Lots O' Questions From a First Timer

[gpa385]

Hello all! I’m a noob to cruising, but have always wanted to try it. Looking to book the NCL Gem for the week of 2/19/12, and had a few questions before I make the rez. Found this forum and have read plenty of the posts, really good stuff. Hope you guys can help, thanks in advance!

 

1. Room Size: Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 tweens), so need a single room large enough to hold all of us. Would the “Balcony” have a pull out couch, or do I need the “Mini Suite” (or something larger)? And does the extra ~50 sq feet in the Mini Suite mean that much?

 

2. Who To Book With: Which place gets me the best price? NCL itself or a travel agent, and if an agent, suggestions on which one? I’m happy to pay a reasonable price, but traveling during President’s Week means I’m already paying a sizable premium. If we're not allowed to suggest agents on this board, then get say NCL or agent, and I'll go from there.

 

3. Port/Starboard Side: Does it make a difference which side we’d reserve the room? Is there a side the ships consistently dock (assuming starboard)? I’m guessing we’d prefer to be facing the water not the dock, right?

 

4. Room Location: Assume there are parts of the ship we’d rather want to book the room, certain deck levels, away from the stairs (but not too far away)? And vice versa, parts of the ship to avoid? If so, what are they?

 

5. Port Trips: Does it make sense to head into Disney if we have a total of 10 hours (really prob more like 6-8 hours with traffic back and forth) in port? And I’ve heard the Stirrup Cay is still under construction - is it worth going anyway? Looking forward to the Bahamas – been before. Do we reserve these excursions ahead of time?

 

6. Early Boarding: We live near NYC (where Gem's departing from), so we’d like to get on board as early as possible. Does it make sense to show up early? What’s the procedure for getting all those thousands of people on board?

 

7. Specialty Restaurants/Shows Reservations: How do we make reservations at the specialty restaurants? Do we do it ahead of time, or do we need to be on the ship? Same question for the various shows.

 

8. Tweens: Is there enough to do for tweens? Have a 12 and 10 year olds (boy/girl), and they're happy enough to spend the week in the pool, but wondered if the NCL programs are good enough.

Thanks!

[bus man]

I'm afraid I won't be much help on most of your questions, as I've never been on NCL and I don't have tweens. But I'm going to take a stab at No. 3. There is no uniform side on which the ships always dock. It varies from port to port, and even from day to day at the same port. So from that aspect, it won't matter which side your room is on.

 

In any case, I personally find that the side facing the dock is the better side to be on. You can see the sea when you're at sea, but when you're docked, I find it interesting to be able to look out over the island from your balcony. Also, it puts you in position to enjoy one of the famous cruising pastimes: "the running of the drunks." This is when the latecomers run or stagger up to the ship at the last minute, as it is about to depart. It can be loads of fun to watch -- though not as much fun to participate in, should you lose the race and the ship leaves without you.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the world of cruising. You're sure to have a blast!

[CruiserBruce]

Busman's response is why is it best to ask this on the NCL board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

 

That way your target audience has the info. This is a general question board.

 

I also agree with Busman's response about docking. We just did a 14 day cruise with 8 dockings. Even split- 4 on each side. There is no predicting, and there is no "best" side.

[gpa385]

Bus - Thanks for the tip re: sides. As for the "running of the drunks," I'd amend that to read "drunks + families with children." We're bound to be one of the last one's on...

 

Bruce - Sorry, didn't think of that. Saw "Ask A Question" and fell down that rabbit hole. Will go to the NCL board with this.

 

Thanks!

[Kamloops50]

Hello all! I’m a noob to cruising, but have always wanted to try it. Looking to book the NCL Gem for the week of 2/19/12, and had a few questions before I make the rez. Found this forum and have read plenty of the posts, really good stuff. Hope you guys can help, thanks in advance!

 

1. Room Size: Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 tweens), so need a single room large enough to hold all of us. Would the “Balcony” have a pull out couch, or do I need the “Mini Suite” (or something larger)? And does the extra ~50 sq feet in the Mini Suite mean that much? I would suggest two rooms . Inside for the Tweens and a balcony right across the hall for you

 

2. Who To Book With: Which place gets me the best price? NCL itself or a travel agent, and if an agent, suggestions on which one? I’m happy to pay a reasonable price, but traveling during President’s Week means I’m already paying a sizable premium. If we're not allowed to suggest agents on this board, then get say NCL or agent, and I'll go from there.Agent . They represent you not the cruise line.

 

3. Port/Starboard Side: Does it make a difference which side we’d reserve the room? Is there a side the ships consistently dock (assuming starboard)? I’m guessing we’d prefer to be facing the water not the dock, right? Doesn't matter . The side that is towards the dock vary . Sometimes the maint staff need a certain side for work.

 

4. Room Location: Assume there are parts of the ship we’d rather want to book the room, certain deck levels, away from the stairs (but not too far away)? And vice versa, parts of the ship to avoid? If so, what are they?Mid ship if you can

 

5. Port Trips: Does it make sense to head into Disney if we have a total of 10 hours (really prob more like 6-8 hours with traffic back and forth) in port? And I’ve heard the Stirrup Cay is still under construction - is it worth going anyway? Looking forward to the Bahamas – been before. Do we reserve these excursions ahead of time? yes

 

6. Early Boarding: We live near NYC (where Gem's departing from), so we’d like to get on board as early as possible. Does it make sense to show up early? What’s the procedure for getting all those thousands of people on board? Yes

 

7. Specialty Restaurants/Shows Reservations: How do we make reservations at the specialty restaurants? Do we do it ahead of time, or do we need to be on the ship? Same question for the various shows.

Pre book excursion , specialty restaurants

 

8. Tweens: Is there enough to do for tweens? Have a 12 and 10 year olds (boy/girl), and they're happy enough to spend the week in the pool, but wondered if the NCL programs are good enough. Probably

Thanks!

 

Those are my answers .

[gpa385]

Dozer - Fantastic! Thanks for the help.

 

The booking via NCL v. Agent thing is throwing me a little since the Agent's prices aren't much better than NCL's. And I don't know any outside of the one's I pull of the interweb's...Could be that I just haven't found the right agent yet.

[6rugrats]

Most cruise lines do not allow TAs to discount. You probably won't find much of a better price booking through a TA, but they can offer you OBC, etc.

[Kamloops50]

Dozer - Fantastic! Thanks for the help.

 

The booking via NCL v. Agent thing is throwing me a little since the Agent's prices aren't much better than NCL's. And I don't know any outside of the one's I pull of the interweb's...Could be that I just haven't found the right agent yet.

 

NCL's agents work for NCL. If you have a problem they can only help within the limits of what NCL will let them do. TA's on the other hand are your rep with the cruise line. If problems or kssues occur they wll be in your corner and do all they can what is best for yoy.

[gpa385]

Thanks Dozer and Rugrats. Will look into Agents.

[bbwex]

Hello all! I’m a noob to cruising, but have always wanted to try it. Looking to book the NCL Gem for the week of 2/19/12, and had a few questions before I make the rez. Found this forum and have read plenty of the posts, really good stuff. Hope you guys can help, thanks in advance!

 

1. Room Size: Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 tweens), so need a single room large enough to hold all of us. Would the “Balcony” have a pull out couch, or do I need the “Mini Suite” (or something larger)? And does the extra ~50 sq feet in the Mini Suite mean that much?

 

2. Who To Book With: Which place gets me the best price? NCL itself or a travel agent, and if an agent, suggestions on which one? I’m happy to pay a reasonable price, but traveling during President’s Week means I’m already paying a sizable premium. If we're not allowed to suggest agents on this board, then get say NCL or agent, and I'll go from there.

 

3. Port/Starboard Side: Does it make a difference which side we’d reserve the room? Is there a side the ships consistently dock (assuming starboard)? I’m guessing we’d prefer to be facing the water not the dock, right?

 

4. Room Location: Assume there are parts of the ship we’d rather want to book the room, certain deck levels, away from the stairs (but not too far away)? And vice versa, parts of the ship to avoid? If so, what are they?

 

5. Port Trips: Does it make sense to head into Disney if we have a total of 10 hours (really prob more like 6-8 hours with traffic back and forth) in port? And I’ve heard the Stirrup Cay is still under construction - is it worth going anyway? Looking forward to the Bahamas – been before. Do we reserve these excursions ahead of time?

 

6. Early Boarding: We live near NYC (where Gem's departing from), so we’d like to get on board as early as possible. Does it make sense to show up early? What’s the procedure for getting all those thousands of people on board?

 

7. Specialty Restaurants/Shows Reservations: How do we make reservations at the specialty restaurants? Do we do it ahead of time, or do we need to be on the ship? Same question for the various shows.

 

8. Tweens: Is there enough to do for tweens? Have a 12 and 10 year olds (boy/girl), and they're happy enough to spend the week in the pool, but wondered if the NCL programs are good enough.

Thanks!

 

1. I would suggest a mini-suite or more as that will give you a lot more space both for sleeping and not getting in each other's way. As for a pull-out on the balcony, the answer is "no." There are no sleeping provisions on the balcony, just a couple of chairs, and in a regular cabin the balcony is going to be small.

 

2. Booking through an experienced TA will likely get you more specific advice and direction than talking with a random agent from NCL on the phone.

 

3. As already stated, there is no way to know which side will be to the dock in any given port, docks change, others things change, and it varies.

 

4. A cabin half-way between the bow and stern (amidships) will lessen motion if the ship is pitching (bow and stern going up and down), but won't make any difference if the ship is rolling (going from side-to-side). I would look to see what is above and below your cabin. If you have a cabin below a pool area or perhaps a dining area, there might be chairs and/or tables moving around at early hours. It is best to have cabins above and below to ensure quiet.

 

5. Disney is your call. Tickets for four will be expensive and your time will be limited. Cannot help you as to Stirrup Cay. As for excursions, you can book them through the ship, or (particularly for four) you can book private excursions for likely a little less, and can then personalize them a bit to satisfy the kids a bit more.

 

6. You can only get on as early as they start boarding -- often slightly earlier than advertised. But you will likely not be able to access your cabin until after 1:30 or later. Bear in mind that the ship comes in that morning, they have to get everyone off, then clean the ship from stem to stern. They only start boarding when they have had time to thoroughly clean all the common areas.

 

7. & 8. You will need to get this information from someone more familiar with NCL.

[gpa385]

Great stuff bbwex. Thanks!

[jdvmd]

Please try posting this on the NCL board as you will get a lot of helpful information from fellow Cruise Critic members.

 

Have you thought about moving up to a suite? There are two-bedroom/two bathroom suites that are fabulous.

Not sure about the Gem but NCL does have connecting cabins, meaning the cabins would have an inner door that would connect the two rooms.

 

We have sailed with four many times....From insides to suites. All are doable.

[johneeo]

 

1. Room Size: Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 tweens), so need a single room large enough to hold all of us. Thanks!

 

Get 2 rooms. Check for connecting insides, or as suggested, one balcony and one inside across the hall.

[Cruisin' Chick]

If you're looking for a travel agent, unless a friend has a recommendation, look in your yellow pages under "travel agent." Look for one that uses the phrase "cruise specialist" in their ad or heading. Go into the travel agency and have a sit down meeting. That won't cost you anything, but you'll be starting a relationship that will hopefully last through several cruises. The specialist will help you with any questions as he or she has actually been on cruises (as opposed to someone answering the phone at an online company).

 

If you book two cabins, make sure your bookings are listed as "no upgrade" so that your kids or you aren't moved to another location on the ship.

[trish1c]

1. Room Size: Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 tweens), so need a single room large enough to hold all of us. Would the “Balcony” have a pull out couch, or do I need the “Mini Suite” (or something larger)? And does the extra ~50 sq feet in the Mini Suite mean that much?

Cabins are small. 4 in 1 room will be very, very tight. Mom & Dad will have no privacy. I'd do a price comparison. If you can afford a balcony with an IV across the hall for kiddies, do that. I'd get 2 insides before I crammed 4 people in 1 cabin.

 

2. Who To Book With: Which place gets me the best price? NCL itself or a travel agent, and if an agent, suggestions on which one? I’m happy to pay a reasonable price, but traveling during President’s Week means I’m already paying a sizable premium. If we're not allowed to suggest agents on this board, then get say NCL or agent, and I'll go from there.

I would rather book through a TA. In the unlikely event there is a problem you will have a professional advocate on your side rather than you vs. the cruise line all alone.

 

3. Port/Starboard Side: Does it make a difference which side we’d reserve the room? Is there a side the ships consistently dock (assuming starboard)? I’m guessing we’d prefer to be facing the water not the dock, right?

Doesn't matter.

4. Room Location: Assume there are parts of the ship we’d rather want to book the room, certain deck levels, away from the stairs (but not too far away)? And vice versa, parts of the ship to avoid? If so, what are they?

Midship, mid-deck has the least motion. Other than that it doesn't mater all that much. Right next to an elevator can be noisy both mechanically & from people getting on/off.

 

5. Port Trips: Does it make sense to head into Disney if we have a total of 10 hours (really prob more like 6-8 hours with traffic back and forth) in port? And I’ve heard the Stirrup Cay is still under construction - is it worth going anyway? Looking forward to the Bahamas – been before. Do we reserve these excursions ahead of time?

You will spend a tremendous amount of time on a bus & not a lot of time in a park that is a destination unto itself. The private island is a nice beach day; go. You can reserve excursions ahead of time. popular ones tend to sell out. Once on board you don't want to be wasting your vacation standing at the tour desk. Also check out your Roll Call thread to see what others are doing. You might be able to join a private excursion for a better price.

 

6. Early Boarding: We live near NYC (where Gem's departing from), so we’d like to get on board as early as possible. Does it make sense to show up early? What’s the procedure for getting all those thousands of people on board?

Boarding is a zoo. Everyone wants to be the 1st on board. There is no avoiding the lines. We actually show up around 1 after everybody who has to be 1st is aboard. You must be on board by 2:30 I think. Check out the East Coast departures board & the NCL board for more details.

 

7. Specialty Restaurants/Shows Reservations: How do we make reservations at the specialty restaurants? Do we do it ahead of time, or do we need to be on the ship? Same question for the various shows

You don't need reservations for the shows. Except for certain suites, it's open seating, 1st come 1st serve. On board you can make dinner reservations the day of by going to the reservations desk or calling from your cabin. If you have a suite you can make reservations in advance. There are electronic boards by all the stairwells telling you how crowded every restaurant is at any given time. Except for Teppenyaki, we never had a problem getting a reservation anywhere. Fair warning since you live in NYC, the food is good but it's not world class like the City; the Italian food is more like Olive Garden then real Italian. Cagney's can't hold a candle to any of the real steak houses in NYC.

8. Tweens: Is there enough to do for tweens? Have a 12 and 10 year olds (boy/girl), and they're happy enough to spend the week in the pool, but wondered if the NCL programs are good enough.

I don't have kids but most kids I saw on board liked the kids' programs. There are sports decks, the Atrium, bowling, a water slide etc. for kids. They will have enough to do.

[gpa385]

Trish, et al - Thanks for the voluminous responses! As you can see from my signature (hope the HTML coding worked, haven't seen it yet), I've booked my first cruise. I'm pumped. I'm sure I (or my fam) will have more q's in the weeks leading up to it - I know where to go when I do.

 

Thanks!