graphicguy

I think that's an issue on any cruise ship on any cruise line. People camp out for hours in the buffets to play cards, board games, etc....even during the busiest hours. Again, I believe NCL, are being innovative, as they tend to be. Traditional Garden Cafe there are always a bunch of people at breakfast, lunch and dinner trying to compete for tables/seats/lines for traditional food. That causes bottlenecks. I see how NCL is trying to spread out the traditional buffet by having alternate areas outside of the buffet, like they're doing with Indulge. I get it. If that doesn't work for you, then I think Prima/Viva may not be the ships you want to sail.

Good point. That's probably the easiest way to do this. Just have him as a "no show". As far as what adult stays in what cabin, I'd invite an adult to take his place. Tell them they're getting a heckuva deal and they can at least sail for free if they cover their own air fare.

True. If not, then the obvious next step is to just cancel the ill person’s reservation. He’ll have to eat the fare as it’s so close to the sail date. But, I don’t know what else can be done? Insurance or not, doesn’t really matter. If you have it, you make a claim and see if they’ll cover a refund, depending on the insurance’s terms. You’d be surprised how travel insurance tries to wiggle out of certain situations.

Ate at Cagney’s on the Bliss several months ago. Steak (ribeye) was flavorful and tender cooked medium rare, the way I like it. Sides (mushrooms and potato) were very tasty. Service was good, too.

Best advice in this thread!

Have sailed both….. MSC is probably the most similar to Royal than any of the other mainstream lines. So, the jump from one to the other is less about differences than similarities. As mentioned, the pizza and pasta are way better on MSC. More traditional menus favor Royal. I like the international bend of the food on MSC than the typical cruise food fare on Royal. Both have very large ships with neighborhoods. Entertainment on MSC is good but geared to more international audiences than Royal. Meaning….shows with singing, dancing and acrobatics with little in the way of story telling. Royal does shows with (usually) a story to tell. Cabins are similar. Yacht Club is way less expensive than Royal’s similar Star Suites. Regular cabins are similar. Service is similar. Pretty close one to the other. You’ll get more of the European feel on MSC than you will on Royal. Not better…not worse…..just different.

How many bags do you check?

Haven guests are offered many perks for the elevated fare they pay. Escort on and off the ship via “back elevators”. Haven Section in the main theaters. Escort into Cavern Club or Syd Norman’s, no matter how many or how few take advantage of that. Haven Restaurant has better food and better service than the Garden Cafe. So, no need to be escorted there. That makes no sense! If you want that kind of service, book a Haven Suite. NCL has been offering the Haven elevated levels of service for a long while. zit’s not a secret. I know I have to pay more for the Haven. I know I don’t get that level of service booking an inside cabin. Knowing this, as they say “….where’s the beef?”

I’ve always seen open tables in the library to play cards or board games!

If you move from a Spa cabin, which comes WITH Spa access, going to another cabin type, you lose the Spa Perk. However, if you book a Haven Spa Suite, that would include spa access. In brief, Spa Cabins get access to the Thermal Spa. Non-Spa cabins, do not, unless you pay for it.

I concur....it is VERY GOOD!

@McGarrett5oh...taking pics of worthwhile crew. Great idea. Much better than mine where I carry a little notepad and mini pencil to write down names. I forget the pencil, or the notebook, or tire of having one or the other left behind, etc.

Great advice. That's imperative!

yeah...I get that. But, that also means if I'm seated I have to run outside Syd's to get a drink because both times, the Syd bar wasn't open yet. First World Problems!!!!! LOL!

I Sous vide my steaks and then sear them with a slab of garlic butter on each side. Ribeyes….no restaurants I’ve tried have bettered mine, either. The sides? Different story. I love the mushrooms, Mac and cheese and the fries at Cagney’s. Their steaks aren’t bad. Actually, they’re good. Just not as good as mine. Sounds like you are the same. Given Specialty Dining rankings people like…here are mine for the NCL restaurants…. 1. Ocean Blue 2. Food Republic 3. Cagney’s 3 (a) Q 4. Los Lobos 5. Teppanyaki 6. LeBistro 7. Moderno 8. American Diner

A year ago on the Getaway was the last time I sailed in the Haven. Concierge escorted us to Syd Norman’s 45 minutes before showtime. Interestingly, on 4-5 of us took advantage of his escort. Wish I could recall the Concierge’s name, as he was great (as they all have been). That said, if you got in line 45 minutes before showtime, you got a seat, too! So, aside from being the first in the venue, I don’t know that a Haven escort into Syd Norman’s netted a lot over lining up. I think I read that it’s up to the concierge. Who knows? Good question!!!!

The nerve……😉🤣😂😎

Another question…Free at Sea Plus? Yay? Nay? For my 11 day cruise they charge $462 that gets me the Premium drink upgrade, 2 additional SDs, 2 more $50 excursion credits (which means nothing to me since I’m solo)! Given I’m probably going to upgrade the FAS WiFi package is $340 by itself (little less given I get 15% off Latitudes discount) it kinda looks like a relatively good deal…if you can say anything on a cruise is a good deal (aside from the fare)!

I use the concierge…a lot. I plan nothing. I tell the concierge where and when I want to dine, I let her/him know which shows I want to see and when I want to see them, billing snafus, wifi issues, escorts…all done by the concierges. Problem is there are 2-3 who take care of all this. Butler does very little for me. Matter of fact, I request they remove most of the afternoon snacks and any wine perk. Only one actually did as I requested. I’ve been sailing solo recently. So, assuming I require ½ attention/effort as a couple and even less than a family! I do not dine in the Haven Restaurant daily. And, every time I do, I have a different wait staff. My tips are fixed. I set aside $100 for concierges. I would like to think they divide it among themselves. Any bar staff, anywhere on the ship, gets $1/drink. Haven Bar Staff that creates “smoky” drinks, get a fiver. Butler gets $25. Cabin steward gets $100. Haven Restaurant gets $5/dinner. In the end, $250 is my tip amount I set aside. No more, no less! Once it’s gone, the well is dry!

This is a conundrum I wrestle with. There are multiple Haven Bartenders. There are multiple waitstaff in the Haven Restaurants and staff by the Haven Pool around the loungers. There are 2-3 Concierges. Who gets what? Do I divide up the amount I tip and spread out much smaller amounts? Do I give larger amounts to fewer, most helpful Haven personnel, that would leave some without a tip?

Gary…I wonder as you say, it’s dependent on the ship/concierge. I’ve been in the Haven on both Away ships. Concierges on them posted escorted meet up times…usually 30-45 mins before show time. The concierge would escort us through some back area into Syd’s where we had our choice of seats. But, if you were in line 30-45 mins without being a Haven guest, you would get good seats, too! Either way, there was a waiting period to get good seats regardless of your cabin type!

It’s been a while since I sailed HAL, so will reserve comment. Have Sailed Celebrity in the last 24 months, on their newest ships. Edge and Apex (although I guess there is Beyond now sailing, which is newer). Liked Celebrity. Different vibe. Much more traditional. I know some people commented they didn’t like the “Magic Carpet”, which is a different Celebrity feature. I loved it. But, just goes to show, if ANY of the cruise lines break with what people are used to with them, there’s going to be some “hand wringing”. NCL is the same….they’re doing something different. They are probably the most innovative of all the cruise lines. I applaud them.

I totally understand the pass on cauliflower steak. Cauliflower is not meat. LOL! Service in Ocean Blue has been the best from my experience.

I think Indulge Food Hall alone has 11 different venues. If one is crowded, you can go to another. This is true of any Dining venue on any cruise ship, though. Then, there are all of these… https://eatsleepcruise.com/norwegian-prima-restaurants-guide-with-menus/ I think some want the traditional MDR experiences. Nothing wrong with that. But, there are other options on the Viva/Prima. Some don’t like those changes. From what I’ve read, the same can be said for the VIVA. NCL is trying something different….offering something like Indulge Food hall. If you’re looking for more of a traditional dining experience with big MDRs, I believe Prima/Viva are probably not for you. Personally, I’m looking forward to sailing either Prima or Viva (maybe both, given I have a couple of CN certs sitting in my account). I like new and different.

Actually, the Viva holds only about 10% more passengers than the Gem, and Viva is a bigger ship. Obviously, no guests have sailed her, yet. But, if Prima is a guideline, the dining venues are different than they are on a traditional cruise ship. Viva and Prima have smaller dining areas, but there are more of them. So, if one dining venue is crowded, you can go to another.