Sigyn

I read the fine print about 5x before booking. I ended up making my son guest 2, so that he'd get the soda package, and my husband guest 3, so he'd get the PBP promo. It's very clear that only guests 1-2 get the soda package if they're under 21 as a replacement for PBP. Guests 3-8 will get PBP if they're 21 or older, but no soda package if they're under (or over) 21. 

15 minutes ago, palpieha said:

 

Have you priced out the Haven on the Encore or Joy for your trip? You would then not need the additional specialty meals, as the Haven restaurant is the best on the ship. Plus you get the Haven bar and pool deck.

 

If going for non-Haven, one thing to consider is that the Joy has Spice H2O and the Encore doesn't (instead there's laser tag there). If you like to lounge/hot tub with drink in hand away from the craziness of the main pool, it's nice to have Spice H2O. After your son finds his friends, since under 18 are not allowed in Spice.

The Haven is $10,747. Nice thought, but completely out of reach budget wise. We're doing another, bigger vacation in July, sending one kid to a fancy summer camp while we tour California and wine country, so this is a mini-vacation in the spring as a bonus trip.

Update: It's $4,108 for the Encore. I had forgot to put in the third person for the cruise. I was wondering why a newer ship was cheaper than the Joy. Silly me. Anyway...just for reference purposes. 

1 hour ago, palpieha said:

I don't know how it is on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean, but on NCL, teenagers have Entourage. This doesn't cost extra, and they have video games, ping pong, foosball, a disco area, and some guided programming (like all going to the basketball court for a game together, etc).

 

Teenagers being teenagers, they might be too cool for what is provided, but Entourage is pretty successful with drawing them in.

As long as you get my son near a few teenagers, he's fine. So if there are any interesting teens at Entourage, he'll be friends with them within two minutes after meeting and then hang out with them the rest of the cruise! (Of course, leading up to those first two minutes, he's convinced he'll never meet anyone and never make any friends.)

30 minutes ago, deweytrader said:

I would pick the Encore, plenty of things for a teen to do and the price is right with all the perks!

Have you been on the Encore? It looks like a great ship. I was wondering how all of the extras work out. I'll pay for them, it's still way cheaper than Royal Caribbean! 

I'm looking at the Encore or Joy for spring break in April. There are three of us - my husband, 15-year-old son and myself. I am trying to decide between the two NCL cruises, or two that are more expensive on Royal Caribbean (the new Wonder of the Seas ship) and the Celebrity Apex.

All balcony or infinite veranda (Celebrity) rooms:

NCL Encore is $3,205 - free drinks, bar gratuities and $130 of Wi-Fi and $160 of specialty dining (those are things that matter and we'd pay for)

NCL Joy is $3,860 - free drinks, bar gratuities and $130 of Wi-Fi and $160 of specialty dining

Celebrity Apex is $5,881 - free drinks, bar gratuities and basic Wi-Fi (about the same as NCL)

RC Wonder is $6,059 - no drinks or Wi-Fi

RC's ship is brand new and very tempting but crazy expensive without drinks or anything else added and we would be paying for those on top of everything else. But, it looks like we wouldn't be nickel and dimed like you get on NCL with all of the fees for go-karts, laser tag, etc., which would add up super fast (I saw where it's something like $199 for unlimited for each of those per cruise!) 

The itineraries are fairly similar - ports that we'd enjoy in the Caribbean, so those aren't a big consideration. I picked these cruises already based on the dates that work for us and ports that we would want to visit. My big question here is which of these ships would be best for a family of three with an outgoing, athletic 15-year-old boy for spring break. I could spring for the $6,000 Royal Caribbean cruise, but it is pricey and if either the $3,200 or $3,800 NCL are a good choice, I'd rather spend less because those look like a better value. But if all of the extras on board start adding up too fast, then I want to be aware. I read somewhere that on NCL there is a "pack of teenagers" that roam because they end up with nothing to do since everything costs extra. I'd pay for my son to have things to do, but I don't like the idea of bored packs of teenagers with nothing to do on a ship. 

Of course, if it was just my husband and I, the Celebrity seems like the way to go - but would a teenager be bored on a Celebrity ship? It seems to skew older with less fun stuff for kids. 

Any thoughts here? I've never sailed on NCL or any of these lines I'm considering, only Carnival, because I've sailed with friends in the past that were Platinum and Diamond Carnival members, but I'm not tied to that line by any means. My husband and I love to stay at high-end hotels and eat at high-end restaurants when we travel, so we like fancy when we find it. But we're not snobs, so Carnival is a fun line for our teenager, and we're traveling on it for a holiday cruise again in December. I'm trying to learn all I can about the other lines so that I can figure out what will be the best one for us this time as we experience a different cruise line. Thanks in advance for any advice!

11 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

True but buying a SDP (specialty dining package) for guest #3 is the same price no matter who #3 is.  

 

Doing it the creative way gets the soda package for $1.99 per person per day instead of the full price of $9.95 pppd + $1.99 pppd. 

That's what I was thinking of - it saves on the soda package - everyone over 21 gets the package with alcohol for free, no matter their guest number, but then guest #2 gets the soda package much cheaper or free. and I'd be buying the extra SDP regardless since our son is young enough, as a 9th grader, to want to eat dinner with us. 

13 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

No, he would only pay the 20% service charge (currently $19.80pppd....per person per day).

ah, okay, that's not a good deal. for some reason I thought guests 1-8 all got the PBP for free if they were 21 or over. I misread!

4 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Husband will still get PBP as guest #3. 

What is PBP? I don't know the acronyms. 

5 hours ago, Bobroo said:

Please read what I posted in your other recent thread.

 

Harris above is exactly correct, this excursion is through Scuba Dogs at Escambron Park. And yes, $139 pp is absolutely ridiculous! Your cab fare from the port might be $20 for two people and gear. Tanks and weights might be another $30 pp, and a return cab ride another $20. A search on Google Maps and the Scuba Dogs website will show you how feasible this is to do on your own. 

 

I agree this is not the best dive in the world. In the sheltered bay areas the dive is shallow (15'-20') and the water is milky with viz of 25' or so. Outside the bay areas the viz is better but is it awfully surgey. However, for a father son who are looking to spend some time together, perhaps a first time shore dive, perhaps first time diving off a cruise ship without a authorized excursion, or just a newly minted OW diver in general; there's just plain not a lot of trouble you can get into...except for the stonefish.

 

 

My husband did a non-cruise excursion dive in The Bahamas in 2013 and it went quite smoothly. He's a very experienced diver himself. My son is the new diver in our family. 

One of the free promotions NCL is offering right now is the Unlimited Open Bar Package. There will be three of us cruising - my husband and myself and our 15 year old son. It seems like, based on this description, that I should make guests 1-2 myself and my son, and then guest 3 should be my husband. That way my son will still get the free soda package since he's under 21. Is there anything you can see incorrect about this decision, or should an adult be guest 2?

Unlimited Open Bar Package (Open Bar)
Unlimited Open Bar Package is applicable to all qualified sailings excluding Pride of America.
Applicable to guests 1-8 on the reservation. If 3-8 guest is under 21 years of age, Unlimited Open Bar Package does not apply and soda package will not be given as a substitution.
Guest 1-2 must be at least 21 years of age at time of sailing to qualify for the Unlimited Open Bar Package. Guests under 21 will receive the soda package. 

4 hours ago, shof515 said:

Internet Package (Free WiFi)
Internet package is based on number of nights.
75 minutes per person for 3-6 Day Cruises.
150 minutes per person for 7-11 Day Cruises.
300 minutes per person for 12+ Day Cruises.
Offer will be applied to the 1st and 2nd guest in the stateroom.
Internet package is per person. Two logins per stateroom.
Can be used only on one device at a time.
Package is limited to number of minutes and doesn’t allow streaming.
Internet package is not available at Great Stirrup Cay or Harvest Caye.
Internet package includes activation fee.

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/terms-and-conditions/promotions

Thanks, this is what I needed!

3 hours ago, GaryWT said:

We upgraded to unlimited for $109. each.  There is a second upgrade for streaming. Worked out ok, could use my phone or iPad but not at the same time.  My wife could do the same.  Friends stayed with the 150 minutes but forgot to log out one day so all the minutes got used up. 

Ack!!!!

3 hours ago, ARcruisin2 said:

...like how dare Ii ruin the look of the place while they were giving tours...

This is hysterical! The thought of sweaty people ruining the look of a gym! Perish the thought!

I'm looking at NCL cruises for spring break for my family next year and it says they have free Wi-Fi. I've had trouble figuring out exactly what free Wi-Fi means on NCL. Is there a certain amount of minutes free, certain types of website (no streaming, for instance) you can visit, a certain number of people in our cabin who can access Wi-Fi at once, etc? Thanks in advance for any insight you can share. I'm sure I'm looking at the wrong place on the NCL site, but I'm stumped. 

agreed. I was unimpressed with the lobster on Carnival. I didn't expect it to be particularly great, tho. I haven't chosen Carnival for it's food quality, just pricing and other factors at the time of cruising. 

I ordered my WiFi a couple of days ago so that I'd get the pre-Oct. 1 price. We cruise in December. 

2 hours ago, ChuckF said:

Lot of Christmas music in the casino. And a lot of people that don't celebrate Christmas complaining about it. 

This is funny.

This all sounds like so much fun! I love the idea of decorating our door and bringing Christmas PJs. I wouldn't have thought of that. I love it!

14 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

They do. Had already watched the video and had every intention of going to my muster station after my third drink (which would have still been before the deadline to complete muster drill) but got cut off until I completed muster.

oh my! I'm a bit of a lightweight, so I probably couldn't do three and still make it to muster. 

17 hours ago, Sgwscruiser said:

If you pre purchased you can get your first drink as soon as get on board

well, then. I'll be ready to go!

17 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

You just show your cruise card.  If you haven’t been to your cabin yet to get your card, the barcode on your boarding pass is all you need.  EM

perfect! I can do that. Cheers!

17 hours ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

DOD drinks on trays are not included?

That's what I thought I read. looks like it's all about the fancy glass.

17 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

It's not the "on trays" part that matters but rather whether they're sold in a souvenir glass.  I'm so used to ignoring bar waiters trying to take advantage of first-time cruisers on embarkation day that I don't recall whether the DOD on embarkation day is sold in a souvenir or regular glass.

 

But if they are serving the DOD in a souvenir glass you can always ask for it in a regular glass so you can buy it with Cheers.

ah, okay. souvenir glass. I'm happy to ask about the glass factor!

15 hours ago, cmichael1221 said:

I think they now cut you off after two drinks, if you haven't done the muster drill - good motivation! 🙂

whaaat? sheesh. 

I'm going to pre-purchase Cheers for my husband and myself before our December cruise out of Florida. Will it be available as soon as we board, or do we have to sign up somewhere once we're on board? I know there's a day delay for Texas and New York cruises, but we're good from day 1 with Florida ports. 

I've read the FAQs for Cheers but I don't see exactly what I need for accessing that all important first alcoholic beverage. I do know that the ones on the trays when I first get on the ship are NOT part of the Cheers package. So I need to find out how to get to the "free" ones fast. 

Thanks!!!!

On 9/18/2022 at 10:59 AM, bguppies said:

 

I just hate all companies assuming that everyone wants to use a cellphone for everything or can afford to.

I'm still debating taking mine on my cruise this Thursday.

Perhaps just think of it as a tool. In this instance, a tool to book a dinner reservation. Pick up the tool to book reservation, go to dinner, place tool back in the drawer until the next time the tool is needed for its intended sole use.

Phones have been used as a tool to book dinner reservations for decades, so this is just a different type of phone. 

We will be on the Carnival Magic over Christmas Eve and Christmas. What is Christmas like on a Carnival ship? Our son will be with us. He's 15, so still a kid, even tho a big one. Interested to hear what others have experienced. Thanks!

On 9/21/2022 at 9:18 AM, EatonDoolittle said:

Have you reviewed the St Kitts board? You might get some more ideas there. 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/329-st-kitts-amp-nevis/

Thanks, I did look there, but didn't come up with much. 

I want to do a spring break cruise the first week of April with my husband and son, who will be 15 at the time of the cruise. My husband and I are in our 50's. (Very, very early 50's. We're sooooo young. LOL.) Seriously, what ports do you think will be the best ones to visit at that time of the year? I don't have a particular cruise line in mind yet - I see that NCL, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival all have cruises that are viable for us during that period. We are most interested in cruises out of one of the Florida ports since we live closest to that area so it's the easiest to fly into. 

We are doing a Christmas cruise on Carnival into St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Amber Cove and San Juan, so we're fine with revisiting maybe one of those, but not all. We like to be active, my husband and son like to scuba dive, and I like to snorkel, we all like to hike, swim, sightsee, see historical sights, go on food tours, etc. 

I'd very much like to hear about your favorite ports for that time of year (April) and why you would choose them. Thanks so much!

On 9/22/2022 at 4:19 AM, PORT ROYAL said:

Seaweed appears during a bout of bad/rough/hurricane weather out at sea, which one can’t exactly predict to date in advance.
However, as frequent visitors to the Caribbean know, the bad weather, resulting in the appearance of seaweed, usually happens during “out of season” months.   “Out Of Season” is usually defined as about the end of April to end November, with hurricane season (greatly increasing seaweed) occurring 1st August to 31st October.  One can limit the chance of seaweed by visiting “in season”.
Note complainants usually fail to identify the month of visit, to enable readers to correctly determine the reason for appearance of seaweed.

The the complaint would read “One went to St Kitts in the middle of Hurricane Season and saw seaweed on a beach”.

ah, okay. thanks! I will be there over the holidays, so it will be "in season"