hmsdos

Please... can any one help.... am wondering... what is the "earliest" time one can board the Seaside? The paperwork says 2 PM... is that strictly enforced? thanks

I am a very "seasoned" cruiser.... looking forward to my first on MSC in October. I have been reading some of the posts.... maybe I am not the typical, but... I am going with an open mind and look forward to being and doing a "first" on a ship and cruise line. Since I live in a US city where English is NOT the primary language, I am not concerned about some of the postings read here.... also anytime I have gone on a ships' "maiden" voyage... there are issues.... just a "given". Also, have always enjoyed traveling to other countries... so looking forward to some experiences that are "way" out of the "box". Hope to see some of you "happy" cruisers on board.

additionally the Cruise Critic meet and greet is "generally" held in the District B. and..... they "generally" hand out samples... but... you can also order (and add to your count) beer at that event that is generally either at noon or 1 PM on the first sea day. just fyi

Hello. We were on the same cruise, in the Haven and said "hello" to your husband a couple of times, also disembark day told your son (who was in the Haven saying goodbye to his family ;) ) how much we enjoyed the show. Anyway... enjoying reading your review ( I did one previously about this cruise which is in the CC reviews)... but.... just a comment re the Haven and "visitors". We have been in the Haven several times. And have to say that even though we have met several people visiting others in the Haven, each time we have had friends on board who could not find space in the Haven we have been clearly told that it is not an option for them to visit, eat or explore the Haven. All concierges we have cruised with have the same rules. So, we have never "violated" the rules. Just not worth the stress. But, that said, the "meet and greet" idea mentioned sounds fun ;-) Congratulations on having such a talented and successful son. Sorry we could not have spent some "over the bar" time with him :D

Sorry I'm not answering your question exactly as asked, but the one I would drop is Le Bistro. That's because of the location. Those other 3 have the waterfront, which is wonderful, but Le Bistro is in a loud, busy atrium area. Plus, the inside portion of Le Bistro is extremely cramped. And while I didn't have this problem, there have been complaints of cigarette stench from the casino, which is directly above in the open atrium.

Hey... surprised to see you on NCL :-) We "jumped" a couple of years ago.... welcome aboard ;-)

Can you please tell me who your concierge and assistant concierge were? Is John D'Souza still there?

 

Thanks,

Tracy

The current Concierge is Virginia Brotherton and her Assistant is Nimfa Garcia. Both are super friendly, very professional and.... awesome :-) Enjoy the Haven :)

Thank you for your feedback, it is appreciated. We also have to beverage package, and also got thr kids sail free promo, so we are in a mini suite, with the drink package, for about $700 less than our Harmony balcony in November. I have heard wonderful things about the food on NCL. I enjoy the formal nights, does NCL have them? I'm thinking with freestyle they don't, but wasn't sure.

Background: we are at the "top level" of all three lines you earlier mentioned. So, lots of "experience" ;)

We have "only" cruised NCL for the past 12 months and have had a wonderful experience each time. As to the formal, there is a night where you are "invited" to dress and then the Captain is available for a handshake and picture. However, you can dress casual and still have the picture... just gives the "opportunity.

And... you will never feel uncomfortable if you chose to dress "up" especially if going to a specialty restaurant.

Have to admit... while we did enjoy our many, many "formal nights" .... we do not miss them ;-)

Also.. be sure to go to the Cruise Critic M&G... you will meet a lot of the hotel team... and they are awesome! No pressure, just a little get-together hosted by the ship and with them providing brief introductions of the Getaway HD team.....;

Do you know when this is typically scheduled?

"generally" the first sea day.... in Cagney's and at either 10 AM or 11 AM for the Getaway... if it isn't posted on the roll call... ask the Concierge.... knows all :p

Getaway in four days. How cool and windy is it likely to be at night while cruising? I was packing all summer things, but now I'm thinking I should maybe throw in more pants.

Okay... we are "officially jealous". All the previous comments are spot on.... The Haven restaurant is awesome because that is "your" restaurant... so... as stated by others the "normal" dress code is fine. Some will dress-up, others will dress comfortable, treat as "your" restaurant and just be happy and comfortable. The staff are awesome. AND you can have your butler bring you any meal you want to NOT dress "at all" for :D

Also... "if" you decide to go to Ocean Blue... one of the Hostess is Raluka... please give her a hug from "Miami"... she will know who ;) Also.. be sure to go to the Cruise Critic M&G... you will meet a lot of the hotel team... and they are awesome! No pressure, just a little get-together hosted by the ship and with them providing brief introductions of the Getaway HD team.....;

One of the "hidden gems" for us on the Breakaway was the District Brewery.... we didn't go for the first three days, because we don't drink beer... then... searching for a bartender we knew from another ship... did go... AND we were sooooo glad. First... there is a sign at the door when the bar is open that has magic words " no one under 18 " :-) Finally a ship/cruise line that acknowledges that adults "might" be on board and want time to be an adult.... with the "young people" somewhere else enjoying what they enjoy :D

The seats by the side of the ship are so comfortable and it is fun to watch the birds walk over your head (yes, there is a see-through ceiling so no "poop")... anyway, if you haven't check this out... and oh yes, they do serve "hard" liquor ;)

And the staff was awesome.... holding to the NCL wonderful standard we expect :D

Fantastic pictures! :)

Our daughter who lives in Ohio will be completing her masters in June and we would like to take a short cruise with her and our son who lives in Miami. We would like to spend a few days in Miami on either side with my son and go on a 3 to 5 night cruise. We love Celebrity and Princess, but neither of them are sailing the Caribbean in June out of Florida.

 

It looks like we need to choose from NCL Sky, or Royal Enchantment of the Seas or Majesty of the Seas. I have have been oh the Sky and the Monarch of the Seas (sister to Majesty), but both were a while ago.

 

Because of our Elite status on Celebrity, I believe we would be diamond on Royal and therefore get some perks there that we wouldn't get on NCL. Both cruise lines are about the same price, but NCL is offering the drink package.

 

Which cruise would you pick, and why?

In June of next year the Sky will include the drink package on all cruises. We have cruised both ships, many times. We much prefer the Sky. An older but "classy" and well maintained ship. Also on the Majesty they most often are very focused on the Spanish passengers and often even have the public areas with all Spanish music, etc. That is fine, but just be prepared. Both ships have a mix of cultures from around the world, which we find interesting and enjoyable. As far as "perks" there isn't much worth while provided on the shorter cruises. Overall we find NCL to be "like" we found RCCL about 8/9 years ago.... and that is a compliment ;)

Private , no stock . Would be nice though..

 

""NCL remains wholly owned by Star Cruise Lines. The Malaysian parent has indicated its interest in a possible re-listing of NCL in the mid-2000s. David Colin Veitch is NCL's president and CEO.""

For the "cargo" which is US ;).... I sure hope the IPO is later vs sooner. Once it is a public company.... all the focus is on increased stock price and dividends paid... at the cost/expense of the passengers. Or that is what we have found in the past when a company goes "public".

This is bitter sweet for me. I love the idea Epic is back in the states in Florida but disappointed she is not coming back to Miami. I would gladly trade Getaway for Epic in Miami.

Epic was in our "back yard" and yet we never sailed, just hearing how wonderful so didn't realize we were missing out :mad:

Are they going to do anything with the cabin restroom situation (which I didn't mind) before she comes back? After all, isn't that the main reason that was given for her to be out of the States full time?

What in the world was the "restroom situation" ... I can't imagine, since, I'm sure we are all used to the "limitations" on any ship in the cabin bathrooms.... very curious ;)

Question.... does anyone know the price of Vibe? Thanks.

So when are you not charged the tax? After you get through to open waters? you are correct

 

I understand the fee is minimal? just whatever % you would pay if you bought something before you boarded

 

There is no charge while in Bermuda -is that right? correct

 

Thank you.

In the overall scheme of things.... just a little aggravation that has nothing to do with the cruise line ;)

Hello fellow members:

Our neighbors just returned from the Breakaway 7 Day RT NYC... I am taking this trip next March 2016 so i bombarded them with questions...one thing that my friend said was weird was when ordering drinks while in close proximity to NYC...(He has the UBP) that he was charged NYC sales tax on the drinks when he looked at the reciept...he said it only amounted to about .90 cents to $1.05 per drink but he was confused. He was going to visit passenger services but said the line was always way to long and not worth the argument..and he does not eat choc covered strawberries...lol

Has this happened to anyone else? Just wondering...

 

-Mark

We have cruised out of NY, TX and FL on several different lines... and are always charged the tax when in port "waters". It is not a cruise line charge, but a State/County or City tax required by the taxing authority.

Ditto to all posted by Kingofwylietx.... we just got off. Don't know when you are going but current Concierge is Suzana and she is a darling! Will meet you in the Plantation Club, deck 12 (you will be escorted there) and Cagney's right next door for lunch. We were forward and it was perfect for us :-)

More Sky tips:

 

Brush up on your Spanish. Many Sky guests are locals. Sky sails from Miami. Spanish is spoken by a majority. All crew speak English but if you want to interact with fellow passengers, a little Spanish knowledge helps. Our cruise was skewed a little further in that there were over 700 guests from Mexico.

 

The official capacity is around 2,000. Our cruise must have had every bed filled. Announced attendance was over 2,400. If yours is like that, some services will be taxed at times (read: the buffet - especially breakfast the day of disembarkation).

 

Ice water is provided in ports at the embarkation point. You will be grateful.

 

You can rinse your feet in fresh water as you get on the tender at GSC. Ask if you don't see how.

 

Upon leaving Miami, Captain Pelle stopped a couple miles offshore. You will have the opportunity to watch the sun set over Miami. There is an open deck aft on deck 11 with buffet food and a bar for drinks. It is a very relaxing place to start your cruise. We sat there every night after dinner. Seats may be hard to come by during meal times. There is a canvas roof over some seats for shade. Those seats will stay dry if it's raining.

 

If you purchase a wine package, you do not have to drink it in the dining room. Any bar can supply it. On the aforementioned deck, you will be given plastic rocks cups, however. In the dining room, they are real wine glasses.

 

If you don't mind lugging your bags, freestyle disembarkation is the way to go. Easy peasy.

 

If you can use the stairs, do so. I saw less waiting for elevators than on MOTS, but it can still be annoying. In 4 days, we took 2 elevator rides. The stairs are good for the legs and psyche. For me no waiting = no stress.

We just went on the Sky after many years. The Captain was Captain Pelle. We were soooooooooo impressed! He was so great on the public address system as well when we saw him around the ship. So informative and nice to everyone he met.

You are 100% correct, more business should take note!

 

I think Royal has the best Loyalty Program at this time, how can you have too many loyal customers....

 

The more the merrier...

I agree Royal has a great retention program. However, check out their sister company Celebrity. They have added two additional tiers, and Zenith is awesome! :)

Great drinks at the R Bar too!

true :D

So the R Bar is a good spot? Looks like a nice place to be for the "Parade of Flags"?

Rick and Deirdra

Yes... you are correct ;) As well as for some delicious drinks, and great smiles from and for all :)

Good to see you posting Dorris. You're probably on another cruise now. Say hi to H for us. :)

Good morning. Nice to see your post :) Say hello to Julie (Sloppy Joe's) for us. We plan to be down to KW next month.

Hi HMSDOS . . .

We are sailing on Vision on the 18th. How are the computers? Can we expect to have good access to the internet? Thanks!

Rick and Deirdra

Hey.... well, let's say.... it's "about the standard" ;) Do not have the "new" way of signing on. Still use your sea pass card. Have an awesome time... and give Betsy a group hug :)