kay1864

Also, there are balconies and there are 'balconies'. Some are on the outside and look over the water, and some are on the inside and look over Central Park or the Boardwalk. Check your category of cabin to determine.

A moment of silence please, for the dearly departed Seaview Café.

Dining tips I posted a few months ago:

- O'Sheehan's is excellent for lunch on departure day. Very few diners (I think everyone was at the buffet), so we got great service, and a no-charge sit-down meal that was very well-prepared. The salmon fillet on the Caesar salad was consistently flavorful and perfectly grilled (we ended up eating lunch there almost every day).

- Skip the lobster roll from the walk-up window at Ocean Blue on sea days ($11.50 with the required tip). Half the size of a normal lobster roll, and more bread than lobster. Plus you have to eat outside, downwind from the cigar bar.

- Specialty Dining Package: many specialty restaurant waiters are still uninformed, and will tell you that you can get only one appetizer and one dessert. Not true (although you are limited to one entree, and will incur a surcharge if you order two). I sometimes ordered two appetizers or desserts, and when told we could get only one, asked them to check with the manager. The bill total always came to $0.00.

- If you like Eggs Benedict, breakfast in Taste/Savor prepares them near-perfectly. The ones in the breakfast buffet are pretty good too, but the sit-down version is excellent.

Does Le Bistro still list lobster on their menu? One poster said it might be dropped.

You'll be fine with the marriage certificate (no need for birth certificate since you have a passport). DW traveled for several years with her "maiden name" passport after we were married. Your reservation and room charges might be in your maiden name, but that's about it.

We've been on Sunshine twice and Getaway once (sister ship to Breakaway). I'd pick the Breakaway--more dining options (both free and for-fee, and the food is better overall), more onboard activities.

Get the 4 or 5-night dining package in advance. It's a steal at $22pp per night, vs $30-45 if you pay the individual surcharge onboard.

We had the 4-night package, and had no problem at all changing our reservation. We changed it at 430p in the Promenade (after muster drill) and got a 6p res at 150 Central Park that evening.

I recommend buying the package online, it's cheaper that way. If I had to do it over again I'd get the 5-night package--well worth the extra $15 pp to eat in Chops or 150 a second time!

I asked two different Starbucks employees about this deal on the Oasis (Sep 24-Oct 1), and was told it ended Sep 24.

Will be going on our first cruise in January. How do we distinguish what's included (free) vs. what's additional cost in the various eateries? Do we assume if there's no price listed then it's free? I'm not that interested in paying anything more than what's included on this trip for food.TIA!

The review here on cruise critic gives an excellent breakdown (although the prices are out of date): http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=368&pgtype=dining

Also, 150 is no longer a six-course meal, but rather a regular 3-course. The manager explained that people thought the six-course sizes were too small. We had more than enough to eat!

As a result, the menu stays the same all week and does not change mid-cruise.

We were just off the Oasis Oct 1.

- I highly recommend the Dining Package (buy online in advance for cheaper rates). We paid about $21pp + tip, vs $29-45 onboard (if you book individually). We went with the 4-night package and honestly I wish we'd paid another $15 and bought the 5-night.

- Reservations were very easy, especially since we booked for 6pm. The catch is that you can't book until you're on board, but we had no trouble booking, or even changing as late as Day 2. Oddly enough Chops and 150 Central Park were wide open, but Izumi didn't have as an many openings.

- You can book in your cabin, but that option was offline for three days, so I just booked at the Specialty desk in the Promenade. Or at the restaurants themselves--three are steps from each other in Central Park.

- I chose the specialty nights based on the MDR menus. You can view the nightly menus outside the MDR on deck 3 (there's a touchscreen).

- Favorites were Chops and 150. If I'd gotten the 5-night package I would gladly have visited either a second time. Izumi was great fun, Giovanni's was very good but not as excellent as Chops and 150.

- With the package, Izumi lets you pick from the regular ($35) or premium ($40) menu with no problem. I'd recommend the hibachi (teppenyaki) over the sushi--the sushi prices were way higher than at home.

- You can get more than one appetizer or dessert, but two entrees will incur a surcharge.

- Despite warnings I'd read here about hard-sell tactics to upgrade Chops entrees, we didn't encounter these at all.

- Service was exceptional in all the restaurants, especially 150. 150 had by far the best coffee with dessert--French press!

She does have a couple of water slides on the Lido deck, though, correct?

Harmony, yes. Oasis and Allure, no.

They have hand dipped ice cream in the windjammer each EVENING, next to the dessert bar in the stern. Go can stop by anytime between 6 and 930 and get a bowl. Bob

Sometimes at lunch too if you're lucky.

We may be boarding the Oasis late (like 3pm). What are the lunch options on boarding day, that late in the afternoon?

Thanks!

Ah, good point. Oasis.

I know we have to wait until we board for SDP reservations, but what are our options? Can we make them on our TV in our room? Touch screen on the ship? Or do we have to go to Guest Services / restaurants?

We're on Oasis.

Thanks!

Or you can change online with MyNCL.

Did you cruise with your child?

Yes; she's 12 so she enjoyed the adult entrees.

See many children in the specialty restaurants?

Duty-free allowance for returning U.S. citizens is (one) 1 liter of alcohol per person, 21 years & older.

Different for the Caribbean and USVI:

One other thing..."business casual" is needed ONLY for Le Bistro and Ocean Blue. Despite what I read here, shorts were fine in the evening in the MDR, Cagney's, and La Cucina. Just no swimwear or tank tops.

Did you try this at Ocean Blue?

No, didn't want to pay the Ocean Blue surcharge. Had excellent meals at Le Bistro (twice), Cagney's, and very good meal at La Cucina.

But I imagine the same SDP Terms and Conditions apply to Ocean Blue, so you should be able to get extra appetizers and desserts there as well.

good tips- I would add that Flamingo Grill is also a good option for embarkation lunch.

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Plus it can be warm and humid since it's open-air (but covered). After a long morning waiting in line to check in, we preferred the A/C of O'Sheehan's.

What night did they have prime rib?

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What would the lobster dinner cost with out the SDP?

We're leaving Sunday.

Thanks.

Included as one of the entrees in Le Bistro. No extra charge if you have SDP.

Oh sorry, I just realized you said "without". I think it was 24.95 but I can't be sure.

Okay, found the menu here: http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/cr_207_bistro.jpg

24.99, but that's only for the entree; for a la carte appetizers and dessert are extra.

Really for the price the SDP is the way to go, even if only 3 or 4 nights.

No problem that I can see. We just finished a 7-day on the Getaway, and service and food were on par with Celebrity. Two movie screens, waterparks, 18 restaurants, and friendliest most helpful staff ever.