noche_caliente

On 6/7/2023 at 8:02 AM, CruisingWalter said:

 

I have to say the ride up on Deck 15 was incredibly smooth much smoother than I expected. Very little movement or sway evident up there. We were 15070 more forward than mid on the starboard side. 

 

Yes being higher is an asset on debarkation morning since there's only one passenger deck above you.  One thing I'll say about debarkation, the schedule listed 8am as the start of debarkation. When we took the elevator down to Deck 6 at 7:10am to wait for Express Walk Off, they were already debarking passengers. No announcement was made over the ship's systems. Our guess is they were trying to 'quietly' get the Express Walk Off process started before the hoards showed up. If you plan to Express Walk Off expect that process will start somewhere around 7am and most likely without an announcement. 

 

It was glorious walking off the ship at 7:10 and getting home to Orlando at 8:35 even with a grocery stop thrown in on the way. 🙂

On 6/6/2023 at 4:32 PM, ZoeyVictoria said:

I enjoyed your review very much.  We had similar experiences on the May 7 sailing, even having a table under the bowling alley.  You are right, it was amusing!  I was disappointed in some ways because I had been on the Divina twice in 2014, but there is not a cruise line anywhere that is the same in 2023. And it was a bit unsettling to be on a cruise line that we were not familiar with. We have booked the Seaside again for July and will know what to expect. 
 

I think the ship had not yet adjusted to being in the U.S. by May 7 and have seen some photos that show some improvement. The Jungle pool had pads on only 4-6 loungers in front of the pool then; it looks like there are more now.  We had to ask for washcloths, and they were never replaced (thankfully, I had brought some from home).  And the omelet station had only two ingredients to add - very pale chopped tomatoes, and mushrooms. We were told we had to go to other areas and bring back our own meats and cheeses for the cook to add to our omelets. I saw a photo that shows more containers of extras at the omelet station.  Did you happen to notice any of these changes?

 

We booked very late and will be on deck 15 this time.  Did you enjoy it?  I am looking forward to trying it.  I think the elevators will be easier to manage, and hopefully an asset on debarkation morning. 
 

We went to the lagoon in May and really enjoyed it. We intend to try another area in July. 

We hope to be sailing this weekend if we can book tomorrow, but fear being assigned a room on Deck 15.  Did you notice much noise from the pool deck and dragging chairs above you?

On 12/28/2022 at 12:54 PM, nattie said:

Wow! So much great info, thank you!

Unfortunately for us, we are stuck with beginning of August travel due to work and school reasons. The ship we are on offers an excursion to Pompeii and the hike to the summit of Mt. Vesuvius. I really want to do this one, but now I am concerned about the heat. Google says that average high is 86 F, which significantly cooler that August in MD. Am I crazy to attempt the hike? Should we just stick to Pompeii/Archeological museum instead? We do have a decent amount of time in port (7am to 6pm).

I found this thread researching what to do when we return to Naples in June, as I did the Vesuvius/Pompeii combo on my honeymoon in 2003 and LOVED it.  I was actually disappointed that we do not have that as an option through NCL.  I would do the same in a heartbeat(though I could do without the cameo factory).  When we were there it was in a heatwave with temperatures reaching 40*C that week.  It was for sure hot, but if you have plenty of water and a good hat to keep sun off your face and neck, it is doable.  I am jealous you have the option.

Bonus - we have a great pic of Capri from the top of the volcano

On 12/3/2022 at 3:11 PM, Jetswdo said:

I do know that the spa suite just includes admission to the spa.  I just want to know whether contacting the haven concierge prior to the cruise would take care of these appointments.

Yes, you can prebook.  This is from my email with the norwegianconciergedesk@ncl.com address just this week.

"We have also attached the Haven Brochure as well as the Spa Menu. If you would like to request a Spa Service, please provide the service, date and times that work best, and we will be happy to send the request directly to the ship on your behalf."

Thanks, Harris!  I appreciate your help, and all of your past contributions on this forum as well.  Given your experience, I know you're well-aware of how overwhelming everything can be for a beginning diver, and your contributions have made the process much easier! Jeffrey actually got back to me within about an hour of my contact with him.

We have another pool session on Saturday, and I get more excited every day.  I grew up on the coast of VA, and my mom always swore I was part fish.  I just wish I had tried diving before 41!

Hello!
  My husband and I have done discover Scuba with a local dive shop, and I am in the process of doing the academic learning portion of the SSI course.  I will have only completed the academic sessions, with the pool and open water sessions to take place later in August.  We are interested in diving at the above ports on our Horizon cruise later this month.  I've reached out to Happy Divers in Aruba and Curious2Dive in Curacao, but I am looking for other recommended dive shops there and any suggestions for Lo Romana.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

1 minute ago, Clemson Cruiser said:

Yes, many ranging from a beach day to city tours.  There was also the waterfalls excursion that sounded like fun.  What exactly are you looking for?

I heard on youtube that the DR was requiring masks?  Can you confirm?

4 hours ago, ABQrobin said:

And to the person claiming its all Carnival's fault, I do believe NCL or Royal crashed into the pier at Coxen Hole last year and took it out completely.  It can happen to any cruise ship.  

MSC actually

44 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

What an adorable church! Remind me which beach/island this was? I took extensive notes from Mitsu's original postings but have not put them in any sort of order! (Our cruise is 1.5 years out.)

It's Valley Church on Antigua, and Valley Church Beach.

On 5/10/2019 at 9:22 AM, mitsugirly said:

 

 

I absolutely loved the colors of this concession stand. If I had a house in the Caribbean, I'd want to do it like this. 😄

 

 

Now every place we have stopped at has had pop for $1 a can. This place was outrageous and charged $3 I think it was.

 

 

 

 

 

We were there in January 2010 and it is still one of our all-time favorite beaches.  If you ever return, there is a local bus that goes there.  It was a great adventure, and our first time using local transportation in a port.  It was less than $1 pp each way.  The bus actually let off in front of Valley Church 🙂

On 3/25/2019 at 5:03 PM, Hanoj said:

There's that saying, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

And that saying is incredibly rude and demeaning to teachers.  Many teachers HAVE done, and then take that knowledge to the classroom to enrich the lives of others.

On 12/23/2018 at 3:57 PM, Yesimapirate said:

After dinner, we (finally) met our butler.  She didn't bother introducing herself and had a look on her face like her puppy just died.  She finally tells us her name after we tell her ours.  I had 2 requests that I thought were fair and reasonable.   I've never had a butler at sea, only in hotels so maybe I was wrong to ask.  I'd love to hear from you guys if that's the case.

 

My wife is diabetic so we requested some sugar free sweets on the days she brought the sweet afternoon snacks.  She told us the menu was set and she can't make changes.   I wasn't sure if it was a communication issue or she was really saying we get what we get so I said I've heard you bring chocolate covered strawberries one day.  She confirmed so my wife asked if she could bring regular strawberries instead.   We were told no.

 

The other request was for a pitcher of tap water.  I literally got the idea reading these boards.  How could she say no?  She said no, "that's not part of the UBP".  Again,.minor but at this point I'm pretty disappointed in the overall service experience!

 

We were on your sailing as well (we probably saw you at breakfast, we were the ones with 3 kids including the just-turned-3 year old).  Our butler (also a female, but we were in 11024) was more than happy to have alternate snacks for us including bowls of gummy bears and m&ms, and a pitcher of water.  I'm not sure why you were told that.  I'm glad you got it sorted though!

There is a link in my signature from the Jade 2Br. The pull-out and main bedroom could not be split, but there were a total of 4 sleeping locations. The main bedroom bed, the pull-out in the second BR along with the drop-down. The sofa could also pull out in the LR as another bed.

Okay. So now I'm starting to worry. We are on Jade for 12 nite on Jan 25. In the past week there has not been many positive comments. I am wondering if this is because of its upcoming drydock, or is it the standard. Food is subjective but other comments about "uninterested" staff is a concern. I am also worried about ongoing repairs and construction and deconstruction that seems to be happening. What won't be available or operating by the time we board!

Kate, don't worry about the staff. We were on the second week of December, and I found the staff to be incredible. We would see members of wait or bar staff in different venues all around the ship throughout the week and they would remember us and say hi like we were old friends. We felt like we were part of a big family. It was a wonderful time on the Jade and I would happily hop back on next week if it were an option!

Thanks for the clarification, hawkeyetise. I now have to be lactose free, and I understand NCL offers soy milk (no go - it can bind to the thyroid meds and keep them from absorbing) but I do the nut milks. I was hoping the beverage ban didn't mean I had to drink black coffee :p Just to be safe, I'll keep searching for powdered coconut milk, but it sounds like I can bring a small nut based creamer.

Yes, in some cases they do have coconut milk. Received this confirmation from the access desk about our upcoming Jade sailing.

Hi , the ship replied that they do carry coconut milk onboard.

 

Best Regards,

 

Joel Chaifetz | Access Desk Coordinator

Does anyone have an update with who is on the Jade now? Emails with the concierge desk indicate that Omar is there, but that's all I know right now.

Just pack one of those "Bullet" mixers...

Ron - usually that would be my solution. But they advised me

I understand your concern, when it comes to Customs, we are not able to override their regulations. For the safety of passengers, they no longer allow passengers to bring blenders on board.

However, when I look on the NCL website, it doesn't have anything there about it.

What can't I bring onboard?

Passengers should not bring the following items onboard any Norwegian Cruise Line ship:

Samsung Galaxy Note7

In light of recent safety issues with the Samsung Galaxy Note7, we are asking our guests who own this model to please avoid traveling with this mobile device. The Federal Aviation Administration has banned the Samsung Galaxy Note7 from all air travel, and until further notice, this device will be restricted from all Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Fire is one of the greatest threats at sea and due to the safety concerns these devices present, if one is found in a guest’s possession or unattended in a stateroom onboard, our policy instructs the crew to confiscate the device for safekeeping. The device will remain in our possession, in a safe, monitored location, for the duration of the cruise. Guests can reclaim their device at the conclusion of the cruise from the reception desk.

 

Alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages of any kind including water, soda and juices*

For more information read our FAQ about "Can I bring water or soda on board?".

 

Unsealed food items will not be allowed onboard.

 

Firearms, weapons of any kind, ammunition, explosive substances or any goods of a dangerous nature

 

Animals of any kind, except service or guide animals, provided the passenger notifies Carrier prior to the cruise of his intention to bring such animal and agrees to take sole responsibility for any expense, damage, injuries or losses associated with or caused by such animal.

Has anyone that has cruised in the past 6 months or so had any success with having a blender in their suite? We will be onboard the Jade in less than a month, and they are telling me that new regulations prohibit blenders in staterooms. Meaning, they won't provide one and I can't bring my own.

If I were bringing it for mixed drinks that would be fine, but we need it to blend meal-replacement shakes due to multiple food allergies.

I'm trying to find a solution right now, and not having any luck. I know that in the past it has been very common for suites to have blenders to prepare mixed drinks. Has this changed?

The best the concierge desk will tell me is "per your Concierge on board, he has advised that your Butler will be more than happy to provide you with your shakes."

But to me that doesn't seem like much of a solution. We all know that the butlers are spread too thin as it is. They aren't going to have the time to mix meal-replacement shakes. I don't want to have to wait over an hour for them to have time to help.

My signature has a link to pics from 10500

We really enjoyed it, and it wasn't overly spicy. Let me see if I can link you to some photos. Check out the Sun photos in my signature.

Mayan family pics begin here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vthokieche/15699096254/in/album-72157649972382278/

That link doesn't work for me . I'm getting

LOOKS LIKE OUR SITE NEEDED

TO TAKE A SHORT VACATION.

404 - Not Found

Must say this is surprising . I'd like to see this for myself .

Given the way that link is structured, you and anyone else should probably run a program like malware bytes. I would be willing to put a bottle of water down as a bet that there was malware at that link.

OP back - I was on the Star 12/11/16 out of Tampa in 11550. I got an email earlier today that they have moved us to the Jade out of Tampa 12/11/16, same ports, same room category, but they originally assigned us to 11524 which is under the fitness center and NOT a room I would choose due to noise and the fact that I will have a baby possibly celebrating his/her first birthday ON the cruise and we will need some quiet for baby to sleep.

A call to my NCL PCC was able to get us switched not to the room I really wanted, but over to the other side of the ship at least.

She also sent me an amenities confirmation that included our original UBP, UDP, OBC and DSC.

Now we will need to wait until next week to call them about the fact that they increased the price despite the fact that it was supposed to protect my fare. The increase is due to higher port fees which I suspect is due to the fact that they order of the ports has changed. Yes the cost difference is $34.14 and I can certainly afford it, but it is the principle of the fact that I did NOT initiate this change, and NCL will not be receiving an extra dime of my money. They are the ones who need to eat the cost of the increased fees because they are the ones who made the change, not me.

and what if I book for 4, and there's no baby?

Then you change it to 3 before final payment :)

People have been asking for new itineraries for years. Now they are coming. They cannot just pull ships out of the magical ship garage. So, they shuffled.

Which is all fine and good, but they knew it was coming and should not have been selling cruises on these ships that they can not deliver.

Folks on Epic in Europe for example have the choice of taking the cruise a full year early to protect their rate or get a measly $50 OBC? That's just not right

We were in the same situation when we booked our 12/11/16 cruise back in 1/15. We now are happy to have our new name to add in 12/15 for our 12/16 cruise :)

It is best to book now with another name and then change it later as it not only protects rates and promotions, but also the space on the lifeboats, where if you wait the quad occupancy may not be available later even if the room were able to accommodate 4.

Lastly, remember travel restrictions - you won't be able to cruise between your 25th week of pregnancy and the baby's 6 month birthday.

I did find this in another thread concerning Star cruisers:

We were booked on a cancelled cruise also. We decided to consider the alternate cruise offered with the fare protected. I called the support desk at the number in the email this morning and was told that everything would be transferred if we take that cruise. Someone on our roll call also called and got the same information. They aren't able to make the switch until the 17th though when all the new itineraries will be loaded.

I'm also on the same cruise as you (at least I was) and got the same answers when I called. Just got to wait till the 17th to see how it will all be handled.