esp13

I expect to feel like a valued guest when I am on the ship and, hopefully, when talking to customer service by phone. I don't expect the CEO of the line to view me as anything other than a source of revenue, especially when speaking to investors. We are a captive audience and every single line makes it's living off of that fact.

These changes will work or they won't. But I can't see why they are being taken so personally. If I cruise on a different line because I find a better value, I don't expect NCL to take it as an insult. So, when NCL makes changes without asking me whether I like them or not, I don't take that personally either. It's a business decision on both sides of the equation.

IIRC, these type of contract or agreement where you give up certain litigation rights, don't hold water in court. There is, however, a big movement and SC case against obligating people to use arbitration boards and let the go through the normal judicial system. Not sure where that stands, though.

Actually, that's not true. The courts have generally upheld arbitration clauses that require arbitration over litigation and which prevent class actions in arbitration or civil suits.

Basically, a contract is a contract. If you voluntarily waive those rights, you have to live with the consequences.

The contract may say it, but that does not mean the judge will accept that. They a contract provision can be found invalid for many reasons, such as being against public policy.

No judge is going to find that a contract provision that allows them to change pricing at any time is against public policy. Most judges won't even find a contract provision that waives liability for any negligence to be against public policy. It's a valid contract which everyone agrees to when they book a cruise. You don't have to like it, but the judge isn't going to help you get out of it.

Thanks for the info! Did you happen to write a review of the cabin or post pictures? I am living vicariously through other people's experiences for the next eight months!

I did write a review. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2140034

It doesn't have too much info on the cabin, but some other posters have more info towards the end of that thread. Basically, it's a great cabin with a very nice, large, balcony. I think you'll enjoy it a lot.

Thank you for posting this thread. I am going to be taking my first NCL Cruise (5th overall) in just under 2 months for my honeymoon and had been 2nd guessing our decision to sail, due to all of the negative feedback I have been seeing on the boards.

 

I do have a question about the Dressy or not night. We will have our wedding clothes with us (but they are not traditional wedding attire. I am wearing a purple knee length dress and cowboy boots, he is wearing black jeans, purple shirt, boots, and string tie.) Will we stand out or look awkward? We want to get a few pics taken of us dressed in our wedding clothes.

No, you won't be awkward at all. Many people dress up on Dress up or not night. You will see everything from tuxes and gowns to very casual. You'll fit right in with your wedding clothes. And Congratulations! Hope you have a great trip.

What do I love about NCL?

Freestyle - dining, dressing, cruising. I love the dining options and I love not having to be dressy even more.

I love the crew and they way they always make us feel special.

I love the various entertainment options.

I love the many different bars with different themes and options.

I love the whole Haven concept. Best of both worlds with a combination of a more exclusive luxury experience and all the fun of a big ship n

Lastly, I love that I get to pay for what I want and not pay for what I dont. Some call it nickel and diming, I call it cruising ala carte. Everybody can decide what works best for them and their budget and still enjoy a wonderful cruise.

Are you telling the OP and everyone else that we can sit in our suites and have the butler deliver drinks covered under the UBP.

 

NCL clearly states that the UBP does not include room service.

I'm not telling anyone anything and will edit my post to clear up any confusion. It is bizarre to me that the UBP would not work with the butler bringing drinks to the suite (and a butler is different from room service) but since there doesn't appear to be any clear guidance on that, then I'll assume that it's the case.

Apparently, I can't edit my previous post so I'll be as clear as I can here:

I was unaware that the UBP has been said to be unavailable when the butler brings drinks to the room. Sorry for any confusion my ignorance my have caused. Mea culpa.

That confuses me, but okay. I have admittedly missed those threads apparently. In any case, the bottles are still the best way to go.

First off, I stayed in that suite in December and it was awesome, so I hope you enjoy it.

Second, the easiest way to deal with your issues is just to pre-order a bottle of Baileys and a bottle of cognac for the room through NCL. We have done that multiple times for Baileys in our morning coffee. It is a little spendy, but very convenient to have the bottle there.

Third, I've had a butler deliver drinks to the suite multiple times so I don't understand why it would be a problem for you. There is no room service charge for the butler and the cost of the drink would certainly be included in the UBP.

Fourth, if you do want to go up to a bar, the closest one to that suite is the bar by the pool on Deck 15. I had to run up there for Baileys on our second to last day because we ran out in our room.

Hope this helps.

From the deck plans, it appears that part of the Haven Sun Deck overlooks the Courtyard. The only difference from the Getaway is that the Sundeck does not wrap around the entire Courtyard. I would assume that access is similar (through a stairway at the Forward end of the Courtyard).

As others have said, whether the value is there is an individual choice. For me, it's definitely worth the extra money. I loved the Haven on the Getaway. We spent sea days on the sun deck and ate multiple meals in the restaurant. Having that quiet, less crowded area was great. Loved the concierge and butler service as well.

But the best part is having both the Haven and the rest of the great stuff on the Getaway is the perfect combination to make a great cruise.

I have looked at older posts but there is conflicting information.

Thanks

I know this might not be helpful because it's the Getaway, but on the Getaway the smoking areas were:

Waterfront (starboard side): It was the Sunset Bar on Getaway and I think that's Maltings on the Breakaway. Basically, it's all the way forward on the Waterfront and next to the Cigar Bar.

Spice H2O (starboard side): Up by the bar there were ashtrays at the bar and on some of the tables nearby.

Pool Deck (Deck 15 port side): There was a semi-enclosed area close to the Pool bar on the port side of the pool deck. There was also smoking at the port side of the pool bar.

There is also smoking all the way forward on the Haven Sun Deck if you have Haven access. I think there is also smoking at the bar in the Vibe but am not 100% sure about that.

Sorry this is the Getaway, but I'm pretty sure the smoking areas are the same on both ships.

Well, I can't speak to whether I'm getting a good deal or being scammed because that seems to be a matter of opinion, but I booked a Getaway cruise for last December nearly 19 months in advance for $2249 pp (Aft PH Haven suite). That also came with $450 in OBC.

I recently booked a Forward Facing PH on the Escape for December 2016 (so, 20 months in advance) for 2799 pp. That's an increase of $550 pp for basically the same week. But, I also got prepaid gratuities ($209.30 value), UBP ($700 value based on our usual alcohol consumption for the week), UDP ($200 value based on usual consumption) and $300 OBC. So, for us, the two cruises are basically the same cost when it is all averaged out. Now, granted, we are in a FF penthouse because the AFT is another $300 pp, but the popularity of those aft suites were always going to drive the price up.

So, for basically the same price, I still get my Haven suite and the convenience of the dining and beverage packages. I don't anticipate eating in specialty restaurants more or drinking (significantly) more, but I know it's already paid for and don't have to think about the bill at the end. And if I want to try something, I can do it with out feeling like I've wasted money if I don't like it. I know this new pricing model is not popular with some folks, but as somebody who has to book way ahead, I feel like it works out pretty well. It will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next year or so.

To answer a couple of questions from upthread -

On the Getaway, the smoking areas are Deck 8 (starboard) on the Waterfront outside of the Sunset Bar and the Cigar Room. On deck 15 (pool deck) on the port side at the bar and in the enclosed smoking area right by the bar. Also in Soice H2O at the starboard side bar area. Plus, of course, the Casino and indoor cigar bar.

On the Getaway, there was a smoking area in the Haven. It was on the upper sundeck all the way forward. It's a nice area with three rows of loungers and awesome views.

This topic comes up in various ways every now and then and the answer, to me, is generally the same. Whether the Haven is worth it is entirely dependent upon what is important to the particular cruiser.

My first Haven experience was on the Getaway last December and it was worth every penny to me. We loved our Aft Suite and loved the Haven itself. We ate in the Haven restaurant multiple times, hung out in the lounge, and really, really, really enjoyed the sundeck. It was so great to have a quiet (not silent, just not loud) area with plenty of room, and plenty of service. We also enjoyed the benefits of the concierge desk and the convenience of having breakfast delivered to our suite, as well as the afternoon snacks.

As far as picking the Haven over a luxury cruise, I'll echo what others have said: it's the best of both worlds. You get a secluded area, but you also get all of the entertainment and dining options of a big ship. We had the casino, the Grammy Experience, Howl at the Moon, and other things to enjoy outside the Haven. I really like that combination.

We recently booked another Haven suite (Forward Facing PH suite) on the Escape for December 2016. Without the current promotion, I'm honestly not sure whether we would have booked the Escape. But with the promotion, the value was too good to pass up for another chance at the Haven. After this cruise, whether we do the Haven again will largely depend on where the prices end up. But, I can guarantee that if we can make the budget fit, we will always choose the Haven (or at least a non-Haven suite on one of the smaller ship) over a regular cabin.

I was on the Getaway last week as was my mother and neither of us have any Norovirus symptoms.

On Wednesday morning, I again woke up entirely free of any symptoms of any illness and practically sang with joy. I was finally going to get to see more of St. Thomas than the harbor. We again went to the Haven restaurant for breakfast, then to the Getaway Theater to await our tour being called (this time with our photo ID's). As with the previous day, the process was quick and we were soon escorted to the bus/truck things that would take us to the other side of the island where our catamarans awaited.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I had booked the St. John's Champagne Sail and Snorkel for this trip. It was, again, the same one I had booked (and missed) four years prior. The bus/truck trip is a bit bumpy and a little hairy, but offers some great views of St. Thomas and the hills and harbor. After about 20 minutes or so, we arrived at the dock and were quickly divided into three groups and taken aboard the three catamarans being used on the tour. We got Captain Joe, Kenny, and Susanna and they were AWESOME!!

As we sailed across to St. John's, Kenny gave us a little history of the islands and some local info, including that rum is way cheaper than milk, and that one of the top 10 NYE parties occurs on one of the British Virgin Islands. He was very informative and very funny.

Once at St. John's we donned our snorkel gear like pros and jumped in. My mom and I almost immediately saw a stingray which was very cool. We then swam to the nearby reef and were amazed on the fish there. The current was kind of strong and we didn't want to have to swim back too far, so we didn't explore the entire reef, but what we saw was really incredible. Very clear water, lots of different kinds of fish and coral.

We then made our way over to a spot where the crew had said that turtles tended to come and graze. Sure enough, it was not long before we saw a turtle on the bottom. As we watched he even swam to the surface mere feet from us and then dived back down. It was really cool. I had seen sea turtles in Hawaii, but not while snorkeling so this was a new thing for me.

At that point, we decided to go back to the boat and change our snorkels for noodles and do a little floating around. This was also fun. We could have swam to the beach, but we were pretty happy just hanging out in the water.

When it was time to return to the boat, we climbed aboard and the rum punch was served. We then settled in for a sail back to St. Thomas. The sun was out, the sail was up and the punch was plentiful. Hard to ask for a better day. We made it back to the dock, reversed our previous trek to the bus/trucks and headed back for the port. It was another easy trip and quick (but very hot) walk back to the ship. Once there, we headed up to the Haven restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, we returned to the cabin for showers, rest, and to get ready for a dinner reservation at Teppanyaki. We were seated very close to our 7:00pm reservation time. Our tablemates included two young children (4 and 7 probably). They were good kids, but I felt bad for them because they were clearly tired from a day at the beach and Teppanyaki is not a short process. The chef did his best to engage them and did get some smiles, but the little girl was out on her mother's lap before the food was finished being served. If you've got young kids and want to do Teppanyaki, I really encourage people to get the earliest seating available so that they don't hit the wall before the meal. In any case, the chef was entertaining and the meal was good so we left satisfied.

After Teppanyaki, we hit the casino where I managed to win back what I had lost the night before. But, don't worry, I gave it all back on Thursday night. Doing my best to keep NCL afloat and all.

That's basically the end of my mostly out-of-order day by day recap. I'll have one more post with some random observations/comments. And, as always, if I can answer any questions let me know.

Great review so far! We're on the Getaway in 19 days (thanks NCL countdown!) and we're trying to plan stuff for the stops. Sounds like your sail and snorkel was great. Why did you decide on that one over the others offered?

It really was great and the one in St. Thomas (which I will get to soon) was even better. As to why we picked it, that's an excellent question that I don't have a good answer for. I originally picked it back in 2010 and I'm sure I had good reasons. This time around I picked it mostly because I wanted to redo the excursions that I bascially missed (or didn't enjoy) because I was ill that week. I do remember looking at all the excursions and really wanting the snorkel and swim combo. I think Golden Eagle might have had the best or better reviews, but I really don't remember.

So, Tuesday and Wednesday of the cruise were stops in St. Maarten and St. Thomas. When we did this itinerary four years ago on the Epic, I came down with a case of the flu (the fever, aches, icky feeling variety). It came on with a vengeance on the day we were in St. Maarten. I did go on our excursion, but felt progressively worse as the day wore on so did not really enjoy it. By the time we got back to the ship, I felt awful and basically went to the cabin and slept for the next 48 hours. So, all I managed to see of St. Thomas was the harbor from my balcony (for the 15 minutes I felt good enough to get out of bed). So, on this trip, I was determined not to repeat that fun (and, I should mention that I also caught a cold on my Western Caribbean trip two years ago).

I basically bathed in hand sanitizer for the week before we left and all the way through the flights to Miami. I am quite sure that I used more of hand sanitizer in the various locations on the ship than any other 5 people combined. I was the poster child for "washy, washy, happy, happy." And it worked. I made it through the full 7 day cruise with no illness in sight. TRIUMPH!!

Feeling entirely symptom free, I joyfully woke up Tuesday morning and got ready for our excursion. We had booked the Golden Eagle Sail and Snorkle (which we had also booked four years prior) when we got on the ship in order to use our OBC. IMPORTANT NOTE: Shore excursions are more expensive when booked on the ship. Somehow in four prior NCL cruises, I had not figured this out. It was not a big deal, but again, some information to pass along.

Anyhow, we had breakfast in the Haven lounge and then headed downstairs for our tour meeting place in the Getaway theater. We had our tickets, our towels and sundry items. What did we not have? Our photo ID's. Why? Because when my mom asked, I confidently said we didn't need them. Why did I say this? Because I'm an idiot who didn't bother to read the info in the Freestyle and confidently remembered never having to actually show an ID on previous trips. So, we arrived in the theater 5 minutes early feeling very smug at being ready and on time. Only to promptly see the notification about the photo ID and run (unsmugly) back to the room to get them. By the time we returned, the tour had been called. However, thanks to our speed trip, we were able to meet everybody on the pier. No harm, no foul except for the hit to my ego for being so clearly, ridiculously wrong.

After a short wait on the pier, we were through the port to the Golden Eagle catamaran. As it turns out, Captain Sam (as in Samantha) was there just as she had been 4 years earlier. We loaded up and headed out for a snorkle spot. Now, I've kind of been trying to get my mom to try snorkling for a while, but she hates having her face in the water and mostly likes to just swim. But, this time, I convinced her to try and we got all the equipment and the instructions (which I needed as well as it had been awhile since I'd snorkled). We got into the water and kept close to the boat for awhile as my mom got used to using the snorkle (mainly remembering to breathe and to tighten her mask). I was very proud of her as she fought through her initial fears and difficulties and soon became a pro. We swam to the snorkling spot and explored the area for a little while. By the time we got back to the boat, she was hooked.

After snorkling, we moved on to a beach area. The trip there took as past the famed Maho beach and we could see the crowds awaiting the planes. We anchored a little offshore and enjoyed swimming in the warm water with drinks being served. Towards the end, a rainstorm hit, but as we were already soaked it didn't have too much effect. Rum punch can cure about anything.

We headed back to the port in the midst of intermittent showers. The only downside was there was not the usual sun to dry us out on the trip back so it did get slightly chilly, just because of the wet and wind. When we returned to the pier, we were all retrieving and putting on our shoes (they make you take them off before getting on the boat) when an older gentleman (who had spent several minutes telling my mother how much he didn't like the excursion) who had probably had several too many rum punches lost his balance while putting his shoes on and tumbled into the water with his backpack on. It was a scary moment, but luckily, he did not hit is head (it was close though) and several guys including the staff from the boat quickly helped pull him out of the water. So, remember, if you are on one of these trips, find a safe place to put your shoes on or limit the rum punch.

I really enjoyed the Golden Eagle trip. The crew was great, the group was (Mr. Grumpy aside) very enjoyable, and while the snorkling was nothing spectacular, just getting my mom out there made it fantastic. If you like being out on the water, having fun, and getting a little snorkel and swim time, I highly recommend it.

Next up - St. Thomas.

Thanks so much for the review . . . we're sailing in an aft PH in February as well. I may have missed it, but which cabin were you in? Thanks!

You didn't miss it. I looked back and I failed to identify that we were in cabin 13902. It's on the starboard side and, according to the wonderful chart floating around here, is the smallest Aft PH balcony. I can't speak to the others as I obviously was not on them, but for being the "smallest" PH balcony, it was still pretty darn big. We had two loungers, two regular chairs and a small table, and a regular sized table and two chairs for dining. We had more than enough room and I wouldn't hesitate to book the room again.

Continuing on --

So, on the Eastern Caribbean route, the first two days are sea days. They are my favorites. I love visiting the islands, but I really, really love sea days. Nothing is better than being on the water, sun shining down, and drinks readily available. So, what did we do on Sunday and Monday? We got up, had the breakfast that Jorge delivered, and then put on our swimwear and headed for the Haven sundeck. As we were on the opposite end of the ship, we did take everything we thought we might need, including clothes that would be acceptable if we went somewhere for lunch. But that was all easily carried in a beach bag, so it was no issue. Also, the Haven has towels available, so no need to take the beach ph towels in the room.

Arriving on the sundeck, we picked our spot (it was either empty or nearly so every day when we arrived) and commenced the sun worshipping. Other than walking through I spent no time on the main pool deck in the Haven, but it never looked to be overly crowded. The upper level sundeck around the pool was similarly populated, but not crowded.

While sunbathing, we were joined by a few other people, including a couple from Cincinnati. As happens, we began chatting and soon had become fast friends. We ended up sitting up there together every sea day and also the day the ship was in Nassau. On the last night we joined them for dinner and exchanged contact information. From strangers to fast friends in a week. All thanks to two nicotine addicts and a very lovely sundeck.

We also made fast friends with Robert, the waiter for the sundeck. He is from Romania and is very friendly and efficient with the drinks. The four of us kept him very busy on those sea days, particularly Thursday when we drank the afternoon away. All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend the day(s).

On those lazy days, we ate lunch once at O'Sheehans, once at the noodle bar, once (Thursday) on the Haven sundeck from the Haven pool menu, and once from a combo of Jorge's snacks, and a quick run through the buffet. I know that the food is another subject of constant debate, but I never had a bad meal. I'll talk more specifically about dinners later, but I was never anything but happy with my meals.

On those lazy days (Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday) we would depart the sundeck in early to mid afternoon and return to the cabin to shower and get ready for dinner. We ate at the Haven on Saturday night, La Cucina on Sunday, the Illusionarium on Monday, sushi on Tuesday, Teppanyaki on Wednesday, and Tropicana on Friday. If you are wondering about Thursday, we ate so late for lunch that we basically skipped dinner. Alcohol will make you lose track of time. Again, I thought the food was great in all the venues, even the widely panned Illusionarium. I'll be happy to answer specific questions about any of those venues if I can, but for now I'll leave it at "Food. Good. Yum."

Next up - St. Maartens and St. Thomas and how I finally got my mom to snorkel. Or, how I actually got to see St. Thomas from someplace other than my balcony.

Loving this review

All the way from Boise Idaho to the Caribbean :)

Yep. 9+ hours, including layovers, both ways. Long trip, but very worth it.

When you say you "ordered the drinks we wanted for the cabin", what exactly are you referring to? We will have an aft suite in January and while I know there is no alcohol included, are there sodas or something we're not aware of?

You're not missing anything. We just order stuff we want to have in the cabin. So I got a six pack of Diet Pepsi and a six pack of Corona. My mom got a bottle of wine. It's not included with the cabin, we had to pay for it. But we did ask Jorge to get it for us rather than getting it ourselves. That's all I was referring to there. We just find it nice to have those things stocked up so they are always available if we are in the stateroom. Hope that clarifies things.

So, after exploring the ship a bit, we went to the Haven restaurant for lunch. It was a nice lunch and the staff were great. Then we went back to the cabin which was now open. We checked that out and met Rene, our steward for the week. He was wonderful, always friendly and helpful.

Then it was time for the drill which was pretty quick and efficient. We went straight from the drill to the Haven sundeck for the sail away. It was a little chilly, but we had a beautiful view for the trip out to sea.

Then it was back to the cabin to unpack. There are two closets in the bedroom and plenty of shelves so we had no space issues in either the bedroom or bathroom. When the unpacking was finished we headed to dinner in the Haven. Again, the food was great as was the service. By this time we were both exhausted from the travel and day, so we headed back to the room. I knew that our butler, Jorge, had probably tried to find us, but we had been in and out repeatedly. So, when I got to the room, I called him and he arrived just a few minutes later, apologetic for having missed us earlier. I assured him we understood and he proceeded to reacquaint us with our favorite coffee machine, as well as show us the other stuff in the cabin. We then ordered the drinks we wanted for the cabin and he had them delivered within 10 minutes. We then enjoyed a nightcap on the balcony and headed for an early bedtime (we're not old, we just act that way sometimes).

Pausing here for a few words about the butler. I've read numerous reviews, comments, criticisms, etc., about butlers so here is my take. They are what you choose them to be. We did not use Jorge a lot. He did deliver breakfast to the suite several mornings, but aside from that we only specifically asked for things two other times. He brought treats every afternoon. We didn't specifically request anything, but we enjoyed the sandwiches and sweet treats throughout the week. So, some would say he didn't do much. Others would say he did a lot. I think he did everything we asked, did it well, was friendly and available and we enjoyed his services and tipped accordingly. For me, the butler is not just about what I ask him to do, but the fact he is available whether I choose to call him or not. That, by itself, is worth a lot to me. Anyway, Jorge was great and the fact that I didn't have numerous special requests doesn't make him any less great to me.

Next up - lazy days on the Sundeck where we meet new friends and drink lots of alcohol.

Oh, and this is likely to get less detailed because I don't want to still be writing this after Christmas, so feel free to ask any questions along the way.

Please tell us more....

My Mom and Sister are booked in an Aft PH in February.

How did the bed configuration work for you two? Were you able to have the bed separated into two twins? Did one of you sleep on the sofa - if so, was it comfortable?

Thanks!

The bed does not split into twins and even if it did, I don't think there would be enough room to really separate them. We shared the king sized bed in the bedroom and it was fine. The bed is plenty big and neither of us ever felt the other move. As long as they are comfortable sharing a bed, I think that is the way to go. The sofa bed is probably fine, but it can't be better or even as good as that bed.