OHRiverRats

Assuming you like seafood, no question about it. Ocean Blue is our favorite specialty restaurant, although we're really looking forward to trying Palomar.

On 7/2/2022 at 12:01 PM, FreestyleNovice said:

The view down on to Ocean Boulevard, any guesses which cabin approx?

Looks like about 9210, where I'll be in 100 days! Can't wait!!

I have always booked with a TA in the past only to get extra OBC or perks they offered.  I then logged in to ncl.com to make all my dining, show and excursion reservations myself.  I'm a planner and would rather do these things myself than ask the TA to do it.

I would get dropped off in front of the convention center. That is where we walked to to get an Uber after our cruise. They couldn't get near the terminal for the traffic. Easy walk to the back side to the terminal. 

31 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

 

Agree...pretty accurate.

 

Just came home after 6 consecutive weeks on the Freedom.

During turnaround days, new passengers were onboard by 11am.

You can board anytime you want...but as stated, be aware of traffic and congestion at the Pan American pier.

 

Side story: After observing the long taxi lines outside the cruise terminal, we decided and planned on using Uber when we disembark.  We even used Uber on a couple of turnaround days and it took only a few minutes for them to show up at the parking lot across the street from the cruise terminal. 

 

On disembarkation day, we walked outside and straight to the parking lot...Uber showed "15 minutes to arrive".  Our first thought was "Wow, that's a bit longer than usual".  We then turned around and realized there were TWO ships docked...the Freedom and NCL behind us....Oh snap!...we did not know there will be TWO ships docked the day of our disembarkation. 

 

Our Uber driver said he wasn't far but because of traffic, there wasn't much he could do.  We made it in plenty of time for our 11:45am flight.  But it could've easily been a disaster/missed flight had we taken our time disembarking.

6 weeks!  I'm envious!  Glad to hear Uber went well. While I am embarking on 1/5 with both ships in port we are the only ship in port when we disembark. 

This is due to traffic issues with both Freedom OTS and Norwegian Epic embarking on the same day. There will be 8000+ people disembarking that morning and 8000+ others trying to embark. This has been causing complete gridlock trying to get to the port. Those sailing Epic have been told not go come to the port before 1:00 and that they won't be able to go inside if they arrive before that. Sounds as though they're trying to get the bulk of them through before Freedom passengers begin arriving. Typically I would expect to board around 11:00, but that is just not happening right now. I wouldn't head to the port more than an hour before scheduled. You'll most likely find yourself in for a very long wait. Good luck and enjoy your cruise, but bring your patience!

We visited Grand Caymen and Belize on the Breakaway last year. On Belize we had a NCL excursion. We met in the dining room and tendered together. Excursions were released to the tenders based on start time of the excursion. On Grand Caymen we had a private excursion. They told us proof of an excursion would serve as a priority tender ticket. We were ready to go as soon as the first tender was called and walked off with no wait at all.  It was actually a lot quicker than with the NCL excursion, but that may have just been lucky timing. 

We flew into San Juan a couple of months after hurricane Maria.  We got in at 1:00 in the morning. Because options were still very limited and it was so late we stayed at the airport hotel. It's not the greatest, but was very convenient. You can collect your luggage and walk right into the hotel. The front desk is open 24/7. 

We enjoy O'Sheehan's and Shanghai for lunch or late night snack, but I wouldn't choose them over the main dining rooms for dinner. 

5 minutes ago, Db8coach said:

Yes. Otherwise I would say to gorge at the buffet on shrimp at seafood night (or the day after) and try something else for an app. Enjoy!

Lol. Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know!  We have never eaten dinner at the buffet. As a matter of fact, my husband has never been to the buffet at all. But it sounds like we may have to at least stop by on seafood night if we want any shrimp!

Just now, mjkacmom said:

Living in the NYC metro area, restaurants here have MUCH better food than mainstream cruise lines. I expect nothing more than what you get at chain restaurants (which we never eat at, well, except chipotle, kids like it).

Lol, cruise food is definitely a downgrade for you then!  We don't have anything better than chains here in the sticks.  When cruise fare is no better than that, it's time to consider other options. 

9 minutes ago, DZcreature said:

 It is not just a loss of seafood. My husbands favorite lunch item was the lamb. I don't mind changes, but this menu definitely seems like cheaper food. My favorite was the fish sandwich. I can't imagine ordering the tuna melt. That seems more like something that would be in The Local or O' Sheehan's not the MDR. Not trying to be a food snob, but...

 

 

Agreed. That's one of the things we enjoy about cruising. The opportunity to eat good food that is different from what we can get at home. 

Thanks for the great review and all of the pics. We'll be eating at Cagney's with the SDP. I take it from your comments we should plan on paying the upcharge for the tiger shrimp rather than getting the free shrimp cocktail. 

😪 I used to be able to eat seafood every meal, now it looks like my only seafood options will be at specialty restaurants. For an upcharge. For my convenience of course. 

1 hour ago, dporter said:

 

We absolutely love Puerto Rico, we have started and ended cruises there and even went there as a port day. We have visited during the January festival which is spectacular, the music and food are phenomenal.  We really enjoy the one port day where we walked off the ship and were able to walk all the way to El Morro while many were still sleeping to enjoy the peace.  We have barely scratched the surface in Puerto Rico and will be sailing from there again in February!

Agree!  We go a couple of days early and stay a couple days after our cruise. There is so much to see and do. The history is amazing. We'll be there in January this year so we'll get to check out the festival. Can't wait!

Boarding will typically begin between 11 and 12. You must be aboard by 7. I would expect the muster drill to be around 4-4:30. There will be a makeup drill the next day for anyone who misses it. I personally love spending time in San Juan so always fly in early just to enjoy the town. 

The prices are what you are charged if you don't have the specialty dining perk. With the package you are only charged for any items marked  'Dining Package Supplement'.

Well crap!  Apparently we need to cruise in the summer. Our wintertime escapes seem to always get hit with the upcharges....🤨😖😠....(muttering obscenities under breath)....

Hoping to book as soon as we board Epic in January. If not, I imagine in such a small venue you would have to show up an hour early to get seats, much like Syd's or the Cavern Club. 😫

Argh. I was hoping this had ended. We were hit with upcharges at Ocean Blue last year and are looking forward to lobster at Cagney's....and non upcharged shrimp cocktail! 

We loved the Dawn. We were afraid we would be bored as we'd grown accustomed to the mega ships. We enjoyed just unwinding in the hot tubs after port days. The entertainment was great and we liked that we didn't need to make reservations like on larger ships. The food was good and the crew was super. We didn't encounter any issues with our cabins.  I agree you usually just hear from folks who have something to complain about. 

Our large balconies have usually had a lounge chair or two already on them. We had to ask one time and our wish was quickly granted. 

I hope it's not the case on the Epic in January or we will be rebels and push the limits. We don't typically worry about finding chairs in the pool area. We hang out in the pool or the hot tub. Hate to think we'd have to get out in order to enjoy a Mango Meltdown.

We had two on our 10 day, day 3 and day 6.  Seems to be another one of those things you can't anticipate.  If it comes too early on our 11 day, I'll try to find out if I can expect another later. Doesn't help with packing though.  

There are a couple of "wild" pigs on the beach at Playa Porto Marie in Curacao.  Not on the scale of the Exuma's.  I'm not sure if they'll swim with you. They appear to mostly sleep and search for people's leftovers. To each his own!