Travelbug321

Prices vary depending on ship/itinerary. The encore is currently $250/week to Alaska 

Thank you for the updates! We’re sailing 5/29 and I’m so nervous/excited - nervous about the COVID test (we’re very COVID conscious and have been careful, but things happen) and excited to finally sail again! 
 

Do you have access to the thermal spa? I’d love any feedback on it 🙂

Thank you for sharing these! We're cruising on the 29th and have been looking for these! 

On 4/26/2022 at 1:14 PM, KurtMo said:

Have seen a variety of different prices quoted for the Thermal Suite Pass (couples or per person) and Vibe access.

 

Can any recent cruisers confirm:

1. Current pricing

2. Are passes available pre-cruise or only onboard?

 

Thanks in advance,

I just called NCL to book the thermal suite pass - for the May 29th sailing to Alaska it's $249 per person for the week. You can prebook. I'm not sure about pricing once on board. 

We just called NCL and upgraded to a balcony from an inside cabin for less than we had originally bid, so I do recommend checking if prices have dropped on your sailing! Prices remained the same for a Spa balcony, so I just lowered my bid to the minimum because my partner doesn't care for the thermal pass but I do haha 

2 hours ago, dexddd said:

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza using points in 2011.  We got in late so not too picky where we stayed.

 

Got there, a few people on corner with NFL gear on.  Seemed odd.

 

Checked in, got on elevator and a bunch of big dudes got on.  Ended up being Minnesota Vikings were there to play.  Had a nice pool inside that you could she ship.

 

Other than that, is was nothing special.

You got a good story though! 

6 hours ago, FlatFooted Freda said:

Just off an NCL cruise, our first with them. The NCL cruise consultant booked hotel before and after, as well as transfers. The hotel was a lovely fine Hilton product. The transfers felt like an upgrade from our usual taxi or Uber. That said, we will likely make hotel/transport arrangements on our in for future cruises. The cost for hotel ( & I believe transports) were more than what we would have arranged on our own. The hotel was close to the port, could see the ships docked. However, the area was not very walkable, something DH and I enjoy. We have a Med cruise out of Barcelona in the spring, which NCL booked hotel. The fine Hilton product is not at all near what I've read to be an optimal location. I'd rather be in a good area, then just pay for the transport to the terminal. Also on recent cruise, our testing at the pier was 10 am, but transport from hotel to pier was booked for noon. We just called an Uber, ended up on the ship by noonish. Will be booking our own in the future as it just fits our style. But letting NCL handle all was not a bad experience. Kind of an apples and oranges thing.

Oh thank you for sharing your experience! This is why we’re concerned. We like walking around town and I guess saving a few bucks isn’t worth letting go of control for me hahaha 

7 hours ago, complawyer said:

as an after thought, this also included hong kong, singapore, barcelona, hamburg and venice . got a taxi directly from airport to hotel and after the cruise, there a a bunch of cabs and ncl personel to assist you getting either to your hotel or the airport.  most hotels will have a concierge,or someone who can help you get from the property to the ship. again, no problem and not to worry about it, just tell the hotel what you need. ($10 tip woudnt hurt either)

 

we live in los angeles, and years ago we were leaving from miami on a carribbean cruise, but  the fare into ft lauderdale was much, much cheaper. again, i went online, hired a shuttle to pick us up in lauderale

 

and take us to the hotel in miami. they were at the airport within 10 minutes of our arrival. they were there in 10 minutes after i called them and took us directly back to the ft lauderale airport.

 

when it comes to air travel and hotels, i firmly believe that if you want something done right! do it yourself

Thank you for the tips, and sharing your experiences! I've typically always booked things on my own but for some reason, this pandemic situation has me second guessing how I "typically" do things. Getting things done the right way - by doing them myself - is definitely something I've believed in as well hahaha! 

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

So,,, if the hotel is "o.k." with you, then the package with transfers is obviously better. Some want to try and save $10 by try to book everything on their own,,,, after spending $6000 on a cruise. Some would rather someone else worry about booking the hotels and transfers. 

 

Pre-pandemic, I would travel every week (sometimes more) for business. And I think that I can read a hotel description and "know" the pluses and minuses. But I have booked some pre-/post-cruise hotels on my own that were really stinkers. Even in Miami,,, which I am very familiar with (both business and cruise). 

 

Recently, we have been staying at The Charter House - by Hilton. It is block from Pikes Market with lots to see and do. And a few blocks from the Bell Street cruise terminal (we uber down since there is no easy way to walk down the hill to the dock). 

That’s very helpful info! Thank you. I’ll look into the charter house. NCL’s option is the crowne plaza, and I’m just not entirely sold on it

15 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

In my experience the price they quote you is per person, not room

Thank you, that's helpful to know. The prices through the hotel vs through NCL are the same, and I see that NCL provides airport and pier transfer + included gratuities... So I want to know what the catch is haha

I searched before posting but didn't see what I'm looking for, so I apologize if there is a thread about this already. 

We're flying into Alaska 2 days before our May 2022 cruise, and looking into booking our hotel through NCL, if you've done this in the past, what pros and cons can you share? Thank you!

On 2/3/2022 at 10:19 AM, amyh13 said:

Mine came in an email.  Cruise late May 2022.  Got it earlier this week.

Do you mind sharing date/ship? I'm booked on the Encore May 29 2022, and have my fingers crossed for an upgrade opportunity!

6 hours ago, nicoleinwi said:

 

We're a week before you.  Are the MDR's (Taste and Savor) open for you to book?  I can book speciality now but still can't on those. 

I should've clarified, MD isn't open yet either. I meant all excursions and specialty dining is open already and was told others would open 90 days out.

We're booked May 29, 2022 on the Encore, and everything opened today for reservations, except for the thermal spa suite, which I was told would be available to book 90 days out. 

On 1/26/2022 at 2:02 PM, surfone said:

We received ours for the May cruise,  we were surprised with 4 months to go

What date are you sailing? If you don't mind sharing your bid and what you got?

I'm interested in booking the bliss for my 1st ncl cruise. I know the interierary and what type of cabin I'm booking etc. My question is. 1st week of dec or 2 weeks after the holidays.

 

Badgeaz

I would do AFTER the holidays. I work for a school district and MANY families start vacationing earlier in December, esp high school kids who are on their way to college soon... parents typically ready to send their kids back to school by the time January rolls around ;)

You can order most entrees in smaller portions just ask for appetizer size, and that typically makes up for not eating 3 complete entrees ;)

Thank you both very much. We do have driver's licenses and birth certificates but like traveling with passports best. Probably will just renew so there are no problems.

That's smart. With all the things going on now, I would renew just to be sure. Better safe than sorry! The renewal process is quick and easy.

Day 2 evening, we met for dinner in the Manhattan Room. Nice room, beautiful decor. The food was the same. Service was the same. Decided we would try specialty dining tomorrow for our final night. We had reservations for Burn the Floor, and decided to walk around the ship until it was time. I prefer a ship with more windows and "openness" to it. But it was well kept and clean. I HIGHLY recommend Burn the Floor! By far, it was the BEST entertainment on any cruise ship. I loved it. My cousins loved it. There really weren't any bad seats that I could see. Afterwards, we decided to see the Beatles Show I had read about, but there was another group, and they were pretty good. The Beatles Show would be on tomorrow. The other couple in our group had gone onto the private island all day. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Their bill was fine, but they were paying per drink. No package. We returned to our rooms and got some much needed sleep. The sailing was smooth and we felt little to no movement. Tomorrow was going to be our last day and a sea day!

Day 3 my routine was the same. Dh likes to sleep in, while I get up early and have coffee on our balcony. This is one of the reasons why balcony cruising works well for us. I went back to the pool area and ate breakfast, which was good. I didn't try any of the food stations, but it seemed that people were enjoying them.

Today the quiet, adults only bar opened at 11:00 and on time. The servers were very good. While talking with other cruisers in the pool area, some felt that they were being "nickled and dimed" too much. I think if you go into any cruise armed with knowledge, you are less likely to feel this way. I knew going in, what was extra, etc. Everyone who had the drink packages were happy with them and were having no problems. It seemed that just those who added the packages on once on the ship, were having issues. That definitely needs to be fixed.

We ate in the Steakhouse for dinner. It was very good and we were happy to have a hot, well prepared meal. I found their wine selection nice for a cruise ship, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

I had read nightmare stories about embarkation and debarkation. I found doing both "self", we had no issues. I was off the ship by 7:30 and on the road. We parked at the port, because we like the convenience. There were no problems.

If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them. It was only 3 days, and my first NCL cruise, so I don't have a lot of information. The main point of these postings is to warn people to always check their bills. We ended up our final evening on the cruise, at CS again. They SILL had not removed our taxes. Now I realize it was less than $20, but it was the principal. If everyone was overcharged like that, and there are over 3,000 people on the ship, it adds up. I will probably be told that it wouldn't have been worth the hassle of the $20. And if that was all that had happened, then maybe not. But it got to the point that I wasn't going to allow it. I even asked one of the CS reps, why there were not apologies offered? He responded that it wasn't his fault. You know what I'm going to write, don't you....he said "it was a glitch in the system". LOL!

Thank you for this review! I will be sailing on the Epic at the end of April and plan on asking for a receipt with all drinks (we've received the bev package as a perk) but I still need to make sure they're not adding random things - I don't like surprises like that ;) You're right in saying that everyone makes mistakes, I didn't read this review as a bash to NCL, but rather a review on how you were treated. I don't care if it's 20 cents they add on by mistake, I'm not paying for it if I didn't drink it. Period. An apology may have gone a long way, I bet a simple "we're so sorry for this hassle" would have made you feel a lot better while standing in line (by no fault of your own) on your vacation.

We've been on the Epic several times, and were able to get lobster at the Steakhouse (Cagneys) on the dining package. If I recall, you can also get lobster at the Bistro.

 

Have a really good cruise!

Oh good! I read somewhere (I don't recall where) that they were no longer serving lobster :eek:

You do know that a Guaranty room means the cruise company will pick the room, right? Just be prepared as the ones that sell last are those that have a challenge (eg., above a nightclub) and these are often the ones doled out as Guaranty rooms.

 

If this is a concern, talk to your TA - maybe you can pay up for an assigned room. Otherwise, just go and be prepared and neverthless enjoy as you will have a great time!

Hi, thank you for that info, we actually got upgraded and are very pleased with our cabin. Thanks again

travelbug, congratulations! I sailed the Epic last year and have her booked again for this fall. She seems to be a ship you either love or hate. I loved her! Also, go to the home page of this forum and scroll down to the Ports of Call section. You'll find information there for each of your ports with suggestions of what to do.

 

If you like food, then consider doing some research on Trip Advisor for restaurants. There's a tapas restaurant in Barcelona near Placa Catalunya that was amazing! :)

 

Take a look at reviews of the Epic and take the bad reviews and the over-the-top positive reviews with a grain of salt. The Epic is a great ship with tons to do. Be sure to check out the crepe station in the buffet in the evenings--SO good!

 

 

 

Have a wonderful first cruise!

thank you! I didn't realize there was a forum for the ports, I appreciate it.

We did the Epic Med cruise 2 years ago, what a wonderful time we had! I would highly recommend a wonderful tour company called "All around Italy Tours" . The tour guide Fabrizio was amazing! From Naples port we did the Amalfi Coast tour, and as honeymooners, you should really look into this tour! The coastal road was spectacular and the driver stopped off at many different spots for photo ops along the coast, winding our way to Sorrento and Positano. We walked down the amazing winding path to the beach in Positano and then headed to an incredible restaurant called Costantino's

Adding the trip advisor link for Ristorante da Costantino : https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g194863-d1163492-Reviews-Ristorante_da_Costantino-Positano_Amalfi_Coast_Campania.html

And this is the link for All Around Italy tours: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187791-d1916065-Reviews-All_Around_Italy-Rome_Lazio.html

Just google image "Positano, Italy" and see if this very romantic coastal town fits into your honeymoon plans

Enjoy your honeymoon and congratulations!

Hi! Thank you so much for this reply, it is exactly what we've been searching for and I will be looking into the tour. thanks a bunch

travelbug, congratulations! I sailed the Epic last year and have her booked again for this fall. She seems to be a ship you either love or hate. I loved her! Also, go to the home page of this forum and scroll down to the Ports of Call section. You'll find information there for each of your ports with suggestions of what to do.

 

If you like food, then consider doing some research on Trip Advisor for restaurants. There's a tapas restaurant in Barcelona near Placa Catalunya that was amazing! :)

 

Take a look at reviews of the Epic and take the bad reviews and the over-the-top positive reviews with a grain of salt. The Epic is a great ship with tons to do. Be sure to check out the crepe station in the buffet in the evenings--SO good!

 

 

 

Have a wonderful first cruise!

Hi, Thank you so much for taking time to reply. I will MOST definitely check out the crepe station, I didn't even know they would have one and you've just made my day!

You will love it! My husband and I did a similar itinerary on the Epic in 2011.

 

In Livorno, I'd suggest you take Ship's transfer to Florence and walk around on your own. You may want to get tickets in advance to the museum there if that interests you. We just wandered around, had lunch at a cafe, had gelato and enjoyed the beauty.

 

In Naples, be sure to watch your wallets! We did a great tour of the fort/castle that is very close to port and also took a train the train to Pompeii. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, pay a little extra and take a tour from the ship that takes you to Sorrento, Capri and Pompeii. Well worth it!

 

In Palma, we walked around. Very easy to do from Port.

 

Barcelona was our starting point. We easily took the metro around. Don't miss Sagrada familia (must get tickets in advance) or the Gaudi locations.

 

Enjoy and congratulations!

Hi, Thank you so much for these tips! I was considering trying to do florence on our own, but I might look into the ship's transfer since it is a bit of a distance from port. I didn't even think about tickets for Sagrada Famiia - I'll get those asap! thanks a bunch!

I have never been on the Epic, but a quick perusal of the deck plan suggests that if your cabin is well aft or well forward, you may be among the few passengers who are NOT looking straight down on the lifeboats! And be aware, cabins 8006-8020 (the first 8 or so forward cabins both port and starboard) are described as having "an enclosed PrivaSea balcony with an extended metal structure to protect from the elements." This sounds to me like what is sometimes described as a "cove" balcony. Google "Epic PrivaSea" balcony and see if you can get pictures. Whatever cabin you get, I am sure you will have a marvelous time -- it's your honeymoon, after all!

wow! thank you so much for taking the time to explain that to me! I googled it and I see what you're saying. thanks again!