coastcat

On Bliss but not Joy:

Thermal Spa

Margaritavilla (flat rate specialty restaurant)

Los Lobos (a la carte specialty restaurant)

Coco's (desserts, a la carte)

Studio cabins/Studio Lounge

Current shows: Jersey Boys and Six

On Joy but not Bliss:

Galaxy Pavilion (virtual reality games)

American Diner (a la carte specialty restaurant)

A second Starbucks

Pool-sized hot tub in Spice H2O

Concierge cabins

Current shows: Footloose and Elements

I think those are the major differences although there are probably more.

2 hours ago, iggyc said:

We were in a balcony and I put a bid in to upgrade to a mini suite.  last night I noticed that the mini suite was being offered at the same cost as my balcony. I called my NCL representative and he called me back and upgraded us for free.  That’s good customer service

Same here. I checked current prices to decide if I wanted to bid on any upgrade, and surprise! Looking forward to the upgraded shower. The rep did warn me that this kind of upgrade was a one-shot deal, but I figured the odds of Concierge dropping to below BD pricing (with a solo cruiser discount) were minimal.

This guide might help: https://www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/los-angeles-airport-guide.htm

Looks like an inexpensive hotel is the best alternative but of course not the cheapest. Otherwise, walk to the international terminal (staying within the secured area) and get comfy there until restaurants reopen. 

5 hours ago, Nattygan78 said:

we are going the jan 12  cruise on joy. we have a BD catergory on deck 15. we got the upgrade offer today as well.  the mini suite is now less than what we paid..except our free at sea offers included airfare. Debating on bidding on a haven room, but not really sure. This is our first cruise.

Tempting, isn’t it? I’ll wait for a longer cruise before bidding on a Haven cabin, though. I called NCL and got a free bump up to a deck 15 mini suite, and that’s good enough for this cruise. 

Just got my upgrade offers for the January 12 Joy sailing (5-day Mexican Riviera). I'm currently booked in a BD balcony as a solo traveler, with the full array of Free At Sea plus a $50/port extra shore excursion credit. I'm actually quite content with my current deck 13 forward balcony but it might be nice to move...

This is what they're offering (prices per person):

• Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite (H2): $1500-$2985
• Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa (H4): $1250-$2750
• Haven Courtyard Penthouse (H5) or Aft Penhouse (H6): $600-$2000
• Haven Aft Penthouse (H6): $600-$2000
• Haven Forward-facing Penthouse (H7), connecting stateroom (H8), or Penthouse Suite (HA, HS): $400-$1500
• Concierge Family Suite (CA): $350-$1000
• Concierge Penthouse (CB, CC): $300-$1000
• Concierge Family Inside (CF): $200-$750
• Mini-Suite: $25-$400

Okay, I have some questions here. Is Joy concierge really worth the upgrade? If I were going to put in a concierge bid, I might as well go up another $100 for the Haven, right?

On the other hand, mini suites (MA, not Sail Away) are currently priced a little below what I paid for the BD cabin. Should I just call NCL, ask nicely for a free upgrade to MA or at least to a mid-ship BA, and leave it at that?

49 minutes ago, hallux said:

Too bad you're not in the Studio section, they have one of these, on the Bliss anyway - https://www.wmf-coffeemachines.com/en_com/wmf-5000-s.html

 

Only people staying in the Studio area have access to that lounge, except just before dinner.  Think of it like The Haven but for solo cruisers and not outside.

... which is why I opted for a Studio on my first cruise. Balcony schmalcony, I’m a Seattle gal and need my lattes. I used that machine many, many times. 
 

However, my normal travel mode is to switch to iced café au lait using Starbucks Via packets (Colombia or Veranda), milk from the breakfast buffet, and ice. Not the same, but it’ll do for a week. 

The only difference in the two categories is that the T8 cabins have a connecting door in the wall between the shower and toilet and the T1 cabins have a solid wall. The door has two wall pegs for hanging stuff, as does the wall. Just pick your Studio cabin based on location, not category, unless you actually need the connecting door.

NCL is an informal cruise line. Think more "going out to dinner at a nice local restaurant" rather than "meeting Queen Elizabeth" even for the fancier Le Bistro and Manhattan restaurants. If you want to get more dressed up you can do so, and if you don't then you don't have to. 

I'm putting together my wardrobe for my January Mexican Riviera cruise and am thinking of getting this dress to wear at dinner. Add sandals and a pretty necklace, and that's fine. In Alaska, I wore tailored trousers, a long-sleeve t-shirt, and a colorful silk scarf draped around my shoulders when I dined at Le Bistro; some patrons that evening were more casual, others were more dressy. The rest of the time, I wore nice jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts to dinner, no worries. 

1 hour ago, Jolee Marie said:

Leave it to me to worry about nothing.

Well heck, it sounds like you need a cruise! 😎

1 hour ago, Jolee Marie said:

So far we have only gotten 2 reservations for restaurants and we have 5 in our package.  My travel agent told me Haven gets 1st choice.  I asked if as should be paying for early boarding.  We have made sure are airplane reservations are early I did not know that was an option but shoud  we pay that to make sure we get on board on time if there are alot of people ahead of us. I am a sun worshiper.  I was reading about the deck in Haven and it sounds fantastic.  I have read about Vibe beach.  It also sounds fantastic but only 50 passes are sold.

Haven guests get the edge (that's one of the perks) but that doesn't mean you'll be locked out of opportunities!

Assuming you have an iPhone or Android, be sure to download the NCL app now and get it set up. You'll be able to use it before the cruise to book some restaurants and shows plus (I think) all the NCL-sold excursions. But here's the good bit... as soon as you pick up your cruise card, connect to the ship's wifi network and open the NCL app. Only 20% of restaurant spots are available pre-cruise which means that the other 80% are available to book onboard. You don't need to go to your room or to the wall monitors to grab seats at the places you want to try - use the app! Sure, the sooner the better, but you don't need to be the first onboard either.

If you can't snag a Vibe pass, go to Spice H2O and enjoy the free sunshine there. Look for a sunny spot on the Waterfront. Chill out on your balcony and wriggle your bare feet in the breeze. It's all good when someone else is doing the dishes, right?

1 hour ago, Jolee Marie said:

I really getting discouraged about this trip.  We're not in Haven or any elite group.  Do the passengers who are not in one of these groups get passed over / ignored because we're not in one of the expensive rooms ?

Last month I sailed on Bliss as a middle-aged female solo traveler with zero status on NCL, booked in a Studio room. I dressed in Alaska-appropriate casual attire most of the time. I ate in the MDRs, dined at 4 specialty restaurants including the elegant Le Bistro (okay, I dressed up a tiny bit here), tried out various bars... and never once did I feel like a second-class citizen. Not during check-in, not in the restaurants, not anywhere.

Relax. Have fun! If you can grab a reservation at Le Bistro, try the profiteroles. 

I'll be on the Joy in January, and thanks to a generous solo discount I'll be in a balcony too. Can't wait!

1 hour ago, scottca075 said:

 

Don't forget the new Uber rules at LAX....

Considering the absolute madhouse that is LAX arrivals, I'm happy to walk a few minutes and then get in the car of a less-stressed Lyft driver.

Based on the discussion here, I've booked the Crowne Plaza for the night before my NCL cruise. My LAX flight home leaves around 3:30pm. The only ShoreEx NCL offers post-cruise are three 5-hour tours and you can't sign up unless your flight leaves after 5pm or so. (normally I wouldn't bother, but darn it, I have a $100 ShoreEx credit for each port and that includes LA post-cruise) On the other hand, the earliest I can check my bag with the airline is 11:30am.

Has anyone ever left their luggage with the Crowne Plaza for a few hours after disembarking? It's never been a problem at hotels to drop off before check-in or store for a few hours after check-out, but I've never asked to do that nearly a week after check-out. I'd rather do that and then play tourist in Long Beach for a few hours than go straight to the airport for six hours of boredom.

Also, are there any excellent espresso places in San Pedro or Long Beach?

1 hour ago, cafetao said:

They did have some Frederique Constant in the middle range. But the prices were pretty meh. I might have jumped at a moon phase if the prices were better. 

I only went for the Citizen because at that price point, the difference between "best price you can find on the gray market" and ship price isn't that much. I know I could have bought that Citizen from Jomashop for less, but the differential is the price of a couple souvenir sweatshirts rather than the price of a Haven suite. 

Probably a good thing that I didn't spot the FC collection. They offer some of the prettiest ladies' moonphases...

I found a thread from this summer with dailies from an Epic cruise:

Looks like there was a daily informal (unhosted) LBGTQ+ meetup every evening. I remember seeing a daily meeting in my Bliss dailies last month, too.

6 hours ago, cafetao said:

I'm a bit of a horologist and like to see if they had anything interesting.  I was surprised to see a couple Tag Heuer tourbillions, but frankly for the price Tag was asking you can get a much better watch elsewhere.  

Fellow watch enthusiast here. The selection onboard puzzled me: fashion  and inexpensive brands (Anne Klein, Invicta, Citizen), high-end watches (Montblanc, Hublot), and nothing in between except a small selection of Longines.  
 

But what the heck, I added another Citizen Eco-Drive to my collection. 

The Observation Lounge has suitable tables close to the bar area, but it’s not quiet and often busy. I’ve seen suggestions to use the tables in the specialty restaurants on deck 8 before they open for dinner. 

FYI, although the Studio Lounge does have light snacks (cookies and lemon loaf/pound cake) 24/7, you need to be a Studio guest to access it as it’s in the keycard-limited Studio area. 
 

Handy tip: Finding seating in the Garden Cafe can be challenging. Leave the buffet and exit to the open-air seating. Even at prime time, you’ll probably find open tables  there. On the port side, there’s a beverage station by the bar. 

 

34 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

Coastcat:  There are no online reservations for 1, 3 or 5.  Make a reservation for 2 online and when you board tell guest services that you will be a solo party.

There are solo reservations available, but only for some of the restaurants! I've already reserved (100 days before the cruise) for both La Cucina and Q. I also had the option to make a solo reservation at Cagney's but nah.

I asked an NCL rep about it, who advised me to try again after embarkation when a lot more reservation slots will open up. I didn't book ahead of time on the Bliss but had no problem booking a solo table for Le Bistro once I got there (Teppanyaki and Ocean Blue were already sold out by that evening so I'm hoping to get into one of them on Joy).

I booked that exact cruise yesterday as a solo traveler, and recently took my first cruise on the Joy's sister ship (Bliss). I'm a quiet middle-aged introvert who likes "good enough" food and wine when traveling for non-foodie purposes. I avoid children and noise and crowds. Yet I loved cruising on the Bliss.

• The kids' activities are mainly on two levels, deck 5 for the youngest and deck 16 for the older set and water activities. School-aged children will be at school in mid-January anyway. I saw a few on my late September cruise but only a few.
• On a huge ship like this, there are quiet pockets and noisy areas. You can find the environment you prefer. 
• The restaurants, both complimentary and specialty, are good enough. Not brilliant, but if I were cruising for the food I'd book on Oceania. I went to four speciality restaurants and two of the main dining rooms, as a party of one, and never felt uncomfortable or like I was treated less graciously than other guests.

The Joy, like the Bliss, features an amazing Observation Lounge. I spent a lot of time there, reading and enjoying the view. I also got in the morning habit of getting a flat white from Starbucks (Joy and Bliss have actual Starbucks locations, not just "proudly serving", so I could pay with my Starbucks app and earn stars) and then walking the full length of the Waterfront.

NCL is offering low fares on that cruise so hey, it could be worth a try.

Based on my one experience with Cagney's, I'd cancel that and book both La Cucina and Teppanyaki.  

Hoping to get into Teppanyaki on the next cruise but right now it's only accepting reservations for parties of 2/4/6/8 (and I'm happily on my own). It booked up fast after boarding on my September cruise but fingers crossed I'll get in this time...

1 hour ago, hallux said:

That might be because it was shrimp.  When I had it in April it was the filet with 4 shrimp on a skewer.

Nope, it was lobster tail in the menu description and lobster tail on the plate (complete with shell). Probably would have been better off if they’d stuck with the shrimp. 

On the Bliss last week and dined at La Cucina, Le Bistro, and Cagney's on the SDP plus Food Republic a la carte. The problem is that we all have different preferences and different experiences, so you may just have to pick what sounds good and hope for the best!

• Cagney's: crab cake appetizer and surf & turf entree, no dessert. I was raised in Maryland and thus have certain standards for crab cake; Cagney's succeeded on the lightness of filler and crispiness of edges, but that was not lump crab meat. Still, it was okay. I hated the surf & turf. That was the worst lobster tail I've ever tasted (gave up after two bites - flavor was off, texture was off). The turf part was filet mignon, which was cooked properly but had the usual lack of flavor. I didn't stick around for dessert, and in fact adjourned to the Garden Cafe buffet to get something decent to eat. (ouch)
• La Cucina: fried calamari appetizer, branzino entree, cannoli dessert. The cannoli filling was a little gritty and the shell a bit too thick, but that's not a major quibble. I still ate it happily. If I sail the Bliss again, I'll be back at La Cucina again.
• Le Bistro: blue crab salad appetizer, Dover sole entree, profiteroles for dessert. More please.
• Food Republic: lemon miso black cod skewers, pork belly dumplings. The dumplings were a little weird since I'm used to the traditional ground meat filling and this was more of a shredded pork, but still tasty. The black cod skewers were the single best thing I ate on the ship. I meant to return to FR but never got around to it.

Hopefully I'll be able to get an Ocean Blue reservation next time - I think it and Teppanyaki were booked solid before we left the dock in Seattle.

Guess I accounted for 1% of the Bliss daily tea consumption last week. I drank hot tea at the Garden Cafe buffet, Observation Lounge, Studio Lounge, two of the MDRs, the pan-Asian Food Republic, the "we actually have a dress code" Le Bistro, and La Cucina. 

What surprised me is that every single one of these venues offered only Lipton tea bags. I would have expected something more posh (or at least better disguised) at the specialty restaurants. Silly me.

I love iced tea but the version served last week tasted really odd. Was it based on herbal tea? Whatever it was, I gave up on it and switched to the hot tea which I could at least identify.

Lesson learned: pack a few cartons of Twinings if I sail on NCL again.

On 9/25/2019 at 4:05 AM, nyc2pdx said:

I am a solo traveler, and an introvert. The idea of a ship inside of a ship sounds heavenly to me. I am not going on a cruise for the ports...I have a very intense middle management job that I want to escape from for a week. No internet, phone...the pampering sounds like a real vacation for me.

Another introvert who prefers solo travel and just completed her first cruise... Although the idea of the Haven is indeed appealing, there are enough quiet spots here and there to refresh your mind and settle your nerves even if you're in the cheap seats (or in my case, in the Studios).

The best thing about the cruise was that the most complex question I had to answer for a whole delightful week was "would you like to see the wine list?"

Yes. Yes I would.

I didn't embark early enough to visit Taste/Savor for lunch (both closed at 2pm) and the buffet was still a zoo, so I headed for the Observation Lounge. Highly recommended - light lunch items were available (salad, soup, sandwiches, desserts), there's a full bar, and it's still empty enough at that time for you to check out the different seating areas to pick a favorite. All of my lunches were eaten on the ship, all but one in the Observation Lounge. Loved that place.

Food Republic was not open for lunch but I had dinner there that night. Their black cod skewers were my single favorite food item from the entire cruise.

If it's a "real" Starbucks location like on the Bliss, you can use a Starbucks card or your Starbucks app. You cannot redeem stars for free drinks or upgrades, but you WILL earn stars for your purchases. I just got off Bliss this morning and verified that I earned about 68 stars while at sea.

There are other locations which serve Starbucks coffee/espresso but those would be charged to your room or the upgraded beverage package. Only the Starbucks location on deck 6 (across from Guest Services) lets you use your card and earn points. Alas, I didn't catch the name of the barista who created this cute bear on my flat white...