HowardK

5 hours ago, Hºoºwie said:

If you ask, NCL provides a small room, prayer books, a menorah, even jelly donuts every night of Chanukah.  They even list it in the dailies.  Some nights only a few people showed but other nights about 20 showed. We said the prayers and sang some songs.  At least that is what we have experienced.

Yes, we had services as well on my December 2011 NCL Epic Cruise. 

Is there anything with Creme de Menthe you can try? I like mint a lot and didn't get anything with it on my last cruises.

Are they serving Mint Possums? (creme de menthe + coke, lime optional). 

I just signed up for a CVS test for tomorrow (I was in NYC for 3 days, took Amtrak, went to 2 concerts (had to provide vaccine proof and I double masked at both).

I am taking the non-rapid test; I put reasons were possible exposure to others, travel, and return to work.

These are all true- if I had checked no on everything then insurance wouldn't cover per CVS's site.

I am doing a drive through.

Now, what frustrated me was on Amtrak when I was leaving someone wasn't wearing a mask nor their kids, they don't enforce it 100% in the new train hall.

Had I been taking train for a cruise- I would have been extremely frustrated and agitated.

I almost think next time I cruise (likely 23 and now from NYC) I would probably need a direct ride to the port to minimize exposure %.

On 2/19/2021 at 12:03 AM, BirdTravels said:

Split undergarments between suitcases in case on gets lost. 

Good call- on my last cruise I also kept 1 day of clothes in my backpack and 1 in my drawstring bag.

On my only NYC cruise I was so OCD in miami I kind of waited until the rack with my luggage filled up and was moved. 

At NYC you can actually see it sometimes go on the conveyer belt!

OT- I was coming back from NYC through Philly to SJ yesterday- for the first time ever left my backpack on the train- was able to recover it. - most people I know were shocked this happened to me as I check everything

3 hours ago, Calvin said:

You sound like my kind of cruiser; the Felix Unger of cruising. I'm obsessive too. Normally, I start packing about 1 week before but because my wife had major surgery and we've been immunocompromised, we set our next cruise 18 months after the surgery.  I've laid out our suitcases 7 months in advance, including a printed out packing list in each suitcase!

Besides the teal spreadsheet- I also had similar to you- on my list what is in each carry on as well as the mesh section. I was able to use the same one with minor changes across 3 cruises it works.

21 hours ago, NCLer57 said:

I am with you on 9/11.  I will make the best of the 168+ hours we have.  At ISP I think I might wait back a bit.  At Ward Cove, I will book an excursion thru NCL.  And if the weather is bad, I will stay happy and warm on the ship!  

This is a great attitude to have !! Well said!

I did mid September in 2018- it was 90 when I left NY and during the week most days were 65-70, no leaves turning that would likely be October. Bar Harbor was lovely.

I might try October next time.

In 2018 I had a studio on the Escape and an opportunity to bid on the haven, but it would have been 2x the bid. I would think it is 2x so NCL can capture the maximum additional revenue.

- I ended up waiting until a week before and paying $50 to upgrade my studio to a balcony as the ship wasn't full.

i think for $85 it is worth it as then you don't have to be concerned with logging in and logging out-

I wouldn't fall for the streaming because most people don't go on a cruise to watch movies.

However, if you are traveling to ports where your phone has an international plan, it could be a reason to unplug and not to the upgrade.

i.e. Canada/NE I was able to go on my regular verizon at everyport- travel pass for Verizon was only needed for Canada.

Hello everyone, I enjoyed reading this thread- in terms of radios my grandparents got me a AM FM flip clock radio- it made a nice sound when the time changed and have grand memories of 1978 listening to top 40. On my last cruise took a portable one by Sangean with earbuds and listened from the balcony.

I have been on other lines but hope to return to RCCL was on it twice in '92 and '94 and loved the circular Viking lounge on top it was great.

It would have been common sense for them to check in on RCCL's page for the change in policy and maybe perhaps common sense and considerate to get the vaccine considering they were traveling far.

I guess though RCCL are wrong for wanting to keep their passengers safe. 

Reminds me of the time the people on NCL put their boarding documents and passports in their luggage and then wanted a free cruise for their mistake as they were the victims.

The bottom line is if you are going on a cruise and doing traveling at a distance you would think people would want to vaccine to lower their risk. 

I was thinking 2023 but am now thinking 2024. Kind of despondent . I have some concerts next week  but will be double masking.

The whole idea of being turned away from a cruise port limits my willingness to risk flying somewhere.

I was considering March 2023 from NYC but some of the port stops are TOO brief.

I feel as though even with the vaccine, their is some sort of randomness involved- being in the wrong place at the wrong time, variants etc.

Sometimes I feel as though this will go on for 5 years and if i need to keep safe to resume cruising in 2025 then so be it.

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Last week, there were two fully vaccinated passengers who were turned away at check-in (i.e., tested positive at the terminal) out of the 2600+ that were scheduled to sail. 

I feel for them; I wonder and hope they were able to get home quickly. I am starting to think I won't fly to next cruise 

9 minutes ago, psac said:

I can imagine that cruise rerouting to not go through all that for 6-1/2 hours, when someone said Bermuda has been taking 2-4 hours to turnaround their tests.  (Which is actually fast for PCR tests if that’s true.)

Thats what I am thinking- this is a unique March 2023 8 night booking that looks different in the sense it has GSC and Port Canaveral- yet skips Nassau and adds Norfolk and Bermuda,.

With Bermuda such a short stop, it seems impossible to do anything outside of the Dockyard area, 

After the last 2 years, I would be happy to be anywhere even somewhere new, even back to Nassau.

This is interesting- there is a 8 night out of NYC that actually spends 6 1/2 hours in Bermuda as one of the ports (I am looking at going, guess I would just go to the museum or fun golf), but I wonder if all of that would be needed for just the short time.

These are all good posts- I was really considering getting the full pass for the week when it was in Bermuda, I would imagine the scenery in Alaska and the Glaciers is beautiful. Hopefully in a few years I would be more comfortable with this.

20 hours ago, hallux said:

Yes, there is a 'head sock' provided that is presumably washed between uses.

Presumably being the key word!

wonder if  a professional Go Kart driver could bring their own Helmet and headsock? I think the US Go Kart association has their drivers get their own.

It looked fun but I don't know if I would want to share a helmet or covering during this time. 

I am now thinking I will just continue to go to NYC- however for any type of ride back to NJ, uber, lyft, car service wouldn't one be required to tell them they had a positive test? 

I went from planning Alaska May 2023 to Bermuda 2023 as to not fly- now I am hoping for March Getaway 2023 that is a 8 night from NYC.  I need something simple to get my feet wet again.

As opposed to the bus and staying overnight in NYC- I will just get a Uber (pretty far) to the pier to avoid contact from bus/train/hotel etc.. Plus our bus station closed and now its more or less just a stop.

The delta has me rethinking everything- average daily cases are up at least 9x- and likely more as tests seem to be down 50% from peak levels. 

I hate to say it but don't see 2022 being much different due to mutations and evolutions. 

The slot tournaments seem to just have one winner - is one better off just putting the money in slots? 

Also, are the payout %'s regulated like they are at US casinos? 

in 2018 I had a 4SDP for perhaps around $90-$100 and enjoyed it. I went for a 5th meal and wasn't charged for it.

Does your cruise already come with one included?

I am going to miss the self serve buffet with the linecutters and kids sticking their hands in the food

Thank you for posting- this is kind of you. Much appreciated here-