Our " Getaway " to the Breakaway - NOLA 1/22/23 - live ?

[like2cruise]

45 minutes ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Looking out the window this morning and found the BA, reminds me of Southampton Holiday Inn and seeing the Prima. 1100 am check in time slot, no hurry today. Planning on walking over, weather permitting.

That is a beautiful sight!  I hope your embarkation goes well.  Will be anxious to hear how it goes today and if you are informed of any port time changes once you get onboard.  We board on 2/5. After reading reviews, we realized that we picked too early of a check-in time and had planned to arrive at 10am.  If you have any observations of what the process would be if we arrive a little later than our assigned time...please let us know.  All the morning times are taken so can not edit our time.  Have the best time on your cruise and we look forward to living vicariously through your experience.  

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Looking out the window this morning and found the BA, reminds me of Southampton Holiday Inn and seeing the Prima. 1100 am check in time slot, no hurry today. Planning on walking over, weather permitting.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, like2cruise said:

That is a beautiful sight!  I hope your embarkation goes well.  Will be anxious to hear how it goes today and if you are informed of any port time changes once you get onboard.  We board on 2/5. After reading reviews, we realized that we picked too early of a check-in time and had planned to arrive at 10am.  If you have any observations of what the process would be if we arrive a little later than our assigned time...please let us know.  All the morning times are taken so can not edit our time.  Have the best time on your cruise and we look forward to living vicariously through your experience.  

I too would like to hear about the embarkation process.  Thinking about a late arrival at the port to avoid the lines.

[Mabel the Great..Dane]

I am staying at Harrah's the night before my cruise, as well.  How far of a walk is it?

[Sand and Seas]

3 hours ago, Mabel the Great..Dane said:

I am staying at Harrah's the night before my cruise, as well.  How far of a walk is it?

We always walk from Harrah's to the port.  (And we have been retired for a few years.)

Maybe 3 blocks?  Just takes a few minutes.   

 

If you are in a car/taxi/uber they will direct you to a longer route around the convention center.   If you're walking, just head down Fulton street by the Harrah's hotel for two blocks, then move to the next street and walk past the 'Whale' lot (across the trolley tracks) to the port.  Porters are right there to get your luggage.

 

On December 30th,  we rolled our luggage over to the NOLA port in a downpour.  Thank heavens for our ponchos!

 

OP, we enjoyed Syd Norman's on board.  We made it to three of their four shows during our 11 day cruise, missing the last night's Prom show.  They have an awesome guitarist.  Really enjoyed the Rumors show.   Hope you have a great cruise😎

[Sugar Magnolia]

10 hours ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Looking out the window this morning and found the BA, reminds me of Southampton Holiday Inn and seeing the Prima. 1100 am check in time slot, no hurry today. Planning on walking over, weather permitting.

 

I also stayed at the Holiday Inn before the Prima TA and now reminiscing about the excitement I felt on my first TA.

 

Have a terrific time on the Breakaway. She escorted me to Bermuda and Canada. Met many fun solo folks on board.

 

[Marcia1124]

Jim,

Please send me the info for the meet and greet on January 23, 2023 on the Breakaway.

Thank you!

[JIMESOPUS]

18 hours ago, Mabel the Great..Dane said:

I am staying at Harrah's the night before my cruise, as well.  How far of a walk is it?

about a 10 minute walk, some parts covered 

[JIMESOPUS]

10 hours ago, Marcia1124 said:

Jim,

Please send me the info for the meet and greet on January 23, 2023 on the Breakaway.

Thank you!

@Marcia11240930 Cagneys, deck #8

[JIMESOPUS]

Good Morning from the Gulf

Yesterday, in between the showers we walked over to terminal, 1100 am check in. Luggage porters met us on Julia Street, crossed over the road to get the terminal, just beat the train ( yes there is train tracks ), first line for documents, then security and then finally our cards, whole process took about 20 mins. The seating area was packed. Assisted / Haven in first then they called for Sapphire, Diamond and Ambassador - got a little crazy since some folks with boarding 1 / 2 thought they should have been next. First card swipe inside ship at 1145.

Show reservations first, then dinning and finally a quick stop to the latitudes desk.

PreCovid muster drill at 1530 - we got a letter in the room

Met the Stateroom attendant ( new title ), she informed us of the single turn down, no official letter, she now has 22 cabins.

They took my extension cord, the same one that we have been using for the past 6 cruises, going downstairs to find out why, didn't see it listed on the no list.

Inside Cabin just to see if can cruise more

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by JIMESOPUS

[JIMESOPUS]

Some pictures from the Sail away, Hudson River looks cleaner. Following a Carnival ship, not sure when we finally got into the gulf, port tax on drinks

[JIMESOPUS]

and who says Steerage folks can't get great seats in Syd's. Seems to be a lot of first timers aboard, we where the first in line at 2050, show started at 2130. Some the band played this past Nov.

Pushing the internet - drops out once and awhile but so far great upload times

 

[wolft927]

Yea the muddy Mississippi! I do love the leaving out of new orleans as it is a pretty scenic cruise to the Gulf

[Sand and Seas]

OP, do you get some kind of choice of what time your cabin will be serviced?  We are rarely out of the cabin before noon.

 

Great pictures at Syd's!   Love that you were first in line....our best was third😎

[Von & John]

We've only cruised into New Orleans once...

I grew up on the Mississippi, learned to ski & jump barge waves on the Mississippi...
Once we hit the Mississippi Delta I felt like I was home - even though I grew up further north than New Orleans (much, much further North)...
Loved our stay in New Orleans after the cruise - Johnny's first trip to New Orleans.
Thanks for the photos.

[JIMESOPUS]

2 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

OP, do you get some kind of choice of what time your cabin will be serviced?  We are rarely out of the cabin before noon.

 

Great pictures at Syd's!   Love that you were first in line....our best was third😎

When you are ready, push the makeup room light, she will stop by and clean the room.

Stateroom attendant is the new title and has gone from 16 cabins to 22.

Was able to get extra towels and wash cloths

[JIMESOPUS]

We have starlink reason why we can upload faster, some photos taken today. L attitudes party, M&G and senior leadership.

[mking8288]

Hi, @JIMESOPUS can we have Starlink, could use a little extra help at sea.  Enjoy the BA, our first mega NCL ship in 2014. 

 

Regards 

[JIMESOPUS]

31 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Hi, @JIMESOPUS can we have Starlink, could use a little extra help at sea.  Enjoy the BA, our first mega NCL ship in 2014. 

 

Regards 

Starlink is coming to a ship near you.. Internet manager says that the GA should be upgraded soon, then the Escape. Prima will follow, all the Away+ ships will be done this year, nothing planned so far for the remainder of the fleet. 

[JIMESOPUS]

4185 passengers aboard, last week on the GA it was 3,880 passengers. Most on this cruise do not have the beverage or dining package, MDRS have been packed, 20 to 30 minutes wait for lunch today and last night I have been told it was almost 1 hrs. Last night it was Cagney's ( voucher ) and tonight it's Italian ( pizza night for me ). Starting to see more trash in the hallways. Going to Syd's tonight, pressing our luck.

Edited January 23, 2023 by JIMESOPUS

[CruiserQ123]

On 1/20/2023 at 7:29 PM, JIMESOPUS said:

 

 

Moderno Steak house, did ever leave that place hungry? Well we did. We started getting the meat course before the sides ever arrived. The " best meat " for us was the bacon wrap chicken. It was an early seating, not packed but the pace of the gauchos was very slow to a point that we flipped the card.  

 

Entertainment 

Did you ever cruise with three comedians? We had Mike Burton ( fantastic ), Jay Black ( always checked his watch ) and Joe Larsen ( checked his notes all the time ). They were used to fill in the gaps of no entertainment. Several nights in the main theater or down in the Illusionarium and then finally Headliners. Once you seen an act expect a near repeat of the same material even the +18 show. 

Besides the two main shows Burn the Floor and the Million Dollar Quartet. The show downstairs Broadway Unplugged that was it, nothing else, not even a terrible magician or acrobatics.

 

 

 

 

This had me laughing so much. Mike Burton was good because he interacted with the audience. After Jay Black's second time doing the SAME EXACT SHOW, I wanted to offer to do the SAME EXACT SHOW for him the following THREE TIMES!!!! I only saw Joe once so I can't comment on that. 

 

Modernos is my favorite specialty restaurant. I really only go for the lamb chops and pineapple. We got the sides first and by the time the meat came out, the sides were cold. Plus, because I was only eating lambchops (I guess partly my fault?), there were only 2 or 3 on the skewer by the time it got to me so I had to wait another 20 minutes for more to be cooked. 

 

Its annoying, especially if you are paying extra but not so bad if you were to put it in the whole perspective of life...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JIMESOPUS]

Another first, we had a line at La Cucina, took about 10 minutes to get in tonight. Pizza better here than the GA. Dr KK at Mix and Dr L at Syds is turning this cruise into a booze cruise.

[JIMESOPUS]

So last night was a near bust, we walked past the Pour House about 70 mins before the show started and found a line going back past the elevators.Went downstairs to the Atrium but couldn't get thru finally ended up at MIXX. The ship is packed, service is very slow everywhere. Folks still eating in Taste / Savor well pass 11PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JIMESOPUS]

Do you ever read the fine in print in the dailies ?

Welcome to Costa Maya, Mexico

[JIMESOPUS]

From yesterdays M&G, lighting in the cabin is very poor, can't find the right balance ( very bright or dim )

[rjm11]

Thank you for the updates- was your time in Costa Maya changed from an 11:00am arrival as others have been this year?