buckirj1

Sorry, I don't have a picture. It's the same sort of shower we had in Balcony staterooms on the Freedom and Dream. Other cruises complained that the rectangular showers were close to the toilet. A running joke was they had to sit with one foot in the shower while using the toilet.

 

From Carnival's website:

[ATTACH]340166[/ATTACH]

Thanks! Now I see what you mean. I'm okay with that!

Thanks for posting the pics. The more I see of the Sunshine, the more I like the way she looks. Nice cabin, but I don't know about the angled shower. Do you have a photo of that?

No thank you, that is very helpful, we were pleasantly surprised at how roomy the Carnival showers were, So i wanted to get an idea of how they would compare, my boyfriend is a bigger guy and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable, he wont complain but I want him to be happy.

I think your guy will be fine in the shower because they're almost as wide as a Carnival shower and much deeper, but the toilet area could be problematic. It's SO tiny. Photographs make it look a lot bigger than it actually is. I don't want to offend anybody's delicate sensibilities, but he'll probably be okay with the ummm...standing business, and maybe even the sitting business. The ummm...after business might be challenging, because the toilet closet is so very small. Sitting "sidesaddle" might help.

I can't (or shouldn't) comment on the dining aspects, since I loathe assigned seating with other people and will.not.do.it. I wouldn't get the UBP anyway, so I haven't paid attention, but it looks like you have good advice from others.

Regarding the cabins and bathrooms, it depends on which NCL ship you're taking. I'm guessing it'll be the Star or the Jewel in your case. I think room, and even storage, might be tight for 4 adults who have a lot of stuff though storage is more than adequate for two. You're correct that Carnival cabins are a good bit larger in terms of actual room.

NCL bathrooms on those two ships in an oceanview cabin are three-piece affairs: a central (small) portion containing a sink, a side (tiny) portion containing a toilet with a door, and another side portion containing a large-enough shower. The shower is rectangular-shaped and quite long, as opposed to Carnival's more square shape. NCL's shower has a door, where most Carnival showers have plastic curtains. You could probably bend down in the NCL shower if you do it in the long part of the rectangle. As you know, you can easily bend over in Carnival showers because of the plastic curtain. As long as you don't mind your butt hanging out.

Probably more info than you ever wanted to know about cabin bathroom and showers, but I hope it helps.

So very sorry to learn of this. May Virgil rest in peace and rise in glory.

They stopped the "for the table" offerings except for the bread basket. You can ask them for a bread basket for just your party though.

This is great news! The shared sides were the biggest (well, the only) problem I had with the American Table. I'm very happy that Carnival has gone back to individual side dishes. The new menu looks interesting, though I'll miss the pumpkin soup if it's truly gone now.

NCL, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: the marvelous staff and crew, setting my own schedule, dressing as I please, NCL knows how to leave solo passengers alone without making them feel ignored, swell entertainment, and colorful, fun decor without being silly or pedestrian.

We let our then 10 and 13 year olds roam free. That being said,...

I hated to trim your text, because it offered such good advice, but that was a lot of text to copy. I loved reading your post: parents actually communicating expectations, monitoring behavior, and letting kids think for themselves. Good for you!

A night time sailaway from NY must be so beautiful, with the city and Statue of Liberty all lit up. I can never wake up early enough to see it on the way back, and it's always been daytime when I've sailed out of NY.

Fave: Triumph, actually any of the post-Conquest type ships, mostly because they have really great 1A cabins.

Least Fave: I'd have a hard time warming up to the Spirit-class ships, because they have so few 1A cabins, and they're not so great.

You have your priorities; I have mine.

Nice. Thanks for posting the photos.

Outstanding job as always, Ernie. Thank you for the review and photos. I've never been enamored of its menu, but Le Bistro on the Getaway is beautiful almost beyond description. I'd happily eat there, just to be in such lovely surroundings.

I think the ship looks fun. However, I shudder to think of debarkation when the new Carnival ship and the NCL Breakaway dock in New York on the same day. It's already a mess getting off a ship in Manhattan, and it's going to get much worse.

Nice review, Don. I hope to take the Star on a Norway/North Cape cruise later rather than sooner, based on the alignment of a bunch of stars (heh!). The Canal looked mighty hot.

Hope you have a great time!

Some of my favorites through the years:

1. The incredible butt-hurt about "improper" cream for scones. For Pete's Sake, just eat.

2. The folk whose tastes are so refined they bring their own little bottle of maple syrup on board, lest they have to make do with the fake stuff for a week. Again, FPS, just eat.

3. The whackos everywhere who want to bring their own t.p. onto the ship. Who cares if the plumbing system gets bunged up so long as their delicate nether regions are comfy?

...and this is why I love the NCL board so much. Y'all are hilarious!

I found this company on Royal Caribbean's website:

https://www.enttours.com/destinations.aspx

Hope it helps; it looks a little expensive to me, but YMMV.

I know I'll catch some flak for this, but why wouldn't someone simply take the dirty glass up to the Lido to get rid of it if it were so bothersome? I swear, I think folks just look for stuff to get bent out of shape about. So much energy expended with no good reason.

Sail, I'm not sure if you mean the studio cabins themselves, the NCL dedicated staff/crew member who serves as a sort-of host to solo cruisers, or the Studio Lounge. I happen to think they're all good ideas, particularly for those who are newly solo or uncomfortable sailing alone. As far as personal practicalities are concerned, I'd willingly pay a little more for a regular inside, I'm not the sort who'd be likely to avail myself of any hosted activities, but I could see myself hanging out in the Studio Lounge or grabbing snacks from there. As I understand it, only those passengers who are booked into studio cabins may use the Studio Lounge and participate in the activities coordinated by the Solo host.

There's no reason other cruise lines can't do the same thing, but perhaps they're not attracting solo cruisers in numbers sufficient to be worthwhile.

Most other cruise lines I've sailed advertise a solo gathering in the daily activities log at least once during a cruise, but I understand they're poorly attended. I've never gone to one, and don't know how they work.

I wish Kevin O well. He was by far the most approachable cruise executive, at least during my era of cruising. I'm trying to be positive about the future of NCL, but I'm another one of those cruisers who don't want NCL to become "upscale." I'm not looking for piss-elegance; just a comfortable cruise vacation, same as I've always received on NCL.

I like that the Jewel doesn't have an enormous atrium that's 10 decks high (well, that might be an exaggeration). The Jewel's atrium is just the right size. I liked hanging out in the deck 6 bar area near the beer bar (Maltings?). Wonderful, comfortable chairs...like buttah!

Every brochure says something like this, which is from the ReadySetSail cruise catalog: "The two-tier main Dining Room with its sea views, white linens, sparkling crystal, and Rosenthal china, elevates each dining occasion."

Except it isn't an "elevated dining occasion," according to many long-time HAL posters, whose opinions I trust. Does HAL expect white linens, sparkling crystal and Rosenthal china to make up for the reported cutbacks that have resulted in mediocre food and service?

That's one of the coolest (heh) things I've ever seen. Finally, something that might make hot weather cruising worthwhile!

Things were pretty hairy in our location this morning, but got better as the day progressed. Welcome almost home; I'm glad you had a good trip.