graphicguy

I’ve sailed all the major mainstream lines, and MSC, which is a fraction the presence in North America compared to the other lines. In brief, I pretty much know what to expect on all the lines. Not a lot can surprise me, and even a mediocre cruise is still a great time! Keep an open mind and be flexible, you’d be hard pressed not to have a good time (unless you’re looking for reasons to thwart your good times).

I live in the Liberty Twp area.

Getaway has Syd Norman’s. The Beatles tribute plays in The Cavern Club, which isn’t on the Getaway. Syd Norman’s has the 70’s-80’s-90’s band (which is excellent). I know the Cavern Club is on the EPIC. Not sure of the others.

There are two "groups" on different ships. The group who plays '70s-'90s music in Syd Norman's, different show on 3 different nites. And, the Beatles review on ships with the Cavern Club....again, different show on 3 different nites. Have seen them all. All are great. I think the constant sell outs are a testament to the quality of the shows and the performers. To put them in a larger venue to fit more people would really detract from the excitement of those shows in their respective venues. Truth told, I much prefer these shows over the bigger production shows in the main theater....and those are all quite good, too. You can complain about it. But, bottom line, you want to see them, get in line early. If you don't want to do that (which it sounds like some do not), then those shows are not an option for you. There are many more things to do on a daily/nightly basis as is highlighted in the Dailies. Whenever I hear someone say they were bored on a cruise, knowing how jam packed with activities each cruise line offers, I tend to think those passengers really should look at other vacation options. Or, maybe look at other cruise lines who are geared to a different cross section of experiences.

I have never hit “big” on any cruise line casino. In fairness, I’m not a big slots guy. I like to play in cash Hold’Em Games, where at least I can count on some skill to win. I’ve done well with those games on NCL. That said, I’ve personally seen 3 big slot payouts on my last couple of cruises on NCL. They ranged from $2,000 to $12,000. DOn’t know how long they had been playing. They may have poured in $15,000 to win $2,000 for all I knew. But, there were big payouts. Hold’Em and BlackJack tournaments that are sponsored by the cruise lines have such measly payouts, I stay away from those. Hold’Em rebuys are so tilted to the casino’s benefits, that even if you win, you don’t win much. Anyone can keep rebuying and win. I consider that winning for bragging rights only. I don’t care about bragging rights. I want Benjamins…..lots of them!!!!!

Probably book dinner after the shows? That would take care of any concern about dinners running long. Or, as you suggest, just go to Specialty Dinners on the nights you don’t have a show booked.

Yes…in the form of a tip, as they are not part of the DSC the rest of the crew shares!

That’s a really good idea! Except, I think there may only be one performance of the individual portions of the Syd shows. Bottom line, get there early, or miss the show(s)! To me, any line is worth it to see these shows!

As my late Father used to muse…. ”…some people refuse to see the beauty of a rose because they insist on looking only at the thorns…”

Do yourself a favor…….ask the NCL PCC if you can use the AMEX promo. I’ve tried a couple of times to get their OBC + Specialty Dinner + bottle of wine promo if you book using the Platinum AMEX. With my TA, I could. NCL PCCs said I could not (twice).

So, some like Prima…some do not. The trend was bringing out bigger and bigger ships…particularly NCL and Royal. They’re going to smaller designs, so some do not care for that. I get it. As best I can tell, Prima is about the same size as their Jewel Class. Which, in turn, are all smaller than the “-Away” class. This reminds me of when the EDGE class first came out with Celebrity. A) it had been decades since I had sailed Celebrity. B) had heard of the empty spaces and weird layout compared to the Solstice Class. Went in, eyes open. Did it have weird spaces? Yeah, it did. But, I enjoyed those spaces, while others did not. Many here did not like the “Magic Carpet” moving (vertically) lounge area. I loved it. As such, there were few people there whenever I went….which was fine by me. But, I think that’s the point. It’s not traditional NCL. Neither is the Epic. But, I’ll give NCL a pass because they are willing to try something new and different. Maybe I’m the odd duck. Actually, I probably am. I like new and different. I’ll go for the newly designed class of ships before sailing the older ships. Matter of fact, you want to get a deal on fares, the older ships are the way to go. Regarding the band in Syd Norman’s….NCL has a huge entertainment hit on their hands…probably a bigger hit than they were expecting. If you don’t get in line early, you’re relegated to SRO. I guess that’s both a good thing and a bad thing. The good news is it’s some of the best entertainment I’ve experienced on any ship. The bad news is, it doesn’t translate well in a larger venue. So, Syd Norman’s it is. I can’t wrap my head around anyone not finding anything to do on any NCL (or any mainstream cruise line) cruise. You open the Dailies and it’s literally packed with stuff to do from sun up to well after sun down. Now, if you tell me none of it appeals to you, I understand that. Another cruise line may suit better. Not an apologist for NCL. I’ve had my own issues with some of what they do and certainly did to me. None of it has anything to do with the service, the staff, the food, the comfort of the cabins or their ships in general.

Just booked the Epic Mediterranean 11 day cruise in Oct. Great deals....was able to score a Haven Spa Suite. I have not sailed the Epic for a decade. I understand the Haven has just been redone. Anyone have pics of the "new" Haven on the Epic? TIA!

OK.....didn't know that. SIX, I understand. It's a big expensive show, and quite frankly, was the worst I've seen on any NCL ship. Not that it was bad, just not my cup of tea. The rest are on smaller ships, and are probably not tied to any production company (this is just a guess). Footloose on the Joy, not sure about that one. Has it been around for a while? I do know that they have long term contracts for these shows with their respective companies. From what we were told, these shows are tightly held by the production companies via how long they run, who they bring in to perform, and even the costumes they use. She also said that productions are in rehearsals in FL for some shows she wasn't allowed to divulge. I think this happens every once in a while. I know Blue Man Group is no longer on NCL ships, neither is Rock of Ages. They swap these out at the end of their contract run. I doubt they announce replacements until they actually debut.

What about the shows? I haven't heard anything. I just saw SIX and Jersey Boys on the Bliss. During the Behind the Scenes Tour, the Stage Manager told us there were some show contracts that were expiring, but they would be replaced. Syd Norman's shows are so popular that I would think if they did anything with them, it would be to put them into a bigger venue. But, that would take away one of the shows' best attributes, the intimacy of them.

👹👺🚢⎈🍺🗻🏔️

There are some NCL deals floating around (i.e. Epic). Just have to be a little open minded about ships and itineraries. I wish I could transfer my 50% of Alaska itineraries for Sun and Spirit coupon and 20% off Bliss and Encore expires on 06/22/23 to someone. And, you have to be able to cruise by 12/31. I can't use them....well, I could, but given they won't cruise to Alaska in November and December, and I'm saying in the Mediterranean in October, it would be tough to pull off.

Yeah…excited about the Epic Haven Spa. NCL seems to have done a nice job refurbing what was already considered the best Haven in the fleet! Got 2 more Cruise Next carts sitting in my account. For whatever reason, the Alaska coupons are still in my account, even though I used one a few months ago. Kind of want to keep those cruise next certs for a Prima/Viva cruise.

Agree with your assessment totally! Every ship, on every cruise line I’ve sailed, given I am not familiar with a particular ship, takes me a little bit to get my bearings….sometimes I don’t stop getting lost on board until the last day of the cruise….sometimes it takes more than one sailing before I get my bearings. They are 20 story buildings, floating on the water. Rightfully or wrongfully, I try to minimize creaking. Sometimes successfully done on my own, sometimes I have to get customer service involved. I have been successful folding up bits of the daily planners and inserting them in the “creak points”. Sometimes if the seas are less smooth, the creaking is more noticeable than sailing in pristine, glass like waters (like the Caribbean sailing outside of Hurricane Season). Syd Norman’s is a bone of contention….seems on all NCL ships. First, because the shows there are so good. 2nd, because NCL won’t find a bigger ensue to hold the main shows there. The more you guys keep talking about Prima, the more I want to sail her. Y’all are a bunch of enablers.

Hmmmm....my TA booked using my coupons, and they gave me their typical OBC and discounts. I would think the coupons wouldn't affect the TA, with the possible exception that TAs are paid on gross cruise revenue bookings. But, I don't know how that works.

Hey Henry....I'm good. Thanks for asking. You? Loved your last cruise review. I have looked pretty intently at both Viva and Prima. I was unable to find a date/itinerary on either of them that made me want to pull the trigger. I do want to sail them, though. @sid_9169 review of the Prima really piqued my interest. But, while looking, I found some other good deals on itineraries I'd enjoy. That's how I ended up on the Epic. Plus, the last time I sailed the Epic, my (then) GF and I found it so enjoyable, we pledged to do it again. Well, the GF has come and gone, but my promise to sail her again remained. The recent Europe coupons made the sailing very attractive. So, I'm booked. Although, $2,200 solo in a Balcony does look interesting. I'll give it a look-see. Oh yeah....retirement doesn't feel like retirement. I taught a tech course at the local community college this year. Pay sucks but I'm not doing it for the pay. I do like being involved in adults who really want to expand their horizons by paying their own nickels to take my courses. They want me to come back in Sept, but I'm not sure I want to commit to a couple of nites every week. That interferes a bit with my travel schedule. We'll see! And, I'm on the Citizen Advisory Committee in my home community. So, although I'm officially retired, I seem to fill days and evenings. MSC tried to burn me. So, still a little salty about that. Not sure how long it will take for me to look at them, again.

See....an inside cabin for $2K+ isn't an attractive fare to me. IT tells me that even their least expensive cabins are pricey. That means even close in, they're about to sell out and the fares reflect that.

I really don't know. They just show up in my account. Why? I have no answer and they aren't telling me. LOL!

Feel the same about the UDP....Titos, Tanqueray, 1792, Buffalo Trace.....all good for me. Coffee? I bring my own coffee "packets" and have the room steward bring me a coffee makes so I can have hot water to make my own coffee in the a.m.

I’ve had my eyes on the Prima since I saw her hit the water. Even sailing close in on her….11 day Europe cruise in a Balcony Cabin is high….$5,600 for a Balcony, less my 20% is still well over ~$4K. I’m sailing in the Haven for less than that on Epic. Inside cabins are going for nearly ~$2K on that sailing, too. It’s just a very expensive booking until demand falls off for the Prima. I watch NCL fares pretty closely and am always on the lookout for a cruise deal. The PRIMA demand is just too high right now to get any sort of deal. Total $5,613.50 STATEROOM 2 Guests Balcony $7,166 70% OFF 2nd Guest $4,657.90 FREE AT SEA Open Bar Selected Specialty Dining Selected Shore Excursions Included WiFi Included +MORE OFFERS 70% OFF 2nd Guest Included Subtotal $4,657.90 Gov. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses $440.40 Open Bar Gratuities $479.60 Specialty Dining Gratuities $35.60 Total Due $5,613.50

Went looking for my pins last night. I think they’re stuck in one piece of my luggage in the “junk closet” in the basement. Probably won’t find them until I dig that luggage out for my next cruise. I had a bunch of them. The Cruise Next desk dug their fists into their “pin bins” and gave them to me. IIRC, I gave at least one to @JamieLogical when I sailed on the same ship as her several months ago.