Semi-Live limited Gem Dec 13, 2019 NY-Florida overnight, GSC & Nassau

[shof515]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

One new wrinkle in the specialties. For the first time both my wife and I had to present our room cards to use the specialty dining plan and we each got a separate $0 check to sign reflecting our individual orders. In the past it was sufficient for one or the other to present their card and you received a single $0 bill for the total meal. This could be a move to restrict your sharing the dining plan with someone outside your cabin. Let's say my wife didn't want to go to a specialty restaurant one night and a friend in another cabin who didn't have the specialty dining wanted to try it. It looks like I would no longer be able to pay for the friend's meal with my specialty dining plan.

 

on my November 2nd cruise last month on the Dawn it was like this. and i remember it was the same process last year on the Escape too. the dinning package is suppose to be non transferable and a use it or loose it kind of thing

[mking8288]

Finished our Moderno dinner just in time, outside on Deck 13 to catch the SpaceX rocket launch.  I will chat about dining w vouchers a little later ...

 

PS. Successful SpaceX rocket launcher. 

Standby for pix & video later. Awesome !

[mking8288]

A successful SpaceX satellite launched by rocket this evening at KSC.

 

Pix taken from Deck 13 on the Gem, starboard side, midship onward the bow of the ship. Impressive sights with the roaring as it lifted skyward higher & across the clouds.

[njhorseman]

53 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

on my November 2nd cruise last month on the Dawn it was like this. and i remember it was the same process last year on the Escape too. the dinning package is suppose to be non transferable and a use it or loose it kind of thing

We were just on the Escape in October and both cards were not collected . In the fairly substantial amount of time that NCL has been offering the dining package as part of "Free at Sea" this was the first time I've seen them try to enforce the non transferable condition.

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, copper004 said:

Is the singer/piano player still next to Shakers Martini Bar on deck 6? Is he any good? 

 

An older gentleman by the name of Jack Brady, singing solo & pretty good with vocal from 60's, 70's & oldies ... Elvis & popular Broadway shows. Sitting upstairs at Orchid Garden listening at the moment. Very enjoyable. 

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, njhorseman said:

For example Cagney's was charging $3 for their various steak sauces.

 

Seriously?  What’s next — a charge for a steak knife? 😮

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

A successful SpaceX satellite launched by rocket this evening at KSC.

 

Glad you got to see it!  Thanks for the photos. 

 

Was the Bliss still in port for that too, or had she left? 

[mking8288]

27 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

We were just on the Escape in October and both cards were not collected ... this was the first time I've seen them try to enforce the non transferable condition.

 

Well, I'm afraid I cannot help with this aspect since we didn't have, add or buy the package as extra add-on.  For our Platinum meals, the hostess only needed the voucher & swiped one of our cards.  I suppose it is possible to present the "proper" key card associated with the package ... not yet link at the host/ess station w other biometrics.  But while waiting to get seated, I did hear the 2 hostesses whispering about one of the guest's age, questioning at being 60 on their screen ... So, you might we'll be onto something.

 

Our Cagney's itemized bill came to $115 but zeroed out, just signed for it. Interesting enough, our Moderno bill listed at just $60 for 2 and zeroed out, not $80 for 2 ... the current price sold onboard. Both bills stated gratitude is included in the amount but a line is there to add tipping to recognize outstanding services.

 

We do that in cash, usually, anyway but this time, based on services & the value of the meal, DW and I just don't see giving 20% for Cagney ... Alas, that's a personal matter.  Just going to refrain from stirring the pot on this hot topic.

 

Cagney's definitely using the new menu, anything up to $35 on the entrees. MDR menu seemed to be a hybrid, mix of old & newest ... definitely no shrimps in the Fettuccine dish available daily. Lunch menu is the old one, still Vietnamese Chicken Pho & not grandma's chicken noodles soup, yet. 

 

Waiting to see if we get Pier runners tonight, stopping by to check out tonight's MDR menu to see what we missed, or not.  

 

Still got my smoke salmon, red snapper, mahi mahi, and grilled salmon ... not white fish. But, that fish cake Patty - no comment.

 

 

 

[mking8288]

 
Glad you got to see it!  Thanks for the photos. 
 
Was the Bliss still in port for that too, or had she left? 

She sailed at 6 pm, might be able to watch it along the coast.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[mking8288]

All abroad, security doing their thing, both gangways pulled. Hasn't heard any names called yet. Looks like we should be good to sail shortly.

 

Need to move & turnaround in the Basin and then head out the channel to sea for GSC, 10 am arrival & leave at 6 pm for Nassau. Wish us luck in tendering, a bit breezy with the wind 

 

Not missing NY area's messy weather.

@ 9:25 pm EST, we are on our way ... sideway, reverse & going to turnaround soon.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 

Edited December 17, 2019 by mking8288

[brookie848]

26 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

Well, I'm afraid I cannot help with this aspect since we didn't have, add or buy the package as extra add-on.  For our Platinum meals, the hostess only needed the voucher & swiped one of our cards.  I suppose it is possible to present the "proper" key card associated with the package ... not yet link at the host/ess station w other biometrics.  But while waiting to get seated, I did hear the 2 hostesses whispering about one of the guest's age, questioning at being 60 on their screen ... So, you might we'll be onto something.

 

 

I'll be curious to see how this all plays out for us. We have three people in the cabin. My husband and I have the dining plan and our third person does not. We are all Platinum, so we figure that will cover our friend's three meals.

 

In the past, when eating with a mixture of dining plans and Platinum meals, our server would arrange things so that our bill came to zero. So, if someone ordered an entree over the Platinum limit, that entree was assigned to the person using the dining plan.

 

None of this is that big of a deal for us. We have a bunch of on-board credit, so if we need to cough up a few dollars, it's not going to kill us.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your vacation with us!

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Well, I'm afraid I cannot help with this aspect since we didn't have, add or buy the package as extra add-on.  For our Platinum meals, the hostess only needed the voucher & swiped one of our cards.

Yes, for each of our two Latitudes voucher meals only one card was swiped. For each of our four dining plan meals both cards were swiped.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Seriously?  What’s next — a charge for a steak knife? 😮

I couldn't believe it when I saw the charge for sauces on the new menu. I doubt there are too many passengers who actually pay for their dinner there, so almost no one will care .

[mking8288]

Here's tonight's MDR Dinner menu ( Day 4 ... I think ) - Moderno (decorated with a Christmas tree) now close at 9:30 pm and Grand Pacific close at 9 pm, both open at 5:00 pm daily.  For some reasons, both Cagney & Moderno was not busy for the early evening - our reservation was for 5:30 pm and had a total of 18 guests ... 7 tables only.  Perhaps, everyone still not back from Orlando or KSC.  

 

The buffet was empty at 10 pm with everything closed and the crew already in clean-up mode ... Late Night Snacks supposed to be at the Great Outdoors from 9:30 till 11:30 pm (** weather permitting - it is fine this evening) but overheard someone leaving that area saying there is nothing there at all (unconfirmed ... will "fact check" it tomorrow or following night to see.)   O'Sheehan's and Room Service (always open, with a convenience charge) are therefore, the remaining option.

 

For my own convenience, going to try to get into being a food critic and get critical, since it is highly personal and subjective.  Cagney's steakhouse menu is definitely the newest one, already discussed & posted by several others - our table has a nice window view but too dark for a readable menu, DW had to use her smartphone flashlight to see her choices.  

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Among the common question for the Gem/Jewel/Dawn class ships is whether staterooms nearest to the elevators & stairs are noisy or not ... short answer is not really, by design.  

 

Here are pictures for cabins on Deck 5's starboard side, midship ... ours is the 2nd. one behind the elevators.  With a "crew store" across from us and more "white space" on the interior side - seldom hear anything at all in the hallway.  Last night, we briefly heard noises coming from above us - Moderno, after they closed for the evening ... tables and/or chairs being moved, probably for cleaning purposes.  That's about it.  

 

A quick glance at ship's nav. status - sailed 50 nm from Port Canaveral, 165 nm to go - cruising now at 19.5 knots (was at 20.5 knots) & sailing parallel along the Florida coast, near Vero Beach ... another 8.5 hours to reach GSC (ship time 12:45 am) - should be able to drop anchor by 9:15 or 9:30 am.  Otherwise, it will be a fun day at sea as all the berths at Nassau are taken/assigned on Tuesday, until the evening ... Bliss is scheduled to be there. 

 

Not sure if we are going to take advantage of priority tendering to rush ashore, might just take it easy, have a late breakfast & then go on the tender for the island, to do a look around.  

 

Tech geeks info only - currently using Windows 10 notebook PC on satellite WiFi, connected with expected speed, nothing to write home about ... certainly, latency & speed isn't going to be that reliable & consistent for streaming, even if the premium unlimited package with VPN support was purchased/upgraded to.  The Sony Viao has its own integrated hotspot feature, to bridge & support its own SSiD - but, not able to obtain a DHCP address - it is never a problem when we stay at our Marriotts on land - to enable more than 1 device to connect & share the data link.  Not on "EMC" connections at sea over satellite. 

 

That's it for this evening, time to check emails, news & other matters while actively connected - then often to get some zzzz's - DW sound asleep & restful.  

 

 

[mking8288]

Good morning, we are at GSC now. Engines stopped, waiting to see.  Not sure if tendering is doable or not, water looks a little chilly.

 

On Google Fi's cellular signal. 

Edited December 17, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

It's been 10 minutes since we came to GSC and 2 boats approaching. Norway 1 is coming alongside.

[graphicguy]

How in the world did this sneak by me.  Thanks for posting, Henry!  Heartily following along.  That ship looks mighty familiar.  Miss her!

[mking8288]

@graphicguy - haha, aren't you on a cruise somewhere, I was wondering about it. 

 

Looks like the priority tendering is now underway, but Susan & I are doing our breakfast at OSH first ... let the kettles rush ahead.  Tickets #1 this #3 called, local time is 9 am, ship time is 10 am. 

 

Straw market is open, cash only. Sunny & 78 degrees with a breeze.  Tender is just outside our window, lol.

[graphicguy]

@mking8288....tried to sneak a cruise in before the Holidays.  Unless something pops up between Christmas and New Years that I just can’t pass up, looks like I’m done for 2019.  Looks like you’re having a wonderful time.  LOVED the pics of the SpaceX launch.  That had to have been awesome to see.  

 

Out of left field, but I’m looking at some Carnival Cruises right after 01/01/2020.

[mking8288]

Hot breakfast in OSH (Locals on newer ships) 😉

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Cellular signal (Google Fi - T.Mobile/Sprint) at GSC, picked up on the ship as 3G, usable & posting live, with dual-sim global smartphone ... Umidigi A5 Pro, with another line on AT&T

 

DW using ship's unlimited satellite WiFi, switched off her Google Fi.

[mking8288]

10:15 local/11:15 ship time, CD Luz just calling for tender tickets #6 & 7, it seemed slower than the past, not seeing boats lined up, waiting as soon as the full ones leave ... using Deck 4 midship, starboard side ramp to transfer via gangway.  Watching them getting toasted on the upper deck.

 

Royal ship at their own private island, docked at the long pier ... just walk, no tendering involved.

 

Suntan protection & hats !! 

 

Norway just left @11:25 and I don't see the next available tender coming alongside.  Some of the crew just left w them to work ashore, doing selfies themselves on the back of the boat.  Tender #8 just being called.

Edited December 17, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Tender #10 & 11 called already, smaller GSC 1 boat now alongside and loading at 11:45 / 10:45 local time.

 

Counted roughly about 90 seated on to the upper deck, waiting to leave the big ship on the smaller boat ... and now going, hold up. Bye, see ya - waving from our window. 👣

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by mking8288

[dexddd]

On 12/15/2019 at 1:26 PM, mking8288 said:

Dexddd, chicken piccata ... how about those 😋 

 

Here's real seafood for us. Picked up by shuttle, caught at the draw bridge over the Basin. 

 

Pix of Terminal parking & rental car pickup location.

Wow, that looks like smaller version of your last trip lobster.

 

I'm understanding you were in PC overnight??