MoyCoy

WOW! It almost makes me regret booking the Jewel for 2017. Notice I said almost.

Have you sailed the Jewel before? We are thinking about booking a suite in April. How does so look now a days.

Yes, you will almost assuredly get a JS. JS perks include:

 

- Priority boarding (but not disembarkation)

- Dinner at Coastal Kitchen (I already have my dinners booked for our May sailing. Sky and Star class get breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

- Supposedly nicer mattresses.

- Upgraded bath amenities (soap, shampoo)

 

Of course you also get a much larger stateroom, larger balcony, mid-ship location, and double C&A points.

Are you able to book your dinners ahead of time in Coastal Kitchen , Online?

The price just went down 100 today. Should I wait to book it. I did not expect it to go down

Called Crown and Anchor and they said on the Anthem JS does not get access to Coastal Kitchen. You only get a room and upgraded bedding and toiletries. Yet when I called to inquire about the room yesterday. A RCL rep stated that you would have access to coastal kitchen at least. Crazy

I have been sailing Celebrity for the past few years. I have not sailed Royal since 2011. I booked a great deal on the Anthem 7 day to Bermuda and Boston leaving April 29th. We snagged a great deal on a balcony. We enjoy sailing suites, but wanted to be conservative this cruise.

We just returned from a cruise on NCL in the Haven. I have sailed Celebrity suites as well. For the life of me , I am just so confused by what is offered with the sea class. We are considering changing our reservation to a Suite Guarantee for $800 more. I am assuming we will be in a JS.

So I called Royal to discuss if the Sea class receives priority boarding in addition to dinner in Coastal kitchen. The answers were all over the place. I read through some threads on the subject and some JS guest were able to eat breakfast and dinner in Coastal , and some said they were denied access to Coastal and only had a bigger room. I am trying to see if there is ROI in the extra cost. Please help. Can anyone who sailed recently in a JS tell me how the benefits compare to maybe the Sky Suite on Celebrity or the Haven on NCL:rolleyes:

Thanks

How long are the shows.. in general?

I need your help. I was wondering if I should take NCL transportation to the Newark Airport (if that is an option, still need to ck with NCL) than take the airport tram to the hotel ,when we disembark form our Bermuda cruise on Oct 9th. OR should I hire a private car or shuttle? Can anyone recommend a shuttle that crosses city lines?]

2 adults traveling with zero kids

Thank You

I'm on the Breakaway now and this is my first time in the Haven. I went for a balcony two years ago and said never again unless it's the Haven. It's like night and day but of course you sure do pay for it! Even Haven had delays on embarkation so beware and they put the alcohol and SDP on our sons card and the soda package on my husbands and they still haven't fixed it but we are having a great time. I've heard a lot about rude kids in the Haven but it's smooth sailing right now. :)

I will be sailing in the Haven next month. How is service in the Haven, poolside? I heard service in the Vibe was wonderful. Cold fruit and spray mists etc. Is the experience similar in the Haven?

How much was the rental and for how long? Was there a long line?

Which week are you cruising in October?? We are on the 16th sailing to Bermuda!

We are sailing Oct 2

I am Celebrity fan who is sailing NCL for the second time. We are sailing to Bermuda in a Haven. We sailed on NCL Escape last year with the kids. We were disappointed in the food. I TOTALLY agree with your comparison. We are hoping the Haven experience will tip the scales. We are also booked on the Summit in a suite in 2017- Bermuda. I heard good and bad about the Summit. In your opinion , is the lively vibe on the Breakaway more to your liking than the vibe on the Summit? Do you think the spa would be worth 179 PP

We were wondering if the Vibe pass is worth it. You compared it to the solarium on Celebrity. Does the vibe have a more special feel than the free solarium?

We will be August 7 on Breakaway. How about you?

 

If you want the Vibe and in the Haven I would ask the concierge as soon as you board. I dont feel I need the Vibe with the Haven but if you think you do, I would email nclconcierge and let them know as well as immediately ask when boarding.

We are sailing in the Haven in 3 months. I was considering buying the Vibe pass because I heard the Haven can be over run by rowdy kids. What are your thoughts of the pros and con of buying a vibe pass while sailing the Haven.

We are staying at the Doubletree as well. Wondering how close an In and Out will be.

Thank You!!

I have read many threads regarding this package. All have been different with what is indeed covered. Is ice-cream covered? Hot chocolate BUT not coffee? Not water either, but malts? What about shakes? I am confused!

Please help!

What is The Crab Shack

Were you in a forward penthouse ? How was the Haven? Was it overburdened with children?

when will the explorer be drydocked?

You mentioned in the beginning of your review that you were handed a highly recognizable Haven key card. What did you mean by that?

To get my 5 year old daughter excited for our cruise, we had told her about the chocolate buffet. She was so excited about that - for months that was all she would talk about. When we were on the Pearl, we ran into the Executive Chef on the deck. I told her that he was in charge of the Chocolate Buffet and she ran up to him and hugged him. Poor man took it all in stride and asked her if she liked chocolate and her name. That night - this was delivered to our room just for her with compliments from the chef. And that is why I LOVE NCL!

I don't recall a chocolate buffet on our Escape cruise last December. When are they normally held and where. My 5 year old daughter LOVES chocolate too!

Beef tenderloin with a side of pasta?

 

Stuffed portabella. SO GOOD!

 

Lobster bisque

 

Perfect prime rib

 

Filet and grilled tomato

 

Quiche?

Is the Grilled Portabella from the MDR?

Thank You!

Are there any real differences between the ships . We were planning on possible booking a minisuite or a suite.

What are the differences between Suites and The Haven in regards to each ship? I am planning an taking the

Oh BTW we plan to take a 5 day cruise on either ship in May , west coast. SO weather may be chilly.

We will be traveling with my twins , age 5.

Thank You!

PS: the Pearl is $100 more pp than the Jewel

Thanks for the review. I'm getting fired up for our cruise on the Spirit in three weeks.

 

If you want to try the Divina, the BOGO balcony deal is awesome! We are trying the Divina out on a B2B in June! I can hardly wait for that one either!

Your comments made me curious so I looked up MSC. What type of category would the cruise line fall under? Premium, Mass market , or Luxury?

Personally - Silhouette without a doubt. I just took my first RCCL cruise on Indy.. Not impressed with their service at all. Celebrity is my choice.

What were some of the major differences you found between them. In which department was the service lacking on the Indy?

Thank You everyone for your awesome advice!