AngAndBoys

Another tip on this: My bank, Chase, provides notary service free for its customers. Makes it very quick and easy to get this taken care of.

Usually somewhere between one month and one week before the cruise.

Go parasailing or zip lining!

Make your own ship themed hats and wear them everywhere.

Wear t shirts with funny savings, like Girls Gone Wild, 40's Version.

Also check your Fun Times once on board. You will see Friends of Dorothy meet up Times and places listed there. I'm not sure how often these are held or how well attended they are, but it's worth a look.

Exactly! Join the rest of us in paying for airfare or driving 10+ hours. 3-4 hours would be fantastic!

It IS fabulous to be close to a port. The only drawback for me is that it's hard to justify a flight when I can jump on one in my own backyard, so I go on the same ships, to the same ports, over and over. But I also sail about 5 times a year and take advantage of killer deals, mostly on the shorter ones.. I can't complain. I'm really, really happy to be getting 3 New ships in Galveston and keeping Triumph right next door in New Orleans in case I wanna visit the old girl.

Yeah, I've got questions too. My second room doesn't show under my account. I can find it in the system under my son's name, but since that person with that name and birth date doesn't have an NCL account, it wants me to make one. I wonder what happens to his Lattitudes credits if I do? We're all eligible for 24 points each on this one, 8 day, booked far in advance with Lattitudes offer. I don't want to mess that up either. #Firstworldproblems

You are supposed to carry a signed, notarized document from the other parent to show that you have permission to take the child out of the country. Sample forms can be found with a Google search.

That being said, I've taken my kids without their dad on about 10 cruises and never once been asked for it, either on Carnival or NCL. Many had a stop in Mexico. The only time I was asked for it was coming through customs after the trip when I brought a kid that wasn't mine.

I still get one every time though, just in case. The thing is, with the rule out there, you never know when someone will decide to enforce it.

Is Suess at Sea a 20 thing? It has that. The only things notably missing on Triumph (that I can think of) is Specialty restaurants. No steakhouse, no sushi, no La Cacina. Does not have Tandoori or fish and chips. It DOES have taste bar.

Even without those few things, it's a great ship, comparable to Elation in size and feel, but with more amenities. Try it, you'll like it.

Interesting. I'm on Carnival website all the time, trolling for deals. Never once had a call from them.

If they would do some of these in the summer, I'd be all over it. I just can't get away that long during the school year with the kids. Even though they are teenagers, I get somebody to stay with them when I go on a cruise. I don't see getting anyone for 10 to 14 days. I'd love to be able to take them with me on an exciting new itinerary and a longer trip. I think they'd love it.

Obviously my post was confusing. According to tje ncl rep my room has 2 udp options that I and my husband can use vs myself and son. Conversely my husband's room has the 2 udp options. He can order me the drinks. Maybe not 2 at once but one after another.

 

If my ncl rep has steered me wrong, let me know.

Well, he can but it's technically not allowed. I think maybe the rep was trying to tell you that on the sly.

And wild horses would not drag my opinion on that matter out of me. Haha! World War III always ensues when this sort of topic comes up. My advice to you, do whatever you're comfortable and happy with and never ever talk about it here on this board. Either way. :p

I've gone with my 3 boys in one cabin many times, but there's only me an them, so its only 4. I've also gotten 2 cabins for us at times. Mine are 14, 17, 19 right now, so yeah, like you, mine are bigger than me at this point. My thing is this, if it were ME, I'd go with the itinerary I like over 2 cabins in a heartbeat. But I think it totally depends on your personality. I sorta think that those of us blessed with multiple boy children have a higher tolerance for chaos and filth. It drives normal people insane, I'm almost immune to it now. I suspect you are too cause it sounds like you've got twins to boot!

Like what foods people like, this is subjective. It really has to do with what will ruin your vacation. I don't just love all that closeness with me and my boys in the same cabin, but it doesn't drive me bonkers or anything either. So we're crowded. So it's messy. So they're gassy ALL THE TIME. We still have big fun!

Last 3 cruises Dream , Magic and Breeze , Live music every day , 2 piece bands and a guitar soloist , rotate during the day along with a couple of big screen concerts , Beach Boys , ZZ Top , ect , There was always some kind of music on all 3 ships . We were next to The Freedom in port , They had some kind of techno rap crap on that ship . Never heard that on any Dream class ship. One thing I have noticed is there is better music on all The Dream Class ships , More , 70's Caribbean , sing along type of music ,

They had the same mix on my Triumph cruises in December and January, so not all about Dream class. I agree, take away the horribly loud rap/dance POOP music and give us the good ol classic stuff we can all sing along with. My advice for Lido, and how I handle the "situation": take your own music and headphones. So nice. :D I have what I want to hear downloaded in my phone.

I really did like he Promenade band. 4 piece Filipino group you could sing along with every song, mix of somewhat new and older rock/pop.

You can however order steakhouse selection for a $20 upcharge.

Yes, and it's quite good, but not quite as good as the actual steak house. Cheaper though.

Exactly what I was told

Think we talked to the same girl? But mine said I'd be able to have NCL email me my docs in advance, not wait til I get there to check in.

You should not have to do this if you have connecting cabins. The rule is (source):

 

If I were you I would ask them to put your son's real birth date back and see if any red flags come up. According to their rules you should be fine without falsifying personal information (which would make me nervous, too), and you should be able to get the promo packages you want for both cabins.

Yeah, the rep said it's allowed, but the computer system won't book it if there is not someone at least 21 in the cabin because the computer doesn't recognize adjoining cabins. So this is their workaround.

YES, I have the same exact situation for our upcoming cruise in 1.5 weeks! We originally had one balcony booked for the 4 of us (myself, husband and 2 children both age 11). I was paid in full but when the promos came out for free UDP, UBP, or OBC, and the price went down on my cruise, I figured it could not hurt to call and ask... I got very lucky and was offered the opportunity to get adjoining/connecting (whatever you want to call them) staterooms for just a few hundred more (great deal!) plus add on the UBP. However, since we had to put one adult in each room, only one of us (adults) would get the UBP. It was our phone rep's idea to change the birthdate of one of our kids. She said that it was ok to do this and all it meant was that I could not check my kids in online. I checked myself and my husband in online in our room and I have the paperwork for my kids for their room and will have to do it at the port when we get there (and switch my daughters birthdate to her real birthdate at the terminal). I was feeling nervous about this too until someone posted a few weeks ago that they had the same experience with their family and that it was no problem for them!

Thank you, all this cloak and dagger stuff is making me nervous.

This is a good question, and I don't have an exact answer for you. It comes down to, at what point does the cruise lose its value to me? No one little silly thing like chocolates or robes is going to do that for me, but a whole lot of them together might eventually water down the experience to the point that I no longer feel like I'm getting a good value for my money. Then I'd have to give it up, yes.

Well, I just did this last week. I called, told the rep my situation, me and 3 son's sailing, ages 21, 18, 16 at sail date, but wanted UBP for me and 21 year old, UDP for younger 2 in separate cabin, connecting. She did it by fudging the DOB on one of the younger 2, making him old enough to have another cabin. She says when I go to check in online, I need to change his DOB back to the real one, which will cause my docs not to print for that cabin. Then I call NCL and they will email docs. Honestly, this is making me so nervous I'm considering calling back and changing the whole thing to just put us all in one cabin and call it a day. Or move the 21 year old into the other cabin? I could swear the age was 21 for that, not 25. Is this right?

Has anyone else had their booking done this way, with the wrong birth date? And did it work? I have this nightmare that they cancel my second cabin when I change it and then there's no quads. I wish I could afford a suite, but I can't, and 4 adult sized people, with 3 of them being messy man children, in a regular cabin, is not so fun.

Well #6 has changed. No more chocolate per John Heald and as reported by several current cruisers. I am sure each ship is using it's supply and then when it's gone it's gone.

 

I was hoping to hear more about the food but you are correct that your opinions, while not worthless, is subjective. A perfect example is Guys. Just off the Freedom and both times my meat patty was charred. There was a crunch and burnt taste. Once I could forgive but twice. And I don't care for the seasoning on the frys.

Try Guy's burgers one more time. I've gotten way overcooked patties before too, I'm talking crunchy edges. If they cook them right, they are much better. I agree on the fries. They are barely tolerable.

"Casino winnings"? I am unfamiliar with the concept. Could you explain? :)

Right? It was such a foreign thing to me, I forgot to get my money one time. That's how I know they'll send you a check. :D

I think this always happens when you go to look at the sale offers. It happens to me too, every time I go in that section. Weird site glitch.

Just to clarify I can use paper cash at the slot and my winnings are put onto my SS Card... Then I take it to the window to cash out. Can I do this at anytime during the cruise? Also can you view your casino balance on the SS kiosk.

You can cash out anytime the casino is open. You cannot do it on port days or the day you disembark, so make sure you do it sometime before the casino closes the last night. If you forget, they DO send a check to your house in a few weeks.

It is hard to decide. The UBP has more value, but nothing has any value at all if you can't use it for it's intended purpose. I guess you should think about how much you spent on alcohol on your last cruise with kids and how that compares with the price of UDP? Maybe that formula would give you your answer.

You'd have to consider if your kids would eat specialty every night as well or if they would only want it once or twice. Mine would, but some kids are picky eaters, rather be in kid club so want quick buffet etc. You would also need to plan out all your dining and reserve in advance to make sure you got to go all the places you wanted to go on the UDP. Kind of kills the whole freestyle concept.

OP stated that she is not a smoker. Just posing a question. No need to flame here.

 

Having said that. Very interesting that when on my balcony on the Breeze in November saw people from the Triumph lighting up on their balconies. I am a smoker but contain myself to designated areas. Ok except maybe once @ 1:00 am when all was dark from adjoining cabins.

Haha! And THIS is why I don't get a balcony since they banned smoking. Remove me from temptation, oh Lord, and deliver my from evil. :D