Two Wheels Only

Only the deck 9 balcony is that large. On BA/GA, the aft-facing balcony size order is 9, 12, 11, 10, 14, 13 from deepest to least deep.

Both *700 staterooms are larger than their neighbors. The deck plan is just colored-in incorrectly, sometimes. Guests 3&4 sleep on a double sofa bed since I'm almost sure that these staterooms do not have a Pullman bed. Take deck 12 for the better view forward and for the shorter walk to the elevators.

DOS = Deluxe Owner's Suite. On BA/GA, NCL used to have a Deluxe Owner's Suite (H2) category and an Owner's Suite (H3) category but NCL changed the names slightly to be Deluxe Owner's Suite With Large Balcony (H2) and Deluxe Owner's Suite With Balcony (H3). The new description makes it seem as if the only difference is the balcony size but the 2 stateroom categories are completely different in size and configuration. On some other ships, there are higher/larger stateroom categories but for BA/GA, the DOS H2 (the real one) is the highest/largest category. MSC only has Owner's Suites as their highest category on some ships. They can either be configured the same (except for mirror image port and starboard) or can have different configurations depending on the ship. EDIT- BA/GA = Breakaway / Getaway.

ICON puts up a good fight but the undisputed ugliest cruise ship is and always will be Epic.

So is the Breakaway/Getaway 2BR balcony. A family of 4 isn't having breakfast on the 2BR balcony with BA/GA... ...but on a deck 9 aft-facing BA/GA suite balcony? Easily done with a great view. When going Haven, there isn't really a wrong choice. Weigh the options and decide. If aft-facing, forward-facing, or courtyard is your preference, go for it.

Even if they were the same price (they aren't), my family of 4 prefers the aft-facing Suite on Breakaway/Getaway to the 2BR Suite. Pick the preferable stateroom configuration and a good/great balcony when selecting which aft-facing Suite. The butler who services the aft suites doesn't service the other suites. If it's a good or great butler, service will be good or great. If it's a bad or sub par butler,....you know.

What's even worse is the "...I want that...I can afford it right now...but I'd rather complain because others have that and I don't..." crowd.

In some balcony rooms on Epic, the headboard is next to the sink....the reviewer should feel better now, I suppose. I remember the Haven guest who was upset because she didn't get towel animals. Another Haven guest was crying (her words) because the staff referred to other Haven guests by name and the staff never remembered her name. Someone else thought that the go-karts were too.........FAST?!?!?!?! 🙄 I think that because of so many irrelevant complaints, staff and management become immune to all complaints.

US site has it listed...(under Relaxation & Wellbeing) Free access to the Top Exclusive Solarium Relaxation amenities in each stateroom (including bathrobe and slippers) Pillow menu Access to thermal area (for adults only) Balinese massage, exclusive pre cruise offer available up to 2 days prior to embarkation*** 10% discount on all spa treatments purchased on board

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Think about the great times that you had on your last cruise. Open your eyes and smile as you realize that the extra points aren't important enough to stress over.

Correct

Yes but where they sell them varies by ship, it seems. I've seen them in the gift shop, at guest services, and at the photo package desk with different ships. On my most recent cruise, they didn't want to give one to my youngest at check-in which has never happened before. I just asked the concierge for one and he activated one and gave it to us. It worked just as ours did.

You can hand write specific items that aren't on the room service "hang on the door" card. If you want an omelet with mushrooms, red peppers, and cheese, just write it on the card. Scrambled eggs with no cheese for the kids? No problem. The latest delivery time is 9:45a-10:00a. The card only has coffee, decaf coffee, hot chocolate, and tea for hot beverages but if you want a cappuccino, just write it down. Mimosa? Of course. 😁 We had room service breakfast probably every other day whether sea day or port day. Breakfast on the balcony is not a problem. Other meals that aren't on the room service menu are like pulling teeth. Haven is much more accommodating in that area.

For breakfast, you can do the same with Yacht Club. I put the Yacht Club French toast slightly above the Haven French toast.

I've ordered a pizza (1/2 cheese, 1/2 pepperoni) and had it delivered to my cabana/pergola on the pool deck. I suppose a great butler can make things happen that you wouldn't expect...like having Venchi (discreetly) delivered to a cabana on the pool deck. 😉

Having anything "to go" is kinda frowned upon in the restaurant. Anything is possible with MSC but I wouldn't give it better than a 5% chance of happening.

Be honest, water isn't the only thing that you pick up at the bar before bed. 🍷🍹 😁

That's not normal. Soot happens but a coating like that is way beyond what is acceptable. This may have happened then but I was on Seashore last month and there was no soot that I saw.

It's on your confirmation PDF under the deposit amount... Final Amount Due within **/**/**** The number of days can vary based on length of cruise.

First choice in your case (2 side by side/bed near balcony B1s) would be deck 12 (12308/12310). Then, deck 9 (9320/9322). From there, it is a trade off between size and potential noise. Deck 15 (15278/15280) is next in size but might be avoided because of the noise on the sundeck. This is a bigger issue on other ships that have a Spice H2O. After that is deck 14 (14282/14284) in size but could also be an issue with noise. Deck 11 (11314/11316) is about the same size as deck 14 so that could be an option. After that, deck 10 doesn't have ANY B1s that are next to each other. Deck 13 (13308/13310) is the smallest. If the bed near balcony vs bed near closet isn't a deal breaker, go based on deck. I would avoid 9324, 12312, 15282, 14286, 11318, and 13312 as they are the most narrow aft-facing balcony on their deck. If you happen to find 2 that are next to each other, I can tell you which one would be bed near balcony if it isn't both.

I've made lists for the bed location and room configuration for all aft-facing staterooms on all 6 BA/BA Plus ships including M1 and Haven. Even when the deck plan shows the room indent (Breakaway/Getaway), I have found errors so I made my own lists. If you ever have a question, feel free to ask.

The dailies will tell you the hours for the specialty restaurants. NCL can sometimes vary lunch hours of operation depending on port days vs. sea days and can sometimes close or open specialty restaurants for lunch at random. For dinner, reservations are strongly recommended. For lunch, you can probably just show up.

Not necessarily. You CAN have 2 aft-facing bed near balcony staterooms that are next to each other. I prefer and suggest deck 12. 12308 and 12310 are both bed near balcony. Deck 12 is the 2nd deepest deck, has good views, and is far enough away from the noise of the sundeck (no Spice H2O on Encore).

If a specialty restaurant is open for lunch, you can use your package. It counts as a use. If you use 1 for lunch and 1 for dinner on the same day, that's 2 meals used.

With aft-facing, balcony depth varies by deck. There are also differences in balcony width and bed location (near balcony vs. near closet). Depending on what is important to you will give different suggestions.