Sthrngary

I cannot answer for NCL however this is my best assumption. No, they do not have Zero % spirits. No, I don't believe regardless of she stateroom you are in that they will buy some to have onboard. NCL is a Main Stream Cruise Brand and they simply don't do things like this. Now watch everyone post at all the things out side the box that NCL has done for them. My experience is some brands would absolutely do this for you with a pre-cruise request. Those brands would fall under Premium Plus, Luxury or Ultra-Luxury. Remember, this is my opinion on asking for things in the past. Please call your NCL representative and get their take. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275 No on the Lick Salt and bite lemon. The high end Tequila's are for sipping. With or without ice. I do it without ice. I rarely get drunk when I do the good stuff. I feel great but like with other High End spirits, it is as much about the taste as it is about the effect. Just another of lifes experiences. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The bidding process is really odd. NCL uses a third party company to make the selections. The order does not make a difference. The way I look at it, I want a Haven Upgrade, it does not matter which Haven Suite. It does not matter if it is in the Haven proper or not. I will only bid higher that a few off the minimum is I really want the suite. Again, you only get award one, the strategy is just get a Haven suite. Go on to Cruise (dot) com and look at the inventory. Which ever the Haven category that has the most suites, bid a little lower for those. Less suites, bid a little higher. always remember, "Haven Lite" is still pretty awesome. Yes, pass on the SC suites. Stay with what you have. I think you are in a Club Suite so you get a free back of laundry and some snacks. You are over thinking it but your question still has merit. I know I said this earlier. On the Joy, the Haven is lovely. We stayed as a family of 4 in the H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. We used every ounce of value you could get from staying n the Haven. Yet, the Vibe on the Joy is super special. Double the size of normal Vibes, two huge hot tubs, super comfortable loungers and a crew that will do almost anything for you. "Haven Lite" is a good thing so don't be disappointed if you don't get a Haven upgrade. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I know and understand the mission at hand. I will test the waters but I also have the Premium Plus Beverage Package. So I think, that opens up all types of drinks including the ones in question. I will ask the bartender and Vibe manager the question for sure. We will drink to get to the bottom of this situation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I will be testing your theory and report back on our success of this mission. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275 I have boarded in NOLA before. When the Getaway did the very same itinerary as the Breakaway is about to do. The key is to get their early. The roads seem to always be messed up. When entering the port, the lines will be long and disorganized. How is that for setting realistic expectations. If you are in the Haven, I am not this time, go through the security with everyone else and then look at the wall on the far side for a small Haven Sign. If you are non-Haven as we will be, find the entry door and get a seat near it. Nothing about NOLO is pleasant when boarding a cruise. If you know that, you can laugh off the experience knowing you will be drinking soon. On the Premium Plus alcohols. I am your man. I always have a plan and usually can find a hidden gem. As I have always made clear, I am going for the top of the line tequila's like 1942. Where some folks take a tour of the ship with great excitement. I take a tour of the bars with anticipation. The spirits I like the most have very distinctive bottles so my bar tour does not even need an open bar. My wife and I will also be in the Vibe. I have a pre-done letter for the Manager of the Vibe just like I do a letter to the Butler. Same concept but much shorter. My hope is with a little warm encouragement, I can get my brands into the Vibe Bar. I have NOT been successful of this in the past but one must always live with goals in mind. Hope that helps. Cruise well, Roll Tide, and enjoy every moment.

November 28, 2022: 6 days to the cruise and my bedroom is filled with my wife's clothing. She asked me some detailed questions yesterday and I have her the 20-Page Journey Document. She did what she always does, she rolled her eyes at me as she looked at the index. For me it is time for final preparations. Print Luggage Tags: I never use the tags sent by the cruise brand. In this case, I never received them anyway. I print the ones you can gain after doing your on-line check-in 21 days prior to sailing. I put them in a clear plastic luggage tag holder with a metal clasp. This way, I never lose the tags prior to dropping them off at the pier. Plastic Paper Folder: This is one of those that you can organize your bills in. The most important papers go upfront like passports and Bar Codes for check in. In the back are things like Menu's for Specialty Restaurants and my extra "Journey Document". Luggage from Storage: We have one of those ceiling storage area's just above the car. Today we pull down the luggage so we both can pack. If it seems early, it is. It provides time for last minute shopping when you realize your shorts or jeans don't fit because you ate to many pizza's already. Goody Bags: Every trip, I use a gallon sized ZipLock to hand to each guest. It has USB extra long charger cords, travel power strip with area for usb, Pain Relief meds, USB Chargeable portable fans, q-tips, mouthwash, sunscreen, Lip balm, sunglasses, and a few other items. When I show it to my wife, she rolls her eyes at me again. Call Pre-Cruise Hotel: I am a life time frequent hotel guest from Marriott. I am the highest status for life. I call the hotel, remind the front desk of my status and ask for a suite upgrade. I spent my life living in hotels, this is the small benefit you get from that. Get Cash: After cruising so many times, I know the power of bringing some cash. Because I am a horrible gambler, one envelope is my budget for gambling. The rest of the case is for tipping on the ship and buying stuff off the ship. Check Updated Health Requirements: I know from experience how the requirement for health issues can change. Better safe than sorry. Daily Upgrade Checking: I have a really bad success ration on gaining an upgrade on NCL. Other cruise lines, I do pretty well. Just not NCL. My odds are even worse when the Haven has been sold out for months like this cruise. The best I can hope for is a Spa Balcony Suite upgrade. Only one suite available at 6 days out. When I get myself on the ship, I will do some live updates on the finals for the Casino's at Sea slot Tournament. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@js Within the last 12 months, I have cruised the NCL Joy twice. The first time with my family of four in the Haven. I also usually always cruise NCL in the Haven. The second time a few months after I cruised as a solo in a Club Balcony Suite. I am about to cruise Next Week on the NCL Breakaway this time Non-Haven with my Wife. So I have a perspective on Haven and Non-Haven on the Joy. I also know how to structure my cruises to get what I call a "Haven Lite" experience. Allow me to add that I have been in both the Haven Proper and a few decks below the Haven in a Haven Suite. Please remember, what I am about to say is my personal opinion. Nothing more and nothing less. With a budget of $3,000.00 to upgrade to the (HI) Haven Suite, I would say, "NO". Not because it is not in the Haven Proper; because on the Joy you have better options. Just what until they send you a Upgrade Bid opportunity. With a budget of $3,000.00 you should, key word should get a suite in the Haven Proper so suit everyone's needs. If you want strategy on how to bid, just ask. If your bid works, just cancel the extra meals and Vibe. If your bid does not work, stay with the plan you have. What you don't know is that the Vibe on the Joy is twice the size of the Vibe let's say on the Breakaway. When the Haven Sundeck it crowded with happens all that time, you look through the fence and see the Vibe is wide open, has umbrella's and two hot tubs. I think that says it all. On the food situation, sure you cancel the four Specialty meals however it is still nice to have variety. Also, the Haven Bar is always crowded and the Vibe Bar is never crowded. If you bid reasonably, you can get a Haven Upgrade, keep the vibe and the meals. Your call. I hope that makes sense. Feel free to ask me any questions you like. I loved my travels on the Joy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Thomas.Jackson There is a Breakaway Rollcall thread. It is under the CruiseCritic.com roll call area. Lookup NCL, Breakaway and December 4, 2022. Lots of posts and a M&G set for over 160 folks. I hope you get your upgrade because it will free up a Spa Suite. I think any upgrade bids for the Haven are not going to happen. They have been sold out for a while on this cruise. I have been on this itinerary many times and for the most part, I see very little value with the ports. The Slot Tournament excursion and the NCL Private Island is enough for me. It also opens up the ship pool because most folks will get off the ship. I wish you and your some luck but not to much luck, LOL. We have no expectations other than to make it an interesting and exciting time. Happy to have a drink with you folks but I need to find a bar that I can call my "Cheers Bar". Something tells me it will be the bar in the Vibe Beach Club. Either way, first round on me (and NCL). Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Depending on which Haven Suite you have, some have hot tubs and others don't. I would call and if my suite had Hot tubs, that is the one I would book. No Laundry. Ship Laundry. The NCL ships are not designed to cruise months like the others. Upgrade to the Internet pre-cruise. No reason to wait. Just handle it so you don't have to worry about it. On the drink package, $15 or less is correct. If it is more, they just charge you more. Consider the Free At Sea PLUS program which gives you Unlimited Internet, Premium Plus Beverage Package and two more Specialty Meals. Do your specialty restaurants 130 in advance. If you have to change things, contact the Haven Pre-Cruise desk. The issue with the small venues sometime happen and sometimes not. Depends on who you talk to. It never happened for me. Just go in when it opens and stand in the back. That is what I always do and have a GREAT TIME. Hope all that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every minute.

I will do my best. That does not seems like the rules I have experience in the past. I truly hope that is not the case or my next OP-ED on the Premium Plus Drink Package will not be as kind. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

In reading the op-ed and the responses I wanted to share some recommendations. Remember, I don't know the author other than what has been written to this point. If one of the two people don't drink in your party, the Free At Sea PLUS program is not a good value. The Premium Plus Beverage Package is the lion share of the Free at Sea Plus program. I would simply skip it and have a couple of charges on my account. I would most definitely get a Specialty Meal Package of two or three nights unless I was in the Haven. I would obviously get the upgrade for Unlimited WiFi (I always get streaming). I want to clarify something. Even when you drink, the Free At Sea PLUS is a premium. It rarely is a value so when we try to make it that, the math simply does not work ALL the time. However when you take on of the two folks drink package out because they don't drink, it becomes some what of a bad option. Just my two cents. You can buy a lot of Starbucks for the cost of this package. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. PS: Just Call NCL, they can do this for you in about five minutes.

The list given and published is not a complete or accurate list. It never has been. This package is one that my wife and I always get. Sometimes, our favorite's brands are no in inventory and we try new things we never thought of trying. I always love to push the envelope a bit. This is how I found Tequila 1942. I asked for a really good tequila and the bar tender checked my card, saw the program I was on and out came the good stuff with a smile. All I am saying is, ask and you shall receive. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

During our Family Trip on the NCL Joy, November 2021; I rented the Beach Villa. I used to love this kind of place because it was private, on the beach and had servers. The actual Villa was lovely. The food and drink was average to below quality and as stated very expensive. This situation after paying as much for the Villa as it is was very disappointing. The food and drink on the ship is so much better. Yet when you pay all that money, you want every single second on the beach and don't want to leave. NCL knows this and in my opinion, leverages it. Food and drink in a villa should be complementary at these prices. Just my two cents. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for the great post. I loved your reference of baggage. If my wife wins, it won't be a second honeymoon. That will be the next cruise we book was a very small part of her winnings. What I hope about this cruise is my wife enjoys the Vibe Beach Club the way we both enjoyed the Haven Sundeck. That money (after taxes) will be in a private account for only my wife. Only she has access to that account. Every one needs to have a private account just for them. If this happens, her account will be a sizable one. She deserves it. She put up with me for 43 years. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I did not take offence at the comment about my daughter. I described the situation clearly and accurately. The poster was making a joke which they never would have done unless I made the statement. Our children travel a path that is much different than ours. They have been raised in a world that was quite different than ours. Where my mom could not give me $5.00 to join my friends at the movies on Saturdays, our children have lived a life of comfort and luxury. My daughters reaction when we asked her to come join her mother play in the slot tournament, was a reflection much less of her. It was a reflection much more of my wife and I attempting to provide our children with a life different than we had growing up. I spoiled my children and if I could do it all over again, I would do the same. The both grew up to be healthy, independent thinkers that have a great future ahead of them. Super entitlement is my fault. The buck stops with me or my daughter if she gets to the dollar first (That was one hell of a setup). Seriously, young adults have more opportunities and experiences than I had growing up. The joy of cruising to me is as much about positive memories of an inside cabin, budgeting drinks because their was no drink package as it is staying in an Owners Suite with a butler. My kids focus on an AirBnB tree house in Austin TX. Two different worlds and they own the world, we just live in it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I understood that and that is my understanding as well. My thoughts were, "Why Wait if that it your intention?" I was hoping the could do the math and see that handling it pre-cruise gets it done and waiting the extra day is less then a drink. I also was trying to be extremely sensitive to if the issue was a budget item which is why I phased it the way I did. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I am assuming that you paid full when asked to do so. In that case, you have a 50%/50% shot. Some posters say yes, other say no. Now if you paid in full early, the answer is yes. Or you can simply rebook it. Price reductions happen the closer a cruise is to leaving. Hope that makes sense. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I thought about this response for a while before I wrote it. I want to give you some advice but I want to be very careful because I don't know our circumstances. I recommend you upgrade to the Unlimited (Non-streaming Internet Pre-Cruise), budget pending. Here is my reasoning. When you use the free minutes it is for one device in the room. So if either person forgets to "Log Out" you minutes are lost quickly. When you upgrade to unlimited, you don't have to log out unless the other person wants on the internet. The reduction in cost by doing it on day two or three is minimal. Please just look at the costs and make your decision based on your situation. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Kids are like luggage, you have them for ever, LOL. My daughter really does not like cruises even when other pay for them. I really do not like AirBnB's which she thinks are great. I want a vacation that allows me not to think about things. Cruise do that for me. Her lose. On the ship and the casino question. At this time I have none. I know the ship because it is so similar to the getaway. The Casino will have an instruction document in our cabin when we get their is my understanding. Just happen to have a better percentage chance for a Jackpot then is normal. Fun and exciting. Cruise well and enjoy ever moment.

@lostone65 I am so sorry for your loss. If I have learned anything, going on a cruise with family and friends is a great way to enjoy a cruise. My wife and I will also be cruising just the two of us. We also would have preferred our family to join but for us, different reason, that won't happen this time. We would love to meet up, anytime just reach out. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@kitkat343 Thank you for taking the time to share this with me. That was my approach for flexibility and expense. It will be two couples so easy to share rides. I have been to Europe many time but always had other take me here and there. Like you, I will study each city for the best place to go. I am not really a fan of Cruiseline Excursions anyway. Great advice and it is appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Could be. I got it in 2021 prior to my cruise on the Joy. Everyone, please be advised. Sorry. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

A little hint. Go to the NCL site online, go to the ship, and then to the specialty restaurants. My favorite's thing to do is to download the menu's. It allows me to day dream about my cruise. Just an idea. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The file linked below shows the amenities on the Joy. Look for your cabin code and it is listed below it. I hope this gives you what you are looking for. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Amenities JOY.pdf