olemissreb

I need to look at my AMEX...I'm still paying off my '25 Viva cruise. An extra $250 would come in handy!

Look at the 2025 sailings on the Viva. My sister and I had a Celebrity Summit cruise booked and when it was cancelled, we booked the Viva which was only $500 more per cabin. So while we have to wait for what feels like forever, we'll be on an 18 month old ship for only an extra $500. I can't wait!

Go with the flow and collect the baby dolls and use them in homemade king cakes at Mardi Gras...same thing.

Great! Thank you for all your knowledge!

OMG Now I'm even more excited to board her in 536 days! She'll be so majestic sailing by El Morro.

Thanks for that info. Good to know if we get something in the port area we have nothing to worry about. So if we book a taxi in the port area to take us to Maho Beach, how do we detemine licensed taxis when we get ready to head back to port? Or will our original driver meet us there at a designated time?

If getting a taxi at the cruise ship pier, how can you tell if they are licensed or not?

Thanks Bird! I do like a strawberry daquiri poolside (of course those are out because my boyfriend is allergic to strawberries), but usually have wine while relaxing or having dinner.

OMG I think I just found the place where my boyfriend will be. He LOVES Blantons and has been wanting to try Elmer T Lee. Upgrading to the Premium beverage package will help lessen the sting a little I guess. 🙂 Can you get other libations in there? If not, can you bring them in? I'm mostly a wine drinker, but I do also like Blantons and sure wouldn't mind trying the Elmer T Lee. Of course we don't sail on the Viva till March '25, so prices and selection are subject to change...I just hope it won't.

Thanks. I still have plenty of time to plan and I guess there is still time for NCL to change port times.

I can't speak to the advantages/disadvantages of HAL vs NCL, but after 7 cruises I can truly say I book for the itinerary and ship/line/amenities is second. My sister and I will be on the Viva in March '25 and while I get to cruise out of my favorite port, I also get to experience 4 new ports on a very port intensive cruise (7 ports in 7 days). The Viva is brand new. I'm excited about that, but I'm also hoping that we won't be cruising with a bunch of families...we're all in our 60s and just enjoying our empty nests before grandkids start coming. 🙂 Just couldn't beat the itinerary though, so we'll make the best of it.

Found a Magic Mangrove Paddle in Beef Island Lagoon excursion offered through Viator (more expensive) or Ground Sea Adventures. Has anyone done this excursion? How rigorous is it? I've never been kayaking before - is it easy to pick up? The ship is in port from 8am to 5pm and the tour would start at 8:30am - can I make that? The only other tour offered is at 1:30pm and would finish at 4pm which cuts it a little too close to all aboard time for me. Also found a Taste of the British Virgin Islands excursion that is 3 hours long. Has anyone done this excursion or one like it? Was it worth it at $140pp?

I've stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites across from the Convention Center with my sisters...2 full beds and a pull out sofabed. I've also dtayed at the Embassy Suites in the same area. Sorry can't remember the names of the streets. Neither are actually in the Quarter, but the walk there isn't too bad.

When was the last time you were there? When I was in Slidell a year ago, my high school classmates said something about the mall being demolished and so the Cafe du Monde in the mall was no longer there and everyone had to go to the original on Decatur St.

My next cruise is still 18 months away. I usually book that far out so I can pay it off over time, get the cabin I want, pay for any upgrades as well as the independent excursions that I spent researching....not to mention airfare! By the time I get on board, it's just about an all-inclusive and all I have to worry about is souvenirs.

No Latitudes anything as this will be my first time on NCL.

I hope you'll do a "Live From"...I've got 550+ days till I'm on the Viva.

Thank you! Hate that, but oh well...maybe I can gift (aka buy) my sister the dining upgrade.

Y'all have convinced me that a specialty restaurant (probably Cagney's) for my embarkation dinner is the way to go. Couple questions though: How long does dinner at Cagney's usually take? We are on the Viva sailing from San Juan at 7pm and I definitely want to be on deck for sail away. Thinking dinner after sail away may be the way to go rather than before. Other question - I may upgrade my Free at Sea to the Free at Sea Plus which gives us (my boyfriend and I) 2 extra specialty meals. Is it possible to use one of those meals for my sister and her boyfriend - kind of like paying for their meal if we were on land? She currently has the Free at Sea and I'm not sure if she'll want to upgrade. If we are able to "spring" for a meal using one of our 2 extras, that would be nice.

Thanks for the great review. I had looked at something like this, but since my sister can be very clumsy (she has a knack for tripping on air) and my boyfriend has ankle problems, I think we'll skip the tour this time.

We are booked! We got the Free at Sea and paid gratuities for the Beverage Package and the Dining, For the Dining package, how exactly does that work? I figure we'll try to go to Cagney's, Onda, Los Lobos, Le Bistro (I've got to get my escargot) and maybe something else. How many are open for lunch? Oh so much to do and so little time.

Well then I'm glad we didn't get the air add on...gives us more flexibility. Thanks!

Well I just put courtesy holds on 2 rooms for a sailing on the Viva. Got a couple days to decide whether to pull the trigger or not. It's only about $500 more expensive than our X cruise was, but we would be getting the Free at Sea deals and we get 1 extra port of call. My sister sailed on NCL way back in 1990, but the rest of us are newbies, so please bear with me as I pick up on the "lingo" and ask a million questions. I did some research on the Viva on the NCL site and am wondering with such a port intensive cruise, if getting passes for the Vibe Beach Club is worth it? Not sure I'd want a cabana, but may look into that also. I also saw something about cabanas at the Indulge - are those first come first served or do you reserve them? And here's a probably really silly question but...does the Starbux app work on the ship so I can earn stars? We haven't added airfare to our cruises, how does that work? Do we get to choose the date and times we want to fly? Or does NCL do that for us? I figure we'll want to fly down either the Friday or Saturday before the cruise and sightsee around San Juan. I'm 90 minutes from the closest airport and I really don't want to get up before the birds to get to the airport (which isn't in a great part of town) to catch a flight. Y'all have been really helpful - thank you so much! I have a good feeling we'll end up completing our bookings before the end of the weekend and I'll get into full planning mode - even if it's 18 months away! 🤣

I suspected as much, but thought it doesn't hurt to ask either. Wishful thinking I suppose. Thank you!

Ok you just prompted another question...I usually book independent excursions. Since I wouldn't be using the shore excursion credits, would they change it to OBC to use for other purchases?