skeeter195

We did Haven in November, YC in January, we are on this sailing with you in an owners suite, Haven in October, then YC in January.  After a week we should compare notes on the two.  I will not give my input yet.  There usually is a captains reception for Haven only guests on the 2nd or 3rd day which is very nice.  

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

@skeeter195  Thanks, looks good, interesting & useful - another addition to the "toolbox" ahead, adding a new bookmark on the Chrome browser to run that off Linux laptop onboard, not seeing any major "threats" en route, do you see any ?  

 

  BTW, you will be at the M&G too, cabin crawl is a bust (I checked w Peter) but someone else in Haven interested in a private tour to check out yours, if you are open to that - they are in a different OS - set that up on Sunday between 4 of you, perhaps.  If not, that's okay too, it's a "sidebar" matter and don't need to involve the roll call crowd. 

It looks like it may be a little bumpy on the way to Halifax, the storm may be far enough out to sea that we miss it though.  Halifax to Iceland looks like smooth sailing.  To far out to tell what it may be like after Iceland right now.  

23 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Weather forecasts on ports and while at sea crossing the north Atlantic toward Iceland, at this moment, based on several online sources are looking good - for sailway, short hop to Halifax and continuing to Reykjavik ... nothing that look bad, nasty or real rough, 10' to 15' seas or even 20' should be expected but for others, maybe not.  Going to count on Windy App to help with predicting ahead.  Prima's ship navigational channel provides very basic, limited and inadequate information to look ahead ... unless they finished the upgrade (in progress, last November - haven't heard anything different otherwise)  

 

Changed out some clothings and jacket to be even better prepared for wet weather in Europe, warmer than usual for this time of the year and less "heavy" winter gears, layers is the buzz word.  @Sugar Magnolia  DW frequently "borrow" my XXXL tees as sleepwear, LOL - don't have a choice but to pack extras; and, to make max use of free onboard laundry services, especially now that they've reverted back to the full-sized paper laundry bag for steerage use. I have an extra 30L stowaway backpack and "personal bag" sized compression cube, should you or someone need to borrow, LOL.   ("bonafide" onboard CC'ers in good standing only)

 

Prima has been maintaining her cruise speed of 21 kts +/1 toward NY, seas are calm, sunny skies - ETA on CruiseMapper given as 08:00 on 27th Apr.  Unless NCL is going to have the Prima (and Getaway, 2 days later for the TA) slow down for other "unforeseen" reasons, besides fuel saving ... to sail & sustain and to observe other maritime regulations including whales protection, I question how late she's arriving into NY.

 

Other cruise lines and their ships apparently have been speeding up & down, and along the coastal waters near NY & NJ area, breaking the "rules" whereas NCL must be a good corporate citizen, hmmm.  Then, again, what do I know - humors intended, just an unproven theory. 

 

 

Link to live Prima shipcam - might have to refresh this or type in the URL on a new (mobile)browser page to see - https://www.ncl.com/shipcams/primacam/fullsize.jpg 

(ad blocks/VPN might need to be disabled)

 

 

Second day in a row, more NCL "spam" emails about safety videos on Youtube, just click & let the 90seconds run its course, jump to another tab/browser page and resume.  Maybe they are tracking as to see whether the email was opened or not using AI and placing "cookies" (no, nope, not the edible kinds) when they pushed them to 1,700+ email addresses (# of cabins and/or email addresses, probably more as it's "individually" addressed)  

 

Sea state, waves & crossing the pond - the bigger picture as far as I'm concerned ... since we don't have a "weather master" on the roll call, I'm going to "fake" it as best as I can to call it.  Maybe "Jim" sitting home or somewhere can assume the task or at least backup or help the weather to make it more fun & lively.    Nothing major in the north Atlantic ahead ... 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you ever try stormsurfing.com?  It gives the wave heights.  I have been using this for all of the our cruises for years now.  It has been the most accurate prediction site for us.  

56 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

This was the NCL app Haven menu from two weeks ago on the Encore. We were not in the Haven on this cruise, but the menu is the one we had in the Haven in December (I.e., no rib eye). The PDFs above appear to be old. 
 

Thank you.  This is the menu we also had in November on the Joy.  

3 minutes ago, skeeter195 said:

How old are these menus?  If they are new this is very good news.  If the ribeye is back on the dinner menu that would be awesome.  The filet is OK but filet is filet, no real taste.  

Never mind.  I just looked at the bar menu and it is the old one.  I am in the Haven for 15 days starting in less than 2 weeks and would have loved the ribeye at dinner a couple of times.  Third world problems I know.  We are just lucky enough to be able to enjoy the Haven for 15 days.  

3 hours ago, erisajd said:

The Haven menus are readily available . . . and here they are -  I am looking forward to eggs benedict and waffle every morning - we have two specialty restaurants to burn for lunch prob - and then filet or ribeye with lobsta for dinner on the nights were are not going specialty will be just fine 

NCL+Haven+Breakfast+Menu.pdf 485.71 kB · 14 downloads NCL+Haven+Lunch+Menu.pdf 716.12 kB · 16 downloads NCL+Haven+Dinner+Menu.pdf 747.56 kB · 17 downloads NCL+Haven+Bar+Menu.pdf 1.65 MB · 12 downloads

How old are these menus?  If they are new this is very good news.  If the ribeye is back on the dinner menu that would be awesome.  The filet is OK but filet is filet, no real taste.  

To much has been made of CAS taking away the drink cards.  It really does not matter what level your card is if you play high enough.  I have reached ruby once but most times I am pearl or even jade depending on how many cruises I take per year.  I have never once been denied whatever drink I wanted including Champagne and Louis VIII while playing at table.  Granted this is in the high limit room.  The floor would always just sign for it as I only ever get the basic drink package when I book my room.    

3 hours ago, G-DawgMN said:

 It’s been a few years since I did the Yacht Club but at that time they had just started to not restock the mini bar. Not sure if that has changed as I won’t be in the YC again until November. 

We were on MSC in January and yes the mini bar is stocked daily.  Not only inside the mini bar but in the cabinet alongside it.  We even a bottle of wine 4 of the 9 nights.  Lastly we got a bottle of Belvedre for the room.  

18 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

NCL has historically worked to sell out Suite and Haven rooms on every ship, every week. Now, it is done by automated upgrade system. Once upon a time, it was the "upsell desk" that you called (or they sent out emails) to get people to upgrade to the Haven and fill every suite, every week. 

I have been on many ships in the past when the Haven and suites were not full.  Do you remember when they would fill them by raffle sometimes the first day?  In 2015 I called the upsell desk because there were many suites and Haven available a few days before the cruise.  On the Gem we were booked in an aft penthouse, I offered $1000 for an upgrade to the 3 bdrm garden villa, they said that I could have it for $1500, I declined.  Stupidest move I ever made.  We had a group of 28 with us and they were all near the aft.  We could have had the entire group in the suite for sailaway, drinks, parties, etc.   

The Haven is selling out on almost every cruise nowadays.  So the Bliss will more than likely have 160-180 people during a week where schools are not off or longer cruises like a repositioning one.  A week during the summer or a break from schools like winter, Easter, etc breaks expect to have 200 plus or more every week

That is one long walk to get to the farthest beach just before silver cove.  

16 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

So, you think the Haven fares should be increased by the amount necessary to cover the Free at Sea, and re-stocking the minibar?  How much additional do you think this would raise the Haven fares?

It would not raise the fares at all.  Actually from a business stand point it could actually lower the fares(this would never happen).  Think about it, you order a beer from a bar.  The bartender takes say 2 minutes from the time your interaction starts with him until the time he hands you your card back.  Add that up over the course of the cruise and you are talking many man hours saved.  Now if Haven rooms got spirits and mixers that savings would be even more.  MSC does this in the Yatch club and their fares are way less.  People are going to drink about the same no matter whether their drinks come from a bar or mini-bar.  

I should have been clearer in my term "higher".  Higher level of cabin with a lower number.  H5 and higher meaning H4, H3 and H2 are owners suites and get the extra perks like water.  

14 minutes ago, Salf777 said:

So you’re saying if I move up to an H5 category I will get unlimited bottled water and unlimited Wi-Fi? It might be worth it if I need those two things wouldn’t you think?

You will not get unlimited wifi.  You will get 3 bottles of booze, sodas, juices and other mixers along with waters both still and bubbled

The HE room is lower than the H5, so no water or mini bar included.  It is still a great room for sure.  Enjoy

On 4/5/2024 at 8:08 PM, Salf777 said:

Haven’t sailed NCL in a while and am booking the Prima in the Haven. My last NCL sailing in the Haven water was not provided and had to buy a water package and it was water in carton. Are they still charging for a water package? Does having the unlimited open bar package get any kind of bottled water?

I know this might sound trivial but my wife has a condition that requires her to drink a lot of water and from what we remember the water in the carton wasn’t very good

You did not mention what type of cabin you have.  If it is an H5 or higher you will get all of the Pelligrino or Aqua Pana(both in glass bottles) that you want included with the room.  If not I would just buy the Aqua Pana by the bottle for about $6.

31 minutes ago, bluefish17 said:

Look in the drawer the hair dryer is in , in the bathroom. Outlet is in the drawer. At least in H6. Wife only found it halfway through and had been drying hair at the coffee station.

This is good news.  thank you very much

My wife never has a problem getting ready at the desk.  The problem with this room though is that there is no desk only a couple of tables.  Whatever the set up she will make due.  Maybe I will just bring an extension cord for her.

After researching and watching videos for the H5 I do not see where a hair dryer or curling iron could be plugged in in the bathroom.  The hair dryer that comes with the room in the drawer looks to have a short cord.  The only outlet that I see is the razor box and a dryer or iron should not be plugged into that.   Am I missing something here?

Thanks

16 hours ago, sbcs5390 said:

Single elevator starts on 14. 

Thank you.  I thought so but could not remember

10 hours ago, Mezqal said:

yes, you can use the exit to leave the cabin, but you can't enter through that door.

Thank you 

Is there a stairwell on 13 that will get you to 14 without going out to the main elevator area?

Can you exit the room from the 13th floor when in a 12th floor duplex suite?  In one video it looks like there is an exit door through the closet.  Also are there stairs or an elevator up to the YC on decks 12 or 13?  On what floor does the single elevator start?

Thanks as always

46 minutes ago, UKstages said:

that was either a mistake... a very serious mistake... or perhaps you hit for a total of $1700 in two independent actions? the machines are programmed to "lock up" at jackpots of $1200 and above.  i have never seen a machine that didn't, except outside of the USA. that just doesn't make sense. it can't possibly be an MSC corporate policy.

There was no mistake.  Also I know what a had pay is.  I do not play a lot of slots but when I do, I get my share of hand pays(up to $100 per spin).  Being MSC is a family owned Italian line that may have been why.  I was fully expecting to wait for a hand pay but the machine just kept going.  I asked the host next day in the casino and she said that they do not issue forms for payouts like mine(whatever that meant) maybe higher they do????  Believe me I was shocked but fine with it.  

15 hours ago, Red-Sol said:

So true but also so sad. I really want to stay with NCL but the degrading of all the CAS benefits is making it very difficult. My first love is actually cruising out of NYC for many reasons (big one is not needing to fly) but I have already started to look at Carnival Venezia and MSC Meraviglia cruises out of NYC. Both lines do some form of status match.

We did an MSC Meraviglia 9 day cruise from NYC in January and loved it.  While there was a status match for cruise line loyalty(think latitudes) there was no casino match for us.  We have been getting comped up through Haven on NCL for years with no rhyme or reason as to which comp we will get next.  We started at the lowest level in the casino on MSC.  We earned enough points for 10 day balcony on a future cruise.  We took it for January 2025 and upgraded to the Yacht Club in the best room for a total of $2520 for two.  This includes everything from taxes, fees, admin fees(if any) and even daily service charges.  To upgrade to a room like this on NCL from a balcony comp would be an additional $8-12 thousand dollars.  NCL seriously needs to look at what MSC is doing or they will be left farther behind then they already are.  I am still loyal to NCL for a little while longer but I will not be if they no longer take care of me as a bigger player.

Key items MSC does to make a player feel appreciated:

-no 3% charge to take money from slots or tables

-we only paid $400 total for all fees, taxes, etc.  as apposed to $1100 on NCL 

-no W-2's.  I hit a $1700 slot spin and there was no hand pay or paperwork.  We are all responsible for our own taxes, LOL.  

19 hours ago, harbourxie said:

Would you please talk more about how the table game points are earned on MSC for Blackjack? Thanks,

From what I was told and what I experienced your front line bet amount will get you a 5 to1 amount of comp.  Example bet $100 get 20 points.  Now you only earn points on the basic bets.  Example, if you bet $100 on a BJ hand then double, split or double then split you will only earn  comps on the first $100 bet, not the others as they are much more in your favor.  At craps your pass line and place bets get comped not your odds bets.  Basically any bets you make after your initial bet will not be comped.  

Possibly but I hope not, you may have been charged for these.  The steward saw the water(s) gone and replaced them.  Check your bill just in case if you still have it.