Bakedzd81

On 2/17/2022 at 11:45 AM, Two Wheels Only said:

For the standard (not Haven/not wheelchair accessible) aft-facing balconies on Breakaway, there are differences in depth (by deck) and width. From deepest to least deep, the order is 9, 12, 11, 10, 14, 13. The differences in width vary between bed near balcony vs. bed near closet. Having the bed near the balcony will generally be wider than bed near the closet. Even then, not all "bed near the balcony" balconies are the same width when on the same deck (a few inches different). 

 

 

(using Getaway which is the same sizes/depths as Breakaway)

 

The balcony located port side of the wheelchair accessible stateroom is the narrowest on each deck. The exception is deck 10 which has 2 wheelchair accessible mini-....errr, Club Balcony suites. In that case, the port side one has the smaller/more narrow balcony.

 

I usually suggest the stateroom next to the aft-facing Haven suite. The configuration is bed near balcony (my preference) and the view to the side of the ship is still good. The center (wheelchair accessible) balcony gives the best views to both sides but those balconies should go to those who need them. 

 

For deck, I prefer 12. It offers a good size (2nd deepest) and has a good view. Going lower to deck 9 would give a slightly deeper balcony but the view wouldn't be as good. Going higher would give a better view but the balcony would be smaller/less deep and the possibility of noise from Spice H2O (under normal cruising) at night is a negative. 

 

12306/12906 would be my first choice.

 

9318/9918 would be second. The deck plans have errors so even though the indent shows the bed near the closet (9318), it is actually bed near balcony...

 

(9318)

YES! Heading out on 6/5 on 12306. The NCL advisor himself was surprised by the huge-ness of the balcony (I forget actual square footage but it was sig. more than deck 11 or 13). Really looking forward. 

Just sailed on the 2/20 - 7 days -  and spent a LOT of time at the casino. Everything is open; all slots, all tables. For the first half of the trip especially, the place really was a ghost town. Which was great...there were a few regulars at the craps table and plenty of room and time to shmooze the dealers. A lot of the cards dealers were stuck with empty tables for much of their shifts. It was kinda tough to watch but yes, cruising and the crowds will be back. Anyway, the crews were INCREDIBLY friendly. We're not high rollers so we were not hanging with the hosts but you can call NCL and ask. Best of luck and safe, fun sailing!

On 1/16/2022 at 4:30 PM, TominNC said:

Good luck.  We're on Encore next month 2/20, so I'm following every thread.  Any info is a plus.  Thanks

See you there, WOOOT!

Limey! Please keep the updates coming... this is great. More pics please (can you also send snaps of the daily program printouts?)!

Also, are the "Beatles" playing the Cavern Club? 

Thanks! 

Thanks for posting these updates!! Sailing vicariously with you on this one...we were scheduled to sail yesterday but my wife tested positive just before we flew out. She's fine but we were QUITE bummed. A quiet(er) sailing does not sound bad at all. Rebooked for 2/20...fingers crossed.  

16 hours ago, hallux said:

 

 

Keep in mind - that's for the more-sensitive PCR test.  For the antigen test it can be negative MUCH sooner as it's less sensitive.  I still wouldn't risk a re-booking in the next 2 weeks though as if the antigen test given at the pier shows positive the PCR re-test almost certainly would as well for a recently-recovered person.

Thank you! We're pushing to 2/20. As it is, NCL told us that we'd need 14 days from any positive tests which would have ruled out 1/23. 

Update/Resolution 🙏: The NCL rep (Giovanni) was VERY helpful and understanding. 

We rebooked for the 2/20 sailing...same ship, same itinerary, etc. The credit $ was not available yet so I paid cash for the new booking with the express confirmation that we'd receive a full refund once the credit hits our account. We'll need to follow up with NCL to make sure this all happens but for now, I'm satisfied. 

Thankfully, my wife is up and about. Some congestion and fogginess but otherwise, feelin good. 

18 hours ago, milolii said:

First off, I hope she does well.   People do still test positive for sometime after an infection.  So…you want to wait until you both test negative to rebook.  Just a thought.  
 

Smart move testing before you left home.  Good luck 

Thank you! Indeed, we're very happy we pre-tested before flying. I cannot imagine the frustration and tears had that happened soooo close to the ship. 

NCL offered a full refund but said it'd be processed even longer than the 14 biz day. That might be the only viable option though right now. 

It's just fascinating that we can't move our booking from 1/9 to 1/23. 

We were scheduled to sail (first time cruisers!) on the Encore 1/9 - 1/16. As we were flying from Baltimore to MIA, we tested before we left. What do you know...my wife tested positive (yes, we re-tested). 
We called NCL today and the rep told us they can process the cancellation credit ("credit" is the key word) which would be made manifest in 14 business days.
We want to sail on 1/23, same ship, same itinerary but the credit won't be available by then. 

If we pay cash then we'll have a $4K credit just hanging out which we don't want. 
Has anyone experienced this or can offer advice? 

15 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

The depth of the aft-facing balconies varies by deck. Deck 11 is not as deep as decks 9,12,15, or 14 (11 and 14 are nearly identical, though).  Balcony width also varies depending on bed location. Even 2 staterooms on the same deck with the same bed location can vary slightly in width.

 

While in motion, you might notice a vibration known as the azipod shimmy but some people don't even notice it.

 

Since there is no Spice H2O, you don't have to worry about late night noise from the music/bass.

 

If you were comfortable with the price that you paid and were happy with your choice at the time, you'll likely have a great cruise.

Thank you, Two Wheels! You know I'm now checking availability on 12 ; )

15 hours ago, Korlad said:

I keep hearing that people love the aft cabins to watch the wake but I'm the opposite. I find watching the same scene constantly kind of boring. I definitely prefer a standard balcony where I can see land better (at times) or a whale breaching or one time a huge school of dolphins that looked like they were racing the ship. Also depending on the port you get to watch the port operations when docked and they can be interesting. No right or wrong on this issue.

Thank you! Interesting to hear about the "boring" aspect. 

First time cruiser here! Looking to make this special and I've booked an aft facing balcony (11th Deck) for the 12/12-19 sailing. I can get a "regular" mid-ship balcony for about $1100 less. Is the aft facing balcony worth the splurge (and why!)?

Thanks in advance, Critics : )