Please help me choose an anniversary cruise and/or vacation

[Hammergirl]

We are celebrating 15 year next year and would like to celebrate with a 2 week trip. We were thinking of a cruise but have no idea where to start! So I am turning to you for some help and ideas.

 

A little about us:

 

-We are 41 and not really drinkers so not looking for a party atmosphere. We have kids so we are not opposed to being on a ship with kids, but one that has an adult pool would be awesome.

 

- We enjoy having things to do. This does not mean we have to be doing something every minute, but we like knowing there are things to do. A week on a beach somewhere would be torture to both us. A day on a beach is probably even a little to much.

 

- we only want to be gone a max of 4 days. We have little kids at home and do not want to be gone more than 2 weeks.

 

- we are pretty casual people. We hate getting all dressed up to eat so a cruise line that is dressy or really upscale is out of the question.

 

We thought about spending a few days at Alunai in Hawaii and then taking the 7 night cruise around the islands but it sounds like that ship does not get very good reviews at all.

 

So given all that - does anyone have any ideas of cruise lines or destinations I should be looking at?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Kristine

[cb at sea]

I think since you'll have to fly to port, on top of the cost of the cruise, 4 days isn't worth the time or money. It's recommended that you fly to port the day BEFORE your cruise, as the airlines seem to do their best to screw with your plans. The ship will NOT wait if your airline has a delay.

 

I would head to Vegas. One flight, cheap, great rooms, delicious food..and PLENTY to see/do! You never have to gamble at all, if you don't want to! Check out "Las Vegas Online" (LVOL.com) and it will show you hotel/ restaurant ratings, all about the shows, and concerts/comedy clubs/headliners, etc...

There are so many easy day trips (rental car is the way to go...) and it's really more of an "adult" destination, despite the "family" thing they were advertising years ago!

[t_car]

For a relaxed atmosphere,and not having to dress up, I would be looking at Norwegian (NCL) and cruise out of New York city or Boston to Bermuda. This is my absolute favorite island, clean, easy to get around, lots to see and do, and some of the best beaches in the world.

From Boston it's the NCL Dawn, a little older ship but excellent shape, does not seem to get great reviews, but we were on her and had a great time.

From New York city, it's the NCL Breakaway,newer bigger and people seem to love this class ship, albeit at a more premium price.

For either choice, fly in a few days early to explore Boston or NYC.

For an anniversary trip, these would be fabulous choices.

 

Check out the various boards for destination information and get lots of ideas here. But I do hope you go to Bermuda.

 

Check this out, and it has lots of links on there too.

 

http://www.portbermudawebcam.com/

Edited July 22, 2015 by t_car
add content

[cruzeluver]

I'm a bit confused. You want the cruise to be no more than four days in length? If that is the case, you are limited to a handful of options. Norwegian, Carnival and Royal operate 3 and 4 nights cruise to the Bahamas/ Western Caribbean out of Florida. These are going to be on their older, less feature-filled ships. Not to say you cannot have a nice time on them, but they are what they are. Also, the se shorter cruises tend to get the drinking, party crowd as well.

[Hammergirl]

Oh my gosh, missed a whole number on that one! I meant 14 days, not 4. I will edit that right now!

 

Anyone know how to edit the first post?

Edited July 22, 2015 by Hammergirl
added something

[Essiesmom]

Oh my gosh, missed a whole number on that one! I meant 14 days, not 4. I will edit that right now!

 

Anyone know how to edit the first post?

 

You can only edit for 15-20 min. after you post.

What time of year are you looking at? If it is summer, you might think about cruising to Alaska, taking a 10-14 day cruise. You will have a wider choice of cruise lines if you go there. In the Caribbean, it is Carnival or Royal Caribbean (or Disney) during the summer - all the others have gone to Alaska or Europe. EM

Edited July 22, 2015 by Essiesmom

[Hammergirl]

We are looking at probably mid April-May of 2016.

[worldtrekker]

I would second Alaska as a destination, though May would be the earliest and ice may limit transit. We did a 7 day round trip from Seattle and spent time in Seattle afterwards - it is one of my favorite cities for music, art, tech and food. Heaps to do there. Alaska trips are day-time intense - we kayaked, hiked, explored and were pretty tired by evening.

 

Another thought is a Mediterranean cruise as European ports are awesome and you could get a taste of what you liked in Europe.

 

I would also mention that my Mom and I did a Rick Steves tour in Europe (9 days in Italy). There were several people on their anniversary trip. We LOVED that holiday. It was guided, but with free time to explore as well. We stayed in boutique hotels, had amazing guides and tours and wonderful food. Some examples include a party night in Rome, day trip to Sienna, learning to make pesto in Cinque Terre, a guided tour of the colloseum and the vatican in Rome and David in Florence. Our guide also helped us make reservations to go to other museums we were keen to see. I look forward to going on one of these trips with my husband for an anniversary as well :D

 

So those are a couple of options. Congratulations on 15 years and enjoy!

[SuiteTraveler]

You sound like someone who would love NCL. My husband and I frequent NCL as well as several other cruise lines. What we like about it is you never have to dress up. A sundress for you and trousers and a shirt for your husband are the dressiest you will ever have to get unless you want to dress up.

 

The ships I would suggest are the NCL

Getaway (Caribbean) http://www.beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway-Tour-1.html

Breakaway (Bermuda or Bahamas) The Breakaway is the sister ship of Getaway a nearly identical.

Epic (Mediterranean) http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-Tour-1.html

 

Whichever of the above ships you choose, since this is a special occasion, I suggest you consider getting a The Haven Spa Suite. These suites are perfect for celebrating your anniversary. They have a spa tub for 2 in the room and then a separate walk in shower (also large enough for 2). They offer access to The Haven which is an exclusive area of the ship that has a pool, hot tubs, sun deck, work out room and sauna and restaurant and bar ONLY for suite guests. You also get butler and concierge service, priority seats in the theater for shows and priority dining reservations. In your suite, you receive welcome aboard sparkling wine, flower arrangement, there is a Lavazza coffee maker and Elemis toiletries, bathrobes and slippers. The Haven Spa Suites get access to the Spa's thermal rooms and water circuit - which is a peaceful and wonderful area of the ship to hang out in. My husband at first would not go, but after I finally convinced him to try it, he now goes every single day of our NCL cruises! In addition, when you board, there is a VIP boarding area with snack and drinks and you will be personally escorted onboard via an express elevator. When you return from the cruise, you can take an earlier flight home if you desire since you also get priority disembarkation. Now about that Haven restaurant and bar...the restaurant is fantastic and you will be thoroughly spoiled by what they serve for breakfast and lunch. You can also eat dinner there if you wish and they have off-menu items as well as the standard dinner menu.

 

So what else is there to do on NCL?

 

One thing that is very different about NCL is that there is NO traditional cruise ship dining. The whole experience is more like a land based resort where you go to a different restaurant every night. Some restaurants charge an extra fee or are al la carte, other restaurants are included.

 

Lots of different restaurants:

Le Bistro (French) (Fee)

Cagneys (steakhouse) (al la carte)

Moderno (Brazilian BBQ) (Fee)

Sushi (al la Carte)

Teppanyaki (Hibachi cooking) (fee)

Noodle Bar (included)

La Cucina (Italian) (fee)

 

and Getaway and Breakaway also have Ocean Blue (fee) and Raw Bar (al la carte)

 

In addition to these restaurants there are several free venues including

2 - 3 main dining rooms

O'Sheehan's (pub food)

Buffet (possibly the largest and most comprehensive at sea)

Outdoor casual restaurant (varies by ship but on Getaway, it is Flamingos Cuban food)

 

and for Haven Guests, The Haven Restaurant (aka Epic Club on the Epic) is free.

 

There are a lot of shows like what you would see in Las Vegas on these ships including:

Burn the Floor

Legally Blonde (Getaway)

Rock of Ages (Breakaway)

Cirque du Soliel (Breakaway and Epic)

Howl at the Moon

Second City Comedy (improv comedy show)

 

Getaway and Breakaway also have ice bars, in case you ever wanted to try that. It's worth doing once in your life so you can say you did.

 

People who HATE NCL ships are people who:

1. Want traditional cruise ship dining with assigned tables and dining times

2. Hate having to decide what to do and when to do it.

3. Like to have everything scheduled for them.

4. Don't want to pay extra for specialty dining even if it is a nominal amount and helps keep the cost of the cruise ticket low.

 

People who LOVE NCL ships are people who:

1. Want a relaxing cruise vacation that doesn't include putting on an evening gown or suit.

2. Prefer to dine with the people they are traveling with.

3. Enjoy modern Las Vegas type of entertainment.

4. Love a good spa.

5. Like lots of dining options

 

The above 3 ships, Epic, Getaway and Breakaway would remind you of staying in a newer casino hotel in Las Vegas. (They remind me of Aria to some extent in the way they are furnished and organized.)

 

Up top, there is a full scale water park with 3 - 5 major slides, exciting enough for adults, a ropes course, Spice H2O - an adult sun deck area - there is a pool and huge movie screen on Epic in there, on Getaway and Breakaway, it is more of a sun deck with hot tubs and a waterfall you can sit in. Spice H2O does have a bar on all ships. There is another adults only area called Posh which has a bar and padded loungers and overlooks the main pool deck.

 

I included a Med cruise because April - May is a great time to go to the Mediterranean - the temperature is just right and as you are not "hang around the beach all day" types, you would love a Med cruise with all there is to do - so many options it is unreal. It is absolutely wonderful and can be as busy or relaxing as you like. The only thing, with a Med cruise, you need to plan ahead. It is best to join with others on your Cruise Critic roll call to do private excursions which are cheaper and far better than the ship's excursions. Most ports in the Med require that you have someone drive you somewhere or you use the trains. It is easy to do, but you do have to plan in advance. The planning can be great fun, btw! While a 14 day cruise would put you over you limit of 14 days away, there are 7 day cruises where you could spend a couple of days and nights at the port of embarkation and/or port of debarkation. It will take you about 1 day to fly to Europe and adjust to the time change and 1 day to get back. So you wind up with 5 extra days. Most of these cruises go from Barcelona or Rome (Civitavechia) either of which are interesting areas and well worth exploring before or after a cruise. Some people celebrating an anniversary even do something like fly into Paris for a few days before the cruise and then take the train to Rome (Civitavechia) to board their ship. So you would really have a lot of options as to what to do should you decide to try a Med cruise.

 

The most important advice I can give you for any cruise is to fly in at least 24 hours BEFORE the cruise starts so that if there is a travel delay at the airport, you have plenty of time to get a later flight and not miss your ship. If you fly in day of...well, we've encountered a 8 hour delay out of Boston to Barcelona (luckily we were overnighting there) and on our last cruise out of Miami in May, our 10:30am flight out of DFW was delayed until 2:30pm due to a mechanical and they had to get another plane for us. My husband was a bit concerned and asked me what time boarding ended on our ship - he was very happy and relieved when I told him "tomorrow at 4pm" we're staying in a hotel in Miami tonight because we would have missed the Getaway for sure if we had not flown in a day early!

 

If you choose to do the Getaway as a 7 day cruise instead of a b2b, my suggestion would be that you begin your trip in the Florida Keys. You can rent a car and drive from Miami. While much can be said for all the Keys, I recommend you head for Key West and spend some time down there and then work your way back to Miami by the day you will board the ship. There are some amazing accommodations down there including a B&B called Southernmost House or Almond Tree Inn or even splurge big on Little Palm Island.

 

If you choose the Breakaway, then you could stay in Manhattan prior to the cruise and enjoy Broadway, great restaurants and shopping and all there is to do up there.

[Hammergirl]

You sound like someone who would love NCL. My husband and I frequent NCL as well as several other cruise lines. What we like about it is you never have to dress up. A sundress for you and trousers and a shirt for your husband are the dressiest you will ever have to get unless you want to dress up.

 

The ships I would suggest are the NCL

Getaway (Caribbean) http://www.beyondships.com/NorwegianGetaway-Tour-1.html

Breakaway (Bermuda or Bahamas) The Breakaway is the sister ship of Getaway a nearly identical.

Epic (Mediterranean) http://www.beyondships.com/NCLEpic-Tour-1.html

 

Whichever of the above ships you choose, since this is a special occasion, I suggest you consider getting a The Haven Spa Suite. These suites are perfect for celebrating your anniversary. They have a spa tub for 2 in the room and then a separate walk in shower (also large enough for 2). They offer access to The Haven which is an exclusive area of the ship that has a pool, hot tubs, sun deck, work out room and sauna and restaurant and bar ONLY for suite guests. You also get butler and concierge service, priority seats in the theater for shows and priority dining reservations. In your suite, you receive welcome aboard sparkling wine, flower arrangement, there is a Lavazza coffee maker and Elemis toiletries, bathrobes and slippers. The Haven Spa Suites get access to the Spa's thermal rooms and water circuit - which is a peaceful and wonderful area of the ship to hang out in. My husband at first would not go, but after I finally convinced him to try it, he now goes every single day of our NCL cruises! In addition, when you board, there is a VIP boarding area with snack and drinks and you will be personally escorted onboard via an express elevator. When you return from the cruise, you can take an earlier flight home if you desire since you also get priority disembarkation. Now about that Haven restaurant and bar...the restaurant is fantastic and you will be thoroughly spoiled by what they serve for breakfast and lunch. You can also eat dinner there if you wish and they have off-menu items as well as the standard dinner menu.

 

So what else is there to do on NCL?

 

One thing that is very different about NCL is that there is NO traditional cruise ship dining. The whole experience is more like a land based resort where you go to a different restaurant every night. Some restaurants charge an extra fee or are al la carte, other restaurants are included.

 

Lots of different restaurants:

Le Bistro (French) (Fee)

Cagneys (steakhouse) (al la carte)

Moderno (Brazilian BBQ) (Fee)

Sushi (al la Carte)

Teppanyaki (Hibachi cooking) (fee)

Noodle Bar (included)

La Cucina (Italian) (fee)

 

and Getaway and Breakaway also have Ocean Blue (fee) and Raw Bar (al la carte)

 

In addition to these restaurants there are several free venues including

2 - 3 main dining rooms

O'Sheehan's (pub food)

Buffet (possibly the largest and most comprehensive at sea)

Outdoor casual restaurant (varies by ship but on Getaway, it is Flamingos Cuban food)

 

and for Haven Guests, The Haven Restaurant (aka Epic Club on the Epic) is free.

 

There are a lot of shows like what you would see in Las Vegas on these ships including:

Burn the Floor

Legally Blonde (Getaway)

Rock of Ages (Breakaway)

Cirque du Soliel (Breakaway and Epic)

Howl at the Moon

Second City Comedy (improv comedy show)

 

Getaway and Breakaway also have ice bars, in case you ever wanted to try that. It's worth doing once in your life so you can say you did.

 

People who HATE NCL ships are people who:

1. Want traditional cruise ship dining with assigned tables and dining times

2. Hate having to decide what to do and when to do it.

3. Like to have everything scheduled for them.

4. Don't want to pay extra for specialty dining even if it is a nominal amount and helps keep the cost of the cruise ticket low.

 

People who LOVE NCL ships are people who:

1. Want a relaxing cruise vacation that doesn't include putting on an evening gown or suit.

2. Prefer to dine with the people they are traveling with.

3. Enjoy modern Las Vegas type of entertainment.

4. Love a good spa.

5. Like lots of dining options

 

The above 3 ships, Epic, Getaway and Breakaway would remind you of staying in a newer casino hotel in Las Vegas. (They remind me of Aria to some extent in the way they are furnished and organized.)

 

Up top, there is a full scale water park with 3 - 5 major slides, exciting enough for adults, a ropes course, Spice H2O - an adult sun deck area - there is a pool and huge movie screen on Epic in there, on Getaway and Breakaway, it is more of a sun deck with hot tubs and a waterfall you can sit in. Spice H2O does have a bar on all ships. There is another adults only area called Posh which has a bar and padded loungers and overlooks the main pool deck.

 

I included a Med cruise because April - May is a great time to go to the Mediterranean - the temperature is just right and as you are not "hang around the beach all day" types, you would love a Med cruise with all there is to do - so many options it is unreal. It is absolutely wonderful and can be as busy or relaxing as you like. The only thing, with a Med cruise, you need to plan ahead. It is best to join with others on your Cruise Critic roll call to do private excursions which are cheaper and far better than the ship's excursions. Most ports in the Med require that you have someone drive you somewhere or you use the trains. It is easy to do, but you do have to plan in advance. The planning can be great fun, btw! While a 14 day cruise would put you over you limit of 14 days away, there are 7 day cruises where you could spend a couple of days and nights at the port of embarkation and/or port of debarkation. It will take you about 1 day to fly to Europe and adjust to the time change and 1 day to get back. So you wind up with 5 extra days. Most of these cruises go from Barcelona or Rome (Civitavechia) either of which are interesting areas and well worth exploring before or after a cruise. Some people celebrating an anniversary even do something like fly into Paris for a few days before the cruise and then take the train to Rome (Civitavechia) to board their ship. So you would really have a lot of options as to what to do should you decide to try a Med cruise.

 

The most important advice I can give you for any cruise is to fly in at least 24 hours BEFORE the cruise starts so that if there is a travel delay at the airport, you have plenty of time to get a later flight and not miss your ship. If you fly in day of...well, we've encountered a 8 hour delay out of Boston to Barcelona (luckily we were overnighting there) and on our last cruise out of Miami in May, our 10:30am flight out of DFW was delayed until 2:30pm due to a mechanical and they had to get another plane for us. My husband was a bit concerned and asked me what time boarding ended on our ship - he was very happy and relieved when I told him "tomorrow at 4pm" we're staying in a hotel in Miami tonight because we would have missed the Getaway for sure if we had not flown in a day early!

 

If you choose to do the Getaway as a 7 day cruise instead of a b2b, my suggestion would be that you begin your trip in the Florida Keys. You can rent a car and drive from Miami. While much can be said for all the Keys, I recommend you head for Key West and spend some time down there and then work your way back to Miami by the day you will board the ship. There are some amazing accommodations down there including a B&B called Southernmost House or Almond Tree Inn or even splurge big on Little Palm Island.

 

If you choose the Breakaway, then you could stay in Manhattan prior to the cruise and enjoy Broadway, great restaurants and shopping and all there is to do up there.

 

Holy cow - thank you SO MUCH for this! It really helps us with trying to decide even just what cruise line to pick. It does sound like NCL would be a great fit for us and the Haven suite sounds fantastic. I am going to do some research on that for sure. How many suites like this does every ship have? Just wondering how many people will be in this "exclusive" area of the ship. I have to admit, I LOVE the thought of the VIP place to wait to board. I have a bit of anxiety and things like this really do help calm me down when I am doing something new. It gets me away from the massive crowds that tend to amp up my anxiety when doing something new.

 

Thanks again so much for all this information!

 

Kristine

[SuiteTraveler]

Holy cow - thank you SO MUCH for this! It really helps us with trying to decide even just what cruise line to pick. It does sound like NCL would be a great fit for us and the Haven suite sounds fantastic. I am going to do some research on that for sure. How many suites like this does every ship have? Just wondering how many people will be in this "exclusive" area of the ship. I have to admit, I LOVE the thought of the VIP place to wait to board. I have a bit of anxiety and things like this really do help calm me down when I am doing something new. It gets me away from the massive crowds that tend to amp up my anxiety when doing something new.

 

Thanks again so much for all this information!

 

Kristine

 

The Haven suites are in the area of The Haven and then there are also a few spread around the ship. What is interesting is that we never encountered a wait getting into the Haven dining room - even on port days. We were seated in a matter of 1 minute tops - usually the hostess was seating other guests when we arrived so that was the cause of the delay (not that 1 minute is much of a delay, LOL!) The hostess learns your name and the waiters and waitresses in there learn your names and likes and go out of their way to pamper you and get you anything you want. Haven employees try their best to never say no to a guest! The Haven restaurant is very quiet most nights for dinner, although the food is great. BTW, we were celebrating my husband's b-day on our Getaway cruise - they have Carlo's Bake Shop (you know, The Cake Boss?) So I ordered a cake for my husband which was essentially chocolate mousse covered with chocolate fondant from the NCL website to be delivered the first day of our cruise - so my husband could eat it over several days. Then on his actual b-day, the butler brought him a white b-day cake and we had reservations that night at Ocean Blue - which is the ONLY restaurant onboard that gives a cake from Carlo's Bake Shop for b-days and anniversaries - it was a different type of chocolate cake than the chocolate mousse cake and my husband said it was the best of the 3 b-day cakes. He's a chocoholic! So my husband got a cruise and 3 cakes for his b-day! LOL!

 

Within the Haven there are only 42 suites, most are Penthouses and usually have 2 occupants, then there are some Owner's Suites (also usually 2 occupants) and also the 2 bedroom Family Villas (usually only 3 or 4, sometimes 5 occupants).

Then there are 16 The Haven Spa Suites (2 occupants)

Then there are 24 more The Haven Penthouse Suites. These are a 1 bedroom suite with a separate living room and luxury bathroom - definitely check these out as you may prefer them to The Haven Spa Suite - these are also good if you are traveling with your kids as it gives you a private bedroom and your own TV and they get their own bedroom and TV. They are bigger and quite elaborate.

 

I should also mention that the first ships with a Haven were some of the Jewel class ships (not all of them.) Our first Haven experience was on the NCL Jade out of Barcelona. That Haven is much, much smaller with only 15 suites in The Haven and then perhaps a dozen more suites scattered around the ship. There is a Haven Courtyard with a pool and hot tub and a private Haven Sundeck, as well as a steam room and exercise room. However, these ships don't have a dedicated Haven restaurant or lounge - so they use Cagney's (steakhouse) for breakfast and lunch. Also, the concierge is office downstairs at the main desk instead of within The Haven. On our first cruise, the only people in the Haven were us and a world famous person and his entourage with his body guards keeping vigil in the Haven elevator lobby 24x7! How is that for a unique and special experience? What these ships have that is unique is a 3 bedroom villa with a huge living room, player piano, guest powder room and private hot tub - this is the suite the VIP had and then he'd rented the other suites for his family and employees. There is also the Deluxe owner's Suite on these ships which has it's own private hot tub on it's own private sun deck. Being in the Haven on these ships feels even more special because The Haven is so small.

 

 

I think I forgot to mention that The Haven Courtyard area has a dry sauna and steam room which are complimentary for Haven guests. So if you don't really care about the spa, there is still that with these other The Haven Suites or you can just buy a spa pass for the week - it's $179 pp. ONLY the Haven Spa Suites get the spa pass included with the suite.

 

Here is a tour of the Haven Spa Suite:

 

Here is the Aft facing The Haven Penthouse - did I mention it has 2 bathrooms - 1 is a huge luxury bathroom off the master bathroom, 2 tv's, 2 dvd players and a huge balcony with padded lounge chairs and a dining table?:

 

It's kind of hard to choose which is best! LOL!

 

Here's the Owner's Suite on the Breakaway - identical to the Getaway:

 

If you were to go on the Epic, The Haven Spa Suite is completely different with a round bed, spa tub in room, HUGE shower (probably the BEST I've ever experienced at sea) and the best part? A Huge Balcony with padded loungers. Take a look at the one with the biggest balcony!

 

We had this suite on Epic (14151) and it was GREAT!

 

The Epic was built in France and Getaway and Breakaway were built in Germany.

 

I also get anxiety - especially in a huge crowd of people. So, in Miami for the Getaway, after you get through security, you make a left into the VIP check in and then either someone is there to escort you onboard or they put you across the hall in the VIP lounge with snacks and tea and coffee. We were in there (alone) for about 10 minutes and it sounded like complete chaos outside the room. We were very glad to have a quiet place to wait to board. After 10 minutes our escort showed up and she took us up to The Haven via a crew elevator (with a red carpet leading to it, LOL!) I remember one day we were being escorted off the ship for the day via this elevator and some young crew member (a guy) walked on the red carpet, suddenly realized that people from The Haven were there with the concierge and he just exploded into action jumping off the carpet to give us right of way. If was really funny - like seeing Jim Carrey doing physical comedy! I just said, "Oh my gosh that was so cute!" and everyone broke up laughing. The service elevator is right next to the Concierge desk in The Haven and this is the same way that you depart the ship if you are self disembarking on the final day. It stops right next to the place where you use your card to disembark the final time. We were among the first 20 people off the ship at 7:15 am for Getaway (hardly any line at customs and immigration as it was only Haven guests) and able to catch a 10:30am flight out of MIA easily as we were at the airport by 8:15am and through security by 8:30am. We had the great good fortune of being upgraded to first class on our flight home - which turned out to be a godsend because our flight had to do some circling due to weather.

 

From Barcelona, the boarding process is a bit different. We've always been met by our butler at VIP check in and walked aboard immediately. I love the port of Barcelona, btw, I never realized I would connect with Spain the way I have, but I just love Barcelona. We stay pre cruise at Hotel 1898 on Las Ramblas and very close to the Bouqeria Market - it's an amazing place! Hotel 1898 has a spa in the grotto like basement which is free for guests to use the water circuit, sauna and steam room. It is wonderful! Then there's the rooftop pool and modern tapas bar on the roof with the best view of Barcelona! The rooms are nice with well appointed bathrooms, although the regular rooms are small, just like any other European hotel. It's a very nice place to stay.

 

The other thing you need to know about being in suites on NCL, is you can prepay your tips for most people on the NCL website prior to the cruise, but you need to bring cash to tip the butler and concierge. We usually tip the butler $10 per day per person and give the concierge $50 for the week. If they do something special for you, you might tip more. Also, on Epic, I had this great cabin steward and she did so much for us that I gave her an extra $50. It was her first time ever working suites and when I gave her the money, she burst into tears, threw her arms around me and gave me the biggest hug. I felt really good knowing I had done something that meant so much to her - but, in truth, as I told her, she earned it! If you don't have cash to tip with, you can use the ATM in the casino to get some or you can also put it onto your onboard account at Guest Services - you need to know the first and last name of the person you are tipping and what their title is.

 

I've done suites on other cruise lines, btw, and NCL does suites waaaaaaay better than Celebrity, RCCL, Carnival, Princess and HAL. it is such a different and wonderful experience. That's what keeps us coming back to NCL - that and the innovative ships.

Edited July 23, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[skandls]

There seem to be a lot of NCL fans. If your kids are going with you - What about a few days at Disney World and then a 7 night cruise. I am a fan of Royal Caribbean - with the rock walls and ice rink. The entertainment is good - and there is a lot to do on these ships. There is a separate adult area and there is age appropriate activities for the kids.

 

If your children are staying at home while you vacation there are a lot more choices. If money is not an issue a cruise in the Med would keep you busy and not on the Beach (I am not a fan). You will have a lot of choices - number of days (I would take longer because of the airfare).

[Hammergirl]

There seem to be a lot of NCL fans. If your kids are going with you - What about a few days at Disney World and then a 7 night cruise. I am a fan of Royal Caribbean - with the rock walls and ice rink. The entertainment is good - and there is a lot to do on these ships. There is a separate adult area and there is age appropriate activities for the kids.

 

If your children are staying at home while you vacation there are a lot more choices. If money is not an issue a cruise in the Med would keep you busy and not on the Beach (I am not a fan). You will have a lot of choices - number of days (I would take longer because of the airfare).

 

I love my kids dearly, but they wont be with me on this trip. We go to Disney with our kids every year so they are staying home for this one. ;)

[FoghornLeghorn]

You could also do the 2 week cruise to Hawaii from LA on Princess.

[SuiteTraveler]

RCCL is another cruise line I was going to suggest on Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas or Ovation of the Seas. These ships are all mega-ships. The spa is so-so and they don't have any cabins similar to The Haven Spa Suites but they have added a restaurant called Coastal Kitchen and lounge for Spa Guests. There is no pool area for suite guests. There is, however, The Conservatory all adults area with a couple of small pools and hot tubs and padded loungers. The most interesting suites on these ships are the 2 story Loft suites. However, the suites program on RCCL is NOT comparable to NCL - but they do seem to be attempting to be more like RCCL's suites. There is no butler, but you do get enhanced room service. You will have one of their better cabin stewards. There is no difference between what you get in terms of amenities depending on the level of suite like there is on NCL. However, the Crown Loft Suites usually have a hot tub on the balcony. Where NCL actually excels is in putting on spectacular shows and having lots of physical activity during the day including:

ice skating rinks

flowrider

ziplining

indoor sky diving

rock climbing wall

 

The shows include:

Diving shows

Ice skating shows

Broadway Musical (varies by ship)

Acrobatic shows

Comedy club

Jazz club

 

As to dining, RCCL has just switched over to Dynamic Dining which is really kind of the same as NCL's Freestyle dining. However, instead of having a MDR, these ships have 4 distinct free restaurants each with its own fixed menu: Silk, American Icon, Chic and The Grand - where every night is formal night, plus a number of specialty restaurants you pay extra for including:

Izumi Sushi

Chops steakhouse

150 Central Park (6-course meal)

 

There are also other specialty restaurants that vary by ship. You must get reservations online for all of these restaurants.

 

In general, we also enjoy RCCL, although unless I was going to be in a Loft Suite - which is very special, then I would only pay for a Grand Suite as there is really no difference between the levels of suites in amenities or service.

 

In the recent past, we've only experienced RCCL's specialty restaurants and they were good to excellent. To me, the biggest problem RCCL has is the buffet which is very disappointing overall in quality and options. I don't go on a cruise to eat a burger that's been sitting under a heat lamp or on a steam table. So I would always eat lunch at whatever other venue was open and then if we wanted an afternoon snack, after multiple disappointing forays to the buffet, (why no fruit, cheese and crackers or veggies and hummus or small sandwiches at 4:30 - 5 pm?) I gave up on the buffet entirely and usually just ordered something from the suite room service menu.

 

I think that both RCCL and NCL are fairly comparable and extremely good cruise lines, but I give NCL the edge on how they handle suite life onboard their ships and having a far better spa experience. I would say it is a tie on entertainment and I generally prefer the NCL specialty restaurants to the RCCL ones, although, the RCCL ones are still good to excellent. The only restaurants on NCL I thought were as good as if not better than NCL was 150 Central Park and the Italian Restaurant on Allure of the Seas and Izumi. RCCL's churrascaria (Brazilian BBQ) is nowhere near as good as Moderno on NCL, nor is their steakhouse, Chops quite as good as Cagney's. I liked Izumi (RCCL) better because there were more options than at the sushi bar on NCL and even custom make rolls for me without rice.

 

However, when I think of a romantic anniversary cruise without the kids, I think that the NCL Haven experience beats RCCL suites, especially in a The Haven Spa Suite.

 

If you decide against an anniversary cruise, then you might consider an adults all-inclusive somewhere. There are many with very innovative suites (such as at Sandals) that include private pools and hot tubs, outdoor showers, butler service and so forth. They generally price out more expensive than a cruise, however.

[Hammergirl]

We decided on NCL Escape 7 day eastern for the trip. We are trying to decide between the owners suite and the aft facing penthouse suite.

 

Any thoughts on either of those?

 

The owners suite concerned me because it seems like it overlooks the haven pool area and I don't feel that is very private. Although at least you could look out the window or off the balcony and see if the area is busy or being overrun with kids at the moment.

 

The aft facing seems fantastic, but not located in the actual haven area. Which is OK I think but not sure. Seems kind of strange to have Haven rooms NOT in the haven area.

 

We will be getting the week pas to the spa area though, that is a must. :)

[SuiteTraveler]

The Owner's suites are FABULOUS and have huge balconies. The way they are laid out, the MBR is at the corner of the suite. You can lay in bed and look out at the ocean through panoramic windows that wrap the corner. It is the coolest thing! The Owner's Suites don't really overlook the Haven pool area from within the suite itself so it is completely private. You have to go outside the door of the suite into the hallway to the Haven Suites. In that hallway, on one side are all the doors to the suites, which are solid wood, then on the other side it is solid glass overlooking the The Haven Courtyard. The bathroom in the Owner's suite is the BEST on the ship - waaay better than the aft penthouse. But really it's just a question of how much you want to spend. We've done the Owner's Suite before and loved it, but we also loved the other suites, so I don't think you can go wrong. There is a huge walk-in closet. With the Owner's Suite, in addition to all the other perks I mentioned, you will get your choice of 3 different bottles of liquor or wine. The butler will provide mixers for you and I believe you can also request a blender if you want to make frozen drinks. The butler will bring you a cake for your anniversary if you let him know. I think it will be really cool for you to be in the Haven since this is your first experience with The Haven. Also, the back of the ship does have some vibration - when you pull into port in the morning you can feel it - sometimes at 5am. That may or may not matter to you, but it wakes me up, so I tend to avoid aft suites. However, others adore aft suites for the huge balcony and view of the ship's wake and being able to sit on your balcony and watch where you've been grow smaller in the distance.