Semi/Live: an "Epic" TA, 15 nights NY to Barcelona 04/22/23 - 05/07/23

[crazycatlady82]

13 hours ago, mking8288 said:

 

 

First impression counts - right - the buffet is not well utilized and organized, tables & chairs including spacing and layout could be better set up and positioning ... seen solo cruisers and sometimes 2 or 3 pax taking up large and larger round booth/table with seating for up to 8 or even 9, 10 - and, such as waste.  Results, others cannot find a spot to sit and eat.  Clusters and groups of friends traveling turning sections of the busy buffet into their all day club to socialize ... the new buffet hogs, inconsiderate & a few of them with poor manners.  

 

 

I was on the sailing right before you--the San Juan to New York. I had a great time. I was also a solo traveler and had problems finding seating at the buffet. I tried not to take the large tables, however, when there are no tables, would you like me to sit on the floor so the party of 6 can have a table? What is your solution for this?

[goldmom]

1 minute ago, crazycatlady82 said:

I was on the sailing right before you--the San Juan to New York. I had a great time. I was also a solo traveler and had problems finding seating at the buffet. I tried not to take the large tables, however, when there are no tables, would you like me to sit on the floor so the party of 6 can have a table? What is your solution for this?

Well, sometimes if a large table is the only one available for the 2 of us, if we see someone looking for a table we tell them they are welcome to join us.

But it does sometimes become a problem with no real solution unless they don't allow the "campers" to take over the tables in the buffet.

I do feel guilty taking a big table, but if that's all that's available that's what we have to do.

[mking8288]

Scenic route on the Yellow Hop on Hop off bus - 27 stops loop take close to 2 hours.  Part 1 - batch of photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Scenic yellow bus loop - 2nd batch of photos ... hotel & tourist district on the waterfront along our route 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the scenic rock - hilltop near the port entrance where the bus would stop to drop off pax returning to ships.

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[dexddd]

2 hours ago, room with a view said:

Probably a bit late with this information .....

 

Have a look at the Black Scabbard Fish in the Municipal Fish Market ....then eat it fresh with banana in one of the many restaurants in the Old Town. 

 

Ride the cable car up to Monte .

Had to rub it in that Epic, unless boarded after NYC, had no bananas.

[mking8288]

This is near yellow bus - stop #4 or #5 near the small Anadia Shopping Mall with a small food court & restrooms ... it's a downhill walk to stroll thru the center of town, as we started to checkout menus - who wants to go to Mickey D or Pizza Hut 3,000 miles from NY ... heck, no.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[dexddd]

29 minutes ago, crazycatlady82 said:

I was on the sailing right before you--the San Juan to New York. I had a great time. I was also a solo traveler and had problems finding seating at the buffet. I tried not to take the large tables, however, when there are no tables, would you like me to sit on the floor so the party of 6 can have a table? What is your solution for this?

Eat, get out, don't linger.  Or invite others to sit when you see them looking for seat.  Don't be a party of two spread out like in Indulge across a large table.

[dexddd]

Hopefully you took the 48 hour HOO ticket option, probably best deal.

[mking8288]

Cappuccino - not from Starbucks ... and it's excellent. Resting our tired feet climbing on & off our open air bus 😁 - seafood lunch ordered ... very busy open air cafe restaurant, reasonably priced. 

 

Supporting locally owned & operated small businesses whenever we can 👌

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

6 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Hopefully you took the 48 hour HOO ticket option, probably best deal.

Almost, next time - we took the 24 hours 2 for 1 option ... SIL doesn't want to go far with her walking stick. 

 

BTW, these available combo tickets are a small fraction of NCL's inflated offer.  Saved by walking a 1/3:mile to the nearest stop on the route 👌

 

[depplep]

Love the little bistro and the cappuccino looks amazing. 

[room with a view]

Lots of restaurants in the Old town ...just keep on walking past the cable car .

Excellent coffee shop on the main promenade  ...or near the Cathedral .

Botanic Gardens and Blandey's Gardens well worth a visit .

Cable car up to Monte .

[room with a view]

28 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Cappuccino - not from Starbucks ... and it's excellent. Resting our tired feet climbing on & off our open air bus 😁 - seafood lunch ordered ... very busy open air cafe restaurant, reasonably priced. 

 

Supporting locally owned & operated small businesses whenever we can 👌

 

 

 

Know that restaurant very well ..... usually a Jazz combo playing outside .

[crazycatlady82]

1 hour ago, goldmom said:

Well, sometimes if a large table is the only one available for the 2 of us, if we see someone looking for a table we tell them they are welcome to join us.

But it does sometimes become a problem with no real solution unless they don't allow the "campers" to take over the tables in the buffet.

I do feel guilty taking a big table, but if that's all that's available that's what we have to do.

Exactly. I sit down, and I eat. I have no reason to camp at a table at the buffet, by myself. And thank you for encouraging people to sit with you. It's actually really interesting how many times as a solo traveler I've been asked to move from a table to accommodate others.

[crazycatlady82]

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Eat, get out, don't linger.  Or invite others to sit when you see them looking for seat.  Don't be a party of two spread out like in Indulge across a large table.

I hope that the parties of 2 that read this also are encouraged to sit down, eat and don't linger. 

[cruiseny4life]

5 minutes ago, crazycatlady82 said:

Exactly. I sit down, and I eat. I have no reason to camp at a table at the buffet, by myself. And thank you for encouraging people to sit with you. It's actually really interesting how many times as a solo traveler I've been asked to move from a table to accommodate others.

Hahahaha and I hope your response was exactly that! Hahahaha....I would never, ever move for a party. I used to travel solo all the time, being provided a four top for big ole me. 

 

Now that it's my husband and I, we generally go for the four tops. We're quite girthy and generally order several plates. If someone wants to sit with us, he'll say yes. I'll acquiesce and then get up to wander until they leave. But, really, I'd laugh a lot if someone asked me to move. Nope, not happening. Should have gotten to the table before me. 

[AtSeaAlways]

Lovely town.  There are at least three bus services.  Yellow City Busses, and two 21 ish stop hop on hop off which start at 18 Eros.  We took the yellow HOHO which was packed and ran irregularly.  Go for the red one.  Pick up is well outside the port area - stop #1-  a good hike.  

 

We tried to eat at the Beer House by the port - they refused us service

 

A few blockd past that - end of the cruise dock and up the hill we found Cafe Funchal which was really good and on a nice square.  

[mking8288]

Place was busy but we didn't come here for pizza and burgers, worth the wait. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[room with a view]

You have got to try the Black Scabbard Fish served in Banana !!!!!

[mking8288]

That seafood paella was so good, just 17 Euro.  Ship passengers & crew off-duty on shore leave were in town to spent money.  Walked right past a very busy Cafe Funchal. Checking out historic churches & buildings, gift shops & stores along the way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[room with a view]

There's a fabulous cafe just along from the Banco de Portugal  towards the gardens going up the hill. You will have great views of the ship from the garden's upper levels.

[mking8288]

We're planning to stay out and have early dinner in town here before going back to the ship around 7'ish with all abroad at 7:30 pm for 8 pm sailaway. 

 

The 2 sisters decided they've walked enough & didn't feel like hopping on the yellow bus again.  Hence, we took a ride back to the ship in a Mercedes Benz ... LOL, just a yellow taxi, probably 30+/- years old S series. 

 

Only ship card needed to board the ship again, although we did carry our photo ID.  Outside the fence, several venders selling souvenirs - magnet specials at 2 Euro each or 3 for 5.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Back on the ship, the Garden Cafe is closed until 5:30 pm, double doors shut. Great Outdoors have afternoon tea & coffees, cookies, finger sandwiches & burgers, etc. - and, yes, scones (missed those, Joy has them daily in the Observation Lounge.)

 

 

Looks like inventory of tea & varieties are back up near normal, not necessarily the all premium selections. 

 

 

Time to pull out the 10k mAH USB portable power bank for a turbo boost quickly ... otherwise, it will drop down to under 20% soon & won't get thru this long day. 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by mking8288

[goldmom]

2 hours ago, crazycatlady82 said:

Exactly. I sit down, and I eat. I have no reason to camp at a table at the buffet, by myself. And thank you for encouraging people to sit with you. It's actually really interesting how many times as a solo traveler I've been asked to move from a table to accommodate others.

Well, that's just wrong.  It's one thing to ask someone if you can share the table, it's another to ask someone to move.

 

Now, back to mking8288's wonder live report!

[mking8288]

@goldmom agree.  Back to live "news" of interest, sometimes, we just have to learn to get along, show patience, agree to disagree, and laugh virtually at things happening on any given cruise, and not things personally ... just "Let it Go" 

 

Whether it's the pool deck chair hogs, atrium lounger hogs and now, buffet hogs and card room gaming addicts on this ship ... the problems aren't for us to solve or fix, I left comments & suggestions, constructively for the GM's team to see, know, address & diffuse or mitigate.  Intention is to not pin faults or shift "blames" on others.  Let that stuff go & drop, we have plenty of friends that cruise & I am pretty comfortable that they know ... 

 

Seating & spacing in the Great Outdoors is very good, between tables & chairs - the inside space is another story; and I can most definitely relate to some of the issues I read & heard with the Prima design.  Some of the other public space like the art gallery, gift shop corridors and outdoor space could be better re-configured, not easy and costly & not something NCL can easily flip a few switches to make it happen in a matter of days or even weeks.  If they could, some of the problems will mostly go away.  

 

Still, not going to fix inconsiderate fellow passengers & their behavior, like blocking the elevator buttons or not stepping aside or out briefly, to allow others who need to exit.   Pretty sure that @AtSeaAlways know what I am referring to, being onboard.