DwayneG

I always tip my butler, and concierge. And I tip my restaurant server and steward if I am very pleased with service. But I also always remember that butler and concierge are not working out of the goodness of their hearts, just hoping they'll bet enough tips to live on. From what I've read these are coveted positions and are paid a bigger salary than many others on the ship. If others would like the job it must be a good job! So I tip well, but it's because they've done a good job, not out of pity like for a beggar.

Perhaps they choose a menu based on what ingredients are available at good prices in the ports where thery stock up?

I actually went to breakfast in Haven in only my socks on disembarkation day...my wife had packed ALL my shoes the night before. Our server was kind enough to scare up some slippers for me to wear off the ship.

Go ahead and skip the buffet...we do! We like to be waited on in a sit-down restaurant. BUT THEN WE GO TO THE BUFFET JUST FOR A CREPE LATER. No reason we can't have two desserts, or even more (just in case you pass the ice cream or the dessert case in the buffet and something calls your name).

Several times I've booked the shuttle to the airport where I then rented a car to continue my vacation. In each case I just picked a flight number that left the airport at a time aboujt 3 hours after I wanted to arrive. Remember, since you're not really flying you can use a flight to ANYWHERE, not necessarily heading for home.

Your mileage may vary, but I got all the way to the top of the drop slide and was told I couldn't use it with my gold wedding band on. According to attendant it was due to concerns it might get caught on seams or something and cause injury. Absolutely no metal of any kind, no way.

One word of warning about swimsuits: on several of the water slides they allow NO metal...no attachment, zipperss or fasteners on swimsuit, no jewelry. And they don't check until you have walked all the wasy up all those stairs.

We like the Holiday Inn Exprress Manhattan Midtown West. Typical Holiday Inn, but smallish rooms, And an easy walk from Times Square and about 2 blocks from the pier, piece of cake to walk there dragging your luggage.

We have always been delighted with the Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West, if that fits your standards. Clean,affordable, nice breakfast, rooms a bit small but adequate. And it's about a 2 block walk to the pier in the morning! Also Times Square is an easy walk. Plenty of rerstaurants nearby. I especially like not having to worry about a transfer on cruise day.

Remember, iced tea, milk and kool-aid type drinks are always free without any package at all.

Remember, I believe on Escape you must have a card in the slot by the door to energize any of the outlets.

Used lanyasrds with a pocket on both Breakaway and Bliss recently. Never had to remove the card on either trip. Just put it near the lock on the doors and held it out for barcode scan at restaurants.

Just a heads-up, my wife came back with Covid-19, so it's still out there. In her case it just presents as a minor cold and she began coughing Thursday. We usually avoid elevators but this time we were traveling with a handicapped friend and couldn't do the stairs. I tested also and I'm fine.

Surprisingly it's always been free so far, done it several times. But they might suddenly wake up and start charging!

Not a problem to get an extra key, but representatives from both cabins will need to go to guest services together to ask for them. And remember to each use your original key for charges and entering or exiting the ship.,

For dining iin the free dining rooms you just show up, though I've heard you can make reservations if desired. The FREE AT SEA pieces are asll optional, you can choose which ones you want. So might as well take the Interrnet and excursion parts (actually don't thinlk you can even opt mout unless you choose SAILAWAY pricing). Drinks and dining require you to pay gratuities at the time you pay for your cruise, so decline either of them you don't think are worth the gratuity amount. I never do the drinks, but what I've read on CC the gratuities are pretty expensive, so not a bargain unless you really like to drink.

Regarding picture, think of your passport picture. Best results with neutral background and picture about the same face-to-background ratio as your passport. I usually snap two tries with different ratios so I have a choice if first try fails.

When you get a page that locks up and can't be closed you usually can press CTRL/ALT/DELETE all at the same time and you'll probably get a popup menu that offers several choices. Choose TASK MANAGER and you'll see a list of things you have running. Choose whichever browser you're using (Chrome, Edge etc.) amd close it..

Regaqrding luggage tags I always print two per bag. Then I fold the blank paper over down each side so I have 3 thicknesses and I encase both sides in clear packing tape for a sturdy tag. At the hotel I borrow a stapler (or bring my own) and attach one to each handle. Inside each bag I put a sheet of paper showing my entire itinerary (planes, hotels, ship, stateroom, mobile phone, home address, e-mail and dates/times for each step) so that should I get seperated from a bag they have a good chance of getting it to me somewhere.

It looks like Mr. Del Rio IS "leading the industry" after all...I see on the Royal board that they also have reduced steward to once a day on top of recent DSC increase. I guess other lines will follow soon.

Menus are typically identical acroos all 3 MDR (one side lists items always available, other side is the daily features). The Manhattan is positioned as a bit more "upscale"...folks dress nicer, decor is classier, and sometimes they even have musicians. Taste and Savor are virtually identical, they're just two seperate locales because they are on opposite sides of the ship across from each other. During peak times both Taste and Savor are open but when traffic is slower they open only one.

Neutral background and about the same ratio of face to background as on your passport photo. I always take several with varying face sizes and inexplicably a picture that won't work this time might be fine next cruise. Just try one and be prepared to try your spare if it's not accepted.

How do you know where you're embarking from? Do you get instructions in e-mail or your boarding docs? Never cruised from LA Cruiseport before.

The only downside is you have to watch the safety video once for each of yoiu (if they haven't stopped this yet due to returning to in-person drills).

It seems a little insensitive that NCL doesn't offer a non-alcoholic Latitudes perk option, such as sparkling grape juice, for those who just don't drink alcohol. It's always disappointing to find the standard bottle of bubbly in my room. Same thing if you have a problem of some sort on board, they send you a bottle to make up for it. I see notes in the schedule every day for "Friends of Bill W" meetings, which are for Alcoholics Anonymous members. I know some don't drink for religious reasons. And I just make the choice not to drink, never tried something I liked. I know you can make all sorts of menu requests for allergies and such and it would really be nice if your account could be marked as alcohol free. I know I can send it back, but I would guess some guests would appreciate not being presented with the temptation. Last cruise I was in The Haven and asked the pre-cruise concerge about this and, sure enough, did find alcohol-free wine in my room. But for my next cruise I made the same request of the concierge and was told I'd need to wait and make my request to the butler when I see him.