Bitterman

We were there in June on Norwegian and used lifeboats off the ship. They ran every 20-30 minutes or as soon as they got full. Very efficient for us and didn't have to wait much at all.

 

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My Daughter and her Daughter will be traveling with us on the Escape this weekend 25th of November. They do not have the same surname. Will we need something from the girls Father giving his permission to travel, and if so, what should it say.

 

Thanks in advance.

My 16 year old step daughter has a different last name than her mom and I. We went on a Canadian cruise this June on the Gem out of NYC and didn't even think about the fact that the names being different might cause problems. When we went to check in it did though. Thankfully we had a very nice and helpful ticket agent AND my step daughter had her health insurance ID card on her that showed both her name and her mom's name. The ticket agent had to go to her manager to get approval to issue us our keys and let us onboard. Thankfully it all worked out.

 

Definitely call NCL and find out their exact requirements for a minor traveling with a parent that has a different name!

 

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Don't know what ship you're on but I would recommend bringing your own. Price is one reason but condition is another. I don't think many of the humidors onboard have been properly maintained. The selection is never that great either.

 

There is no snipping fee. You might even have trouble finding anyone with a cutter.

 

And "The Cigar Lounge?" Ha! They should just rename them "The Cigarette Lounge" because almost everyone in there is smoking cigarettes, not cigars. The signs on some of the doors still say "Cigar Smoking Only"...but NCL gave up enforcing that years ago.

TexasCigarGuy pretty much summed it up. We were on the Gem in June. As a last night of the cruise treat I went down and got a cigar and a Patron Silver from the bar next to the cigar lounge. Cigar selection was pretty small but at least the one I got wasn't dried out. I got a Romeo Y Julieta 1875. I think it cost around $11 or so for the stick.

 

Had to get a guillotine and matches from the bar as well. More cigarette smokers coming and going than cigar smokers hanging out.

 

If you plan to have several cigars over the length of the cruise you'd be better off bringing your own supply IMO.

 

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If you are booked with a TA, you may not get the opportunity, because some TA's opted out of the program.

We did use a TA so that could explain what happened, err, didn't happen, to us!

 

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We were on the Gem in June for a Canada/ New England cruise. We had two balcony rooms and neither of us got the upgrade invite, either on the website or in an email. Oh well, lol

 

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Kings Wharf has some pubs and restaurants that are good, plus the Bermuda Rum Cake Company, Dockyard glassworks, and the National Museum of Bermuda, all worth checking out at least once.

 

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Interesting...we're going to be at King's Wharf on the Carnival Elation on April 11 and 12, but it's not listed on the schedule!

I think this info is from a third party site and not official Bermuda issued info, so there is certainly a chance it's not complete or 100% accurate.

 

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Right now it looks like my wife and I will be flying to Bermuda for a 5day / 4 night vacation in April or early May. Can some one here on CC help me avoid days when the largest cruise ships will be in port? I know from April on there are no days when there would be no ships docked. I'm fine with small ships but would like to avoid overlapping with some of the 4000+ passenger ships. I am hoping most of the huge ships do not start docking until mid May? Any suggestions ? What days of the week might be best to build my vacation around? Thank you.

Found this schedule for Kings Wharf/Heritage Wharf, which is where the big ships would dock.

 

http://crew-center.com/kings-wharf-bermuda-cruise-port-schedule-2018

 

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From outside the US the caller dials 1.732.335.3280. They will be prompted to enter which ship and provide a credit card for the charge. I don't know how much it costs. Enjoy your cruise!

That's Dial A Ship. The person calling the ship is charged $7.95 a minute! That will call the ship and they will try to connect you directly to the persons cabin phone. If nobody answers the operator can take a message and have it delivered to the room.

 

Toll free number for Dial A Ship is 888-627-4477 although that might be for US only.

 

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We are currently booked in an oceanview and considering upgrading for a balcony. This would be our first time in a balcony room, and I'm wondering a few things:

1. What are the balconies like on Gem? Is the railing high? Glass or bars? My concern is, of course, with the kids' ability to fall over. They are old enough to know better (10 and 11) but I still don't want it to be easy to do if horsing around or something.

2. How much do you all use your balconies? Just unsure of how often it will be used and if it's worth it. We are traveling with other people, so the introvert in me loves the idea of having a little place to escape and read in peace and quiet if I want to :halo:

We've been on the Gem twice, first in an Oceanview, and this past June in a balcony. The balcony is definitely worth the upgrade, you get the bigger room plus the balcony. We used the balcony a fair amount. It's nice if you want some fresh air, you can just go outside there instead of having to leave your room and go outside to a public area.

 

As mentioned there is a glass barrier, about four feet tall or so. Also for the Gem try to get a balcony on Deck 10. That way there are only rooms above and below you, no clubs or restaurants, etc. We had Deck 10 aft, near the elevators and stairs. It was quiet and easy to get around from.

 

The pic is not the best, this is from about the fifth day of the cruise after they installed new carpet in our room and changed out some furniture.

 

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This, we just did this on the Gem in June. We actually just told our waiter when the birthday person went to the restroom. You can't choose or custom design a cake but what they bring out is fine.

 

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Also FYI, this was at Cagney's, but I'm sure it would be the same at any restaurant.

 

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When you check in at the podium, tell the host/hostess it is your friend's birthday. The waiter will be told and at dessert a small cake will be presented while waiters sing Happy Birthday.

This, we just did this on the Gem in June. We actually just told our waiter when the birthday person went to the restroom. You can't choose or custom design a cake but what they bring out is fine.

 

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In the US you need a Rx.

 

Not entirely true. You can buy antibiotics, cheaply, in the US without an Rx. Thomas Labs Fish Mox Forte, 500mg Amoxicillin, USP approved, 100 count bottle for about $27. Same exact capsules you'd get at the pharmacy except it's sold as an animal med.

 

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Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cucina my wife and I loved

Those are the three we usually do as well although some in our group on our last cruise went to Moderno instead of Le Bistro and loved it. :-)

 

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Verizon's voice and txt rates for cruise ships:

 

International Travel Voice

 

$2.99/minute

 

International Travel Messaging

 

Text

(SMS)$0.50 Sent / $0.05 Received

Multimedia Messages

(MMS)$0.25 Sent / $0.25 Received

 

Data is so ridiculously priced it's not even worth considering.

 

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I'm also from NY and have an Enhanced license. If your state issues an Enhanced license it is compliant and can be used for air travel. Why NY is "under review" is because of our "standard" licenses, not the Enhanced. NY has fairly recently redesigned their licenses but for sure not everybody has the new design.

 

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I should also have specified the enhanced license works for "domestic air travel" only. The only thing you can fly international on is a real passport. :-)

 

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Thanks for the answers. mking - I am also in NY. From the link that you posted, it sounds like our "Real ID" compliance status is under review but my current EDL is still acceptable for cruising. My teens also have the Enhanced ID cards. I will definitely bring our birth certificates too, sounds like that works for closed loop cruises. Next year we are all getting passports!

I'm also from NY and have an Enhanced license. If your state issues an Enhanced license it is compliant and can be used for air travel. Why NY is "under review" is because of our "standard" licenses, not the Enhanced. NY has fairly recently redesigned their licenses but for sure not everybody has the new design.

 

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Hi - has anyone traveled on ncl lately without a passport, only an enhanced drivers license? I've done it before to the Bahamas and Bermuda, and most recently on Carnival to Canada. I reviewed the WHT1 government info for the US and Bahamas and looks like it is still fine. I just did my online check-in for my Nov BA cruise to the Bahamas and EDL was not available to choose as my form of ID. Makes me a little nervous :confused::o

 

Thanks!

I used my Enhanced NY driver license on our NCL cruise to Canada back in June with no problems. In fact, although I did have my actual passport, I used the enhanced license for entry back into the US just to test it out. The Border Patrol officer said to me "oh, you have one of those fancy licenses", lol.

 

Remember though that it's always a good idea to bring your real passport when going out of country in case you have to fly back in an emergency.

 

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Might not be everyones cup of tea but it is a museum that interests me. I intend to visit the museum on my next trip to Bermuda.

 

The more things to do at the Dockyard the better.

I will check it out our next time as well. Not sure about the wife though, lol.

 

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That's pretty cool!

 

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We have always taken the cruise lines insurance but the more I read, the more I think I should be dropping that and buying private insurance. Ive looked into it but the choices are staggering. On insuremytrip only two options (both Nationwide) have cancel for any reason and the higher priced one is only 18/each more than NCL insurance. Seems that would be the way to go!

 

Looking at NCL's coverage, it appears they have cancel for any reason as well. Has anyone done an in depth comparison that can summarize differences for me and make my decision easier on which to go with?

 

Are there better options than those listed on insuremytrip that I should look into?

 

Thanks!

We use Travel Insured International.

 

https://www.travelinsured.com/

 

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I'm going to disagree. This tour was VERY disappointing. A lot of driving and VERY rushed atop Cadillac Mountain. One of the worst excursions I've ever taken.

Yeah, it was pretty bad. As I said in other reviews I would not recommend it.

 

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Hi, looking forward to our cruise on Norwegian Gem on 7th Oct. Haven't sailed on her before. Want to see The Colours of the Fall, not sure if leaves are turning yet in America? Can we use US dollars in Canada?

We were on the Gem to Canada in June. Most if not all shops in the port areas took US currency, but you'll likely get your change back in Canadian dollars. We did do some cash transactions but mostly used cards. If you plan on doing a lot of cash transactions the courteous thing to do would be to get a bunch of Canadian currency and use that instead of US dollars.

 

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You're going have to pay a lot of money no matter what if you want to use your cell phone while actually at sea. How many ports of call on your cruise? Your best bet would be to use your phone only while in port. AT&T and Verizon have plans that for a daily charge you use your current plan. When we cruised to Canada in the spring I used Verizon Travel Pass. For $5 per 24 hours I used my phone in Canada and it takes time/data of your normal plan. I believe AT&T has something similar. You're on a cruise...keep the phone use to a minimum and enjoy yourself! :-)

 

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1st week of October we are cruising on Serenity of the Seas to Maine and Canada. Deciding between our stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia to tour Peggy's Cove or to do a Fundy tour in Saint John, NB. We want to do a private tour only in one of these ports and can only afford one. So which port excursion would be recommended for getting the most bang out of our buck.? Many thanks[emoji846]

Was at both this past June. Saint John is a pretty city that was fun to walk around in but if you've never been to Peggy's Cove you should definitely do that one. Yes, odds are it will be crowded but there are reasons it attracts so many people!

 

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