MisterFidgetpants

I was able to click and see each page you had scanned. This is a big help for me. Thank you for taking the time to scan it and let me know. :D

Got UBP as a promo. Was told tips are already included. That is sufficient.

Like any cruise we have been on if we find a great bartender that is happy to serve us and makes our time enjoyable we will give a bit more cash directly to him or her at the end.

My guilty pleasure on a cruise is afternoon delight. Sure beats even a great day at the office. HAHA

Would like to know too. Probably similar to other cruise line beach days. Burger. Hot dogs. Ribs. Chicken. Corn. Veggies. Salad.

No, you can't. The DSC had to be prepaid prior to March 31st (if I remember correctly) to pay at the old rate. You can still prepay if you wish but it will be at the new rates.

I logged into my account today and it offered me to pay at the old rate. In fact there was no way for me to pay the new higher rate.

We too have most of our cruises with Royal Caribbean and booked the Sky yo try NCL. I get excited reading the positive reviews of the ship. Seems like a great couples getaway

That would be awesome. I'm 90% leaning to staying on board with a drink and a book (or pillow) too.

Did you enjoy the Sky? What was a highlight for you?

To the OP:

I agree with Ruth in that price should not be the only factor but understand that it does enter into the equation for most of us. The price you quoted is extremely low for HAL [in fact, it is even very low for non-premium mass-market lines like CCL and NCL] so it may be the chance to try out the line without much to lose. That way you can see if HAL is your style or not without being out thousands of dollars.

 

I can also attest that Ruth is correct in HAL catering to an older demographic. I just returned from the Veendam and, at 32 years old, I was DEFINITELY one of the youngest adults on board. In my case, I preferred it that way but others may not. Almost everyone I encountered on the trip was well-traveled and had sophisticated tastes in music, art, etc. The unruly and inebriated were very few and far between. The crew on HAL is wonderful and they provide warm, unobtrusive [albeit more formal style of] service. I prefer listening to a violinist in the lounge to poolside games and hairy chest contests so HAL was a great fit for me; others, however, may miss the waterslides, pool games and hustle-bustle of the more family-oriented lines.

Spot on with your first paragraph. A way to try something out without the big money risk.

As far as what we like...somewhere in-between what you describe in at the end of your last paragraph. For instance my wife loves karaoke, but she is not a drinker and to her a late night is 10:30PM.

Does HAL have poolside calypso bands, ice cream machine, etc?

We aren't new to cruising in general. Know all about the port fees, tip charges, insurance, etc. That's not an issue. When I asked what was omitted, I meant more along the lines of what is HAL cutting out to sell cabins for 199? Or is it just deals to fill the ship?

I'd anticipate with all the fees and taxes, etc., that $600 in cruise fare for 3 probably adds up to $1300-1500 when all said and done. Still, a lot less than the $2500-$3000 it would take to get 3 people on most other lines ships unless there is a crazy sale.

We have been to many of the caribbean ports. We don't really care where the ship goes. The baby is too young for us to take major journeys, but a week getaway at a low cost is appealing. With no airfare needed we are looking to do cruises from Florida or Florida-based trips for the next few years.

I don't mind anyones age, or us being the youngest, as long as they are cool and fun people. With the baby we're usually in bed by 10PM or so, which means back to the cabin by 9. As to who would watch the baby; we would. Who else? :confused: I imagine they have a child care center/staff/activities for us to use during the day or am I wrong on that count?

I'm just trying to determine if HAL can be a relaxing young family vacation, but still have some activities for us after dinner time.

Yes. I suppose that's true. I am happy to be in the middle. Not lazy enough to order room service but too lazy to go and get my own food. That's why so many people at both ends of the laziness spectrum disagree with me. LOL

 

 

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Like I said, stop for a moment and consider the impact to you and your wife if everyone did things the same way you do them! Traffic Jam!

We are a young family (mid 30's with a baby). A co-worker of mine was discussing his HAL cruise this past fall and he told me he paid $199 per person for a 7 day cruise on their biggest ship; he even showed me the invoice. I was shocked! I could not believe the pricing. It definitely got my attention.

Considering watching HAL prices for the late fall/winter season again (off peak) but wondering if HAL would be a fit for us? We are not partiers, but need some nightlife. Live music (not all Frank Sinatra covers...) Karaoke, maybe an audience participation game show, or a song/dance show.

We're somewhat casual on vacation. My co-worker told us we must avoid the main dining room on formal nights unless we get all done up. Is this true? What is the HAL policy on bringing a baby to a specialty restaurant or are we going to be forced to the buffet? How is HALS dinner buffets?

For $199 per person what are they omitting or cutting out? I just can't believe a 7 day trip is so cheap. Is it likely prices will be that low again this year? Does HAL have a baby rate or 3rd guest rate?

Really have never had HAL on the radar before, but knowing some of the pricing, well, it is too hard to ignore. We can drive to the port and since the baby is young enough we can go off peak weeks without worrying about school. Just don't want a sentient experience.

I may be in the minority..but....I hope they enforce this! Snack plates I dont have a problem with.. but have you ever gotten on a full elevator (lol..they are always full!) and had to stand next to someone with an overflowing plate.. its obnoxious!!

No, I have not seen an overflowing plate or people spilling food all over. Is that normal for NCL? On every cruise I have been on I have brought food to my sleeping wife. Has never been an issue. I guess the keyword is overflowing. That can be a problem anywhere. Whether the food is "a snack" or "a meal" does not seem relevant.

I guess when a company has to go fishing for excuses all of a sudden everyone has noticed the problem that was never there.

Coffe, tea, juices, youghurt, danish, muffins and jams were on Pride of America.

Thank you, that is certainly better than just coffee and bread. Do you happen to have a copy(photo) of the menu for the complimentary / continental breakfast?

You're absolutely right. I was referring to room service. It's actually MORE work to go to the buffet and bring food back to the room.. Which makes me wonder why bother doing extra work when on vacation. I should not have used the term "lazy". I did not mean to be unkind. I was only pointing out that almost every passenger on the ship is physically able to eat in the designated eating areas. It's just that some don't want to.

 

 

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That's right, I don't want to. It is not our preference.

On non-port days, or days we plan to stay on instead of going ashore, I like to take an early morning walk while my wife sleeps in. Then I go to the buffet and have a little breakfast. I enjoy making a plate of food for my wife and bringing it back for her. It gives me great pleasure to do something nice for her. She enjoys sleeping in and waking up to her wonderful, best husband in the world having brought her a plate of her favorites. We're not slobs. We're not lazy. I resent any insinuation or suggestion of that kind.

I can certainly understand it may be frustrating for you and your wife if she has a handicap and navigating a ships narrow hallways can be difficult. In that case you should direct a call or note to the hotel director and let them know they need to be more vigorous in maintaining their hotel facilities.

Please consider this; if everyone on the ship used only designated dining facilities within a small time frame you may find service slow, lines long, and finding a table very difficult. The buffets and dining rooms are not designed to handle the majority of guests all at one time. Something to think about before lashing out at others who don't have the same preferences as you is the impact it would cause you if they did.

I had seen a room service continental menu in some other thread that I now can't find, but it was basically only coffee and bread. I remember someone saying that was a test menu though.

Does anyone have a copy of the current, in-use, continental breakfast menu so can see what is on it? Any fruit? Yogurt? Can you order tea or basic juices without an additional fee?

Cruise Critic and USA today both have articles regarding the plate restriction - Go read them. I would link but right now I'm on tapatalk which makes it hard to even do underlines and italics. *shrug*

Yes, I read the articles. It didn't answer my question at all. Do you have different information? I know it is hard to post from an app. Whenever you can share the link I will get an email. It would be helpful to know what is allowed and what is not. Knowing is half the battle!

Lets not get start with Coast guard helicopter medical emergencies and morgue onboard - you should had thought that comment out a little bit more......

What?

Problem is some people's idea of a snack is full plate of food and they're not liking that NCL restricted plates. No offense, that the passengers' problem to figure out how many to fit in their hand to take back to their room -I don't see NCL bugling no time soon on the policy....

What are the plates restricted to and do you have a link to show me? I am interested on what IS allowed and what is NOT allowed.

Many years we sailed Royal Caribbean and are trying NCL out. Royal always made us feel like a valued customer. Even our trips on Carnival, Princess, and Celebrity were great. When I read things like "it's the passengers problem" it really makes me concerned over what the heck did I sign up for?!? I'm starting to wish we could cancel without penalty:( I really don't go on vacation to be babysat or micromanaged.

Can we still request foam bed toppers or will I need a note from a chiropractor?

And I was being serious because I have too many family members with it and some of them are uncontrollable to boot. (If your diabetes is uncontrollable or you need to snack constantly, please do not board a ship/line like that without a backup plan for food- you are putting your life in danger)

There is absolutely no circumstance where I would allow someone at a cruise check in counter to test my blood.

I really thought my comment was so outlandish that people would realize it wasn't serious.

I think the poster was just being facetious with her comment. I just think some folks just want to complain and get too upset when others try to come up with a solution that will help others. If NCL keeps this policy intact, I certainly feel sorry for those that really need food in their cabins for whatever reason. Unfortunately I can see those that will go to guest services and deliberately lie just to get out of the room service fee and/or no taking food back to cabin policy (which BTW, NCL has been very clear that snacks can be taken back, but some continue to ignore that), which will in the end hurt those that really need it based on their medical condition...Sad.

1. Did you notice the "Mister" part of my name? That denotes male gender.

2. The simplest, most effective solution is to revert back to the way that worked for decades and that guests had no complaints about. Not sure why that isn't an option for a solution???

3. Since it isn't NCL's policy to give anyone with any medical condition free room service or allow them to take food back to the cabin not sure why anyone would need to go lie about anything. Saying they will decide things on a case by case basis just means they have no policy to handle medical necessity. NCL can always say "No, you have to pay for room service/can't take food to your room" no matter what ailment you have.

4. It is offensive to suggest someone should divulge their personal medical information in order to eat food on vacation. I'm sorry, but the more I think about it the more ridiculous of a solution it seems like.

A diabetic has to do the simple finger ***** test daily anyway(morning, afternoon and evening; sometimes before and after eating).......

I was being facetious...

 

Wondering what your solution would be rather than getting rid of the new policy or believing the word of passengers, since we know that some will just lie to get out of the room service fee?

 

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My solution is for NCL to get rid of a policy that is bad to begin with and not hassle their guests. It did work for them for the past, what, 40 or 50 years?

Again, I'm sorry your are so upset BY MY SUGGESTION, to help some folks get an exception to the policy.

 

No this is not NCL suggestion, thus it would not be normal for them, IT IS MY SUGGESTION.

 

Again, sorry you got so upset, but as I said, I don't like to just complain about something, I look for solutions. I certainly wouldn't have an issue bringing a letter from my doctor (if needed) saying that because of having X or if I fogot to get a letter, show them my medication, If have to be able to eat when needed and would like an exception from their policy. If you wouldn't do it, that is certainly up to you, but my guess would be that if some really needed to have food in their cabin because of a medical issue, they would be willing to do anything to be able to allow them to bring that food to their cabin, whether it be for medical issues or handicap issues to make their lives a little easier on their cruise.

 

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I applaud the spirit of your thinking, but you really need to go back to the drawing board. That is MY suggestion. :D

While I cannot see a reason why someone with diabetes needs to carry food to their cabin, I do understand why they may require room service to get snacks, etc. IMO, some people should be able to get "x" number of free room service orders. These people should have a "need" - not just for convenience sake. No one should have to divulge their illnesses or disabilities, but NCL would have to find a way to grant the "special privileges" based on some criteria.

A simple finger ***** and urine analysis before boarding should suffice.

I was just passing along some information from another thread and a suggestion as to what to take to Guest Services to show them their issue, sorry it upset you so much.

 

I honestly doubt someone that has a medical issue or handicap that would require them to have to have food in their cabin would have a problem doing this. I think you misunderstood. Guest Services would not be handling the medication or doling it out to the passenger, the person would just show it to them one time, so that they see they are a diabetic and they aren't just trying to scam them, because let's face it, there will be a lot of folks that will say they have a medical issue and pretty soon NCL isn't going to believe anyone unless there is proof.

 

No one has to do anything, again, it was just a suggestion to solve a problem. I believe in finding a solution to an issue, instead of complaining about it and since you don't have the medical issue, you won't have to deal with it.

 

Who said you have to challenge the staff?

 

Again, sorry you go so upset over a simple solution to a problem that some passengers might have, even though you don't.

I wouldn't show my medication to any hotel staff if I did take medication routinely either. It's not their business. No one else should have to either. That's private information.

I got upset because there is no other business I could think of outside of a doctors office or pharmacy where anyone has any business knowing anyone elses ailments or medication regimen. Your idea might work, but just because something might work doesn't mean it is a good idea and it certainly isn't a solution to a bad policy!

Is this normal for NCL?