First Time Crusier

[Mouse2385]

I'm sailing on the Spirit in April. This is the first time we are going on a cruise. I have heard great things about this cruise. Please leave advice, pointers or any suggestions.. Thanks :)

[LostTraveler]

I'm sailing on the Spirit in April. This is the first time we are going on a cruise. I have heard great things about this cruise. Please leave advice, pointers or any suggestions.. Thanks :)

 

I'm right there with you Mouse2385. I'll be sailing on my 1st Cruise with the NCL Spirit in January. I would love to hear any advice or information these veterans can give us. My big question would be the average cost of drinks on board.

[Heckah]

Average drink price roughly $5.50 or so for a pina colada or something along those lines. Beer obviously a little cheaper.

 

Remember, they tack on a 15% gratuity, but you really have to look at your slip to see it. Then there is a line for an additional tip. Newbies will add the additional tip not noticing the auto-gratuity.

 

Also, for the first day or so, the waitstaff will put your drinks in a souviner cup for an extra couple of bucks...so tell them upfront you don't want the souviner cup.

[BethP781]

Hi All! So funny. My first cruise will be on the NCL Spirit in March. I think the best way to get responses is to ask specific questions. I've been lurking and posting a little on these message boards for about two months now, and I've learned SO much! There's a wealth of info here, and I feel so much better now than I did when I first booked it.

 

Have fun! :D

[Zeno]

READ the Freestyle Daily that will be delivered to your cabin every day and take it with you when you are on-board - LOTS of good info re: open times of restaurants, bars etc and times of any entertainment or activities and any theme nights in the main dining rooms.

Have a great cruise.

[Maryfrei]

And if you haven't already, be sure to join the roll call for your voyage. Great place to meet people and share info:)!

[clm101798]

I'm sailing on the Spirit in April. This is the first time we are going on a cruise. I have heard great things about this cruise. Please leave advice, pointers or any suggestions.. Thanks :)

 

Which week? I am on the April 15th sailing.

[Mouse2385]

April 21 I just have general questions, like what and what not to bring? How the rooms are (have a stateroom with a window)? Things let let you bring on.. etc....

[algautr]

I'm right there with you Mouse2385. I'll be sailing on my 1st Cruise with the NCL Spirit in January. I would love to hear any advice or information these veterans can give us. My big question would be the average cost of drinks on board.

 

The big question ' drinks on board ' we are booked on the NCL Dream

Baltic Cruise Sept 14/ 2007

Have heard drinks are more expensive onboard than ashore in Scandinavia and Russia

Anyone have any comments?

 

algautr

[algautr]

Average drink price roughly $5.50 or so for a pina colada or something along those lines. Beer obviously a little cheaper.

 

Remember, they tack on a 15% gratuity, but you really have to look at your slip to see it. Then there is a line for an additional tip. Newbies will add the additional tip not noticing the auto-gratuity.

 

Also, for the first day or so, the waitstaff will put your drinks in a souviner cup for an extra couple of bucks...so tell them upfront you don't want the souviner cup.

 

I am still pretty new to this website... and only just spotted your post in re-ply to drinks onboard NCL ships

Would like to know if their pricing policy is global? anyone know?

 

algautr

[whatawonderfulworld]

Hello all new cruisers. Last year I went on my very first tiny cruise...a cruise to nowhere on the Carnival Legend...a nice two nighter out of NY with the DSIL (a very experienced cruiser!).

 

Well...I was then finally able to convince my DH (who was NOT too thrilled to say the least about cruising) to go on a 7 nighter out of NY on The Dawn. (He LOVED it...we will probably never go on another land based vacation ever...heh heh heh!!!) I digress again...

 

I came to this very board once I made the reservations to chew the fat, and one of the learned sages directed me to the Roll Call section of the message board. Son-of-a-gun...there was one for our cruise already started. I was the 4th poster and learned a tremendous amount of information about the ship. And one of the posters arranged for a meet and greet for our group...that was one of the many pleasant experiences we had on our cruise!

 

One thing I can say about cruisers...they are much like my gardening message board buddies...they love to share their wealth of knowledge to make it easier for those of us who are new to this way of vacationing.

 

As a result of the knowledge I gained here, we boarded the Dawn and knew RIGHT OFF where to check our bags, what the boarding process would be like, when to get to the pier, where to head for lunch (to a lovely dining room rather than the buffet), when to book Le Bistro, what "not to miss" in all of the dining rooms, which tender to take to the private island, etc etc.

 

And then Christmas came early...5 days or so befor we left last October the Upsell Fairy waved her wand over us and we went from an AF minisuite (which I was really looking foward to) to an AC Penthouse. Penthouse? What do I know from a Penthouse??? So I came back to the experts on this board..they gave me tips on how to work with the butler, how to tip the butler, the concierge...etc etc.

 

OK..I'm off my soapbox...go to the Roll Call...ask ask ask ask...come here too...at the end of the day realize you've come to the right place!

 

Bon voyage!!!!!

 

W A W W

 

P.S. I'm not sailing again until next September and, yes, I've already joined the roll call for our trip!

[whatawonderfulworld]

Double post - scusa!

[Cosmopolitan]

I'm sailing on the Spirit in April. This is the first time we are going on a cruise. I have heard great things about this cruise. Please leave advice, pointers or any suggestions.. Thanks :)

 

I've never sailed the Spirit but friends of mine sailed the Spirit in September...their first cruise...they just were tired of hearing me say how wonderful NCL (and cruising) was..so they did it.

They LOVED cruising and the Spirit:)

 

I could provide them with information about NCL but not the Spirit.

 

I followed every post from Spirit cruisers (you have plenty of time to do that from now until April) and I copied and pasted it all for them.

You can also do a search.

 

Just come on and ask your questions...Spirit has gotten some great reviews.