Wedgie23

Well supply/demand, you know that whole dance. If you check out the thread about them removing the open bar from Sun sailings apparently they are moving it to do Alaska runs. So that would be 3 (or is it 4?) ships just for Alaska that's how popular it apparently is. I imagine once the Sun starts doing runs a slight reduction in fare. 

I get what you're saying and while I don't disagree I think the Alaskan itinerary isn't really the best way to make a fair comparison. 

9 minutes ago, PortFees45 said:

LOL, no offense taken but I'm not a nude sunbather. That's not the issue. The issue is the little "freestyle sundeck" forward on Deck 15 has been reclassified a "Haven sundeck" on some updated plans for Jewel ships. The million dollar question is...how do they make that work logistically? You can ONLY access that little freestyle sundeck on deck 15 via the big spacious forward sundeck on Deck 14 (up the stairs from the bar overlooking the pool and right over Spinnaker). I don't care if they close off that little tiny platform on Deck 15...I'm concerned that access to the deck 14 area is now restricted, too

Ah roger that. Though it is another space taken from the public. Was the existing Haven area too small for haven guests? Anytime I see pictures of the Haven areas they always look like a ghost town. 

I do understand more with this one why there may be a need to change it entirely if they are going to change it. Just removing the sign could lead to some interesting misunderstandings. 

Could it be possible they have put a door at the top of the stairs to restrict access to 15 leaving 14 unrestricted? I suppose you wont really know until someone comes back from the ship but all hope may not be lost for your spot. 

11 hours ago, Warm Breezes said:

Before I make any larger purchase I research the internet for any information and/or reviews about what I am looking to purchase.

That sounds wise. However you do your research, make your purchase then they change it on you after. Getaway and if it is true, Gem customers researched/booked/paid before the changes. How is it the customers fault they didn't anticipate a new pay wall installation between ticket purchase and sail date?

If I'm not mistaken isn't the 'freestyle' sun deck on top of the ship at 15 the nude part of the deck? And isn't Gem one of (if not the last) remaining ships to allow public nudity on one of their decks? If so I can't say it's particularly surprising to see it gone. I haven't sailed on Gem but I have been debating it so my research on the ship is not first hand and could be incorrect. 

Hey I'm not saying if that's your thing theres anything wrong with that, you do you. You and anyone else can still tan in the buff on your balcony if you desire not really sure there was a need for people to do it with strangers. I think the majority of people were staying away as is for their own reasons. Zero judgement if that was your thing but if there wasn't enough demand for a nude deck it makes sense not to have one. 

It is disheartening to see it go right to another Haven area though. Seems like it would have been a good place for a mini Spice/H20 style area all passengers could have enjoyed. Perhaps they didn't want to just remove the 'freestyle' placard and leave it public as it could lead to confusion with prior guests believing nudity was allowed there and either still avoiding it or still birthday suiting it not understanding the rules were changed?

Thank you every one for your replies and sharing your experiences with me. I am trying to wrap my head around paying that much more just to ensure were on the same deck but my parents have never gone anywhere which would make them nervous travelers. If I think they would feel more at ease knowing I am either with them or right down the hall I guess it's worth it. 

I'm still torn about 2 balconies or the 2 bed room either Haven or regular suite which is a nice option Gem provides. Regular 2 bedroom is $834 more than 2 regular balconies, the haven version 3.1K. Even with Haven perks I just don't see 2 adults being comfortable in the tiny second room but I do see how it would be nice to have a table large enough for the 4 of us to have in room breakfast or sit and decide what to do that day.  But having 1 state room means additional charges for passengers 3-4 in specialty dining when passengers 1-2 use the perks. Separate balconies would give the same perks to everyone. 

If booking Haven do all passengers receive specialty perks such as dining/drinks or still just 1-2? Those who have stayed in the 2 bedroom, do you think 2 adults would be comfortable sleeping in the small room?

8 hours ago, FitchburgWIFamily said:

And I can’t tell you how many times I have heard about the bar outside the Vibe or the hot tub out side the Vibe being under-utilized: it shows up on tips about the ship all the time.   You know what else shows up all the time?  People lamenting not being able to get Vibe passes.

I believe the reason this bar is underutilized is because regular passengers have no way to know it's there. It's not on the ship map, it's not on the sign pointing towards vibe that there is a public bar there. I don't think expanding vibe into this area is near as bad as what they are doing with Encore. 

The doubling in price of vibe is pretty recent. I'm curious what anyones experience getting vibe passes has been since. $100 a pop it was a race that sold out, at $200 is it still a race or come midway through the cruise are they still not sold? Those of you getting passes for the more expensive vibe, are there the same amount of people there as before? 

2 hours ago, pirate4me2 said:

Thank you both for the info! 

Quite welcome. FYI a poster in another thread informed me that as of a couple weeks ago Margaritavilla and Food Republic are now included in the meal package. I'd double check with the matri'd but sounds like there is now some good lunch options. 

1 hour ago, Warm Breezes said:

May I ask why you limit yourself to sailing from NYC?

If PortFees is anything like me than flying, both the expense and the incredible hassle isn't worth something short of a once in a life time cruise or some incredible deal. Part of the reason the more high end lines have less appeal to me is they are rarely round trip. How is it a 'luxurious, pampering vacation' getting dumped in a random port? My opinion I suppose, they seem to be popular enough with the Land's End crowd. 

7 minutes ago, Twipenne said:

Actually, the funny thing is that WDW is my bread and butter. 

If you can manage the crowds, lines, and up charges from Disney then I cannot imagine you would not enjoy a cruise. Let alone the kids! If you not only had patience enough for all of that but it didn't bother you enough to not want to go again and again I really can't picture anything short of 'insert something extra bad here' having any impact on your ability to enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

22 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

This is how rumors start and flourish. Perditax, I believe, was joking. There is speculation that the observation lounge is too nice to leave as free space for all to share. As of today at least, NCL has not made any changes to monetize that area. Enjoy it while you can

Ah thank you for clarifying, I didn't catch the joke. 

52 minutes ago, Twipenne said:

"well I'm super shiny sparkle shimmer extra mega plus status..."

What would MSC match rate this at?

29 minutes ago, perditax said:

I saw it in a recent thread. Maybe 2-3 weeks max? 

 

I wonder if m'ville and FR were being under-utilized. 

HAHA sounds like it was changed the week after I was there and tried to go to Food Republic then. Just when I think I'd have one of the more current states of opinions on Escape having gone last month they go and change it on me 😃 

Margaritaville did certainly look to be empty though I only saw it while walking through to get to somewhere else. Same on breakaway 2 years ago, we were just about the only ones there which should have clued us in to being an up charge. They didn't tell us till the end of our meal and first cruise didn't know any better, at least the kind Matri-d for Food Republic told me right away. 

It's great they are including more, certainly seems to go against the grain of the other threads. 

21 minutes ago, perditax said:

The Bliss was nice, and I'm glad I got to see the Observation Lounge before they turn it into Haven suites. 😉

I find this post to hilight the take away of everyones posts in the thread. Perditax experienced the observation lounge and will miss it on future cruises of the bliss. Other posters I'm sure protested and complained when it was turned into more 'upcharge/suite' space instead of public. But OP you wouldn't have experienced the lounge so you wouldn't even notice you were missing it like former passengers would and have no idea why they felt their recent experience wasn't as good as their former. 

I think that is the goal of the NCL management team in regards to Encore. If they snag first time cruisers they aren't going to know that sundecks shouldn't be that crowded, that virtually all outdoor space comes at an even higher premium than their fare. Or, how much better things were before because they have no frame of reference to compare it to. I'd wager the other lines are watching closely to see if this is something NCL is able to pull off. If it is they can follow suit, if it's not they will be looking to be the ones to snag the abandoning NCL customers with new adverts focusing on their 'inclusion for all'. 

3 minutes ago, perditax said:

Apparently Food Republic is part of the dining package now. I'm repeating hearsay but I think I heard 'four items can be ordered'.

Interesting. I went last month and it was not. I also don't see a mention of the $7 per person up charge for Pincho it's quite possible they changed things though I'd think if they were including more they would want to make a point of it. 

It also says Margaritaville is now included. Two years ago on the Breakaway it wasn't and I *believe* margaritaville was mentioned by guest services as not included on the Escape when I asked about Food Republic but I didn't actually try. Is this a recent inclusion as well or have people been able to use their dining perk at margaritaville for sometime now? 

Don't fret. The reason people are upset about the direction NCL is going is because of how much they love previous NCL ships and their cruise experience. People wouldn't care to post and read about cruising if they didn't love it. 

Escape is a very large ship the universal issues you will face are occasional large crowds (waxing and waining depending where/when) difficulty in getting elevators, some difficulty in getting drinks at times and needing to reserve things ASAP (there is always standing lines if you can't get a reservation). As long as you can let the little things not get to you you will have an absolutely incredible time. So long as you're able to have patience when needed you will have a great vacation. You may find a part of it really annoying, say if disembarkation is backlogged and you're waiting for a very long time, but one long line shouldn't completely ruin a week of fun.

Maybe you'll decide the big crowds aren't for you and pick a smaller ship or a different line next time but you will still love it enough there will be a next time. The ships people are talking about with questionable re/designs are Encore and Getaway. 

You're going at a different time of the year than I did so I'm unsure of what the colder weather will be like but here's some Escape tips:

Atrium Cafe has a starbucks they don't advertise- it's not included in drink package but it's nice to have sometimes. 

There is an unlisted bar next to hot tubs on deck 19. Just look for the map of the vibe lounge it is outside there in the public area. This sun deck portion, bar and hot tub tend to be less crowded. 

Food Republic and margaritaville are not included in your meal package and Tapas bar is a $7 up charge per person on top of it but so worth it. Tapas place always looks closed you need to see the matri 'd at Ocean Bleu for seating. 

Don't bother to try to get an elevator right after the muster. Just accept now is the time to take a stroll on whatever deck you're on and don't let the first day swam of people sour you for the whole cruise. The crowd does thin out. 

5'oclock bar inside and on waterfront- whisky bar and mojito bar do not serve anything other than that bars specific specialty drinks- you cannot get one of their specialty drinks at any other bar. Mojito bar is incredible. 

One of the best parts of the Bermuda literary is the 3 days not only giving you plenty of time to explore Bermuda but also time to enjoy an empty ship. This is a great time to try out the pool if it was too crowded before. Casino will open in the evenings while in port. Be sure to catch the pier runner show at 2:30. 

42 minutes ago, pirate4me2 said:

Question regarding the dining...do they charge us at the time we book or once onboard? Do I have to do anything special so they know we have a specialty dining package?

I learned with my last NCL cruise if you have the dining package and it shows you able to book-and pay- for a restaurant on the NCL website this charge is in addition to one of your dining perks but it doesn't (or at least didn't then) say so at the time. I bought what I thought were tickets for the Supper Club dinner and a show for $30. Only found out at the end of the cruise it was $30 on top of my specialty dining perk, which was already on top of the regular fare. 

To use a dining package is very simple other wise. Simply make the reservation and the maitre d' will know when you arrive and show your card. On the menu you will see if there are any up charges on top of the dining plan which are not covered. Some restaurants are not included at all, Food Republic and Margaritavilla I'm not sure if there are others. Unfortunately the exact listing of what is covered, what is not and which ones carry an up charge are not listed in the dailies but if you go to guest services they can tell you which ones the dining perk is good for. If Joy has the Tapas place, Pinchos I believe is the name, it is a $7 up charge per person on top of the dining perk but I have to say it is well worth it. 

7 minutes ago, Beardface said:

Haha you listed 2 things that are absolutely not a part of this ship

Quite true. I was listing places I'd found them on other ships to give an idea of the availability of included coffee. While not at every closed bar that I saw in the morning, they had stations at several. I don't think anyone knows exactly where they will be on Encore but I have to imagine there will be several stations spread around the ship in the morning.  

4 hours ago, mattee said:

The only benefit with the studio for me is the espresso machine in the solo lounge. Is there anywhere else on the ship with complimentary coffee available all day?

Balcony rooms (at least on the other ships) have their own coffee makers in them. Again this is based on the other NCL ships I've been on but coffee in the morning was available in many areas of the ship, set up in coffee sections of H20, margaritavilla. The buffet had the only all day/night included coffee though if I recall the casino also had a coffee set up out most of the time. 

I have to echo Caz on not knowing the 'select fare' part of your question. I haven't seen that either. 

I have a feeling I know the answer to this already but figure it couldn't hurt to ask. I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip for myself, my husband and a first cruise for my parents. I've been looking at multiple lines but I have a familiarity with NCL and if I'm taking them I'd rather stick with what I know but for them I know I need to avoid a congested mega ships. Currently I'm pricing things out on the Gem. 

My parents don't drink, my husband and I don't drink much. Price for 2 balcony sail away cabins come to about $1,800 less than 2 BD cabins with perks we don't use enough to justify. Is it possible to get two sail away cabins on the same deck? They don't need to be next to each other or even close to each other and I really couldn't care less about obstructions. I just have a feeling my parents would feel more comfortable knowing we were close by. If it isn't do you think on a smaller ship like the Gem being that close really matters like it would on Escape? And in your opinion, would being on the same deck as your travel companions be worth that much to you?

I've investigated the 2 bedroom suits, the non Haven is 2K more than 2 balconies would be and the Haven one is 5K more. Given that my husband and I would be in the small dark second room I just don't see the appeal of paying 2K more to sleep in what looks like a closet or 5K more for a butler to bring M&Ms to my closet or even the fabled zitti. Perhaps there is something more there that I am missing. Can anyone tell me what their experience was staying in one of the 2 bedrooms with 4 adults? Of course the 3 bedroom villa is much nicer but that is beyond what I'm willing to spend even for it's perfection. 

Also if I were to book us all in the same 2 bedroom, as there is no sail away for suites I would choose the drink and dining package. However does this only apply to persons 1-2 in a room, meaning taking my parents with us would cost us extra? Second for the drink package I've heard every adult in the room needs to have one so I would need to purchase my parents a $1,650 drink package they will not use in order for me to have one, even if I booked the more expensive Haven for 4?

Thank you for any info or ideas you can share with me.

18 hours ago, MotownVoice said:

You couldn't sleep.  You told them.  They found you a new cabin.  So you're never using NCL again.  Is that about right?
It wasn't "by some miracle" they found you a new stateroom.  It was just good customer service that you were too busy picking out who were the "liars" on board to appreciate it.

I think the 'lie' the poster is referring to is being told multiple times there was not another cabin available in any category only to have the story change once they stated they were leaving the ship at port and had the means to do so. 

Of course guest services could have always contacted the dock yard, had an extra cabin air lifted to meet them in the ocean. Spent the next two days working tirelessly to weld it to the side of the ship, hook up plumbing and electrical, furnish and decorate it for them. In that case I most certainly agree with you.

If however an air lift cabin wasn't on stand by then I believe the poster is assuming they had (at least 1) empty cabin all along but GS did not wish to go through the headache of moving passengers and their accounts so GS chose to lie.

In either event I'm under the opinion that truly 'good customer service' would be not maintaining state rooms where there have been frequent complaints from past guests about all night noises coming from crew which prevent sleep entirely for the voyage. If that actually was the case. 

I don't think there's anything abnormal about it and I don't think it has anything to do with your age. I experience the same thing when traveling and I'm in my 30's. If you're the person who is used to taking care of things at home and you aren't there of course you're going to worry about what happens while you're gone.

Cruising is different as well, especially if you're taking longer ones. You're not just a phone call and a flight away. If something happens while you're at sea you are stuck there. I have pets as well so on top of the worry there is also the guilt of leaving them even when you know they are being well taken care of. 

I'm sure we've all experienced at least one 'drop everything and run' emergency calls from loved ones in our lives. The idea that were resigning ourselves to being unable to drop everything and run for a period of time should feel unsettling. This on top of the new environment were going to find ourselves in, familiarity breeds a feeling of safety unknown brings an element of fear and uncertainty.  

2 hours ago, Birdie And Sue said:

Or maybe it will be enough Vibe spaces so that it eliminates the mad rush that exists now and people have been wining about since day one.  Perfect example of a company doing something that has been (at least) indirectly requested by its customers and then catching hell over doing exactly what was asked for.  😮🙄

They were very popular for $100 a pop. Haven't read as much about them since they doubled to $200. From everything I've read people did ask for the ability to prebook, to buy day passes, to book slightly more than just the number of chairs. I don't recall anyone asking for them to double the price, dedicate 1/3rd of the deck space to it and remove sun space included in your ticket like H20/Spice and more than half the regular sun decks. 

They are purposely reducing the quality of other areas in the ship to bottleneck people towards the paywalls. You might have not bothered with Vibe before because you didn't find the congestion to be that bad. To get more people to pay they are making the congestion worse. They are making the situation on deck more chaotic and crowded intentionally so more people are willing to pay more to get away from it.  

It's like if they replaced all the MDRs with premium up charge restaurants. If the only thing included was the buffet for 4,000+ people how insane do you imagine it's going to be in there? What do you think your chances of getting a meal would be, how many days do you go until you crack and shell out more money at a premium and why is any of that something you'd want to deal with on vacation you paid for? 

I like NCL a lot but I don't like this direction, I thought it was bad enough just to see it happening to Encore. 

I've seen it mentioned a few times that Haven ticket prices supplement the lower ticket prices and there for everyone owes some debt of gratitude to the Havens for lowering their fair. I don't understand where this sentiment is coming from. It was my understanding that the boom in cruising interest  has risen the price for ALL passengers well beyond typical inflation. Also, if it's only Haven the rest of us have to thank for being able to afford our cruise then why are NCL ticket prices more expensive across the board than Carnival and Royal who do not have Haven? NCL non haven passengers would be spending far less for a similar inside/balc cabin on RCL if Haven was footing some of their bill. 

I'm all for agreeing that people who pay more for a cabin deserve the better cabin and people who pay for better amenities deserve better amenities but I draw the line at the idea some of the Haven people feel they have paid the way for the rest of us because they have paid more. Earning statement also shows they were doing just fine with small vibes at 1/2 the cost of the current. Prices aren't being lowered so the extra income NCL is getting isn't helping any passengers, Haven or not. 

When comparing new ship layouts to old the issue isn't Haven/Vibe receiving extra it's them receiving what once belonged to the 'rest of us' and there now not being enough room for the rest of us because NCL has taken it too far. I expect if you pay more for your concert ticket than I do you're going to get a better seat. I don't expect they will put the front row on risers so tall no one else who bought a ticket can see. 

At least Encore is a new ship, people don't have expectations or experience. I wonder how someone who booked Getaway will feel when suddenly parts of the ship that were listed as being available to them (or they knew were available from past sailings) is behind a pay wall when they board. 

Companies are for profit and they are going to push the line past it's breaking point then reel it in. They haven't hit their breaking point yet judging by their earning statements so you can expect more and more cutbacks until customers have enough and switch. 

NCL, Carnival and Royal now all seem to be offering the same mega ship experience with the exception of Haven. NCL is typically more expensive. I don’t know if NCL is setting itself apart enough to attract first time non haven cruisers. Children aren’t the ones paying, going full amusement park to spite the adults on board doesn’t seem like a long term pay off. Party is RCL/Carnival, Kids/family is Disney and now NCL. NCL is leaving a hole for a middle of the road, not a lux line-not a booze cruise-not a floating Chuck E cheese- to come take it’s place. NCL brand seems all over the place and doesn’t really know what it wants to be. 

Lux lines have very inconvenient itineraries, longer sailings with different embarkation and debarkation ports. The Manhattan/Boston terminals are incredibly convenient and typical NCL cruises are 1 week round trip making them ideal, so I do understand Haven guests wanting all the convince offered to them by NCL that the Lux lines are ignoring as well as all the other perks a bigger ship can offer. NCL also has amazing reward programs, CaS and latitudes. People don’t want to start at the bottom with a new line. I don’t see NCL getting into any trouble unless a line (say MSC) can take the midrange place they are beginning to leave vacant.    
 

Granted my experience with the Breakaway was 2 years before my recent time on the Escape but I enjoyed the Breakaway more. It seemed much less crowded but I don't know how close to capacity both sailings were. Escape only holds about 300 more but it sure seemed like a larger difference. Escape did have the Tapas place and that was incredible. 

8 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Most non smokers still have a working sense of smell, and short of replacing all the soft furnishings, drapes, carpet etc between sessions, the casino is still going to smell very unpleasant.

If there was space available, two separate facilities could be offered, and could provide evidence to indicate whether non smokers gamble less than smokers, or not. 

That's an interesting analogy. I too wouldn't mind more separation between the spaces so I suppose those who have been on Bliss would have a better idea. Though I'd imagine most smokers wouldn't feel limited to the smoking area, just limited to the smoking area while smoking where as non smokers wouldn't visit the smoking area at all. 

On Escape there was a bar which turned into a very crowded night club at night called Skylines located right next to the non smoking area of the casino, and on the opposite side of the non smoking area there is Oshehans, another bar and grill. Both of those were extremely popular and packed with people, I'm assuming some of which had to be non smokers. I would find it odd that non smokers would be willing to partake in these areas but non smoking gamblers would avoid an area a few feet closer to smokers to gamble. I also would imagine that serious gamblers who refuse to be close to smoking sections would investigate if a ships casino allows smoking before booking. 

8 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Cant believe it myself, non smokers are likely to have more disposable income, not having an expensive addiction to service.

It could be assumed people who gamble have less disposable income than those who don't but realistically without knowing their complete finances I'd have no way of knowing if the person who just dropped 10K at the casino is still going home sitting pretty or just lost their house on that bet. Smoking could be expensive but if you don't know their income/expenses you don't have any idea how much more or less they have to gamble with than you do.