missingmaui

We are looking at the Dream for the Oct. 9, 2021 Eastern Caribbean itinerary.  Currently, the required deposit is $500 under the Welcome Back promo from our January sailing.  Do you think that there will be a better reduced deposit promotion any time in the near future?  I don't mind paying $500 up front if I have to, but I'd prefer to put down less if possible and let that money earn interest before I make final payment in July 2021.  I think we've been spoiled, because we've always booked under $50/person deposit sales. 

6 hours ago, eileen2664 said:

 

Ok, so I've got 5 months to get the kid to drink the powder mix (apparently it tastes different ::) ) since the stuff he likes only comes in plastic bottles.  If he wasn't underweight I wouldn't worry so much about a week without the extra fat/protein.  At least he can get his noodles, he'll be happy about that 🙂 Do they happen to have whole milk on board or is it only low-fat?  Whole milk would make feel a bit better.

I have 7 year olds (not picky eaters, though) that LOVE the Carnation shakes- they've had one every single morning since they were 2.  😳  They agree that the powder tastes different and won't drink shakes made with it- the bottles are super convenient, but the powder is so much cheaper!  We were on the Vista in October and they had cartons of whole, 2%, skim and chocolate (I think the chocolate was 2%).  Maybe you can grab some of the milk flavoring straws before you go and he'll drink whole milk?  There is such a big variety of food, hopefully he can find something that will meet his protein needs!  

I agree- book soonish.  Spring break trips fill up really quickly after the holidays!

On 9/30/2019 at 5:14 PM, bury me at sea said:

Steakhouse and Chef's Table reservations have historically not been recorded in Cruise Manager.  Your e-mail confirmation should suffice.

 

I hope some who have pre-paid for reservations will let us know if they are showing in Cruise Manager.

I pre-paid for our Steakhouse reservation last week, but did not receive an email confirmation.  It IS listed under my Cruise Manager, but does not have the reservation time listed.  I wish that the system was consistent across the board.  I called Carnival to double check the time, and they said that all reservations are handled directly through the ship and can only be modified or verified via the original confirmation email (which I did not receive...). I'm hoping that everything works out on board!

I can confirm the above from the Vista in early October- ESPN and Yahoo leagues were fine, but daily/weekly games on DraftKings are blocked.  We upgraded to the Premium WiFi and were still unable to access it.  Our VPN was of no help either.  We set our teams in Cozumel and prayed that no one got hurt. 

25 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

I saved every FunTimes schedule from our 5 day Dream cruise July 27-Aug 1 of this year. I'll scan them in and post it later today.

I'm not the OP, but we just booked this cruise for January with a group of first-timers as well- thanks for offering to share!

18 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

How many perks are you getting at that price? You said that that was the total cost for the upgrade (so including the grats on the perks, those are the added charge at booking). In your shoes I would probably go for it. It sounds like you are talking about 5 drinks per person per day. At a price of $10-$12 per drink you are already talking about a $500-$600 value. For me personally, choosing my room also has value to me probably in the range of $300-$500. I’m a sensitive sleeper and the rooms under the pool deck/gym or above the theater would not be ok with me. And especially since you are traveling in a group so having rooms close to each other would be nice. If you are getting other perks included at that price it would be an easy yes for me.

The included perks are: Free UBP, free dining, free wifi, and shore excursion credit.  3/4 passenger is also free, but that won't apply to our bookings.  I'm really leaning towards choosing our room and takng the perks.  Thank you!

1 hour ago, irishred said:

Let's look at the math: It is a difference of $869. On a five night sailing you get two free specialty dining nights, which they value at $79 per person. So let's take that off the $869 total, so divide that by 5 nights=$158. Divide that by 2 people per room, and that is $79 per day..

 

Is each person likely to drink less or more than $79 in drinks per day? That is probably about 6-7 alcoholic drinks when you add gratuities. NCL automatically adds these to your total as soon as you click the button adding the "Free at Sea" package, so I think (?) that the big price difference indicates it is included in the rates you are quoting already. So keep in mind, a few hundred of what you are seeing in that final quote is money you would have spent anyway on gratuities when you paid for the drinks on the ship.

 

So what it boils down to: is each person, on vacation, likely to drink on average 6 or more drinks per day? If so, then this is a good deal. If not, then you will save money with the Sail Away. 

 

As someone mentioned, add in sodas, etc., and there is more value. If you have the "Take All Five" deal, and are going to use the Wi-Fi and/or Shore Excursion credits, then you need to add in that value too. Then factor in any value you give to having your choice of room selection, if you do assign any value to it. 

 

It really comes down to what the best plan is for you:)

 

 

 

Thank you!  This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for.  I'm not sure why, but I've been having trouble finding value/cost for specialty dining, which made the math frustrating.  I appreciate the break-down!

The

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

My guess is that your 5-6 drinks a day could end up costing $6-700 over the 5 days (based on 11 drinks between you per day at $10 per drink). Add in a few soft drinks and the dining package and you could be there.

 

However, the gratuity on the beverage package is $40 per day for the two of you, so an additional $200. If that had been included in your original numbers then I think it would potentially have been worth it, but as it isn’t then that probably makes the difference.

The taxes on the beverage package actually ARE included in my price quotes above- those are the all-in (minus gratuities) prices.  :)

2 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

If you drink a reasonable amount then you could easily spend $300+ each on drinks, perhaps significantly more. Add in any dining and it gets quite close even before adding in the value of picking your room. You say that you are moderate drinkers, but what does that mean? A couple of glasses of wine, a cocktail and one other drink a day each will probably come to nearly $100 a day for the two of you.

 

 

Does the free at sea rate you quoted include the gratuities on the perks? That could also make a difference.

 

 

You're right- moderate wasn't very specific.  When we cruise with family, we generally have 2 drinks during the day and a glass of wine with dinner.  With friends, it will probably be more like 2-3 drinks during the day, 2 glasses of wine and perhaps a drink after dinner.  My husband will definitely drink soft drinks if they are already accounted for in the budget. 

And no, gratuities are not included, though that would be nice.  It's interesting to see how NCL has evolved since we've last sailed with them. 

Thanks for the replies so far!  I appreciate them. 

We are looking at the Getaway from New Orleans for Jan 12-17, 2020.  There will be 3 couples going, and the other 2 couples have never cruised before.  My husband and I are not new cruisers, but haven't sailed NCL in years. 

The Sail Away balcony rate (BX)  is $972, while the "Free at Sea" rate is $1841 for a BD balcony.  For those who have sailed in the past several years, will we get $900 worth of value per couple to make the room selection and "free" options a smarter choice?  It would be nice to have rooms together, but it's not a deal breaker if we go the Sail Away route. We are moderate drinkers on vacation, and do enjoy the specialty restaurant venues when we cruise.

I realize that value is subjective, but that seems to be a large price jump for a 5 night cruise.  Thanks for your help!

Thanks for posting your review!  We'll be on the Vista on October, and I cannot wait.  It's always fun to get a little preview of what's to come.  🙂

On 7/23/2019 at 9:09 PM, sanmarcosman said:

Vista Class Deck Plan Info has this:

Self-Service Launderettes

Hours: hours posted on the door to the Laundry

 

• 2 or 3 washers and 2 or 3 dryers ($)
• 1 iron and ironing board
• Vending machines dispense small boxes of detergent and water softener ($)

Locations - Launderettes

Deck 2 - midship / across from 2381

Deck 6 - midship / across from 6347

Deck 7 - midship / across from 7345

Deck 8 - midship / across from 8339

Deck 9 - midship / across from 9278

 

Thank you so much!  I was about to ask this question as well,  because I didn't see the laundry rooms on the deck plans.  🙂

Is anyone using Drivewise via the Allstate App? When I download the Drivewise app, I get an error that states "We have moved to the Allstate app!". Drivewise is active in my Allstate app, but it won't show me how many points I have (just says "Your points are safe, we're updating your account"), or give me an option to enter any of these promo codes.

I'm following along- thanks for the review! We leave on the 8th, and have never sailed on the Dawn.

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We are sailing in 2 weeks on the Dawn with our 4 year old twins- I'll report back! [emoji4]

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I've given up on staying outside of the areas I know, so French Quarter/Warehouse District it is. There is a 4* hotel in the French Quarter for $106 that is 80% recommended, with a 4/5 Tripadvisor rating. Any ideas on which one this is currently? Also, any ideas on targeting hotels with cheaper parking? 2 cars at $45/each? Ouch! We're planning on parking at the cruise terminal, so I guess we could park one car there on Saturday and carpool to the hotel.

Thank you! It's a shame we are so close to NO and don't get down there very often. I'll look into those suggestions!

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I believe the 3* with 85% recommendation is Holiday Inn Westbank Tower. That's my educated guess at least.

Thank you- I'd narrowed it down to that one as well. The area probably isn't where I'd prefer to stay with kids, so I'll keep looking. We'll probably end up across the river. I'll keep my fingers crossed that an amazing deal pops up in the next few days, because we're running out of time!

We're leaving January 8 from New Orleans and need to book a pre-cruise room for 1 night. We're driving to NO from North LA, and will park at the cruise terminal for the week, so we'll have to valet or use public parking for the hotel stay. There are some great deals on the West Bank, but I'm concerned about the driving distance to port the next morning.

Any ideas which hotwire hotels are 3* in the West Bank Area? I'm having a hard time passing up a $70 room for one night with free parking in lieu of a nicer room for more than double that after valet parking!

I cannot help, having only cruised on NCL, but I find it slightly amusing that you haven't even sailed yet and are already complaining about being "nickled & dimed". If you are that concerned about policies that you KNOW are in effect before you sail, perhaps you should stick with the lines that you are happy with.

Perfect- Thank you! The problem was that my cabin had booked our SDP dinners already, so this one was going to be OOP for us. My parents reserved for all of us under their SDP reservations, and we'll pay for our meals onboard. I appreciate the help!

We are travelling with my parents in separate cabins. We'd like to dine together some nights, and I'm not sure how to book the dining reservations to indicate this. I'm afraid that if we book separately, we won't be able to sit together. Any advice on how to go about booking people in separate cabins for dinner together? Thanks! Only 78 days until we sail! :)

My husband played here several years ago, and will again in January. He paid $50 for the caddie, and was paired with a golf pro, and a mother/son duo. As I recall, the caddie and cart fees were per person. He's an avid golfer, and still say that Black Pearl is one of the best courses he's played.

Thank you! The extra room would be nice, but if the kids aren't comfortable, it's not worth it. I'm hoping that our OV room has a trundle bed instead of two uppers. I'll have to ask our PCC if he knows.

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We are sailing on the Dawn in Feb 2017. In our room, there will be 2 adults and 2 4-year-olds. My parents will be in an adjoining cabin. Currently, we're booked in OB Oceanview cabins, because they accommodate 4 people.

Space-wise, would we be better switching to 2 balcony cabins and booking one of the kids in my parents' room on paper (they would both sleep in our room). I can't quite grasp how much more space there is in a balcony vs an oceanview room on the Dawn. I'm also not sure how both kids would sleep in a balcony room if the couch doesn't pull out. Any help? :confused: