kylenyc

3rd class passengers should remain below deck behind locked gates. 1st class passengers should be accompanied by a string quartet to the very end. Sorry... couldn't help it.

Thanks a lot! I'll be more careful with planning around holidays. I narrowly missed your experience with school break. I'll be reading CC experiences with cruises during summer recess too.

>> "there was no social distancing and it seemed that only my husband and I wore a mask. We got lucky and embarked in just three hours (feels really weird to say we were lucky). This was one of the first cruises that was at over 100% capacity due to school breaks, so we probably got a glimpse of what full ship cruising will be like. " So this was a holiday week? Could you describe the ages of the people not wearing masks? Mostly teens and 20-something spring breakers? I've been on several cruises out of NYC and my experience every time has been nearly 100% mask compliance while waiting on the security and check-in lines. That is nearly 100% wearing masks. I don't mean they are wearing good masks or wearing them properly. Then over 95% not wearing a mask onboard indoors. Your experience with check-in during on a holiday week is so drastically different, makes me want to be extra careful not to book during holidays. I agree here. Waiting in the crowded lines at security and check-in is one of the higher risk situations for those of taking every precaution. I credit N95 masks (not KN95) from protecting me here after several cruises out of NYC. I try to pace myself in line so that I'm not standing next to folks to the left or right who are doing a lot of animated talking or improperly wearing masks (I rarely need to). I stay 6 feet back from the person in front me. I drag a carry on behind me to keep the folks behind me a few feet further away. When a security, port, or check-in agent pulls down their mask to talk, take a step back. These individuals interact with the most people. Likewise onboard, watch out for guest services personnel doing it.

Do you have any insight into long COVID? Long Covid symptoms such as shortness of breath, brain fog, and chronic fatigue, may be mild to some and "serious" to others. The US GAO estimates a range of 2% to 7% of the US population have developed long Covid. This is consistent with a February UK ONS report that 2% of people in UK have long Covid. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed in the UK report said long Covid limited their daily activities. In a May report, the likelihood of long Covid actually increased among patients who caught the Omicron BA.2 verses patients who caught the Omicron BA.1 variants. Re: Comorbidity: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston says the number-one predictor of having a severe case of the disease is age followed by comorbidity and immunocompromised status, Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they estimate that even vaccine-boosted people ages 50 to 64 are more than 10 times more likely to die from a severe breakthrough case than 18- to 49-year-olds with the same vaccination status.

I would wear a true N95 mask and wear it properly. The Honeywell DF300 N95 mask is an improvement over the KN95s. They wrap around the back of head instead of tug painfully on the ears. They are much more comfortable and have foam around the nose for an optimal seal. They are less than a dollar a piece on Amazon. They look nearly identical to the typical KN95 mask. They fit more comfortably and are more durable than the common 3M N95 mask with rubber elastic that breaks after a few uses and create an uncomfortable seal around the face (that most people don't wear these days anyway). I would avoid crowded indoor venues and maintain social distance even when wearing a mask, and be selective of who you let into your bubble. I don't get into crowded elevators. Although I'm the 1% of people who bother to wear a mask, everyone I encounter is polite and doesn't give me any strange looks. I try to take all possible precautions even thought it may not be everyone's idea of a perfect vacation. Even so, it doesn't eliminate all risk but it does reduce it to a degree I'm almost comfortable with. At least I'll have an almost clear conscience that I've done everything I can to avoid catching it and spreading it to others in my family.

I've been on a few NCL cruises out of New York in the past year and have not caught COVID. Catching it would mean I would not be able to visit and care for my immuno-compromised mother upon my return. At least 9 out of 10 passenger on Joy out of Bermuda May 1, 2022 do not wear a mask and if they do, most are wearing cloth or surgical masks. While crew member are required to wear a mask, it won't take you long to spot a crew member pull down their mask to talk with a passenger or other crew member. I wear a true N95 mask and wear it properly whenever I'm indoors except in my own cabin or while drinking and dining. I put it back on when answering the door to speak with the steward or room service. I take nearly every precaution. I do take calculated risks and are selective in who I interact with without a mask on, and mostly at outdoor venues. Having 100% of crew members and nearly all passengers to be vaccinated, and all passengers to provide proof of a negative Covid test in order to board unfortunately may give some people a false sense of security. A person can catch Covid, get tested on the same day or the next day, and test negative. They are then free to bring the disease on board the ship. I think about how many people might travel to a city like Miami or New York to catch their cruise ship and how they might give themselves many more opportunities to catch Covid that they might not do in their normal daily lives - Traveling in a packed bus, train or plane with other passengers to the port city the night before with their negative Covid test in hand, staying at a hotel and interacting with hotel staff and other guests, riding with others on a tour bus, going to a restaurant, dancing, drinks, or seeing a show, all before arriving at the port... Then interacting with port agents who do not work for the cruise line and pull down their masks when talking to you or wear in on their chin. People may be inadequately informed or prepared. People may put their guard down because they are on vacation and they will fully enjoy themselves after years living in the mental health disaster known as the pandemic (dammit!). They will take what they think are informed risks when all risks aren't fully disclosed. They are not informed of the consequences of catching Covid on the ship -- Being quarantined aka imprisoned in a cabin, possibly not their own expensive cabin they paid for but a smaller one in an isolated section of the ship, perhaps an inside cabin without any windows, one without all the comforts or access to the amenities they expected on their "vacation", possibly served by a team that is understaffed or inadequately prepared, ignored by guest services who are busy with Covid negative revenue generating passengers. Even in a city like New York where mask compliance is high, once on board the ship, 99% of passengers drop their masks because they aren't required. Perhaps think they are safe in the cruise ship's bubble. Add unlimited drink packages to the mix and inhibitions fall further. If the bubble hasn't already popped repeatedly, there is another opportunity to stick a pin init as soon as passengers visit a port of call, giving themselves another opportunity to bring Covid on board. You can reduce the risks of catching Covid substantially by following well known protocols - Wearing a true N95 mask, social distancing, washing hands. But that is not what most people consider a vacation. For me a vacation is a necessity and is still a vacation even if I have to wear a mask and be selective in whom i let into my personal bubble. NCL cruises are still the safest vacations so long as they maintain the most important of their protocols.

They didn't have a replacement at Spice H2O. When the bar "ran out of mudslides", he substituted kind of regular cream or ice cream mixer. Later he made me something with Kahlua Amaretto cream and vodka. A bit sweet but nice. I eventually settled for white russians (kahlua and vodka). Armand at the A-List bar still had some Baileys. He might make you a proper mudslide one even though that bar isn't suppose to serve it. He's a nice friendly bartender. They are probably saving what stock they have left so they can serve Irish coffee at Cagney's and Le Bistro. The bartender at the Atrium bar has more experience and said they'd make it. She told me if you have the beverage plan they will make it for you with Bailey's and charge you the difference of anything over $15. She said it be about one or two dollars.

I meant to put that in the bad section. No mudslides or Jack is certainly not a good thing. 🙃

NCL Joy May 1st NYC - Norfolk, VA - Bermuda. Everything on board open except certain venues closed on port days business as usual.

A hot stone massage package on NCL Joy May 1 sailing was discounted on port days. $179 for 75 minutes. An 18% gratuity is automatically added ($32.22). It includes a quick exfoliating skin brush, full body massage (your choice of bamboo or hot stone. The massage starts with some kind of aroma therapy that you acclimate to or fades within minutes. The port special amounts to a $30 discount. The lower and higher massage times are full price and are not discounted unless you have a Latitudes discount valid only on port days on full price "signature" treatments. IMO the $179 for 75 minutes is a good deal and a perfect amount of time (not too long or too short). Budget for two. One isn't enough. 😉

The good: Joy has a lovely crew. My experience with all crew members was nearly perfect. Food was excellent at Cagney's and Food Republic. I found the food at La Cucina to be bland (shrimp lobster ravioli and the soup). I opted for La Cucina over the Smokehouse because I had a craving for carbs. The carbonara was pretty good. Tip: On ships with a La Cucina, the room service pizza I suspect comes from La Cucina because it's crispier with better ingredients. I'm not fond of the layout of the Joy because many of the venues feel smaller and enclosed. Spice H2O felt smaller and the layout cramped. People will appreciate that there is an enclosed smoking section in the Casino although plenty of smoke creeps out into the hallway but far enough away from main section of the casino. Judging by the many more active gambling on this sailing, I suspect, this is a good thing for NCL's bottom line. I'm a fan of the Jewel-class ships. For more apples to apples comparison, I prefer the original Breakaway class ships where Maltings, Shakers, Ocean Blue, Wasabi Bar, Raw Bar, etc on Decks 7 & 8 are out in the open. It makes Breakaway-class ships feel bigger and the boardwalk more accessible. The bars ran out of mud slides and charge a premium to make anything with Bailey's. They no longer stock Captain Morgan spiced rum. Shocking I say. Shocking! The bad: Check in time is now even longer and more strenuous than when covid testing was required at the pier. 90 minutes of standing. Here's my experience: Arrive at the pier and stand in line for security screening. Next EVERYONE except Haven guests are directed to a pre-screening line where port agents check your documentation (Bermuda Travel Authorization, vaccination, covid test, identification). Haven guests skip to the front of this line. Latitudes Gold plus priority embarkation is not respected. Everyone must go from standing in a security line to standing in another line with no place to sit. I observed that most people came prepared with their documentation. This means that all passengers are required to be screened in order to identify the minority of passengers who need additional assistance. This increased overall standing waiting time for all passengers (except Haven guests). Next to the check-in line. The line here is next to non-existent because everyone is backed up on the previous line. Of the five port agents I encountered throughout this process, none recognized Latitudes Gold plus priority embarkation or waiting area as was done for past Bermuda cruises. One was flat out rude. When I escalated to a supervisor I was finally directed to board. Unfortunately, the only opportunity to escalate is after waiting on two very long lines. NCL should return to the regular check-in process. If a passenger is missing documentation, they should be pulled aside and given additional assistance. This would ensure that all passengers have the fastest check-in experience possible.