billslowsky

The cruises out of Nassau are for people who want to cruise in the worst way, and they get just that.

When that "preferential treatment" results in people intentionally getting served out of order, I use the handy comment cards.

When you read that fine print, it mentions that for some of the people not in the tip pool (the daily service charge) there is a 20% gratuity added when you use their services. Beverage service, for example.

Hamilton is a good choice. The station is off of US 1 a little above Trenton. The train fare on NJT will be about the same as if you went from the airport, cheap senior fares too. One person can wait with the bags by the escalators while the other parks the car. Currently $12 per day? An Uber or Lyft is easy to catch at NY Penn Station, and it's a fairly quick ride to the cruise terminal. Just make sure they go all the way past the terminal (going north) and then u-turn in so they can drop you at the door.

I took a January cruise out of Manhattan a few years ago, the year of the "bomb cyclone" that a large NCL ship got caught in. It wasn't the cold weather that was the issue, the seas were pretty rough for the first two days. Almost dreaded going back, still a lot of rough seas. I wore shorts most of the time, even to walk outside in the mornings, I wasn't outside all that long anyway.

google flights is good also

Miami is probably the better choice for international most of the time. Like JFK when flying out the NYC area.

Not always good when you check bags.

Many of those countries weren't willing to pay the prices that the manufacturers were able to get in the US. People can complain about drug prices all they want but you won't get "latest and greatest" as readily as the US gets now.

Throw in all the space hogs - deck chairs, theater seats, buffet tables, etc. Then the buffet slobs. And people who will run you over with scooters to push in front for elevators. And loud drunks. And worst of all, people who don't wear tuxes in the dining room!

I had those last year on a cheapo Carnival cruise, they were pretty much bolted to the wall leaving the porthole window unblocked.

Going along for that reason shows that the "ceremony" is simply a sham, a vanity exercise. We have more respect for each other than that.

People comment on here all the time about value. The charge for the "ceremony" is outrageous.

If my wife dropped the $500 minimum on that (plus gratuity no doubt) I'd jump overboard. Think what else you could do on a cruise with that money. If you're into that sort of sentimentality, do it at home with family and friends.