realcindylouwho

Yes, you are correct. I stayed in 14138 on the Breakaway (identical deckplan), and it is a regular public hallway, but I found it generally quiet (although if I recall, we were across from a crew door which was sometimes noisy). Generally, it was a quiet location without a lot of foot traffic, and had the Deck 15 Haven suites overhead, so not a lot of noise from above. (I believe starboard side spa suites may have some noise issues due to the gym being above.) It was convenient enough - just 1 deck below the pool and spa, and 2 decks from the Haven facilities. For the right price, I would book it again in a hearbeat. Hope that helps.

Thanks you for the detailed answer. We stayed in an H5 16710 on the Getaway in late Novemeber of 2015 and thought we would investigate the Spa Suites as a choice for a late 2017 cruise. Our PCC will be calling us as soon as they are available for booking around the first of next week. However, I am now thinking we will regroup and look at the H5's on 15 port side instead. Hmmm, I've got work to do.

Anyone want to chime in on the one BR H5 locations on deck 15 port side?

After reviewing the deck plans, I don't see that the Getaway Spa Suites on deck 14 have a private key card access to them as the Haven suites do on 15 and 16. It seems as though they are in a hallway that all ship passengers can use. Am I correct on this? We are trying to minimize the potential noise around (above and below also) our suite. Thanks for your answers!

Well I'm landlocked as well but I just picked up a last minute deal on a cruise this Sunday out of LA that was over $1000 cheaper for my family of four than it would have been a month ago. I would not be taking this cruise if the price hadn't dropped into my "value" zone.

 

A similar policy change at NCL may have some impact for me BUT the key is how this will then actually work in practice. I can only imagine that Royal C will just start discounting lightly booked sailings earlier in the process. They will still be looking to sail at "full" occupancy. My guess is that this will play out more as a PR exercise.

 

Happy cruising all,

csm

Great job! I pulled up the rates for this cruise and there are fantastic deals for the solo cruisers as well! It looks as though NCL has lowered some cabins by at least 20% since January 11th. To keep your vacation budget in line, how do you keep the last minute traveling to port costs low? We only fly twice a year and buy our tickets months in advance to get the best flight times for us.

I'm always learning from fellow C.C.er's!

While reading through my FB today I came across this announcement from Royal Caribbean. I wonder if this policy will trickle down to NCL as well. While I cannot take advantage of late or last minute booking due to living smack dab in the middle of the U.S.A., I'm positive MANY cruisers who live near a port city enjoy saving money and getting onto a ship less expensively using this method. If NCL were to change their policy, please let us know how this would change your cruising lifestyle. I'm just curious (and jealous) of how some of you vacation!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6795

Do you have cash available to take it? Also need to budget in additional tip money. We would do it in a heartbeat!

No RumChata. I was hoping they had it for my breakfast coffee. Such a downer.

She Said:

Have you read that workplace sign? The one that says "Don't ask me to ADULT today. I don't think I can adult". Well, that has been Kent and my life since the morning we docked back in Miami from our SKY cruise. Yep, we are those people that don't have an international cell phone plan. We also don't use the ship's internet. We figure, if there is an emergency, someone will call the ship. Once at the port, we turned on our cell phones and Kent had many calls and texts on his phone. We have dealt with a close family member needing to be moved from the hospital, to a rehab facility and into hospice, all within a four days. A cancer diagnosis sucks to deal with and we have been "adulting" since our return to reality on December 11th. Not offering anyone here any apologizes, simply a reason for our delay in completing our review. So onward we proceed!

As a review, DH and I have only cruised NCL and only in the suites which have ranged from Aft suites to twice in a Garden Villa. We booked an aft balcony on the Sky as an economical add-on cruise to extend our sea vacation and optimize the value of the ridiculous airfare we have to pay from Kansas City to reach ANY port. We both figured we could "tough it out" with the UBP and the balcony would be a way to escape the crowds if needed. However, I got a bit more nervous after we had checked in and were waiting to board the SKY. I prodded Kent to call NCL and see if we could upgrade ourselves to a suite, as I had checked and saw there was still availability. DH called and told me NCL said it was a NO GO to change on the day of the cruise and we anxiously awaited our boarding with group 6. We took our pic with the happy crew members and made our way to a bathroom first and then we boogied over to the Great Outdoors for our first drink. We'd made a plan and were some of the first cruise passengers to arrive to this area and grabbed a Jack and Pepsi and a Mojito. I will say, it tasted just like we were suite passengers:rolleyes:! We leisurely enjoyed some of the buffet food and ordered another drink or two, strolled around the ship to familiarize ourselves with the layout and were given the all-clear that the rooms were ready. Apprehensively we entered the room, checked out the bathroom with the famous shower curtain and took in our view from the balcony. It was absolutely fine and I knew that this cruise was going to be one where we had no schedule or plans so we could catch up on sleep, maintain our drinking we had grown accustomed to on the Getaway (:rolleyes: yes another eyeroll from me) and enjoy the time on the sea and freedom from the real world for another 5 days.

Some of you may be thinking that I sound like a stuck-up suite snob. Those that have met us would likely say we are the exact opposite. We cruise NCL suites because of the value of the product that we receive and the experience we create from cruising in this way. We book at least a year in advance, we have studied the prices and the promos, we are platinum latitudes and those perks have added value as well. This is how we choose to spend our vacation dollar. Because of our experience on the SKY we have been able to see how we can expand and stretch our cruise funds further.

Food and Beverages: At Cagney's I experienced the best steak I've ever eaten! It was cooked to a perfect medium and was incredibly tender. Overall, the drinks were strong, but I certainly missed the pretty garnishes and fancy designs on the beverages I ordered. I was spoiled at the Haven Bar on the Getaway. Beverage service pace was as I expected with many having the UBP that week. Many times there was only a person or two ahead of me and the slowest wait I had was at the pool level bar. Yes, we witnessed a hot tub full of drunk people who hogged the space an entire afternoon. A person would have to have been plain stupid to go into it during that time, as most of the party-ers stayed in the hot tub for hours. The average person would have needed to use the restroom during that time and I think they DID relieve themselves, just not in an official place where that function should occur. Ironically, that hot tub was shut down and a net placed over it for the remaining days of the cruise.

SwissLe, I am now going to prove just how blonde I am. It was not Monica as our Concierge on the Jewel, it was Florentina! Monica was our Concierge on the Pearl in a 2 BR Haven suite in 2013. So sorry to bother you about this but I'm glad my DH pointed this out to me as Monica would have given you a blank stare, then smiled and replied "perfect". hehe.

We're now onboard, the concierge is Monica.

 

 

 

If you could please, tell Monica a huge "HELLO!" from Kent and Cindy Peterson. She took awesome care of us in the Garden Villa on the Jewel the week of Thanksgiving 2014. Also tell her that Cindy's Mother Judy and her husband Bill have not stopped talking about how wonderful their cruise experience was with NCL. You can also add that Judy and Bill have managed to "not get lost" during the entire year of 2015! I think she will remember what a time we had keeping track of them on the ship!

She Said:

Food and Beverages: I am a good cook. Take that back, a GREAT cook and I have absolutely no objection with 99% of the food I consume on a cruise. I eat the majority of my meals during the year at home so to have someone plan for a meal, shop for groceries, unload the car, put away the groceries and cook the meal; I’m not ever going to complain. I am somewhat of a light eater and try to balance the “bad” foods with the “good for you” foods. Some of my selections on this cruise were outstanding. I had the Mac and Cheese in Cagney’s for the first time and it was to die for! On the buffet there is usually some type of a chopped fresh veggie/bean salad with a light vinaigrette dressing that is always delicious. NCL always has it and on a daily basis they change the combo of ingredients. The onion rings served in the Haven pool area are very tasty. Although I can’t remember the name of the apple dessert served in Cagney’s I absolutely loved that as well. NCL has made huge improvements in their desserts. In the past I was one of many who felt that they look fantastic but tasted bland. Good job NCL.

Since we had the UBP I absolutely indulged in drinks that I would never have chosen to purchase. I love wine and I repeatedly looked over the full wine list and there were only 2-3 wines that were not covered under the UBP. I sampled many wines and found two new favorites, both a white and a red. I tried for the first time PISCO and fell in love with NCL’s PISCO PUNCH. If you’ve never tried it, you should! Ask for one with only 1 shot of PISCO, as it is served with 1 ½ shots. It smells somewhat and tastes somewhat like tequila to me! It will be the drink of the day on Wednesday and the charge is $6.95 if you do not have the UBP. I also developed a deep love for Moscow Mule’s which are Thursday’s drink of the day at $6.95. You can have it served in an engraved copper mug for an additional $9. Now I wish I had done that and since we are sailing on the SKY again in March (oops, did I just let that slip?!!!) I will make certain to bring one home. Late afternoons, in the Haven, I would order a Bloody Mary and the first time they asked me what brand of vodka I wanted in it, I giggled. I’m used to Seagram’s and to have a choice of at least 5 higher end vodkas left me scratching my head!:o I settled on Kettle One. I drank on average 6 drinks a day, with one day consuming an extra to make it 7. Darn GSC and those wonderful Pain Killers!!! Doing the math, if I had to purchase the UBP I would not be able to drink enough to pay for the cost. This is due to the cocktails I drink. If I were an exclusive wine drinker, I would come out ahead, as the wines I preferred were in the range of $12-$14 a glass. However, the higher end wines are almost exclusively poured at the specialty restaurants and the nearby bars that fill those drink orders.

BeachBecky-I don't remember the name. I will admit the place inside and out looked sketchy but the massages were wonderful! As a She Said: correction the massages were 20 minutes for $15. I will see if I can look that area over on Google and see if I can give you a better set of directions to get there.

The best I can figure out is to walk north along Av. Rafael E. Melgar until you get to Calle 2 Nte. Look down the street about 1/3 of the way and you should see a white sign that displays the word "Massage". If it isn't there, continue walking to Calle 4 Nte. Again, the place looks sketchy with only sheets hanging between the massage beds, but the women have hands of magic! Wonderful, relaxing massages. When we left someone was getting a full body massage in the first "room" and I felt a bit jealous. This place is for those who are adventurous!

BeachBecky-I don't remember the name. I will admit the place inside and out looked sketchy but the massages were wonderful! As a She Said: correction the massages were 20 minutes for $15. I will see if I can look that area over on Google and see if I can give you a better set of directions to get there.

He Said Review - Ports of Call

The itinerary for this cruise is my favorite, as exhibited by the fact this was our 3rd time on it. I love GSC, Jamaica is growing on me, I dream of living in Grand Cayman, and Cozumel is...well it's Cozumel. Love it. I'll try and keep each stop short and sweet, just hitting the high points, to give you a flavor of our experience at each stop. So here we go:

GSC: I love GSC. We were last at GSC 2 years ago and the island really hadn't seemed to have changed too much. We took one of the first tenders to the island and grabbed a clam shell on the eastern side of the beach and close to the bar..of course. Love snorkeling so we put our gear on and hopped in the water, which was pretty murky until you got father out. I snorkeled for about an hour and a half then hit the clam shell to chill. Grabbed lunch at the buffet which was your typical GSC food fare, walked to the south side of the island to check out what was there, hung out at the Bacardi Bar for a while, snorkeled some more, then took a nap in the clam shell. Finally taking one of the last tenders back to the Getaway. Typical day on GSC for me.

Jamaica: Did the NCL excursion, Reggae Party Sail & Dunn's River Falls. Loved it. We got on the catamaran at the pier near the Getaway and had about a 30 min sail to the falls. The boat crew were very nice and personable. Fun to talk to. At the falls we met our guides and started our ascent. We were the first group at the falls which was great. If you've never climbed the falls but want to, be warned, you will get soaked. The guides go out of their way to try and get you drenched. There are areas to do the "Nestea Plunge", slide down a rock into the water, sit under a water fall, or slip off a rock as I did. You need to make sure you have good shoes that can get soaked. I wore water shoes with a hiking shoe type sole, swim trunks, and Coolibar shirt. You do climb up rocks but no worries, it's pretty easy. We made it to the top and loved the experience. Once done you walk out of the river and walk back down to the beach on a sidewalk. Got back on the catamaran and the crew opened up the bar giving us rum punch. Man did it taste good. The ride back was a blast as we danced on the bow of the catamaran. I guess I learned something called the Cupid Shuffel? Also known as the Electric Slide? Whatever it's called, I did it with the help of the crew. What a fun time.

Grand Cayman: The ship anchored at George Town and we tendered to shore. Our plan was to snorkel at Eden Rock as we'd heard it was supposed to be fantastic and not too far from the port. Earlier in the day after we got to Grand Cayman, we walked out on our balcony and looked to shore. We noticed that the Eden Rock Dive Shop was literally right in front of us on the shore. Perfect. So we tendered in and did the short few block walk to Eden Rock. There we paid the $5 USD to rent a locker, put our gear on, and went in the water. Amazing. There are stairs or ladders you use to get in the water which is clear and warm. We spent a considerable amount of time patrolling the waters closer to shore and saw large quantities and varieties of fish. It was great, but why did they call it Eden Rock? I eventually figured it out when scuba divers got in the water and swam out to deeper waters. I noticed there were a couple white buoys in the water what seemed like 100 + yards away from shore. I talked Cindy into heading out there. When we got there we found Eden Rock...holy cow was it amazing. Eden Rock is a large coral formation that starts at the ocean bottom 48 ft down and rises to just below the ocean surface. The beauty was incredible as were the fish. There's another beautiful coral formation that's called Devil's Grotto. We got back to shore and talked to the dive center staff who indicated that earlier in the day divers had seen sea turtles and sharks out at Eden Rock. We put our dry clothes on and headed back to port and back to the Getaway.

Cozumel: This was our 5th time to Cozumel and we made plans for an incredible day. Our plan was to do......absolutely nothing. We slept in a little late, grabbed a late breakfast, chilled out on the Getaway for a while, then decided to go into town. Cindy wanted to find someplace where we could get a chair back massage so we walked up the boulevard looking for some chair masseuses. We walked many blocks north when Cindy suddenly noticed east of the boulevard a massage business. I freak out and get nervous in foreign countries. Don't really know why as I lived in India as a child and traveled to many foreign countries when I was a youth. I blame it on Hangover III and their experience in Tijuana, Mexico - that messed me up. Any way, Cindy wanted to check it out and me being the subservient husband obliged her. We walked into the business and Cindy started negotiating with the staff eventually getting us a 15 min back massage for $15. The took us back and we laid down on the tables. OMG, I fell in love. The masseuse was awesome. It seemed like it lasted longer than 15 mins, was wonderful, so we paid them $15 for each of us with a hefty tip. I walked out of the shop like a piece of spaghetti and down the boulevard as we headed back to the port and back on to the Getaway. Out day of nothingness turned out to be wonderfully relaxing.

The lesson I learned in Cozumel, was that you don't always have to do something at a port-of-call. Previously I've always felt that we HAD to do excursions, to do something, anything, to make the day worthwhile. What I learned was that you don't. You can just chill, relax, and enjoy the moment. Again, your cruise experience is what YOU make of it. In Cozumel I learned that lesson even more.

My next review tomorrow which will conclude my comments on the Getaway, will be the things we did on the ship and the various intangibles I see of the ship. I'll leave you with this little hint about my comments tomorrow - I'm 51 years of age and have never had as much fun, and been able to feel like a kid again, as I did on the Getaway......

She Said:

More Highlights: On Tuesday, our first sea day, we went downstairs to Cagney’s for The C.C. Meet and Greet. We were standing in a short line at the Hostess Stand to sign in when the movement of a door opening caught my attention. I looked and almost screamed the name ALVIN! Just walking through the door was our sweet, dear cruise friend Alvin Sigua whom we had met on our 2010 cruise when he was a server in Cagney’s for the suite guests breakfasts and lunches. We cruised with him again in 2012 and over the years have e-mailed a few times a year. However 2015 we hadn’t heard back from him and we thought maybe he had left NCL. But before our eyes, here he was and we hugged, smiled, laughed and we asked about each other’s families. He has been promoted a few times and is now overseeing several of the specialty restaurants and room service. He took Kent and I over and introduced us to several of his bosses/officers and there were many compliments paid to this awesome crew member of NCL. I know some members of C.C. get annoyed when others ask what officers will be on board during their sailing. But I completely understand why someone who has the flexibility to reschedule a cruise would want to do so to make certain they sail with familiar crew members. Alvin spent time with us throughout the cruise, usually during dinners and would pull up a chair and sit with us. He also managed to find out from Virginia when we would be disembarking and surprised us when the elevator doors opened, wearing his dress whites and arms wide open for the last round of hugs. I bet other C.C. members have stories just like ours; making friends and feeling like some are almost like family! I think it would be a great idea to start a thread for 2016 about NCL crew members who are loved by us cruisers. Who wants to start it?

She Said: I want to clarify Kent's information he passed on about the noise each early morning above our room. I am a light sleeper and was woken up and stayed awake every morning from the noise. It was the sound of lounge chairs being drug across the ground and some loud dropping type sounds. A better explanation of what our cabin was under would be this: directly above us was a small area that held two rows of four padded loungers. Four facing the water by the rail, four behind them. It was windy on our cruise. Very Windy!!! Due to the wind the loungers must have been stacked up and tied down each night. Our suite was directly under the area where these eight lounge chairs had to be replaced each morning. Also, there are large round clam-shell-type beds that begin at the end of the fourth lounger and continue down (forward) the rail. These are somewhat light as I was able to turn one to face a different direction. During the night, these may have moved and would need to be re-positioned as well. While I could have used that extra hour or two of sleep, I was able to survive:rolleyes:the early wake-up call.

The Ship: The Getaway is beautiful as many have mentioned on C.C. She has neutral colors which should age better than the purples, pinks and turquoise colors of the Jewel category ships. It seemed strange to me how chopped up the public areas of the ship are, but I think NCL did it this way to disperse the crowds of people onto multiple decks. The only area I felt there was overcrowding was deck 6 midship during the hours of 6-8 p.m. Also on deck 8 midship , anytime there was a “sale” going on this area would be hard to pass by. Not that I wanted to shop, but so many shoppers were gathered around the tables of merchandise that it made it difficult to squeeze by on either side and this is a high traffic area. Although we toured all over the ship on the first afternoon, I never seemed to get the lay of the “land” correct in my head and needed to refer to the maps near the elevators.

What is that I smell? Well, that smell means you are getting close to the Casino. I admit I have a highly sensitive nose and I could smell it decks 6-8 midship at all hours of the day or night. I would tend to crinkle my face and comment either in my head or to Kent every time we passed through this zone. It did not deter us from using the casino and losing all of $3 one evening or walking around and people watching. Speaking of people watching, Kent and I don’t gamble and anyone who may have been watching us try to figure out how to use the machines would have been laughing out loud at our ignorance!

Do be prepared for lots of walking. On other ships we could leave our suite and within 3 minutes be at our location for dinner at the scheduled time. I think we allotted about 10 minutes to get to our dinner reservations from The Haven and we are fast walkers! We don’t frequently take the elevator and prefer walking and taking the stairs but on this ship I forfeited and took the elevator more often. My buns were burning and my dogs were barking in my high heels when hiking more than a few flights of stairs.

Our Fellow Passengers:Let me ask this question. Who has watched not only NCL’s, but any cruise line’s commercials? Only beautiful people on in those commercials, right? Well, this cruise had more pretty people than I have ever seen! Last year’s week of Thanksgiving cruise out of Houston, we saw lots of people who should have been taking the stairs instead of the elevators, to put it nicely. Lots of sloooow walkers, of canes, of people movers, which made me move from place to place more slowly as well. (Remember I am a fast walker.) This cruise had lots of baby strollers. However, I don’t remember hearing many crying babies or screaming toddlers. This cruise had a younger demographic than we are used to seeing. Also, we heard so many foreign languages and not just Spanish! I felt somewhat left out as I only speak English and now have set a goal for 2016 to learn at least some basic Spanish.

I’m now going to put a spotlight on a low part of the cruise. Think back to your last cruise, was there just that ONE FAMILY or that ONE PERSON whom you seemed to run into and every time you saw them, you wanted to turn and walk quickly away or duck into another hallway? Well, we had THAT FAMILY in the Haven. They were loud. I’m talking LOUD! They walked loud, they sat loud, they ate loud, they lounged loud, they soaked in the hot tub loud and they swam loud. Oh my. But most of all they talked loud. Seriously, not one word could come out of their 5 mouths without it being a near scream. One early afternoon, Kent and I walked into the Haven restaurant to eat lunch and spotted the loud family. We turned on our heels and went out to the Haven pool area to eat there instead. It was a common theme, wherever “the loud family” was, other people weren’t. At meals, even the Haven staff would seat them in an area off to the side so there would be some separation between normal to light speakers and the loud speakers. Just like with our “early wakeup call” I managed to barrel through the cruise!:rolleyes:

Our first two cruises with NCL were the Getaway, which was a Haven Spa Suite in June and the Sky, a balcony, in December so it will be interesting to hear your take on them both. We enjoyed them both and would sail either again.

I am happy to hear you enjoyed both ships, especially since they are very different! As the end of our Getaway cruise neared, I admit I became a bit uneasy about our Sky cruise that we would be taking after the Getaway. So much so that I asked Kent to call and see if there were any suites available just minutes before we embarked on the Sky! Here's your hint, everything worked out wonderfully!

My DH (WildcatRock) and I (Realcindylouwho) cruised the Getaway 11/29 in an H5/16710 and the Sky 12/06 in a B1/9078 and wanted to share our opinions about our experience. In 2014, the week of Thanksgiving, we sailed on the Jewel in a Garden Villa. We posted a review of our He Said-She Said cruise you can refer to here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2135193. Many times males and females look at things differently and this happens frequently in our marriage. Cruising is not the exception to this differing of experiences. This time I will get to start our review, as my husband has drug his feet for too long and I want to get started before my memory fades even more. My part will not contain a day by day accounting but highlights and low-lights from my perspective. Kent’s input may be much different. We can be long winded, you have been forewarned.:D

First, my husband is an entire decade older than me, he is 51 and I am 49. I love to think of it that way (!) and I have decided when I turn 50 later this year, I will begin to age in reverse. I’m a Princess and I can do as I please, sometimes. We cruise once a year and began cruising in 2009 and have solely cruised with NCL. Before this cruise we have only cruised in suites because we love the experience and benefits. 2015 was a huge year for us as we became empty nesters. Our oldest graduated from college with honors and is a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. Our youngest graduated from high school with honors, is attending college and in the Air Force ROTC. This gave us a reason, as though we needed a reason, to book two cruises and get a greater value out of our expensive airfare. By staying in an aft balcony on the Sky instead of another suite, we would keep our total vacation cost lower. Besides, we told ourselves, if we hated the Sky and hated a balcony, it would be for only 4 nights. We could tough it out, right?

To shorten things up, here is my summary of pre-embarkation on the Getaway: flew into FLL with no delays, car service arrived on time, Intercontinental upgraded us to a suite for two nights at no extra charge, taxi driver dropped us off safely at the port and we had no line to wait in at security. WOW! Up to this point everything was going perfectly. In the past Kent and I have said we would “NEVER” cruise on a big ship. We love the size of the Star, Pearl and Jewel . Why would we risk our vacation time and money by taking the chance of having a bad cruise? I’ve read all of the horrible experiences on Cruise Critic about the Getaway and they’ve stayed in my memory far greater than the wonderful reviews. We were moving outside of our comfort zone and the Getaway was just part one of a two part cruise.

I am a girl who gets cold easily and on the Getaway 11/29 sailing I was comfortable in the evening with short sleeves, but I brought along a black lightweight sweater. Strangle enough the only place I felt cold was in Teppanyaki during supper! I had worn a sleeveless shirt thinking it would be too warm.

We have stayed in the Haven on the Jewel class ships and preferred taking the stairs up instead of the slower elevator. There is a key-card only stair access door on the Jewel and the Pearl directly in front of the elevators. Is the layout the same on the Getaway?

I am so happy to read of your update to this older thread!!!! We aren't thrilled for what is offered for our excursion options for our cruise in early December and after reading this, I think we may have a winner!!! Thank you for posting of your experience it is appreciated.

Maybe I can offer my opinion since I meet your requirements having cruised in both aft suites and Haven suites on the Pearl and Jewel 5 times in the past 6 years.

In the aft suites we have stayed in, we have received: priority embarkation and debarkation, priority tendering, breakfast and lunches at Cagneys/now Modernos on some Jewel class ships, access to the butler and concierge, afternoon treats delivered to your suite and invitations to special events.

The the 2 Bedroom Haven suites and Garden Villas we have stayed in we also received in addition to the above: access to the Haven area and sundeck above, reserved seating at the theater, private tour of the bridge for our family, a high level of attentiveness from the butler, concierge and room stewards.

Since we primarily cruise the week after Thanksgiving the weather can be somewhat iffy. Having access to the Haven area which can be pleasantly warm as compared to the cooler outside air temperature is an added value to us. Also, if the weather is nice, the retractable roof is opened allowing the fresh air and a gentle breeze to circulate. If it begins to rain a bit, the roof slides closed and you still can sit in your swimsuit and enjoy a dip in the pool or take a relaxing soak in the hot tub. My retirement aged parents used the small exercise area most mornings in the Haven where they didn't have to wait for the treadmill and they enjoyed playing the video games on the t.v. screens!:D If you want to be away from the masses, the activity and loudness of the main pool area on deck 12, and want to enjoy the sun in relative peace, then the upper Haven sundeck offers wonderful views and your choice of areas to sit. Most Haven sundecks will have a hammock or two to relax in as well. Every cruise we have been on there has been seating for well over 60 people and less than 10 have ever been using the sundeck while I have been laying in the sun up there. Our MOST enjoyed cruise was one where we stayed in a two bedroom Haven suite, just my husband and I. We would put on our swimsuits, open our door, walk less than six steps and be inside of the Haven. We experienced the most relaxed week of our lives having immediate access to our suite, the two bathrooms (;)) the pool, the hot tub, the suite restaurant, and a bar all within steps, not decks, from us. it was truly the best choice for us. I will also add...we book our suites of choice at least a year and a half out. We had originally booked an aft suite on deck 10. Two weeks before our cruise the prices dropped and we called our PCC who moved us, at no charge, to this 2 bedroom Haven suite and were able to keep all of our OBC. So the stars all fell into perfect alignment for this senario to happen!

As for the two Garden Villas we have stayed in? We booked two years out and saved our pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars, to be able to fully pay for the suite of our dreams in cash. No-one should create a financial hardship to be able to cruise. Whatever cabin/suite you choose, remember, you are on the ship! Only YOU can make your vacation be the best it can be, so gather the facts, get opinions and make an informed decision! HAVE FUN and GOOD LUCK!

If this was posted on FaceBook, I would have "clicked" on LIKE....

I see it the same way as you do - the various increases is still a very small percentage of the total cruise price.... :)

Both stated very well. By breaking the changes down into costs that will directly effect you as the paying customer, you can see the true cost of the cruise. Before we cruise we always try to add up our complete vacation costs which include: snacks at the airport, parking, airfare, taxi, hotel, meals the day before boarding, drinks at the bar, tips to drivers, porters, etc, CRUISE itself, onboard costs that will show on our card (drinking, tips, dining, small shopping onboard, etc). Only after you make your personalized budget, can you decide if cruising is still a cost-effective option for your vacation time. For some people, maybe other options should be more closely looked into.

I'm growing weary of people who say they are ready to take their cruising money to a different cruiseline, but continue to post on every thread regarding increasing costs/decreasing benefits of NCL. The grass isn't always greener on another cruiseline. Take an hour or so and read what cruisers are saying about THEIR favorite cruiseline. It seems others are complaining about the same subjects as we are, which include: chair hogs, increased cruise fares, lowering quality of service and food, slow service at dinner time. The list goes on.

I will continue to find out the true cost of my cruise beforehand, make a budget so I know what to expect and can save accordingly and be thankfull that I have the economic and physical ability to enjoy traveling. Once cruising on NCL doesn't serve my vacation needs adequately, I will begin my research into something else.

To clarify the increase thread, I spoke with a Norwegian representative on 2/11/2015 @7:30pm CST and was told the following: If the cruise is already booked with a down payment, the current daily services charges are locked in. Any cruise booked AFTER February 28, 2015 will have the charges increased to the new levels. Hope this answers the questions.

So book now for the lower gratuity rate.

Dear (named removed),

Norwegian Cruise Line is adjusting its daily service charges, effective for all sailings that depart on or after March 1, 2015.

The new rates are:

$12.95 per person per day for any category up to a mini-suite stateroom

$14.95 per person per day for any suite category

You can choose to pre-pay your service charges at the current rate of $12 per person per day. If charged on board, the new rates will apply.

Norwegian's daily discretionary service charges, which were last adjusted in 2009, make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff. Guests who are sailing in Suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff.

Sincerely,

Norwegian Cruise Line®

This is a direct copy of the e-mail we received from NCL on February 12th at 11:21 p.m. We received three of these e-mails because we have three cruises booked. From how our e-mail reads, our service charges will be increasing for these cruises but NCL is allowing us to pre-pay at the current rate. You may want to call your PCC again to make certain the information you were given is correct. Just trying to prevent you from a suprise increase in cost you hadn't thought would affect you.

Here is the liquor menu in all bars and restaurants the first night before you leave Texas waters. Be aware, you will be charged tax on these drinks, but it is a small percentage.

 

 

 

Thank you for posting that drink menu, as it brings back happy memories!!!!

On the first evening during our Thanksgiving week onboard the Jewel, I don't remember what I tried ordering from the listed Martinis you show pictured, but Kumar at Maltings stated he wasn't able to make the drink I wanted until the next day, so he recommended another martini for me. (Wow, that was a really long sentence!). I also remember that he wasn't able to make any of the fancy/more expensive NCL cocktails they had listed on a seperate menu. These were in a bartendar competition possibly last year? Anyway, they were priced more than $10 and had unique ingredients.

We did the He Said She Said review from that week and I was glad that we had brought 5 bottles of wine onboard, as our alcohol that came with the Garden Villa was not delivered until mid to late afternoon on the first sea day:( a full 24 hours after we had expected it and a vast difference from our experience 4 years ago in the Pearl in a Garden Villa.

"We headed back to the port in the midst of intermittent showers. The only downside was there was not the usual sun to dry us out on the trip back so it did get slightly chilly, just because of the wet and wind. When we returned to the pier, we were all retrieving and putting on our shoes (they make you take them off before getting on the boat) when an older gentleman (who had spent several minutes telling my mother how much he didn't like the excursion) who had probably had several too many rum punches lost his balance while putting his shoes on and tumbled into the water with his backpack on. It was a scary moment, but luckily, he did not hit is head (it was close though) and several guys including the staff from the boat quickly helped pull him out of the water. So, remember, if you are on one of these trips, find a safe place to put your shoes on or limit the rum punch."

Oh goodness! I would have gasped and then started laughing! I'm one of those people who laugh at inappropraite times and I can hardly keep myself from doing this. I also am a "catcher" so I would have tried to catch him mid fall, which would have been impossible. Sometimes, those who complain about the sea get the KARMA from the sea. But, I bet the rum punch had a lot to do with his dunk in the water. hehe:D Rum punch usually tastes only like fruit juice and it can sneak up on you quickly!