BethV114

Can anyone who has been comment on the water? I know it can be dependent on the weather, but is it generally calm or more on the rough side? DD (8) just broke her wrist and while she will be transitioned down from a cast to a removable brace so she can swim, the doctor did say no big waves. We had originally planned on zip lining at Good Hope, but now that that's off the table, we are looking for a nice, relaxed beach day, instead.

Thanks for all of the responses. Looks like Royal is not quite as flexible or reliable as what we are used to, so we'll be doing as suggested and stocking up so that we can just pack a few bottles in our bags to take off the ship with us.

Certainly you may buy water on the ship to take ashore...or bring a refillable bottle and fill it before you leave. Although, all the ports have beverages, should you get thirsty!

Unless we are going someplace away from any civilization, we will just get a drink if and when we need it!

Thanks for the info. We do know that we can purchase water and other drinks when we're on land. However, we find it convenient to have some on hand in case DD (8) gets thirsty while we're in transit or just not able to easily grab a drink for her while on a tour. We also enjoy the convenience of being able to grab a few bottles as we leave the ship, rather than having to worry about pre-purchasing/planning in advance.

Since luggage may not be delivered until the evening, I might suggest that your friends pack bathing suits in their carry-ons in case they would like to take advantage of the pools/hot tubs on embarkation day. They should also pack any medications they might need, and I tend to recommend a change of clothes, as well, just in case their luggage manages to get misplaced!

Hi all. We have not cruised Royal in about 8 years, and will be sailing Liberty shortly with deluxe and refreshment beverage packages. When we sailed Celebrity and MSC with the drink package, we were able to purchase bottles of water as we left the ship for the day, and were often able to choose between the smaller (around 16oz) bottles and the larger (liter?) bottles.

Can anyone tell me what we will be able to purchase with our beverage packages as we leave the ship? Can we get the larger bottles? If not, can we purchase multiple bottles? On Celebrity and MSC, we were able to purchase as many bottles as we liked (within reason) to take ashore on our excursions.

Thank you!

Thanks for your review. Liberty was the first ship DH and I ever sailed on for her inaugural. We’re looking forward to going back and bringing DD (8) with us. She is used to Celebrity and our last cruise was MSC Divina, all of which we have all enjoyed. We’re hoping she’ll enjoy this ship, as well.

Kids don't typically require ID beyond their SeaPass card. However, to be safe, we also have a Passport Card for DD, in addition to traditional Passport book, that we tend to take off the ship with us. Heaven forbid we miss the ship and don't have appropriate ID! As an alternative, or backup, we also scan and email to ourselves copies of our passports and birth certificates prior to sailing, just in case. Better safe than sorry!

We will likely be sailing NCL Pride of America next April for my 40th birthday trip. We will be sailing with our DD, who will be 9, and have found that balcony cabins work best with her. Which location should we book for the best views while sailing between islands - port, starboard or aft?

Thank you!

We will likely be sailing POA next April for my 40th birthday trip. We will be sailing with our DD, who will be 9, and have found that balcony cabins work best with her. Which location should we book for the best views while sailing between islands - port, starboard or aft?

Thank you!

I'm not sure how accurate the info is, but I found this through a Google search:

https://www.******************.com/menus/mystery-dinner-menu-liberty-of-the-seas

Oh...I thought that you had to purchase the same packages. I wanted to do the deluxe for me and the soda package for him.

 

From reading the boards, I believe that they will allow you to purchase one deluxe package if the other person does not drink, has a medical condition, etc. However, the lowest I've seen mention of going is to the refreshment package, which covers essentially any non-alcoholic drink you can think of. I don't know that they will let you go as low as a soda package as the second package, but it is certainly worth calling and asking. You cannot book a this way online, it must be over the phone with Royal.

BethV114 and delaware32, we are booked on the April 20 2019 POA sailing which is the week after Easter, I have a roll call started if you are interested. 415 days to go :D

It looks like DD's spring break will be the week before Easter, so we're likely looking at the 4/13/19 sailing followed by a few days at Aulani. But I may drop by your roll call to pick your brain about excursions since you've done this before!

My understanding is that the cap is either $12 or $13, which varies by ship and is generally in line with the max price of most "normal," drinks. There will be wines by the glass above the cap, certainly, as well as some specialty cocktails. But most cocktails/drinks are otherwise within the cap/covered by the package.

Hopping back over to RC after a several year hiatus, mostly cruising (and greatly enjoying) Celebrity. We've decided to combine a trip to see family with a cruise, so will be sailing Liberty in April. DD, who is 8, will be sailing with us, and we all have beverage packages. From what I can gather, Diamond status will have little value to us this trip. We can't visit the DL with DD, and see no point in making her go to the kids' club just so we can visit the lounge. We also have beverage packages, so don't care for/need the free drinks in the evening.

I think the only thing(s) we will make use of are perhaps priority tender tickets and tickets to the ice show, if those are still available for collection from the DL. Can anyone confirm?

We booked ours at $41 per day for next months 9 day Navigator Cruise awhile back...Watched our cruise planner a couple times a week for months. Was shocked to find it...It wasn’t even listed as “On Sale”

 

 

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We also got ours for $41 per day on our upcoming Liberty cruise. We purchased shortly after Thanksgiving.

I searched the boards, but was unable to find any information other than mention that the Murder Mystery Dinner is held at Giovanni's and that there is an abbreviated menu. Currently, I have our little group (me, DH and DD 8) booked for First Night Done Right on our upcoming 4/1 Liberty Cruise. However, when I mentioned that the Murder Mystery Dinner is an option, they both wanted to know why I hadn't booked that, instead! So now I am looking at cancelling FNDR and going with the Murder Mystery Dinner.

Yes, I know it's pricey. And yes, I know the wines are not great. However, we all have drink packages, so I am not concerned about that part. I am more concerned that we have the opportunity to do something fun and different from what we do at home. I think the Murder Mystery Dinner fills that bill, and DD has actually been asking us to find one on land to take her to, so I think it would be a good fit. I'd just like to get a better idea of what the abbreviated menu us before I pull the trigger and book.

Thanks!

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ihrtcruise, in addition to what everyone else has said I think the NCL cruise offers the best value because it allows you to get the most out of the islands in 7 days. Most of the negative reviews you see have to do with the ship but the cruise is more about seeing Hawaii than any activities aboard the ship. I would also add that there's no pleasing some people regarding service, and all ships on this forum have received negative service reviews from time to time.Yes POA is old and not as fancy as most of the newer NCL ships but you are still in a floating 5 star hotel with overnight stops in Maui and Kauai, and you can do it all in 7 days which is perfect for those of us who only get 2-3 weeks vacation per year.

Aloha! :D

We are looking at booking POA next April for my 40th birthday trip to Hawaii. We plan to stay a few days after at Aulani to appease our daughter, who will be 9, and feel that NCL really would be our best option for getting a good overview/seeing all of the islands before planting ourselves in one location.

Are you allowed to bring food onboard for sail away?... like veggie tray, picky stuff like that, chips, dips, etc?

I would bet you can get chips on board. If not for free in the WJ or other locations, then likely in one of the gift shops. For veggies, have you considered making a plate up from the WJ? They likely have a good selection, along with ranch or other dressings to dip. You could also make a nice cheese plate from the WJ and bring it back to your cabin for sail away.

Thanks everyone for your responses. We will aim to arrive at 10:00am, meaning we won't get there until about 10:30. Getting DH and DD out and on the road to anywhere always takes longer than anticipated, so I often tell them we need to be someplace earlier than we actually do!

We are sailing Liberty out of Galveston on 4/1, staying at Homewood Suites Saturday night. What would be a good time to plan on arriving at the terminal? We would rather wait a bit there and get on the ship than hang out at the hotel. Thanks!

Our DD is 8, a bit of a foodie, and super interested in cooking. We've got more cooking shows on our Tivo than anything else. When this popped up in our cruise planner, I asked DD about it and her response was a resounding yes. I am happy to pay a bit for a fun experience that our family can do together on a sea day. We already purchased the beverage package, so the drinks and food are really not a factor as much as having an interesting tour and doing something fun together.

How can you find out ahead of time what is being offered for dinner in WJ? I'd rather just do the WJ and get my food immediately if they have premium stuff like Prime Rub and Lobster. Multiply that by 100 if it's Formal Night in the MDR. My wife hates formal night and suffers through it so I can eat the premium stuff that we thought we could only get in the MDR.

I don't think there is a way other than to do a loop through and see what is on offer. Perhaps you could do that before getting ready for dinner to avoid the formal night prep?

Corner aft balcony on Freedom

Deck 10 - Cabin 1400

"Pole" Cabin

 

 

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We have the port side/mirror image of this cabin for our upcoming cruise and are so excited about it!

If Harmony is pricing out as your least expensive option, saving about $1,000 and allowing you two separate cabins, that would be my first choice. I'm sure your kids will find plenty to do, and I doubt your daughter would have any trouble getting into the solarium. If you are willing to spend the extra money and really want a suite, then give Seaside a try. We sailed MSC Divina last year. Leading up to the cruise we ready many negative reviews. However, we found the MSC product to be an excellent one. The ship was beautiful and clean, our balcony cabin was a good size, and the food was delicious. My understanding is that YC now includes drinks, as well, so that may be something to consider when looking at the price differential.

Adding a few boxes of Zicam swabs to the list of things I need to purchase and pack for our upcoming cruise. Thanks for the tip!