brigand13

Obviously, things can change with short notice, but I figured I'd add another data point: Food Republic was NOT open for lunch on Prima when we sailed last fall (early Nov.). . Wasn't really a problem though because Indulge is AMAZING!!!

You might be surprised with regard to how long some of these sailings have been available for purchase. I had one for Sept 2024 (AK to HI repositioning) cancelled that I booked in December 2021. The Spirit's schedule had been the same since the cruise resumption after COVID: Summer in AK then move through the South Pacific/HI area and Winter in Aus/NZ.

All three major cruiselines have seen stock price gains in the past month (RCL is up over $90 right now!!). I think strong bookings and a hopefully improving economy may be at the heart of it. I just wish the rest of my stock would move in the same direction as my cruise stocks!! 😜

Be aware that the provided Lipton tea isn't very good (flavor is kind of harsh and overly tannic because it's really more designed for making iced tea). If your husband is at ALL picky, bring your own stash because the selection is pretty limited even in the buffet/observation lounge/etc.

Hello all... So our group are majorly into escape rooms and we're considering the "Escape Room & Victoria by Night" excursion that's offered in Victoria, BC for our AK cruise later this year. Has anyone done this excursion in particular (would love your impressions) and do you know which escape room it includes? [BTW, sorry if this is a repeat sort of question... I tried searching, but when NCL has a ship named "Escape" and there's LOTS of talk about "rooms", it means a lot of noise in the search. 🤪] TIA!!

We did Cagney's in early November and my husband had the porterhouse. In retrospect, he wished he'd gone with the filet or the ribeye (which is what I had). His steak was noticeably thinner than mine and he encountered several spots of gristle. When combined with the bone weight, your 20 oz steak is reduced to probably 14-15 oz at best. I cannot fathom paying ANY upcharge for that porterhouse, much less an extra $20. If this is meant to discourage ordering of that particular cut, then I expect it will work well because it's simply not worth the upcharge.

Check Amazon (or other travel gear site if you prefer) for something similar to "Cruise Luggage Tag Holders"... They are little ziploc pouches that you can put the printed luggage tag into and then they attach to your case using a woven metal cable loop. You can attach them at home or after your flight and it's all about the same. Also, if it happens to be raining, you don't have to worry about the text on the tag smearing and becoming illegible. Best of all, they are quite inexpensive. I got a pack of 20 for about $12 from Amazon. That was obviously more than enough for our suitcases. But best of all, they are totally reusable (and make a neat little gift for friends or family headed on their first cruise).

I was a bit underwhelmed by the Indulge breakfast offerings. Definitely didn't measure up to their Lunch and Dinner options and it's pretty much the same stuff that's served in the buffet, but oddly felt less satisfying/convenient E.g. I like LOTS of capers when I do a bagel with cream cheese and lox/smoked salmon, but the "kit" they gave me in Indulge only had about 4 or 5 of them (and yes, I could have gone back and asked for more, but I don't have to do that when I serve myself at the buffet). That said the little chocolate croissant/pastries are the BOMB!! But they are likewise available in both Indulge and the buffet.

Coke Zero and Sprite Zero were both included with the PBP (i.e. the one that comes with standard FAS) when we were on Prima in November. That said, it was generally a can and so wasn't available at fountain locations (e.g. on Prima there is a soda dispenser in Indulge that had Diet Coke and regular Coke, but no Coke Zero). So if you're a Coke Zero drinker, you may not find it EVERYWHERE, but you should find it and it's included along with any other soft drinks.

Double-check your account. When we booked excursions onboard, the excursion was charged at full price and then the evening after we completed it, I received a $50 CREDIT to cover the FAS excursion benefit. Since you have FAS+ which gives you the excursion credit for everyone in the stateroom, I suspect that the two $50 charges for the excursion you booked onboard are actually credits (or at least should be). If they are indeed charges, you should be able to bring that to the attention of guest services and get it corrected.

Hands down, my single favorite item from Indulge were the Datiles con Alemendras (bacon wrapped, almond stuffed dates) from Tapas. It's the only dish we had every time we ate at Indulge (since the Tapas menu stays the same for both lunch and dinner). They are just a perfect little bite. The sweet from the date, the nuttiness of the almond, smoky bacon, and top it off with BLUE CHEESE!! OMG, I'm definitely going to have to try making those at home. Other stand outs were, from Tamara, the Chicken Korma and Short Rib Dosa (BTW, this thing is HUGE... think burrito instead of taquito with regard to size since it's not obvious from the pic on the tablet). From Nudls, the Agnolotti and the Fiocchetti (both from the dinner menu). From Seaside Rotisserie, the Picanha and the Tenderloin (from the dinner menu) and the Beef Shich Kebab, which was like kofta (from the lunch menu). From Q, the Jalapeno Cheese Grits (dinner menu). But really, pretty much everything I tried was delicious.

Your booking should indicate which ports are tender ports (I don't think it makes a note if they aren't). On the Prima (Galveston to Miami on 10/31), Cozumel was due to be a tender port. We wound up missing it due to Hurricane Lisa, but I'm pretty sure it was indicated as a tender on my Vacation Summary tab for the reservation.

I think the posted end time was 9:30 pm, but they don't just kick you out once it hits that time. And the service remains exceptional even if you're one of the later diners (ask me how I know 😉). My take was that the menu was excellent. We ate in the MDRs three or 4 times on the 11 night cruise and there were STILL several items I'd have liked to try. but one can only eat so much before they have to bring out the luggage dolly to get you back to your room. 😛 Oh well, guess I'll just have to book another cruise on Prima.... darn....

I don't have food allergies so I didn't actively notice whether they list that sort of thing on the tablet, but I think they might have. That said, there were always service staff around who would eagerly assist with pretty much anything. And given the format of Indulge, it would be pretty easy to go to the counter for the specific kiosk and ask someone who is actively cooking the food. I must say I was quite impressed by their attention to stuff like this. I think we were literally always asked if we had any food allergies/sensitivities at all of our sit down meals (specialty and MDR).

We tend to eat at odd times (generally late) so we often were there later in the service window than a lot of folks. For example, the couple of times we went for dinner, we went after the early show in the theater. There was at least once around lunch time when we made a loop through, said "Nope, not today" and then headed elsewhere. 🙂