Winchester Ranger

Nice videos, very professional.

A couple of questions:

- How the the priority embarkation and debarkation work out for you?

- What's the easiest way to get a list of ship's activities for the week?

- In your opinion what was the single best place to eat?

Thanks !

Too many variables to give a realistic answer.

Both myself and DW work full time, so money isn't the issue for us with cruising, getting vacation at the same time is the issue. So with taking just the occasional cruise we tend to spend more to make it "special" and have opted for butler serviced suites on our next cruise and last cruise. If we were retired and cruising 3 times a year the budget would be tighter so we would downgrade to plain balcony rooms or maybe even inside cabins :eek:.

But, as with most things in life, if you have the means it really is the only way to fly.

I will only say, last time at Cagney's I ordered the normal amount of sides and my rib eye steak. After gorging myself on my portions, I finished my wifes. I was way too stuffed to had ordered more. I feel for me multiple entress would be way overboard, doing it just because I can. I guesss if everone does it, especially with the UDP, the prices will surely rise more rapidly than they otherwise would.

I wonder, if at all, some order the second or maybe third entree and the waiters pick up a table with only one or two bites taken out of the extra portion?

You have to remember that the pleasure of food for some people, us included, is the taste, not stuffing ourselves until a button goes into orbit.

I regularly order 3 entrees during a la carte dining and never finish one of them, if I have to pay extra for that privilege on the UDP then I'm happy to do so but I'd like to know the rules going in.

Are you asking about the two things next to the Haven pool with the white fabric on top? Those aren't cabanas, but instead just covered day-beds (seating two or one laying down), available first-come first-served (they also have them in the Havens on Jewel-class ships). The cabanas in Vibe are truly private, with doors, etc.

 

Robin

That makes sense - many thanks :)

Just my opinion of course but I give the butler a $20 on the first morning he serves us breakfast on the balcony.

Following that just $5 here and $10 there - at the end of the cruise if he was really good then an appropriate goodbye gift. I aim for about $100 total or an average of $15 per day for a 7 day cruise.

If you think that's a lot remember that the cheapest butler suite is probably going to run a couple at least $4k, and a good butler can turn a good cruise into a great cruise.

Like I said, just my own system :)

PS - the service you get is amazing.

This promo video shows a photo of the Haven area on Getaway that appears to include 2 cabanas. I only thought cabanas were available in Vibe (they look like 5 "pods" for want of a better word).

If you want to save time they appear at the 4.51 mark.

Explanations appreciated :)

Quick question hopefully - is US currency universally accepted in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the Bahamas.

I'm thinking taxis and restaurants primarily.

Thanks in advance !

Again the food was very good but we had a service issue that night really put a damper on our evening.

Mind if I ask for details of your bad experience as we are also booked into Le Bistro.

BTW - you have my absolute permission to derail the thread at this point :)

Just ate at Cagneys last week. When we were seated, we were told we could order any entrée we like. Extra entrees per person were $10 each. We were not on the UDP, just the regular cover.

$10 extra is nothing - I'm good with that and thanks for the info.

So my DW did snap a photo of me.

If anyone knows which ship Patrick is still "working" on please let me know.

Hopefully he isn't on Getaway in May...........

I believe that if you order more than one entree in a specialty restaurant there is an additional charge over that of the original surcharge. I would ask your server to see what the charge (if any) would be. Happy cruising!

Hmm we are on the UDP and I don't mind paying even more if the food is good so I wonder how they will work this out ???

Guess we'll see :)

Wife gets the letter, you get the bill. What's the problem? :p

Ain't THAT the truth :D

Ok, so this question isn't really Cagney's specific but I was perusing the offerings on their menu and suddenly thought, you know what - we'll skip the appetizers and order 3 entrees, the steak, the lobster, and the fish.

So while i know the question about unlimited dining has been answered (you can go as many times as you like) - is it ok to just order everything you want from the menu even if it means 3 entrees and 4 desserts ??

Hey I'm on a diet for the cruise so cut me a break :D

So my DW received a personally addressed Haven guest envelope through the mail last night that she was thrilled about. Fancy envelope, gold Haven sticker, and a "welcome aboard Haven guest, here's what you can expect".

I kind of felt left out while she sat there are read out all the fun things she was going to do. Where's mine ? :(

Apparently nobody at NCL loves me, I think I may cry :p

I've got an NCL Breakaway (in a Haven Suite) on the horizon, and maybe the Quantum of the Seas or the Sunshine, maybe even the Getaway, after that.

 

We've booked a Haven suite on Getaway, but there is a lot of talk over on the NCL forum about how the Haven areas are not adequately controlled by the cruise staff and random passengers just "crash" the facilities.

If that's the case I won't be cruising with NCL again after paying all this money to experience their "ship within a ship" concept.

NCL charges big bucks for the privilege of exclusive "Haven cruising" - if those reserved areas are not being adequately controlled and non-paying cruisers are sneaking in to use the facilities it will quickly become a failed concept. If someone pays for a first class seat on a plane, you don't expect to find economy class passengers sitting in your seat.

NCL should get on top of this, and fast.

Wrist bands would be a good idea.

You have all seen the photos - a tiny little white sand island surrounded by azure blue seas with just 2 sun loungers, one parasol and a butler standing by some lucky guy and his beloved holding a tray of drinks.

Has anyone ever found such a place ?

A quick search with Google comes up with essentially the same story on several websites. There seem to be no follow up stories.

That's what I thought - these people seem to get away with it.

Basically when you're at sea it's "cruise line law" - scary really.

6.00am - "YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE........"

6.01am - "MAN OVERBOARD !!"

Same OP;).

Ahh gotcha, good obs skills there sparks :)

There was a vicious attack on a passenger who had a service dog on Vision of The Seas back in December 2012, and I never heard if the attacker was ever identified or prosecuted.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=5135

Was there ever a conclusion to this story ?

This seems to have disappeared from the headlines.

Another attack at sea hushed up by the cruise lines ?

I was just on the Getaway 7 march to 15 march and Sinan was the CD. We was full of energy alway upbeat. Every morning at 1000 am he would sing you are my sunshine to start the day off on a upbeat note.

I hope he can duck.