sailingships

If NCL doesnt have buses to the train stations but they do have them to Heathrow go on one of those. The subway/underground/tube goes right to Heathrow. The Picadilly line goes from Heathrow to Kings Cross/St Pancras.

For East-West TAs we usually fly to another country about 10 days/2 weeks before and then travel around by trains ending up at the embarkation port about 3 days before. We use frequent flyer miles/points for a free trip to Europe. Sometimes we've done the prior 10 day etc to make it a B2B lot of cruises.

Never fly into Europe in time to get on the ship. Always go a few days early.

Sorry the art auctions and the movie repeats are on other cruise lines also.

The Gem was about 1/2 full in December, 1,200. Barcelona to NYC The next cruise (Dec 22) they were expecting 3,000 for the Christmas cruise in the Caribbean.

Ive been using my NP card or my VA card to get into the forts for years and they have always asked for extra ID. I just use my DL. They dont look at any signature just the photo. I wave both cards in front of them and they wave me and my party (4 can get in using an NP or VA card) on in without looking closely. We went to the forts 3X this year so far 2x on the B2Bs and another time on the Sky in early Jan. Each time, no hassle.

LOL I remember seeing that. The waves were also rolling and spraying quite high towards the rear wall. I wondered if anyone would break out the surf boards !!!

Yes It was great !!! We did a Partial Panama Feb 2017 and had wanted to do the whole Canal since then. We got to do the Canal TWICE in the one week !!!

If theyve brought back the 'Cane Train' shore excursion in St Kitts go on that one. It used to be fun. For San Juan if youre a veteran the forts are free for you and three others. Theyre run by the US National Parks. Use your VA card. Also if you have a National Parks card take it with you. Again you and three others can get into the forts for free.

The first time I cruised with NCL I sat next to a Diamond while we waited to board. She had the same-colored card as me, so it cant be the Latitude level.

Lucky you It means instead of one point a day towards the next latitude, you get three. Your usual one a day and two more.

I was on this cruise. Going through the Canal I discovered that the front wall in the Spinnaker only had European outlets, no American outlets or USB ports so we couldnt plug our cell phones in to recharge them as we took photos through the front windows. Luckily I had a regular plug with me and had recharged fully the night before in my cabin but some others hadnt. My phone lasted just to the end of the Canal. I was amazed that a ship with mostly American passengers wasnt set up to accommodate them. But as you said the Gem is an older ship.

We cruised in Alaska Sept 17-26 2019 and the whales were everywhere, playing, tails in the air, chasing each other etc. Glacier Bay etc They hadnt left yet. We saw them every day, didnt need a shore excursion. It was wonderful.

There used to be a small bar just by the Sheraton that did that for a small reasonable fee

We were there last week on the Sky. Maybe only the smaller ships ?

Well regardless of what status or supposed 'priority' anyone might think they have, for the Gem TA from Barcelona on Dec 8 had whomever was nearest the top of the lines going first to 'embark' onto the ship. The 9am time slots meant nothing to the Spanish workers. Anyone could check in any time.

The Channel is rough ? Did you get to La Coruna today ?

It was supposed to be Sept 2023 Did Carnival back the final date up ?

I'm a veteran. Every year at this time I get an Email from Carnival about special prices for cruises for military members and veterans. Except I cant use them. Theyre not for me. They either have my daughter's name and VIFP number or my underaged granddaughter. And if I call up and want to use the offer Im told my daughter has to cruise and I can go with her. But I cant use it myself. Carnival has my DD214 but that makes no difference I, the veteran in the house, cant book a cruise using the Email offer that was sent to MY Email. And Carnival refuses to change the situation. I just got off the phone for the 3rd year running. I was told I need to call tomorrow and it would be changed. Ive talked to Carnival for the last few years about this No dice. Now this in itself is bad. But consider these My non-veteran family members (who are quite welcome to use the offer with no proof that they are veterans), are not the only ones getting the Email. There must be many others who can take advantage of an offer that was meant for veterans just because someone received an Email with the non-veteran's name and VIFP number attached. While the veteran the Email was sent to cant because his name and VIFP number were not listed. Any other veteran have this problem ?

I dont do anything online that requires so much. I did the IDME thingy because it didnt need much to find me as a prior military member. I had confirmation right away. However years ago I faxed my DD214 to another cruise line so maybe the info was already online etc. The document had the SS# and a couple of other things blacked out at that time Im sure NCL will require our VA cards as part of our docs to board.

It was easy to do the ID.ME thingy. i didnt have to give my SS# or service # only branch rank and any date during my service years. I got confirmation right away. Then you have to agree to give the info to NCL I booked today for January Paid the whole thing but got the 10%

You had to change your notes by Sept 30 if you were in the UK. Here in the US my bank deposited my 50 and 20 GBP into my account as dollars. They are now using plasticy notes just like the 5 and 10 ones. I was in Belfast in 2018 and the cab driver from the airport wouldnt take my old 10 GBP. He told me to go to a bank or Post Office and change them. I had no trouble doing so. For the cab driver a 20 was still good.

I flew into Vancouver in 2019 and there were machines that Americans could use that sound like these you described. if the ones in LHR are the same they are easy to use and save hours. I try to avoid flying directly into London. One time I was in line for 6 hours at that airport. This was before Globel Entry etc