Pghpensfan

49 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

That's a good Caribbean itinerary, also.  I LOVE San Juan.

 

Like you, I've sailed insides and solos.  I guess over the years, I've beomce a tad claustrophobic.  I just had an MRI in a tube and couldn't quite pull it off whereas 10 years ago it would have been no problem.  So, chalk that up as an issue with me, not the cabin type.

 

Part of my enjoyment of a cruise is waking up, throwing open the curtains and see the port or water.  Grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting on the balcony for an hour or so before kicking it into gear.  That's how I love starting my cruise day.

 

I have a certain fondness for both the "Away" ships because they both helped me celebrate personal happy milestones when I sailed them.  Aside from that, they're both really nice ships.

Funny what you said about the MRI.  I just had a neck MRI a few months ago and was getting very claustrophobic.  I started thinking about everything we did on my November cruise and I made it through it.

Morning coffee on the balcony is my favorite thing to do. 

Any recommendations for San Juan?  

On 7/18/2024 at 9:21 AM, graphicguy said:

Advice?  Whoa Boy...I'm filled with advice.  Not sure it's worth anything.

 

Aruba, Curacao, etc, right?  Probably my favorite Caribbean itinerary.   If you've never been, you'll enjoy it. 

 

Encore is big.  Breakaway is smaller, but not by much.  Ocean 678 (Decks 678) is where everything tends to happen (aside from the pool decks).  Last time I was on Breakaway, they had the cigarette smoke from the casino well in hand.  But, I have sailed her where you could smell it on the deck above and the deck below the casino.

 

Which cabin category are you looking at?  Solo cabin is way different than a Balcony Cabin, which is way different than a Haven cabin.

 

No District Brew House on the Breakaway.

 

While, it is "Freestyle", make your Specialty Restaurant Reservations as soon as possible.  And, if that doesn't net you the reservation you want, go to the Specialty Restaurant you want to dine in and make the reservation there, once on board.  Chances are, they'll be able to seat you if you DO NOT have a large party.

 

Syd's Pour House RUMOURS show is one of the best at sea, on any cruise line.  Get in line 45m minutes prior to the show, but well worth it.  Same goes for Burn the Floor, excellent, but much easier to get in to.

 

THE WATERFRONT....same as Encore but my "go to" for dining al fresco and just "hanging out".  Walking space, couches, bars, etc.  Just a great space for reading, drinking, dining, or just watching the ship sail along the water.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

Wow, thanks so much!  This is a huge help!  I'll take any advice you have to give. 

There's going to be 4 of us (so far) but 2 of us are doing solo balconies and the other 2 are a couple going in an inside cabin (their preference). I can't do inside, balcony is required. 

Everything I'm reading sounds very similar to Encore and I loved that ship.  So, I'm happy to explore a new one like it (as long as it's not that beast, Epic!).  

This one is going to Puerto Plata, Barbados, Antigua, San Juan and GSC.  I've been to all of them but some it's been many years and I loved all of these ports.  So, I'm happy to explore them again.  PP and GSC were just last November but happy to return to both.  The others, for myself, I'll probably just look for a beach to go hang out on.  Not sure about the others in my group. Any beach recommendations at these ports?

Thanks again for the advice!  I appreciate it!

John

On 3/14/2024 at 6:27 AM, graphicguy said:

(Sigh)...this isn't only for NCL but cruise reviews overall.  The mere fact that you are here and started this thread tells me you are skeptical of the reviews you read.  Smart move.

 

First, the vast majority of cruisers are Seniors...Virgin and maybe Disney may be the exceptions, but overall, Seniors make up the bulk of cruisers.

 

2nd....you're always going to find someone, somewhere who doesn't like their cruise.  Generally speaking, most do not realize there are 3,000 other guests that the (usually) kind and hard working crew have to also take care of.

 

The fare you're looking at is reasonable because it's not a "round trip".  It starts in one port and ends in another (in your case, Barcelona).

 

I don't know who's telling you the food is bad.  I've sailed NCL 15 times...4x on the Breakaway. ...from a solo cabin to the Haven.  It's a big ship....among the biggest at sea.  There are a wealth of dining options.  If one is crowded, another isn't far away.  The Garden Cafe is their buffet.  If you go there at peak breakfast, lunch or dinner hours, there will be lots of diners, as is true of any cruise line or ship.  Same for bars.  If there's a line at one bar, walk 75 feet in either direction and you'll find another.

 

Oceania is NCL's smaller cruise sister.  Different type of cruise, and much more sedate.  Looked at Oceania a couple of times but found the fares to be very prohibitive given my cruising budget.  Plus, for me, I think I'd become bored.  Some like it, though.

 

Celebrity...the smallest ship I've sailed with them was the Solstice.  The largest I've sailed is both the Edge and Apex.  Different "vibe" between the Solstice and the Apex, for example.  Solstice is more like the Millenium......smaller ship but can hold fewer passengers.  Apex, bigger ship (like Breakaway) with more passengers (but also more room to spread out).

 

I had a dickens of a time getting EDEN reservations on both the Apex and Edge.  But, I just found another date/time to dine there.  Same goes for the Specialty Restaurants with NCL.

 

Bottom line, temper whatever bad "review" you read with those here who have sailed NCL more often than a reviewer who went to the Garden Cafe at lunch time and found a line at the burger station.

 

 

Thanks for this info......I agree, some of the negative reviews are ridiculous.  I had a couple of complaints from my Encore Thanksgiving cruise last year, but in the grand scheme of things, it was less than 1% of my vacation.  Besides, any day on a cruise ship is better than anywhere else.  Looking at Breakaway now as I like their Southern Caribbean itinerary.  Just in research mode now.  Any advice?

On 4/4/2019 at 10:26 PM, WestfieldTraveler said:

Well, at least it should be easier to get on the go-karts I imagine, unless it has become a "senior" thing to do.

 

Did you have the premium unlimited or just the regular unlimited internet?  I'm also wondering how much credit they will give me for the 250 minutes I got as a perk if I upgraded to the unlimited on board.

I was on the Epic in January and had the free 250 minutes.  They gave me $125 credit for that to apply to the unlimited package which was $270 (this was a 10 day cruise).  That was for any unlimited internet and email use, not just social media.  On the Epic, the internet worked really well, I never had any issues with it.

On 1/18/2019 at 6:53 AM, doconner said:

I've asked this in an existing thread regarding Harvest Caye but didn't get any responses, so I thought I'd start a fresh thread.

My cabin mate and I have the $50 shore excursion credit.   I've picked up that we could use this to reserve a clamshell on Harvest Caye.  

If we reserve a clamshell is it possible that there will be a free (as in cost) lounger nearby for third friend who won't be renting one?  

If we wanted to use our shore excursion credit for the clamshell, do we do that on board on somewhere on HC itself?

 

Thanks,

I've been looking for this too.......is it true that you get a priority tender pass when you reserve a clamshell too?

Thanks!!

Does the Epic have DVD players in the cabins?

Thanks!

Hey Donny....I'm on this one, going with a friend from Orlando....and still working on friends from Halifax and Toronto trying to get them to join us.  You'll love cruising!

John

Currently booked in an aft facing balcony on Epic, but not liking what I'm seeing and reading about the bathrooms. Are the haven penthouse cabins any better? IE do they have a bathroom with a door?

.......what he said!! :D:cool:

And don't most of them have the tub in the room? Those (nor heart shaped tubs in the Poconos) do anything for me! LOL

Sailing on Epic in January.....included is 4 nights specialty dining. Any recommendations on which are the best 4 to pick? Also, does anyone know where on Cruise Critic or NCL's site where to find specifics on the specialty restaurants and the pricing? I've been searching for 2 days and can't find anything.

Thanks a lot!