini tastings on sea day afternoons, trivia, karaoke, etc... I imagine there will be some differences on the Southern Caribbean itinerary when they cross back this way though.

You mentioned "Priscilla" being shifted one night--how many nights is it typically slated to perform, and will we have some lead time to know which ones?

1 hour ago, NW Pacific said:

POA not in Astoria today, saw her on Wednesday, (10-13-21) close up on my walk.  Gone today (10-15-21)  maybe taking a spin in the Ocean but gone for right now.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ has her going the opposite direction...inland to Portland!

Oh for the days when we only worried about noro...!

Our first cruise was a Western Mediterranean cruise on Epic, and it was a wonderful time. There's a review linked in my signature below. As folks have said above, the ship has quirks in layout and design, but we didn't find them a problem. Didn't hesitate to book her again for our first cruise back post-pandemic!

Breakaway will be a newer ship, Gem older and smaller. We've sailed twice with our family on Pearl, which is Gem's sister, and had a wonderful time.
Enjoy!!!

For your post-cruise night with kids and a group of that size, you might look at the Embassy Suites or Hampton Inn near the airport in Isla Verde/Carolina. They are both about 1-2 blocks from the beach, and have pools and breakfast, and cost less than a place directly on the beach. (The beach in Isla Verde is really very nice too.)

Royal Sonesta/Intercontinental meets my definition of "nice hotel" for sure--we stayed for a conference 5 years ago: balcony with ocean view, gorgeous pool area, and right on the beach. 

22 hours ago, qsz06 said:

I know on my previous cruises, NCL sent out the email for Upgrade Advantage bids around 80 days before sailing.

Have they changed that schedule? I am on the Epic sailing 12/12/2021, purchased directly with NCL and have not received anything.

Hi qsz--join our roll call!

Not many of us, but all excited to be getting back on board.

7 hours ago, Eggs2Go said:

 

Don't get me wrong: I love NYC and the Great White Way (and seeing Hamilton on Broadway with LMM was worth every penny I spent on that expensive trip).  But from my home, it's just a short drive to the Port of Miami. And yes, I suppose it is my crazy "logic" to justify booking another cruise. Thanks everyone for your favorable comments and reviews of the musical Six. And thanks Nowegian for offering your guests the best of Broadway.

 

 

 

Jealous. LMM is my man-crush.

Just saw "Frozen " last night in Minneapolis (Yay--live theater is BACK!) and it occurred to me that it would be a great option for an Alaska cruise. 😁

Disney's probably got the rights all wrapped up though...

So are these "Club Balcony Suites" what used to be called "Family Mini-suites"?

I don't know why they keep the "suite" in the name.

30 minutes ago, UKstages said:

saw "six" on the bliss in 2019. and, as noted, it's on the breakaway now. it is indeed a fun show; it's more or less the story of henry VIII's wives, as if told by the spice girls.

 

Nice description of the show! 🤣

It's a fun show--we saw it in a pre-Broadway tour run a couple of years ago in St. Paul.

(Not so sure about your economic cost/benefit analysis--but I've never tried to see stuff first-run in NYC!
We get 5-6 touring shows, admittedly a couple of years post-Broadway, every year for only about $800. No arguing with the added pleasures of cruising, but not sure we could do that for under 1K!) 😃

1 hour ago, retiring soon said:

HI all!

 

quercus ~ good to see you're back! I think we met on the Epic in the Med years ago. Epic was my last cruise before the pandemic Feb 2020, also from San Juan. You sure have a great itinerary!

I think Aruba is good for a beach day or St Lucia or even Grenada!

4 weeks from today I should be sailing away on Carnival Horizon so look forward to that.

 

Take care & stay safe.

 

~ Jo ~ 😊

We did indeed! You were on our 8 person Rome tour, I believe, with Peter-the-Accountant/Tour Guide. 🙂

Glad to see you're still cruising along!

Still in touch with our Scottish friends @Keris from that cruise via FB as well. 

We did book the Sunset catamaran cruise for Aruba, on advice of a neighbor, but that's just the last couple of hours (and ensures we're back on board in time!)  Looking at hiking on St. Lucia--looks lovely. A bit of time left to decide!

--Scott & Anita

2 hours ago, Travelicious said:

Ah, the return of the chair hog threads.  How I missed them.

Truly a sign that the world is returning to normal.

Mrs. Quercus got tired of my whining, so told me to just go ahead and book something. Soon.

Window of opportunity presented itself in work schedule, and we...are...outta here! Booked, vaxxed, and ready to pack!

Southern Carib (never done) out of San Juan (nice land visit there 4 years ago) on Epic (our first cruise, 10 years ago!)

Being out of practice, am interested in current experiences of NCL cruisers, especially "in these unprecedented times" and "out of an abundance of caution"* with respect to quality of life and enjoyment on- and off-ship. 

One practical question--last time we cruised we could bring aboard our own non-alcoholic beverages like soda and water. Is this still allowed on NCL?

Anyone post any menus or dailies lately?

Also, we're going onto this with no agenda except relaxation (and no kids!)--so any input about which islands (Aruba, Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts) are best for a day of beach-sitting, nature appreciation, snorkeling, or historical/cultural interest, respectively? 
Look forward to learning more--thanks!

* I work in health care and have grown to detest these phrases over the past 18 months...We're fully vaxxed (get Pfizer #3 in a week, woot!) and have weathered the worst of it (we hope), but wow...so much burnout and discouragement in our hospitals these days...🙁

Try El Jibarito for authentic Puerto Rican food. Not much for atmosphere--but great food.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147320-d904703-Reviews-El_Jibarito-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

@Judy1985Are you aware of the Roll Call posting here for everyone taking this route with Viking next year (all sailings)?
You can also put an entry on a shared spreadsheet to list your specific ship and dates. And it has links to previous years' Romantic Danube roll calls. Good info getting shared. 

Sailing on Joy next March.

When we last sailed, on Pearl in 2013 and 2015, there were "Chef's dinners"--private, multi-course menus with wine pairings for each course, for an extra fee, of course.

It was a great experience in 2013, but it appeared that they were using the same menu in 2015, and we opted for different things.

Are any of the ships still doing this? I haven't seen any mention of it here. And also wondering if there is anything similar even on a smaller scale at Le Bistro or Cagney's or Ocean Blue these days?

Not a make-or-break thing, but would be something to look forward to.

2 hours ago, careyayn22 said:

...grass clippings...

Ooo--what's in this concoction?

Also, a drink I recently "invented" only to find that it was already a "thing" is the Brave Bull--basically a Black Russian made with tequila instead of vodka. Given that I'm looking forward to a Mexican Riviera cruise, it seemed appropriate "research", and I'll see if I can get a bartender or two on Joy to cooperate.

3 hours ago, phissy said:

APRIL FOOLS!!!!!    NOT A TRUE STORY.

The real joke is that it's June, I guess... 🤨

Know what I like best about this review?

You had a serious issue. You asked for help. And you got a response.

So many of the negative reviews here are over things that could have been addressed (if not necessarily solved) by asking the appropriate ship's department. Which you did, and got an acceptable, albeit not immediate, solution.

Thanks. 

Looking forward to Joy.

(Now--about those 15 kids...) 🤣