PATRLR

I've seen quite a few folks recommending the Intercontinental in Miami. So, I figured I'd ask some of you who experienced this hotel a couple questions. First, my wife and I arrive Thursday evening for a Sunday cruise departure (NCL Encore). So two full days to enjoy Miami. We want a hotel with a decent pool to hang out at (resort like would be nice with a nearby bar to get drinks), easy walk to shopping restaurants and just general walking around for exercise. I believe the IC meets our needs. I think the Marriott would, but, it's under renovations through year end. The JW Marriott Marquis also would be OK, but it's sold out on our dates. The Holiday Inn pool looks lacking, otherwise it might meet the bill. YVE is nearby, but no pool. Any others I should consider? Now for the IC questions: I would like a room with a view of the port, I want to see our ship in the morning. Do I book a Bay View or Ocean View? Bay view is relatively cheap right now, so, I assume that's probably not what I want. Is the club decent here, particularly their breakfast? Its about $60 more per night for the Ocean View Club, that $60 would probably be close to what I pay for a typical hotel breakfast for two On a related note, are there decent breakfast spots within walking distance so I can avoid the club level and/or buying the typical overpriced and underwhelming hotel breakfasts? Thanks in advance!

To be honest, I was surprised at how cheap this was (pretty much same as Sail Away) but we got to choose our cabin. I'm kinda hoping that NCL realizes there was a glitch and they fix it by giving me all the perks ;). Yeah, I know, no chance of that happening, but, I can hope can't I?

Nov 13 Encore

Be careful with the Marriott Biscayne Bay. They are under renovation, lots of things closed inaccessable through the end of the year. Their web site warns you when you book.

Our category (BB) did not include the perks. After adding in the cost of a handful of drinks, the dining package, etc, we saved about $600 Actually, our fair was not a Sail Away. But, until I saw this one, I'd never seen one without perks that wasn't Sail Away.

You don't need one. I think they tend to get rented by groups or large families who want a "base" for the day. Google Cabanas great stirrup cay and I'll bet you can get some videos of what they are all about. We just grab a pair of loungers and relax.

For my upcoming cruise, I do not have the free at sea perks, I have not yet purchased a dining package (although I intend to). I made my reservations last night and the mail I got is shown below. Its probably nothing, but if there is one thing I've learned here on CC it is to not make assumptions or take anything for granted. So, should I be concerned that one of those says "a la cart" and one does not? My intention is to have an SDP before we board, just haven't purchased it yet.

And according to multiple reports, in this very thread, YOUR statement does not match the reported experiences.

Is this documented somewhere? Published list indicates it's part of the regular Premium Beverage Package - https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/premium-beverage-package.pdf

I suspect @cruisenurse2 is really confused now. To Nurse, most people consider the Daily Service Charge to be the "tips" that are customary in the service industry. There is no need to tip additional as @complawyerand @MoCruiseFan describe. Nothing wrong with doing so, but, not expected in the way a tip at a US restaurant is expected after a meal.

If whale watching is of interest, we did one in Juneau with Steve Olmstead at Alaska Humpback Adventures. Great person, and even better experience with him. Reach out and see if he has space on your date. If he doesn't he might suggest someone who does (I know his niece runs a similar boat). He was great, met us right at the pier, gave us a quick little tour of Juneau and then off to the whales. We saw Orcas and humpbacks and much to Steve's dismay we had a humpback surface close enough that we got wet from its spray (I say to his dismay because the boats are supposed to stay some distance away from the whales. Nothing Steve could d it about it as we were not even moving at the time) Strongly recommend Steve. https://www.alaskahumpbackadventures.com/

That's our situation as well. I was able to book a BB category balcony that did NOT include the Free At Sea Perks. Even after adding the cost of paying for a couple drinks/day, internet and a couple of Specialty Dining meals, I found I was still about $600 ahead by not getting the Free at Sea perks. The problem for some people is that most categories that do not include all the perks also do not allow you to pick a cabin. I think I got lucky with mine.

To be clear, it's 2 drinks per person. for a couple that perhaps one person doesn't drink at all, that's 4 drinks per day the other has to drink. Also, to be clear, there are rate codes that allow you to pick your cabin but do NOT include any perks. It's not just "Sail Away" rates that don't have the perks. I agree. The search feature is awful.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Only because this scared me into thinking they raised the price on me, the soda package is $7.95 per day 20% gratuity, so, $9.54/day.

Is it OK with you for people to desire steps be taken to make the ships at least a little bit safer? How about Norovirus - is it OK with you for people to desire ships take some steps to help prevent that spread and thereby making their ships at least a little safer? Or are you like others and feel nothing will make them 100% safe so f-it, no point in taking any of those precautions. Might as well save water and get rid of sinks in the bathrooms, right? Ships aren't safe, so, lets get rid of all the SOLAS stuff too.

All those words are completely irrelevant to what I wrote and have nothing to do with what I wrote. I didn't ask if you or anyone would "feel safer". I asked if the ship was some degree safer. If you can't acknowledge that with 10 (or even 1) fewer positive people on the ship it is at least some degree safer, regardless of how miniscule that degree is, then I'll assume nothing would make the ship safer in your eyes. Well there you go, it really doesn't matter to you what anyone does. By the way, again, I didn't say "safe" as in 100% absolutely safe. And I don't think anyone is trying to make that claim.

Oh, I think it's very apparent that s/he didn't realize it wasn't meant literally.

Isn't the ship at least some degree safer without those 100 people? I don't know of anyone who believes the testing is an absolute solution. I think most people recognize that it helps and it's better than not doing anything at all.

Would love to hear how the Intercontinental is these days, contemplating it for our November cruise.

I've had that happen before. The real revolt happened on the flight I was on where catering failed to cater the ice cream 😉 At least you got notice ahead of time. We were told after we were in-flight.

This doesn't make sense. If she is willing to go topless in public, why would it matter if people can peep on her balcony?

I can't believe the people in this thread making excuses or otherwise seemingly trying to justify a cruise ship being out of a type of spirit. I understand all the supply chain issues, but, if NCL is going to insist on Just In Time provisioning they put themselves at risk of not having what they need. Now that it's happened, I would hope they are adjusting their model and they start stockpiling so it doesn't happen again. Although I doubt they are.

what is the $100 OBC? If you reserve a cabanna for $260, you get $100OBC so net cost is $160?

It's been said, but, I'll repeat because it's important: check the Cruise Critic Alaska forum. I organized almost all our tours based on information in that forum.