woodburykt

No need to worry about Viking and quality, they are one in the same as far as we're concerned,

We're booked for our third Viking River cruise for next May 2019 and can't wait. The ships are beautiful, the crew are wonderful, and we've met many fun, friendly folks from all over. The tours are very good and we definitely felt the optional excursions were well worth the minimal costs. The food was excellent and the cabins seemed just right for space, comfort, and viewing the scenery as you glide down/up the river.

We're also booked for our first two Viking Ocean cruises and are very excited to see how they measure up to the mass market ships that we've been on.

Enjoy!!

If it is most important to share the same optional tours, then you could also wait till the opening date for your friends and then all book any optional tour available at the same time. Just another thought.

You know I just thought that AFTER I clicked the submit button to post this thread. LOL!!

Thank you!!:)

I'm sure I'm not the first one to ask about this, so if there is another thread about it, please let me know..

We've booked the British Isles cruise with friends and they are in a Veranda cabin while we're in a Suite. We get to book optional shore excursions before they can.

How fast do some of these sell out? I really am worried that we get to book something first and then when it's their turn, the excursion is sold out. We'd like to be able to stay together.

We've just booked our first Viking Ocean cruise for this itinerary for February of 2020, so I'm so excited to continue reading all of your experiences.

We're also booked for our third Viking River cruise for May of 2019 and we really like the Viking business model. If their Ocean voyages are half as nice as their River voyages, then our trip to the Caribbean will be fantastic.

As you can see from my signature detail, we've been sailing mostly on NCL with their wonderful Haven experience, but I want to try something different and I'm hoping that Viking will not only be different but a better over all experience.:cool::cool:

We're on this voyage too........

Last October, we were on Breakaway when Hurricane Matthew was off of the Carolinas and Hurricane Nicole was headed directly for Bermuda.

We were one of four ships that stayed the night in NY and then since we couldn't go to Bermuda, we went to Port Canaveral and Nassau.

It sucked........big time. It was cloudy rainy every day.

Yea, yea, I know, I'm sure others will post that we knew what we were getting into for booking during Hurricane season and that is what we get. Yea, yea, I know, at least we were safe and on vacation and I don't have the right to have a momentary negative opinion.

Well I did then and I do now.

I have very little doubt that we will sail to Bermuda and if I had my way, I'd use our insurance and cancel. But I'm the worry wort in the group being told that everything will be fine and stop worrying and to just shut up and that we're going no matter what.

We're Doomed.

There, I feel better now that I've vented.

Thanks bean24!!!

We're about to sail for the 2nd time on the Breakaway and we're wondering if they still have DVD players in the cabins? We'll be on the Gem again for our annual February Caribbean voyage.

We have always sailed in The Haven and last February on the Gem there were no DVD players in the cabins and we were told by the Butler that NCL was updating their entertainment system options.

Anyone know?

Thanks!

We've sailed on NCL many times and always in The Haven.

To us, it's worth every penny and The Haven on The Breakaway is fab! We sail her again in October and then our old friend, the Gem in February.

The two times we were on Celebrity Summit, we had the Royal Suite, which was a beautiful cabin, but we kept saying how much we missed The Haven. It's truly a one of a kind experience that NCL provides and others just don't seem to come close. (at this to the person writing this)

I can confirm via our travel agent that indeed the AARP discount has gone away.

I'm very glad I booked our two upcoming voyages when I did, it was a nice discount and I guess all good things must come to an end.

Just some first impressions on our 8th voyage on the Gem.

We have always stayed in The Haven and we couldn't ask for anything better.

Or so we thought.

We have the dining and beverage packages.

Want a drink before sail away? You have to pay .84 cents tax for being in port.

Drink prices have gone up: $12.10 for a gin & tonic, $12.25 for a glass of wine.

Wow. Happy they added the beverage package to our booking for the Haven.

They took the DVD players out of the cabins so we can't use the disks we brought.

We've been told tonight, our first first night that if we don't figure out our dinner reservations for the entire voyage, we probably won't get into the specialty restaurants. It's February 11 and no room left in any restaurant for Valentines Day.

This has never been the case on any voyage in the past.

We just decided in the morning where we wanted dinner, called the concierge, and bingo, we had a reservation.

Not now.

We've been told by our concierge, Francesco, that over 500 dining packages have been sold and the restaurants are almost fully booked.

***?

There seems to be a big difference on this ship since we last sailed last February.....and it's not the nice new carpeting or furniture. We're getting the strong impression that cuts in staffing and increased prices are the new normal.

What is happening with NCL?

More later.

We'll be sailing the Gem for the 8th time on Feb 11.

Last Feb on the Gem we had the same exact weather/sea experience. Rough rocking seas all the way down, rain on the islands every day, and rockin and rollin all the way back to NY.

Thank goodness for Dramamine. : )

Looking forward to seeing some changes from dry dock and here's hoping that the weather pattern will be calmer and nicer in a few weeks.

Welcome home!

We'll be sailing on the Gem for the 8th time next month.

We sailed on the Breakaway in October.

All 9 voyages with NCL have been in The Haven.

There is nothing comparable.

In my opinion, there is nothing better.

We sailed on Celebrity Summit twice and although the Royal Suite we had was great, we kept saying to ourselves how much we missed The Haven experience.

We sailed on Holland America 3 times a long while ago booked with the Deluxe Veranda Suites (Neptune Suites now) and I can tell you as nice as they were, it was nothing like being in The Haven.

Yes, The Haven is pricey, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.

Why?

Well, you have your own private oasis with The Haven Court Yard.

You have your own private sun deck where you don't have to battle to get a lounge chair. You have Cagney's as your own private restaurant for breakfast and lunch. On the Breakaway, you have your own restaurant and lounge.

The H4 cabin with the small 2nd BR, (which we've always booked) has a nice living room area and has a fantastic master bathroom with windows that is second to none. This feature itself has us sold on NCL and The Haven. Yea I know, a bathroom? You spend all that money for a nice bathroom? Don't mock it until you try it.

The service by The Haven crew has been wonderful.

We've already booked another Haven cabin for the Breakaway for Oct 2016 and while we were on the BA in Oct 2015, I used the "Cruise Next" option and put a lowered price deposit for The Haven on the Gem for Feb 2017. Can you say addicted?

All I can say is that if your budget can afford it, I highly recommend The Haven. If you do, you'll probably be hooked just like us.

Woodburykt, I live right next to you, New Milford, CT. I was trying to get beach information in San Juan also. Going on the Gem in 6 days and 3rd time to San Juan, but never really did a beach. I'll leave a review after my cruise and let you know where we went

Cathy

Thanks, I'll be curious to see what options there are!

I did a beach break but not at a resort per say and i had a great time.

Here is the link https://puertoricocruiseexcursions.com/BeachBreakSanJuan.html

 

If you decide to go let us know how it is been about a year since i went last.

Thanks, I'll check this out!!

Hello to All,

We will be sailing on the NCL Gem for the 8th time next month and we'd like to try something different while we are in San Juan. Instead of being there for half of the day, the Gem will be in port all day.

For several years when in St. Thomas, we would take a cab over the the Marriott Frenchman's Reef and for $25, we'd get two chairs and an umbrella and spend a wonderful day on a beautiful beach.

Does anyone know of a hotel in San Juan that may do this????

Any beach information would be greatly appreciated.

Only 38 days until sail away but who's counting. : )

Any recent cruisers to Tortola have an update on the new cruise ship complex? When we were on the Gem in February, the construction was just at its start.

I've searched via Google for information of it's completion and it could be late 2015?

Just wondering if it will be done when we sail the Gem again in February 2016.

50 days to go until our first voyage on Breakaway!!!

Glad to hear you had a good cruise!

We'll be sailing on the BA for the first time in 54 days!

We've been with NCL for quite a while now, we'll be sailing the Gem for the 8th time this February.

We always stay in the Haven.\

Now we're booked for our first voyage on Breakaway and I've had friends who've sailed her telling me how awful the service by the staff in the restaurants has been. They also told me that even though we are in The Haven, if we want to use our Ultimate Dining package, we should make our dinner reservations now.....just under 100 days prior to sailing....because the specialty restaurants are filled before most folks even step on board. The opinion of my friends who have been on Breakaway seem to feel that NCL has over-sold the UDP and now the staff cannot keep up with the volume of people in the restaurants.

Should I contact the Haven Concierge before we sail and make dinner reservations before we board? By being in The Haven, do we not have any priority dining reservations like we've had on the Gem?

Just quick question for you.........

....."St Thomas took the tender to the downtown area".....

Did you tender into downtown because there were a lot of ships in port that day? I'm wondering why you did not dock at the Havensight pier. Not a biggie for us, but any info that you may have would be appreciated.

We sail on our old friend the Gem for the 7th time on 02.09.2015!!!!

Until we return to our friend, the wonderful Gem. We are looking forward to seeing some of the changes and we're sure that no matter what, we'll have a another great cruise.

We'll be sailing on the Summit for the 2nd time in just 16 days....and we can't wait.

Our fist voyage last year to Bermuda was awesome, we splurged and booked a Royal Suite and it was worth every penny.

Just saw the Summit on portbermudawebcam.com, her summer Bermuda season has begun!!

12-Feb-14 17552 Norwegian Gem, Carnival Dream, Ventura, Oasis Of The Seas, Celebrity Reflection

The above is what it is going to be in port on Thursday, February 12, 2014 when we’re in St. Maarten on the wonderful Gem.

Check out that total passenger load…..17,552. According to the schedule, this will be the single busiest day for the entire month of February.

When we were on the Westerdam in 2005 at Grand Cayman, we were one of six ships and I can still remember how ridiculously crowded it was, we were literally shoulder to shoulder in town that day.

When we were on the Zuiderdam in 2003 in St. Thomas, we were again, six ships in port and again total craziness.

And keep in mind, this was long before these big super ships were around.

I’m so glad that we decided to try The Golden Eagle Catamaran tour, I think downtown Philipsburg is gonna be a wee bit crowded, huh? I’ve seen great reviews for this excursion and we will be stopping at a beach that will have no one else around.

Anyone ever been in a crazy port day like this?? Especially with the Oasis class in port?

Only seven days until we leave and we’re so excited to get away from the cold and back to our old friend, the Gem.

We'll be on the lovely Gem for the 6th time in just 16 days, 3 hours....

but who's counting???

Me!!! I can't wait to get away from this cold for a while.

We've sailed the Gem twice.......once in Feb 09 in cabin 15500, the Deluxe Owners' Suite and once in Feb 10 in cabin 14101.......We really loved 14101, you're virtually 3 steps away from the courtyard.

Here is a link to some photos:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/576735205kCwuMQ?vhost=travel

We've booked the same cabin number on the Jewel for our Feb 2011 cruise from NYC and we can't wait!!

Thanks Betty!!

From what I've read, I think we'll be staying with the traditional seating and if one night we decide to try the AD, we'll give it a try.

I'm so excited, this will be our first sailing out of New York....no flight down to Florida this time, just a casual two hour drive to NYC...I really looking forward to embarkation and seeing the Manhattan skyline as we sail away.