gamecockinnc

We always stay on the Lido. I will say if you are sailing in weather I have noticed more motion than on even decks 9, 8 or 7.

In November we had two nights that were very rocky. One of the only times I’ve ever had to take Dramamine. But I did sleep well. [emoji6]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have sailed the Breeze and Magic multiple times. I actually sailed the Magic in November over Veterans day and then again over Christmas. I love her. And I just did a 5 night on the Ecstasy (sister ship to Fascination) over Spring Break. For the money we paid for a balcony cabin it was SO small! The smaller ship itself was fine since it was myself, my bff and we both took our youngest sons who just turned 7 years old. I would only sail her again if the itinerary was something I couldn’t pass up!

So I would definitely vote for the Magic. You will have 2 specialty restaurants, a lot more to do, better cabins......even though we all have been to these islands a lot there are always new things to do or old favorites to fall back on. Plus it is your honeymoon so I would definitely go with Magic......or the Horizon. Congratulations!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I usually purchase the social package but last week I needed to look up something so upgraded on the first night to the internet and I had iMessage and much better WiFi then I usually have.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Call me a tourist but after 25 plus cruises during the day I use a lanyard. My swimsuits and coverups do not have pockets. 🤣

It works for me and I’ve never lost my card or my childrens card.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Clothes pins

pump antibacterial soap and pump antibacterial hand cleanser for the bathroom.

A stick up

Extra ziplock bags to take snacks or breakfast on the go when off the ship.

Kitchen trash bags for laundry.

Little flash lights ($1.00 Store)

A 3 prong outlet ($1.00 Store)

Tape, stickie, sharpie

A highlighter to hi-light the Fun Times and Kids Club Activity’s.

Cabin door decor ($1.00 Store)

Tide stain stick

Travel bottle with Woolite or liquid detergent to wash out swimsuits or stains.

Extra batteries

Ginger candies (sea sickness)

I take our own sand toys. Easy to pack.

A lanyard for your Sail & Sign card.

Don’t feel as if you have to do everything. Set your own pace.

No question is a dumb question.

Review your Sail & Sign balance the last day.

Enjoy your cruise!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Still got blanket on Valor last week

I was so cold I could have used a blanket. 🤣

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Never went to the comedy club but the steak house is well worth it and I can’t eat red meat. We always go to the steakhouse. Which night you go is a personal preference. I am platinum so I have priority reservations which helps if we want to go more than once. In November we went the evening of Costa Maya because we were in CM for such a short time. I think that was 6th night. On our Christmas cruise we went on twice. On Christmas Eve and again after Costa Maya.

If your one that likes elegant night then you may want to make reservations for another night. But make sure you make reservations soon.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

In our experience if you go around 7:00 pm it is busy so we try to go before.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

The pin isn’t a huge deal but I have never received headphones. A lot of different versions of cups though.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hockeyluver I sailed on the Magic in November and the Christmas sailing. Loved her! If you have any questions I would be happy to try to answer them.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I sailed in November and December and received the stainless steel cup and pins as my platinum gifts. Last week I received Carnival logo headphones which was new for me. But no pins.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank y’all!

No I don’t parade around just stay warm and when traveling with teenager boys it helps. And this week I am July cruising with our late in life gift son who is 7 and my close friend and her 7 year son. So the robes will help with privacy too. [emoji6]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

That is what I thought....and I have no intentions of missing the ship. We always arrive the day before sailing to be sure. I grew up about 1. 5 hours away from Charleston and still visit frequently and now we live a few hours up the coast in N.C. So we can easily come back from a visit.

Is the Charleston port that crazy?

I prepaid our parking. Our docs say priority because of my platinum status but from what I’ve read we still must line up at the port to drop our bags off and then go to park. Then I believe take a shuttle back to the ship. Then go through check in. To be honest when I compare the cost of this 5 day cruise with past cruises we probably should have just have sailed out of Florida as usual. And sailed a 7 day on a larger ship. Nothing against my home state. The smallest ship I’ve sailed in over a decade is a B2B on the Glory which was a great size for 14 days.....But it’s always good to sail. And I’m grateful for that.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We embark on the Ecstasy out of Charleston tomorrow. I prepaid our parking and we are Platinum so we have priority boarding.

But my friend and her son haven’t seen much of Charleston. She wants to drive around downtown Charleston. The ship leaves at 4:00 pm. I have never thought of this but what is the latest time we need to be at the port to check in?

But I worry if we late to long we will be in the complete chaos?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

When I cruised in November bath robes were in the cabins. When we cruised over Christmas we had to request bath robes. And it was actually a little hard to get them. It was only when head of housekeeping stopped by to do the Platinum greet that I mentioned it to her and she took care of it immediately. Tomorrow we are selling out of Charleston on the five-day Ecstasy and I’m just trying to figure out if bathrobes will be available per request if anyone knows?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank y’all! I assumed that but you know what they say about “assuming”! [emoji51]🤣

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You can all do priority tendering at Princess Cay

Thank you!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I am cruising from Charleston next Wednesday on a 5 day with my 7 year old and in the same cabin my bff and her 7 year old son. Since we are all booked in the same cabin will my friend and her son be able to priority board with my son and I I am platinum.

And what about priority tendering in Princess Cays?

I am not at home and can’t print the docs to see what they say...and I heard they had made changes to the VIFP program since I last cruised over Christmas. [emoji848]

Thank you in advance for your help. [emoji4]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I would have been really upset too. I already don’t feel as if we get Diamond/Platinum perks as it is. The early embarkation, access to our cabins and bag delivery (when it works) are the only things that seem like perks.

Pins, Invite to the Captains reception, free water, chocolate strawberries and a restricted free drink voucher woo hoo.....I like the metal cups as of late but would trade everything in this paragraph for a better program overall.

If they remove early embarkation, cabin access and bag delivery (when in works [emoji848]) I will probably start racking up sailings on another cruise line. I already feel as if repeat business isn’t appreciated.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I have cruised several times on Royal Caribbean, Disney and am a Platinum member with Carnival. I just told my TA yesterday that I want to try NCL. He’s been encouraging me to cruise with them for awhile now.

My guess without ever cruising Norwegian is that charters can and will always throw service off. I was just catching up on a thread I’m subscribed to about cruisers being surprised by large charter groups on their cruises. There were WWE, bikers, college kids, a HUGE group of girls celebrating their quinceañera charters. Everything you can imagine. I had a high stakes black jack and bingo tournament charter 2 years ago but we were lucky and that charter worked in our favor as the public areas were empty during the days and the service was really good on that particular cruise.

But a charter doesn’t explain why your cabin was dirty. And I hope you spoke to guest services. And documented the issues. NOT to get anything free but to back up your issues.

Sorry your cruise didn’t go as planned. I have heard such great things about Norwegian.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

That is a lot of leggings on one ship!

Anyone with vertigo be prepared! Those leggings come in every pattern you can think of! [emoji848][emoji23]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Princess Cay would tip it for me too. I’ve sailed that itinerary a few times (without PC) and loved it! Have fun!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I am SO glad you shared this. We are are sailing on her 4/4 on a 5 day with my youngest son who just turned 7 and my best friend and her 7 year old son. We live in N.C. But I am from South Carolina but have never sailed out of Charleston. My last 15 plus cruises have been on large ships out of Florida. I am platinum and we are in the same cabin so we will have priority check in but I have read awful reviews about embarkation and de-embarkation. To the point I tried to change to another ship. [emoji51]

We will drive down the day before and over night. Excited to be back in Charleston. Such an amazing city!!! I grew up about an hour an a half from Charleston. We will take the little guys around sight seeing the day before we embark.

Any further advice regarding parking etc. (even though you were dropped off) or from anyone else. I am confused about cars lining up at the port then driving to a parking garage and taking buses back to the port? Do I have that right?

I usually buy the Social wifi package. Pre-sailing it is $4.00 a day or $5.00 a day once on board. I will need to keep in touch with my husband and our older 2 sons. Do you think the poor internet was with the old ship or a technical issue? I sailed on the CCL Magic in November and the internet was great. We sailed on her again over Christmas and the internet was awful. So bad they were refunding $ without questions. They tried to blame it being a full Christmas sailing until I mentioned I had just sailed on her on a full Veterans Day week sailing the month prior then they quietly admitted it was a technical issue. Which I don’t understand why they didn’t admit in the first place. I sail a lot and knew there was an issue.

On our 4/4 sailing we call on Princess Cay and Nassau. Our friends haven’t sailed much so I am hoping the Ecstasy is ok. I read they did a dry dock last year adding Guys, Cherry on the Top etc. Was it rough crossing through the Atlantic?

Thank you for the review!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My sister and I try cruise every fall and have a break from our wonderful children. Plus have some quality sister time. In November 2015 we sailed on the CCL Breeze . I did notice at check in there were A LOT of wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and elderly passengers. More so than usual for off season.

It was a sold out sailing too but once on board we rarely saw many people especially in the evenings. The first two days were sea days and there were NO issues in getting a nice chair by the back pool or really any where on the ship!

I had just sailed on the Breeze a few weeks prior and that was also a fall sailing but the difference in the two sailings was drastic.

Finally on the 3rd night after dinner we were walking around and the ship was almost like a ghost ship.

We headed to the casino and BAM we found the other 3300 passengers. [emoji23]

Apparently, we were on a special gambling cruise where many of the participants had to qualify through out the year for this high stakes Black Jack tournament as well as other higher than normal return bingo, slots, craps etc.

These were serious gamblers. It ended up being the opposite of what many people have with charters on their ships and large groups of bikers, country music fans, WWF fans.

It was SO laid back and quiet at night that it was eerie. But it was a relaxing cruise for sure. We got lucky.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sad Dr. E will be leaving the Magic for Pride during my November 2018 cruise. I have heard so many people on CC say he is hands down the best CD they ever had!

Dr.E is fun. I was on the November 11th sailing and then back on the Magic for the December 23rd Christmas sailing.......the only thing I would “suggest” is by day 5 is that maybe he doesn’t sing every time he makes an announcement. [emoji23]

But seriously love him and he makes the muster drill actually fun. Below is a picture of Dr. E and my youngest at the Christmas tree lighting.[emoji1303]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums