buckeye82

I was on the POA over Christmas. Freestyle Daily-Day 3: "Time to get fancy....tonight is Norwegian's Night Out!" This was on the front page. Inside it was further described as "slip on your favorite outfit and visit your photographers tonight for memorable portraits." It went on to name the time and place for photos with the Captain. A lot of people did dress up. Don't remember seeing Tuxedos.

Sorry, I don't know about the new menu. I was just on the Spirit and it was the same as POA as far as I could tell.

Strange. We just got off NCL's POA last week, and on arriving at the port at 12 noon on embarkation day, could see no porters around at all. We talked about how strange that was, and how unusual.

 

But in any case, embarkation was a breeze. Once past the first ticket and ID check (there were two) we dropped of our luggage at an xray machine. Then there was another ticket and ID check, and the usual hand baggage xray and magnetometer, and then we were sent to suite check in to one side of the main terminal room.

 

We were on the ship by 12:30, escorted on by the Concierge, who took us to the Napa wine bar outside Cagney's for a small talk and free glass of champagne, then we were into Cagney's for lunch.

 

Our suite was ready at 1:00 pm, and our bags were delivered at 2:00 pm. Earliest we've ever seen our bags on an NCL cruise.

That IS strange! On strike? On break? Maybe the porters were catching a big wave up on the North Shore! :D

When we docked at the more distant terminal, they ran a shuttle bus from that terminal to the older terminal. I would suggest taking it, as the walk between terminals is quite a distance. Once at the older terminal, it is a pleasant 20-30 minute walk (depending on your walking speed) to the Metro. It's an easy, flat walk along sidewalks. It really is up to you and your health to decide if you want to go that route. Personally, I did it twice on back-to-back cruises. I also used Rick Steves' guide to visit the sites in Athens. During my two stops in Athens, I did all of the walks he has listed for Athens. I am a big fan of DIY, and often don't feel the need to arrange for tour guides. But it really is a matter of personal choice.

MeHeartCruising-How long ago did you use the Metro in Athens? My husband and I were planning to take it from the port into the city. We used the metro some years back and had no problems, but now I am worried.

We had no trouble finding a porter either. We had a rental car and dropped off three members of our party and all our luggage. The porters were right there with their carts. We returned our rental car and went back to port in a taxi. The porters were still there, but we had no luggage to give them. I had told someone else this in another thread and some POA cruisers wrote to say that the porters were not always available. But we found it to be like every other cruise where helpful porters took our bags and we saw them again in our cabin. Magic! :)

When we got into the terminal we were so overwhelmed by all the people in line we didn't see the suite check in area. We had to ask where it was. Have fun!

If you are up to the driving (some twisty roads up to the volcanoes, road to Hana and to the canyon in Kauai) you might want to check out Discount Hawaii rental car. You can book cars on line for good prices. I was a little concerned about using them, but after reading the reviews we gave it a try and had no problem. We (five of us) rented a car in every port except Kona. In Maui the overnight parking lot was literally steps from the boat. At each port there was a shuttle bus to take us to and from the pier to the airport (car rental location). It was nice to be on our own schedule.

We were in Oahu for a week before the cruise and rented a car there as well. We stayed on the north shore in a rental house and drove all over the island. On embarkation day we dropped off three passengers and the lugguage, returned the car to the airport area and took a taxi back to port (the car rental offered a shuttle to the pier, but we were to excited to wait for it to come back from its current run).

In Kona we had a leisurely morning on the ship, tendered in and then shopped in the town, before swimming and snorkling on the beaches just by the tender pier.

I don't know what your flight plans are on your return trip, but ours were later in the day so we did the Pearl Harbor excursion on disembarkation morning. For a reasonable price you got the tour, a place to store your luggage (on the coach bus) and a ride to the airport. Very well organized.

Is it not correct though that UBT which was introduced by LPH in the 70's is only going half way to sorting the POLL, especially when combined with BAM and SAD?

Oh no! Look what I started. I'll just eat in the buffet on embarkation day! :p

Both times I was on the Breakaway, the preset tables were covered by an additional tablecloth to keep everything clean during muster. :)

Seems like that would be a sensible thing to do!

On our POA cruise this past December we had our muster drill in one of the main dining rooms. Everyone was sitting at tables that were fully set for dinner. People being people were touching utensils, glasses and napkins, coughing, and sneezing. My husband and I decided we would be eating late, hopefully after the tables had been turned over at least once. We have been on many cruises and had never mustered in a MDR before. Now we will always be uneasy about eating early on embarkation day! Do most ships use the MDR for muster drills?

Be sure and try the French Toast at breakfast in Cagney's! :D

You MIGHT want to take one pair of pants for DH and son that are not jeans if you are going to eat in Le Bistro or Cagney's. Not required but they may feel more comfortable. Open toed shoes for women are fine. Last cruise my DH never even put on his "dress" shorts but that was on the Sky which is very very casual.

 

Best thing about NCL is the dress code, I wanted to try MSC since they have such good Florida resident rates but when looking at the dress code we both said "forget it". I doubt I will ever see my DH in a tux again <sigh> Oh well, I have the pictures and I personally will never struggle into another Spanx. hehehe

I would agree. We were just on the spirit and I didn't see too many jeans in Cagney's and Le Bistro and my husband would have been uncomfortable if he was the only one wearing them. I wore black pants and a nice shirt each night since we were on the UDP and that seemed fine. Bring a sweater. Lots of people complaining about the ship being chilly.

Unsure about the POA, but most NCL excursions we have met in a public area on the ship, often the theatre and left together. With a tender it's the same process, so all people on your tour or bus arrive on the dock at the same time. You are usually put on the same tender. The specific meeting place and time will be on your ticket. The ticket is delivered to your cabin on embarkation day or if booking on board prior to the excursion. They mark your name off a list so I'm sure if you weren't there they would ring your cabin to check. I usually only allow myself around 5-10 minutes to get to the meeting place.

Not sure about all the shore excursions on POA, but as posted above, the ones we took met off the ship. Check the ticket and get there a little before the scheduled meeting time.

Hi I am booked up for Spirit Feb 15 ( 10 Days Canary trip )and was wondering what the on-board entertainment program is, like what goes down in each specific venue? oh and is there a nightly Piano player where you can relax? Thanks

We were recently on the Spirit. There was a show each night in the Sardust Theater. They were: Variety Show, On Broadway, The Aerial Artistry of Gilles and Laure, The Flamencos, Soul Satisfaction, Soul Rockin' Nights, Just Magic, Elements, and the juggling talents of Niels Duinker.

Every night in Galaxy of the Stars there was either a party (White Hot Party, 50's Sock Hop) or live music and dancing. Maharini's lounge had prerecorded music each night with a theme (Latin, ballroom, 80's), often with a DJ. Henry's Pub had a vocalist some nights and Karaoke or Juke Box music. Champagne Charlie's usually had a Piano player/singer from about 6-9 PM and then variety music with "Duo Allegro."

Yes

I'm going in 10 days and am still hemming and hawing about what to do. Help me decide!

 

Believe me, I am fine with "cultural differences." I am living abroad, for the second time, and have come across people from a lot of different countries, but the negative reviews of Casablanca are giving me pause as well.

 

It seems the local authorities make it difficult for many private tour guides to do business by not letting them pick you up at the port. And if you DIY I hear you are constantly harassed. I have decided it's either ship's excursion or nothing for us. And I don't generally like ship's excursions because of the time wasted, the fact that you are in a giant herd of people, and the focus on shopping at touristy places for stuff I don't need. We are a family of 5, so ship's excursion is quite an investment. I don't want to drop several hundred bucks for an experience that is going to be hellish.

 

Marrakech looked interesting, but then I read the description about the one bathroom stop at a squatty potty along the way, and the recommendation to bring one's own TP and wipes. That was a little off putting.

 

The mosque seemed to be the highlight of a lot of people's tours.

 

If the markets are anything like they were in Tunisia, I have absolutely no interest in going. The sales people were the pushiest I have ever encountered and kept trying to get to us through our children, making comments to my six year old daughter that were inappropriate, trying to hand my kids "free" stuff, etc. Never again.

 

But I just hate to waste a port and not get off the ship in a country I have never been to before. I am having trouble getting my head around that idea.

 

We have awesome excursions planned for all the other ports on the cruise though.

Don't let the potty break put you off. NCL needs to update that info. The rest stops were in modern clean buildings along the highway, with clean bathroom facilities and snack bars/cafes.

When on the UDP *IF* one wanted to tip in a specialty restaurant how would it be done? Even though it is no charge do they still present a bill to sign and a tip can be added to that or is cash carried just in case or ?

My husband and I were on the UDP recently and we each recieved a bill to sign where a tip could be added in Cagney's, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. In Shoguns and La Trattortia we asked for the check and were told we were good to go without one.

Thanks for the info! Sounds more appealing than the big bus, and I do like the idea of going to an oasis...

 

Another question if you don't mind. For the market, what do we need to have on hand in terms of cash? USD? Euros? If we need to have local (which I don't even know what it is at this point lol), I guess we will have to get it at home or in Barcelona - don't imagine the ship performs currency exchange. Any advice here?

Thanks.

We used Euros. They are very geared toward tourists!

We did the Exclusive Magical Marrakech shore excursion on our March 1 cruise aboard the Spirit. There were 10 of us in a mini bus. We got back at 9:15 PM. You will make a rest stop on the way and on the way back. They are nice modern rest areas with bathrooms and cafe. The tour guide got us drinks each time, but you would certainly have time to purchase a snack if you wanted to. But we had a very nice, large lunch in Marrakech.

I enjoyed the tour very much, but there were a few negatives. We spent way too much time in the rug factory where no one bought anything. We would have preferred to spend more time in the market looking for trinkets. We also had to sit through a talk about spices and then wait as people made their purchases. Again, I would rather have been in the market. The smaller tour gets to wander a little more through the back streets (which was really interesting, but hurried). We also got to walk through the maze of the market before getting to the main square with the snake charmers and other performers. But again very hurried. We stopped at a lake that I did not see any other groups at. The tour guide was attentive and friendly and as we drove back to the ship made a stop in Casablanca at the Mosque and did a drive by of Rick's Cafe at the group's request.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

As an FYI, teppenyaki is not open for lunch, same with the other specialty restaurants (except possibly the sushi place). They are open for dinner only. If you go to the sushi place, while it is not included in the UDP, you do get a 20% discount with the UDP.

We ate at Teppanyaki for lunch on the last sea day of our cruise on the Spirit. Twelve noon.

You can pull right up in your car (the driver will probably need to tell port security that they are dropping off passengers). Porters will be available to load up your luggage on carts and take it to the luggage drop off area. You will get into the security line (showing paperwork, ID and putting your hand luggage through scanners) and then you will enter the huge terminal, get your lei and a picture taken. There will be people to help, so ask one of them where suite passengers check in.

I believe I read that one of the MDR's on the Spirit was a little dressier than the other. Can someone who has sailed on her recently let me know? Thank you. Lydia

Windows (aft) is dressier than Garden.

Could you tell me which lobster dish was included in the UDP and you were not charged extra for?

It was Homard Rotis Aux Beuree (Buttered Lobster Tail). They took the lobster meat out of the tail, cut it into smaller pieces and simmered it in butter sauce and then poured it back into the shell. My husband had the Fruits De Mer (also usually an upcharge, but not for UDP) which was lobster and other sea food in a puff pastry. He loved that.

We bought the ultimate dining package for our upcoming cruise on Spirit. We have 9 nights and 4 specialty restaurants, Cagney's, Le Bistro, shogun and La Trattoria.

 

Because I really like to be on deck with a cocktail to watch every sail away, and because we have kids who need their sleep, we can't totally go with the flow and take our chances on availability,, I am making reservations in advance.

 

So, of those four restaurants, which do you like and what are your favorite menu items?

 

I am leaning toward going to each place twice and Le Bistro one extra time. But with La Trattoria being basically part of the buffet that is converted into a specialty restaurant at night, is it worth going more than once? Should we go to Cagney's three times instead of 2?

 

Also, are any of these restaurants open for lunch to non-suite guests? (I realize this would not be included in the UDP.)

My husband and I just got off the Spirit last Monday. We did the UDP and really enjoyed Cagney's (DH's favorite-He loves the filet mignon) and Le Bistro (my favorite-the lobster dish was excellent and not extra for UDP). I had really enjoyed the Italian Restaurant on Pride of America and was looking forward to it on the Spirit. I was very dissapointed. It just wasn't very good.

We didn't realize until we were on board that Teppanyaki was included in the UDP since we were unable to reserve it online in advance. They only have one Teppanyaki table on the ship which holds 10 people at a time. It was offered on sea days for lunch and we booked that once. It was included in the UDP. The Sushi bar and noodle bar were also open for lunch on sea days. Since those are ala carte you would get a discount with UDP.

We found that in Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro we were EACH given a check a the end of the meal that had a zero balance but a place to include extra gratuity if desired. In Shogun and La Trattoria no check was given and we were told that we were good to go.

Have a great cruise and enjoy the specialty restaurants!

I am really intrigued by this ship. We were looking at the Canada itinerary years ago and just never did quite manage that one. Now with the new info out, the Western Carib itinerary looks interesting.

 

I gather from what I have read that this ship is not really similar to the Sun or the Star. I think I had just assumed that based on the size of the ships but looks like the old saying about assuming is right!!

 

What is the spa area like? Am I right that it is much smaller than Jewel class and there is no thassotherapy pool (even if I butchered the name)?

 

The suites look to be very different from the Dawn, Gem, etc. so would love to hear more about them or see your pictures!

My DH and I were in an SE category Suite at the very front of the ship. I mean dead center under the bridge (10000). It was like being in another world. I can only say that it reminded me of what a captain's quarters might look like in a movie. You opened the door and everything was in dark wood. It made the cabin seem rather dark and cold. There was a hallway to the living area. Directly as you entered there was a half bath to your left. As you walked to the living area you could make a right turn into the bedroom (with normal closing door). You could also go into the bedroom through the living area and that could be closed off by a sliding door with glass panels that had curtains for privacy. Once in the bedroom there was the master bathroom that was closed off by curtains (my husband hated that). It had a huge jacuzzi tub, a long vanity with two sinks, a make up vanity area, a shower with glass doors and a toilet area with a glass door (another thing my husband was not crazy about). In the bedroom there was a closet, a big drawer/cabinet, bed, two night stands and a tv/dvr. In the living area there was a table with four chairs, a sofa, cocktail table,a nice chair, and a big hutch with more shelves and a tv/dvr. There was also a bar area for the coffee machine and glasses. In the living area there were two large windows with a door in the middle to the balcony. You open the door only to find another heavy metal door with a wheel in the middle. We had to spin the wheel around to unlatch the heavy door. Then you have to spin the wheel to latch it a little so it doesn't always swing open into you when you are on the balcony. The balcony was long but narrow with two chairs, a table and a lounger. The balcony was absolutely private. We would have had to climb on the railing to see our neighbors. It was also set back under the bridge so we got little sun. We woke up some nights to the sliding bedroom door opening and closing or the regular bedroom door slamming shut. I said it was the rough seas. My husband said it was the spirit (of the Spirit) being playful.

We just got off the Spirit this past Monday. I noticed some of the other suites at the front of the boat did not have the hallway we did and some were done in lighter wood colors.

We enjoyed the suite for it size and suite amentities, but I am moving back to the aft of the ship for my next cruise.

Only ten minutes of holding this time and the service rep seemed overjoyed to help me! lol She assured me that I could keep calling for fare adjustments for a couple more days if the fare went down any more. :D

Thanks LrgPizza!

Yes, call them again. Why wouldn't ya?

The thirty minute hold time is well worth it! :p