Getaway first night Illusionarium - book on board only?

[tvelinsk]

I am sailing on the Getaway June 7th, and am making my restaurant reservations for the week to utilize my UDP. I see that I can attend the Illusionarium the first night as part of the UDP, but this show does not show up on MyNCL for our first night. Can this only be booked once we board?

 

Thanks in advance!

[sixesandeights]

I am sailing on the Getaway June 7th, and am making my restaurant reservations for the week to utilize my UDP. I see that I can attend the Illusionarium the first night as part of the UDP, but this show does not show up on MyNCL for our first night. Can this only be booked once we board?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

If I had to guess it does not show because the online reservations have already filled for that booking. Reservations for the shows starts 45 days out from the cruise. With the show being free the first night they book VERY fast online. If you want to ensure you have a seat in advance you need to book exactly 45 days out. That said....they only offer a portion of the available seats for advanced reservations. If you have the UDP and want to see the show for free I would recommend you go directly there and make the reservation as soon as you board the ship, as they will book up quickly.

 

Good luck.

 

6&8

[Cruise Leprechaun]

Can I ask a follow up (or two) on this same topic? We have booked the first night Illusionarium online already, paid extra for the premium seats.

 

1) If our seats are so called "premium" do we still need to show up 30-45 minutes early like so many reviews say they do? I realize its first-come first serve seating but if you paid the upcharge is the worst of the premium still ok? If I showed up 5 mintues before the show and paid for the premium seats wont I still be seated in premium anyway? Im not a big fan of starting my vacation waiting in a crowded line for 45 minutes.

 

and then

 

2) I read that the first night is discounted. But online you pay the same price no matter what night. Is there something you need to do onboard to get the discounted price refunded back to you? Or is it automatic onto your onboard account?

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

How much does the dinner/show cost normally?

[LrgPizza]

Can I ask a follow up (or two) on this same topic? We have booked the first night Illusionarium online already, paid extra for the premium seats.

 

1) If our seats are so called "premium" do we still need to show up 30-45 minutes early like so many reviews say they do? I realize its first-come first serve seating but if you paid the upcharge is the worst of the premium still ok? If I showed up 5 mintues before the show and paid for the premium seats wont I still be seated in premium anyway? Im not a big fan of starting my vacation waiting in a crowded line for 45 minutes.

 

and then

 

2) I read that the first night is discounted. But online you pay the same price no matter what night. Is there something you need to do onboard to get the discounted price refunded back to you? Or is it automatic onto your onboard account?

 

I have premium seating reserved. I plan to show up about 10 minutes before show time. Sure, I won't get the best seats in the house, but I know I won't get the worst, and I won't have wasted 45 minutes of my first cruise day standing in a line. I'll leave that for the Haven guests that have to be escorted there (because they'd get lost on their own? I don't get it).

 

How much does the dinner/show cost normally?

$24 for regular seating, which includes private semi-circle booths. $29 for premium seating, (which was referred to in a review this week as picnic table seating or something) which is closer to the stage.

[Accessbowtie]

I am sailing on the Getaway June 7th, and am making my restaurant reservations for the week to utilize my UDP. I see that I can attend the Illusionarium the first night as part of the UDP, but this show does not show up on MyNCL for our first night. Can this only be booked once we board?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

If it's not showing up on the MyNCL site it is because there mostly likely are no longer any seats available for either time. I sail a week later than you and the only time available for me was 5:30 pm even though I would have preferred the 8:45 pm showing (I think that was the other time). I reserved my times through my PCC over a week ago. The free Illusionarium shows fills up quickly!

[Jenjer]

If you have the UDP you can book the premium seats and not pay extra. at least I was able too. We paid for the kids but all the adults with the UDP were free

 

When you board I would look into it first thing and see if there are any openings. Ask if you can be waitlisted for it. Since its free some people may miss or skip their reservation.

[rvsullivan]

I have premium seating reserved. I plan to show up about 10 minutes before show time. Sure, I won't get the best seats in the house, but I know I won't get the worst, and I won't have wasted 45 minutes of my first cruise day standing in a line. I'll leave that for the Haven guests that have to be escorted there (because they'd get lost on their own? I don't get it).

 

 

$24 for regular seating, which includes private semi-circle booths. $29 for premium seating, (which was referred to in a review this week as picnic table seating or something) which is closer to the stage.

 

 

Haven guests get escorted not so they don't get lost, it's so they can go in first without standing in line and get first choice of whichever type of seating they paid for. Either regular or premium. After they are all seated, then general seating is allowed. It's a small perk, similar to going to the chocolate buffet early for picture taking and reserved seating at the shows.

[LrgPizza]

Haven guests get escorted not so they don't get lost, it's so they can go in first without standing in line and get first choice of whichever type of seating they paid for. Either regular or premium. After they are all seated, then general seating is allowed. It's a small perk, similar to going to the chocolate buffet early for picture taking and reserved seating at the shows.

 

I see. I saw where someone posted earlier that they had to meet really early and be escorted early in order to be seated, and then sit in there and wait. Personally, I'd rather sit a little bit further back in exchange for doing other things during that time. I'm not big on sitting around and waiting. That's not something I'd consider a perk, but that's just my personal preference.

[MizDaisy]

A picture of the seating

 

[MizDaisy]

So, when you buy the UDP, and it says that the Illusionarium (first night) is included, then that's really no big deal. What a rip off.

[LrgPizza]

So, when you buy the UDP, and it says that the Illusionarium (first night) is included, then that's really no big deal. What a rip off.

What do you mean?

[MizDaisy]

What do you mean?

 

Since the Illusionarium is free on the first night of the cruise, then it's not a "perk" NCL should advertise when selling the UDP. On the site for the UDP, it says that it includes the Illusionarium (on the first night of the cruise).....but since booking it that night would be free, then you really aren't getting anything other than pre-paying for the upsell restaurants.

 

It just seemed funny to me that they'd include that, on the first night of the cruise only. If it's going to be included in the UDP, then it should be for any night.

 

Or do they only do the show one night???

[Accessbowtie]

Since the Illusionarium is free on the first night of the cruise, then it's not a "perk" NCL should advertise when selling the UDP. On the site for the UDP, it says that it includes the Illusionarium (on the first night of the cruise).....but since booking it that night would be free, then you really aren't getting anything other than pre-paying for the upsell restaurants.

 

It just seemed funny to me that they'd include that, on the first night of the cruise only. If it's going to be included in the UDP, then it should be for any night.

 

Or do they only do the show one night???

 

 

The show is two times a night, every night.

 

The Illusionarium isn't free the first night for everyone, only the people who purchased the UDP. So the benefit is if you have the UDP and you book The Illusionarium the first night it saves you at least $25 per person. I'm sure they ended up making it free because not many people in general were going to the show on the first night. So to fill seats and get people "talking" about the show to other passengers they gave it to the UDP people for free.

 

I have my show scheduled for 5:30 pm on our first night, June 14th. Do I really want to go see that show 1 hour after sailing away from land? No, not really. But, the 8:30 show was already booked and it still saves me $50 total by going at 5:30 pm the first day as opposed to going any other day.

 

It is what it is and I know my wife and I will still enjoy the show. After it's done we explore the ship, eat at a specialty restaurant, hit the casino, do a water slide, hang out on our balcony and (potentially) watch the sunset. The sky is the limit.

[MizDaisy]

The show is two times a night, every night.

 

The Illusionarium isn't free the first night for everyone, only the people who purchased the UDP. So the benefit is if you have the UDP and you book The Illusionarium the first night it saves you at least $25 per person. I'm sure they ended up making it free because not many people in general were going to the show on the first night. So to fill seats and get people "talking" about the show to other passengers they gave it to the UDP people for free.

 

I have my show scheduled for 5:30 pm on our first night, June 14th. Do I really want to go see that show 1 hour after sailing away from land? No, not really. But, the 8:30 show was already booked and it still saves me $50 total by going at 5:30 pm the first day as opposed to going any other day.

 

It is what it is and I know my wife and I will still enjoy the show. After it's done we explore the ship, eat at a specialty restaurant, hit the casino, do a water slide, hang out on our balcony and (potentially) watch the sunset. The sky is the limit.

 

Ahhh...sorry....and thank you. I misread the posts above.

 

Guess I'll have to make sure and mark my calendar to reserve. I agree with you, I don't want to go at 5:30 either!!

 

Can you reserve online?

[MizDaisy]

If I had to guess it does not show because the online reservations have already filled for that booking. Reservations for the shows starts 45 days out from the cruise. With the show being free the first night they book VERY fast online. If you want to ensure you have a seat in advance you need to book exactly 45 days out. That said....they only offer a portion of the available seats for advanced reservations. If you have the UDP and want to see the show for free I would recommend you go directly there and make the reservation as soon as you board the ship, as they will book up quickly.

 

Good luck.

 

6&8

 

This was what made me think the show was free on the first night. But I see that yes, I can book online.

[LrgPizza]

This was what made me think the show was free on the first night. But I see that yes, I can book online.

 

 

Okay, when I asked what you meant, I thought you were confused by something, I just wasn't sure what. Ha! We had planned to do 1st night, 5:30 Illusionarium anyway, and we have UDP. So when they made the change to be free with UDP on 1st night it was a nice perk since we were going then anyway! We are doing the earlier show so that my son doesn't miss opening night in the kids club. It's kind of a big deal to be there.

 

We did book online and only had to pay the $29 for our son.

Edited May 15, 2014 by LrgPizza

[Accessbowtie]

This was what made me think the show was free on the first night. But I see that yes, I can book online.

 

 

Make sure you book the moment you have the chance to do so. I waited three days after the 45 day mark and booked everything with my PCC. In that short of time, the 8:45 show (or whatever time the later show is) was already booked and again, only 5:30 pm was available. It's not how I wanted to start the cruise but I'm taking it in stride. This is my first real vacation in a long time and I am just going to take everything as it comes.

 

Even though I have all restaurant reservations set, I'm confident that none of them should be overly full. So if we aren't ready to eat or feel like eating in a different restaurant that night, we'll cancel the reservation and go at the time or place we choose.