TNcruising02

I like to mix it up and have different cruise ship experiences. My next cruise will be on NCL. My last cruise was on RCL and the one before that one was on Carnival.

I always have a hole in the card and attach it to the lanyard without the pouch. When I used to use the pouches, my card slipped out once. The pouch on my son's lanyard broke once. Plus, it's a lot easier to just hand the lanyard over to the bar tender than fumble with getting the card in and out of the pouch.

Perhaps it is old news...but I, myself have never heard of this. (I guess I am a dummy) Although this does not affect me, I am sure it may affect others that also did not know this..so I appreciate the info.

Same here. I've been on several cruises and had no idea about this. I don't wear it, but it's good to know in case I ever travel with someone who might have something with a camo design on it.

We have a reservation at this Embassy Suites for one night pre-cruise in December. $161 on an AAA rate.

 

My thinking is this:

We arrive at MIA on a redeye from LAX at 6:51 am on December 21. I figure that, by the time we get off the plane, collect our luggage and grab a hotel shuttle, we'll get to the hotel at, maybe 8:00-9:00 am. We may get lucky and they have a room ready with someone checking out early and we can rest up from the flight in our room. Worst case, room is not ready and we hang out in the lobby a while and relax there. I've been to Miami a few times and not interested in shopping or sightseeing. Prime activity that day will be relaxing and killing time. We will be tired. 6:51 am Miami time is 3:51 am OUR time.

 

Then, we get the free happy hour drinks. Maybe find someplace walkable for dinner or, heck, we eat at the hotel. We just got back from back-to-back cruises out of Rome and stayed first night and last night at the Hilton Garden Inn at Rome Fiumicino airport. Food was fair, selection poor and slightly overpriced...but, sometimes it's worth it just to not have to take a taxi and go someplace far.. In the morning, we get the hotel breakfast, then Uber or taxi to the port.

 

I am expecting, for this, the Embassy Suites will be fine. But, please tell me if I am wrong...

I think your plan is fine. I believe they give two drink coupons and offer a wide variety of drinks. My husband and I have eaten dinner there and it's fine. Their breakfast is the best free breakfast offered by any hotel. The room has a microwave and a refrigerator. There is a small store in the lobby. It's a great pre-cruise hotel if you aren't interested in doing tourist things.

 

You can book the main theatre shows in advance, and the smaller shows like comedy once on board. As mentioned above you can do this via the app or the interactive screens rather than queuing at the box office. Again, it is reccomended you book if you would like to see the shows. The same applies to speciality dining. No need to book the MDRs- just rock up when you want and you will be seated as soon as a table is available. Unless you are a large party this is usually straight away.

Is this an App that I can put on my iPhone? Can I start booking things like the comedy show (which I can't book in advance) while in the waiting area before I board the ship on the day of the cruise?

I always get it when I can.

* I can check in earlier and there is a separate line for FTTF

* I can take my luggage directly to my room as soon as I board the ship

* If I have an early flight home, I can leave the ship earlier

* Shorter line at customer service

To me, it's worth it. I don't like standing in line or waiting any longer than I have to. Sure, I could board the ship at 2:00 pm with no line, but I would rather have been on the ship for two hours, had lunch, dropped my luggage off at my room, and be exploring the ship by then.

We carry Deet wipes - very small and easy to slip into our bag for the day. Then apply if needed.

That's a great idea. I am going to pack those on my next cruise.

I was recently on the same cruise and packed insect repellent, but forgot to use it. Our first excursion was a bus tour. On one of the stops, my husband used the restroom and another guy warned him that there were mosquitoes in the rest room. Ugh. I figured we would be safe because all of our excursions were bus/trolley tours. So yes, you should use insect repellent.

Always. I don't like carrying extra bags when I am walking around the ship. I often wear a bathing suit and coverup or shorts with no pockets during the day. In the evening, I don't like carrying a purse on the ship. I always attach the card directly to the lanyard clip. If there's no hole in the card, guest services will punch one.

My first cruise was on a Disney ship. Everything about it was wonderful. I don't think any other ship compares to what Disney can offer for young children. My youngest was 17 at the time of our Disney cruise, so not a young child, but he and the two friends he brought with him had a great time. Really, everything about the ship was amazing. I can't think of one one single negative thing.

Every other cruise I have taken since then has been on a different cruise line. I have no desire to cruise on a Disney ship again because I would rather cruise with less children on board and see shows other than Disney shows. My preferences don't take away from how great the Disney cruise was. It was wonderful.

Thanks for reposting. I was one of the people who could not see the pictures on your original posts. Great review!

I would either try to switch to an Alaskan cruise or get credit for a future cruise. I am not sure if RCL has any cruises to Canada. One time when I was on a cruise, I got bit by something while lounging by the pool on the ship.

This was my least favorite port out of all of the places I have been to on cruises. I did a trolley tour of the area outside of the port and have never seen such poverty. That area was poorer than the poorest neighborhood that I have seen in the US. I can't imagine ever getting out and walking around. Our trolley stopped at several areas. On one of the stops, I did not feel safe. We were approached by many locals selling things, which was fine. They were polite. The people didn't make me feel uncomfortable, it was the devastating poverty and the fear of crime.

I was glad that I went on the tour and I tipped the tour guide and driver very well. The tour guide was exceptional. She did a wonderful job and was very pleasant. I felt sorry for them and the people who live there. It was so different than all of the other places I have visited. I used to think I saw real poverty at different places on my cruises, but I hadn't really seen it. It was very sad.

I will try to avoid any cruise in the future that stops there. The port area was very nice and Margaritaville had a nice area and pool. It rained a bit, so we got back on the ship after our tour and were very thankful for the blessings in our lives.

Thanks for your review. I wouldn't have thought to ask to be put on a waiting list for Vibe passes, but I will now. I'm glad to hear that almost all of your food was excellent.

What shows did you like the best?

I think it wouldn't hurt to get a Hep A vaccination because that's something you can get in the US, so it would be worth it. When I got it years ago, it was in three doses. There was a small outbreak and it was offered for free to children, so I had my kids vaccinated and I paid for mine at the health department. It's one less thing to have to worry about. It is a small comfort when visiting areas where cleanliness might be an issue.

I hadn't heard anything about the typhoid recommendation.

I stayed there when I arrived from a late flight the night before my cruise and didn't have time to do anything else. I thought the room was nice and the breakfast was good. They have a happy hour and restaurant at their hotels and you can also get room service. I think it's a good hotel to stay at if all you need is a nice place the night before your cruise.

I've never paid for specialty dining and didn't choose it as a perk. The food isn't that important to me on a cruise. I like good food, but am not too picky about it.

I've cruised on the Getaway and had a wonderful time. It's a very nice ship. Some shows require reservations. My advice is to book what you can online and the rest shortly after boarding the ship. You will be able to book some shows when you log into your NCL and it's within a certain number of days before your cruise. Other shows, such as the comedy shows, can only be booked after you board the ship (unless that has changed since my cruise back in 2014).

Do you see the issue you just created?

 

In the post just before yours, caper508 stated that they got the bid email for the 9/23 Escape sailing. By stating that you intend to bid the minimum on a room, caper508 now knows that a minimum bid would tie them with you and that they should bid just one step above minimum to ensure that they get the winning bid before you will.

 

By sharing information, you just let your competition in the bidding know what you are going to do.

 

This not only puts you in a bad position, but it also inflates the bid prices as now EVERYONE here that is on your sailing knows that to win they will at the very least need to outbid your bid.

 

If you really want to share your bid, wait until the auction is OVER so you don't spoil your own chances.

I do see your point, but I am sure that many people who receive the emails will probably put in a minimum bid on something. I doubt I am the only person getting that email to put in a minimum bid and that only one room is available. My post stated that I MIGHT bid one ONE of the rooms. I didn't state which room and didn't state that I was going to do it.

I sail on 9/23 on the Escape and also just got an upgrade email. My original room is a mini suite with the larger bathroom. I am going to have to read up on the Haven rooms to decide whether or not to place a bid. I might bid the minimum on one of the rooms and see what happens. It's just my husband and me in the room, so we really don't need a lot of space. A larger balcony would be nice and so would the haven perks.

When I went on Carnival's excursion at Atlantis, we were given coupons that we could use at our choice of a couple of places in the pool area.

I don't really care about having an ocean view from my cabin, but not knowing day from night bothers me a lot. I brought a clock on my last cruise, so that helped. I prefer some natural light. I like being on an upper deck, so booking a lower deck cabin with an ocean view isn't something I am interested in doing simply because of the location. Lower decks have advantages, but for me the upper decks work better. It's really a personal choice and probably something a person who has never been on a cruise can decide until they go on their first cruise.

Given the choice of an ocean view on a lower deck or an inside on a higher deck, I would suck up not having natural light and book an inside cabin because of my preference on location. An ocean view on a higher deck would be ideal for me.

I just wanted to come back and thank everyone again for the great suggestions. I decided to book the InterContinental with views of the port. The location looks great, with a lot to do in the area. The reviews are also very good. Thanks again for the tips on using Uber. I am sure once I've used them, I will find it's easier than a shuttle or a cab.

How do you view the NCL Brand?

 

How would you rate the food? Entertainment? Shows? Value? Service?

 

Do you see it as a low end, mid tier, or upper crust brand?

 

What are some particular reasons you choose NCL over its competitors? Is it your go to cruise line you check out first when booking a cruise?

 

Feel free to be honest and veer off topic. I will chime in after seeing some of your response so that I don't bias the responses.

I think NCL has a good brand. I've only been on one NCL cruise so far. It was the Getaway and I really liked it. I was a bit surprised about making reservations for shows, but now that I know that the shows require reservations I will be prepared. None of the other cruises I have been on required reservations for shows.

I thought the entertainment on the Getaway was great and I liked the adult area. The cruise director was very good too. I liked the food. I think of NCL as mid tier, not cheap, but not something out of my price range either.

I am going on another NCL cruise this September on the Escape. I like variety, so I am not loyal to one cruise line. It seems like many of the lines have things I like about them and things I don't. Plus, I like to have new experiences and explore different ships. Each cruise line is different, so it's fun to mix it up. I can't see myself sticking to just one line.

This thread just confirms my decision not to swim in the cruise ship pools that allow kids. Yuck. The kids' pool area was shut down for a little while on my last cruise, probably due to something disgusting. On a different note, I was impressed that my last RCL cruise had lifeguards at all of the pools.

It would take more than a rule I didn't like to make me ever want to walk away from my cruise vacation.