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Any Tips/Advice for a First Time NCL Cruiser

cruisingbajan

By cruisingbajan,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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cruisingbajan

cruisingbajan

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Hi Guys,

 

My wife and I will be cruising on Breakaway next May for our 10th Anniversary.

 

This will be our first time on NCL so any tips and info that expereinced Norwegian cruisers can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have been reading the boards and and as may Reviews on the ship and its sister ships as I can to pass the time.

 

Thanks in advance everyone.

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beerman2

beerman2

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Take some time to enjoy the Waterfront, definitely make dinner reservation (Specialty Dining) pre-cruise.

 

Main dining rooms just show up whenever you want.

 

Like other lines don't hesitate to order something else if your dinner isn't to your liking in MDR.

 

 

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zqvol

zqvol

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On 6/5/2019 at 12:47 PM, Bajan Keith said:

Hi Guys,

 

My wife and I will be cruising on Breakaway next May for our 10th Anniversary.

 

This will be our first time on NCL so any tips and info that expereinced Norwegian cruisers can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have been reading the boards and and as may Reviews on the ship and its sister ships as I can to pass the time.

 

Thanks in advance everyone.

Stop reading the reviews.

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worktocruise610

worktocruise610

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I also vote for the waterfront. Sign up for your roll call & plan on attending the meet & greet, it's a nice way to meet other cruisers & the officers. Take the reviews with a grain of salt (especially the food reviews) remember everybody has different opinions & something someone else did not like may not bother you. Try not to let things get to you, if it's something really bad or serious, bring it to the attention of the HD on the ship, don't wait until you get home to email NCL, but if it's not, let it go. Have a great cruise & remember this is what you waited for all year - enjoy every second of it.

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Birdie And Sue

Birdie And Sue

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Kick back and have a great time.

Do NOT try to do everything, you will not have enough time.  Look at the newsletter they leave in your cabin every day to see the complete schedule of events/activities for the day.  Pick one or two and go for it.

If you need ANYTHING, ask a crew member for assistance and you will be taken care of.

As someone else mentioned, if you even think you will cruise again in the next four years, buy two of the Cruise Next certificates.  That will cost you $500 and you get a total of $500 in vouchers towards a future cruise.  Then they GIVE you a $250 credit on your ship account so you are basically making $250.00 (boils down to buy one get onr free).  You can use one of those certificates for each cabin you book on a future cruise (sometimes you can use two per cabin).

Try to eat at non-peak hours.

We, as well, are going for the first time on NCL soon (quite often on other lines) but this is what all we have learned!

 

Edited by Birdie And Sue
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Sauer-kraut

Sauer-kraut

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The application is free, only works on the ship but you need to download it before you board.  Then when onboard the cell phone goes into airplane mode and then you connect to ship's wifi.  You will be able to see all the activities throughout the day instead of carrying around the Freestyle Daily.

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MJSailors

MJSailors

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On 6/5/2019 at 12:47 PM, Bajan Keith said:

Hi Guys,

 

My wife and I will be cruising on Breakaway next May for our 10th Anniversary.

 

This will be our first time on NCL so any tips and info that expereinced Norwegian cruisers can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have been reading the boards and and as may Reviews on the ship and its sister ships as I can to pass the time.

 

Thanks in advance everyone.

Have you read the recent post here  by danak13 asking about people’s reaction to sailing on the Breakaway?

Many pros and cons about the ship written by past passengers.

Give it a look 😉

 

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BirdTravels "Live from...." Rare

BirdTravels

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On 6/5/2019 at 12:47 PM, Bajan Keith said:

This will be our first time on NCL so any tips and info that experienced Norwegian cruisers can provide will be greatly appreciated. I have been reading the boards and and as may Reviews on the ship and its sister ships as I can to pass the time.

If  you have a dining package or want to eat at a specialty restaurant, reservations open 120 days prior to departure (130 if you are in a Haven suite). Reservations for the two main theater shows (Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages) also opens 120 days out along with the for-fee dinner show Velvet. Book all exactly 120 days out for best selection. 

 

We have been on the Breakaway 3 times and a total of 18 cruises on NCL megaships. Enjoyed every cruise!

 

Eat, Drink and have a Great Cruise. 

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cruisingbajan

cruisingbajan

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If  you have a dining package or want to eat at a specialty restaurant, reservations open 120 days prior to departure (130 if you are in a Haven suite). Reservations for the two main theater shows (Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages) also opens 120 days out along with the for-fee dinner show Velvet. Book all exactly 120 days out for best selection. 
 
We have been on the Breakaway 3 times and a total of 18 cruises on NCL megaships. Enjoyed every cruise!
 
Eat, Drink and have a Great Cruise. 
Thanks for the heads up. Will definitely monitor because we want to do teppenyaki.

Sent from my SM-J415G using Tapatalk

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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I can think of  a few things what will help make your anniversary a memorable one.

1-which has been mentioned: do not put too much into reviews. If you do want to read them, please take them with a grain of salt, especially if they get only 1 or 2 stars or they get 5. There is nothing that is all good or all awful, except in someone's head

2-try to make reservations for specialty dining as far in advance as you can, but if you can't get the time you want, booking when you get on the ship isn't the end of the world

3-Don't let little things ruin your cruise.

4-find a favorite bar to hang out in and get to know the bar tender

5-don't hesitate to get to know your cabin steward. .Ask him/her about life back in their country. They love to talk about home. 

6-Do go to the Meet and greet; ask questions. 

7-last but not least: plan on having  a great cruise and you will. 

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cruisingbajan

cruisingbajan

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4 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

I can think of  a few things what will help make your anniversary a memorable one.

1-which has been mentioned: do not put too much into reviews. If you do want to read them, please take them with a grain of salt, especially if they get only 1 or 2 stars or they get 5. There is nothing that is all good or all awful, except in someone's head

2-try to make reservations for specialty dining as far in advance as you can, but if you can't get the time you want, booking when you get on the ship isn't the end of the world

3-Don't let little things ruin your cruise.

4-find a favorite bar to hang out in and get to know the bar tender

5-don't hesitate to get to know your cabin steward. .Ask him/her about life back in their country. They love to talk about home. 

6-Do go to the Meet and greet; ask questions. 

7-last but not least: plan on having  a great cruise and you will. 

 

Sound advice.

 

I love to read the reviewsto pass the time pre cruise and pick up whatever tidbits I can. I however do take then with a grain of salt for the exact reasons you outlined.

 

We always do #7 as we really like to cruise and look forward to then with great excitement.

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cruisingbajan

cruisingbajan

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16 hours ago, MJSailors said:

Have you read the recent post here  by danak13 asking about people’s reaction to sailing on the Breakaway?

Many pros and cons about the ship written by past passengers.

Give it a look 😉

 

 

Thanks will search for it.

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