Vyhanek

There must be more to the story.

I've been on a few NCL cruises where the ship was delayed because an NCL sponsored excursions hadn't returned back to the ship. I don't remember how long we waited but it was probably an hour.

I think you've been really lucky to have eaten in the main dining rooms and been out in less than 2 hours!

My experience from 16 NCL cruises is that it is incredibly rare to get out of the main dining room for dinner in under 2 hours. If you want to make the shows, you'd have a better shot in the specialty dining.

Definitely do it!!

i've been off the Dawn and sitting in the Tampa airport by 9:15am. You must do the express walk off disembark though. You must be ready and waiting outside lined up at least 30 minutes ready to go. You want to be at the front of the disembark line.

Taxi's will be lined up and waiting. You'll jump in one of the first taxi's and be ahead of the game.

Of course there could be a problem, but even with hold up, you can still make the 11:25 flight. If you play it safe and take the 8:30 flight you will be kicking yourself as you're sitting in the airport hearing them announce that flight you could have easily made!

I haven't booked a flight later than noon on any cruise in years and years.

I would be the first one to say if motion was an issue on the Epic. It really is not.

You will however notice vibration. The first day or two you will notice the vibration but after that I didn't even notice that.

Speaking of motion though, I was on the NCL Dream many years ago for New Years. This was back when maybe it was called the Dreamword even. Like maybe 20 years ago. The motion was unbelievable even thought there was no storm or crazy high seas. I was in the main theatre area waiting for the special New Years Eve event show to start. Everyone was dressed in very nice cocktail type clothes. The motion was so bad that one older'ish (maybe 65) woman sitting next to us fell out of her chair, her legs went flying, her dress flew up and there she is in a heap on the floor from falling out of her chair over the motion. Several evenings during the cruise the dancers refused to perform because of the motion. After that, I noticed lots of reviews about the terrible motion on the Dream.

I would tell you if you needed to be concerned about the general motion of the Epic. You don't!!

I wouldn't even ask. I'd just walk right in with her as if she was already 18.

If you get caught or questioned about it, you be honest. At that age, I think you have to hold tight on certain big issues like no drinking, no drugs, no sex. But to get into an adult area or to go to comedy night. It isn't a big deal. It's the equivalent of sneaking into an R rated movie.

This is the reason we ventured over to Carnival for several years!

On Carnival, every night if you want, you can drop your kids off at Kids Club early so they go with the Kids Club down to the buffet for dinner all together. I also liked that Carnival ran Kids Club on Port Days the same as on Sea Days and if I wanted to leave my child in Kids Club while I went off to an excursion or shopping in the port I could. It was included in the price, the day was a regular Kids Club day, not a day I had to pay hourly for babysitting.

NCL will take the kids to dinner one night but you won't know which night that is until embarkation. Then you will have to be one of the lucky first 12 or 15 to sign up!

In your case, I'd probably book the 9:30 show. Either you or your husband can sneak out of the show and go do any necessary paperwork. Maybe they will let you sign up for the late nigh earlier in the day.

I agree with the poster above. The dining room servers in the Haven are not accommodating with variations from that menu. Not even a little bit.

I'm sure if you wanted to involve the Butler he could arrange to get you what you wanted from any restaurant but that would require the surcharge for that restaurant and then of course a special tip just to the Butler. You can't expect that level of service from your server in the Haven Club restaurant though.

On the Epic I asked the butler about getting an appetizer order of escargot from le Bistro. The Butler told me that I would be charged for the full meal...meaning entree, appetizer, dessert, etc. I couldn't just get the escargot delivered to the haven Club area for example and pay just for the escargot. It would have been $20 surcharge plus then the tip to the butler......It would have been a $30 appetizer.

Another time I was in the Haven restaurant and I wanted to order the fish sandwich with the greens that I had for lunch the day earlier from the outdoor haven dining area. This area is literally attached to the Haven restaurant and surely must share the same kitchen. It couldn't have been any trouble at all. But my server gave me the side eye and "had to ask her supervisor"?!? Eventually they could work it out for me. I think they realized I was going to make this work even if I had to walk 25 feet out the sliding doors, order the fish sandwich out there and then bring it back in to eat with my husband.

They are not nearly as accommodating about ordering food from all over as posters on this board would lead you to believe.

We bring our own mask and snorkel. That will fit easily in your suitcase. You can get by easily without the fins. Normal people swimming don't use fins. You really don't need them and they take up too much room in the suitcase.

The problem that non-smokers don't get is that a cruise ship is going to have to provide some reasonable place for the smokers to go smoke. Because they will smoke somewhere. A tiny corner in the casino which is probably several decks away isn't going to work. If they can't smoke on the balcony, where do you think they will smoke?! Do you think they will go up 5 decks to the tiny designated space in the back of the casino or do you think they will just go into their cabin and smoke there?!

Smokers will be forced to smoke in the cabins! We non-smokers do not want smoking in the cabins. Do you want to open your cabin door on the day you embark and realize that a smoker was in there last week? No. What you really want is a place that smokers can easily smoke away from us. Somewhere where we don't ever have to smell it.

Banning smoking on the balconies won't make the smokers stop. It will only force them to smoke somewhere else....like inside their cabin.

I learned this while working in HR for a big company that had banned smoking on the entire campus. What happens when you ban smoking like that is that it forces the smokers to go smoke in their cars at their lunch hour. In the winter this is a big problem because they are enclosed in their car and the smell gets all over their clothes. Then they come back after their lunch break reeking of smoke. Banning smoking on the entire campus backfired terribly!

Smokers must be provided with a reasonable place to smoke and that's for the benefit of the non-smokers!!

As long as airlines charge for checked luggage, customers are going to want self serve laundry. Now that airline travelers have pressure to pack for a week in a single carry-on size suitcase, customers are going to want to do laundry.

Other cruise lines still can manage self serve laundry. If this is your hot issue, be a good customer and take your business in the direction that best suites your needs! Speak with your wallet!

A couple in their 50's who might have extra money to spend on a $25 bag of laundry might say something like...."I'd never do laundry on vacation!". They can fit their necessary items in that one bag and pay the $25 easy peasy. But a family traveling, a family who is going to have significantly more laundry and who might be without the disposable income, isn't going to want to send 3 bags of laundry to be done for a whopping price of $75! They are going to want self service laundry, even if it means...."doing laundry on vacation"!

You might not want to do laundry on vacation but for the Mom with 2 kids back in the cabin, she might not be able to afford the $75 to get thru the week! The days of packing a big suitcase, one for each family member so they have plenty of things to wear during the week is gone. People want to pack lighter and if necessary do a load of wash.

If NCL loses enough business to the other major lines because of this issue, they might convert those laundry rooms back!

Your gonna have to work a little to find an early morning bar open. But maybe check in the buffet. I just thought of that.

I have to have a diet coke first thing and that was hard enough to find any bar open early but I didn't check the buffet.

My teens were annoyed with the really loud children in the Haven. It's not just the pool area, it's also the restaurant and even the bar area. But we are the family who will all send some serious dirty looks over to the family with the unruly kids.

I don't know what it is but unfortunately I think the Haven actually attracts families with difficult kids.

There wasn't even one meal in the Epic Club I could remember without multiple screaming kids. I know on cruises kids run short on sleep. They are up late in the Kids Club and then the family gets up early to leave the ship for each port. I get tired kids. My kids have been on no less than 15 cruises. Bt when the same family walks into the restaurant and you know the kids will actually be wandering around during the meal, even running thru the Epic Club and then loud, you know this because that's been their behavior all week. The tolerance goes way down.

And yes, thank goodness for the upper deck adults only. The courtyard pool area is too small to hear a kid being too loud, running thru the small area, etc. There's a reason people are annoyed with the kids. They are annoying. People wouldn't complain about well behaved kids like I'm sure you have. When you hear multiple complaints about the same issue, you have to start thinking people have a valid point.

I'd be very worried that your connecting rooms are not secure and they might get re-booked by someone else. Rooms do get re-arranged unexpectantly and you definitely don't want to find that the kids room is down the hall from you because you haven't secured that room! I think you need to speak with a Supervisor at NCL. You need to make sure your rooms don't get taken from you for this reason. Get her name and have her write out the situation in the comments section of your booking.

Mistakes.

I rarely look at my charges until the end of the week. I figure if I'm only looking at the charges once, I'll do it towards the end of the week.

One time my kids ordered Pina Coladas and instead of paying for the non-alcoholic I was charged for alcohol in them. My kids were like 5 and 7. It was a charging mistake.

Another time there were charges for things taken from the mini fridge which we didn't use.

Here on this board we say "food is subjective". That's i.e. for yes, a lot of NCL food does suck!

But I do have to say, I think NCL has gotten the message. When NCL has the reputation for the worst food at sea, I do think they finally are listening. It is better. The thing that hasn't changed is the very, very slow dining room service. It shouldn't take 2 hours to eat dinner and then you shouldn't have to leave after 2 hours without getting dessert just to make your show! This is where Royal has it all over on NCL.

The problem with long waits and standing around with a pager to eat in the main dining rooms does still exist. I think this (as well as the very slow 2 hour dinner service) will be a continued problem for you and especially during the Christmas holiday. The ships are loaded to capacity and then some. This makes for a recipe for disaster in a situation where they don't have the dining worked out. You would think with 10 or more years now doing this Freestyle thing a better system could be worked out. The ships that already have a hard time managing the dining service will have a really hard time with significantly more people on board that week of the Christmas holiday!

I think you should give NCL another try but not during the Xmas holiday. You will wish you were on Royal where they know how to manage people thru diner. Now I think you will miss out on the better entertainment that NCL has. I think the decor or NCL ships is better, younger, funky, fun. The suites and suite perks are wonderful. If you are lucky enough to cruise in the Haven, you are lucky enough! But you are right, dining will be an issue during the Xmas holiday. If you can't get over that, go Royal that week.

I'd rather pay more and have a couple hours hassle and fly to a reasonable location. Freezing temperatures on a cruise out of NYC is just burning 2 or 3 days of a vacation.

Plus NYC cruises attract more NYC people. Take that for what its worth.

I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised.

I think most seasoned cruisers get on the Epic and have higher expectations. I know the Epic was my least favorite ship....ever. I felt like they squeezed all the deck space off, I didn't like seeing people eating from the buffet right on the pool deck right were they are teaching an aerobics class.

I like that the Jewel has open spaces and quiet cozy nooks. It was built before the cruise lines squeezed every available inch of space to make room for additional cabins.

The only thing I think you might be disappointed in is the decor. I think it is a bit old ladyish. Perhaps the decor will be modernized with the dry dock. The newer ships have really fun, hip, funky decor. The Jewel has more gilded, baroque, old fashioned fancy sort of decor. I wouldn't let that bother me though!

I can tell you Cagney's on the Jewel is so much higher class than on the Epic. Cagney's not eh Epic didn't feel like a high end steak house at all. Again, the issue is squeezing people in. There wasn't the intimate feel that Cagney's on the Jewel has.

I wouldn't say ordering off menu was really appreciated at all.

On the Epic, I asked a few different servers for some simple off menu items. One actually was when I was in the Epic Club, if I could order something from the Epic Grill menu. I wanted the Swordfish and Arugula sandwich I had the day before.....(the Epic Grill is literally on the other side of the sliding door from the Epic Club and the two restaurants must certainly share the same kitchen sort of restaurant - they are that connected!!)...... I was given a blank stare and then an ...OMG sort of look and then a...."I'll have to ask my Supervisor". But it was arranged and was fine. My point is that it really isn't done that much or the servers would be easily able to accommodate such a request.

Another time, same ship, same restaurant, dinner at the Epic Club. I asked if I could order Escargot from Le Bistro. I was told I could do that but we'd have to order in a package of 4 and it would be....$20 (can't remember what the exact price was but I think they said $20). This is after the server checked with her Supervisor. My husband and children aren't escargot eaters and I didn't think I could eat all 4 so, that didn't work out for me.

So my point is, perhaps all these other cruisers who have stories about how you can just ask for anything up in the Haven and it will appear......it's not really that easy. They are accommodating, very much so but in my experience it's only within their ability. They don't have the authority to go to the Teppenyaki Restaurant for some Green Tea Cake for me for dessert......(which I really wanted one night). There is pressure to order one of the 4 dessert items that have been on the menu in the Epic Club all week and not ask for too much off menu.

The menu at the Epic Club does not change at all except for a nightly special. All other items (and there aren't even a lot of items maybe 6 entree choices) remain the same all week.

Don't let this deter you though. You can eat for free any night in several restaurants on the ship. If free food is your primary issue and is what you really are looking for, you will find it. Book the Haven. It is a wonderful experience. it was worth every penny and it made the vacation really special.

I'd go during whale watching season. The peak is middle February thru late March.

The Pearl is my favorite ship. Especially the Haven!

But I agree, NCL will charter that ship in a hot minute leaving their guests to make new plans.

I think people run into problems with the Pearl and the charters when they book way in advance. If you wait until 2 months before the sail date to book, the cruise won't be chartered then. I know it's tough if you're a big planner but you will get a better cruise deal, you will be assured the ship won't be chartered out from underneath you.

The only part of the issue that I understand is their inability to do anything once on board. Unlike airplanes, hotels and cruise ships don't move other customers to accommodate someone. So if the ship was sold out, there was nothing they *could* do.

Not correct. There have been several posts on this board over the years where families with and without notice get separated after booking. Their connecting room or side by side rooms turn into down the hall rooms.

OP, I find this your fault. If you have a 6 year old, how did you think an across the hall room would be OK?! My independent kids weren't comfortable with that until the youngest was 10 years old or so. Regardless of where the door is located. I think you errored when you allowed yourself to get talked into an across the hall sort of arrangement.

If this was my family, it wouldn't have ruined our cruise. My husband and I would have split up and everyone would have had a comfortable bed.

I think the probability for rough seas, very rough seas, is a lot greater crossing the Atlantic than say in the Caribbean. Of course it's a crap shoot but I still think the probability of a really rough ride is a lot higher crossing the atlantic. Also keep in mind that it really isn't even spring yet in New England. Cruising from Boston in May can still be a really cold experience. I think the unofficial first day of spring is when Lake Winnipesauki has "ice out". That doesn't even mean the day the ice melts on the lake, all that "ice Out' means is that the little cruise boat can make it out/in to the harbor. t don't think that has even happened yet but maybe this week. So basically, the water in New England is still ice water!! Winter on the ocean means high winds and rough seas.

Yes, there will be noise in those cabins. Very loud when the theater is in use.....evenings. But it is manageable if you will be going out to shows and dinner.

This was several years ago when I had 2 young children. We had the corner aft suite right above the theater. I had young kids and tired young kids. it was really loud around 8pm, 9pm, 10pm ....really, really, really loud. My kids were crying one night, I called down to the desk and they sent someone up. Again, really loud, like the cabin was shaking and vibrating. Our cabin was right over where they mount the speakers for the stage. So my kids are crying, the room is shaking and I did get the sympathy of the staff I have to say. Unfortunately, there was nothing they can do.

But I think I made my point. Here I had one of the most expensive cabins on the ship. This situation isn't like a one off thing. this happens every night, on every sailing on this ship. This noise level is a nightly thing! It's not like they could send up a fruit basket and be all good. Every sailing, every customer in this high end cabin is dealing with a cabin that shakes every single night! The only way they could fix the problem would be to put in some heavy insulation in the floor or move the big speakers in the theater. It would be a major job.

But, here's the thing, my kids are older now. They aren't exhausted at 8pm and needing to sleep. We aren't in the cabin at 8pm or 9pm or even 10pm. If I had that cabin now, we might not even notice the problem! It really only is a problem, a huge problem for someone trying to sleep during those hours. I loved the cabin, I loved the aft, huge wrap around balcony. I loved the bathroom in that suite though.

I've seen lots of Second City on NCL over the years. Perhaps that is affecting my opinion. But, I wasn't overly impressed with this bunch. The comedians are very clever but that's about it. I saw them in late February/early March.

I loved the hypnotist Nadine. Her show was amazing and hilarious! I still find myself chuckling at this guy she picked for the "laughing police".

I liked Cirque but my daughters are gymnasts and I have a special interest in all that. It doesn't compare with Cirque in Las Vegas, but it is really good and worth the money. That show was short and I think we were in and out of there including dinner by like 7:15 or 7:30pm.

I didn't like the impersonators.

Your child must be 3 before setting foot on the ship. Don't think if he turns 3 while on the ship that they will then take him in kids club. They won't. It's critical that you go after he turns 3.