24 hours in the Garden Villa or How I Learned to Wave to the Minions.

[Dolphins]

I can't believe they are still showing "Bollywood" on the Dawn? Will it never end? We will be boarding the Dawn for the 4th time in January and hopefully they will have finally replaced "Bollywood?" Doesn't NCL realize that the popular Dawn gets many repeat cruisers who return every winter for their annual escape to the sun? Give us a break!

[pathubia]

Thanks for sharing your mini cruise experience!!

 

Patty

[micheleg]

Wow!!! What a fantastic way to spend the day and evening! Glad there's someone on our sailing thread that's going to be in the Garden Villa on the Jewel. At least we'll get a taste of what it was like for the one and only Shoreguy!!! I'm starting to practice the wave now!!!! :)

 

Thanks for a great review!

[Seattle Sal]

Shoreguy:

You really are a gem! I wish you were sailing with us on the Sun 12/10/05 out of Houston. I've learned so much from your posts.

 

We are considering a cruise out of NY sometime...any recommendations?

[electricron]

Shoreguy:

You really are a gem! I wish you were sailing with us on the Sun 12/10/05 out of Houston. I've learned so much from your posts.

 

Actually, the Sun leaves Houston on 12/11/05.

Why am I sure of this date? It's my birthday, and I'm taking this cruise on the Sun. Maybe we will meet aboard. If you arrive on 12/10/05, you will be boarding the Dream, and will be cruising on the wrong ship.

[shoreguy]

Actually, the Sun leaves Houston on 12/11/05.

Why am I sure of this date? It's my birthday, and I'm taking this cruise on the Sun. Maybe we will meet aboard. If you arrive on 12/10/05, you will be boarding the Dream, and will be cruising on the wrong ship.

 

As you can see from Seattle Sal signature and countdown clock they know the date. :rolleyes:

 

Seattle Sal - thank you

[denims]

UNBELIVEABLE storyteller!!!!

 

Thx!

[BarbCT605]

Great review, Shoreguy!:)

 

I really enjoyed reading about your GV escapade.

 

Now, THAT'S a roadtrip!

 

Minion #1

[Harleycat]

Which GV were you in..the Horizon or the Vista?

[shoreguy]

Which GV were you in..the Horizon or the Vista?

 

14000 - Horizon

[shoreguy]

Pictures should be up today. Webshots is having server problems. Pictures are uploaded but not yet available. When they appear I will post a new thread to help with future "searches"

[debjo]

HAIL TO THE KING!

And thanks for including we "migions" (who are land-locked until our next cruises) with your Garden Villa experience and always enjoyable reports. I hope that our cruise paths cross someday so that we'll have the good fortune to be able to say that "we've cruised with the imitable SHOREGUY".

 

I don't know how you were able to get any "shut-eye" in the Garden Villa. I think I'd have wanted to remain wide awake all night so that I could literally burn the vision of the Garden Villa in my brain for eternity. I hope your one-day Garden Villa glow keeps you going until your next cruise.

 

Debjo

[debjo]

Don't know if I missed it, but I've a quick question...

Shoreguy, I read that you "upselled" to the Garden Villa...what was the original cabin category that you were booked into?

 

Debjo

[shoreguy]

Don't know if I missed it, but I've a quick question...

Shoreguy, I read that you "upselled" to the Garden Villa...what was the original cabin category that you were booked into?

 

Debjo

 

I booked an AF on the 10th of October - The only open cabin that day. On the 20th when I checked the NCL site they had some insides and the GV. I called the upsell number left a message and got a call back in about an hour. Done deal.

 

 

Normal upsell math - 50% of the current rate minus what you spent for current cabin/cabins.

[Harleycat]

14000 - Horizon

 

I was in the Vista for a day. Very slight differences between the two. We had toured the Horizon.

[cruisingfromMN]

Shoreguy, Please see my attached jpg. Is this the same Claudio?

[shoreguy]

Shoreguy, Please see my attached jpg. Is this the same Claudio?

 

The one and only :)

[ceallaigh]

I booked an AF on the 10th of October - The only open cabin that day. On the 20th when I checked the NCL site they had some insides and the GV. I called the upsell number left a message and got a call back in about an hour. Done deal.

 

 

Normal upsell math - 50% of the current rate minus what you spent for current cabin/cabins.

 

Shoreguy,

 

Are you referring to 50% of the book rate or the best price available? I just took an upsell to an AC on the Dawn for my 12/1/05 cruise and I paid substantially more than 50% minus what I spent for the cabin we originally booked. We actually ended up saving about $1200 over the price that it would cost to book the AC currently. I thought that was a pretty good deal. Does that sound wrong?

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

[shoreguy]

Shoreguy,

 

Are you referring to 50% of the book rate or the best price available? I just took an upsell to an AC on the Dawn for my 12/1/05 cruise and I paid substantially more than 50% minus what I spent for the cabin we originally booked. We actually ended up saving about $1200 over the price that it would cost to book the AC currently. I thought that was a pretty good deal. Does that sound wrong?

 

Thanks!

 

Kelly

 

That is fine. Upsells normally get better the closer to the date. They also run out. I grabbed the upsell 9 days prior. The math above has always held true for the GVs. They are not normally something that is booked last minute.

 

Since you took an upsell more then 30 days out perhaps all that was authorized was a 25% discount. If it were still open a week or two prior they may have gone to 50%.

 

The whole upsell thing is a mystery.

[ceallaigh]

That is fine. Upsells normally get better the closer to the date. They also run out. I grabbed the upsell 9 days prior. The math above has always held true for the GVs. They are not normally something that is booked last minute.

 

Since you took an upsell more then 30 days out perhaps all that was authorized was a 25% discount. If it were still open a week or two prior they may have gone to 50%.

 

The whole upsell thing is a mystery.

 

Shoreguy,

 

I agree on the mystery part :). We wanted to make sure that we got the PH that we wanted so it was worth it to grab it before it went away. We still payed less for the AC than we did for a sky suite on our last two Celebrity cruises so we're happy. :)

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Kelly

[kataiga]

Thank you for shearing your one day GV with us. You are a master storyteller....:D Hope we meet on a cruise someday

[marilynd]

Shoreguy: I am hating myself for not taking the upsell that was offered to me for the GV on the Jewel. The offer was a lot more than the formula you have posted. I looked at the current rate on the NCL website for the GV. I selected the GV and got the price NCL wanted including port charges, taxes, etc. I divided it in half and got the 50%. I subtracted the total that I paid for our A3 and got an amount. The Upsell desk at NCL told my TA a price that was nearly twice that amount. I told that TA to hold out and see if the price dropped. I held out for over two weeks. Price never dropped. Just when I decided I would pay the extra $3000 that they were asking Hurricane Wilma happened. My TA has a hard time getting a hold of NCL. Someother TA did get through because the GV is gone. That is my Boo-Hoo story for today. Maybe someday on another cruise.

 

At least I now know that Upsell can happen. And you got a great one !!!

 

 

Marilyn

[shoreguy]

Shoreguy: I am hating myself for not taking the upsell that was offered to me for the GV on the Jewel. The offer was a lot more than the formula you have posted. I looked at the current rate on the NCL website for the GV. I selected the GV and got the price NCL wanted including port charges, taxes, etc. I divided it in half and got the 50%. I subtracted the total that I paid for our A3 and got an amount. The Upsell desk at NCL told my TA a price that was nearly twice that amount. I told that TA to hold out and see if the price dropped. I held out for over two weeks. Price never dropped. Just when I decided I would pay the extra $3000 that they were asking Hurricane Wilma happened. My TA has a hard time getting a hold of NCL. Someother TA did get through because the GV is gone. That is my Boo-Hoo story for today. Maybe someday on another cruise.

 

At least I now know that Upsell can happen. And you got a great one !!!

 

 

Marilyn

 

The 50% is only on the cruise fare not noncom and fees

[MrPete]

Jim,

 

Your pix are working....;)

[shoreguy]

Jim,

 

Your pix are working....;)

 

Not exactly - they come and go and are in the wrong order. Still not able to add comments and descriptions. Waiting until things are correct before posting availability. I uploaded them twice even renamed them but they seem to show up in random order. I used the tools and changed the order online that has not taken yet. It took almost 12 hours for the empty new folder to even show up. I think the order edits will show up tonight then I can add comments.