BoyMommax3

14 minutes ago, Peachypooh said:

Don't worry about not being in the Haven. We were in the Haven on the Encore and spent most of our

time outside of it. We sat by the pool, had our happy hour in the observation lounge, and ate in the buffet

and the local. The only thing we really gained by being in the Haven was no standing in lines and we are probably

older and less mobile than you are. For those booked in the Haven yes it is a beautiful area and if you take advantage

of the butler services and like eating in the Haven restaurant (it is a nice place) you will benefit. We probably

would have been fine outside of it. We found out we are just as happy outside it as inside it. Have a wonderful

cruise.

Thank you! Good to know! I would have booked Haven in a heartbeat to alleviate some of gripes from the last cruise.  But would have been the only one out of the group of 8 cabins.  We have a Connecting mini suite and balcony room booked to accommodate my brood!  I’m sure we will have a great time! 

42 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I think that you'll have a great cruise. Some people are looking for things to complain about or are uninformed about what to expect on the ship. You have months to prepare yourself before the cruise. The more you know, the better your cruise will be. 

Thank you! I’m trying to be stay positive! It’s a week of no cooking or cleaning that this Momma truly needs.  I will book as much as came when my window opens and hope for the best! 

We are booked for the Encore for July! I have to say it has taken us 4 years to cruise again with NCL.  Our last cruise was a 9 Day Breakaway in 2016.  This upcoming trip on the Encore is significantly more than the 9 day cruise.  It seems like so much has changed in 4 years and not for the better.  
 

The July 2016 cruise was our second time on the Breakaway and it didn’t go the way I hoped.  Most of my family is going on this trip and due to budget reasons...Haven is not in the cards.  
 

Being that we haven’t cruised in 4 years, I’m worried about the reviews for the Encore.  Part of the reasons we choose this ship was based activities for the teens/preteens.  We went to Disney in August so I feel like I’m right back into over planning mode.  Final payment is soon and I’m having real doubts if we should proceed.  

I was also on this cruise and agree with your most of your assessment. However, I wasn't bothered by "obese" passengers. Not sure why it matters and find your comment a bit distasteful. For the record I'm not one but a little compassion goes along way.

My next cruise will not be with NCL. This was my second time on the Breakaway and I didn't enjoy as much. It was just too crowded. The food and service in Taste/Savor was absolutely awful!

Have fun ladies! Win big!

My middle son has ADHD. We've cruised on NCL twice and had positive experiences with Splash Academy. Both times, I didn't notify them in advance. Upon registering DS into SA, I mentioned his special needs (very minor). His ADHD is managed with medication but new environments can easily trigger odd behavior. I was given a pager on the Breakaway in case they needed to find me. Luckily, my oldest son was in the same group with him so no issues occurred. We are cruising again in July and this time they won't be in the same grouping. I have a feeling he won't want to go to SA.

Overall, my boys like Splash Academy but didn't beg to go. We left it up to them. We purposely book a room on the 12 Floor to be close to SA. Oh well!

It clearly said "Limited Time" offer when I purchased the 3 Meal SDP in January. I'm not cruising until July but decided to buy it early since it clearly said "Limited Time". Having cruised NCL before I was well aware what that meant....prices were going to go up. If missed out on the offer, then I can only blame myself not NCL.

You had me at the Giants logo! Go Big Blue! Seriously loving your review. Enjoy the rest of your cruise. Bottoms up!