Huntingdon1701

Thanks - that's really helpful to know. It's only a five day cruise so I have to book on the first day or I won't be able to fit them all in. 😆 Not until October. I've sailed on her 3 times before, but this is the first time not in Yacht Club.

Hi All, I know I have to book the actual times on board, but do I need to go to each of the individual restaurants? Or is there a central point where I can book all the restaurants in one go? If so, where is it? Thanks,

It's got more complicated since they prevented docking directly in Venice. As many ships are using different nearby ports, there's not such a clear focus for the transport providers. Personally, I use Welcome Pickups who are incredibly reliable and speak great English. They're usually a reasonable price too.

You'll be fine. Especially if you like sushi, because the sushi bar always has space to spend dining credits. Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, and Cagneys will typically fill up first, so prioritise those.

Personally, I couldn't stand Los Lobos on the Prima. Dark and gloomy, and not with a very good menu. So if you're not a fan of Mexican do consider that carefully. I would also agree that Le Bistro is not great as a venue on Prima due to bad design, although the food is good. Onda is definitely worth it, and Food Republic and Hasuki were enjoyable. Cagneys was good but is the same as other ships so might be less of a priority. Indulge is a great free venue if you can get a seat.

If you go earlyish when it opens you probably won't have to wait at all for the MDR. Prima has lots of small venues and people tend to crowd more in the food court, the Local, or the buffet. You can make reservations on most ships for the MDR - I've not heard Prima is different. The menus rotate now, so you never know what will be available, aside from a small number of set items.

The main focus for the evening is more the suite of bars on deck 6. You've got the whiskey and beer bar, martini bar, and champagne bar all in a group, and they have a soloist or small band playing down there as well. It's quite a hub. The lobby on Jade is more for guest services, but as far as I remember the bar has always been manned in the evening.

Yes, you can sit there without eating at the restaurant. It's one of my favourite bars because it tends to be quite quiet so the bartenders get to know you well. It has a set of mojitos on the menu that you can't find elsewhere, but does serve other drinks. https://profcruise.com/norwegian-bar-menus-2022/ [scroll down]

First, check that your ship actually has a solo lounge. Only a minority do. If it is one of the ones with a lounge, then they will usually open up the lounge for solo meets. You could then ask to have access added to your card. About 50/50 as to whether they do it not - seems to be at the whim of whoever you speak to, although the policy is probably not to do it.

Great picture of the Southern Caracara! Did you have a preferred spot on the ship for viewing outside? Was it too cold for Spice?

It will be very quiet on port days. They don't always offer day passes so it's not certain you'd be able to do that, but if they do it will be for a port day.

I should have added that one of my cruises was a 19 days Suez Canal trip. The thermal suite is older but proportionate to the number of passengers on board. It tends to get busy on sea days for a few hours in the morning but is really quiet in the afternoon and evenings. It has actually has one of the best saunas because you can look out over the sea, while the loungers have a great view ahead of the ship. Contrast it to the gloom of Epic or the totally enclosed rooms of the Prima/Viva and it has some definite advantages. Less so if you're travelling as a couple who want to spend time together because that part is more limited in space.

There is more space than there appears in those photos. I travel solo and am autistic, so have a real problem with people being too close, but I've never felt crowded in the Jade's main dining room - sailed on her four times (out of 25 cruises), and she's probably my favourite ship.

Go ahead! I have been very tempted by the Torres Del Paine trip but it's marginally outside my budget and too early a start - I'm doing the Iguazu Falls trip so that's taken a large chunk of extra budget. I expect to come back to the region at some point to do the antarctic parts you've done, so I may be able to do it then.

It disappeared from the website for a week, which was slightly worrying, but is back now. https://www.ncl.com/uk/en/cruises/14-day-south-america-from-santiago-to-buenos-aires-argentina-and-chile-FLYCRUISESTAR14SAIPMCCHBPUQUSHPSYPMYMVDBUE?sailMonths=4294949408&ships=4294949403&numberOfGuests=4294949462&sortBy=closer_to_me&autoPopulate=f&from=resultpage&itineraryCode=FLYCRUISESTAR14SAIPMCCHBPUQUSHPSYPMYMVDBUE Really enjoying the photos. I assume the red bath is some kind of anti-infection thing?

As others have said, yes for a warm weather itinerary. They've done a lot of innovative things that don't quite gel smoothly, but it's still possible to have a decent time on her if you know what to expect.

It's the Star, on the Santiago to Buenos Aires route, so a lot of the same ports you're featuring.

You're kidding?! I often pop in there from the office - although I have to eat in the park. It is very good, although I've a local one that I prefer slightly. Most of the food stalls in Strutton Ground are excellent though. Were the glaciers on the mainland side? Or in the islands, as you go through glacier passage? I've got a starboard cabin so think I'll also be on the wrong side for a balcony view.

These pictures have given me cravings! 42 days to go!

Thanks for all the updates. Hope you both feel much better soon.

You are, and apparently not limited to higher solo cabins, since they've given me the chance to bid on the three bed garden villa (obviously I haven't).

Yes, I had that experience, only the difference they quoted was £3000 more. Insisted the system they were looking at was the same as the public facing system and there couldn't be any difference. Since I am capable of reading numbers it was obvious that was a lie. I ended up cancelling and rebooking everything, and getting the lower price. All they did was annoy me.

Thank you - that's very positive, and decides me against investing in the internet package!

Thank you. On the 17 March sailing so this is really helpful. Any highs or lows to share from your experience?

Which port(s)? If it's Reykjavik then there are some good whale watching options, which will be cheaper than the ships tours. http://www.elding.is/ You can also take a trip to one of the hot spring lagoons - Sky Lagoon is quieter and newer (it's also closer and cheaper to get to) than Blue Lagoon . Easily accessible by taxi. The city is very walkable too and there are some food tours which will give you a good experience as well as food. It's well worth exploring and seeing the Cathedral. You can also do the Golden Circle but that might be pushing it with the time you have available if it's the transatlantic. I'd try for a whale watching experience and walk through the city.