mking8288

@PistolPete13 - welcome home ... just to make you feel better about WiFi, we have VZ Fios and it's been out & offline lately in the Northeast, usually late night, sometimes for 30 to 60 minutes but some outages lasting hours into the morning hours. Unlike land coverage, there is no backup option for "broad"band access at sea ... but one would like to think & believe that NCL/vendor installed the newer, if not newest WiFi 6 or at least WiFi 5 dual-band route, their onboard hardware/server seemed fine - Princess's unlimited plan is just $25 per day, even if theirs aren't hooking up with Starlink yet. Now that you are home, look forward to plentify high resolution pics to be share plus comments/reviews. @BirdTravels - thanks, me ... think the shipyard is just an excuse. Seeing that the crew in the dining venues are now all using WiFi tablets too, I can't help - on their own SSiD's (multiple "names") - but think that NCL need a new vending partnership and review how they are deploying wirless tech onboard. Just wanted to say also, great photos, as always.

Nope, similar to hospitality TV commonly used in hotels & resorts, and, I've used Google Chromecast as well as Roku to connect to onboard WiFi, and just not possible nor practical (ultra high latency & very low speed) to attempt to cast or stream anything at all, not even from stored contents on a tablet. Older mega ships used HDMI as the input sources and newer ships like the Joy uses a locking RJ-59 (ethernet/coaxial) style input for interactive signal, and they just cannot be bypassed or overridden. If you can disconnect & use your own HDMI connection, you can directly "play" whatever on the HDTV in the stateroom, i.e. Breakaway, Getaway & Escape, these 3 ships ... I can confirm, is possible. Always have a Plan B and Option C while traveling is my motto.

Well, perhaps I'm missing something else and stand corrected. We use both Android smartphone (V11, V12 and latest V13) and iPhone (iOS 16.x) - it is perfectly fine to put the devices into Airplane mode, AND, then turn back on - individually, Bluetooth and WiFi, and, NFC - as these "radios" can function & operate independently on their own while the device remained otherwise in Airplane mode, that - mainly, disabled and turned off the "Cellular" radios or modules (as in "roaming" voice calls in non-home rate areas.) We're connected to NCL ship's WiFi inTRAnet just fine in airplane mode, and certain messaging features remained functional, as least in the limited sense, able to read in-bound message "headers" - of course, YMMV. Not going into details about VoLTE and WiFi calling or VoIP tech's ... BTW, we love Google Fi - "roaming" at nominal costs in 200 countries ... hundreds in excessive charges, not happening. Max in data charges capped at $60 for a single month + taxes/fees, and has yet to come anywhere close to it.

@fstuff1 - hi, there again ... looks like you are enjoying life at sea & cashing in those comp'd casino offers, enjoy. Since, looked like, you are onboard the Prima now, maybe check with the iCafe manager on duty about the current internet package rates for cruises of longer duration - as I recall when we're doing 14 days on the Escape 3 years ago, NCL does "discount" or lower the daily rates on cruises of 10+ days and longer (could've been 11 days or longer) - the per day rate was lower than $30 then, might've been $25 p/d and/or lower, being spinning off these 2 devices and 3 devices plan, basic & streaming, and social media only bundles, etc. etc. To refresh memories, it was 250 free minutes for a typical 7 nighter and not split or halfed for solo cruising ... old days ! @MissRabbit - trade-in/up options have been valid & done only from the limited airtime minutes/MB data as offered to the unlimited plan(s) - AFAIK, thru the years, has not been permitted to do a no-cost or free exchange to the social media plan ... and, even those, weren't exactly bargain deals by itself. Of cours, if the onboard iCafe manager made a special deal, it was hush hush and not "wise" to post or share on an open forum like CC, as their status can be at risk for bending the rules. If you are wondering & thinking about it, wait until you are onboard & speak nicely to the manager on duty face-to-face, worst outcome is a "no" or "not permitted" response. Good luck !

You can expect some of the public area entrances, i.e. MDR and Garden Cafe, etc. to be decorated ... they are also quick to restore things by the following morning. These're done on the Escape ... pre-Covid.

We're at GSC on Dec 17, 2019 and clam shell rental were still priced at $40 and valid using shorex credit ... GEM overnighted in PC. Then, COVID shortly to thereafter ...

Maybe OP decided not to use ship's satellite WiFi, even if he has the limited free minutes and or upgrade to the unlimited base plan. Dexddd did mentioned during his TA crossing last week that WiFi was inconsistent & nothing close to near fully reliable. Once the ship get to or near Dockyard, 4G signals would & should make a big difference. It is very slow to upload HD photos at sea 😳

Here, it's that warm & fuzzy feeling on a cold morning or late night ...they just don't have them onboard anywhere, not even in the premium suites. Accustomed to having/using them when we traveled in north Asia and upscale resorts & hotels in Hawaii etc. Saved many rolls of tissues, especially during the pandemic surge.

Yippee, going to be along for the virtual cruise … bon voyage 🛳️ Beautiful day to sail out, great Fall weather. Let us know how’s your trip to Pier 88, getting checked in, etc.

NCL wins the flip-flop award for Q3 of 2022 in reversing their silly policy ... will this be the end of stories. Probably not. For now, let's just hope they are consistent in applying the shorex credit. The dining package has been a mess in recent years with exclusion, exceptions and extras - among corporate's cruise consultants, CruiseNext staff onboard, the server team and the manager on duty, etc. Consistently inconsistent is what they are known for 🙄 For the time being, the news is a welcomed and values-added one to some, not all - if and when the ship scheduled to call on GSC is able to make a stop there to tender.

Your clamshell reservation(s) will serve tender tickets to be among the first or second group to go ashore, each double-decker boat can take up to 400 passengers ... you will get instructions or info on where to meet and what time. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them near the beach and not far from the tender pier, pick the ones you like & the shore team will open them & set it up for you as needed. The vented ones are better to allow for air circulation under the hot sun & strong UV lights, bring your high SPF tan protection products & beach sandals to walk on top of the hot sand.

Dan - Whew, amazing miracles happened every day and so glad to hear that your issues are in good hands, recovering from the procedures - and, in a little over 3 weeks ... you'll be traveling and on the ship again. Thanks for sharing your personal story with us on CC. Get some rest now.

Whether it's high tea or low tea in the afternoon at sea. What is being served onboard mid-afternoon on the Joy in the Observation Lounge isn't anywhere close to what's really considered proper as served. Not to mention, it's all DIY. Next time in Victoria, BC - perhaps while on an Alaska cruise in 2023 ... plan ahead and book an afternoon "Tea at The Empress" at the Hotel's historic lounge and enjoy. It will set you back $89 CAD per person, plus GST, etc. plus tips. Dress code should be noted and it is enforced. https://www.teaattheempress.com/menus/ When in Hong Kong, there is - of course, the Peninsula is well known for it but also available at a number of other high end hotels (pre-Covid) ... The Regents on the Harbour was excellent then for their high tea, but that was some 35+ years ago.

How to restrict ... in a nutshell, certain sites and it's ip addresses are whitelisted to permit access, while all other URL's are blocked since all the data traffic onboard are cached thru their firewalled (Cisco & Lenovo, etc,) hardware servers.

Dan, you'll be fine regardless. We're put our trust & faith with our cardiologist too, amazing medical advances happening nowadays. Health and well beings come first, then sit back and enjoy continued living longer. Among the reasons that DW opted for early retirement path, preventive detection & intervention made a key difference. Think positive and it'll be #3 just fine. Henry

Thank you for sharing the Prima's trip with us and welcome to NY. Pictures alone are priceless in telling the stories. That's the Disney Magic docked at Pier 90, overnighting here via Bermuda.

Looks like you are "Breakaway" sailing late in the Fall season to Canada / New England out of NY - most definitely, look at the weather forecast 2 to 3 days prior ... before finalizing your packing of clothes, dress in layers when going ashore. Unlike the Joy, I don't believe they retrofitted the BA with outside heater on the waterfront and/or deck deck for those chilly & cold days but I stand corrected, should someone recently on the BA can confirm otherwise. There has NEVER been (AFAIK) any kind of luggage transfer or forwarding services in NY, unlike port of Seattle and most definitely, none whatsoever this year (3 cruises out of Pier 88 ...) There are porter services inside the cruise terminal to assist. The reservation desk onboard will have all the venue's menus available, and at least the specialty restaurants will have their menus shown on the stateroom's interactive TV ... the Norwegian App has been hit-n-miss as far as properly shown the menus. On our 2 earlier cruises this year, they also have QR codes - changed out as appropriate for the MDR ... breakfast, dinner and lunch - to scan with your smartphone/iPhone, but not most recently last month on the Joy - for whatever reasons. If and when it rain, NCL will have for sale, those disposable rain poncho near the gangway as you exit to go ashore.

We are en route to MCT Pier 88, got a free upgrades to a minivan ride using Carmel, trip time 48 minutes ... driver was early & we are ready, can't wait 😁 Thanks to the live report onboard from the last 10 days Joy sailing, we are better prepared. Free testing done by CVS, still required by NCL. ArriveCAN was easy & done, despite unclear info at times, watch safety video twice already 🙊 More later ... expecting a good turnout tomorrow for the CC Meet & Mingle, moved to Q Texas Smokehouse as it's much bigger vs. District BH. Let's see what's new, different & changed - or same old, etc. Going to be on Deck 15 AFT port side, near the elevators -