Escape New England-Canada Sept 10-17, 2023 updating Semi Live rev 3.0

[dexddd]

You should be onboard now.

 

I think I figured it out.  Between the stockpile of pharmaceuticals and electronics, you're selling stuff out of your vest by the shops.  For convenience of cruisers, of course.

[dexddd]

We were in Halifax just about a year ago on Prima.  We had been there before via driving years ago.  This time just walked around and went to Titanic museum.  Interesting place.

 

We'll be up that way again in six weeks on a different three letter cruise line.

[peg013]

@mking8288Bon Voyage! Thank you for all your great "Live" threads. I love following along. We will be doing this cruise next September.

[mking8288]

Haven embarkation started before 11 AM quickly followed by special assistance (wheelchairs) and then Ambassadors, Diamonds & Sapphires, then Platinum - we got onboard by 11:10 AM, stopped by Assembly Station C1 on Deck 6 to swipe our key cards. Walked to the busy reservation desks to make some changes, then over to Taste MDR for lunch, opened already by 11:45.  

 

Jack is the Asst. CD.  Staterooms will be ready by 3 pm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch is good at Taste. Not too busy. 

 

Traffic in the area: major delays in-bound to NY from NJ, both GW Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel.  Hopefully those delayed due to flight issues and/or driving in can make it  🤞

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Announcement repeated，staterooms should be ready by 3 pm. 
 

Meanwhile, taking a quick look at our AirTagged luggage’s whereabout ?

[mking8288]

Steady, steady and hold - forklift operations occurring on the pier transferring luggage in caged carts to the ship and there's a safety net to catch them & keep bags out of the Hudson River, cause accidents happen. 

 

A quick visual to our family oceanview on Deck 5, midship - pretty spacious & lots of storage & drawer space, especially for 2 adults.  HDTV are now LG's x 2 of them and no longer using Sole brand. 

 

 

 

2 x bedside USB charging ports

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[Turtles06]

8 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

A quick visual to our family oceanview on Deck 5, midship - pretty spacious & lots of storage & drawer space, especially for 2 adults. 

Nice cabin! 
 

Have a safe and fun trip, and thanks for taking the time to share it with us. 

[Mommapadraig]

8 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Steady, steady and hold - forklift operations occurring on the pier transferring luggage in caged carts to the ship and there's a safety net to catch them & keep bags out of the Hudson River, cause accidents happen. 

 

A quick visual to our family oceanview on Deck 5, midship - pretty spacious & lots of storage & drawer space, especially for 2 adults.  HDTV are now LG's x 2 of them and no longer using Sole brand. 

 

 

 

2 x bedside USB charging ports

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice!

[aviators99]

Please show the activities sheet when you can! Thanks! 

[Steelers0854]

7 minutes ago, aviators99 said:

Please show the activities sheet when you can! Thanks! 

Is this what you are looking for?

Day 1.pdf

[aviators99]

1 minute ago, Steelers0854 said:

Is this what you are looking for?

Day 1.pdf 1.65 MB · 2 downloads

Why yes, thanks. Are you on board, too? 

[Steelers0854]

4 minutes ago, aviators99 said:

Why yes, thanks. Are you on board, too? 

Sure am!  

[aviators99]

Just now, Steelers0854 said:

Sure am!  

Bon Voyage! We will be doing the same itinerary Oct 8, so following very closely! 

[stinkyharriet]

4 minutes ago, aviators99 said:

Bon Voyage! We will be doing the same itinerary Oct 8, so following very closely! 

I’m also going to be on the October 8th sailing and am glad I found this post.

[mking8288]

Feeling annoyed about those nagging email about watching the safety video ... reminders over ship's PA has been repeated at least 6 times since 11:30 AM to proceed to the Assembly Station & check-in with our guest key cards 😳😳😕 

 

No other special announcements from the bridge, perhaps we are staying with the plan, info about tomorrow's tendering at Newport, RI is out. Also the custom declaration is for Canada immigration & customs, not US CBP. 

 

Our 2 checked rollerboards have been delivered, I can power down the iPhone or at least stop tracking via the AirTags - safe & now unpacking 😁

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[AmyJA]

WOO HOO! Love it when someone does a report right before I embark. A 9/24 cruiser is here along for the ride. 

 

And thanks in advance for taking the time.  

[Steelers0854]

Day 1 Embarkation Day (Depart 17:30)

 

We stayed at the Hilton midtown, pretty much our go to hotel when we come to NY. We spoke with the bell desk and they recommended a taxi to the port.

 

Now I made a rookie mistake I think. I didn’t think much about what time boarding actually started. I booked the 9:30-10 arrival window and apparently they don’t even begin boarding til 11. I’m hoping this means will be at the front of the mass of humanity when they begin boarding but I don’t love the idea of sitting around, but is what it is and time will tell how good of a decision this was!

 

couldn't come to NY and not get a bagel!

 

 

 

Very easy getting a cab and the trip took about 10 minutes from the hotel. There was construction on 55th and the street was closed at 11th Ave which prompted a detour. We wait in a long line for about 10 minutes to turn into the port area to get dropped off. Total charge $25, more than half of which was time waiting to turn into the drop off area.

 

 

We got to the terminal right at 9:30. The security line was a little more than half full but they started screening people right at 9:30 and 10 minutes later we were through and waiting to check in. It was a short process since we did the majority of the stuff ahead of time. We got boarding group 12, not sure if that’s good or bad or how long it takes to move through the numbers but we parked ourselves in what could be the hardest but most ergonomically well designed seat ever lol. Interestingly enough even at 10am there were still passengers disembarking. So we filled out our Canadian declaration forms and hung out until we were called. So all in all we were in our seats by 10am after arriving at 9:30, very easy and efficient process.

 

Props to NCL, they had water and pastries for everyone in the boarding area, not just those with status or suites, I thought that was a nice touch.  There was also a little cart that sold bagels, sandwiches and drinks, also a nice touch.

 

10:50 and they announced they had been given clearance to start boarding.  So the ADA and special assistance boarding began.  Me and my Group 12 brethren got called at 11:11. We were on the ship by 11:16.

 

The dining rooms opened for lunch at 12 and we decided to wait until then to see if there was anything for DW. We struck out there and headed to the buffet. DW found exactly what she wanted and they used bottle Kraft Lite Thousand Island which she can eat (the Lite is egg free). I myself got a sampling of meats and chicken salad. The burger was quite good, even at the buffet it’s one of the best I’ve had at sea. Overall lunch was a win.

 

 

 

We spoke with a supervisor at the buffet about dinner tonight and they were wonderful!  Walked DW through the menu and took her order. Gave us his card if we had any questions or issues and even brought out the bread they use for sandwiches and the same brand for burgers to make sure DW could eat it (picture below). She was in the clear and had a great option for the rest of the trip. This far off to a great start food wise!

 

 

Ok let’s talk about what’s not so good. Your room isn’t ready til 3pm. This sucks for a variety of reasons. First, especially when there is inclement dinner, there are very few places to actually sit. So we had to wander around the ship for 45 minutes before we got lucky and found 2 seats to wait it out after lunch. Second, your stuck dragging your stuff around with you til 3. Now they say you can drop carryon luggage off at deck 7, but who knows when it would show up in your room so not really ideal. Every other cruise line we have been on that I can remember opened up no later than 2. Princess the latest is really 1pm and you can drop your stuff off as soon as you board.

 

The service hasn’t been great. I’m putting a pin in this one though and chalking it up to it being overwhelmingly busy because no one can get to their rooms. But we have been sitting in the atrium area and haven’t seen a server in the almost 25 minutes we have been sitting here. Also no one comes to your table in the buffet to get you drinks, you have to get those yourself.

 

Last one, the NCL app is terrible. I used to think Princess had the worst app around but I think NCLs takes the cake. Navigation isn’t intuitive and half the thins in it don’t work. Couldn’t join the wait list for the comedy show today. No access to the menus in the MDR except for breakfast, you can’t see lunch or dinner. You also can’t see menus in advance.  But the what’s happening section beats the pants off of Princess, it’s super easy to navigate and see what is going on and to mark something as a favorite.

 

First impressions of the ship are that it’s beautiful and I thought well laid out. Deep rich colors and beautiful accents. Great looking ship.

 

 

 

They started calling room availability by deck at around 2:05, starting with the high ones, maybe because that’s where the Haven rooms are?  Funny enough they had called seemingly all the decks but ours by 2:20. They must be monitoring my phone and heard me complain about the delay in cabin availability lol. It wasn’t until 2:35 before we were called.

 

We booked a Club Mini Suite with a balcony. This cabin is huge and beautiful. Plenty of space and well laid out. Lots of ports and USB ports near each side of the bed. The bathroom is so big I think it’s bigger than most inside staterooms!  I mean it it a mini suite so I expected more space but love the switches for the Do Not Disturb as well as the Make up room lights, great touch.

 

 

 

[Steelers0854]

49 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Feeling annoyed about those nagging email about watching the safety video ... reminders over ship's PA has been repeated at least 6 times since 11:30 AM to proceed to the Assembly Station & check-in with our guest key cards 😳😳😕 

Dude no kidding!  I’ve gotten 5 emails about it and yes the every 30 minute announcements are getting to be annoying. Much like the boy who cried wolf, ya stop paying attention to the announcements after a while when they just say the same thing!  lol

[mking8288]

Watched a small group of cruisers boarding around 5 PM.  Prime ribs in the buffet tonight. Taste MDR for us tonight - familiar menu of choices.

 

Scheduled to sail at 5:45 pm but maybe waiting for delayed ship pax booked thru NCL. 

 

 

 

 

3 items from Cagney's available for an upcharge, as reported recently by other CC'er.  

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[PhillyTravelBug]

Loving the review so far! Really want to do this itinerary since it’s just a train ride away.  Can’t wait to tag along. Enjoy!!!

[Steelers0854]

One parting shot before we get out of cell range. Ended up being a beautiful day!

 

[mking8288]

Started moving & backing out of Pier 88 around 6 pm, perfect timing with our sunset dinner cruise. 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[Turtles06]

For those on board, here’s a screenshot for your scrapbooks:

 

[mking8288]

 

Sailed pass Lady Liberty as we get ready for dessert after a good meal.  Cellular signal will fade soon ... Newport , RI arrival at 6 AM ... tendering will be interesting 🧐 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by mking8288

[Ellis1138]

Nobody seems to be in a Studio cabin in this thread, so far, but if anyone happens to be and sees this... which muster station do Studio cabins go to?