Ozzie's Mom

The OP is not asking about UDP but about the Platinum perk, free specialty dinner.

Platinum members do not get any kind of paper at the end of the meal.

I beg to differ, NMLady, not about what the OP intended (my real name is not Claire Voyant), but about the "paper at the end of the meal." We are Platinum. We received and used the coupon. We were presented with a zero check at the end of the meal whereupon we entered a gratuity and signed the paper. :eek:

Gem OS in May, we had all Haven perks.

No fee on Gem in May. What was different from our last cruise (Getaway in Feb.) was that we were presented with a check at the end of each meal showing the full charge, less the UDP amount, ($ zero due) AND a tip line above the signature. We happily added the tip amount and signed just as we would in any restaurant ashore.

100! Tomorrow is double digit day!

My apologies, I should have verified that my info was still current. It is not. No TBL tours currently exist in Nassau.

Tours by Locals has some Nassau tours and can handle wheelchairs if you let them know in advance. TBL charges by the tour, not by person. Nassau has gotten dangerous and I dont know whether I'd be willing to go it alone. God bless you both.

Sailed two weeks ago on NCL Gem, port side forward, Owners suite. Magnificent views of Manhattan, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty and Verrazano bridge. Returning to port, we saw it all again. Loved it. Great photos.

OMG that review is, hands down, the best thing I have ever read on CC.

Agree with NayRN.

Gio was CD on Gem but he exited 5/16 going to the Star, I think. Carlos is the Concierge with Marina as Asst. Butler is Lazaro. Didn't meet the officers.

Got off the Gem 2 days ago. 124 days until we board the Pearl.

Booked it! Only 42 weeks away...

Also remember the lower the deck in the aft the bigger the balcony. We always try for 9 as our first choice!

We had 12 aft corner. HUGE balcony, very quiet. The only sound was the aft wake. Nice.

The Pearl in Aug would have you in Alaska - check out the Alaska board here on the CC forum for more details on AK cruising. It is not your typical cruise :D I would also recommend looking at www.cruiseportinsider.com for more details on what to see and do in AK.

 

Because all of the ports are in the US there are no problems using independent tour operators - they will get you back to your ship on time :) as well as show you a very good time at often times a lower cost than the ship's tours.

 

Also on Thursday you will be in Glacier Bay - be sure to be up around 6:00 AM to catch some whales as you enter the bay. You will spend all day cruising around the bay and listening to the park rangers describe how the bay was carved out by what was then one large glacier.

 

Most of all enjoy your cruise:cool:

Thanks for the link! We will be on the Pearl in September! Have never seen a whale in the wild. REALLY looking forward to it.

Three senior citizens and a teenager will be in NYC for a full day Friday prior to a Saturday departure on NCL Gem in early May. Two have never been to NYC.

What are your recommendations for must-see points on Friday?

What are your lessons learned (what to do, what not to do) with only one day?

Any advice for us regarding embarkation on Saturday?

All tips are welcomed!

Just got off the Gem this morning and I am happy to report that despite all of the endless warnings of doom and gloom spouted by the naysayers on this board, not only did we survive but we even managed to have a great time.

SOOOO glad to read this. We board the Gem on 5/9 and can hardly wait! :D

Work with your kids on questions they can ask that show an interest in learning more about the ship or more about the home country of the crew member. It is amazing how quickly you can connect. We bring printed maps of the world then find and color in the country when we meet a crew member from somewhere new. We also started this last trip with identifying flags as same or different from ones we've seen before since each crew member's home country flag is on their name tag.

GREAT ideas!

I nominate Sparkygirl as Cruise Mom of the Year. Do I hear a second?

On our recent cruise we noted a very heavy police presence in and around the port area. Felt very safe but also took recommended precautions such as not wearing flashy, expensive jewelry and kept my purse very close. Walked around, did some shopping, had lunch at Senor Frog's and back to the ship.

 

Tracy

We visited Nassau again earlier this month. Quick on/off the ship just because we had only 3 port days on the Getaway cruise. If you've never been to Nassau, I highly recommend you stay AWAY from the straw market and the 3 for $10 shirt stores.

For souvenirs, I do recommend the Del Sol (shirts, etc., change color in the sun) Cariloha (bamboo clothing, etc.) and, of course, Pirana Joe's. This part of Bay Street is very safe and the Main Street Ice Cream Shop with the second floor balcony from which to eat, relax and enjoy the sites, below.

As in any high-tourist area (which brings out the predators), keep yourself and your valuables out of harm's way. Stay sober and in the safe areas of town.

:D

If you look at the photo below of a small cabana, the 4 loungers are in the back along the wall. The mini-fridge is in the middle. Of course, the loungers can be moved to the front of the cabana, if desired. They're a bit heavy and are not meant to be moved onto the beach. If you want to lounge on the beach, you should use the existing beach chairs.

 

 

 

 

 

Another member kindly posted a recent menu: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=45433270&postcount=5

 

Since you'll already have the UBP, maybe you'll want to order some food. But remember that the lunch buffet at the beach is complimentary. Or you could maybe order the 12 bottles of beer (whereas your UBP would only provide single bottles at a time). You'll be instructed to turn in your order the evening before your day at GSC, so it can be prepared in a timely manner.

 

Also please remember that this $50 credit is non-refundable, so whatever you don't use up will be lost. Personally I wish the $50 food/drink credit would be an optional part of the cabana cost. I used it to order sushi and a bottle of wine. But I would have been satisfied with the buffet food and with just ordering drinks individually (I didn't have the UBP).

My family and I ordered two charcuterie platters thinking "serves two" would give us plenty of delicious snacking all day.

OMG. Mid-morning, a tractor pulling a trailer appeared and the beach staff unloaded food enough for 20 people! It would not all fit on the 4-seater table. We could NOT stop laughing.

We spent the day lounging, grazing, sunning, grazing, walking/swimming, grazing and inviting others to stop in to our cabana for food and water.

Haven concierge staff will escort you tocthe front of the disembarcation/tender line. Bottled water was comp for our 4-generation, 2-suite Getaway cruise last month.

635

 

Just booked Escape on Dec 17, 2016 for the entire family. Wife and me, three kids and their spouses and four grandchildren. Long way off but our first NCL cruise and our first family cruise. I predict the build up till sail away will be as fun as the cruise. Looking forward to this one.

#1 - that's just too long. I'd need to take a quickie between now and then.

#2 - that's my birthday! Where should I meet you for boarding?

;-)

Just a few hours .... :)

Jealous.

I'd rather drink floor polish than Pepsi. Where I come from, everything is a Coke.

"Come on in. Want a Coke? "

"Sure, thanks."

"What kind?"

"Uh, 7-Up if you've got it. If not, any kind will do: regular, root beer, orange...."