Sand and Seas

Thanks for sharing with us! We love the entertainment on NCL. So glad you enjoy the Beatles shows too! It's fun to see what you thought of your first cruise😎

An 'evolution' of the menu😦 Seems like it wouldn't be that much of a cost savings but I guess they look at fleet-wide instead of a special detail that added enjoyment to our Ocean Blue experience. (Now thinking back fondly on the original Bayamo menu....sigh....) The delicious mascarpone bread was a favorite of ours and we will miss it too... Thanks for following up with the Ocean Blue staff.

We love @graphicguy's list too! (Except, haven't been on Royal for years). I think you'll appreciate the amazing talent of the Million $ Quartet cast. If they have a 'Broadway Unplugged' night on your cruise, don't miss it! The MDQ cast and some others onboard put on a wonderful performance. And yes, we don't mind waiting in line to see the Syd Norman's crew on any ship. I think we put our favorite list in order with MDQ #1, Syd's #2, and Choir of Man a very close #3😎

Only 126? That's a sadly low percentage of passengers. It does sound like more and more are moving to other cruise lines.

So happy to see another "Live" with @BirdTravels! Very grateful for an update on Encore as we were last on her pre-covid, but will be on her again this winter. We enjoyed wandering around that marketplace. I found a lovely blown glass Dragonfly last year. Carefully packaged it up and it made it safely home with us. Hope you have a wonderful cruise😎

We stayed at the Best Western Cocoa Beach. Very nice and overlooking the beach. We had rented a car from Enterprise at the airport and then returned it right at the port. Cocoa Beach is just a couple of miles from the port. We actually checked into our hotel and then went back and had a good meal at FishLips Waterfront Bar&Grill at the port. For our return trip to MCO, I can also highly recommend Cruise Control. Small shared shuttle vans so you don't have to wait for a large bus to fill before leaving for the port.

We have been using plastic bag tag holders with the old Cruise Critic logo on them for years. They have held up very well. Very easy to slip NCL tags inside of them. Have used them for tags we have printed and also for tags NCL has mailed us.

We spent all of our outdoor time on deck 8. We felt they took the 'waterfront' concept and improved on it for that deck. It was a perfect place for adults to spend hours enjoying the ocean😎

Very interesting! It will be interesting to see if casino benefits change. I am happy with the CasinoNext program and have used several certificates from that already. Maybe it's more of a 'comp yourself' program?

We have stayed at Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon pre-cruise many times. Free shuttle from airport (check hours if you have a nighttime arrival.) Having the Publix grocery store across the street is great! We often get a made to order deli sandwich and maybe pick up a salad there. We have also enjoyed some good food at the Cuban restaurant in that same shopping mall. Also, if you have forgot any item of clothing or sandals, etc, there is a Burlington outlet store there. Decent breakfast in the morning, and then shuttle to cruise. Great way to start a cruise😎

When you sat at the bar, could you only order food from that station? (When we were on Prima last year those seats were only for that type of food.)

The Riverwalk Outlet Mall website looks current, and it still shows Cafe Du Monde.

Yes, I definitely recommend staying within walking distance of the port. Cruise day there is a crazy line of taxis/ubers/etc.😒 Much faster & easier to walk over to the port & avoid that traffic jam of vehicles dropping off cruisers.

We have been able to trade dessert for appetizer. Sometimes the server says I will need to check with my manager, but it's always been approved. And It's hard to believe they couldn't just charge your for an extra appetizer. You could always request (with a smile) to speak with the manager.

We had three different MDR lunch menus on our 12 days on Joy earlier this year. (MDR only open on Sea days for lunch.) We loved the afternoon snacks in the Observation lounge. Quiche, small sandwiches and scones😋

Great & interesting start to your review! Loving the photos Hope you feel better soon

Except for Prima, we have seen Food Republic open on sea days but just for a couple of hours. We have enjoyed several lunches at FR. Just watch the dailies for when they are open.

I love those sweet plantains! Just can't get them until I go to Miami or on a cruise. I have been known to ask for them as a side dish along with my Reuben or Chicken salad sandwich.

We loved it too, but sadly, it is no longer on Le Bistro menu☹️

@justhappy, loving your review of your time in Seattle plus all the great photos! Looking forward to more from the Encore. We were on her prior to covid shutdown and loved the ship. We will be back on her in January so can't wait to follow your review. Thanks for sharing with us😎

I know it's a strange question. In some cities I thought they charge you more to use credit card so it's less to pay cash? Many years ago in a different city, we were told later that we really over-tipped when we paid cash for what was on meter plus tip.

(Here's a rookie travel to New York question...) For a taxi from JFK to hotel, should we pay cash or use credit card?

Our first Haven cruise a few years back was in a Haven Spa cabin. We didn't meet our butler until 3rd or 4th day? Then didn't see him again until last day. I'm assuming he some other cabins that were much more needy than us😉 Didn't really matter to us as we had a great time enjoying the Haven restaurant, bar, private sun deck and of course the spa. Subsequent Haven cruises, we have been in the haven courtyard area and had more of a relationship with our butlers. Still, we haven't yet had a meal delivered to our room. Our last haven, our butler insisted on escorting us to Los Lobos. Was a little strange but he was such a nice guy and I guess he was just trying hard to make us feel special. Didn't need the escort but it seemed to make him happy! Still, we haven't asked much of our butlers. Our next Haven will be in a FFacing two room so we are determined to order a breakfast delivery or two where we don't have to be awake to answer the door😊

Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one with the strange cancellations! I was feeling weirdly pranked by the upgrade system😒 Maybe it will end up being lucky for both of us. Hope you get accepted for a low ball bid🤞

Enjoying your review! We will be back on Prima for a Caribbean cruise in the spring. I'm pretty sure those outdoor areas will look a little more crowded then. Thanks for sharing all these great pictures with us😎