coka

MajSteve, I am interested in reading further about your cruise.  I have not sailed NCL in quite some years and I am interested in knowing what you think the positives and the negatives were on your sailing.  Writing takes time...I understand!

Coka

Well BenDover, I think Norwegian is trying to get you to BendOver.

coka

Hello Sid,

It is snowing and cold where I am.  I have not cruised in a few years.  Thank you for writing such a wonderful report along with fabulous pictures where I could cruise vicariously through you!  I just spent the past few hours reading the entire thread/adventure.  Cruising (and writing about cruising) is great therapy...I remember cruising often and writing about them knowing a day would come when I could not do it for a lengthy period.  You always have your reviews to refer back to.  I look forward to reading your previous reviews and I look forward to your Breakaway February review.  I will always be grateful for cruising, cruise critic, writing reviews and for the people who appreciated them....that ended up being such an important component in my life during my forties.  Best of wishes in the new year and I will pray it all works out for you with new job.  In the meantime, did you notice the spider on your shark shirt in the return pile of clothes picture?  

coka

I think they should bring back the Passenger-Tell-A-Joke contest run by the cruise staff. Similar to Karaoke, but passengers get up and tell their jokes in order to win silly prizes. No cost there other than cruise staff time and a venue to hold it in.

coka

There are 4 aft elevators. Only one will go down to deck 6 for the Grand pacific. You just have to make sure you are in the proper elevator that goes to level 6. Its on of the 2 middle elevators but i can't remember which is was.

The one elevator that goes all the way down to 6 is the furthest starboard side. To be sure, just make sure the button panel has deck 6 on it...You are in the wrong one if it only goes to seven.

coka

Planma'am, it can be done! My minimal suite experiences have always been wonderful yet I have gone back to lesser category cabins. I consider the cabin category cruising experience desired at time of booking, the perceived value of my cabin’s cost, and what I wish to afford at time of booking. I might afford the suite, but it does not mean I choose it given what I think the vacation experience would entail. I have in my head what I think a good price is for each category, for each ship, for each itinerary, during particular times of the year. Factor in promotions, my product knowledge, and many years sailing with them, I then make the choice. I have always been happy with my choice. I hope you are too! Edited to add that my last cruise with them was February 2016...so I do not know current prices, experiences, value, etc.

coka:D

Maybe in NY the staff hold the low numbers for those who tip ?....lol

No, that is only for the porters when getting OFF the ship, lol. I really think the numbers go 1-6 and then jump to the twenties. For those who get the twenties...it really is only a fifteen to twenty minute wait from 1-6.

Um, I think! :p

coka:D

Yes she is Regional VP Hotel Operations Asia Division

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Awesome! Nice to see a female in the higher positions! On a side note, Happy holidays Suzanne, Barb, www3traveler, and others!

coka:D

Looks like fun! I am envious having never sailed a GV. Someday when I win power ball....!

coka:D

Everyone is assuming they start with the number 1 and continue consecutively with the following digits through the twenties. Having sailed many times in different tiers, categories, suites, first to arrive, last to arrive, etc. .... All I know is they do NOT go 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24....

Any other old timers here agree?

coka:D

What was the cabin number?

Oh my oh my! I have tears of laughter rolling down my face! It has been too long since that has happened! I love your writing style and I so look forward to more of the review! Having sailed the Breakaway 3X and having been the free beverage package line cutting drunk passenger myself, it is soooo interesting to read about it through a sober family man's point of view! ROFLOL!

coka:D:D:D

I'm sailing next May with my parents and some friends, and I had arranged for an inside cabin for myself because it was the cheapest option. Still, even with my inside cabin, I was going to get 2 Latitudes Points per day for the cruise, because I booked it more than 9 months ahead of time. That would be just enough to bump me up to the next Latitudes tier.

 

Tonight -- less than 9 months before the cruise date -- another friend decided to join us. She doesn't want to squeeze into my dark little inside cabin, so we're trying to decide if I should upgrade to a balcony cabin and then add her to the booking, or if we should get her an oceanview cabin so that we each have our own quiet little spot to sleep. She wants at least a window so that she has natural light.

 

Anyway... if we decide to share a balcony cabin, is that a "cancel and rebook" situation or can you add another person to a booking and then upgrade the cabin without canceling? I was really looking forward to making Latitudes Gold status after this cruise. :o

 

Of course there are other issues to consider as well. My friend and I both snore, and we might sleep better in separate cabins. But it's her 50th birthday cruise, and I don't want her to feel neglected and alone. And I can't figure out the best place for an oceanview cabin on the Norwegian Dawn. The two cabins my parents and friends have are BB balconies near the aft elevators on deck 10. Deck 10 seems like a great spot -- I'd grab one of the aft-facing balconies for my friend and me on that cruise, but the only one available is on deck 8, which I've read is very LOUD due to the location above the lounge.

 

Thoughts/suggestions?? :)

Oh Dear Allie,

You asked for thoughts/suggestions. Keep what you have and tell your friend to figure it out for him/herself. Isn't this what our fifties is supposed to be about? Once I turned fifty I told my friends and family I was done being their cruise director. It was so liberating! Even so, contact your travel agent or NCL and ask the question...I am thinking you should be able to upgrade and add a person to the original booking. I have done it before...but I have not sailed in a while and things are-a-changing. Do not fret about noise...a good pair of ear plugs is all one needs. The aft cabin on Dawn is worth it.

coka:D

We have never traveled with Norwegian, we sailed with royal before on freedom of the seas.

We are looking at sailing on the pearl on a western Caribbean cruise.

Mexico,Jamaica, florida keys for seven days.

Freedom had several clubs and piano bars for activities like trivia games etc.

My question is How does it compare to freedom of the seas and is they pearl a small ship without fun places for ship activities and shopping.

Hmmm, not too many answers...Two different cruise lines...two different ships. Look at the gross tonnage and look at the passenger capacity. You will not find the the "several" on the Pearl but you will find the one of each...as everything is smaller. Yes, the Pearl is a smaller ship...and yes, cruising is fun...Pearl has piano bar, shows, trivia, a store for shopping, art auctions, and such but not the size of Freedom...You can expect the same on Pearl but smaller than Freedom.

Also know that each week on the same ship can provide a varied experience so do not go on any cruise with the same expectation as your previous one(s). This is the beauty of cruising.

I have many fond memories of sailing the Pearl (and with sailing a few Royal Caribbean ships)...that each cruise and each cruise line is an experience of its own. Have fun on the Pearl!

coka:D

Good to know I can use it twice. I used to find a date thinking it a waste of a free meal!

coka:D

I was looking at old posts about our Dream CTN back in 5/08 and it looks like we may have already sailed together, we just didn't know it;).

I saw that in your signature...I held a meet and greet back then and met some of the cruisecritics who are still around today (but do not post as often anymore). I remember not feeling bad for the passengers...but feeling extremely bad for the crew!

coka

Coka, I'm interested in Jade and Gem if you are giving them away.

We would love to have:

Jade

Star.

Dawn...

Thanks

Michele

Send me you postal address to quest4coka at aol dot com

Put your cruise critic name in the subject line so I know to open it up. I will send them out to you on Mon/Tues. Michele...let me know if you want the old Dawn pin or the new Dawn pin. The old one is bule and gold while the new one has the dolphins.

coka

The power walk way.

Actually...counter clockwise.

coka:D

Congratulations Mr. Stuart! You were always so kind and generous to me. I have fond memories sailing Norwegian over the years! I almost sailed the fleet but success in ship builds surpassed me! Best wishes for continued success,

coka:D

I did a Halloween cruise on the Epic during her inaugural season...I recall the largest bar was the outdoor Spice H2O and they had a big costume party out there around 10 pm. I was a Norwegian Valkyrie and nobody knew what I was but I had a memorable time dancing under the stars! Have a great trip... a lot of people dressed up!

People started dressing in costume from dinner on...

coka:D

Really? Three dollars on Ebay? Even if they were thirty dollars on Ebay...I give mine away. This is what I have left:

1 Dawn...the blue and gold version before they went to the ship hull design.

2 Jade...hull design

2 Jewel...hull design

1 Star...hull design

3 Dawn...hull design

2 Gem...hull design

I gave an entire collection away many years ago that included a Norway pin...I hope the cruisecritic guy is not selling it on Ebay! He promised!

Hmmmmm, what else do I have? Oh...one fired Captain's name tag (keeping)...one Gem It Girl lips (keeping)...one cruise deposit (thinking about giving away) and the stories I never told (keeping...but... if you see a crazy old lady in her mid-eighties sitting on a park bench all day smoking cigarettes on the causeway in Dunedin Florida thirty years from now...you can hear them then)!

coka:D

I enjoyed reading your review and viewing your cruisemoon pictures. You have such a positive and bright view on life and we all could learn from how you see things. Thank you for sharing!

coka

I once saw a very plus size middle age woman rocking a bikini while sitting poolside. I remember being envious of her self confidence, her attitude, and her spirit. She was the most beautiful woman I ever saw and I prayed that I could have at least 20% of her aura. Go on that cruise and rock that swimsuit!

Coka

1. Give cash

2. Give them a break from cleaning stateroom on the day they get to go into port (if they make it that week).

3. Ask to get them anything while in port.

4. Fill out the hero cards

5. Give cash

coka

My sister sailed the Breakaway...she found the cabin, the public areas, and the public restrooms all very handicapped accessible. What she did not find accessible were the hallways to get to her cabin. They are very narrow and a wheelchair can not fit by when the room stewards had their carts out...which you know is often! I think you should be okay if your cabin is near an elevator...and when I just checked...I did see some nearby...but not too many directly across. I think the builders were trying to accommodate by putting HC cabins in the front, in the back, and in different categories...but they did not account for the combined chair/cart space. Even though I was present to help her...I sometimes had a hard time moving the big carts so she could get by. She loves NCL and she had a great time, but she said she would not sail that ship again. I did forewarn her having sailed the BA myself, but I guess she had to see it to believe it!

coka