Vyhanek

The crew is usually very good about switching up their itineraries.

What won't be good is the port. The ports are not nimble their staffing levels are incorrect and confused. Embarkation and debarkation could take significantly longer. But once on the ship, it will be fine.

I don't think there are FLL hotels that shuttle to the Miami cruise port. You will find plenty that shuttle from FLL airport. I think you're going to have to Uber the next morning to Miami. That's what we did. Its no problem at all. Easy Peasy.

So pick any FLL airport hotel with a hotel shuttle. Then the next morning call your Uber.

^^^ Yes, book your 17 year old with you and let him just sleep in the other cabin if he chooses. You are forfeiting great Haven perks, like him eating in the Haven dining room with you for free, him being able to hang out with you in the courtyard, being able to come and go thru the Haven as he wants.

Let him sleep wherever he wants but book him with you for the rights to be in the haven as you/he want. I have a 17 year old, I know they want to exert independence but this is not the time. This is the time to book him in your room but then let him sleep wherever he wants.

The slides on the Gem and Pearl have always been ridiculously slow. Even as brand new ships people were getting stuck as you describe! I remember about 5 years after the ships were built they had the slides shut down for maintenance to try to make them work. They are just terribly, terribly designed and need to be removed.

NCL has never done desserts well. Back then the chocolate had no flavor, still today, dessert is still the weak link in the meal.

I think someone at NCL has to manually adjust these credits. I say that because I had a Travel Agent friend who figured out my daughter didn't have all her credits. She went back to NCL and had it fixed. While looking, she also noticed that I somehow had 2 latitudes accounts some cruises credited to one account, some cruises credited to another latitudes account. She was able to work with the NCL reps to get mine accounts merged.

I think the latitudes points are all a big mess and it takes someone in the know to figure it out.

I think you should because I love the Epic Haven so much! But there are some things to consider.

Do you really need a 2 bedroom? I think as long as you can get yourself into the Haven address you don't really need to pay for a 2 bedroom suite. Are there any other cheaper room options? I just think you will get yourself into the 2 bedroom and realize it really is a lot of room for two people. Do you each really need your own bathroom when you could save money and share?

The other issue to consider is that your son will not be allowed up in POSH. He will be allowed of course in the Haven courtyard and that is where the families with children go. But POSH is such an amazing sundeck with comfortable loungers and a big fabulous bar that is nice to sit around and you will become friendly with the other cruisers because you will see the same group all week. But will it be fun knowing ds can't go in there and if you want to be together you also can't be there?

I think you will like the Haven resteraunt with just the 2 of you because the servers will all learn your name and make you always feel welcome and friendly. Cruisers meet up in the Haven bar too, that would be nice.

Take your ds to the Cirque dinner show. That, the hypnotist and Howl at the Moon were my teens favorite shows.

The Cirque dinner show on the Epic is really good. I always plan that for our first night. I also like the sushi bar on the Epic and the Chinese noodles. Teppanyaki is fun but its no different or better than the hibachi places you could find in any town.

The Haven resteraunt is the best food on the ship. Food Republic is also amazing but it's very casual, they take no reservations and not part of SDP. My tip.....Avoid the Haven resteraunt on the first night. Everyone in the Haven has the idea to eat in the Haven that first night. It's a mad house! Go somewhere else...(food republic) and then eat in the Haven on night 2. The masses of people will want to try another resteraunt and you will have the dining room and servers almost to yourself! The last night of the cruise is another good time to avoid the Haven resteraunt because again, it's really crowded. Everyone eats around all week and then realizes the Haven really is the best food in the house!

Yes, the roof does retract. Not fully. If you want sun and a quieter vibe, go to the upstairs sundeck area but get there early because chair hogging is live and well on the Escape Haven sundeck because there isn't adequate seating.

The bartenders in the Escape Haven are amazing, I hope they are still there for you. They aren't your run of the mill bartenders. They make drinks up for you based on what you like.....You like Gin and Tonic they ask? yes,.....ok try this G and T with Elderflower! They are masters of using old fashioned bitters. I hope they are still there for you.

To ensure you get outdoor dining in the Specialty Restaurants, speak with the haven concierge so they can call down ahead for you. If you have trouble reserving dinner reservations online, don't worry. The concierge will work it out for you when you get on the ship. Speak to them that first day.

Its most definitely as close to Cirque del Soleil as you are going to get on a cruise ship! It is very, very much inspired by all the Cirque performances. Is it Las Vegas?........um du, no, but it is a great Cirque inspired show. My whole family loves the night we do the Cirque dinner show, we've seen many on the NCL ships.

I have noticed in the last couple years it does have a homosexual, in your face flare to it where it didn't use to. I could see it being offensive to some. The new Australian Theater Company in general has the homosexual flirty flare. It doesn't bother me but I have also noticed that the average age for the people who go to this show is older 50ish on up.....as in the demographic that can afford this show, it's more costly than just a Specialty Dining price. I did notice some guests sort of offended.

Check and see if you can buy a day pass to the airline's club. Many of them sell a one time day pass for $50. It would be much more comfortable and safe inside the club area and people are sleeping there all the time! Plus free food.

The key is to avoid the 3/4 day cruises that the college age people can afford! If you go on a 7 day, you see a lot less crazy drinking.

I like the Sun. The great thing about it is that it isn't too crowded like the bigger ships. The people to space ratio is a lot greater on the smaller ships for sure.

Im going to vote no. All the Haven rooms are very nice. I don't think a little bit extra space is worth $1000. That's a lot of spa treatments, fabulous excursions, or even airfare if you put it into perspective. All haven rooms are lovely.

At 7 months, this baby will be crawling on the floor, bed and every other surface other cruisers have been on. There is nothing sanitary in the life of a 7 month old! Crawling babies make the issue of over sanitizing bottles and sanitizing normal drinking water ridiculous. A mother learns this in time and thru becoming an experienced parent. Seven month olds will eat dust bunnies they find under a chair. There is no point in killing yourself with over sanitizing regular drinking water.

The Haven pool in the courtyard is open to all ages. The courtyard is open to all ages. Its the sundeck areas (the upper decks, not the courtyard areas they are age restricting. You will be very disappointed in the Breakaway's upper sundeck compared to the Epic. It's about 1/4 the size for many more passengers. But with the age of your kids, you will want to be in the pools in the courtyard anyways and this is open to your kids. No question.

I think you will be disappointed in the Breakaway Haven compared to the Epic Haven but if the only other option is a straight balcony cabin........I'd still do the Haven. You will spend the week though saying things like....."The Epic Haven has 3 bars", "The Epic have has a huge adult sundeck, huge!", "You will say things like.....this lobby bar is way to small for the number of passengers here in the Haven"......and "How many passengers does the Breakaway have in the Haven because it seems like way too many"

The retractable roof sucks. It really does. Its the enormous glass and metal enclosure and it traps the sound inside. A couple kids in the Haven pool and the noise bounces all over making it really, really loud. Not like on the open Epic where the courtyard can be full and the noise isn't bouncing everywhere. The retractable roof sounds only good in theory.

I think you should go but have realistic expectations that the Epic Haven was better but this is the next best thing.

You are going to love the haven on the Epic. It really is the best haven. It's big enough to accommodate everyone, the sundeck POSH is by far the best Haven sundeck in the fleet with a huge bar and plenty of space and plenty of loungers for all! The other Haven sundecks aren't large enough to accommodate all the Haven guests and so the normal chair hog situation occurs in the Haven. This doesn't happen on the huge Epic POSH sundeck.

The Haven dining room is delicious. It really is the best resteraunt on the ship. The service is the best. They will try hard to get to know you and your preferences. It's just lovely. But my advice is to avoid this resteraunt the first dinner. All of the Haven has the idea to go there for their first meal and it does get to be a madhouse. If you wait until the second night, you will have the dining room to yourself....because the other's who dined their the night before somehow think Cagney's or La Cucina is going to be better food.....it really, really isn't.

I love Howl at the Moon and the Hypnotist shows. I love the comedy shows. I love the Cirque dinner show, the food is good and the acrobatics are amazing! I highly recommend that show.

The concierge that calls you 50 days out or whatever is basically useless to me. She can do ONLY (absolutely ONLY) what you can do by pre-booking your reservations. She has no ability like the general concierge to make anything out of the ordinary work. For example if online the Teppenyaki resteraunt shows booked for Tuesday night, she would have no way at all to get you in. But as soon as you board the ship and speak with the Haven concierge and ask if you can eat dinner Tuesday in Teppenyaki, she will tell you "Of course and what time would you like to eat?" Same with shore excursions, same with basically everything. Once you et on the ship, the concierge will get you what you want.

I always pre order chocolate covered strawberries to be delivered to my room a couple days. This you can do online. I bring my own mask and snorkel for snorkeling at GSC or at the ports. If I stop in Mexico, I always visit the pharmacy and buy over the counter Z packs and Retin A. You can buy it legally and at a fraction of the price. There is a swordfish burger with the most delicious sauce on the lunch menu in the Haven. You can order it from the bartender to have them bring it to you on the sundeck. OMG, love it! POSH is a short elevator ride from the buffet, where the soft serve ice cream is. I was a regular with the ice cream cones!

Enjoy!

The Haven has the courtyard which is open to all ages. Fortunately this is where the families with the young kids go.

The Epic has Posh which is an amazing sundeck/bar area for 18 and over. I completely disagree with above though and I think you will have trouble getting a 16 year old access. The bartenders absolutely know the ages of everybody up there and they kicked my 15 and 16 year old dd's out once when they were quietly sunbathing on the upper deck of Posh, not even anywhere near the bar. They absolutely do care.

As soon as they let a 16 year old in against the rules, then the next people come along with a 13 year old. The next people come along with a "very well behaved 11 year old". It's up to the bartenders up there to enforce it. I get it.

They absolutely do care.

You will be there with hours to spare.

I think the OP is asking for when there is a line outside the MDR. People waiting in line to be seated who don't have a reservation but you do. Is there a separate line? It wouldn't make sense to wait in back of these other people waiting that didn't have a reservation.

The Escape pool deck is ridiculously undersized for the crowd. it's not like on the smaller older ships where there's a few inches between sun loungers. Its beyond maxed out with people. If you can get a Vibe pass I'd do it for sure. Even if it means giving up something else.

I would say yes, to using your dining credits to Cirque Dreams. The show is definitely better than the main shows int he theater and the food is good too. The Cirque show, the dueling pianos, the hypnotist and the comedy shows are my favorite. Since this new Australian male flaming liberal group took over the theater on the NCL ships, I prefer the smaller shows now.

As far as the haven resteraunt, it is absolutely the best food not he ship and the best service. They will remember your name, they will remember your drink, how you like your coffee, it is very nice. I also like many of the restaurants not included in the specialty dining program. Personally I could skip all together Cagney's and La Cucina. The Haven has the best steaks and the Olive Garden beats the La Cucina any day. I like Food Republic (on the Escape), I like the sushi bar on many ships. I like the restaurants that aren't part of the mass specialty dining program. That and the Haven and I'd be just as happy.

agreed you won't get connecting balcony rooms. Every connecting room on the ship will be reserved, especially the balcony's, especially in March, the peak family travel month.

I've been on both ships and I would stick with the Pearl. The Epic does have a couple fun water slides but honestly after you ride 2 or 3 times people generally are all done with them. The design of the Epic and the way NCL packs passengers in on the Epic will be very disappointing to you coming from a Disney cruise. The Pearl feels more upscale and it is most definitely less crowded.

I think in general, the longer the cruise, the less kids and teens. This applies across all cruise lines. I do have older teens. I think in general, the older the teens get the less interested they are in the teen club. My kids loved the kids club up until about 14 or 15. After that, they would go the first night but then hung out mostly on their own. You having 3 maybe they will be willing to give it a try because they won't feel so awkward as a threesome.

I think the question is....."how much do you tip beyond the standard service charges".

And yes, tipping is personal and discretionary but the poster is asking more, what did you do. If it's too personal for you to answer then this isn't your thread. I don't find it all that personal.

I tip the Haven dining staff $100. This is obviously above the standard gratuity deducted.

I tip the conceirge $50 I tip our room steward $50. I tipped the Butler 0 since we didn't use him at all.

Going to the Medical Center would have resulted in a big bill for this passanger. I know my insurance would want that charge to go towards my huge deductible and I'd never see the money back for this cruise ship medical visit. And, If we got bedbugs here at home, I wouldn't need to go to a doctor to determine if they are bed bugs. I think a better call would be an exterminator and the ship would surely have someone onboard for that. There is no way I'd be paying for a medical visit either! I wouldn't do it at home, why on a cruise ship?

I do think you could involved the Hotel Director and housekeeping. Not the housekeeping attendant that shows up with new sheets but ask to speak with their boss about bedbugs and whoever is in charge of insect extermination on the ship. Its a better place to determine bedbugs than forcing the passenger to pay for a medical visit.