Crown Vic

Thanks for the update. Steven is top notch or better. He’s gonna be missed on the Jewel. Any idea about Steven’s replacement on the PoA? Cheers…

The Lobster Thermidor on the N Dawn was ‘hit and miss’. Mine was a ‘miss’. Still, worth a try. Cheers… p.s. Lived not far away near 123 and 24.

Heard a whisper that Kaj Turinen and NCL parted company. He was the GM on the Pride of America and did a great job. Does anyone have any specific information? Thanks…

Try to get a table in an area set aside to the left, next to the window, when entering the Panorama restaurant and going to the lower level. Pleasant, quiet and very enjoyable. Cheers…

Thanks. Appreciate the input. Shall pass on the info so the individual can investigate further. Cheers…

Last time in Turkey/Turkiye, pre-pandemic, got our visas at the Airport. Payment was an ‘entry fee’. Not sure if this has changed…

PompeySailor et al, very interesting posts. Went through a similar situation in Tampa in January when the port was closed due to fog. Ship docked at 6 p.m. and left around midnight. Thankfully we were onboard doing a B2B. No relief for those waiting to board - no facilities, no water and, of course, no announcements. CCL seems to have treated folks properly. Anyway, enjoy your cruises. Hope the deteriorating weather coming up from the Caribbean won’t affect your holiday. Cheers…

Very interesting thread. Thanks to all for posting useful information. 3Shelaghs comments were intriguing. Are there insurance companies that specialize in the magical ‘three score and ten plus ten’ age bracket or will any companies handle this? Cheers…

Yup!

If you sail on NCL currently, there is a video on TV talking about NCL’s inception with Knut Kloster et al. During the video, the ‘old’ ships are mentioned and shown…Southward, Skyward, Sunward, Seaward, Westward and so on to the Norway and nowadays the Prima. Interesting to watch and reminisce. Cheers…

‘Checking in’ is separate from ‘priority’ boarding. Going earlier may cause some confusion and crowding but in our experience few stuck to their stated check in time. When boarding is called, Diamond members can board even if not announced officially. Woo hoo! Cheers…

MSC Customer Services advised me that MSC does not want your credit card on file in the MSC system. Rather than say this online, MSC ‘blocks’ the input. Having said that, registering, by machine, onboard is straight forward except your PIN is required. Cheers…

Recently on board. Heard that Ocean Cay restaurant was going to morph into a Mediterranean style restaurant by the end of the year. Butchers Cut may become more of a Bistro type. Could not validate the rumour…so…remember the ‘pinch of salt’. Time will tell. Cheers…

On June 4, ship arrived, on time, at 6 a.m. We were in Group 4 and left the ship at 7.30 a.m. Facial recognition at Immigration. Easy peasy! Very little traffic at that time. First ferry left at 8.30 a.m. so you can check the time table for DUMBO or where ever you plan to board. Cheers… p.s. You can try to count the ferry as an extra cruise.

On the May 28 boarding when the ship was late arriving, the traffic was very, very heavy but moving slowly. Security folks on 'point duty' directing traffic through intersections. Gotta say that taking the ferry, on our return, was a breeze. What ever you chose, good luck! Enjoy your cruise. Cheers...

The smoke from the wild fires is pretty wide spread. Not a good situation. Take care…

Having a balcony gives one immediate access to the outside and fresh air…nice to have…

👍 👍 Can not go wrong matching to your passport. Cheers…

Guess it may be ‘bundle up’ time…

Sorry! Didn’t drive…

Nope! The weather was warm and getting warmer as the ship sailed south. For sunbathers, the skies were somewhat overcast which meant fewer ‘lobsters’ around the pool, perhaps a blessing in disguise for those seeking a tan.

The answer to your question is very personal. Depends on your approach to cruising. Just back from the Miraviglia and found our balcony was an oasis of quiet and solitude for escaping the hubbub, families and noise. Nothing better than the solitude of your personal balcony for enjoying your morning jolt of caffeine. YC could be the same…almost. Having chatted with dolphin1313 on the cruise, his reply makes a lotta sense as well. Cheers… p.s. Mark, great to meet you. A bientot…

Von, about time you got back to work! Betcha John isn’t just sitting around. Just teasing! Back yesterday from a one week MSC cruise outta NYC to Florida and the Bahamas. Well priced…cabin serviced twice a day…no cut back in food…lobster galore, smoked salmon in the buffet, filet mignon in the dining room etc…great shows…snazzy ship. Worth investigating IMO. Good meeting you on the Sun. Time to get your humour posting machine cranked up. Cheers…

Off the Norwegian Sun a short while ago. NCL says, in the daily program, taxis are scarce at Pier 66 so get an NCL transfer to SeaTac. We decided to cab it. Fare, online, estimated at $40. Asked a shoreside agent for the taxi line and was shown to an SUV, Luggage was loaded…and then…another couple got in, luggage and all. The driver then told us it was $65 per couple and he was ‘private’. Believe the word is “scooped”. Too late to get out so we ‘bit the bullet” as did the other couple. Don’t know if this is common practice at Pier66 but “heads up”. Gotta say that last time at Pier66, pre-pandemic, we pre-booked a limo to the airport. Good luck. Cheers…

As the ship was late arriving on May 28, the traffic in and out of the port area was very heavy but moving slowly. Getting through Security took about one hour. After that, boarding was by number but we were in the first coupla groups. 4,600 passengers on our cruise. Three dining times…5.30, 7.30 and 9.30. Enjoy. Cheers…