I've recently hinted that I was going away on a cruise. Sadly, there was no way that I'd consider writing about what happened in real time. There are still too many people who'd figure out where I live and burglarize the place. So, there is a longer than usual gap between the time I sailed on this ship and the time you'll read about my exploits.
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Day 1 - Embarkation.
It's been over 2 years since I've gone on any vacation. So this trip would be both a chance to relax and a chance to see what has changed to keep passengers safe when cruising on this ship. This would be a "new" experience for me, as I am accustomed to getting on board the ship "late" and leaving "early".
My scheduled arrival time at the pier was at noon. So, I worked my times backward and decided that I had to make it out of my house by 9:15, so that I could catch a 9:45 train into NYC. One problem - the cab service I usually use wasn't picking up its phone. I ended up having to call a cab service in Ossining (one town over from me), and deal with a man who didn't know the way to my apartment complex. Luckily, he was nearby, and I told him how to reach my place with a few minutes to spare before my train.
I had time to kill when I reached NYC, so I looked around Grand Central for a few minutes. One of the things I was looking for was a place selling OMNY cards, but none were there to be found. (I'll have to search around the GCT area for OMNY cards the next time I'm in the area.) Then, I killed more time by finding an unofficial place to sit, as the official waiting area wasn't yet open. Eventually, the clock struck 11:30, and I made my way to the cab stand to make it to the pier.
Once at the pier, I was directed to a station at Pier 90. This was the place where NCL had contracted with another firm to do their Covid testing. The antigen test was not as accurate as the PCR test I did the previous Thursday. But it showed the result I needed - NEGATIVE. I was cleared to go, and given a pink band to indicate that I passed the test. Now, I was off to Pier 88 to check in for my cruise. At Pier 88, I was checked in and on the ship in 10 minutes. So, after 30 minutes of arriving at the cruise terminal, I was onboard and in my cabin.
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The first subtle difference I noticed on the ship was that everyone was wearing wearing face masks. Although the card-key was still being used, the cruise line was also working with facial recognition technology when getting on and off the ship. Since I mentioned the card-key, I might as well mention that it was always used in Tap-and-Go mode. One didn't have to swipe their card-key to enter a cabin. One simply tapped the card-key on the door's reader, and you'd be able to open the door.
Another difference is the lack of selfie stations. When I last cruised on the Norwegian Gem, there were several places around the ship where you could have your picture taken with a Norwegian Gem background and send it to your friends as free advertising for the line. In the places where those stations were once found were holiday decorations. Although the selfie machines could come back, I doubt they will. They create a sanitary problem, as these stations are operated by direct finger contact.
A welcome change to standard operating procedure was the lack of a formal muster drill. Instead of marching to a muster area with a lot of other people, one watches a safety presentation in the comfort of one's own cabin. Once the video is viewed, one checks in at the muster station for a quick presentation on how to use a "Mae West". And that's it. It's much easier than before, and much more effective.
I expected to see the serve yourself buffet replaced by a buffet where servers would put the foods you select onto your plate - as has been done by other cruise lines. This limits the possibility of an infected passenger contaminating the food which others may eat. I was appalled by seeing one teenager take his water carton, and refill it by putting the nozzle inside the water carton. This is against the ship's rules, but the kid didn't care. It was too inconvenient to refill the water carton another way. Sadly, the buffet is one area where the cruise line could implement higher standards of hygiene.
Even though I expected to see a relatively empty theater, I was still a little bit surprised. Based on what I saw, I think that the ship was sailing at 30%-40% capacity. Although it was nice to have a little more personalized attention, I miss the energy that larger groups generate. Yet, right now, I was glad not to be sailing on a crowded ship.
