A Few Questions

[new salt]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:(

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided?

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites?

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

[sdmike]

Which ship? I can answer for the Epic but might be different on others.

[terrymtex01]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:( Only in suites unless you request it from your room steward. We always carry bar soap with us and then just throw it away, rather than pack it to bring it back home.

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided? In suites, yes. I am honestly not for sure about other staterooms. In suites you will have the little "hotel" sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I believe in all other staterooms you will have a combo type product mounted on the wall of the shower.

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites? Not for sure on this one.

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged. I believe you can on the Epic. All other NCL ships you have to wait and book once you are onboard. Suite passangers and maybe a few other stateroom catagories may book for the entire week once they are onboard and all others may book 48 hours in advance.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

 

OP.. As SD posted, answers may vary slightly by ship.. 8-) Welcome to NCL.

[new salt]

Ah yes, my apologies, it is the Jade out of Barcelona, I just assumed that it would a standard thing fleet wide.

[Carnac767]

We had an aft mini on Jade a couple of years ago out of Barcelona. Back then the soap and shampoo were mounted on wall dispensers. The shampoo was the combined shampoo/conditioner type. Only the suites had bar soap and individual soap and shampoo bottles.

[fridaythe13th]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:(

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided?

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites?

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

 

We get robes but I'm not sure if it's because we are past passengers. If you don't have them you can ask your steward if he/she can get you a couple. I have read that they can usually do that for you. :D

[roger001]

In balcony rooms on the 4 NCL ships I've been on, Sun was last one 3 months ago, we had robes, liquid soap in wall dispensers, don't remember about conditioner, could reserve speciality restaurants on day of dining. However, I've never had a delay getting into a speciality restaurant even without reservation, except the Japanese slice and dice place.

[camz]

Balcony rooms and suites usually have the robes included. Bar soap is available but you have to ask your room steward. Shampoo is in the dispenser with shower gel. No conditioner. Also, there is usually a small bottle of moisturizer. Note, on the Gem if you wanted ice, you had to request it from the room steward. However, recently on the Dawn, new ice was always available. I think, not only does it depend on the ship, it sometimes depends on the room stewards. If something is missing you need, always ask. One thing to keep in mind, always keep an eye on your beach towels and robes, if applicable. If they are picked up with the dirty towels and not restocked, a fee can find its way on your onboard account. Just a friendly warning! Have a great cruise! :)

[new salt]

Many thanks for all that, folks! I think we'll pack all the appropriate cleansing juices and a bar or two of soap. Weight isn't a problem since we are travelling by train but there is no point in hauling stuff around if it is provided.

[beau4]

I find the shampoo fine in the dispenser - it has a very nice aroma - along with the shower gel. But, if your hair is anything like mine, bring your own conditioner. What they have will not detangle your hair.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Dayenu]

We were on Jewel, and I don't remember not having a bar of soap - I would certainly remember that! No, we never had a problem washing our hands. I think it was one bar that lasted all trip... or maybe we asked to replace it? And we were not in a suite, we had a window cabin.

[AClady]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:(

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided?

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites?

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

 

If you go to NCL.com and click on Get Ready for Your Cruise. You can go to Bon Voyage Gifts and you will see a variety of ways that you can pre-order special packages such as an anniversary package. If I remember correctly, this has to be ordered 2 weeks before sailing. On my last cruise I ordered a birthday package for my son-in-law's birthday. It was set up and ready when we boarded the cruise and he was pleasantly surprised. Bon Voyage and have a great cruise and anniversary!!!

[sdmike]

I find the shampoo fine in the dispenser - it has a very nice aroma - along with the shower gel. But, if your hair is anything like mine, bring your own conditioner. What they have will not detangle your hair.

 

 

Not to mention expensive. If you buy it in the sundries store it's not very good (but expensive), and if you buy good stuff in the Spa it's insanely expensive. Well....for a guy that uses shampoo/conditioner in one bottle. :)

 

I didn't even think to request bar soap as someone suggested. Duh me. I guess step one with ANY issue on a ship is to ask. I assumed it wasn't available, and I hate liquid soap (love the fact it wastes less soap, hate using it)

[OceanDreaming2]

I've never had problem requesting bar soap or hair conditioner. Just ask the room steward (or butler if you have a suite).

 

It's the one time I can indulge in (complimentary) Elemis products.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. as others have said, no matter what kind of stateroom you or anyone else is in, always ask your room stewards for something you may want that isnt in the room. It doesn't hurt to ask and even in the least expensive inside stateroom, the room stewards will get it for you if they can. 8-)

 

Balcony rooms and suites usually have the robes included. Bar soap is available but you have to ask your room steward. Shampoo is in the dispenser with shower gel. No conditioner. Also, there is usually a small bottle of moisturizer. Note, on the Gem if you wanted ice, you had to request it from the room steward. However, recently on the Dawn, new ice was always available. I think, not only does it depend on the ship, it sometimes depends on the room stewards. If something is missing you need, always ask. One thing to keep in mind, always keep an eye on your beach towels and robes, if applicable. If they are picked up with the dirty towels and not restocked, a fee can find its way on your onboard account. Just a friendly warning! Have a great cruise! :)

 

I know this may sound strange, but I wonder if you had to ask for the ice on the Jade because it was a European cruise? I know Europeans do not use ice like we do here in the US. In all the NCL cruises we have been on we always had ice brought to our stateroom, usually twice a day.

 

One of the funniest things I have ever experienced was when I was in Germany. We stayed in a hotel that had a family owned Italian restaurant on the first floor. It was DELICIOUS food so we ate there several times during the three weeks we were there. When I would order a diet coke, they would put one lonely ice cube in the glass. Now being an American.. or maybe it is being a Texan, I am used to a glass PACKED full of ice. LOL. So finally, after a time or two I asked if I may have extra ice. They brought me a glass with two ice cubes.. Finally I asked if I may have a full glass of ice.. and I swear to you.. the server brought me an icetray full of ice.. LOL. We died laughing.

[newmexicoNita]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:(

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided?

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites?

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

 

1-mounted but this isn't always bad;

2-yes to the shampoo, also mounted

3-yes

4-you can book your specialty dinners when you board the ship, not before and then only 24 hours in advance. If you have a conciegre (spelling) he/she can do this for you.

 

Remember each ship is a little different, but whatever you want, as a rule, your steward can get for you.

 

Nita

[William Dean]

One of the funniest things I have ever experienced was when I was in Germany. We stayed in a hotel that had a family owned Italian restaurant on the first floor. It was DELICIOUS food so we ate there several times during the three weeks we were there. When I would order a diet coke, they would put one lonely ice cube in the glass. Now being an American.. or maybe it is being a Texan, I am used to a glass PACKED full of ice. LOL. So finally, after a time or two I asked if I may have extra ice. They brought me a glass with two ice cubes.. Finally I asked if I may have a full glass of ice.. and I swear to you.. the server brought me an icetray full of ice.. LOL. We died laughing.

 

From a Euopean perspective, a glass full of ice (as you suggest is appropriate) is a way of giving you less coke!!!

 

If properly chilled, ice makes little practical difference. I always, for example, request "no ice" at a fast food place simply to ensure that I get a fair measure of drink!

 

Also too much ice (from my perspective) will dilute the drink!

 

WD

[fergusonvt]

We will embark shortly on our first NCL cruise and I have one or two trivial questions that old hands may be able to answer; we are in a mini suite:

 

1. Is bar style soap provided or is it mounted containers a la mode motel:(

2 Is shampoo and conditioner provided?

3. Are bathrobes provided in mini suites?

4. Is it possible to pre-book speciality restaurants? We sail on our 40th anniversary so obviously I would like to do something a little special and have it all arranged.

 

 

Thanks in Advance

 

New Salt

 

On the Sun in January in our mini-suite we:

1. had no bar soap - mounted container of hand soap in the bathroom sink area.

2. Shampoo is provided in the shower/tub but no conditioner - mounted container of soap and shampoo in shower/tub.

3. Yes, there were 3 of us and we had 3 robes

4. No prebooking on our cruise. We didn't have problems making a reservation as soon as we boarded though.