Booboochase

Hi wil e coyote! Also on this sailing - you covered it so well I don't need to write a review anymore so thank you lol! Couple things I will add if I may - we went to the bar Tobacco Road - best drinks we found.  Try Grass Clippings if you like Tequila, also the best Old Fashioned.  

We were Haven but aft on deck 11. Wonderful cabin, very quiet, large balcony, 2 bathrooms, same service as being in Haven proper.  Couldn't help but compare the Haven area to the Encore, which has a very large observation area with all day snacks, also the sundeck is much larger.  Agree about Dilip and Siva - they were great.

We did Escape to Jost Van Dyke through an outside agency - wow was that a long trip there, and saw our lives flash before our eyes several times on the bus on Tortola.  Scary stuff.  But the beach is beautiful so there's that! Sapphire Beach - nice beach, nice bar - but kind of a haul to get there.

DH tested positive for Covid yesterday 😞

Just off the Escape, and sailed Encore last year.  If you are considering the Haven, the Encore has a very large, beautiful observation lounge where they serve snacks, and has a large sundeck.  Escape has no observation lounge in Haven and a much smaller sundeck- in fact Vibe next door looked much larger from what I could see.  Encore also has the deck 15 observation lounge which is huge, has a bar, snacks, and hardly anyone ever there on our sailing.  Port Canaveral is a haul from the airport, we did utilize Go Port Canaveral for hotel and transportation after flying into Sanford, and out of Orlando which went well.

3 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Dogs. I miss my dogs. 

Same!! But also, it's the thought of back to the airport and everything that goes along with it that puts me in a different mindset.  

Great info - thank you all! All I can picture is us struggling with our luggage to get up to the Haven lol! We always just keep our luggage with us and make a quick exit because by the end of the cruise I am ready to go! Kind of like when I go out to eat - when I'm done, time to go! (unless I have a drink in front of me - that's another story)

We have enjoyed that perk as well on the Encore - didn't even think about having to disembark when I booked our upcoming aft Haven on deck 11 of the Escape...yikes

Thank you all for the reassurances! dpepper64, not sure about the meet and greet, but maybe we will.  We are from western NY, we just booked this about a month ago - looking to relax also! And visit the many bars 🙂 

We are on the Escape for first time late Jan.  Odd shudder sounds slightly unappealing haha. We are also on deck 11(aft) like Lefteyephoto,  I'm nervous for weird noises 🙄

Agree with Nursegina - was just on the Encore in March in a Haven Courtyard Penthouse 17726 and it felt very tight - deck 17 so the balcony was larger but it didn't make up for the size of the cabin. Also, heard the booming base of the nearby main pool deck music all day and night when in the cabin. In hindsight, I would definitely book an aft suite even though not in the Haven proper - really unnecessary for us to be right in the Haven.  We did get to see a Haven forward penthouse and while they are two rooms, again very tight, but larger bathroom.  

I had three upgrades denied and our ship was at 3500 passengers due to Escape overflow according to staff.

Just cruised Encore 3/27-4/3 - 3500 guests, higher due to Escape passengers booking, according to staff.

Hijacking this thread as I just cruised on Encore 3/27-4/3 (today!) Kinky Boots did in fact play as did Choir of Man ( I don't recall which nights.)  Will be doing a short review soon.  We had 3500 passengers due to Escape passengers booking (according to Haven staff.) I see one of the comedians is different, Brad replaced Jill.  Lucky you.  

On the 3/27 Encore and still pending...but like Sthrngary said, just happy to be cruising!

david_sobe, that is great to know about Long Bay Beach! I booked it because I couldn't get Jost Van Dyke (so popular, why not have two boats for the excursion??) I kept wondering if the excursion was worth it for maybe two hours at the beach, but I do love seeing the different ones.  Someone else on CC said there's  two Long Bay Beaches - not sure which one we go to or the difference.

Beautiful pictures, and what a wonderfully written review! So positive and really makes me more excited for my upcoming cruise.  😊 Cheers!

Celltech, I bid different amounts depending on the room upgrade.  That will be interesting to see if that's the case.  I will report back on whether I get one.

brovel, mine shows right on the main page when I log in.  "Upgrade your cabin" and if you click on it, it will show what you've bid, and allows modifications.

3 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@BooboochaseMy cruise is twelve days away.  I have been studying this whole bid upgrade situation for a couple of months. What I have found is that if your cruise is on a Saturday, the Tuesday before, the bid get cleared.  This is so frustrating for those of us waiting for the upgrade, but it is done to create emotions.  The question, "Should I up my bid, I really want to be in the Haven?"  

 

The Bid Upgrade company is a third party.  They do upgrade bids for lots of industries.  So, I think my formula is pretty accurate.  Just my two cents.

 

Cruise well.

Thank you Sthrngary! Have a wonderful cruise!

worktocruise610 that is good to know! Thank you!!

Our cruise is 20 days out, I had 3 bids in, yesterday showed pending - today there is no sign of anything - no expiration, pending, denied, approved - and no emails.  Strange!

it's back - false alarm 🤔

I emailed emed a couple days ago wondering if we needed to set up a day/time for testing - this was their response (I'd feel better if they had said "will" rather than "should" lol):

Welcome to eMed customer support team. I will be happy to assist you with your inquiries regarding our working hours.  
Since we do understand the importance for all our customers to be tested in time, our specialized team of certified guides are currently working 24/7 including weekends and holidays. Due to this, you should be able to take your test at the most convenient time for you without setting any kind of appointment.  

I am currently booked for the end of the month in the haven courtyard penthouse with large balcony (originally had regular balcony but price came way down a few weeks back) - I have 3 upgrade offers - DOS with large balcony - bid is $750 - 2000;  two bedroom villa with large balcony and two bedroom with regular balcony - bid for both is $500 - 1500.  I have a bid in on all - we'll see! I am watching to see if the price comes down further to just reserve one outright.  Not there yet but they have lowered.  

Nice review! What did you think of the Courtyard Penthouse with Large Balcony? I have it booked and hoping we like it! Thanks 🙂 

ok, thank you!

I apologize if this was covered but I can't find it - I was told by the NCL rep when I canceled that my FCC would show up on my NCL account - but nothing at all shows.  Just that I have no cruises booked.  I canceled yesterday...does it take some time to show up? I did receive an email, however it did not spell out "future cruise credit", just how much I had paid.  Thanks for any info!

Right, but I was able to cancel GSC excursion - booked a villa, and was told I am getting a refund for it when I called yesterday.

Thank you poffles! As a side note, if you are looking to get excursions refunded, do it prior to tomorrow or it would probably go into FCC.  

8 minutes ago, erdoran said:

OK, I have solid  info.  I booked thru a TA.  I asked about cancelling for a refund based on the 90 days cancellation (I was told last Thursday I had until 3/15 to get my cash refund) and was told if I cancel for a refund today there is a 25% penalty, things are changing daily.  I asked about removing DSC, UBP, SDP for a cash refund, and she said for that I had to call NCL directly—about 5 mins hold time about 30 mins ago; rep had to get supervisor, all 3 removed and stated will be credited back to my card, total call time maybe 20 mins (a bit of a wait for supervisor).

Sorry  - can you tell me what those initials stand for that you received refunds for? I was able to receive refunds for beverage package and dining taxes...I just want to make sure I cover everything. Thank you!