Sometimes Missing the Show Means I Had a Great Day

Today was awesome.

After spending days watching the New York weather forecast bounce all over the place—55% chance of rain, then 77% with thunderstorms, then suddenly looking pretty good—I couldn't have asked for much better.

The temperature stayed in the mid-70s, the humidity was low, there was some sunshine, and toward the end of the day we got a raindrop here and there.

That's it.

Apparently, I spent several days worrying about New York weather for absolutely no reason.

And I'm perfectly okay with that.

This Was Why I Came to New York

Yes, I wanted the New York bagels.

Yes, I wanted the pizza.

Yes, I wanted to see what they did to LaGuardia.

And yes, I had plans to see a Broadway show.

But none of those things were really why I got on a plane this morning.

Today was about the people.

I got to spend the afternoon hanging out with friends and people who are basically family—people I've grown up with and known for years but don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like.

We talked.

We laughed.

We gave each other a hard time.

Because that's what you do with people you've known forever.

There are friendships where you haven't seen someone in a long time, but within about five minutes of being together, it's as if no time has passed at all.

Today felt like that.

And Then There Was the Food

Oh, the food.

I also got something I've been missing for a while:

New York City backyard food.

Not a fancy restaurant.

Not something carefully arranged on a plate so someone can take a picture of it for Instagram.

I'm talking about the kind of food you eat while you're hanging around outside with people you've known forever.

Good food.

Good people.

Good conversation.

And absolutely no reason to rush anywhere.

Which brings me to Broadway.

🎭 About That & Juliet Ticket...

Remember that ticket I bought for & Juliet?

Yeah.

I missed it.

I stayed at the gathering so long that by the time I left, there was no chance I was making the show.

And you know what?

I don't care.

Thankfully, the ticket was $49, not the approximately $200 I would have spent to see Paranormal Activity.

Would I have liked to see & Juliet?

Absolutely.

Was spending more time with friends and family I rarely get to see worth losing $49?

Absolutely.

Broadway will be there the next time I'm in New York.

Days like today aren't nearly as easy to reschedule.

I'd make the same decision again.

🌃 A Ride Through Queens

Eventually, though, the day had to come to an end.

On the ride back to my hotel, SpringHill Suites in Long Island City, I got to take some pictures as we headed south on Vernon Boulevard, just past the Roosevelt Island Bridge and toward the Queensboro/59th Street Bridge.

It was one of those rides where I could just look out the window and enjoy being back in New York.

No rushing to Broadway.

No checking the weather app.

No wondering whether I was going to get rained out.

Just enjoying the ride.

And I'm glad I took some pictures along the way.

🌯 But the Night Isn't Quite Over

Now I'm back at the hotel.

There's a street food vendor right outside, which means I have one final decision to make tonight.

Actually, who am I kidding?

The decision has already been made.

I'm getting something over rice.

Chicken?

Lamb?

Combo?

I haven't decided yet.

But something is going over rice, and I'm going to eat it.

Then I think I'm officially done.

This morning started with a flight from Charleston, a completely transformed LaGuardia Airport, an early hotel check-in and a plate of bacon.

It ends after a beautiful day with people I don't get to see enough, great New York food, a Broadway show I happily missed, a nighttime ride through Queens and, apparently, a plate of street-cart food.

I came to New York wondering whether the weather would ruin the trip.

Instead, I got exactly the kind of day I came here for.

Sometimes the plans you miss aren't nearly as important as the moments that made you miss them.

Today was worth the trip.

✈️ Plot Twist: I’m Going to New York!

Well, Mother Nature apparently reads my blog.

A few days ago, I was questioning whether I was going to make my trip to New York at all. The forecast went from a 55% chance of rain to 77% with thunderstorms, and I wasn't particularly interested in flying to Queens just to sit in a hotel room and watch it rain.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning.

70 degrees. Fair. A 2% chance of rain this morning.

Okay, New York. You win. I’m coming. 😂

My flight is scheduled to get into LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, and from there I'll head to the hotel and hopefully be able to check in early. At the very least, I'm hoping they'll take my bags because I've got places to go and people to see.

The yearly gathering in Astoria, Queens starts at 1:00 PM, so I've got a few hours between landing and the party.

And because apparently I don't believe in relaxing on vacation, I've already started thinking about what I'm doing afterward.

👻 Paranormal Activity on Broadway?

I'd really like to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway.

There's just one tiny problem.

I'm not paying $200 for a ticket.

I enjoy Broadway.

I enjoy paranormal stuff.

I enjoy sitting in a dark theater wondering what's about to jump out at me.

But for $200, the ghost better leave the theater with me, carry my luggage back to Queens and tuck me into bed.

Fortunately, there's another possibility.

There are some same-day tickets scheduled to be released at 9:00 AM, and I'm hoping I can grab one for the 8:00 PM performance.

So somewhere around the time my plane is landing at LGA, I'll also be trying to score a reasonably priced Broadway ticket.

Because apparently landing an airplane isn't enough excitement for 9:00 in the morning.

If it works out, my Saturday could look something like this:

✈️ 9:00 AM: Arrive at LaGuardia
🏨 Morning: Head to the hotel and hopefully check in
🎉 1:00 PM: Party in Astoria
👻 8:00 PM:Paranormal Activity on Broadway — IF I can get the same-day ticket

And somewhere in between all of that, there had better be a New York bagel and some pizza.

Those aren't optional.

After several days of watching weather percentages climb and wondering whether this trip was going to happen at all, it's funny that I'm now looking at a forecast with almost no chance of rain this morning.

So...

New York City, here I come.

Now I just need the flight to cooperate, the hotel to let me check in early, and the Broadway ticket gods to smile upon me at 9:00 AM.

That's not asking too much, right?

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York Trip Update: Mother Nature Is Making Her Case

A couple of days ago, I wrote that I’m supposed to fly to New York this Saturday, landing at LaGuardia (LGA) and heading to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

At the time, the forecast called for about a 55% chance of rain.

I wasn't thrilled, but 55% still leaves room for negotiation.

Well...

Mother Nature has apparently retained counsel.

I checked the forecast again today.

🌧️ Saturday: 77% chance of rain.
⛈️ And now there are thunderstorms involved.

This negotiation is moving in the wrong direction.

Normally, I'd be excited about this trip. It's a nonstop flight. I get to see people I haven't seen in a while. And most importantly, I'd be returning to Queens—the magical land of real bagels, real pizza, and enough incredible food to destroy any reasonable eating plan within approximately four hours of landing.

But here's my problem:

I'm not flying to New York just so I can sit in a hotel room and say:

"Yep. That's definitely rain."

I can watch rain from home.

For free.

And I don't have to deal with airports, flight delays, Uber surge pricing, wet sidewalks, or trying to maneuver around New York City while Mother Nature dumps buckets of water on everyone.

There's also the airport factor.

Rain and thunderstorms in the New York area don't exactly have a reputation for making air travel more efficient. Suddenly my beautiful nonstop flight could become an exciting afternoon of staring at an airport departure board while the word DELAYED slowly destroys my will to live.

The good news?

The forecast could still change.

The bad news?

It already changed—from 55% rain to 77%.

That's not the direction I was hoping for.

So, the great Will Niel Actually Go to New York? saga continues.

The flight is still scheduled.

Astoria is still waiting.

The bagels are presumably still delicious.

The pizza is calling my name.

But at 77% rain with thunderstorms, those bagels are going to have to make a very persuasive argument.

Stay tuned.

Automatic Gratuities? Not on My Next Cruise.

I have a Royal Caribbean cruise planned, paid for, and waiting for me.

On Thursday, October 29, 2026, I’ll board Radiance of the Seas in Tampa. Then it’s a day at sea, a stop in Cozumel, Mexico, another glorious day at sea, and back to Tampa on Monday, November 2.

I love cruising. I love being on the water. I love eating an irresponsible amount of bacon. And I absolutely love people watching.

Put me on a ship with the ocean, bacon, Coke Zero, and a few thousand strangers making questionable vacation decisions, and I'm entertained.

But lately, I've been watching a lot of cruise videos about one surprisingly polarizing subject:

Automatic gratuities.

And I think I've changed my mind about them.

What Exactly Is a Gratuity?

If you haven't cruised before, you pay a cruise fare that includes your cabin, most meals, some beverages, entertainment, and plenty of other things.

Of course, there are upcharges. Want a specialty restaurant? Pay extra. Want a fancy coffee? Pay extra. Want alcohol? Definitely pay extra.

Then there are gratuities.

On my first Royal Caribbean cruise, tipping worked very differently.

Toward the end of the cruise, we were given envelopes. The daily newsletter provided guidance on suggested tip amounts, and passengers put cash into the envelopes and personally handed them to the people who had provided service during the cruise.

Your room attendant.

Your waiter.

Assistant waiter.

Maitre d'.

It was direct. Someone provided you with great service, and you tipped them.

At some point, that system largely disappeared, and automatic gratuities became the norm.

Buy a drink at a bar or by the pool, and an 18% gratuity is already added to the price. You can add even more if you'd like.

Then there's the separate daily automatic gratuity charged to passengers.

The explanation makes some sense: the money isn't just for the employees you see. It's also distributed to people working behind the scenes who contribute to your vacation.

Laundry.

Maintenance.

Food preparation.

Other crew members you may never meet.

These people absolutely contribute to the cruise experience.

But there's one word I keep coming back to:

Gratuity.

I asked The Google for a definition, and it gave me this:

A gratuity is an extra amount of money given to a person who provides a service.

Extra

.

That word matters.

A Video Changed My Thinking

I recently watched a video from an avid cruiser who said he was going to stop adding automatic gratuities.

My initial reaction was basically, Ehhhhhh...

I've actually defended automatic gratuities before.

My normal practice has been to leave the automatic gratuities in place and then tip additional cash to crew members who provide me with great service.

That includes room attendants, servers, bartenders, and even crew members working in the buffet.

If someone takes care of me, I believe in taking care of them.

I'm not looking for an excuse to save a few bucks at the expense of the people working incredibly hard on a cruise ship.

But the cruiser in the video made a point that stuck with me:

Why is it the passenger's responsibility to supplement the compensation of back-of-house employees through something called a gratuity?

And that's where my thinking changed.

Pay Your Employees

If a cruise line needs a certain amount of money per passenger to properly compensate laundry workers, maintenance employees, kitchen staff and other behind-the-scenes crew members, then build that amount into the cruise fare.

Charge me what it actually costs.

Be transparent.

If the cruise needs to cost another $100, $150, or $200 for the company to compensate its employees properly, please include it in the advertised price.

I can then decide whether that cruise is worth that price.

What concerns me is treating what is traditionally understood as a service tip as part of the company's labor cost structure.

I have absolutely no problem with a company making a profit.

Royal Caribbean is a business, not a floating nonprofit with a waterslide.

Make money.

Make lots of money.

Build another gigantic ship with 47 restaurants, 19 pools, and a zip line directly through a Starbucks for all I care.

It's how the money is collected that I'm questioning.

If the automatic gratuity is necessary to compensate employees properly, is it really a gratuity anymore?

Or is it simply part of the cruise fare with a different name?

So I'm Trying Something Different

When I board Radiance of the Seas on October 29, I'm changing my normal routine.

At some point during the cruise, I'm going to go to Guest Services, stand in line—not in line, because I am a New Yorker—and ask to have the automatic gratuities removed.

But I'm not going to stop tipping.

Quite the opposite.

I'm going to bring a bunch of cash.

When someone provides great service, I'm going to tip them directly.

Room attendant? Cash.

Great waiter? Cash.

Bartender? Cash.

Someone at the buffet goes out of their way to help me? Cash.

If you're taking care of me while I'm wandering around a ship eating bacon and staring at the ocean, I want you to know that I appreciated what you did.

The people working behind the scenes deserve to be compensated fairly, too.

I believe their employer should be responsible for making sure that happens.

Maybe It's Time for More Passengers to Question It

I'm curious what other cruisers think about this because I've discovered this topic can get surprisingly heated.

Some passengers consider removing automatic gratuities practically a declaration of war against the crew.

Others argue that cruise lines have successfully shifted responsibility for employee compensation onto passengers while continuing to advertise lower base fares.

I'm moving toward the second camp.

I'll gladly tip.

I'll gladly reward great service.

I'll probably tip more than I would have otherwise.

But I'd rather put the money directly into the hands of the people who made my vacation better and tell them:

Thank you.

And if the cruise line needs additional funds to compensate everyone else properly?

Put it in my fare.

Tell me what the cruise actually costs.

Then let a gratuity actually be a gratuity.

Now I need October 29 to get here.

There is an ocean, a cruise ship, and an unreasonable quantity of bacon waiting for me.

✈️ New York This Weekend… Maybe. Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat.

This Saturday, I’m supposed to be flying to New York—LaGuardia (LGA), specifically—then heading over to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

Normally, I’d be excited.

It’s a nonstop flight, which already makes the trip significantly more appealing. No sprinting through Atlanta. No sitting in Charlotte wondering why my connecting flight has changed gates four times. Just get on the plane, land at LGA, and head into Queens.

And then there’s Queens itself.

The bagels. The pizza. The Greek food in Astoria. The seemingly endless supply of carbohydrates that somehow taste better once you cross into New York City.

I grew up in New York, so there’s also something familiar about going back. Even if the trip is short, there’s always a little nostalgia mixed in with the carbohydrates.

There is, however, one potential problem:

The weather.

Right now, Saturday is looking a little questionable, with about a 55% chance of rain throughout the day.

Now, I’m willing to travel for a good bagel.

I’m willing to travel for New York pizza.

I’m willing to tolerate LGA, traffic, questionable drivers, expensive everything, and the possibility that someone will honk at me for absolutely no reason.

What I’m not particularly interested in doing is flying all the way to Queens just to spend the day staring out of a hotel-room window watching rain fall.

I can sit inside and watch rain in South Carolina. It’s significantly cheaper.

Of course, weather forecasts several days out have approximately the same reliability as some dating profiles: interesting information, but I'm not making major life decisions based on them just yet.

So, for now, the trip is still on.

The suitcase isn't packed.

The bagel order hasn't been placed.

And I'm watching that forecast.

Will I be eating pizza in Astoria this weekend?

Or will I be sitting comfortably at home thinking about the money I saved by not flying to New York to watch it rain?

Stay tuned.