NauticalOtter

They haven’t announced it yet. I wouldn’t expect anything like that to come out till late Q1 to early Q2 of next year.

This. If they see any sort of cloudy discharge (not that kind 😒) coming out of a balcony, they need to shut that down with the swiftness. its not that vaping is a fire hazard (more than using anything else with a Li-ion battery is), but it can’t be policed and tobacco smokers will start breaking rules…and that’s when people can get hurt. I say this as someone who vapes. I get it, it’s annoying but I go to the smoking areas like I’m supposed to (or at least next to them if they are crowded and extra Smokey)

That…sounds…absolutely dreadful. Where do you even store clothes for that many adults in a cabin? 💀

i agree that in a vacuum, the menu change is a value downgrade for passengers, but (at least for the prima and her sisters) there are MANY other additional complimentary options for dining on top of the MDR. Obviously the buffet, then there is the local (another table service restaurant if that’s what you prefer) as well as the indulge food hall that is mostly included (select items are paid). As someone who is allergic to shrimp and tries to stick to more poultry than red meat, am I happy with this particular menu (assuming it doesn’t change when it switches between Europe and the Caribbean, which I believe it will) no, but my fallback roasted chicken dinner is still on there, so if all else fails I know I will enjoy the hell out of that 😂 (to be clear though, I say this as someone who eats dinner in the MDR 3 nights max on a 7 day cruise and maybe do breakfast once)

I’ve learned to just add 30 minutes to the posted port time as a base. Rarely have I seen the gangway opened sooner than that, usually later (especially post covid). I personally wouldn’t book something that tight (though truth be told I don’t often do excursions in the Caribbean anyway, too hot for me 😂). Maybe someday I’ll book my dream Alaska cruise and be inspired to leave the ship for more than a lap around the port.

I booked March 2024 on viva through the cruise next desk last month. Wish I held on to the brochure but I’m pretty sure they still had bookings posted for July ‘23 (I think it was specifically the last week of the month). But yeah, anticipating delays, I gave myself a few months of buffer (also we prefer to save money and cruise off season since we don’t have kids to worry about)

This was like the main thing I put on my post cruise survey after my latest cruise in July. I, someone who is very into keeping up with the latest news and watching cruise bloggers, etc, struggled to figure out what NCL wanted from me. Confusingly, they sent the pre boarding safety video THREE separate times, but really never mentioned covid testing/what they want/where to get it save it being buried in a PDF attachment in a single email the month before. It amazes me that more people don’t mess up something pre boarding because they do not make it easy. Also…we never got a final email receipt of our on board accounts. Thank god mine was still the same number as when I got off the ship because otherwise I’d have no idea ***** I’d have been charged for (and yes, I literally stopped in the middle of writing this to make sure I didn’t miss it….it never arrived). My partner however had $425 of unknown mystery charges hit his account the day after the cruise. Called NCL every day for 3 days, could never get ahold of anyone and then on day 4 the charge magically got reversed. (He never got a final bill either)

GAHHHHH I was just on the breakaway two weeks ago. So envious. I cannot stand Pepsi (Sierra Mist whatever but, Pepsi 🤢)

There are just a certain percentage of people that regardless of what you do, just won’t do it which boggles my mind b/c you more than likely walked RIGHT past your muster station the second you walk on the ship…just let the poor folks scan your damn cruise card and get on with your day. Like even if NCL was handing out free champagne at the muster point for checking in I still think they would not bother to go till hunted down by staff. Boggles my mind.

random question: but have you tried zinc oxide sunscreens? They sit on top of the skin rather than absorbing into it. Downsides: kind of a pain to apply (you have to like *really* rub them in and they wear off more quickly. Benefits: don’t absorb into the skin and don’t make you hot(ter) like chemical sunscreens which work by converting the UV radiation to heat. For Caribbean cruises I tend to take Thinksport’s zinc oxide. It’s pretty gentle on the skin* and is actually reef safe (unlike a lot of brands that advertise as such but aren’t really). Which is helpful in certain locales that have laws about what type of sunscreen you can use (never actually seen it enforced, but I’d rather just not be part of the problem). *edit: I have pretty sever psoriasis which doesn’t tolerate many sunscreens and lotions without flaring up more than normal…never had issues with the brand i mentioned. I definitely don’t use it in my day to day though: a. I’m a Midwest boy and don’t have any reefs to worry about destroying. B. It takes quite a bit of rubbing in over other zinc oxide lotions I prefer instead (because it’s got larger zinc particles which is why is actually reef safe)…and I don’t have time to be spending 5-10 minutes putting on sunscreen when I’m not half drunk on vacation 😂

IMO I think NCL is trying to become a “premium family” line. That’s at least how the new ships are reading to me. I was about to hop ship (literally) and try out celebrity for my next cruise, but NCL hooked me back in with these new ships. That said, I’m really not happy with the value NCL provides vs celebrity for onboard amenities. Celebrity includes WiFi in their everything included promotion (think free at sea) ALONG WITH gratuities (as in, it’s not a separate line item and the price of a prima balcony vs equivalent on the beyond are close enough that it really doesn’t matter (depending on the exact booking they flip flop on which is more expensive). I’ve stuck with NCL for years because I really enjoy the freestyle dining structure (and the crew, NCLs crew is always fantastic) but I don’t utilize any of the extras that NCL throws on their ships. And would rather have like…more pool space (hence why I’ve booked far off for the Viva with plenty of time to cancel if the reviews don’t pan out 😂 (I’ll move the booking to a jewel class…love those ships)

Ive never had issues with the adults staying in haven, but good god it seems that every time I cruise peak season there is ALWAYS a group of “haven teens” who I will come across every night roaming the top decks like a pack of hunting dogs (I like to have a smoke out on the top deck then do a couple laps around the ship by myself while my partner sleeps). They say and do the most stupid/ignorant/entitled things I’ve ever witnessed in person. My last cruise on the breakaway in July, said group would spend every night sitting/laying/sprawling across the forward stairs outside of the haven and when another passenger (a man much older than myself) asked them if they could, you know, not block the stairs. One of the little brats told him no, that he can walk around, then overheard them as I was walking away saying something about “the nerve of these people” the rage, the rage…I had to go up for another smoke after that 😂

The impression I’m getting is that they are trying to position themselves as a premium family line. Passenger to crew ratios of something you’d find on celebrity (and presumably a level of service increase across the board) along with some of the fun extras for the kiddos/Thrillseekers. The ships are also structured more like celebrity’s ships. Literally 1 deck w/ ocean view available (deck 5) and relatively few inside cabins (most everything is balcony+) That said, if NCL wants to go this route they need to provide the value that premium lines offer for their higher price (looking at you included unlimited WiFi package). The pricing is also communicating this (across the board it’s more comparable to a booking on celebrity beyond than RC’s wonder of the seas ( both new ships).

Just got off of the Breakaway and the presentation on the Leo class still confirms this information as correct/current. (Hope it stays that way because I just booked a Viva sailing for 2024 😂)

CDC guidance at this point is to quarantine for 5 days. If you have a mild case and test negative 1-2 days before then you should be cleared to board (NCL would gladly have you as you’d carry basically zero covid risk for them while on board). That said I’ve definitely seen people take longer to recover so, probably best to cancel and reschedule. Even if you’re “better” you might have lingering fatigue or lacking your sense of smell which would just make for an awful trip.