IndyColts84

Thank you so much! Anything is appreciated.  We were on Bliss in 2021 and some of these appear to be familiar, so I've got that going for me!

Hello everybody!  We have an upcoming Bliss cruise at the end of February and while I am not a beer snob, I'm curious if anyone has any information of the beers available at District Brewhouse.  This is typically where we spend a lot of our time and we even tend to choose a room close to it just due to the selection.  So if anybody has any info, I would appreciate any and all of it, thank you!

Privacy aside, rooms closer to aft nearest the pools lose some of the tranquility that comes with a balcony due to noise. One of the benefits of a balcony for us is having somewhere quiet to escape throughout the day. People's conversations and laughter at or near the pool and indulge will definitely carry into those lower deck rooms. Nothing a nice set of headphones can't overcome but still not the quiet place to relax at when compared to other ships. 

If privacy is a concern for you, rooms higher up and more forward offer the most privacy. We had a corner forward facing mini suite on deck 11 (11706) while my brother had a balcony on deck 12 (12892 i think) just above the sculpture garden. We bounced between both balconies and really came to appreciate the privacy we had on our forward facing balconies. The latter half of the ship where the ship gets skinnier has almost no privacy from those on deck 8 at the pools. 

If we ever go back on Prima, we will definitely look into a room closest to the bow and on a higher deck or the same category as we had before as we do value our privacy. 

Wish I had info to share with you but I'm waiting for any of the same info to come in. On Prima from Galveston to Miami later this year in room 11706. Typically aft is our choice but that wasn't an option this go around. 

There is a very quick walkthrough on YouTube of room 11104 if that is of any help or use.

I'm sorry, at work and trying to minimize non-work-related distractions! We are trying to make a "last minute" booking on the Bliss for 3/20.  Flying in late 3/19 to LA, working all day the 18th and being small town peeps we do not have any options for pre-testing.  At this point, I just want to wash my hands of the pre-cruise test hassle and show up to port and accept NCL port testing at whatever cost.  Question, has anybody done something similar and how was your experience.  We are completely vaxxed and boosted for what it's worth and both our jobs still have all kinds of social distancing practices in place so I feel exceptionally confident we will pass the test with flying colors.  Just looking for any experience or guidance with this plan! Thanks!

Through my searches and many YouTube viewings, I have not been able to find if the Pride of America has a thermal suite much like the ones on other ships. Looking to do a last minute Hawaii cruise in October and while this would not sway us either way, my wife and I love the thermal suites aboard NCL ships. Could anybody confirm whether there is a thermal suite and what that cost may be? Thank you in advance!

I recently was on the Escape and brought my DJI Mavic along for the ride. Absolutely no problems or concerns from the ships staff. I never used it while on or near the ship. Used it only to film sail away of a few ships the day prior to our cruise, Miami beach, here and there while at Little French Key and various little clips at our ports. Keep in mind the Mavic is very small and doesn't draw much attention. Our room steward thought it was the coolest thing and kept asking about it. She even wanted to try piloting it one day but our schedules never lined up. Best of luck! It can be done, and yes it can be done responsibly as well!

Just booked for our 10 year anniversary. 21 Day Transpacific from Seattle to Sydney on Explorer of the Seas 10/5/18 followed by the 9 Day New Zealand on Radiance of the Seas 10/28/18. Only 470ish days away and cannot wait!

Another vote for Hyatt Pier 66. Also a second vote for Pelican Landing, good food and great intracoastal views!

My apologies if this has already been put on here but here is a great preview video compliments of Popular Cruising.

https://www.ncl.com/faq#service-charge

I apologize if I missed it, but it has been updated on the NCL website, though finding it took a moment.

As much as I love Bermuda, without a second thought I would book any cruise going to the ABC islands. Bermuda is fantastic, fairly easy to get around, beautiful beaches and the locals are extremely friendly. That being said, so many cruises go to Bermuda, I feel cruises to the ABC islands and more specifically Bonaire are rarer to come by. We have been to Aruba and Curacao twice and Bonaire once. As a whole it's a very different feeling and the islands are pretty unique as well as they are very arid and desert like with more cacti then palm trees. Plus, visiting San Juan a day or two early before the cruise isn't a bad option either.

After reading your question, I quickly assumed that it was price that decides it for us. Upon further review, it would seem the decision is much more involved than that. Firstly, we must consider our jobs. No vacations during the two weeks of the year inventory is done, typically February and August. As we don't know when the exact week is until a month or so out, we basically write off those two months. On top of that, no vacation is allowed from Thanksgiving through the end of the year which scratches off part of November and all of December. 9 months of the year left! I'll be completely honest, my wife and I do no have children and as such we strongly avoid spring break and summer altogether. That leaves us a little less than 6 months of the year to cruise. Thirdly, we prefer longer cruises for their better itineraries, great value, and yes...lack of children. Norwegian has been our cruise line of choice so we typically search for repo cruises which are usually only during the spring or fall. Then and only then if a cruise meets our requirements then we will consider the price! So suffice to say, price...while still a factor...is definitely not the only factor.

We were on Epic for the Western Caribbean Jan 18-25, 2015. I can confirm that we had our handful of those pineapple cocktails. I even have photographic proof though I have no idea how to attach! However, on our 21 Day Dawn Repo of Oct 2015, no such cocktails. Maybe an Epic thing?

Hello fellow cruise lovers! I am just about to book a large group for my mother in laws 60th birthday cruise next year. My question is we have one guest, my little brother who is 20 currently but will be 21 during the actual cruise and wants the UBP as his offer. This shouldn't be a problem to book it as long as he is 21 years old during sailing, correct? I told him it probably happens pretty often but he wanted an "official" answer otherwise he wants the shore excursion credit instead. Thanks to all!

I find the best food to be everything they offer...because it's already cooked for me and they clean up afterwards as well! If somebody cooks for me and does the dishes, it could be mud and I'd be happy. As far as favorites, I'm a sucker for rib eye and have to give the nod to Cagney's 18 oz bone in. The filet in Le Bistro is pretty awesome too. Also don't forget to grab a apple filled crepe with a bit of whipped cream from the buffet if they offer it! That's my go to dessert.

Can't say that I've seen the commercials or anything. I rely on research for my decision making, not a marketing department. That being said, it is a joint operation for vacation planning between my wife and I. I do most of the research and planning, present my case and then she ultimately has the power of veto...which thankfully she has never used! She is easy to please though, so my job isn't too hard.

Cruisers like my wife and I are likely why we have all the extra fees! Literally the only thing we purchase on board is a spa pass and the little cruise ship ornament and that is it. Never a cent anywhere else on any of the cruises we have done.

As for your ports do lots of research about the ports..starting with good ol' reliable Cruise Critic ports of call sections, lots of YouTube videos and TripAdvisor/Google and you never need to purchase a ship sponsored excursion.

I disagree with all the "nickel and diming" talk as of late. It's a business first and foremost and must turn a profit. Those new builds will not pay for themselves. And NCL never pushes the for fee options on the passengers. They simply put it out there, it is the choice of the cruiser to either accept or deny the offerings. It's about options and the free options are perfectly fine for us. Now when they stop offering free water...I'm outta there!

It's your vacation, make it what you want it to be...it's still FreeStyle!

Thanks for the answers! The cruise was booked as one cruise and not two separate. We did a similar cruise in 2013 and did have to purchase for the first week and second/third weeks separately when onboard. My guess is that is the case once again. Though if you try to book the spa pass the next day online, it will allow to do so and everyday thereafter for that matter, which seems odd. Just pleased to see it's available online at all. Saves the rush once onboard. Thanks again to those who answered.

My wife and I will be on the 21 Day Bermuda/Boston to New Orleans repo in Oct/Nov this year. Our 90 days out is today according to NCL.com. I am able to book the spa pass now rather than do it on board. We'd like the spa pass for the entire duration of our cruise, which we've done in the past to the tune of $600 or so for the two of us for 21 days. However, on the NCL website there is no time limit or period for the purchase of the spa pass which is nicely priced at $179 per person. Do you think that the price of $179 covers only the 7 day Bermuda portion OR is it possibly (hopefully) the price for our entire cruise as it would normally be any other time? Hoping we just get lucky but curious to see how others may read into this. Thank you!

RCCL newbie here...to get the savings with the new promotion I see that I can cancel my current TA sailing direct from the RCCL website. Then I just rebook? Is it that easy or is there another way to go about that without having to rebook with deposit and all that fun stuff? Thank you!

Prior to being Platinum, we did the full version on the Getaway. This was at the time (Jan 2014) only $55 per person and included tours of the stage/dressing rooms and Q&A with the stage manager and a few of the entertainment crew. Next was the galley with head chef complete with chocolate covered strawberries during the Q&A session. Moving forward...or below perhaps to "I-95," the crew only forward to aft hallway to meet with the provisions crew where we toured the cold/frozen storage as well as the recycling and trash area (exceptionally clean and organized!) complete with a Q&A with respective heads of departments. Moving down once more if I remember correctly to the laundry areas both crew and cruiser. Really interesting actually, again followed with Q&A. Lastly all the way up to the bridge for about 30 minutes complete with a...you guessed it, brief Q&A with the captain. All in all it was close to two and half hours and well worth it.

After becoming Platinum we did our first comped tour on the Epic (Jan 2015) which is only half as long and as some have already pointed out, not as detailed. Our first stop was the Spiegal Tent to talk about the productions on board with Q&A. Next was the galley tour at the Taste restaurant, a little shorter than the paid version but complete with chocolate covered strawberries. However, we did stop in the room service galley which was pretty interesting and was not a stop on the paid version. Lastly we were to do a brief bridge tour, however we were unable to do so and I fail to remember why. Instead, the First Officer came and met us in the bridge viewing room and it ended up being a Q&A. A little disappointing as the bridge is typically the most desired of the stops, at least for myself, but whatever the reason the First Officer was apologetic but equally informative.

As you can see from my limited experience, the two do vary considerably. Others miles may very. In the future, I may pay for the additional stops. Just know that the bridge is NOT a guarantee on any tour due to reasons beyond our control. Hope this helped.

Just as an addendum if you read this far. As others have stated, wear closed-toe comfortable shoes. At the time of booking if you pay and on the confirmation in your room if you are Platinum, it states the requirement of closed-toe comfortable shoes. This is for your safety and comfort and is NOT optional. One lady and her son were turned away because neither had the required shoes and failed to change them. No word if they were refunded/comped...but I suppose that is what you get when you think rules do not apply to you.

Plenty from our trip in 2011 however never loaded them on the forum before.

Sailing Jan 18th. Second time on her...she's an amazing ship.