Bonnie1222

On 11/24/2019 at 10:44 AM, blue_water said:

The only craft beer I know of is made by Cooper Island Brewery and I don’t know if they distribute to Tortola. Pusser’s Road Town Pub is near the dock but may not have any craft or micro beers. Not much help!

We stayed within the port for the day, and stopped at the bar and found Virgin Islands beer.  They were good, easy drinking.  Then we read the label closer... they are brewed in partnership with someone 20 minutes from my house in Florida.  😂

We had much better luck in St. Thomas.

20 hours ago, blue_water said:

The only craft beer I know of is made by Cooper Island Brewery and I don’t know if they distribute to Tortola. Pusser’s Road Town Pub is near the dock but may not have any craft or micro beers. Not much help!

I will keep an eye out for the Cooper beer, and Pusser's sounds like a great place to stop.  I also need one of those signature drinks... Painkillers or something like that?  We will have all day to wander.  Maybe we will find a store and buy some bottles or cans of beer to bring back with us on the ship. (we sail Disney - and they let you bring beer/wine to your room at every port 😄 )

DH and I are not beach people (well, he isn't one to sit all day).  We LOVE to wander and explore in new ports and we also LOVE local craft beer.  Can anyone recommend someplace near the port that we can grab some local (smaller island brewery - not Red Stripe) beers?

Thanks! 

Thank you everyone for the quick responses.

@c-leg5 the like was very helpful and I never came across is on my searches. 

We have friends who are cruising on a different ship but will be in port the same day we are on our cruise.  They suggested meeting here for the day.  When I go to Paradise's website the map shows them located North of Punta Langusta pier where NCL docks, near all the shopping and within walking distance, which doesn't make sense.  When I use Google maps it shows it about 8-10 miles south passed the international pier and Puerta Maya pier and that seems much more accurate to me.  Can anyone confirm where it is for me?  Any idea how much it costs to get there from Punta Langusta?  How easy will it be to get a cab back?  Are they available throughout the day if we want to leave early and go back to town to shop or can they call a cab for us?

Also DH does not like pools or beaches, but we want to see our friends. Do they have a bar he can sit at that isn't in the pool or an area that is shaded he can sit and relax?

Thank you in advance for your help.

1 hour ago, mamashamiller said:

Has anyone gotten the upgrade for minimum bid?  I’m happy with the room I booked but.....

Good question!

Thank you everyone for the great information.  DH and I will check the budget and come up with our numbers to give it a try. 

1 hour ago, Nclgetawaymenhoney said:

You follow the directions on the email to the link, decide on the price you want to bid, put in your credit card information, save and you will get a email that your request to bid was accepted, then normally 2 to 5 business days before sailing you will get your acceptance, if they have space of course and your bid is high enough, if not 48 hours prior you'll get your denial email 

Thank you for your help.  So they need the credit card to hold the bid, and they only charge you if you win; is that correct?  We have a sailaway inside and don't have a big budget for this cruise but where thinking about trying for a balcony.  I know what we can swing isn't a lot and it's a gamble but why not try right?  Do they ever award you a bid for less than the amount you entered (you bid 300 pp and they award you the room for 250pp? or do they just say yes, we like that offer and take it)

And I don't know if you know the answer but what if our current room goes on sale for less than we paid.  Do they honor the lower price? And if we put a bid on the room does it negate the bid?  Sorry for so many questions.... we are used to Disney where you pay the price, and never get discounts after you book your room.  This is all new to us.  (And kind of fun!)

Question. If you booked thru a TA does your agent have to bid or can you bid yourself?  Who do you pay? And how long does it take for you to know if you are successful?

We got the email and our TA is away for a couple days.

Not sure how "urgent" it is to jump on this or do we have time?  

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

We are taking our first NCL cruise in 2020.  We are Platinum with Disney and usually purchase their placeholder which is $250, and have enjoyed getting 10% off future cruises, and up until recently OBC of $100 -$200.  Their program is 100% refundable, and if not used after 2 years your money is returned.  

I have read the information at the above link, am I understanding it correctly that all you get with NCL is the on board credit for your current cruise?  Do they give any other perks for when you actually book the cruise like the 10% discount?  Also, if you don't use the certificate in 4 years, do you get the money back or do you loose it?  Being our first cruise we of course aren't positive we will want to sail NCL again, but I am hopeful we will have a great time and I'm just trying to plan ahead to see how much extra we might want to budget for certificates. 

Thank you in advance for your help.

18 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

Savory Taste is what we like. this is on the Breakaway. The menus are identical in both MDRs so it probably doesn't make a lot of difference, but go early as the wait that first night can be very long if you decide to wain until about 6 or later. Other nights 6 or 6:30 is fine. Have a good cruise. 

Thank you. We like to eat late so I was thinking about choosing an 8:30 dining time since we have the option to make the reservation.

@newmexicoNita

Do you have a recommendation for newbie on which MDR to try on the first night?  I recall you recommending lunch on embarkation day you like O'Sheehan's.

15 minutes ago, jdvmd said:

NCL is not Disney.

The corkage fee has nothing to do with removing the cork from the bottle. It is a courtesy allowing you to bring your own wine onboard. Some land restaurants charge $25 to $50. Thomas Thomas Keller’s restaurants, The French Laundry and Per Se, charge $150 for each bottle a guest brings.

Thanks for a quick response.  That is what I thought...  Corkage fee sounds better than service charge.   When/where do they charge you the fee, at the port?  And how do you pay, credit card or does it go on your ship account?

DH and I bring beer onto Disney because he doesn't like wine.  But since that is not an option on NCL I was debating bringing wine on  to try and save a little money since I will drink wine, but with the corkage fee I am really not saving anything so I may not even bother.

On 11/1/2019 at 2:28 PM, jdvmd said:

Bring as much wine as you want onboard. You will have to pay a $15 per bottle corkage fee but can enjoy the wine anywhere on the ship including your cabin, balcony, restaurants, bars, specialty dining venues etc.

Is it a corkage fee, or just a fee they are charging you to deter you from carrying it on and calling it a corkage?  (so you drink at the bars instead)

What if you bring a bottle with a screw top, will they still charge you? 

On Disney my friend packed a small travel cork screw in her checked bag, no need to pay the fee. 

8 minutes ago, KarlChilders said:

The wifi is free for the app.  Anything else you have to pay for, but most promos are now including 250 minutes free.

Thank you, that is good news!  We have zero promos for this cruise, we book a sailaway inside. 

We had no intentions of cruising because we already have 2 upcoming with Disney over the next year.  But the price was too good to pass up, and we have been wanting to try NCL because no matter how much we love Disney, the cost is stopping us from cruising as much as we want.  This was our way of "break(ing)away"  from the norm and giving NCL a try and still staying without breaking our budget. 

Do you have to purchase the internet package to use the app? Or only if you want access to emails, websites etc?  I will be sailing on the Breakaway next year.  Thank you.

I'm following.  DH and I just booked our first NCL cruise for 2020.  We are Platinum Disney Cruisers, this will be our first cruise outside of Disney and I am an little overwhelmed, but very excited.  I have a full page typed of questions that I have, and and using the FAQ and these boards to try and get as many answers as I can.

We will be on the Breakaway - Do I have to purchase an internet package to use the app or is the wifi for the app free?    Disney gives you free wifi access but it only works for the app, if you want anything else you pay.    I saw information the texting and calling via the app were at a charge, but it doesn't say anything about a charge or no-charge to use the app to see the daily activities.

TY

4 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

On Carnival and Royal probably not.  Don't sail Disney but you said they allow cans.   Unless someone directly takes the growler away from you at security, there are ways to skirt the liquor table.  Hint, big tote bag.

DH and I brought back a case from Caybrew in Grand Cayman when we were there in May.  We had 2 cooler bags to fill.  We love their beers and Disney is cool with you bringing the beer back on board.  As for the Growler I doubt it, but will check with Disney just in case.  We even brought a small collapsible hand truck in our checked luggage to help carry it off the ship.

9 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Doubting they can. But they say they fill growlers so bring a couple of those insulated aluminium growlers and drink fresh on the ship. 

Do you think they would let you bring a growler back on the ship? 

9 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

If you go.  Come back with a review.  Love trying new craft brews at different places.  Not all are fantastic but most are decent, and at worst as good as larger brews.

I will definitely come back with a review if we go.  

I know they had a very small selection and I am a hop girl so I guess I will check out what they are offering when we get closer to cruise time and we can decide then.

We are going on Disney, so if they can the beer and it is good we can bring it back on board with us to enjoy in our room.  (although I don't think they can)

1 hour ago, Sand and Seas said:

Which ship are you going on?   You might be surprised at how 'Las Vegas' like the casino is on one of the newer bigger ships.  

 

Hope you have a great cruise and some lucky extra fun in the casino🤞

We will be sailing on the Breakaway.  I have been watching videos about the ship and it looks like there are lots of slots.  I know the odds aren't in my favor, but it's fun trying 😄.

We don't sail until later next year, but NCL is new so I'm excited about the new experience and doing all my research now.

2 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Website says open Wednesday and Fridays 5:30-7:30?  But that might be just for tours.  Doubt if they'd be open earlier though.  It's a taxi ride from Crown Bay.  Across from the baseball field in Frenchtown area of Charlotte Amalie.

They actually offered to open if we wanted to come by which I thought was pretty amazing; but I figure that also might be when they are brewing and are willing to make an exception since I reached out to them showing interest.  DH and I are homebrewers and love to try different beers.  

53 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

No coins.   The machines take denominations from $1 to $100.   

You cannot use your Caesars card in the machine.  It will take your room key or you can ask the casino to make you a players card tied to your on board account.   Caesar's does send a lot of players on NCL cruises by offering them a cruise certificate.

 

If you have status with Caesar's, you could be eligible for a discount on your cruise.   I know there are discounts for Diamond & Seven Star Caesar's, but not sure if you get a discount for Platinum.    

 

Here is a link to NCL's  Casinos at Sea page:  https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise

Thanks for the info!  I haven't been to a Caesars in years, but I have my card still.  I am a $10-$20 a day gambler at the most just to have a little fun with the slot games.  I will be sure to stash a few extra $20s in my wallet for the casino.   My MIL is my gambling partner and she won't be with me and DH does not gamble at all so I am sure my time will be limited playing.  

I just booked my first cruise on NCL.  I am used to Disney with no casinos. 

I am a very light gambler - I like to play the penny slots.  I am hoping they have a few I could play.

Do you know if I bring coins or do they only take dollars?  

I also saw somewhere that NCL is tied to Caesars... does that mean my Caesars card would work or is it a different card?  (just wondering if I need to dig out my old card). 

Thank you 

On 6/23/2018 at 10:09 AM, mpmartin said:

Traveling to St. Thomas in June 2019 on RCI Harmony, which looks to dock in Crown Bay. As a craft beer fan, im looking for insight/advice. Anyone been to this brewery?

 

- Is it worth a visit? Looks like they have a few diverse style choices. Do they pour flights?

- Walkable from Crown Bay? Some older posts indicate it's not entrely sidewalked to Frenchtown from Crown Bay.

- Are cabs easy to find from the brewey?

 

Thanks

 

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

I was wondering if you ever got to Frenchtown Brewing?  DH and I are going to St. Thomas next year and were wondering if it was worth the trip.  Or did you stop by the restaurant recommended above and just sample the beers?  Did you enjoy them? 

When we go to Grand Cayman we always head straight to Cayman Island brewing to have a few and grab a few 6 packs to bring home with us.  

Than you.