detroitlions

1 hour ago, trivia addict said:

That is exactly what we did a few weeks ago. We were advised by many that to complete the loop after Hana would be even more difficult than the road we had just travelled. So, we too, did a few more stops from Guidealong and then turned back also.

The road you take on the loop is very crazy in a lot of spots looks like 1 lane and you look right over a cliff. Got to admit not my favorite was a little scary. 

14 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

We are back in the atrium bar listening to music from Pink’s which is one floor higher. We are hearing a couple at the bar say that their 9 hour Road to Hana tour was 2 hours too long and they would not recommend it or do it again. 
 

We want to do this someday and hear it’s best to do this early in the morning.  
 

 

The road to Hanna is awesome and you need to go early because the trip takes all day. I go to Maui every year and I have only done the whole thing once as I said it takes all day so I do half way to Hanna. 

4 minutes ago, carohs said:

It's not, per se. We don't eat at the same time at home every day either. I was comparing to DCL who also has two specific seatings. If you had asked me prior to cruising what I thought would work best for us, it would have been anytime all the way. We enjoyed our time on NCL! But if I reflect back on our different experiences, between the two cruise lines, we found that we in fact did enjoy set dining, and late set dining at that (grumbling tummies notwithstanding, of which soft serve ice cream was found to be the best remedy), more than anytime. I can't quite explain why it worked better (for us) and other than experiencing it ourselves, I wouldn't really be able to understand it either.  

With anytime dining you can also go at the same time everyday

I have to admit the reason NCL pulled me in was the anytime dining and the unlimited drinks. 

I never liked assigned dining and being forced to have strangers at your table and the same waiters every day. And the drink limits are lame how many of us left a drink some where or did not like a drink and dumped it.

Carnival and Princess I will not go back on because of the above. Disney I will not go on for numerous reasons and the issues listed. There Are a couple other lines I will go on like Royal but I prefer NCL at the moment. It seems the food quality issues are hitting all lines so hopefully that gets resolved. 

On 9/11/2024 at 8:56 PM, julig22 said:

I've found some of the specials at O'Sheehans/local are so much better than the MDR. But they don't always advertise them well so sometimes I have to search the ship to find out what they are serving - sometimes it's not even posted at the restaurant LOL. Service tends to be faster, especially if you are ordering the special. I've learned to go there for breakfast - much easier than waiting in the buffet for an omelet and then trying to find a table.

The last few cruises I have been on they no longer had the specials in the Local or Osheehans they were all in the buffet 

The cruise industry is like the jewelry stores every thing is always on sale but every one know what they claim is the original price is way more than you would pay for a cruise or a diamond ring. 

I was on the Escape maybe 4 years ago or so and there was 2 large groups on this sailing. One was for singles on match.

Every night the district brew house was closed for a private event.

That was not the worse of it every where we like to go or go to eat was taken over by the two groups on most nights.

I think this was by far my least favorite cruise. The DW and DS were not thrilled with this trip.

On 9/3/2024 at 11:07 AM, graphicguy said:

I've never, on any cruise ship, on any cruise line, been happy with the Guest Services line/desk.  It's the very definition of an oxymoron!

It should be called the Deflect Defer and Excuse desk. 

That's why I laugh when folks say you should of went to the desk with your complaint.

I am looking at this trip on the VIVA have not decided yet it will be next year. 

I am a little worried my wife will want to be hitting a crazy excursion on every stop. I am not that person that is way to hectic. I like some of the stops to be leisurely going to see something on my own time and finding a cool lunch spot.

I did not read though all of these lengthy responses. I did read some.

What most folks on CC still do not get or understand they are not going to get any refund or upgrade or huge OBC anymore. Those days are gone.

I know some of you pointed this out in your own way.

Every cruise I go on I see the complaint counter snaking around with a ton of people mostly elderly. I am getting there myself on the elderly part but I understand the way things are in the cruise industry now.

Folks think its like 20 years ago they don't like something there going to get something for free or money taken off or cancel there tips.

I highly doubt these folks in line never done this in the past its just funny to me over hearing the complaints there petty on most of them I would be really embarrassed .

20 hours ago, DavidOrawan said:

Was that for the Aqua?

No but this issue is on all the Vibe capable ships

I had to keep looking and one day it just showed up. But that was at 120 days.

I would just bring my laptop and not mess with the TV.

Problem is your steams will not always be the best and sometimes unwatchable. 

Depending on what you want to stream almost everything has a app now like youtube tv or Hulu.

You can watch that stuff on everything forget the tv.

For one NCL and other cruise company's do not compensate you for things like they used to. 

I do not know why folks try to do risky or weird alterations to travel plans and freak out when they do not get away with it. very strange.

Insurance may not of even covered most of your costs anyhow since you altered your trip. 

I do believe some folks have found some great deals the last 10 years cruising. 

But what I have found the last 3 cruises I have done within a 2 year span on NCL I paid for a balcony for 2 with the final cost with drink package and everything else I paid between $3500 and $4000 on each of those cruises. The ships were all breakaway plus ships.

I have not seen prices under $3000 in a long time.

2 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

IF there is time, sure. You will not have enough time on a shore excursion to see “all the attractions” and eat the local food in Rome (and many other places).

Rushing though all the major sites to say you been there is not enjoyable to me.

16 hours ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

I don’t agree with that analogy. You can go to Rome and experience a ton of culture without eating anything. I’d argue that visiting the Colosseum or the Vatican is more of an Italian experience than eating a piece of pizza.
 

Are you going to remember a plate of spaghetti the same way you’d remember seeing the ceiling of the Sistine chapel? I wouldn’t.

I disagree I would see all the attractions and eat the local food. Its a big part of my trip. And it would not be pizza LOL

One would think if your going to Italy you would want to try there amazing food. There kind of known for it.

It would suck if I had to eat cereal or a ham sandwich traveling all the way to Rome.

That is like taking your 10 year old to Disney world taking a picture and not going into the park.

The last 2 cruises I went on in the last year. The local did not do theme dinners.

They only served prime rib one time and on both ships it was at lunch time in the buffet.

For years they would have prime rib in Osheans or the buffet on the first day this seems to be gone.

All the theme nights were in the buffet and the 2 times I went I did not care for the food.

On the BBQ night anything that looked close to beef was chewy and full of fat.

On 7/14/2024 at 2:53 PM, astera said:

 

If it's by the pool, especially a kids' pool, then surely it's better to glass-off that section to contain the "air pollution?"

 

On the Escape the pool-level bar is luckily smore-free, but right above it is a similar bar but crowded with smokers. Unfortunately not cordoned off by glass but what can you do...

This was great for the smokers they had 2 out door areas on the Escape one in the back of the ship adult area and 1 above the pool bar semi covered. They were open air and roomy and not in the way of folks that do not like smoke.

Always check this happens allot we had 2 dinners we wanted to change on the Joy there was 6 of us. I checked everything was booked. I just walked up once in Q and once in LaCuchina and was seated right then and there. I do think some of the smaller specials have a difficult time squeezing folks in.

I think my limit would be 3 times in the Haven for dinner. And I do not think I can do any of the other specials more than 2 times.

That being said Q was better than I thought it would be. Cagney's and Lebistro good not great.

On other ships I did not like the Mexican restaurant. But some of the others did.

The Main dinning has been well not so good for a while now.

The buffet is good for breakfast and just ok for lunch. Below par for dinner a lot of the main courses are served in some kind of sauce or stew which I despise and makes me think they are covering up poor quality meats or serving left overs. 

On 10/29/2022 at 6:47 PM, VegasChic said:

I was just skimming through the NCL App as I'll be on the Prima in 3 weeks and found that they have a digital library.  If you download the Libby app you will have access to tons of books and magazines.  On Embarkation day login with your lattitudes number and you'll be able to download one book and place a hold on an additional book.  You can use your phone, tablet or e-reader.  You have access for 7 days or the duration of your cruise.

 

I have the Libby app and I use it in conjunction with my library card, I get access to free audiobooks as well but have access for 3 weeks. It works with the kindle app.

That is really cool.

Chair hogs and lines are the main reason I get Vibe pass when available.

I had a dude on the Belize private island put a shirt on a table between 2 chairs he thought that meant he owned the two chairs and the table LOL( we were sitting there for 25 mins).

After a exchange of words and a floating shirt in the pool I told him to keep the chairs in a not so pleasant way. 

He definitely avoided me on the ship when I saw him a few times.

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

At least this is an issue that will be going away soon. Haven't you heard? NCL is going under/out of business/bankrupt. (If you read some of the discussion in the thread about the IT Department moving.)

Yea that thread the OP was clueless on a lot of things. NCL is actually spending more money by going to AWS. And the layoffs were IT folks working in there cooperate buildings and server rooms because they were replaced by AWS