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Sthrngary

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Everything posted by Sthrngary

  1. I am sure you can but don't worry about it. Just do it on your cabin TV when they let you into your room. No issue at all if you do it early. Hugely bad idea. The Specialty Dining Reservations are super hard to get on a fully booked ship. That is the priority not the show. Do what I do and book your Dining reservations at 06:00 PM for a 07:30 PM show or 07:00 PM for a 10 PM show. Six is Second and third night; Burn the Floor is the 6 & 7th night. Yes Our ship was completely full. The ice bar was next to the Martini Bar. A waste of money. Every ship has an oldies night. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  2. I booked the shows from my Suite TV. It was about 2 pm at the time. No issue for any day or time. We also had the 10 PM show and I just walked into the 07:30 PM show. Just look like you own the place and it still has some seats. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  3. @IronRobi know this was not the normal quality. My review was honest and about my experience. When I started to review things, I read some that every thing was PERFECT. Other where nothing was RIGHT. How can we set a realistic expectation if we don't hear a blended review. Based on experience but also likes and dislikes. I was not really disappointed. I just went to another venue. That is the power of a cruise and folks that can stay flexable. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  4. The Vibe Had some high end spirits but not many. Tequila in particular was on hand. Sail-a-way is 5 PM if I am not mistaken. Go to the bar in between Cagney's and the other steak house for the Veuve. That is my best advice. Stay flexibly and remember, cruises never go perfect however there are lots of perfect cruises. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  5. I wrote this threat some time ago. I read all the posts and comments to it. My wife and I always get the Premium Plus Beverage Package and did last week during our 7-day Cruise on the NCL Breakaway out of New Orleans. On that cruise, I was in a Club Balcony Suite, not in the Haven. Now I might take issue with this program being a bait and switch; however some of every ones points are well taken. I found in the past very few folks that are in a Haven Suite ever seem to have an issue with high end spirits and wine for this plan. The issue is outside the Haven even in some Specialty Restaurants. Here is what I found: The betters bars open later in the day. The Martini Bar, Whiskey Bar, A List Bar, all open up later. Those are the places with the good stuff. My wife likes white that is buttery. The first few day, no issue. The last few, no luck. Mixed Drink Shooters. It seems system wide the little shooter drinks take to much time to make at a busy bar. I heard a multitude of times on this cruise the excuses "Supply Chain" Would I purchase this program again, YES. Do you have to have a strategy to utilize it correctly, SURE. This is yet one more situation that I think, NCL is attempting to cut cost in. They lost billions, the ships are now filled so time to cut a few corners. Again, still I would buy this program in the future. Thanks for letting me give my two cents. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  6. All of them however they are all unsafe except for the shopping area's just off the ship. This is the issue with cruising to the Caribbean. The islands are mostly poor and that leads to crime and some danger. That is my opinion and others may differ. The alternative it Europe, Alaska and Canada/New England. I am quite sure you will get other idea's from other cruisers. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  7. @New2cruise2022 You give me to much credit. All the stuff I do is done over time. It is true the more I do it, the less time it takes the next time. I am 65, had a stroke at 60 which effected my memory a bit. So, I wake up in the middle of the night and write things down. In the morning, I handle them. All that said, thank you for such a great complement. It is much appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  8. @umtigerfan1 Yes, I booked the parking about 60 days in advance. I looked at review. I than booked and paid for the parking which was one day before my cruise. I dropped my wife off at the Hotel which was just outside the French Quarter; the drive to the lot was about 10 minutes in traffic. I Ubered back to the hotel. It was no issue to have the extra day at all. I choose to approach things this way to avoid the parking at the hotel which was super expensive. I hope I answered your question. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  9. Call and ask how much it would be to do the Free at Sea PLUS. They will credit you. I did that same thing and it worked out great for me. They have to do it for you or your agent will have to do it for you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  10. I learned to love Lawry's in LA, Vegas and especially Chicago. However, NOTHING is like House of Prime Rib in SF. I am also a Prime Rib Junkie. Love it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  11. What I am about to say comes from my experience I just had. I will make this comment but might suggest the moderator moves this stream to the NCL CruiseCritic blog. I was just on the NCL Breakaway last week. It was completely full. They needed more staff at ever bar and restaurant. I personally do the Pre-Paid Gratuities on my cruises. I did it on NCL and have done it on my reservation for Oceania. Based on the service I receive, I tip more during and at the end of the week. My money, my choice and my pleasure. What I notice from this last cruise was NCL really cutting back not only on staff; the quality of the food was off in certain places. The inventory of spirits and wines seem to be lacking especially the better brands. The cost from everything went up and I do mean everything. All that being said. Every cruise brand lost lost of money during the pandemic. At first, with the ships 50% or less filled was the best cruises of my life on every level. When that was reported and more folks started to cruise again, slowly things started to take a slight decline. This is not based on a factual article just my personal experience and time I have spent on four cruise in the last 14 months. I think the cruise brands are attempting to make up some of the losses and these are just some of the approaches they are using. Again, I do not work for NCL or any other brand. This is just my opinion best on my most recent experience. You know what they say about opinions. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  12. I have done the Yacht Club. It is very nice. I can also say that the Haven is much better on the newer ships like the Encore, Bliss, Joy and Prima. Based on that comparison, I found the Haven more to my liking. Now if it is the same itinerary, at about the same time, and the Yacht was much less fare, I would do it in a heart beat. Remember the Yacht Club, Retreat and Haven is like evaluating food. It is really relative to the guest. All three are great. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  13. NCL Breakaway Dailies & Deck Plan: This attachment is a PDF that is 21 pages long. It starts with Day 3 and goes to Day 7. I could not find day 1 & 2. I did each of the four pages, in order by day with the deck plan as the last page. I hope this gives you the information you were looking for. Remember, everything is subject to changes. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. NCL_Breakaway_Dec_4_Dailies_Deck_Plan_12142022.pdf
  14. @molemaui You just helped me with overviewing the brands and your brief evaluation. Thank you. I thought it was interesting that you were not blow away by Regents. That of all you wrote makes me feel better. So, Thank you again. You are about to go on one of the newest ship that NCL has built. You are therefore paying a premium for the Haven. If you would have gone on the Bliss, Encore or Joy your Haven Suite would have been less expensive. So you are paying for both the Haven experience and the newest ship. I AGREE with your choice 100%. You will notice that the Haven and the Retreat are going to be very similar as compared to the Newest Celebrity ship like the Edge. On Celebrity the Suites Dining room which is awesome the menu changes every day. In the Haven restaurant it is the same menu for every meal, every day. This is why NCL also gives you Free at Sea which provides two Specialty Restaurants. My recommendation would be for you to call your travel agent or if you booked directly with NCL and do the "Free at Sea PLUS" program. This take the "Free at Sea" and adds things. The "Free at Sea PLUS" Program gives you two extra Specialty Restaurants for a total of "4"; Unlimited Internet (non-streaming but you can upgrade that cheaply if you want it); The Premium PLUS Beverage Package (This is a swap since you already have it); and an extra $50.00 off for for excursions for a total of $100.00. I found this to be the best value. My thoughts are you will find the Retreat and the Haven to be very similar. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  15. @Treasure Hunter I really hope she will love it. Something tells me YOU are correct. Much different trip with our best friends and Europe. I will let her know after my friend surprises his wife at Xmas. Our itinerary is very similar to yours. I prices out Celebrity in my study with and without Retreat. Nice of you to treat you family. Those are best of times. Cruise well and please let me know how it goes. I will do the same for you.
  16. @CDR Benson You are always a Officer and a Gentleman. ALWAYS. Please give Mrs. B a hello from me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  17. @Treasure Hunter Thank you for your post. I know we have responded to each other from time to time so you know I am a detail crazy person. I want to share a story here just for the enjoyment of writing it and sharing it. My wife and my best friends were booked on the Oceania Marina about the same time, for about the same itinerary in 2020. We were joining them for this "Bucket List Cruise". It obviously got cancelled due to Covid. Fast forward three years later. My friends wife will be having a 70th birthday on the cruise next year. When I heard she wanted to go on a cruise that included Greece I starting working on it. When I shared it with my friend, the was "Stand-of-ish". He said "I am not going to do ANYTHING until next year." I knew what that mean which was financially this was a bad time. Then after doing all my research including a very detail breakdown of 7 different cruise brands with approximately the same itinerary at the same time; Oceania did a promo for Labor day. It was the same promo we took advantage of in 2020 which was a four category upgrade. This allowed both couples to get a Penthouse (PH3) at a very good fare. I knew not even to ask him about this again because he was clear. So I simply booked two Penthouses and paid for two deposits before the promo was over. I also used my American Express Platinum Card for $300.00 extra on-board-credit as well as a wine event for both cabins. I told no one. Not him, his wife and definitely not my wife who prior to our last cruise said, "I and DONE with cruises." Two weeks ago I created a 15 page detailed Journey Document for this cruise that no one knew about. Last week he asked me to have lunch with him. I did and at lunch he asked me to help him book the cruise for his wife. With a smile, I took out the Cruise Journey Document and said, "I already did it two months ago." I handed him the bound book and he was besides himself. If I would not have done what I did I would have lost that upgrade to Penthouse. I fully believe this next cruise my be my last if my wife has anything to say about it. So, I took a risk. That risk paid off. You made mention of the entertainment difference between NCL and Oceania. I absolutely knew this and it was one downside to this trip. But after my last week on the NCL Breakaway, we only saw a couple of the shows. We tended to go to sleep earlier then we did when we were young. Someone playing the piano in a nice lounge would be just fine. An evening after a nice port day with a Martini and a deck of cards (Gin) would also be fun. The smaller ship, going into ports the larger ships have to Tender too is worth the loss of the big production shows. That was part of the over all decision. My issue now is that trip is over 10 months away and I have no more research today. Thank you so much for responding and putting up with my long stories. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  18. @vacation44 I am 65 years old and graduated in 1975. All my friends were into sports but I was very into the Music Department. I was also into DECA (Distribution Education Club of America). I won the Deca "Sales Presentation" contest which was a highlight of my Senior Year. I grew up in Melville, NY and "Gentlemen Jerry Cooney" the boxer before he got big time, served us milk at the Dairy Barn near his house. Good memories. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  19. @fethiyeden Oh my. I should have done that yesterday. I don't have them all but will post what I do have. The most important think for me was the big shows. "Six" was Mon & Tues nights at 07:30 PM and 10:00 PM. "Burn the Floor" Friday and Saturday night at the same times. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  20. Hello every one how has, is and will continue to post on this thread. As some of you many know, I just came back from a one week cruise on the Breakaway out of Port of New Orleans. I was NOT in a Haven Suite. I was in a Club Balcony Suite (MA). I did what I always do from a "Haven Lite" standpoint however this time, I was with my wife vs. my solo trip on the NCL Joy doing Haven Lite in March 2022. Some observations: Walking Past The Door for the Haven: I will be the first one to tell you, when I went to the 16th deck to take the stairs up to 17 and the Vibe Beach Club entrance, I pass the Haven Courtyard door. Each time, my mind reached out to open the door but I NEVER did. I believe, to gain the access you have to invest in the premium. That was an uncomfortable feeling because I really love the Haven Experience. My Wife Impression of Not being in the Haven: For the past many years I have spoiled my family. This was the first time my lovely bride had not been in the Haven in many cruises. While cruising in the Haven, I would get comments like, "This is nice but I want to venture the rest of the ship more." or "We really don't need all these amenities." Than you have NONE of the amenities and you tend to feel differently. If not for the Vibe Beach Club on this Cruise, I am positive my wife would NOT have enjoyed this cruise as much as she actually did. Now she sees the benefits and how lucky we were to have had the opportunity to be in the Haven. This is especially true now with full ships. Investment Matters: As much as we both missed the Haven, we knew the trade offs. Our (MA) Club Balcony Suite has a fare of $1,100.00 per guest. The lowest Haven Suite was $3,500.00 per guest. That was an easy decision so NO regrets. At those prices on this older ship which was drydocked in 2020, the Haven was sold out for months. That was to much of a cost difference for a retired guy like me. Dining On My NCL Cruise: If there was one thing I missed by not being in the Haven was the Haven Restaurant/Bar. I noticed the quality of the actual food on my cruise even in Specialty Restaurants was not as good as it had been (Ocean Blue was spectacular). In the bars even with the Premium Plus Beverage Package, the inventory of higher end stuff was lacking. The excuse was always "Supply Chain". I feel like it was much more about saving money to make up for the losses during the pandemic. Those on my cruise that stayed in the Haven only had great things to say about the food and drink. Conclusion: Even though our "Haven Lite" cruise on the Breakaway was very good, as is reflected in my fair/honest review, my love is in the Haven. Until I can find an NCL Cruise on one of the newer NCL ships, or one of the biggest NCL ship (Encore, Bliss or Joy); at a decent Haven Fare, with a different itinerary, I will hesitate to cruise NCL again anytime soon. Part of this is being a bit older, a little spoiled from the past, and the other part is the ships being in my opinion over crowded. NCL should be very proud of their crews effort who were outstanding on all levels. My next cruise will be next year, November 2023, on the Oceania Riviera for 10 days in the Mediterranean. Before booking this cruise, I did a comparison of 7 cruise brands doing a similar itinerary. When you are in a Penthouse, with a Butler, on a cruise ship/brand that specializes in Dining for the same or less than a Haven Suite for 7-day in the Caribbean; you have consider that path. Less cruisers, everyone is treated the same, everyone has access to all parts of the ship, and a much chiller approach. I will miss dearly the NCL entertainment even though Oceania is an NCL sister brand in the Premium Plus/Luxury segment. I hope my thoughts are helpful in this stream I stared over four years ago and updated at the beginning of 2022. I will look at prices every day as I normally do. I hope to treat my older sister to her first cruise ever in the Haven. Keep this stream going and always shoot folks straight. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
  21. @Elvis1209 White Castle for ever. By the way, I grew up in Huntington, NY. Walt Whitman HS. A very LONG time ago. Cruise well and enjoy ever moment.
  22. @RocketMan275 I can not tell a lie, my wife would NOT let me go. She did not want to stop because she wanted to go to the LEGO story as quickly as she could. I on the other hand wanted to start eating because I am finally off my diet. Happy wife, happy life. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.
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