dolita22

I was on this cruise and I agree completely with those who feel NCL has not provided good customer service. I also think that some here are misinterpreting what people are saying. No one is arguing we should have sailed into the hurricane or that NCL should have put anyone at risk. I'm also aware that they are under no legal obligation to do anything.

I do feel for people on your cruise because I've priced both Bermuda and FL/Bahamas cruises and the Bermuda cruises can be quite a bit more expensive -- the key word being "can," because some last-minute fares can be quite good on both itineraries. IMO, it would be a nice goodwill gesture on NCL's part to offer at least something, though the best that may happen, I think, will be something like a $100 future OBC.

Also, for any customers NCL looses because of their response to this cruise, there will be plenty more new cruisers who a.) will not know/care that something like that happened previously and b.) will sail with NCL because they price compare and can get the drinks/dining/shore excursion/WiFi included in their fare. Or there will be people like us who have cruised different lines and choose to return to NCL because of the enjoyable experiences we've had on previous cruises, and we understand the possibility of what may happen if we were to sail during hurricane season (which we'll be doing in a few weeks and have done in the past). We've had itinerary changes after final payment and had to roll with what was given, and in the end, we had a great time despite being disappointed that we couldn't change plans.

Last but not least, NCL is not RCCL or Carnival or Princess or any other company and can choose to have the policies they have. Will they lose customers because of those policies? Yes. They'll also gain customers because of those same policies. What's to say the same thing wouldn't happen on an RCCL cruise you're slated to be on and RCCL doesn't offer anything for that cruise despite offering something in the past? After all, they aren't obligated to either. It's up to you as the cruiser to figure out what works or doesn't work for you as far as which companies you're willing to give hard-earned money to. There are lots of cruise lines out there to check out in order to figure that out, so I hope you - and all the others who were disappointed with the itinerary change and saying they won't sail NCL again if something isn't offered - find one that works for you.

Fun!! I have family on your cruise. Enjoy!!

We are on the same cruise - planning on doing the run for the Vibe Pass too - LOL

No worries. We're runners. ;-) We'll sprint there together! :D

See you on the Getaway!

Someone from NCL just told me that when you do the upgrade bid on the spa balcony that the spa facilities are not included. So now I no longer want to bid on a spa balcony if this is correct. Bummer.

 

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NCL reps aren't always the best at giving correct information. Replied on the other thread, but just in case you don't see it, the description for the spa balcony upgrade offer on our upcoming cruise says: The Spa Balcony staterooms feature tranquil spa décor and include two lower beds that convert to a queen-size bed, easy access to the adjacent Mandara Spa experience and fitness center, as well as complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suites during regular Spa hours.

So, it is included.

Thank you, BirdTravels!

Good to know! Last week, we spontaneously changed from the Breakaway in April 2019 to the Getaway this year! We're planning to get Vibe passes. It'll be our anniversary week, and Vibe had always intrigued us, so why not? I'd seen it mentioned in a different thread earlier this week that someone thought passes could be purchased in Headliners, so great to have additional confirmation. We're quickly trying to learn as much about the Getaway as we can. :)

Were passes $129? $99? That's the only thing I'm not sure on.

Enjoy your cruise!

I cruised for the first time in high school and came home telling my parents how much fun it was. Went on more cruises, always coming home to tell them how much fun it was. Took me 23 years to convince them to try it and they LOVED it -- so much so that they now cruise 3-4 times each year, all on NCL. Their PCC knows them well, and they've now gone on more cruises since 2011 than I have since my first cruise in 1998! They were most worried about having to dine with people they don't know, but NCL's Freestyle concept solves all of that for them. Your comment about knowing your parents well and thinking that they would love it if they would try it fits my parents exactly. They weren't sure, went in with not many expectations, and they were hooked. We just did a 4-day Sky cruise, which actually happened to fall the peak week of hurricane season in Florida in September. Seas were like glass, weather was hot and humid like they like, and the cruise was just a lot of fun.

Sometimes it just takes time and letting people know how much you enjoy it. A big event also sometimes helps convince people to give cruising a shot. For my parents, who love to travel anyway, it was my mom's retirement and wanting a change from their trips to Vegas. Some family friends joined as a surprise, which made the trip extra fun. We also did a family cruise in 2013 to celebrate my parents' 45th anniversary, and my sister, BIL, and nephew were first-time cruisers. So if you have some sort of celebratory event that happens, maybe that would help at least get them thinking about joining.

Your review is great! Loving all your pictures and seeing the fun you two had. :) We have yet to sail to Bermuda, but it's on my list!

Looking forward to more!

Sailed the Sky with my mom and some friends a few years ago. She and I ate at Cagney's, the steakhouse, one night and IIRC our bill was around $60. We both ordered an appetizer, main (filets, I think), and dessert. So if you want one meal out vs. the excursion credit at both places, the excursion is probably a better deal.

Any chance you’ve gone yet? I’m getting nervous about having enough space for my daughter’s travel crib as the open floor space seems tight (we are in a mid ship mini suite).

 

 

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We sailed a few years ago on the Epic with my 8-month old nephew in a balcony. The pack 'n play NCL provided fit perfectly in the room and my sister and brother-in-law had enough space to move around while my nephew napped. I'd recommend calling NCL to request a crib.

OP, have a great cruise with your kiddo!

I'd choose the Carnival itinerary because it's 8 days, costs less, and the ports are great. Though we really love NCL, and we want to get to Bermuda one of these cruises, we sailed Carnival this past February and got to Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. Both were great, though HMC seemed more relaxed because they can only tender in one ship at a time (had 2 ships in GT, so it was busy!).

Sailed the Sky in 2016 with the free open bar and had a great time! It was an open bar; however, some of the more commonly requested fruity drinks were pre-mixed in big blenders or pitchers for quicker service. The mojitos, for instance, in the bigger pitcher didn't look all that appealing so we avoided those. We were able to pretty much get anything we requested.

I've sailed the Sky twice and it always seems to be in good shape, though it has been 2 years and someone who's sailed more recently may have a different opinion.

If the dates align for you, I don't think you can go wrong with the Sky. Have fun!

We did! Saved about $150 for our cruise next year on the Breakaway.

We're sailing the Breakaway next April! Sailed Carnival recently and RCCL, but we decided we prefer NCL, though it is nice to try new ships/lines.

I hope you have a great cruise!

Loved your review! Thanks for taking the time to post it. The Escape is one of our favorite NCL ships.

And hello from FL! I grew up on the east side Madison and lived my entire life there, until two years ago when my DH and I had the opportunity to move to Florida. We're in our 30s, so thought we'd try it out for a few years. I miss home and come back often (my family all still lives in Madison and my in-laws are near Wausau), but do love the sunshine and warmth year-round here.

Heard you're getting a bit of a snowstorm today, so stay warm and plan another cruise. :-)

Another vote for NCL. We love NCL, though just sailed Carnival last month because the itinerary was great and the price was right. Prefer the service, ships, and food on NCL to Carnival, though we found them more similar than different. So if you enjoy Carnival, you'd likely enjoy NCL.

RCCL is would be the third choice for us as we didn't care for the food at all (we aren't foodies by any means, but the food was just not good anywhere) and we didn't feel like we got as great of service as we'd gotten on NCL (and now Carnival).

We just sailed the Carnival Glory this February after having sailed NCL for our last 6 cruises (well, 5 NCL cruises for my hubs). We enjoyed Carnival and thought food and entertainment were on par with NCL, though NCL has a slight edge for better entertainment and many more show options that change throughout the week (at least on bigger ships). On the Glory, much of the same entertainment was offered night after night, and even though we enjoyed it, the piano player at the piano bar playing "Tiny Dancer" (by request, so I guess not much he can do about it if he wanted to make tips) each night was kinda old by the end. Good and fun piano player, however! The same with other bands around the ship, and one show in the main theater. Good, but the same thing each night.

The biggest difference we noticed between Carnival and NCL was the service. Staff on NCL, to us, just seem friendlier and more on top of making sure you're getting exactly what you need or request. They say hi to you in the hallways - or in one case on the Escape, while a room steward was making up a bed in someone's room and heard our voices coming from the hall, stopped, looked up, smiled, and said hello to us from the room. We still remember that a couple years later and talk about it when we return to our rooms on cruises. We also felt that bar service on NCL was a bit friendlier (and drinks better!), but MDR service was equal. All the waiters on both lines in the MDR have been great.

As for proposing, if you have a balcony, that's a good option. That's where my DH proposed to me, under the moonlight. I don't like to be the center of attention, and easily embarass, so I'm glad he did it there vs. anywhere publicly. We have yet to cruise in that room again, but will one of these days!

Happy sailing!

Sailed the Glory last month and had to vacate our rooms by 8:30 and wait in the casino or one other location that I'm forgetting until our deck was called. We were on deck 6 and waited about an hour, and we carried our suitcases off with us. We were through customs by 9:45 and in our car on the way home by 10.

For the first time ever after a cruise, we were not flying, so we took our time.

ETA: We were not FTTF, Diamond or Platinum. Just Red cruisers. :-)

Enjoying your review of the Epic! Sailed twice and love her. Sounds like you came to enjoy the ship, too.

Oh, and the Rebellious Fish is one of my favorite drinks on NCL! Sailed Carnival last month and missed the fish!

We have Camelback water bottles that have filters in them. We fill them up using the water from the sink in our cabin's bathroom all the time and they work great! We keep them filled and just refill from the sink as often as we need. Always have water and don't have to worry about buying bottles from NCL.

We were in 6364 a few weeks ago on the Glory. Looks to be pretty much on the opposite side of the ship as your room. We liked the location; it was quiet and convenient. The one thing we wished was that we would have chosen a room on the starboard side because we were on the eastern itinerary so would have gotten more sun on our balcony. Otherwise, that deck was a good location and you're close to the stairs to quickly get up or down a few floors.

We had rocky seas leaving San Juan, and even though we were mid-ship, we could still feel the movement. You're on a ship, so if seas are rocky, you'll feel it everywhere, though it seemed less felt mid-ship. Neither of us have ever gotten seasick, but it was rocky enough that I took Bonine for the first time ever. Had no issues with the rockiness after that! We had steakhouse reservations that night and a couple dining next to us was not feeling well. Well, he was fine, but she was miserable. So pack seasick meds if you're prone.

Have a great time!

ETA: I also would not have wanted to move to a room on the 10th deck. I think those are all more forward rooms, so you would have felt more motion there. Stick with where you are!

Thanks for your review! We sailed the Glory in mid-February, so great to see pictures from another cruisers' perspective. Looking forward to more!

Sorry to say, but no, we were never able to purchase it. Booked the Glory back in August of last year and checked multiple times per day up until we sailed (a few weeks ago, Feb. 17-24) and it just never became available. It was sold out from our time of booking. We evaluated the benefits and thought it would be nice to have, but in the end, we were okay without it.

Enjoy your cruise with or without FTTF!

My mom fell on an escalator at the FLL airport a year ago while they were on their way to the NCL Escape. They visited the medical center when they got on board and the doctor there was able to clean out the wounds, give her stitches, and bandage her up, and give her some antibiotics and pain meds, but he requested that she come back I think twice before the cruise ended, which they did. Overall, my parents spent around $1k for the 3 visits. They submitted to their travel insurance when they got home and were reimbursed.

Highly recommend travel insurance! We buy it for every cruise even though we're healthy, as do my parents. You just never know what could happen that you need it. Small peace of mind.

There is a bar right outside the Golden dining room on the Glory, which is mid-ship and the bar was in the atrium. We typically grabbed a drink there while waiting for our pager to go off, and the bar was always busy.

They do serve lobster in the MDR on the first elegant night. They did not on the second elegant night.

Enjoy your cruise!