mking8288

Embarkation from "our" week (May 8th) wasn't too horrible for us, invoking Platinum (pier agents apparently clueless about Sapphire & Diamond, receiving no written instructions with their briefing, not on their clipboards ...) once I realized suites were meaningless to them for any sort of priority ... after going thru that single line for screening, security, and then Bermuda document checkers - just as described by @UKstages who sailed earlier as Haven ... But, we did see some guests being directed to bypass the line on the right side, to go straight to the next available agent doing the Bermuda docs checking. There was another area for those with missing, incomplete or zero TA on hand to get help & sort out the options. It was a lot better in March cruising the Getaway, as destination was PC, GSC and Nassau, Bahamas - went thru the whole 9 yards in about 20 to 25 minutes, worst being the security & initial screening once inside the building. It was disorganized, chaotic and confusing and not the way things used to be ... snaking thru the lines to move up, inches away sometimes from others who aren't masking (since it's no longer required or enforceable, whatever ...) didn't help, that's my personal risk impression/informal assessment) If only the Asst GM and or Asst GS manager would do a little management by walking the talk, get inside the cruise terminal and see for himself/herself, observe and evaluate as to what was working and not so good - they'll have a better sense of the frustration and disappointment from a customer standpoint. Accessible passengers using wheelchairs & walkers apparently, were able to keep left & skip the lines too, although it also looked inconsistent I think, as @shof515 just wrote, it's those (usually set to) "down" escalators - 2 of them in the far end of the cruise terminal, taking disembarking passengers from the pier "level" down to the street level of the terminal where luggages are sorted & laid out in color/tagged sections for pickup. Express Walk-Off passengers, I think, as we only did that once in recent years, do not take those escalators down - they take a different and shorter route to exit the terminal directly (straight from the pier/embarkation level - 2/F ) on the outside, on the south side of the pier complex - as they are taking all their bags & luggages with them, not permitted to enter the building & go downstairs. They are long elevators but not particular steeper than average, difficult to hold and balance when folks got oversized 24" or 25" plus bags that they try to take downstairs themselves. There are pier agents standing on top and on the bottom of the elevators, managing the flow & holding up the lines as needed - just in case someone lost their balance and/or didn't hold on tightly to their heavier luggage, sending it flying down the moving escalator steps ... possibly hitting & injuring someone in front and below them. When things are backed up, it spilled outside to the pier's walking path as there is also a long line for waiting to get into the passenger elevators for the accessible and the escort pushing them. Better (bright & high intensity) lighting in that area, especially as it lead down to the luggage "hall" at the bottom of the stairs, would also help. This, is, an issue with the terminal operator and responsible for the systems & functions of the piers - and NCL has even less control over that. Even with priority disembarkation, once they get you off the gangway from the ship - their job is considered basically done ... turn around to take the next waiting guests off the ship, and/or time to hurry and get those waiting to embark to get onboard. This time, the post-cruise eSurveys has space to write comments in and asked for feedback on "others" - and I didn't even blink and just write it up - NCL getting more "poor" grades on their performance feedback, maybe - just maybe, the higher up will pay attention. Break the code of silence, lately - it's consistently in-con-sistent and not acceptable.

What's new, I trust you are getting better. Susan and I doing fine, all things considered - we ordered takeout food & drove to the restaurant to pick it up, worn her KN95 plus the hand wash routines, etc. - to get some fresh air & stretch our legs, sheltering in place for 10 days and haven't gone anywhere. Since we got a decent inventory of home self-test kits, swab ourselves this Sunday and, as expected & not surprised - 2 lines shown (C and T, pretty solid & easily visible) with Abbott's On Monday, my BIL on prescribed antiviral from his PCP, swab at home and his result came up negative, his symptoms showed up much later than us and only then, his rapid results turned positive (negative from Sunday's disembarkation and also when he went to see his PCP 2 days later) - he is feeling fine and no longer self-isolating and sleep on a spare, converted sofabed, resumed his outdoor walking exercise. We figured that, while not & let's see if ours are now negative - hey, could do a last minute Memorial weekend cruise if we find a good deal ... Oops, no can't do. Antigen Rapid test (by Roche's - 20 minutes to read results) is positive (a faint solid line across, visible ... thus, 2 lines & valid) Apparently, we are no longer considered contagious and under current CDC and NYC-DOH guidelines, can go about normal routines without masking (past 10 days) and unnecessary to repeat these Antigen rapid tests again. One of the twin nieces that're probably, almost definitely exposed & infected via household contacts by the sis-in-law was given time off from work, and her HR dept wanted her to test negative before clearing her to return to the office ... their corporate policy is much stricter than healthcare employers. BTW, I'm not sure if anyone from our CC Roll Call from the 8th. were active or also using that social media, as more than the 1/2 of those that signed up or registered for the CC Meet & Greet came from that private group, few & most never registered on CC or had a screen name/ID ... and probably will not be regulars on CC, which is really annoying - IMHO. Apparently, more than a handful belonging to that group self-reported that post-cruise or after going home, tested positive for C-19 and commented on a thread. One of the group "admin" for the group deleted the entire "conversation" as being off-topic & unrelated to a different topic with the group - fine, protected & safeguard privacies and perhaps not risking HIPAA since names were posted. Testing after disembarkation isn't going to affect NCL's numbers for the cruise, it's the pre-embarkation & while onboard data that NCL is very careful with. Interesting, isn't it - I know we have to be and are reminded to be careful about "C" discussions here on CC or else. It's questionable how truthful of a picture we are getting about current covid cases onboard cruise ships and it is a very delicate balance to maintain & juggle for NCL. Caution is the operative phrase and best advice to share & pass along.

Nowadays, these upgrades do not get, by and large, any further or additional discounts (and, I'm doubtful about still being able to get a discount by waiting until Day 2 or even Day 3 to upgrade ... which I myself had done previously on a 14 nights with NCL) will be given, offered or applied by the billing system ... unless the iCafe manager onboard can override and do it - s/he has some discretion & more so that Guest Services behind the counter in the atrium lobby. Doing that after boarding, to us, also meant that we can use any and all NR (non-refundable) OBC to "pay" for these upcharges ... which was fairly substantial for our last cruise (earlier this month) vs. doing it prepaid upfront or in advance (as it will usually result in an immediate charge to the credit card used/on file already) - of course, it's convenient. Just reading your newest post/comment - answer is, IMHO, without looking at your "Summary" from earlier, is that - typically - it meant that it has been added to the reservation already and charged, billed at that point. But, if there was a problem with the bank processing the ACH payment - it might, could've resulted in a reversal or simply not going thru ... and NCL's system then removing the package(s) affected. NCL might or might not have made a best effort to alert, inform & amend your summary page. There should be an itemized summary of what you've paid or been charged against your credit card for the 250 minutes on the 2nd. device, plus the 2-step upgrade to unlimited from NCL, look thru your email or amenity confirmations, etc. to see if you can find it. Dispute the charges with your credit card issuer about it, that should prompt NCL to look deep into their system, and, if you're charged for services not rendered, they should credit it back & reverse it against your account balance.

OP, did you see the iCafe (internet) manager while onboard for assistance with the 2nd. device ? I know it's now after the facts and really going to be pulling hair to sort things out. Or, did the iCafe person not able to look into it and help, or send you to Guest Services instead? Did Guest Services suggest, at any given time, to see the iCafe manager during her/his (posted) office hours at the desk? If the billing system failed for whatever reasons pre-cruise to add the 2nd. device/package ... rejected or whatever ... once you are onboard, I'm reasonably sure that the browser-based link will present choices to buy, add and upsell you & everyone, anybody else interested in spending more money onboard, internet access in this case.

I have yet to see and read about applying or getting credit to upgrade using free minutes to change to a social media package cruising NCL. Best to speak and ask the iCafe manager onboard, such option is not offered online ahead of a booked cruise.

@lx200gps Bonjour, how's Montreal these days ... gotta tell another BIL/SIL as they relocated to the States some 25 years ago. Back on subject - Marriott, especially RI, Townplace & Springhills, our preferred & first choice when traveling, love their suites - Weehawkins location is excellent, across the river. Lots of places on NJ side to eat, great view of Manhattan skyline & sunrise - local traffic along the waterfront and its recent development/growth are another story ...Commuter ferry is quick & easy, good choice & won't take you 2 hours to come across. MCT/Pier 88 porters are there from 7:30 to 8 onward, just drop your checked bags anytime and do your morning sightseeing. Ships should/normally be docked there by 6 to 7 am, if not sooner and when things are fairly smooth (since we just ran into the USCG insection routines earlier this month, nothing else should come up - unless there's a norovirus outbreak that require deep cleaning & maybe a public health inspection, let's not wish for one) - go back to finish the check-in between noon and 1 pm ... typically can be onboard in as little as 20 to 30 minutes, in better times. Taste & Savor MDR should be open for sit-down lunch until 1:30 pm or for a slightly faster meal, head over to The Local ... soup, wings & a quick bite. Depending on your assigned Muster Station, report their to swipe your Guest Key Cards first, crew members stationed there will check you off - then, make your way to the stateroom, suite, or whatever ... our luggage were outside in the hallway by 3 pm, unpack & relax ...then, get ready for the sailway down the river, etc. Our friends, also from NYC, we met initially via CC at a M&G several years ago, are also on this sailing of yours (as part of a group charter - I believe) - they are Sapphire and recently joined the Roll Call - which doesn't appear too active (fairly common nowadays ...) Time is short, but someone within that group - even with limited prior "organizing" experience, should take it up and quickly put together a request with the rest, and arrange for a Meet & Greet, be sure everyone that attend get to mingle, chat & not just sit there ... do some kind of icebreakers. Group event will set up the meeting space to allow for social distancing, and everyone can be reminded to bring a mask along and wear them - I highly recommend doing so, if not urging ... Pack some sanitizing wipes along with hand sanitizers - toss them into the checked luggage ... and, washy washy. I feel many are running to Covid fatigue and burning out, easing and letting the guards down ... maybe, just maybe this wave will start to fade soon, until then - keep the highly contagious & fast spreading variants from catching up.

Look here for link and answers and optionally, I highly recommend that CC'er join the Roll Call as last minute info, update, changes & alert are off hot-off-the-press and posted there ... Multiple posts here within the past few days ... not helping either, except to scatter the details and make it confusing

As of this date, there are no amenities listed, whatsoever, on NCL's official website under SC and SP "suites" - time stamped/dated PDF list are not necessary going to be honored onboard the Joy, regardless - as far as I am concerned. Not to mention that the extra annoyance with priority check-in at MCT/Pier 88 in NYC (priority luggage tags were still available and also color luggage tags, although it does NOT say priority on them) Anyone making a new booking for these staterooms are going to get, nothing, zero, few if not extra perks (I remember the old days, getting both bath robes AND slippers - NCL managed to take away the disposable slippers ... annoying) Apparently, it was important to bundle things better for the China/Asian market to make it more appealing, but not for the Americas ... priced accordingly, whatever that meant from onboard (Joy) conversation ~ 10 days ago. Why bother beating a dead horse, IMHO. We gave it our try, paid for and stay in two SP suites - that's enough. Cancelled the future ones on the Joy as we are better off staying in a regular balcony and booking another one next door (connecting ones are harder) - depending on the decks, a nearby Inside or Forward Oceanview is fine, even better - get a party of 4 to 5, even 6 adults the extra, 2nd. bathroom ... actually, we can easily jam 3 plus 4 or even 5 for a total of 7 to 8, if 2 of them can climb up and use the upper bunk/drop-down from ceiling pullman to sleep at night. There will be a balcony to share and use. Lastly, apply two sets of CruiseNext certificates (up to 4 is possible, if booking balconies at 6 months out or with a valid promotional offer) - more "free" WiFi minutes than the suite, more Specialty Dining allowance, doubled the Shorex credits, and, of course, 4 Open Bar (UBP) with 2 staterooms. The more you think about it, the more these suites do not appeal anymore for some of us and not values-added as a good buy. Not to mention, as NCLH stock holders - booking 2 staterooms will get us another $100 in NR OBC - $200 instead of $100 for a suite, on a 7 nights itinerary. If you do these thru a T/A - s/he might match and toss in more OBC. I just feel bad for those that booked these a while back, now beyond final payment and caught between the rocks and hard places. NCL and Joy's Guest Services - are you paying attention at all ... I helped kick the tin cans back over and the hot potato is on someone's lap. I absolutely understood this is business ... but, don't turn this into a no-win situation, just because you can.

NCL doesn't have an apparent problems obtaining Haven passengers exclusive priorities to speed thru cruise teminal in NYC (Pier 88/MCT) nowadays - same as pre-Covid days - whether it's document checking, security screening, and of course, the private check-in and escorted boarding. Hence, SP and SC suite passengers should too, but ... same port contractors doing it. Wait, maybe, someone isn't giving clear & specific written instructions and/or communicating to the NCL "agents" on the pier. The same agents that recognize Latitudes Platinum memberships and also Casino At Sea passengers or guests ... Maybe, the mess is a direct/indirect result of manpower shortage and staffing level ... we saw fewer stations opened & manned. NCL Guest Relations onboard acknowledged it, knew and heard from "us" and claimed to share/past it up their chain of command to address it - maybe, just maybe - we should - hopefully - soon see positive changes. Fingers crossed - maybe the next 1 or 2 Joy roll call will bring good news back. @lx200gps As far as SD reservations, you can book it onboard and there're plenty of availability on dates & times, especially the early ones (5:30 pm) even after Day 1. Getting there later than usual to try to avoid the crowd is a smart move, and if you show up at 12:45 or 1 pm - should be able to quickly get thru as the herd would all be packed like sardines in the Garden Cafe or buffet by then. More importantly, wear your fitted KN95 or KF94 masks indoors and whenever there's a crowd, ship's elevators and in the theater - use hand sanitizers if hand wash with soap & running water isn't possible.

Heads up - anyone sailing soon (not yet cruising) on the Joy in either SP or SC "suites" - please check and advise, confirm whether you still see your (modified/amended ??) included amenities - could well be my browser, but not seeing any reference to them anymore ... at least NOT when I tried a new Joy mock booking, to competitively compare prices against other stateroom combo. NCL couldn't possibly eliminated them entirely moving forward, right ?? But, wait a minute, yes - they can and with almost everything else taken off and dropped ... might as well also discontinue priority embarkation or disembarkation, etc. - don't provide bath ropes and slippers. By with an optional upcharge, a deluxe upgrade, for your convenience, of course ... Sorry, apologize for the attempted humor.

Yes, I take full responsibilities for doing this "mini-series" - purely not planned or intentional. Next round, just going to post food pictures & screenshots, nothing more; maybe, emoji - that's it. My sense is NCL are edging theirs higher, now that CDC rules are being amended. The next several sailing should reveal more - families with children & teens have been restless & kept out for 2 summers now - anything and everything go. NY has just 1 ship for the better half of June, entire July and beginning of August until the younger ones resume classroom learning. Not seeing bargain prices for Miami with BA, nothing dirty cheap and/or with solo deals - times've changed. See some deals now for GA out of Port Canaveral, solo priced, Open Bar, SD (for 1, one night) and WiFi - all inclusive under $1,250 plus DSC, airfare with DL on your own. Not bad at all. Get your Amex offers & NCLH OBC rebated - just roll the dices with risk of tropical weather & hurricane as things do warm up by August.

@njhorseman Thanks, Paul - useful and very helpful link - we are out of iHealth ourselves (would've given us 3 month extensions) got some Abbott ones (was 12 months thru next march - 3 more months, woohoo - if we don't use them before) ... not seeing Roche on the latest list yet, goin' to check before they expire this August. Got 4 more boxes / 8 free test kits coming via USPS, just shipping dated to delivery this week from Newark NJ warehouse/shipping point - let's see who made this free batch (apparently, they just processed & ship what's in stock)

On whether we would unquestionably book these "SP" Family "Suites" (Insides - 2BR/2BA w virtual Balcony) - short answer/conclusion that we've reached as a group of 6, is a simply "No" That is, we will NOT book them again or pay more for these - as much as we loved & enjoyed the extra space. Without going to a lengthy discussion, we are better off booking a "standard" or regular balcony, maybe 2 of them if there are 4 of us, maybe even for 5 adults - nobody has to climb to the upper bunk/pullman - it will cost about the same, if not less. We can apply a CruiseNext certificate to each (thus, DoubleUp essentially anytime without being restricted or while within a promo period) AND we can obtain NCLH stockholder's NR OBC for each of the stateroom, thus $200 OBC in total instead of just one or $100 OBC to the suite. Furthermore, better leverage on the "free" WiFi minutes (600 minutes with 4 guests, first 2 in each balcon x 2 = 4 allowance times 150 minutes = 600 airtime minutes worth of satellite data) and of course, the SD or Specialty Dining plan or allowance. SP (and, probably true for the "SC" for the most part) really give us no significant value-added perks or benefits - aside from the upscaled bath & bedroom products - not even a complimentary "carton" of Just Water each, based on the # of registered paying guests in each suite. Save the "treats" delivered twice a week by Room Service, that's a joke not worth the time. Lastly, did NCL just changed & eliminated the description of remaining SP (SC) perks, still included last month - because, I just checked now doing a mock booking - everything else left, now gone ??? oops ... not even priority disembarkation/embarkation (or, special luggage tags) or linens/bath products, bedding and bath robes/slippers. That's the near ultimate self-destruction, IMHO of a half-decent product, exclusive to the Joy. Anyone that booked it earlier, please fact-check and reconfirm, do a screenshot of what's included, just in case - and, don't hesitate to speak to/call/see Guest Services once onboard to let them know (as I could be misinformed ... ) Well, how about dropping the price further for new booking - it's almost no better than one of the larger Family Oceanviews that sleep 4, up to 5 in some but with one bathroom only. At least, the large windows is real & transparent, not virtual and sometimes offline ... Personally, we just cannot and won't recommend these "suites" not anymore. Instead, mix and match with 2 balconies, balcony and an oceanview (forward ones on select decks), balcony and an inside (for children & teens) - maybe, even two regular oceanviews - these variations are better deals ahead. The only advantage, they are classified as (still) being suites - 2 points per night as booked, while it last & remain unchanged for now. Advantages - use 2 CruiseNex (4 with DoubleUp promo) and $200 OBC possible if both regular staterooms are booked by 2 NCLH stock holders, 600 free WiFi minutes (for 2 rooms x 2 per room x 150 minutes each) and 2 sets of Specialty Dining offers - not to mention the Beverage offers for 4 adults instead of 2 (just b/c we aren't drinkers, others do ...) (P.S.) Of course, one can debate and take the stance the "current" pricing of these suite is unique to the Joy and appropriately set - supply & demand economics. Moving along, that explained - now that all bookings are subject to penalties for change/cancel - more than 75% remain vacant / unsold out of 31 SP ... on a given sailing.

@sassycruiser - Dear lord 😳 Get better and feel better, and you should - will - just like us, being vaxxed & boosted made a difference. DW had questioned me in having a portable SPO2 meter at home for 2+ years already, now she understood along with digital fever probe. Get extra Vitamins C and D into your systems, it helps with the supplements to help restore our body. We should be past our 10 days shortly and relieved later this week, as even 2 of us have been masked up indoors and nobody else around, doing & singing washy washy - extra cleaning & wiping down high-traffic contact surfaces ... running our HEPA filters on high (from the 9/11 days ... yulp) Excellent idea and best practices to self-isolate or quarantine, better safe than sorry later on. P.S. Felt bad that we never got a chance to mingle & greet fellow CC'ers at the onboard M&G ... perhaps, in the future on another cruise. It was the worst one that I've attended over the years.

@dcipjr Great to hear from you and sharing the update ... we are probably somewhere between 80% to 95% today, tired more easily than usual - perfect excuse to sleep more. Vitamins C & D, fluid and remote surfing on the streaming Chromecast TV, haha - home FiOS at 300/300 just blown that satellite WiFi away. Self tested last Wednesday (knew it was too early) as positive and even yesterday afternoon, both remained positive - no B2B for anyone if caught in similar situations, unless onboard testing somehow slipped under the cracks ... I remember sitting in the dark Joy Theater with our masks on, just before curtains up, hearing quite a few coughs all around there. Thus far, the elderly sisters managed to remain negative & BIL is doing well - b/c of his risk factors, his PCP prescribed antiviral just in case ... our PCP just said, stay home & don't go anywhere for next 7 to 10 days (mask up if going for essentials.) Nurse friend of mine caught it recently at work (and, they are typically up with better PPE, N95 and the works) spent not a week at home, took an extra week of personal time off from vacation days to rest & recover ... almost as if, it's not when, just a matter of time, sooner or later, maybe here & now is better. Cannot believe that we are using up some of our soon-to-expire test kits already (didn't want to grab more & waste them) - now that we wanted to test ourselves, they are going quick ... as least mostly free, except 2 boxes that I ordered & paid for from iHealth (used up now) early on. Good thing is, ordered our 3rd round of free tests (8 kits, shipping in 2 packages) arriving this Wed, USPS just updated status - so we should have it on hand - ones from Abbott Labs are good for a years, others only for 6 months (read about some being extended ... not sure if ours will) Our health plan will cover home tests free ... DW might be calling our friendly local pharmacy to find out how & what's in stock, just don't like to do the reimbursement deal if we can take a short cut. Joy is the only Norwegian ship in town this summer until late August, unless you are looking at Baltimore or Cape Liberty with other lines ... Maybe, Red Hook in Brooklyn ... DW has been whispering Alaska, 2023 season in my ears. And I got United flight miles to cash in ... Cruise ships - fortune teller like me - think, are going to get fuller & fuller in the coming peak summer weeks - lucky timing for us to cruise under 50% - don't even want to start seriously thinking what our Fall cruise will be like, too much in the unknown & unpredictable column. By then, immunity protection will - experts believe - probably slide downward again and due for a 4th - booster ... maybe, they will have newer vaccine "blend" to account for the changing variants. Definitely going to get our seasonal influenza shot by then - tetanus is the other booster due. As for monkeybox, not worried at all and thankfully, no longer need to do annual PPD to satisfy work requirement, but for other reasons, chest XR earlier this winter is clear & clean, no worries. Joy's live shipcam, Ch. 12 onboard remained offline and still not available for passengers onboard - per this week's "live" roll call update this morning, after they docked in Norfolk, VA.

NP and thank you, sir, for your uniform service as Memorial Day is coming up next. Suffice to say, we got time to address the mess at MCT - I believe we are going to, with the help of at least a handful of seasoned NCL cruisers embarking & disembarking in the coming weeks, that we'll get a better sense of how things are. Norwegian Joy is the only NCL ship sailing from/to NY in the next 2 months - all eyes on her (there is also the East Coast destination forum) until additional NCL ships come to the city, starting up the busy Canada/New England itineraries - which, should have more simplified & smoother protocols for boarding or embarkation. Bermuda's TA requirement is (was) the extra obstacles that, IMHO, presented challenges for unsuspecting cruisers - "command and control" was not there on the ground (pier) as it happened. Pre-board Covid testing is another one, but depending on ... many of which beyond NCL and "our" control - isn't a major obstacles and NYC has many free resources to get tested, for all travelers & visitors alike ... Antigen Rapid results will do. Good news, we'll chat and continue on this September's Roll Call, as it get closer - our best friends are onboard too, it's their first post-pandemic cruise and very nervous, short of holding their hands to follow ... together, we'll get thru it. I am reasonably confident that we, here on CC, isn't going to let things go, not if we can help shape things. There are plenty of expertise, not just us ... we will see to it that NCL hear our concerns, one way or another - I just finish my post-cruise eSurvey and gave them more than an earful, whether the "bots" pass it up the chains of command to customer care, remains to be seen. It's less than 120 days now and if you have Specialty Dining as part of the cruise package, you can book it now, ahead ... online. Let's move some of the chat over to the Roll Call.

NYC's Dept of Health (DOHMH) has an established and proven partnership doing free & confidentail Covid-19 testing since the early pandemic days and remains committed until whenever, regardless of one's residency or legal status or insurance, etc. Anyone can get tested at a convenient location nearby, within the 5 boroughs (counties) of NYC - at fixed brick-n-mortar sites, mobile locations and other community partner's site - most do not require or need advance appointments and no reservations are needed. If there is an upsurge for testing, lines can be long and wait time beyond 30 minutes to 1 hour - we've waited during the peak back in January, at a mobile site for nearly 2 hours. Typically, both Antigen Rapid and PCR tests are done when specimens are collected, Rapid results within 30 minutes on average and PCR in 1 to 2 days now, was up to 3 or 4 days - keep in mind, 100% free and no charge, including visitors from abroad. There are mobile test locations (indoors) as well mobile van (mini-bus) running from dusk to dawn, 5 days a week, some are 6 or 7 days a week - excluding major legal holidays. The only requirement is to have a working mobile or cellular phone number, an email address for the secured results and a smartphone to use/display the QR code(s) - answer a few, quick screening questions and using your unique user ID, the tests is done and processing on the spot begin. Nobody can predict whether these will continue and remain unchanged this September - probably is my best guess or answer for now. It is an option, free and easy, and the results acceptable for air travel AND cruising - the reporting format met the requirements. They have locations or mobile sites at both LGA Airport (domestic flights) and JFK Int'l Airport (international and domestic flights) set up near the parking lot, easy for travelers to get to and find. There are also other pop-up tents, some are run by FQHC (federally funded & qualified community health centers) in various neighborhoods and some by major public, private & not-for-profit/voluntary health care systems or networks, for free (or, they will bill one's insurance company - not requiring deductibles) - they aren't as organized centrally and easy to find or use. This is what I recommend - we've used them at different times with ease and 100% comfortable with the personal biographical & medical info asked and collected - https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/covid-19-testing-sites/

Short answer, yes for the re-po.

Welcome home, Sharon - that's a great report, short & concise, to the point. Did you find the coffee on the Joy being strong, which isn't to everyone's liking - loved it. Here she goes - sailing down the Hudson again, took a peek again - destination Norfork, tomorrow. Oh, yes, we got $50 OBC being Sapphire too. Those that are Platinum were issued $25 only by stopping at the CruiseNext desk - did you fetch (another) Latitudes Sapphire pin ? Purchased more CruiseNext - they're taking advantage of it, seeing us there. Did you go to the CN/Latitudes cocktail reception ? Good on testing negative, on social media - some didn't report testing positive until days later after coming home ... just be a little careful for next 2 to 3 days to be sure. But, it's no big deal since we are boosted, etc. Still easily tired, doing more afternoon naps. Speaking of Haven, it was full last week and sold up (upgraded) for today - definitely going to be packed again in the weeks ahead. False sense, IMHO, of health & safety, security that one is better "protected" or better odds of being exposed to the latest subvariant. Just for fun, attaching our offer to (upgrade advantage) bid up to Haven ... sales offer, reduced bidding (LOL) but not going to happen hereon. Bonnie, next up - yeah, Bermuda-bound ships are going get more crowded now that the final submission & approval for TA is being modified - uptick in prices for June, definitely noticed - colleges are out. Joy's double occupany max is around 3,900 but when sailing full with extra berths, somewhere around 4,200 to 4.400 isn't unheard of ... Even last week, people were jamming into elevators, especially at the end of the shows from the Joy Theater. Knowing you aren't crazy about masking up, please be careful ... Our good CC friends from Bayside following, Hi, M & A - we had a weekend brunch with them not long ago, and they are trying to be as prepared as they can, and careful in going about it.

@SeekingKillerWhales! - Looks like you are from Washington State and understood your nearest CVS is 2 hours each way and you are 3 days away from cruising, bon voyage. Replies to find or go to an "urgent care" at popular city centers in the Americas, not for you, however. Relax - you have good info above already. Edit: Another challenge/problem, lately, is that both CVS and Walgreen (being merged/taken over by WG) stopped doing Antigen Rapid or NATT testing, only offering PCR testing in many places ... until the next wave, surge hit (again). I wish we have a CC "Sticky" on cruiseline testing, at least specific to NCL because, Norwegian's wording on acceptable is at best incomplete & misleading, evasive and confusing at the least. They offer testing at the pier check-in, for a $$ fee (Euro Fin is NCL's partner in NY) if all else can't and as a last resort, kind of not being fully helpful to some, with their wordings. Details about using iHealth's optional proctored services - $24.99 for 1 service (1 person) and be sure to have extra, unopened iHealth test kits available to use. https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service? Just one problem this morning, when I checked - "sold out" meaning, most likely - their online testing slots are 99.5% fully booked now, check back later or tomorrow. But, grab those available test kits from your source first, make sure they are still valid (good for 6 months from date of production). The other option, is, at you said - what about getting it tested free & using the results. Well, as long as the written report and its content generated the required data, it should be accepted - should. We cruised twice recently, both free, using local public health partner's lab services - they're perfectly fined, it wasn't from Inspire - but another lab services "PRL NYC" and it is widely accepted and recognized. I'm attaching an edited, blank report - same ones we've used recently (March & May) to board our NCL cruises here in N.Y.C. - no problem whatsoever as it clearly showed the negative results from free Antigen Rapid testing (actually, we also got negative reports from the PCR tests, collected at the same time and took less than 36 hours to digital email reports back.) From our recent Roll Call, another CC from PA used his employer's health services from a major university, they're able to test, generate & issue a negative report for him to use; and, it was accepted & use for pier check-in and boarding (2 days prior to). I'm also 99% sure he submitted the same to obtain Bermuda (online) Travel Authorization, within 2 to 4 days of the cruise.

Graphics & charts - from Windy App & ship's live webcam and navigation channel data - predictive forecasts & what it was like last week. This weekend's return ( 5 to 6 days from now ) might be another bumpy ride at sea. Path from Monday thru Tuesday, Norfolk to Dockyard is likely a close one too. Might 🫣 The Atlantic hurricane season hasn't officially started yet 😳

Port of Call - Bermuda, the islands: since we are reasonable familiar and know our ways of getting around, we just took advantage of NCL's free ferry service as scheduled, across the dock from the ship to get to St. George on the East End (and, back) Took the Bermuda Fast Ferry service ($5 each way, paid cash - less when buying the token (inside Clocktower Mall & in the city's ferry terminal) to get into town. The local public bus service is also an excellent way to get around, easy to learn and use - drivers and residents alike on ferry & buses are friendly and helpful, need help - just ask and don't forget, say "thank you." Masks when using on the transit system and select indoor locations, per posted signs, are required and/or recommended - respect their home rules. NCL's once somewhat reasonable prices for popular shore excursions are no longer true, worst - grossly overpriced these days for captive audiences - we, the cruise ship passengers often have limited choices & time to fuzz about it. CruiseNext/Shorex Desk onboard will happily assist and offer theirs ... there was no long lines stretching to the elevators on the last day signing for more certificates, good sales pitch, however. Do your homework and research, check the destination forum for Bermuda here on CC first, and plan ahead - don't forget the time zone difference to avoid being inducted into the Dockyard Pier Runner's Club ... become infamous stars on social media & Youtube, going to be an expensive & hard lessons. Standards of living are high, very high in Bermuda, perhaps more than San Francisco and New York City - thus, not really a place to shop & buy things, except for souvenirs and essentials. Along Front Street in Hamilton, about 1/3 of the shops & places remained closed, some out-of-business permanently (surely, partially b/c of the global pandemic hitting the economy hard) sad to walk on the waterfront & see gates down & windows boarded up, some are being remodeled & opening soon. St. George's too affected by fewer visitors till recently - there (used to) should be a free walking tour of the area, done by locals when we're there 4 or 5 years ago - stopping at the Old Church & a few other places, some up on the hill, very interesting & informative, with 2 stores for shopping along the way. NCL has port stops planned during the winter months of 2022-23, going to be interesting, around the holidays (as I recall.) Cellular services in Bermuda - 4G / LTE coverage is very good to excellent on the island, reachable from most decks & open spaces onboard the ship (higher deck, perhaps signal strength is marginal) - planning for 5G addition, but not there yet. Our Google Fi and T-Mobile roaming coverage was great, as usual, via BTC, the local partner - much, much faster & better, stronger than ship's satellite coverage for sure. It might drop to 3G coverage, depending on your mobile device's radio bands but still usable, just slower but still, edge over ship's WiFi signals. Disadvantage, if you have an inside cabin (that included our Family - Inside - Suite, no cellular signal at all - back to WiFi). Disembarkation in N.Y. - even if our family suites do not provide or discontinue "Priority Disembarkation" - our Sapphire/Platinum status will (should) give us the same, with specially colored luggage tags (ours were delivered & placed in our stateroom, probably by our steward - 2 nights before reaching NY) and a letter with written info & instructions on how, when & where ... choice of being in the Express & Self Walk-Off group or the slower, Luggage checked & wait until they are taken off the ship & readily lined in downstairs in the ship terminal, before taking the shortcut to the gangway for a faster exit, sort of "cutting" the lines. We waited, after our traditional morning disembarkation breakfast in Savor first, then, when ready & announced, took a quicker route to the AFT elevators & Up first, then down to Deck 7 by the MDR, for an almost no line, no crowd, no wait exit thru security to the nearby gangway, closest to the escalators & elevator (used by escorted, accessible passengers and those with heavy, bulky luggage) down to the "street level". Once inside, easy to collect our luggage together & find a porter with a cart, and help us "pushed" toward the exclusive lane for an easier CBP passport check, worth the extra tipping to head out to/crossing 12th Avenue at W. 48th Street, where our booked Carmel car services were soon pulling up to get us home. That's next to the official yellow Taxi Stand (wasn't sure if a dispatcher was on duty) - beware, there are no Uber "dispatchers" whatsoever - in or out of uniform, with a clipboard and/or wearing an orange safety vest - scam artists loitering there, ignore the hustlers & keep walking, use the Uber app to book ground transportation. These, should, cover just about everything the typical NCL cruisers sailing in NY and going to/from Bermuda in 2022 should know of and find helpful to know ahead, to minimize surprises - things are changing, do change and might not be ever be the same again - use the details & info as a general guide & reference for a smoother experience. Thanks for following and reading - questions, comments, suggestions, ideas on what else to include or add, and requests are welcome & appreciated. P.S. We are doing better each & every day, healthwise - thanks to our boosted vaccine protections - remain self-isolating at home & still taking precautions, will take a new round at Antigen Rapid test soon to see - plenty of quality masks to use.

Odds & Loose Ends and Misc. - these will be short & concise, unless otherwise indicated. Norfolk, Virginia - scheduled port stop on Day 2, missed it (due to inclement maritime weather, etc.) Mother nature always win and I / we knew the odds changed by end of the pre-cruise weekend, that wasn't looking good. Rough sea conditions & large waves forecasted in the Atlantic plus urban flooding, etc. - less than 50:50 odds. Won the call and everyone lost - but, also meant that anyone that would've gone ashore must then get C-19 tested (free by NCL) once back onboard, starting the afternoon of Day 2 ... not fun. Plan for us, to stay onboard - will go to Virginia Beach some other time & not worth the hassle to walk around the cruise terminal and waterfront, etc. Sure enough, as soon as the gangways were up & doors shut, it was announced onboard that we aren't going & will be sailing direct to Bermuda, partially to avoid and evade the worsening weather - per the Captain's words over ship's PA system. However, not exactly "warned" about very rough sea state and 30+ ft. waves overnight well into the next day. From maritime forecast data, charts & external data - know this isn't an easy walk thru the park ... rock-n-roll time, get those motion-sickness remedies ready, Bonine time for the group. Let's eat dinner (MDR) early and prepare ourselves - call an early night & see if we can sleep thru it. Well, you know the rest of the story - following along since the beginning of this "Semi-Live" (if not go back) Going to add a few screenshots from one of my favorite global travel apps, not it is not Google Map, Waze or Translate ... it's the "Windy" App on iOS and Android. Looks nasty & it was a huge weather system that the ship might need to run from, blast thru at full speed or otherwise, go around & divert ?? We "should" be in good hands, trust the bridge to do the right things - safety first. Things started shaking by late evening, just as we're getting ready to sleep before midnight and progressively worsen - continued overnight into the morning, metals against metals, lots of noises behind thin walls & overhead ceiling panels, bathroom's soft-touch sliding doors began dancing on its own, slamming closed & opening. By late morning, things began to ease up from 30 ft. waves down to 20' to 25' - by the night we finished room service hot breakfast. By 2 pm, only 10' to 15' sea state, time to do a late lunch at The Local, folks are slowly emerging & coming out again. Coming dinner time ... seas even calmerm at 8' to 11' - it's all good, but plenty of stories & memories. Calculated difference in port taxes, fees, charges & misc. expenses collected by NCL, for stopping at and not stopping at Norfolk - about $17 for 2 passengers, $26 for our suite with 3, that might be adjusted and refunded as NR OBC. Not - apparently, previous sailings that recently missed going their (Getaway and the Joy ??) also did NOT receive any credits. NCL just kept it, didn't say a word about it. Bummer - Score: F for transparency. It's not about small sum involved, rather a matter of principles & being open and honest or simply a goodwill gesture. What if, folks had independent tours and car rentals booked, lunch planned or purchased advance tickets to see Colonial Williamsburg, etc. That's why, we're going to just "wing it" or wait-n-see, paid NCL tours were automatically refunded ... everyone & everything else, bite your nails. Garden Cafe (Buffet) - Designed, configured and setup different and being in the Forward/Mid section on Deck 16, above the Observation Lounge - it is refreshing to have open into more than 15 "food stations" across the middle, starboard to port side. Crew members stationed at the entrance near the elevators & stairs, singing "washy washy" and coaching guests to stop at the wash sinks with soap & paper towels for optimal / best hand hygiene, and not just a quick spray out of the bottle or the standalone Purell hand sanitizer dispeners nearby. But, as the week go by ... more and more guests simply blew past this area, ignored the crew and went straight to grab beverages, coffee/tea, ice and refill water bottles, and to start filling their plates with food. No disposable gloves and masking not required or requested, strictly optional at one's own discretion - serving spoons & forks conveniently placed ... in other words, nearly the same old, same old or "business as usual." Not exactly what we've imagined. However, I don't recall details from our March Getaway recently either, as we only went there twice, briefly for coffee & afternoon snacks and a quick breakfast. Other observations - crew members are clearing dirty cups, dishes & napkins off quickly as guests leave. Giving the table surface a quick wipe and spray, that's about it - stricter measures would've been preferred, IMHO, measures adopted & taken during suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreak - not the standardized practice last week (that, despite the published reminder on the front page of the Freestyle Dailies) Bathroom doors were popped & left open, as I noted while onboard - apparently, not for anything specific but a matter of the routine these days (half-hearted ??) Overall - Buffet & related operations, B grade is my Score. Coffee - strong coffee served just about everywhere. Joy probably gets the top honor for the strongest brew within the NCL fleet, if you like yours regular & not black - make sure you get extra milk or Half & Half, or go decaffinated instead, seriously. I'm fine with that, super easy to make ice coffee without weakening it. MDR Menus & choices - NCL is known to have MDR menu rotations, 14 or more of them and using 7 for the week. Apparently, dinner-wise, it was nearly the same exact sequence and choices as our Getaway in March, kind of familiar - nice and know what to get, what's good and which one we didn't like, enough variety to choose from. We liked the availability & choices for fish dishes, mostly grilled & served in reasonable portion sizes - especially when we had steaks the night before and/or going to one the following day. Variety is good. Same is true for sit-down breakfast, smoke salmon is available daily and even upstairs in the buffet (it's been known to be hidden & under the refrigerated counter, need to ask the crew for it) Cooked to order stations in the buffet, also good in itself, freshly prepared & able to pick-n-choose, especially when the lines and wait are short (almost forgot to mention this.) Lunch choices with the everyday MDR Menu, however, we dislike and just cannot imagine looking at the same options for 5 to 8 plus sea days - although, in the past, there is often a daily chef's special as extra options. Going to "The Local" would be one way to mix things up and not repeat the same choices day after day - more variations would be good. Shorter 5 to 7 days cruise with multiple port days aren't as problematic ... but, we can be very picky & selective too. Sodium use and food being too salty - oh, yes and my face / taste is sour on this one, my pet peeve when cruising and NCL is no exception to this ... buffet food, including soup stock sitting heated & under the lamp for hours, also tend to make this worst. Subjectively speaking, we find just about everything in most of the restaurants to be on the rich in sodium or salty side, including the sauce - could be our taste buds and preference too. But, you've been cautioned, decide for yourself and if you agree, find a way to share feedback with the managerial team, leave them comments or drop a note for the executive chef team in Guest Service's lobby mail drop slot. Waterfront/Outdoors & Smoking area, etc. - There are plenty of under-utilized open air space to sit outside, relax and enjoy, no chair hogs with Deck 8 (port side last week) my favorite location to spot pier runners returning late. Goes all the way around to the back (stern) of the ship (AFT) over to the other side - didn't see anyone doing their daily walks there. Indoors, the Joy Casino is non-smoking - except for a fully glass-enclosed & partitioned area port side, mainly for slot machine players. Casino has a variety of slots and table games, and private rooms (high limits) and pretty busy - tournaments being held. Unlike the Getaway or Breakaway, there isn't a complimentary Shanghai Noodles Bar nearby - another bar in its place. With only a small number of children and teens onboard, the Galaxy Pavilion was not busy, games are typically $8 per game, per player - that's $32 for some of the virtual ride games with 4 persons - did not look like reservations are needed last week, just go when it is open. Water slides and Speedway were open while we're docked in Bermuda - did not looked like there're lines for the looping slides. Fitness Center nearby looked very nice, plenty of popular equipment and nearing dinner time, just a handful of guests inside burning calories on the treadmill. Glow Party - it's an event typically held outdoors, on the pool deck and/or Spice H20 - not on the Joy last week. Downstairs & indoors, place being too small from what I heard - didn't go in, just past by - got overcrowded, I learned and some passengers didn't feel comfortable staying for too long ... and left. What was the CD thinking, planned and had in mind - because there're fewer guests onboard ... hello, Bruce & team responsible for onboard entertainment. Apparently, impressions are that while it's nice to have numerous lounges and dedicated clubs for mini-shows, singers & entertainers to perform, it's sometimes difficult to get in when the function is popular and in high demand, and the space being too small and/or too crowded - oops. Otherwise, Footloose and Elements in the main Joy Theater were a smashing success, must go see it and book it ahead if you can. Spice H2O - it's adults only with hot tubs, during designated hours, a good "hideaway" for many, sometimes used for VIP / Latitudes receptions to meet the senior officers, etc. Finding your best way to these places are a challenge in itself, especially if you are on a different deck and the other end of the ship - it's a long walk, good exercise itself just getting there. Coming to an end, just a few quick items to close up my remaining scribbled notes, some just from random memory recalls while browsing thru the photos & videos.

Nowadays, readable "hard copy" can be as easy as a readable PDF file or even in *.JPG format (photo/image/graphics) or QR coded/ bar coded format. It does not have to be a printed one in B&W or greyscale, or laser printed in colors. Save it to a (secured) folder on your i/smart/phone ... until such time that 2FA sign-in are required or mandatory. Yeah, cruise terminal's cellular and/or non-secured, non-VPN WiFi signals are sometimes spotty and unreliable for "live" access, pre-loading should be fine - and, for extra peace-of-mine, store the identical info or documents on a 2nd. device (spouse/partner's) is best practices.

Not to make a wise remarks, now ... how do we know for sure (today is Saturday - Bermuda's notice/changes issued & dated May 21) that NCL operations (corporate level in Miami HQ) and ship's Guest Services (Joy, Pearl, etc. destined for Bermuda) are aware of this, notifying all affected parties and the port operator (outsourced contractors) - not taken it for granted is the operative phrase. If there are still problems at the cruise terminal in the morning, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand has been dealt, or the frontline not briefed on what instructions are given from the back of the house. Communications at NCL, as some of us come to recognize, is consistently inconsistent. This is a welcoming change on Bermuda's part as they continue to collect, what some of us considered, a head tax in disguise to boost revenue for the islands under Covid. Healthy and smooth sailing to those heading toward Bermuda this month.