DaisyGoldberg

In the Haven lounge they usually distribute forms to fill out with requests for shows/dining and can collect them then or you can drop them at the desk on board. They do ask you to do it as soon as possible. Confirmation will appear in your room later. There is a Haven section and you're free to go to it yourself at your leisure, or go in a group with the concierge - they usually leave the Haven about a half hour before the show, and the ropes blocking off the Haven section are removed about 5-10 mins before the show starts.

We were in the Garden Villa once, and when it was time for dessert decided it would be cool to just take it upstairs and eat it there. But they insisted on calling the butler, so instead of a 2 minute walk/elevator ride then dessert, we waited close to an hour. I don't blame the poor butler - it was a service we didn't request and he likely didn't have time for. I wish they'd be more flexible with the policy if you're willing to take it yourself. Another vote for travel insurance - have used it twice now, once when my sister had emergency surgery the week before my mom's cruise and she was the only one who could care for her after discharge from the hospital and needed to cancel, and this past winter when Mom got covid on board and racked up $11k in medical bills. You can't just whip out your Blue Cross card - you have to pay it immediately and then deal with whatever insurance you have (including NCL insurance) after the fact. Either way, be sure you have the capacity for a LARGE onboard bill and even though it's a hassle, the ability to recoup that money after the fact. (It was very good care, by the way - probably superior to what she would have gotten at home, where she would have sat in an ER for hours)

A few years ago I skipped the Haven restaurant and ate the Indian food in the Breakaway buffet multiple times. A huge spread and super tasty. Was looking forward to the same on Getaway in January but it was very minimal, sadly. Since the NCL buffet desserts are tragic, in my pre-Haven days I'd finish a meal there with papadums and the sweet chutney and be very happy to do so. I've long thought they should have a dedicated Indian or Thai restaurant on board. I think most folks can find an Italian or Chinese restaurant at home - this would be a real attraction. Sounds like maybe one is happening on a new ship?

We thought Ocean Blue was underwhelming - key lime pie dessert was good, though!

My mom's 86 with heart disease and kidney disease and was pretty severely ill, so I was glad they did the kidney function tests before the treatments. Paxlovid can really do a number on people with poor kidney function.

We didn't care for American Diner (chocolate shake was basically chocolate milk on ice). In the Haven dining room, the only thing I customize is getting the Shrimp Scampi hold the shrimp. Makes a tasty mild pasta dish. Try the banana dessert as well- -- even if you're not a big banana fan. It works, somehow. Incredibly sweet, though, if you don't like that. Don't forget the special "snacks" menu in the courtyard in the afternoon - a good place to grab a late lunch or a fun dessert while playing a board game or chatting with friends. Better option than lunch in the restaurant if you just want a sandwich.

My mom had covid in January on the Getaway - we got the "it's $3000 for a covid workup" warning over the phone, but she was quite ill and she needed evaluation. Ivs, chest xray (beginnings of pneumonia), nebulizer treatments for the next three days, paxlovid, the works. $11,000 by the end (and you pay now and hash it out with your insurance company later). I thought her care was equivalent to what she would have gotten on land (superior if you count the much reduced wait time). The doctors and nurses were efficient and skilled. I felt comfortable knowing she was not getting worse, as she had been before we left, and that we weren't looking at a medical evacuation (would it have come to that if she just suffered in the cabin without intervention?) We went back and forth to the room without anybody tracking us or following us with a fogger. We were explicitly told that those of us who weren't sick (my sister and I had both tested negative) were free to move about the ship, which we thought was ridiculous. Stayed in our cabin, got room service. Fortunately we had a Haven suite and just relaxed and tended to Mom. Not the cruise we thought we were going to get, and months later we're still working to get the $ back from insurance, but it certainly was interesting! I definitely felt like the pre-visit phone call spiel was to serve as a warning not to come if you were going to object to the cost. We spent several hours each day in the clinic and I listened to the poor woman working the desk take constant abuse from passengers who "just" wanted this or that, or who were shocked at their bill. When our bill was broken down, it was really quite reasonable - an xray for $38? Can you imagine what the cost would be at home? The paxlovid was $800, which was a hit, considering it was free at home. But it did make her feel better very quickly.

I'd never seen it before until our last cruise - it was dinner time, 90-something degrees out, and there were easily 100 people in line in front of us and another 100 behind us. My sister who has major mobility issues but had powered through walking around port mentioned this would be the perfect time for a Haven intervention. I stepped aside and looked ahead and lo and behold there was a guy with a Haven sign working his way down the line, calling out for Haven passengers. We immediately jumped out of line and fell in behind him and were on board in minutes. I don't care particularly about butler snacks, or reserved seating at shows, but this kind of priority escort is what makes the Haven worthwhile for me.

As of February, up top, in front. Hardly anybody up there, especially at night, so nobody is being bothered by the smoke. Because of the wind factor, most nonsmoking people congregate further back. I'm a non-smoker and would accompany my smoking sister up there at night just to sit outside the smoking area and enjoy the sky. It's quite nice with comfy seats and cushions long after the rest of the deck has been stripped down.

I wish they'd let us take it in a doggy bag. Annoying to want to take a dessert back to the room and have them insist the butler will bring it, then go back to the room and wait when we could have just done it ourselves. Sometimes in the desire to serve they complicate things!

They definitely warn you about bringing home sand or shells in Bermuda.

That's interesting - was on Getaway in January and finally tried (what I thought was) the almond croissant. It was a regular croissant with a glazed top with almonds sprinkled on it. Too sweet for me. No filling. So maybe I haven't had the real one yet.

I don't care for seafood, so I'm the one in the Haven dining room ordering the Shrimp Scampi, hold the shrimp. I do have to disagree about the American Diner. What they called a "milkshake" was basically chocolate milk in crushed ice [[shudder]].

The surgeon's office staff will be the ones who will process the forms. Even if the surgeon has left, the surgery took place at that facility and they will have the records to back you up and can advise who's authorized to sign them. They're required by law to share her medical record with whomever she designates, so once she shares that the travel insurance company is authorized to receive the information, they can make it happen. Her best bet is reaching the office by phone and asking how they would prefer to receive the information - snail mail, pdf, fax? Nobody leaves a surgical practice/hospital privileges without somebody designated to cover their current patients. Even if they dropped dead the hospital would designate somebody.

A few years ago my mother had to cancel a week before her cruise because my sister had emergency surgery and needed to be cared for at home and she was the only one who could do it. She had the NCL platinum insurance and it went pretty smoothly. Had to get documentation from my sister's physician about the situation (which also required HIPAA release from my sister). As I recall it took less than a month, and almost half of that was waiting for the doctors to return forms. Everything done via email. They also fully covered her traveling companion's cancelation even though she had no relation to us and presumably could have taken the cruise herself. Port fees as I recall were immediately refunded from NCL and we just waited for the cost of the cruise itself. She got everything back except the price of the insurance itself.

I wonder if the cabanas leak. If I'd paid for one, I'd be up there!

The port area is very un-wheelchair friendly, mostly because of cement drainage grates built into the pavement - the openings are wide enough to swallow a wheelchair wheel and they're every few feet. It's a fairly flat and easy walk out to the area where you can catch a taxi (no such grates there, although the boardwalk is slightly uneven in places), but if you simply want to take in the sights at the end of the pier, be extremely careful. We found most wheelchair folks heading back quickly, having determined the risk of damage to their chair/selves too great to continue.

If an American port I'd expect to just be disembarked separately at the end of the cruise and then you're on your own. That's what happened to us in January on NCL - diagnosed on Sunday, treated multiple times until Tuesday pm, disembarked separately from rest of passengers and dropped on sidewalk with our luggage outside of Manhattan terminal (in middle of all boarding guests) on Weds morning.

For those using any kind of insurance, please still take a high level credit card with you. Insurance coverage is between you and your insurance company - the medical center expects immediate payment. My mom got covid and a lung infection and we had an $11k bill. On checking in, I had used my low level card because I wanted those specific points for what I expected would be an end of trip charge of a few hundred bucks, tops. Fortunately I had the large limit one with me and was able to go to Ship Services and swap it out so we could cover her bill. I can only imagine having to have money wired or doing a cash advance through the card on top of everything else. Nobody expects to have an emergency on board, and probably most issues are expensive but not astronomical. The care was very good and in a way I'm glad we got to deal with it on the ship and not an emergency room at home where she would have had to wait for hours to even be seen. But I feel for those who save for a vacation and never think of such an expense hitting them.

First cruise was the Seaward, 1992. They'd greet you as you stepped on board with a drink. There was some kind of race car group on board, but we hadn't known anything about it. We never went near the a la carte restaurant. I remember stepping over the metal doorway frames any time you passed from outside/inside. They would take you by surprise until you remembered! I still have the dailies - All Visitors Ashore! at 4:30. GIANT JACKPOT BINGO - $590 is in the pot and MUST go today! Napkin folding class Dress of the Evening: Casual! Wear your Island Fashion! No shorts after 6 pm, please. "Book nook is open! Deposit required (sign to cabin) Win a World Cruise PLUS $10,000 - Play the Seaward Lottery We sailed in a couple of ocean view cabins, and the window was one step above a porthole (and portholes were smaller in those days!) Still cost more than a balcony does today if you get a decent deal, which is why I don't buy the "cruising is getting too expensive" arguments. You get so much more for basically the same money as 30 years ago. Yes, they nickel and dime on extras because the base price point hasn't changed.

Get tested ASAP, because you need Paxlovid within 5 days of symptom onset. Yes, you may get the metallic taste and it's annoying, but it does make you feel better quickly.

We were actually pleasantly surprised by the wings on Getaway in January. Had heard they were now baked, not fried, etc. But it was late, everything else was closed, and we were starving, so we went to O'Sheehans and figured it was worth a try. Not as good as the glory days, but better than the last time I had them years ago when I vowed never again. Maybe because it was not a dinner rush we got them hot out of the oven, made to order.

For what it's worth, the cardboard water bottles make a great hot water bottle, as we discovered when my mom got covid on board. She was cold and I had to improvise so I took an empty, filled it with hot water, wrapped it in a towel and laid it on another towel beside her. Kept checking it for leaks. Held strong, perfectly dry! The next day I forgot it was in the bed and SAT on it. The seams gave a tiny bit with a tiny bit of leakage, but I have to say I was impressed at the sturdiness of it, even having held hot water. I thought for sure I would have popped it! Can't vouch for every individual bottle's integrity, but it's definitely worth a try if you keep the proper precautions and put a towel under it in case of leaks.

Yes, there will be a cardstock folded item in your cabin along with other "welcome aboard" paraphernalia. When you open it up there are vouchers for the two dinners and laundry service.

Oddly enough we did not receive ANY chips with our sandwiches on our 12 day in January on Getaway. Didn't think to ask why, but we noticed. They always get stale almost instantly from the humidity. Don't know if they were out or it was a cost saving issue - if they were throwing out leftover chips all the time they may have decided to only provide when requested.