MCMC100

and a bottle of sparkling wine at embarkation plus some chocolate covered strawberries and/or chocolates delivered to your cabin. Oh yeah, your cabin keycard is purple.

My response above was intended to address your question. For some reason the quote function didn’t work. I noticed after I posted that you may be in the UK, which of course may change everything for you because your rules are different. So not only did I not properly post my response, I may have provided you with completely irrelevant information for your personal situation. I’m going to call it a day and go enjoy my personal ultimate drink package on my deck!

You pay a 20% gratuity on the cost of drink package, which is $109 per day/person. That equates to $21.80 per day. If one person in the cabin wants the package everyone 21 and older in the stateroom must also get the package (it’s designed to prevent two people from sharing a drink package). It adds up quickly, however, the break even point is 2 drinks per person/per day. Remember that because it’s an all or nothing stateroom package, if only one person drinks, the “drinker” has to also consume 2 drinks for each non-drinker in the cabin to break even. You also pay a separate 20% gratuity on the FAS speciality dining plan. This is based on the number of meals (cruise length and cabin type determinative). There is a wealth of information posted above regarding the SDP so I won’t rehash the particulars. The gratuity for the drink package and specialty dining package included with FAS is paid at the time of booking. The daily service charge ($20 per person/day for most cabins) is a separate item. It can be prepaid or added to your final bill and paid at the end of the cruise. The daily service charge is a topic of frequent discussion on CC, but generally, it’s designed to reward room stewards and other service employees not covered by the dining or drink gratuity (wait staff in the main dining room and buffet for example). In theory it is optional, but in practice, it’s just another cost of the cruise.

I would agree with Two Wheels Only. Our daughter has been with us on our two prior cruises and we purchased the SDP meals for her. There was no discernible difference in what was allowed for her compared to those of us ordering FAS meals. In my experience, ships/restaurants/waiters all address the 1/1/1/1 rule with a modicum of flexibility.

Ask your butler. He will get them for you.

Check with the TA to see exactly what you purchased. FAS offers $50 discounts on shore excursions, a limited amount of onboard wi-fi, the speciality dining plan Bird Travels described above and an alcohol drink package. It is automatically added to your fare unless you select a reduced “sail away” cabin rate or affirmatively decline individual portions of the FAS package. (Perhaps your group declined them all to receive a lower fare). The FAS dining and drinks require you to pay a 20% gratuity on the cost of the package. For dining it’s around $18 per person (assuming you receive 2 speciality meals). For the drink package it’s about $22 per day. The general rule on the drink package is you are saving money at 2 or more alcohol drinks per day - only you know if that’s worth it. The dining package is a great value for the nominal gratuity. Declining the FAS dining and drinks at booking saves you the gratuity charge thus lowering the cruise fare. The shore excursion and wi-fi have no additional charge so declining them does not lower your cruise fare. Enjoy your cruise.

In my experience very few people dress much beyond long pants and a polo shirt. I can’t recall any cruise were I noticed enough of an uptick in fashionable dress to even realize it was the “dress fancy” evening. I have seen people in tuxes (once encountered a guy who dressed like an admiral in the British Navy) and gowns so you won’t be alone, buts it’s a very low number.

Absolutely ask for the deviation and arrive at least one (I’d do two) days before cruise. A scheduled arrival within hours of departure, with no margin for error, would be nerve wracking for me. March is still a winter month in the northeast. Although you’re in Tampa, a winter storm impacting Detroit, Chicago, NYC or Philadelphia could cause cascading cancellations/delays thru the airline system. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve wasted in airports in the winter because of weather. I’m a big believer in “hope for the best, plan for the worst.” NCL does not hold the ship if you’re delayed nor guarantee you will make the cruise just because they purchased your tickets (a frequent misconception discussed often on CC). Read the terms and conditions thoroughly before using NCL air. You may save money and have wonderful flights; you may be purchasing a nightmare. Enjoy Hawaii.

Sorry, forgot to add that a general rule is if you consume 2 alcoholic drinks per day you are basically at the FAS drink package price of $196.20 per person for this itinerary ($21.80 per day). The al a carte prices for beer/wine/liquor plus the automatic 20% gratuity add up quickly. You described a nightly cocktail or wine with dinner and a show - depending on your liquor/wine choice you are probably spending more without the package.

The Club Balcony suites are the same size as a balcony with the exception of the bathroom. Club balconies have a double sink, larger vanity and shower- the rest of the room is basically identical to a regular balcony. You receive some minor perks for Club balcony rooms such as a bottle sparkling wine and some chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates or cookies delivered to your cabin a couple of times. A family club balcony is located only midship and NCL uses that distinction as a marketing strategy by stating it’s more convenient to move around the ship, thus family friendly. I am unaware of any differences between family and non-family club balconies with regard to size/layout. If I’m incorrect someone will correct me. The Joy, unlike some Breakaway class ships, also has suites. These cabins are NOT in the Haven and are located inside. There is a “virtual balcony” — which you may call a tv screen hooked to a camera. Make sure you’re looking at the correct category. A family suite and a club balcony family suite are completely different. If you haven’t yet done so, visit NCL.com. Click on the “hamburger” on the left to pull up the menu. Under the “Explore” tab, select “Cruise Ships”. Visit the Joy for info/pictures/deck plans. Good luck and have fun. I’m on this sailing so perhaps we will cross paths aboard.

In response to Part II of your question, you can get tags at some ports (I can only comment on NY, Miami and Seattle). The porters have had adhesive tags and Sharpies to write your cabin number on the tag.

When I was on the Getaway in January I noticed rampant hijinks and general tomfoolery in the casino. Shenanigans were not readily apparent.

The bathroom is larger in the Club Balcony. The cabin area is the same size as a regular balcony. They can separate the beds if you ask. There will be a small space between the beds.

I think it’s a typo - wedding facility.

Look at Nachi Cocom. Taxi from port is about 15 minutes and $20 bucks-ish. It’s about 1 mile past Mr Sanchos. Quiet place, limited number of guests. Book a day or two ahead it will sell out.

It depends on your daughters age/appetite and how many FAS speciality meals you have. Do you and the other adult in the cabin get get 1 or 2 or more? If you your talking about a 6 year old buy her the burger or Mac and Cheese off the kids menu. If you have a 17 year old with a normal appetite consider adding the 2 meal SDP plan for $118.80 (includes 20% gratuity). This only makes sense if you and guest 2 on your reservation receive at least 2 FAS speciality dining meals. If you only get 1, she’ll have an extra. A salad and bowl of bisque at Cagney’s will cost $30 with gratuity. A salad, appetizer, steak and baked potato will be over $100 with the 20% gratuity. Which meal looks more like her order? If your daughter is a light eater you probably come out slightly ahead paying menu prices, but if she wants the full experience and orders a “regular meal” (salad, appetizer, entree, dessert) your overspending on the menu prices. Look at the SD menus and crunch the numbers…..

I didn’t use any math. Simply pointed out that a negative trend with regard to reviews of the Pr1ma is developing, despite a still limited pool of reviews. You didn’t like the ship. I read your review-don’t blame you. I would use your review as a factor in my ultimate decision to book on the Pr1ma, a factor, not the only factor. Not everyone hated their experience. You had a terrible experience; reeinaz (see below) is eager to get back onboard. Different strokes……Don’t take it personally, I’m not questioning your individual experience onboard the Pr1ma. The point of this forum is to gather multiple reviews over a period of time under different circumstances from a large cross section of passengers and see what overall theme develops. As I stated in my prior post, NCL would rather a 4.5 rating than a 2.8 with only 189 reviews.

I don’t disagree, but statistics are a bear…..The Pr1ma has 189 reviews with an overall 2.8 rating (out of 5) on CC. The Epic is a 3.5 with 4,317 reviews. We have a very small sample size from the Pr1ma. I don’t doubt those people had the experiences they report. It’s just not clear if that represents the experience of 189 really unhappy passengers and the other 50,000 passengers loved it. If I was NCL I would rather have a 4.5 with 189 reviews. A negative trend is developing and I’m watching it. It’s just to early know for sure what the ultimate opinion will be. Check back in two years. For now, caveat emptor.

Pr1ma has been taking a bashing in the reviews. I’ve never been onboard and the complaints make me hesitant. I’ve never sailed anything other than the Breakaway/+ size ships and have always been happy with my experiences, but the Pr1ma…..I don’t know? (I’m the same way about Epic, never been, but boy the reviews….) I realize much of a cruise experience is subjective so I take complaints about food, entertainment, room stewards, elevator capacity/speed etc with a grain of salt. Interesting and informative, but may not really apply or impact me. However, the Pr1ma seems to have recurring complaints about venues, restaurant capacity, layout and general operational issues. Not all complaints are negative, many are positive, and a significant portion are anecdotal. But there is a theme……. I might just stick with the Breakaway class for awhile longer until the sample size increases and I can make a more informed decision. Are these just complainers complaining or is the Pr1ma an updated version of the Epic? Initial reviews hint a little Epic could be in the mix. Time will tell. Right now passengers are paying a premium to get onboard and the ships are full. I’m gonna wait…I know what to expect on the Escape, Bliss, Encore, Joy and Getaway. Who knows, maybe in 5 years I will only sail the Leonardo class ships (is that the official name?), but for right now, not so much.

It’s very poorly written — “the company dropped the bombshell that seven shows will be discontinued, from July 7, 2023, until February 24, 2024.” IMO it leaves the reader wondering 1) are the shows being gradually discontinued across the fleet over a period of months (July 2023 until February 2024) - the most likely scenario; 2) discontinued fleet wide as of July 2023 with an as yet unidentified replacement(s) arriving fleet wide in February 2024; or 3) discontinued effective July 2023 and then returning in February 2024 (highly unlikely, but seemingly plausible based on the poorly written story). Auditions for singers/dancers in the US and Europe are already posted. They need to be prepared to sing the following: Tenor/Baritenor Vocal Selections ALL I ASK CHAMPIONS I WISH LIFE IS A HIGHWAY LONELY TEARDROPS OUT THERE UNCHAINED MELODY Mezzo/Belter Vocal Selections GOODBYE, YELLOWBRICK ROAD HARDEN MY HEART IF I WERE YOUR WOMAN INDEPENDENCE DAY IT'S RAINING MEN (GINA'S MEDLEY) SECRET LOVE LONG PT. II YOU'RE NO GOOD Will be interesting to see how the cancellations actually role out and what the various replacements will be.

Complainers complain….happy people just book another cruise. I’ve traveled for years for both business and pleasure. Has every stay at a Marriott or Hilton been an unforgettable, life changing event? Nope- stayed at a few over the years that had staffing problems, maintenance issues, annoying people running around all night, lousy bars and horrible food. However, for the most part, you know what to expect when you stay at certain places and usually they meet or exceed expectations. Sometimes they blow it, but it’s not corporate policy to screw things up. Same with cruising. Cruise lines target a demographic and advertise a level of service, amenities, and overall experience they feel their customers are interested in. Do they hit their mark all the time? Nope….. Most times they get it right. NCL, in my opinion, has never failed to meet my expectations. Have they screwed things up on occasion, of course. Have I received a meal that could have warmer? Did the waiter bring the wrong wine? Did a room steward forget my request for an extra towel? Probably, but who keeps track of life’s little glitches? Have I been inconvenienced to a level that ruined my vacation or made me look elsewhere? Nope. Is it possible that my next cruise in August is an unmitigated disaster? Yep, but that’s not the way to bet. If history is a guide I bet we have a great time. Go enjoy your cruise. I bet the food is delicious, the beer is cold, the entertainment is top notch, the ship is sparkling clean, the staff is amazingly friendly and helpful and you have a great time…...

If they pull a Titanic with one of their ships it gives their legal department the opportunity to say they sent you the safety video 5 times. If you didn’t know what to you, when Jack and Rose went sliding past you, that’s on you. We stress safety.

I can’t speak to the overall value of package as everyone’s opinion and interests are subjective. However, I read the comments regarding the tenders and it reinforced my thought that priority in your mind may not match the definition of priority at NCL. A more accurate description seems to be - “You’re not first. You’re first in line to be brought to the area where we have everyone wait in line,” I have never understood priority embarkation or disembarkation. What is it? Embarkation has always seemed somewhat chaotic. Boarding has often seemed like a Black Friday 60” inch tv sale at Walmart to me. I was on the Bliss just before Covid and boarded early to get the Vibe. I talked with people who paid extra for “priority boarding” and were behind me in line for the Vibe. They weren’t thrilled All I did to priority embark was show up at the pier before them. About half the time I take my luggage off with me and depart the ship very early. Grab my suitcase, wander to the designated disembarkation point, say goodbye to security, walk off, hail a cab by 915am. On cruises where I don’t carry my luggage off I have always found myself at the mercy of the dock workers unloading the luggage. Do they remove priority disembark luggage first and place it somewhere for priority access? If not, where you going?In my experience, no one can enter “luggage hall” until every duffel bag and dented Samsonite has been removed from the ship. Aren’t you just the front of the line waiting for luggage? Are you paying just to leave the ship and wait on the gangplank until 3,800 pieces of luggage are removed? Why not wait in the buffet with coffee and an omelette? You may “priority disembark” at 915 but if your luggage is still sitting in the bowel of the ship until 1030 what difference does it make? If you’re in a hurry and physically capable, take your luggage with you, for free. You will be off the ship before some people are awake. Am I missing something?

I can’t think of a port where I went thru security after I checked in for my sailing. My two most recent ports were NY and Seattle. I definitely went thru security before I checked-in. Fairly certain I did in Miami as well, but my memory is not what it once was. Are there ports where you check-in and then go thru security?

In multiple sailings from several US ports I’ve never had a port employee look at my eDocs for my check-in time. I’m not certain they even know NCL allots times. Go whenever. Platinum and above priority check-in is a separate line at the terminal where you have 15 people ahead of you waiting to go thru security screening instead of 350 people.