tulips*n*truffles

Hello! I'm a first-time NCL cruiser (have cruised solely with Princess in the past), but really love some of the NCL itinerary options and I'm looking forward to checking out a new line!

On our last cruise, four of us did Ultimate Balcony Dining (private several-course dinner on our balcony) to celebrate an anniversary and two birthdays. It was really incredible to sail past Greece enjoying a stunning meal with my family!! We'll be on Getaway for Scandinavia/Russia/Baltics, July 2019! We'll be celebrating a 42nd wedding anniversary, 40th birthday, and 50th birthday on this trip so was just hoping to plan something fun! Is there anything similarly special on NCL for a small group celebration like this?

Group would be 6 people, age 40, 50, 71, 71, 72, and 74.

Thoughts? Thank you!!

Natalie

I'm so happy this is finally able to book online! A couple of years ago I treated my parents and BFF for their 38th wedding anniversary and our birthdays...it was just incredible! We called the minute we boarded the ship to reserve the date and choose our meals (steak, lobster, or surf n' turf) and were thrilled we had a clear night. Had a Caribe balcony and it was perfect for the 4 of us. Don't hesitate to book this and enjoy every bite! It's an insane amount of food but we were so wonderfully miserable from the meal!! :) It didn't hurt that we were sailing alongside Greece at sunset!

*First course: selection of small bites (smoked salmon, cheese, and pate)

*Second course: crab quiche with vegetables

*Third course: mixed salad with walnuts and goat cheese (balsamic or honey mustard dressing)

*Fourth course: we all chose surf and turf – the best steak I’ve had in my life with mushroom sauce and beautiful lobster tail with drawn butter, asparagus with hollandaise, carrots, and zucchini.

*Dessert course: quartet of chocolate mousse (dark, white, milk, and hazelnut) with raspberries and plate of petit fours.

Just a quick question please. Can 2 couples enjoy the UBD or is it just for 2 people? Thank you!

I treated my parents to this for their 38th wedding anniversary as well as two of our birthdays just a couple of years ago. We were sailing past greece at sunset as we cut into incredible steaks and lobster and it was so perfect! There were 4 of us and we had a Caribe balcony - anything smaller I think would be really tight.

I would like to do this, but DH and I like our food hot. Just concerned that by the time it gets to the cabin and is served outside that it will be lukewarm at best. Is this the case?

That was not our experience at all. Each course was the right temperature, timed perfectly. Our steaks were medium-rare, and not the kind that keeps cooking for 20 minutes before you eat it - piping hot, charred a bit on the outside. Lobster tail was incredible. Vegetables still hot. Honestly I couldn't have expected better.

They also bring champagne and flowers for the table, and the photographers come and take as many pictures as you want. The first one is free.

I don't know if this was anyone else's experience, and maybe it was because we were a group of 4 (seems to make sense), but we had 2 bottles of champagne and 2 flower arrangements. Our photographer did take all the pictures we wanted and said the first picture for each "couple" is free. We checked to see if they were ready today and they were not so we'll check again tomorrow!

Thanks for the concise and descriptive reporting. I hope to persuade my wife that this is worth doing, even though, "we've already paid for our dinner." I'll show her this post for inspiration.

 

About how long does it take from setup to dessert?

 

Jim

Ours was scheduled for 7pm. They set up within a minute of that, the photographer came 5 minutes later, and we had our first course by 7:15pm. We were on our way out the door to a show by right about 9pm (dessert served with coffee maybe 20 minutes prior)!

Thanks for posting the review & pictures. We are planning on doing this in November when we stay in our first suite. Be nice having the larger balcony too as be four of enjoying the experience.

 

David & Ellen

I agree!! We are on Caribe and have the extended balcony...worked perfectly for 4 adults. They had a table set up on the side with our wine and champagne as well and we all had plenty of room!!

A few months ago, I posted asking how UBD worked and I'm SO thankful for the responses encouraging us to try it. I treated my parents to this for their 38th wedding anniversary while we're traveling {island princess} and it was incredible...Dad even got choked up a couple of times in awe of the experience. I couldn't have imagined a better service, better food, or better scenery! We sailed past Greece as we dined and it was none other than perfect!

In my planning, I searched for pictures of what this might look like, so I thought it might help someone else in my shoes to see! The photos are a bit out of order, sorry!

First course: selection of small bites (smoked salmon, cheese, and pate)

Second course: crab quiche with vegetables

Third course: mixed salad with walnuts and goat cheese (balsamic or honey mustard dressing)

Fourth course: we all chose surf and turf - the best steak I've had in my life with mushroom sauce and beautiful lobster tail with drawn butter, asparagus with hollandaise, carrots, and zucchini.

Dessert course: quartet of chocolate mousse (dark, white, milk, and hazelnut) with raspberries and plate of petit fours.

Our servers were 5* - couldn't have asked for more. Moscato, cocktails, champagne...totally over the top!! If you ever even THINK you want to do this, do it! Mom and Dad didn't know the cost and when we were finished guessed at $100pp, not half that! It was worth every penny!

In our experience people who let their kids act like that constantly are better dealt with by the authorities rather than you getting involved because the apple generally does not fall far from the tree. We are cruising soon with my 2 teens but we have intentionally waited to cruise with them until they were an age that we knew we could rely on their behavior and judgement. At every age we have taught them about being considerate for others in an age appropriate environment. They are both so excited to be able to eat in a fancy "adult" restaurant each night for the cruise! I'm hopeful that there will be other teens on our cruise that have also been taught how to behave in public and in a hotel environment.

This really hits the nail on the head. I don't care to deal with an adult who is behaving like a child (dropping an f-bomb every 2 minutes and telling his kids he's about to get f'ed up at the bar...what?!), nor do I care to discipline someone else's kids. We haven't had the noise problem yet today, but last night it happened again for maybe 10 minutes before the balcony door was slammed shut in a huff. Cracked me up if I'm honest! One balcony below us applauded! I don't know if the family is rooming together, just that they were all acting inappropriately together in 1 or more rooms above. I can't remember who posted about kids having their own stateroom, but I just can't imagine having younger kids or teens staying alone together in a balcony cabin!! I have traveled alone for decades, but was taught manners and would have been so terrified to disappoint my parents you couldn't have caught me swearing or being obnoxious around others! Yikes!!

I think we all have a different idea of what a vacation or cruise means. But I agree, I do not want to sit in my room. For me, I go for total relaxation. I want nothing more than to sit on my balcony and listen to the sound of the ship moving through the ocean, lol. It's peaceful and quiet. Usually.

I agree we all have different ideas of relaxation. For me, the first few days of a cruise help me find a bit of peace and calm. I get a balcony when I cruise because I can be away from crowds and stare at water for hours on end; listen to the waves and the sea life. We spent about 10 days pre-cruise in Paris and London and Venice, so today I was sifting through some work email (hard for a business owner to "leave the work at home," especially when I'm gone for 5 weeks), and just wanted to do it whilst watching the world go by outside. I've been known to take my laptop to an area by a pool or something, but find I get so distracted it takes me 5x as long to finish what I need to than if I just sat and focused. Amen to peaceful and quiet! :-)

I so appreciate the responses here! I was sure I was just being "whiney" and was afraid to post for an hour before I did! I ran into a neighbor when we left for dinner, who said they had just come from guest services and was told the matter would be dealt with. Apparently the same group was a problem last night (our ship was docked in port in Venice last night), but I must not have heard them. It's quiet now as I type (catching up on some blogging!), but of course it's dinnertime and there's a comedian tonight. I'm hopeful it's over! Thank you all for understanding and the encouragement about what to do. I never ever want to be "that passenger" that complains about every little thing, but today this felt like a big one!

Aside from "rude family," I'm so excited about the next 12 days! I hadn't sailed Island pre-drydock, so I can't comment about the changes, but I really do like the ship. I don't love that the back is just a flat piece now compared to others we were docked with in Venice, but the interior is clean and fresh and the staff is possibly the most pleasant we've encountered. Tomorrow night, I'm treating my parents to Ultimate Balcony Dinner, a first for me and I love having that to look forward to on a sea day!

Thank you again...I'll swing back if they happen to start up again. Thankful now for nothing but the sound of the ocean and a few fishing boats in the distance. You're all great.

Natalie

I'll probably get flamed for this but an ounce of me hopes the family in whatever balcony room above us on Island that is being completely disrespectful (we've tried to figure out who it is and can't) sees it and gets it. Your neighbors on this ship for the next 12 days are already over you.

I'm sitting in my closed-up balcony stateroom, having departed from Venice a short time ago. I've been listening to a family somewhere above me with 3 teens (one might be a bit younger), yell, scream, run up and down hallways, swear, slam doors, yell at each other, etc., all with their balcony door wide open. This has been happening for hours. The kids were down on our floor mid-day chasing each other up and down the hallway yelling as they went. I watched 4 couples on balconies below us look around for the noise and upon not seeing anyone, go inside annoyed. The couple in the balcony next to ours went inside. We went inside. And when I say loud, I had earbuds in listening to a book and could hear them like they were yelling on my own balcony.

When did it become okay to allow your kids - and yourselves - to yell and scream at full voice with an open balcony door with no respect for anyone else around you? I just don't get it. In full disclosure, I chose to sail with Princess long ago because there are fewer kids and I just choose a less obnoxious environment for a month-long holiday...I'm not a prude or an old woman. I'm mid-30s, like to have fun, etc.; however, when I watch others so annoyed they go inside and the volume on my own balcony, floors away, is beyond the scope of reasonable, I have to wonder.

Yes, I understand "they paid to be here too and should enjoy their vacation how they'd like" and all that. But that being said, if someone had told me we'd not spend any time on our own balcony because of them, I'd have saved the extra $2500 we paid for oversize balconies for excursions. Or my bank account. :-)

This is the first time we've encountered such behavior on a cruise and I'm just sad about it if this is how the next 12 days is going to go! Am I overreacting?

Rant over. I honestly don't mean to offend anyone with kids or even obnoxious kids - I just can't believe you take yourselves and a handful of teens on a cruise halfway around the world for 2 weeks and then pretend you're the only ones on the ship and not care about the enjoyment of those around you. Be loud in your own stateroom and close your door - go to the lido deck and whoop it up - running in the hallways is just rude no matter who you are so I don't have an alternative for that. But seriously. Am I alone in this?! :-(

Hi! Could anyone point me to Island Princess grand med dining room and room service menus? You all have an immense knowledge and I figure someone has them!! :)

Here is one, and not the longest one by any means, from over on Carnival which seems to have some of the most active postings. Simply put passport in the search box

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2070931&highlight=passport

 

There are many many more but you get most of the same answers.

 

Personally, I don't usually bother in the Caribbean but did (when I had them to take) in Europe. Although usually the ship kept them since they had to present them to the officials before we were cleared to disembark.

THANK YOU! I can't say I've ever left the Princess board...lesson learned!! I'll check it out!

All the cruises we've been on there's only been 2 ports we were required to take our passports ashore with us while there. All other ports, we left it in our room safe onboard. Just carried our ship's card and a driver's license (photo ID) for readmission to the port area at the end of the day.

So you didn't carry a photocopy? Suppose the ship had left without you or something equally unlikely, is the Plan B just a photo ID? I'm literally having the conversation and argument with myself!

Ha- this is always a topic to raise strong opinions in all directions. Let me see if I can find a link for you.

Thank you!! On a struggle bus over here with my searches!!!!

I'm apparently not using the correct forum search terms...I would be sure this question has been asked to death and I can't find what I'm looking form. :-(

When in an international port, do you carry your original passport, carry a photocopy, keep it in the safe, swap photocopies with travel mates...?? I've spent lots of time overseas and every time I have a different opinion...though everyone has great arguments for both sides and I'm sure we're all split 50/50. I'd just love some advice.

Can anyone direct me to a thread where this is discussed? Or offer an opinion?

Thanks!!

Hello! The countdown to our grand med cruise has begun and of course there are always more and more reports of security issues right where we're headed. I have no fear of something happening (just can't live life like that!!), but I wondered what happens if an area is deemed not appropriate for travel? Will there just be a change in itinerary? Another sea day? News about Rome this morning caught my attention to it. I'm a go with the flow gal and wouldn't put up a fuss regardless, but wondered where we might head in place of one of our scheduled ports.

Thanks!!

We also didn't do an excursion, but loved the town. The harbor is just gorgeous. We wandered the town, found a cute little air market, a couple of fun shops (jewelry, a great chocolatier, etc), and wandered back to the ship early. Like the previous poster said, there's not a lot to see or do (again at least on your own - maybe with an excursion), but I was very glad we at least wandered the town!!

Perfect thank you! I'm just booking our hotel for the 8th and wanted to be completely sure I understood correctly that we didn't need lodging for the 9th. Sounds ridiculous to say it out loud, but I couldn't wrap my head around it!

Thank you!

I feel rather silly asking this question - I've searched the threads and can't seem to find the answer so please forgive me if I just didn't use the right combination of search terms!

July 9, we board Island Princess in Venice (hooray!). It departs July 10 at 1pm. So do I take that to mean that once we've boarded, whatever time that ends up being, we can get on and off the ship at will until departure (within reason)? We can come back for meals on the ship, we sleep on the ship the night of the 9th, etc? I feel like such a noob asking, I just haven't had an overnight the night of departure so it's throwing me off a bit!

Thanks for your help!!

Unless things have changed you don't need to log into different accounts to get shore excursions. When I was traveling with my family, I would just reserve the number of tickets I needed for the group. Has that changed? I'll admit it's been many years since I've had to do that.

 

But I agree, just tell the tour operator that you ar together and they will take care of it. they usually don't have it pre-arranged. They divide you up at the pier.

It's not allowing me to do that...I have to put a checkmark next to the person's name for whom I'm booking the reservation. Unless I'm missing something, which is absolutely possible!! :-)

Oh ha - well that's easy! Just the day of...not in advance? Piece of cake!

Thanks so much, Paul!

Good morning!

Planning just never gets old!! LOVE IT! This will be the first cruise we've taken where we're traveling with more people - I'm treating my parents for their anniversary and it will be their very first cruise ever! We're all so excited!! Spent last night talking through excursions or not, ports and plans and such.

A question came up that I don't have an answer for. How do I ensure we'll be booked together on excursions? Both parents have health issues and would prefer to be traveling with people they know, just in case, and honestly just for the fun of doing things together, but if these Med excursions are like most I've been on through Europe, there will be multiple busses for each and some will do the excursion backwards. Since our booking numbers are separate and I have to go into my account to book our excursions and their account to book theirs, is there any way to actually know we'll be together when it comes time to go?

Thanks so much!

Natalie

Huh. And to think I've spent half my life teaching other people how to use computers...didn't even occur to me it wasn't downloading a PDF, but working to open a pop-up. That did it! Thanks so much!

Natalie