Twelvevman

We sailed with our son at 13 months an when he turned 3. Some advise is to take any medication you think you may need. Items available on the ship are minimal. Take extra diapers and wipes as the change in diet can cause stomach issues. Make sure you bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animal for bedtime. A good umbrella stroller is a must. We brought one that reclined and had a sun shade.

The cruise activities will be centered around the child's schedule. Just go with the flow and have a great time.

I used a strap from an old pair of goggles.

Do the turtle farm on your own in Grand Cayman. We did it last year and it was a breeze. Just take the bus over which drops you off right at the entrance to the park. We were there for over an hour before the ship tours got there. We had the snorkeling lagoon all to ourselves. It was great.

Take the arms off an old pair of glasses and add a strap to keep them in place. They will now fit under the mask and not have leaks from the arms.

Look at the 2 bedroom family suite on NCL. Right now passengers 3-8 sail free (just pay port taxes). The 3 kids could take the 2nd bedroom and Grammy could us the sofa bed in the living room. We had this room on the Dawn and it was amazing. We have one booked for next year on the Gem. The current sale would also give you OBC, free drink package for first 2 passengers, free pre paid daily service charges for first 2 passengers and the ultimate dining plan for all passengers. It's a great deal.

I would put an extra copy of he cruise luggage tag in the outside pocket of the luggage. If the bag is lost there is a chance someone will find the tag and forward it to the ship.

Thank you. MY DH will be ecstatic. He looks forward to it every day. I think he would pick lox and bagels over steak.

If you get a suite, Cagneys has the lox and other fixings on the buffet and you can get the filet and eggs off the menu :D

My so turned 3 while on the Dawn. E was able to go to the kids club and the DSC started to be charged on the day he turned 3.

OK. This answers the question. Bad deal. :)

I bought 150 shares for $4658 two years ago when they first went public. As of today I am up just over 60%. Any OBC or free dinners I get are just icing on the cake.

Buy the stock if you think it's a good investment not for the OBC.

Thanks for the help everybody :). I think I will just contact the concierge right away to make my reservation. We really enjoyed in our previous cruise in the Dawn, so we don't want to miss it:D

If you are in a suite the pre-cruise concierge can and the reservation request without needing to pre-pay. I just did it for my Gem cruise coming up in June. Remember you can book 100 days out if in a suite.

You can call in to set up a reservation for 3 people. The other option is to book table of 4 and adjust it once onboard.

Scooters are available to rent but must be arranged prior to he cruise. http://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising#guestmob

I have badge reels. They attach to your belt and have a retractable string the card hangs on. I then put the card in my pocket. The reels are available at any office supply store or office section of places like Walmart. http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Baumgartens-BAU68824-Card-Reel-with-Belt-Clip-Stretches-30inch-Black/27351843?type=search

On last year's Dawn repo back to Boston they were able to get the Bruin's playoff games. In fact they set up a huge screen in the Atrium to show it.

Have not had them on the Gem yet, but I ahave always loved the Thai spring roll appetizer in the MDR. There are nights I will get 2 if the entrees don't excite me.

Of course you NEED to have at least 1 crepe from the buffett.

NCL has freestyle dining which is like Pincess anytime dining but done better. There is no traditional dining venue. NCL has a more relaxed dress code with no formal nights, but you can free to the 9's if that is your preference. Food was good on both lines. NCL has more choices for specialy dining. There is no champagne waterfall on NCL.

NCL uses salt water in the pools unlike the fresh water on princess. There is no MUTS screen on NCL. Rooms are a little smaller on NCL, but I found they had a better layout that more than made up for the difference. Bathrooms are much better on NCL (excluding EPIC). NCL uses glass doors and have bigger showers. No need to soap the curtain and spin :eek:

I personally like NCL beter, by would go on either.

They have watersides at the kids pool area but an 8 year old may find them too juvenile.

We did a 12 night repo cruise on the Dawn in a 2 bedroom family suite cut was a free upgrade from an aft penthouse when prices dropped. We became completely addicted to the suite life. It if far and away a much nicer experience then a non-suite cruise. I tell myself I will cruise without a suite again, but my next 2 cruises are in an aft penthouse and another 2 bedroom suite :D

I'm not sure about the t shirts and flip flops, but there are a few dining venues where shorts are not acceptable. And pools are salt water, not heated as far as I know.

You are allowed to wear sorts, tee shirts and flip flops in the smaller mid ship dining room. I have never had an issue wearing a nice pair of dockers type shorts. They are not allowed in the aft dining room or in Le Bistro. I am not sure if the other specialty restaurants would allow them as I have always dressed in pants for those venues.

Does anyone know if children get credit for the bonus points on a sailing (booking 9 months out, booking a suite or latitudes offers)? If they do my 4 year old will be platinum after our next cruise next June :eek:

Can OBC from NCL be used to pay these tips? I know they won't pay for the daily service charge but I was wondering if this was different.

 

Thanks!

We had no problem using our OBC towards the butler and concierge tips.

Yes, please keep the flip flops and shorts at the buffet and by the pool - not in the MDR's. You can also always order room service.

I usually wear a nice pair of dockers shorts and flip flops to dinner at the less formal mid-ship dining room. It is within the rules set by NCL. I don't see how that would affect you in any way, but if it does, please go to the aft dining room where pants and closed toe shoes are required. Don't think you can tell me where I can eat.

You can bring it to the dining room and they will bring you a glass of ice if you request it.

So no-one really knows where we dock in Cozumel? Can I make a request that anyone who is on this cruise when it begins in Oct(?), can post this. Also, my itinerary doesn't say we will be tendered at any port - are you sure we are tendered in Belize?

In Cozumel you may also need to tender depending on the number of ships in port. I have also had to tender in Roatan.

I have gone to the excursion desk upon boarding to find certain excursions sold out. Popular excursions will sell out well in advance. These include dolphin swims and cabanas at Great Stirrup Cay.

How long does it take for NCL to reply?

 

I sent NCL two emails so far (on July 14th and 23rd). So far I have not received any reply whatsoever.

Normally I would have expected at least some automatic response mail along the lines of "Thank your for your message. We will get back to you asap."

 

However, I have not heard from them at all. Should I try calling them?

What has been your experience?

I would call or fax in the documents. I had a problem last year and it was due to the email getting mis-routed. Do not trust sending them email...it goes to a black hole.