CharmCity2000

Understood.  Right now we’re towards the aft in the side.  I’m trying to decide if being aft is worth the extra money for the week.  I have 2 cabins so it ends up around $1k more

7 minutes ago, julig22 said:

While aft is always good IMHO, it kinda depends on your itinerary whether I'd spend the extra on a cabin with a nice view vs using the money for other things. Bliss goes to Alaska, Mexico, Carribean. 

B2B xmas/nye weeks.  We'll be in the carribean.

3 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Aft balconies give you a view out of back of the ship: balconies towards the aft don’t have that. They are totally different.

 

Of you are on the side you are on the side. It doesn’t matter to me whether it is towards the front, mid ship or aft.

Yes that's what I mean.  True back of the boat or towards the back of the boat on the side.

Which do you prefer and why?  Price difference is about $1000 for true aft.  Going on the Bliss for B2B.  Kids will be happily entertained.  My entertainment will be a beverage of choice and my kindle.

How is access to the Vibe controlled?  Is it via a wrist band or to you swipe your key card to get in?

Is this a good promo or just a different way of advertising the same price?  I'm looking at a cruise for Dec 2024 and not sure if I should book now or just wait.

Kids and I were scheduled to go on the Constellation in 2019.  I've been waiting for another cruise that fits their winter break.  There is an 11 day PC on Beyond in Dec 2024.  Kids will by 17 and 14 by then.  We've never sailed on Celebrity.  Looking the deck plans, it looks like there is just the teen/kids clubs--is that correct?  So sea day activities would be finding the other kids on the ship and making their own fun?  

As for cabins---I like a balcony because I like the fresh air.  But I rarely sit on the balcony and eat breakfast/drink coffee/read.  I like being around the other people on the ship.  I was looking at cabin 9110 which is a porthole verandah.  I'll be getting 2 cabins--1 with some sort of verandah and 1 inside.  It's an 11 night cruise with 5 port days, 5 sea days, and 1 partial transit day from 6am -3pm.  I can't imagine that I would sit on the verandah through the entire transit.  I've read about the window washing and the partially obstructed view.  I don't think that would bother me but I've never tried it so I really don't know.  I guess my question is---is the transit day something where I'll want to sit on my Balcony and watch?  For context, when we went to Alaska, I did sit on the balcony just to view the scenery but only for a few hours before I got bored.  And my next question is--since this cabin is all the way at the front of the ship, will I feel movement more than the back of the ship?

8 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

I love the DoubleTree, but I think you are better off in the LA Live area. The DoubleTree is in Little Tokyo, which is great for me because I love all the Japanese food all around it, but for your vacation, I think LA Live is a better area.

Thank you

On 2/13/2023 at 12:19 PM, scottca075 said:

Stay in Downtown LA near LA Live, meaning JW Marriott, Residence Inn Marriott, Hotel Figueroa (Hyatt), Sheraton Grand or InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. This is a dead time for business travel so you should see some good rates.

 

You can then use the Metro to Pasadena for the parade and use the Metro subway to Hollywood. The Starline Hop On Hop off bus would hit every site on your list except the Griffith Observatory.

 

https://www.starlinetours.com/en/city-sightseeing-hop-on-hop-off-double-decker

Thank you for the specific recommendations.  Figueroa is one of the hotels on my list.  The other one is the Doubletreee Downtown.  I love the starline tour idea!

On 2/13/2023 at 10:11 AM, riffatsea said:

Hi

You should probably post this question on the LA board of Trip Advisor to get,first hand info

I would pick one hotel as changing is a big pain and loses time

Rodeo Drive is high end shopping

Is that what you want to do there?

The tar pit,walk of fame and seeing the Holluwood sign from afar will not take much time at all

You need to make a res for the studio tour and then plan the other activities around that timing

You can use uber/lyft to get around instead of driving yourself

You know your teens but in my experience it's not easy getting them up to be somewhere at 6:30 AM!

 

I’m concerned about my ability to there by 6:30!  It’s too bad the parade is at the end of the trip.  If it was at the beginning, we could take advantage of the time change.

Thanks for the insight about the studio tour.  It helps me a lot because it anchors our site seeing.  Of course this week Nintendo world opened so now I’m going to try and work that in somehow.  Something is going to have to give.  Can’t do it all!

My head is spinning and I need help planning our after cruise vacation.  We debark in Long Beach on Dec 30.  Its me and 2 teens.  We are going to California Adventure before we go on the cruise.  We want to see Santa Monica, Venice, Hollywood sign, Rodeo drive, walk of fame, observatory, tar pits, and a back lot tour.  I have 2, maybe 2.5 days for this.  On Jan 1 we are going to the Rose Bowl parade and have to be through security by 6:30am.  We fly out of LAX at 7am on Jan 2.

Here are the options I'm running through

1. Stay in Santa Monica, check in after the cruise, rent a car and use SM as a base.  Drive to shuttle bus pickup stop in Pasadena.  How long of a drive do you think this would be?

2. Stay in DTLA, not rent a car and jump on tours to see what we want.  Take metro to Rose Bowl parade

3. Spend 1 night somewhere (SM or DTLA) and then move to Pasadena on Dec 31 for 2 nights.  Most hotels have a 2 night min.  Would rent a car.  Being in Pasadena on 12/31 seems easiest for getting to the parade.  I would need to figure out what to do in the late afternoon after naps but we'll be getting up early for the flight home the next day so just some walking around and an early dinner most likely.  

I could really use some advice.  Even as I type this, it sounds exhausting.  Maybe this isn't a good plan.

I was just poking around looking for 2024. Now, I'm pricing an xmas cruise so I expect prices to be high.  But......$67, 978 for 3 for a 7 day cruise.  It only sleeps 4.  If I was spending almost $68K for a week I don't think it would be on a Royal Caribbean cruise.  

So here's my question---do you think people actually book these suites at the advertised prices or do you think that RCCL gives them away to VIPs?

5 hours ago, European_CruiseGirl said:

We are usually Haven cruisers (and our DD just loves ”the special attention” like your kids at global entry) so I can understand your feelings. With the situation though that you mention above (and the prices 😶) I’d definitely go with the two club balconies without any suite perks. Heck I’d even go with the standard balconies.  The only thing I am wondering is that it seems you are travelling as the only adult with the kids who are under 18.  This would mean that one cabin would not have an adult in it. Not sure if NCL is ok with this as they cannot book two cabins under the same reservation so although they can link the reservations they are in fact still two separate reservations. Not sure if NCL can do this and have a reservation with only an underage kid in it. However if NCL is ok with this I’d go with two cabins for sure.  Sorry if I misread and there will be 2 adults too 😊 

 

Putting basically three adult sized people (or almost 😁) in a standard Haven suite is not a good idea IMHO and the two bedroom Haven suite seems to be $14.000 whereas the two club balconies would be $10.000. Thats one heck of a price difference. Add to that the port extensive cruise where you’d be out of the ship every day, the fact that your daughter wouldn’t use the Haven area even while on ship as she’d be with her friends outside of Haven and I’d definitely  lean on the two club balconies. Particularly as then all of you would get the free at sea perks (so drinks packages, dinner packages, Wi-Fi, excursion credit) which only pax 1-2 would get in a Haven suite. If you want to enhance your cruising experience (if you feel like it) I’d suggest you look up cruisecritic member strngary’s ”Haven light” post where he explains how he creates a Haven light experience when cruising in a non Haven cabin. 
 

As I mentioned in the beginning we usually cruise Haven or if we cruise on an older ship which does not have a Haven we book a suite anyway. A couple of times though Haven just wasnt available or doable  for us so we booked a standard balcony cabin. We were very hesitant about it the first time we did it. Would we feel something extremely important was missing. Well guess what: we had a blast! A fantastic time! We booked a cabin in the aft (not aft facing, just in the aft section of the ship) two decks below Garden Café (and Great Outdoors, I believe it was Gem) and every morning ventured two decks up to have breakfast sitting at the Great Outdoors. Omg that was nice! Although I loooooove when the butler brings us breakfast to the suite those Great Outdoors breakfasts are the thing I remember most fondly while thinking of NCL breakfasts 😄 And looking at the pics and remembering our feelings while on the cruise we just simply had a fantastic time. Even without the suite…or could it be because we didn’t have a suite and needed/wanted to be more out and about  on the ship 😲 

 

So IMHO choose the two club balconies (or even balconies) and have a fantastic time if NCL just allows it. 

 

 You nicely summed it all up.  Except for feeling special, I'm not sure the kids will get any benefit out of Haven.  I would but it's hard to pay that much for 1 out of 3 people.  I like your thinking about 2 regular balconies if it's possible. 
 

Thank you for sharing this with me.  I appreciate it.

1 hour ago, vacation44 said:

If there is only one adult, I too, do not think you will be able to book two cabins.   If this is correct, I would go with the one club balcony.

Calling NCL is on my list of things to do today. I’ve read different things. Must have someone over 21 in the room, can have kids in their own room but they have to over a certain age, can have kids in their own room but must connect to the parents room.

All this is to say who knows.  I’ll find out later.

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Think you already figured it out.  We recently sailed Prima in Haven with DD in an OS.  Those Viva Haven prices are ridiculous.  Yes, the restaurant was great, bar pretty good, pool area useless due to weather, little shade.  

 

You can easily spend some of the savings on specialties. 

I’ve never sailed in NCL I thought the prices were high but that just what it costs.  It’s nice to know that it doesn’t always cost this much.

2 Std balcony—7K

2 club balcony -10k

haven balcony- 11k

haven 2 bed- 14k

In the Haven rooms, it would be all 3 of us in 1 room. So the 2 club balcony is about comparable to the Haven balcony.  One option gets me more space and 2 bathrooms.  The other option gets me access to the Haven amenities.

Kids 2023-2024 school calendar came out yesterday so now I can plan spring break 2024.  Kids will be 16 and 13 at that time.

My son asked if the next cruise we went on could have some more things that he likes—go carts, laser tag, mini golf and lots and lots of free ice cream.  My requirement is the thermal spa.  With these requirements, I’ve narrowed down my choices to the Bliss, Prima, or Viva.  Please let me know if I missed an option.

Of the itineraries, I like the Viva leaving from San Juan the best.  So now the question is what cabin to book.  We always get a balcony because I get claustrophobic even with a porthole.  I priced Haven balcony, club balcony, and std balcony.

For less than the price of the haven balcony, I can get 2 club balcony rooms.  That’s 2 bathrooms and everyone not being on top of each other.  But I give up the quietness of Haven.  
 

There are no sea days on this itinerary.  It’s 7 ports in a week.  We all love the ocean and will go to the beach every day.  One day the ship leaves port at 2pm but the other days it’s 5 or 6 or as late as 8.  My son and I are early to rise,  early to bed people.  My daughter cannot miss a minute of anything and is a late to bed, early to rise person until the middle of the week when she will crash and emerge from the room around 3pm.  She will find friends on day one and be with them every minute she is on the ship.  She will not use the Haven pool or restaurant if her friends can’t.

From what I can tell, the Haven benefits that I would use are the easier debarking for excursions, priority check in, and probably the restaurant.  It would be nice to have a quieter pool when we are on ship but looking at the itinerary, there really only seems to be 1 afternoon where this is something we would do.  After a day in the sun and ocean, we shower, eat dinner and go to bed.  We have never made it to a show on a cruise.  I’m not a butler person and my kids don’t need to know that such a service exists.

Am I missing any benefits from Haven?  I’m learning towards the 2 bathrooms.  On our last vacation, the kids biggest thrill was global entry when they got to bypass the line and keep their shoes on.  I know that would like the Haven but I’m not convinced that on this itinerary it’s worth it.

Appreciate the advice!

5 hours ago, jerseyjjs said:

Freedom and Independence have Playmakers sports bar & arcade.  Liberty doesn't.

Does Libery have any sort of arcade?  No one going on the trip drinks so I don’t think Playmakers is important.

1 hour ago, Deez123 said:

Yes.   But the word before "of the Seas" will vary.

 My kind of humor!

I'm looking at a 3 night cruise in March.  The kids (15, 12) want to go to Coco Cay.  My ship choices are Freedom, Liberty, or Independence.  Are they all the same?  Just pick the cheapest one?  Any noticeable differences?

9 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

You may request seating with the same people. If you're not actually happy with the people your seated with just ask to move when you arrive.

Thank you!  

I am looking forward to my first solo cruise.  I selected 6:00pm dining.  When I travel with my kids I always pick any time because I never know who is going to be where at what time.

For assigned dining—will I be seated with the same people each night?  Will I be seated with other singles?

I got a $25 room offer.  Clicked through and found a few $0.  Matched with $56 R/T airfare and I have a 4 day kid free weekend coming up.

I didn’t buy insurance.  I figure if the plane doesn’t go, I’m not out any money.  The cruise line won’t charge me port, tax and gratuities if I don’t show up—right?

On MG now with kids, ages 14 and 11.  General consensus is that it is okay.  We docked with Harmony the other day and kids

asked if we could do that ship next.

We agree that the food on MG isn’t as good as we remember from Horizon.  Our last cruise was on RC Explorer of the Seas and the kids

mentioned the food was better on that ship.

For me, the MG is too much.  Forget something in your cabin and it could be 1/2hour to get back to the pool. It’s 19 floors and while there are 6 or 8 elevators across forward/mid/aft, there is always a crowd to get on.  We haven’t gotten off the ship so I can’t tell you what it would be like to board from a port day.

We will not be sailing on MG again.  May give Horizon another go.
 

As an aside, everyone is complying it’s masks indoors.  It’s really not an issue.