NordicExpat

We have sailed on 4 inaugural sailings with NCL. Three were transatlantics - the Escape, Encore, and Prima. We also sailed aboard the first Bliss Panama Canal transit. The Escape crossing had slight construction ongoing, and some supplies ran out quickly. I don't recall any issues with the Encore or Prima. However, the Prima did have a couple of cruises before the transatlantic. The Bliss also had a couple of cruises before we sailed, but again, I don't remember any issues. We also sailed the Joy transatlantic in February, the first out of dry dock. There were no issues except for the crew being a little underwhelming. We assumed they were newly aboard. All of these cruises were great, and we wouldn't think twice about booking another inaugural.

As far as I know, the only Spice H2O with a traditional type pool is on the Epic, in addition to hot tubs. Other Spice H2Os typically have hot tubs, and some have different types of water features. The Getaway has hot tubs and a water feature along the lines of a wading pool.

All my transatlantic cruises have been on NCL. I have done 3 eastbound crossings, and the clocks changed at 02:00 every time, moving forward and losing an hour. In the dozen westbound crossings, the clocks went back at 02:00, gaining an hour. I have heard that some cruise lines change the time at 14:00, and it is also up to the captain. In my experiences, all my crossings had an overnight time change.

The brewhouse will have several different beers in bottles. The pool bars have mostly cans, but will pour any bottles into a plastic cup. Some beers that are in cans up on deck are in bottles in the lounges and restaurants. I mostly drink Sam Adams and it's available only in a bottle.

The Epic was my first NCL cruise in the Caribbean and my first transatlantic 11 years ago. The ship does have a few quirks, but we always keep returning to sail on her. Our transatlantic in a few months will be my 8th crossing just on the Epic. I have only been on the Breakaway once and not in the Haven. I have been on the Getaway and Epic numerous times, many in the Haven. The ship-within-a-ship experience is great, and we consider the Epic's Haven the best in the fleet. Here are a few things I noticed for comparison: The Breakaway has a roof over the pool area. The Epic pool area is a bit noisy, with mechanical humming. The Epic includes Posh and has a bar. The restaurant and lounge are bigger on the Epic. The overall feel of the Epic's Haven is more spacious. There are indoor and outdoor bars on the Epic, plus the one in Posh. There is plenty more, but these are just off the top of my head on things that stood out to us

I have sailed 15 transatlantics and have only received three stamps: an entry into Barcelona in May 2019 and an exit from Barcelona in November 2019, both on the Epic. Each TA had Schengen stops along the way to/from the point of entry/exit. Oddly enough, I received an entry stamp into the US also in 2019 on the Encore. As a US citizen, that is the only US stamp I have ever received. In October 2017, I flew into Norway for a westbound TA from Copenhagen. I received a stamp in Norway, the first one in a new passport. The next February, I flew back to Oslo and my book was stamped. The next day we flew up to Spitzbergen with a passport control stop in Tromsø. This is where I had a little trouble due to the lack of a previous exit stamp. The politi asked me about it and I was able to show them the email for the TA cruise from Copenhagen, which they accepted without any issue.

We sailed the Star from Reykjavik to Tromsø from July 23 to August 4 last year, and the outside decks were open every day. Around Iceland and up to Spitsbergen, it was cold but very smooth. The sail away from Longyearbyen and down to northern Norway was still cool but warming up. Northern Norway was over 20°C. You never know what the weather will be, but I'm sure it will be cold. It was around 40-50°F when we were cruising around Iceland, and everything was open on the pool deck. We dressed warmly and sat by the pool bar, while others sat by the pool covered with towels. Mostly, the hot tubs were used, but some did go in the pool. I am sure the pool was heated, but I did not really pay that much attention. We also enjoyed Spice H2O in the back. It was a little breezy, but the two hot tubs were always in use. I hate to be cold and generally wore jeans, a t-shirt, wool socks, a beanie, and a bubble jacket.

It was available our last sailing on the Epic. Unfortunately, that was in December 2021. The dozen or so Epic cruises we have sailed, we have noticed people sitting there. I would think it is still an option. We have sat down there a couple of times when the buffet was stupid busy, but we do prefer to sit upstairs for a better view.

Select 3rd and 4th guests in more filters..

On NCL's EU page accessed from Norway...

I was able to find 20+ sailings for 3rd and 4th free available in Europe this year..

Just filter your search results and select 3rd & 4th guests.

Greece is one of our favorite places to visit and we have been there several times. The weather, history, food, drinks, people and more are wonderful. I have sailed out of Athens/Piraeus three times in the last few years since corona. We want to get on the ship early as we can. I know each experience can be different but this is how it has played out for us. We sailed the first cruise after lockdown on the Jade in July 2021. Sailaway was at 23:00 and we were on board around 11:30. I sailed solo on the Epic from Piraeus to Civitavecchia. My wife joined me in Civitavecchia continuing on to New York for the Epic's transatlantic in November 2021. I was on board in Piraeus for my solo cruise before noon, and sailaway was the following morning at 06:00. This was a unique and great sailaway. Sailaway for our Getaway sailing in July 2023 was at 22:00. We were on board and back in Spice H2O with drinks by noon.

We sailed the Norwegian Joy transatlantic this last February. Our route was the reverse of yours, sailing from Southampton to Miami. We didn't have any port stops, but we did sail to Ponta Delgada for a medical disembarkation. We followed a southerly route to avoid low-pressure systems across the North Atlantic. The temps were cool, but not as cold as I had expected and prepared for. Highs were in the upper 50s to low 60s for the 11-day crossing, warming the further south we went. The last couple of days were mild and temps were close to the 70s. We had a mix of sunny, foggy, and rainy days, with a consistent wind of ±50 knots. Sea conditions were rough with the Atlantic swell at 10 meters on most days, sometimes higher, sometimes lower. Being a mostly indoor cruise, I wore shorts and flip-flops every day. Indoor temps were a little cool for me, but a hoodie was enough. I did pack jeans and wool socks though in case we were able to enjoy the outdoor areas. When we left home to go to Southampton it was snowing, so I had a bubble jacket and beanie. We fully expected this crossing to be cold and rough, and it was not as bad as we prepared for. If we sail the Bliss next February from Southampton to Miami, I will prepare the same and hope for fair weather.

In February, we were on the Joy transatlantic from Southampton with approximately 2200-2300 passengers. Without any stops, Miami was our port of entry to the US. We were in the Haven and utilized priority disembarkation a little after 0800. We waited in the customs/immigration line for maybe 30-45 minutes. Our flight was not until 1710, so we got an Uber to our dayroom by MIA and arrived before 0930. In 2015, we did the Escape inaugural transatlantic with Miami as our port of entry to the US. I don't remember the exact times, but I do recall the line was long, as was the wait to go through immigration, taking about 4 hours. I still lived in the US at the time, so my flight was domestic. I made it to FLL around 1400, just over an hour before departure. We have sailed several transatlantics to the US. When the port of entry is before the final port, disembarkation tends to move quickly. A few TAs into New York with an early arrival, we were able to complete immigration the night before disembarkation. The Escape TA in 2015 was the longest disembarkation we experienced.

We stayed in 17730 last month on the Joy transatlantic from Southampton. It is a wonderful cabin, and we did not hear anything other than a bit of creaking from the rough seas. The cabin is located beneath the interior section of the Haven restaurant, not the exterior part.

We also look forward to sailing on the Joy again.

We haven't specifically sailed from Rome to Florida, but we've have sailed from Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Southampton to Florida, as well as from Rome and Southampton to New York. We have sailed westbound in September, October, November, and December. We've encountered 15m waves with gale force winds and experienced the North Atlantic as calm as a placid pond.Our smoothest crossings were in mid-October to mid-November sailing to Florida. Temperatures vary, but generally hover in the 60s and 70s during a southerly crossing from the Mediterranean to Florida. We are booked on the Epic TA this October. I think it will be something like my 7th crossing on her and my wife's 10th. It is great ship for a tranatlantic. The Haven pool deck does not have a roof and is open to the elements. I anticipate pleasant weather with temperatures in the mid-70s and sunny skies. The Mediterranean is wonderful in October. While some nights may feel a bit chilly, especially for me as I get cold easily, a hoodie should suffice for the first few nights. As we leave the Azores, each day should bring warmer weather as we approach Florida.

Thank you. I never knew such a thing was available.

We have a little and always enjoyed NCL more. My wife will reach Ambassador in a couple of cruises, and I have around 100 points to go. However, all the changes NCL has implemented over the past few years might be reaching a tipping point. We find ourselves discussing other cruise lines more often now. While we still enjoy the NCL product and mostly know what to expect, I am beginning to think that the day when we say "enough is enough" might come soon.

I was able to hook up my AndroidTV on the Prima. I don't remember if the box was auto detected or if I had to switch the input with a universal remote. You might need a long HDMI cable. I used a 15 or 25 footer since the power outlet was not close to the tv.

This transatlantic was my 15th and my wife's 20th. We were in the Haven for this crossing, and it was our 2nd time in the Haven on the Joy. We knew what type of cruise this was going to be when we booked...a North Atlantic crossing in February on a ship just out of dry dock. Not a very desirable cruise for most. It seems the price dropped very low, enticing some to book without fully understanding what to expect. Anyways, we had a general idea and attempted to manage our expectations accordingly. Weather is always a big topic for transatlantic voyages. We sailed a more southerly route to avoid low-pressure systems across the North Atlantic. The temperatures were cooler than I like, but thankfully it wasn't as cold as I had prepared for. Most days, the temperatures were in the 60s with occasional rain and fog. The sea conditions matched my expectations, with the captain mentioning the Atlantic swell was 10 meters on most days, fluctuating between lower and higher levels, accompanied by a consistent wind of ±50 kts. Unfortunately, I experienced seasickness for the first time in all my cruises, which sucks. I suspect it may have been triggered by a hangover. I suppose turning 50 last year may be starting to take its toll on me, considering I've experienced slight airsickness on a couple of turbulent flights in the last year or so. The Joy is a beautiful ship and the Haven on her is wonderful. As far as changes out of dry dock, I noticed the new cabins on deck 15 port side. There might be new carpet in some public areas. We never made it to the new spa area, but heard it was really nice. Vibe was closed so we did not get to see the expanded area. My assumption is the dry dock was not very extensive since I did notice some worn carpets and places that needed paint. But hey, I have no idea what is and isn't included and about as far away you can get from an expert. This cruise had ups and downs, and not just the 10-meter swell. We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite. The cabin is perfect and our favorite. Our steward was great and took great care of us well. We saw the butler 2 times. Once passing in the hallway while he was delivering snacks to rooms and the other time on the last morning to get his tip. We do not require anything extra, so no big deal. We figured he might have had a couple of special cabins. Before this cruise, the Haven restaurant on the Joy was some of the best dining we have had while cruising. On this trip, it was very underwhelming. The service and food were very inconsistent. The hostesses were wonderful, but the servers were so-so. We had to constantly ask for water refills and other drinks. Even with how slow the Haven bartenders were, sometimes it was faster to go downstairs and get a drink. We initially intended to have most of our meals in the Haven but ended up changing our plans due to its inconsistency. Specialty restaurants were ok this trip. Food Republic was outstanding as was La Cucina. Food and service were awesome in each. Q was pretty good even though I don't care for that type of smoked meat. Ocean Blue was good and fun. Le Bistro was not very good, but amazing service. Cagney's was typically not very good. My salad and side of onion rings were nice, but the steak... I ordered a ribeye, med rare. The first steak was past well done, maybe even past burnt. The second was better, closer to medium and seasoned properly. It was lacking flavor though and had stringy sinew throughout. The quality of beef just is not that good or what it used to be. I guess while I'm complaining so good, I'll discuss the premium plus drinks package. At almost $800 for this trip and my wife has to go to certain bars to get champagne bugs me. Having only one champagne available for that price is ridiculous, but my wife does like the Pommery. When the Pommery ran out, it was substituted with La Cool, which she didn't mind. The La Cool ran out and a Moet appeared. Then the last couple of days Moet Chandon and Veuve were available in the Haven. I pretty much only drink beer and the brewhouse is great but has most of the beers I don't care for. Having Guinness on tap was nice and Fat Tire in the bottle worked for me, but I do miss Molson Canadian on board. I rarely drink coffee, but figured I'd try to get my money's worth with Starbucks instead of getting into trouble with the scotch. I did enjoy some Macallan Terra though. All in all, it was a great cruise. The ship is beautiful and the crew are wonderful. Our last few cruises have not been as enjoyable as before. To us, it seems the price keeps on the up while the quality is on the down. We do enjoy the NCL product and plan to continue sailing with them. Part of me wants to try a transatlantic on another line, but I'm hesitant because we do enjoy NCL very much. I'm not sure if we'll do another crossing at this time of year, but we have a few months to decide before the Bliss next year.

Just a few hours ago we paid to uprade our cabin for our sailing next month. Called the main line and it took less than 5 minutes. We were in a forward Haven suite and moved to a 2 Bedroom Villa for €670. When we originally booked, the 2br was €1200+ p.p. higher than what we booked the forward suite for. We did have a bid of €800 (€400x2) in for the 2br. The max possible bid for the 2br was over €1000 p.p. We are happy getting the upgrade for less than what we were bidding.

We did the Escape inaugural transatlantic in 2015. It was a 10-day crossing, and I believe around day 6, the weather started to improve as we were getting closer to Bermuda. It was still windy and a bit too cool for me, but the sun was shining and we enjoyed being out on deck. I am thinking that the Joy TA in February will have less than ideal weather for at least the first half, then hopefully improve each day the further south we get. The pic is of the route we traveled. We had a course deviation in the beginning for medical reasons.

If your schedule allows for an extra day or so of relaxation before flying home, my advice is to take advantage of it. It's nice to be able to extend the vacy and be able to repack at a hotel before flying out. We've done it a few times, but generally, we need to get back home. Half of the time, I had to fly back to California, and now we return to Europe. While we've never had any problems making it to our flights on time, that is only the case until we do, for the first time. My closest call was on the Escape inaugural from Southampton into Miami in 2015. Immigration and customs were a cluster, but I still made it up to FLL from Miami by 14:00. Most of the time, we are out on the street around 10 or so. After the Joy into Miami in February, we are flying back to Europe around 17:00 the day we arrive in port.