Live-NCL Breakaway 10/30-11/06/2022-New England/Canada-Club Balcony Suite

[graphicguy]

Not sure how much time I’ll have to post tomorrow.  

 

Loved it so much I wanted to extend it to a back-to back-to back (couldn’t)!

 

Will have more pics, review and final thoughts next week!

 

Suffice to say, it’s been great!

 

Hope I got answers to everyone’s questions!

Edited November 5, 2022 by graphicguy

[www3traveler]

4 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Not sure how much time I’ll have to post tomorrow.  

 

Loved it so much I wanted to extend it to a back-to back-to back (couldn’t)!

 

Will have more pics, review and final thoughts next week!

 

Suffice to say, it’s been great!

 

Hope I got answers to everyone’s questions!

Thank you for all your efforts.

 

Have a safe journey home.

 

Do you have your next adventure booked or have an adventure in mind??

[mking8288]

@graphicguy - That Reuben will taste better if they grilled it good, which isn't difficult to do.  Their burgers are even better as is, very juicy with the mushrooms - if you haven't had one all week, be sure to wash it down with your favorite beer or what not tonight.

 

Checking marinetraffic again, looked like ship is definitely on track for early arrival - been doing 21, 19.5 and now 20.5 knots all day long & that's with all 4 engines running to get those speed, not slowing down.  Hopefully, for other reasons and not b/c of needing to rush the passenger stablized from Code Alpha to better shore-side cardo care ... since medevac, apparently wasn't necessary, that s/he is okay.  

 

It's been a joy to follow along, thanks for all the pictures - there's always something new, different to discover from these posts and reports.  Impressed that you managed to keep up with just the "free" WiFi minutes for 7 nights.  

 

As for the time zone changes & correct time, this week & tonight will be exceptionally challenging - with the clock being turned back ... iPhones & smartphones "should" sync the correct time after 3 a.m. after you turn them back on or reboot, fingers crossed.  Sunrise for tomorrow should be around 6:30 a.m. (today ... was about 7:30 a.m.) just look out from the balcony ... should give you a good sense of approximate time for the pre-dawn hours, without a doubt - it will still be dark when she slip past Lady Liberty. 

 

Have a safe & pleasant trip flying home.    

[Seas2mountains]

@graphicguy Thank you for another great review!  Thank you for taking the time to share the details and photos. Have a great last evening and safe travels home.  

[All-ready2cruise]

@graphicguy as other's have said, thank you so much for another fantabulous review.  It was another fun time following you around.  Thank you so much for taking so much of your time to keep us in the loop and in the party mood.   Hope you have a great time this evening and very good luck on your last evening.  

Cheers

 

[rxlowry]

Great job on the live.  Sorry I didn’t get to meet you this week.  Hanging at Shakers now enjoying some great guitar.  Maybe Bliss later and some osheehan’s

[graphicguy]

Thanks all.  I enjoyed posting.  More to come.

 

We’re docked and disembarking.

 

I’m packed and ready.  Last coffee, grab some fruit!

[graphicguy]

Some folks getting in their last smokes….

[Red-Sol]

59 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Some folks getting in their last smokes….

 

Even though I quit smoking many many years ago...sometimes I still relate to this scene in "Ghost" You can control the habit but it never really leaves you. 🤪
 

 

[Red-Sol]

Thanks for letting us all follow along @graphicguy Really appreciated partaking in your adventure virtually. You have such a pleasant style that I know so many people find interesting and entertaining. Sorry to hear that you couldn't make it work for extending the cruise but still looking forward to your wrap up of this one!

[JIMESOPUS]

Thanks @graphicguy for showing us things that we missed. Sorry that we missed you but I'm sure we walked by each other a few times. Safe travels home, the marathon traffic concerns were a non-issue for us. Already home, quick ride north on the Palisades and finally back online ( internet was almost as bad as the Prima )

Jim  

Buffet Halloween pics

 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, JIMESOPUS said:

Thanks @graphicguy for showing us things that we missed. Sorry that we missed you but I'm sure we walked by each other a few times. Safe travels home, the marathon traffic concerns were a non-issue for us. Already home, quick ride north on the Palisades and finally back online ( internet was almost as bad as the Prima )

Jim  

Buffet Halloween pics

 

Thanks for posting.  I saw that, but had left my iPhone in my cabin, so didn’t catch it to post here.  

 

Missing each other gives us a reason to try to sail together again.  👍 

Edited November 6, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

I would imagine the new passengers are boarding by now.  I know they were still announcing past guests’ names to report to Customer Service @9:30 as I was disembarking.  Thinking boarding for the new cruise wouldn’t happen until they get everyone else off the ship….maybe 10:30-11:00-ish!

 

Bus to EWR went smoothly.  Sitting in terminal A (United) waiting for my flight home.

[graphicguy]

@mking8288…we have definitely seen lines much longer and slower than these disembarking from this terminal….

[graphicguy]

A few “goodbye” ship pics…

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 11/5/2022 at 8:07 AM, graphicguy said:

And NO….I will not!

No drink package??🤣

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 11/5/2022 at 10:06 AM, graphicguy said:

In all frankness, I have no clue what time it is right now!😳

Okay, sounds like you do! 🤣

[Sugar Magnolia]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

I would imagine the new passengers are boarding by now.  I know they were still announcing past guests’ names to report to Customer Service @9:30 as I was disembarking.  Thinking boarding for the new cruise wouldn’t happen until they get everyone else off the ship….maybe 10:30-11:00-ish!

 

Bus to EWR went smoothly.  Sitting in terminal A (United) waiting for my flight home.

 

Have a safe journey home. Hope to meet you next time without the looming threat of 50ish lady stalking the hallways. 

 

[genealogyfan]

Liked reading your posts. We sure lucked out with the weather. Couldn't believe I could sit on my balcony in short sleeve shirt in November coming back from Canada. It was a fun cruise.

 

Not sure how you felt, but I didn't think it was as crowded as I expected. Maybe alot of solo travelers or solo cabins. Although I never ate in the buffet, just went up to get water, maybe that's where all the crowds were. 

 

I never had a line for the main complimentary dining rooms or the speciality ones.

Edited November 6, 2022 by genealogyfan

[Megp]

@graphicguy it was great meeting you! Sorry for not catching you in the casino and heard the solo woman you gave the wine to loved it! Hope you got home safe!

[graphicguy]

8 hours ago, Megp said:

@graphicguy it was great meeting you! Sorry for not catching you in the casino and heard the solo woman you gave the wine to loved it! Hope you got home safe!

It was my pleasure.  Great meeting you, too.

 

 

[graphicguy]

Maybe irrelevant to those who have not used ONPOINT Testing for COVID, but many of us paid them and found them to be unresponsive.  I have already received a refund from AMEX.  Irritates me to know they took fees knowing they were going out of business.  Further, they never contacted anyone letting us know that they could not complete any testing scheduled with them.  

 

In order to keep ONPOINT from continuing to take money from others, I filed a complaint with my state's AG.  Just received this note from them.  FYI!

 

"Thank you for filing your complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. 

We have made several attempts to contact On Point Testing, but our efforts have been unsuccessful as our letters have been returned and the telephone number appears to be disconnected. Because we are unable to locate or contact On Point Testing, it is possible they have gone out of business. If so, we are unable to move forward with your complaint. At this time, your complaint will be closed. 

However, if you have additional information that suggests the supplier is continuing to operate under this or any other name in Ohio, please contact us with that information. A copy of your complaint will remain in our complaint retention system. 

Additionally, to our knowledge the supplier has not yet filed for bankruptcy, so your claim has not been discharged by any court and may still be viable. You may wish to contact a private attorney of your choosing to determine what legal options are available to you.

Thank you again for contacting the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. We appreciate your patience and regret we cannot be of assistance at this time.

Very respectfully yours,

DAVE YOST
Ohio Attorney General

Edited November 7, 2022 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Having had the chance to reflect on this cruise for all of a day (as I've not even unpacked yet), as promised, here's the review.

 

Amazingly (maybe scarily), the weather was stunning.  It's November, in NE U.S. and Canada, and most days were sunny and in the 60ºs.  Yesterday for disembarkation, it was 70º + in NYC.  

 

THE CRUISE....last minute booking, which is typical for me.  Trying to think of a cruise I've taken that cost less overall (fare, drinks, excursions, Specialties, etc) than this one.  I can't recall any.  So, this stands as the cheapest cruise I've ever taken.  Not including the FCC I used, I was all in for under $700....in a Club Balcony Cabin.  I even had a modest $110+ win in the Casino.  TA kicked in tips.  I also had OBC from AMEX (+a dinner at LeBistro with a bottle of wine) and NCL.

 

This cruise was heavy on ports.  We had embarkation day and the last day of the cruise as the only days we had totally at sea.  I used every $50 credit/port and my 15% latitudes discount for the excursions.  Some excursions ended up not costing me anything as a result.  I think one cost me $9 and another cost $12.  That's it.  But, I didn't do anything elaborate, either.  Most of what I did was to only use whatever excursions took me to what I wanted to see/do.  No elaborate tours.  Most were done so I could walk around. I think I ended up walking over 5 miles on the last excursion to Halifax. I enjoyed doing that.

 

First time I had so many ports, and was happy for the opportunity to do so.  As an aside, my visit to Maine completed a life goal of visiting all 50 states.  Maine was the last one.  Check that off my list.  Pics are littered throughout this thread if you want to see where this cruise went.

 

THE SHIP.....in excellent shape.  Still very clean and felt modern, given it's nearly 10 years old. I heard all sorts of estimates on how many were on the ship.  They varied widely, depending on who you asked.  But, just going by my observations, I'd say it was about 80% capacity, or about 3,200 passengers, give or take.

 

It never felt crowded, even the elevators were fairly easy to get.  

 

Even though the weather was good, it was still a bit to breezy and brisk to use the pools. I did see one child in the children's pool.  That couldn't have been much fun. But, then again, I think I could count on one hand the amount of children I noticed on the cruise.  Same goes for teens...hardly any.  That's to be expected given school is in session.

 

Felt sorry for the band who played the pool stage as there were just a few people listening to them and any given time.

 

My friend @JamieLogicalused the Spa and had mentioned there were times the whirlpool was inoperative, but I did not use the spa.

 

I observed no one doing the ropes course.  Again, understandable because it was a bit breezy.

 

Again, plenty of pics of the ship throughout this thread.

 

 

(to be continued)

 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by graphicguy

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

First time I had so many ports, and was happy for the opportunity to do so.  As an aside, my visit to Maine completed a life goal of visiting all 50 states.  Maine was the last one.  Check that off my list.  Pics are littered throughout this thread if you want to see where this cruise went.

Congratulations on such a wonderful accomplishment! I'm looking to finish all the states up by the time I hit 50, so I have a bit over a decade and only three or four states left. I have to look through my travel logs - I just can't remember if I've ever been in New Mexico. My friends tell me I have, but I don't remember it. Maybe I'll just have to visit Santa Fe sometime for the heck of it.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review! 

[graphicguy]

TIPPING....this seems to be a hot topic around these parts.  So, I'll just identify who/how/why I tip.

 

First and foremost, I tip my room steward.  Mine (Ferdinand) worked his derrière off for me.  He did so quietly and unashamedly.  I asked for my laundry to be done in a day?  He picked it up in the a.m., and had it back to me that night (I know, the laundry dept had something to do with that).  He didn't have to run to the laundry dept to do that for me. But he did.....twice!

 

I asked for a coffeemaker.  Within an hour of my request, it was in my cabin.  

 

I asked for a mattress topper, and it was there before I went to bed the first night of the cruise.

 

He ALWAYS answered my calls when I called, regardless if the time of day or night (and yes, I  did not try to call him at unreasonable hours).

 

I could go on, but he was exceptional.  I was solo, but tipped him $100.

 

WAITSTAFF...

 

Kind of a pet peeve of mine, if you're dining on a Specialty Dining package, or Latitudes Perk, why give a receipt if your bill is ZERO (which is what showed up on the receipt.  Why demand a signature on a receipt?  Some say it is to keep inventory straight.  That's fine.  You don't need my signature for that. The receipt even states a 20% service charge will be added to the daily charges on your account.  My TA covered my tips, so I didn't even keep track of those charges.

 

I only ate in the MDR once, and that was for breakfast.  My food, while good, took a while for them to serve me.  Plus, the order was wrong.  Not sure whose fault it was, but not worth an extra tip from me.

 

I tipped my bartenders $1/drink.  Like most folks, I had a couple of bartenders I liked going to.  They were attentive, efficient and engaging.  I tipped them $20/ea at the end of the cruise, too.

 

Interestingly, I've sailed in the Haven, several times.  Maybe it's just me, but I always felt "pressured" to tip more people and more money in the Haven than I did staying with the more plebeian guests (j/k).  Service was every bit as good outside the Haven.

 

SERVICE....just segue into this topic.  Everyone was great.  Some better than others, but overall, service was consistently great.  Aside from the MDR breakfast incident and a guy at the Restaurant Scheduling desk, who ignored me for 10 minutes before the desk closed while doing something with some sort of key cards, and then told me he was closing...everyone else was fine.

 

FOOD

 

The food ranged from good to great.  In the Garden Cafe, it was fresh, tasty, and the personnel were helpful. It got crowded at times.  But, I was always able to find a seat.  I went there often.  I got hot water there for my Starbucks coffee packets.  I would have fruit and a muffin there for breakfast.  If I came back from an excursion and was late for lunch, I would stop by the Cafe for a burger, maybe a piece of pizza and a salad.  Surprised the pizza was pretty good.  Again, for buffet food it was good.

 

Specialty Restaurants....ranked in order...

 

1.  Ocean Blue

2. Cagneys

3.  LaCucina

4.  LeBistro

 

Service in all of these venues was very good.  I'll probably catch flack for ranking LeBistro so low.  But, it probably has more to do with my particular tastes than anything else.  LeBistro offers a lot of sea food.  Do yourself a favor, if you're a fan of seafood, save your palate and go to Ocean Blue.  I can take or leave Lobster and can never understand people's strange fascination with it.  But, the Lobster in LeBistro was on the tough side, and smothered in a butter sauce that bordered on congealing.  Not a good look or taste.

 

And yes, I mentioned it to the waitperson about my dish. He said he would take it off my bill, except, I wasn't paying for it to begin with.  Onion soup was quite good, though.

 

The rest?  Quick bite...hard to beat getting wings, a sandwich, mozzarella sticks, etc from O'Sheehans.  Seems I would also stop in there for either a post excursion or late night snack.  If I were up for a full breakfast, that was the place for me, too.

 

Dinner at Noodles, where you could get dumplings, udon, etc, was also great.  Matter of fact, I would rate it higher than LeBistro.

 

Not a huge desert person, but I am a sucker for Gelato.  The Gelato stand outside on the Waterfront was outstanding.....

 

(to be continued)

Edited November 7, 2022 by graphicguy