New Cruiser about to take Spirit & I'm concerned

[roc1847]

Hockey,

My husband and I got a kick out of your post. Congrat's on your daughters Graduation!!!

it's with-out a doubt your accomplishment also.

Tee

[roc1847]

Toyz,

Thank you for the links I signed up for the roll call and will check out your pics. thank you so much.

I am traveling with 3 to a cabin. The issue with the TA was that he was told by NCL the day I booked that it was a full window and thats why I paid the extra $50 each. But like i said in the first post I called NCL and they said it was then said it was not. The TA talked to NCL and they switched cabins and said it is a full window and charged me another $20 and it turned out not to be. A supervisor from NCL apologized and switched cabins again only to find out that the cabin #'s and categories do not match. They are trying to fix it but as of right now I have not heard from anyone over the weekend. i have been more then nice...paying the different extra prices even though I already paid but i am nervous because the cabin and category listed right now on my paper work does not exist.

So i'm going with the people on here who have the experience and will continue to think positive.

What would you guys have done the same?

Tee

[Toyz711]

i research, like mad...when DH finally calls to book..we know about where we want our cabin. it's not that important to us, i just enjoy 'puters and what i can find doing a search.

looks like you need to be on deck 8 or 6 to get the full window...

deck 7 is the main deck, with all public rooms and the main lobby. deck 8 is where the CC cabins are...listed to have full windows. from my photo..deck 6 has windows, also. the gangway was on deck 4..you can count up from there.

[roc1847]

toy,

My confirmation said

first cabin was on the front of the ship 6506 charged me $150 for picture window (said window but porthole)

Second was 6508 sec C Wanted to charge me another $140 but got $20 (said windo but porthole)

now it's floor 5056 sec C but according to NCL's FL plan there is no section C.. on this fl.....lol

 

look at discription of suite below sent by my TA inoriginal first email. it's almost funny at this point.

 

"This stateroom features a sitting area, two lower beds, a bedside table, a picture window or porthole, bathroom with shower, TV, hair dryer, and safe. Porthole stateroom categories include category D, F, G, HH, and H and some category C staterooms. (157 sq. ft.)"

 

The words "some C" is what made me call NCL

 

tee

[Toyz711]

you can see the picture windows vs the portholes in this photo:

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/fleet/shipInformation.html;jsessionid=LxNTC7nRpZgH4THG20zvvl1v7dG0xvvW!-1786187083?shipCode=SPIRIT

i don't have a photo that shows the side of the ship, clearly. now that you said the cabin numbers...maybe someone can tell for you sure..if it has a window or porthole (i call them potholes..since they are the same size as one:D )

cabin 5056 is a "D"...you can check it out here, just run your cursor over the cabin and the catagory shows up.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/fleet/deckplan.html?shipCode=SPIRIT

from the photo i am looking at...the cabins on deck 5 and 6..between the front elevators and mid-elevators are windows?

[CruisnGram]

According to cruisedeckplans.com, 5056 is Category E, which as Toyz says, is not what the NCL website says. However, the first two rooms, 6506 and 6508 are different categories, even though they are right next door to one another. 6506 is Category D and 6508 a Category C. That would explain the diff in price even though they are next door to one another...it is a category change.

 

Also, according to this website, Categories F, G, HH, & H are portholes. So that would mean that E, C, & D are windows which is not the information you were told, so I'm not sure how much this info is going to help you. If I were to guess, I'd say that both 6508 and 5056 are picture windows.

[KerCar]

Here's the best shot I have of that part of the ship. Since 5056 is mid, it should have a window.

[Toyz711]

much better photo, of that part of the ship, then i have. i forget to take photos of the outside of the ship:rolleyes: .

the problem is: no one the OP is talking to, has been on the ship and has no 1st hand information.

compare that photo to the deckplans for decks 5 and 6...the good thing about deck 5, you are under deck 6 (cabins). on deck 6 ...you would be under public area.

6508 would not have been so good, it's under the area of the casino, close to the Maharini's Lounge & Nightclub...plus it's forward (more motion). i love the spirit, but while at the slot machines..you could feel the up/down motion of the ship.

make sure you check what's over/under you before you let them move you, again.

[slotaddict]

how many are in your cabin? that may be part of the problem....the spirit has limited cabins that can sleep more the 2 or 3. it does sound like your TA doesn't know a pothole from a full window. i wonder why they didn't make sure a window cabins was available before they canceled your 1st cabin.

yes, the balconies sell out fast...very popular.

the spirit is a lovely ship, she is getting a facelift this november...

if you want to see some photos of her, i have then in my signature..in my webshot link.

there should be plenty to do, the cruise director and staff will host parties during the week...just read the daily every night...everything for the next day will be listed. trivia games, karoke...plenty to go, for all ages.

if you liked the dawn and know "freestyle" the spirit will not be a problem.

 

Cathi, one of the crew told us that the drydock is only for a week. I don;t know how much they will get done in a week. I know they work around the clock in drydock, but I would have thought it would be longer.

Roe

[Toyz711]

i don't think the ship needs that much...besides the engine replaced and the ship shined up. from what i hear, they work fast with any carpet replacing..

the bedding may get replaced before that, the buffet is, already, action stations. i would like to see them replace the "insert" on the balcony. ours was scratched and dirty from the salt air.

they were painting the exterior while we were at roatan and santo tomas...that's a constant thing to keep up with. as fast as they work, a week should be enough. i just hope to see the results this winter:D

[roc1847]

First off this site is addicting! lol

Toyz and Kercat and others should be hired by the cruise line because you guys have more information then any one I spoke to on the phone.

The room # stuff amd catagories are at this point ao confussing to me one site says one thing then an NCL person says another and then of course there is my TA!! lololol

At this point I trust you guys more then anyone.

Second, you all seem to love the Spirit which makes me think I will too.

Thank you all for caing!

T

[roc1847]

According to cruisedeckplans.com, 5056 is Category E, which as Toyz says, is not what the NCL website says. However, the first two rooms, 6506 and 6508 are different categories, even though they are right next door to one another. 6506 is Category D and 6508 a Category C. That would explain the diff in price even though they are next door to one another...it is a category change.

 

Yes I understand the different categories and prices, but I already had paid the extra $150 for a window and they told me I had it. When i found the mistake they should have never charged me any more money to move me to a room I already paid for only to move me again because they believed I still was not getting what I paid for. Trust me ladies it's not the $20 bucks. It really is the printable and it should not be this confussing for someone who has not really cruised in the past.

All anyone wants is to be treated fairly and get what they paid for right?

T

[Toyz711]

i agree, your TA should have made sure of the arrangements and double checked them, to make sure you had your window. you shouldn't be doing this much work or worry.

your 1st cabin..6506 is a porthole, but 6508 shouldn't be..according to the photos. but it is a lousy location...right under the area of the casino, night club...even cagney's steakhouse is close to that area. the nice thing, it was only 1 flight up to a lot of stuff. but a good chance for extra late-night noise. plus i think you would feel the ship's motion more.

however it happened, i think you will be much happier in the new cabin..5056, with cabins above and more late-night noises, plus it's more mid-ship.

maybe you should thank your "lucky" star you got moved? just sorry it has been this stressful for you. maybe you should call NCL direct, next time..or find a TA that can handle things better?

[roc1847]

After everything i read I do believe I just may have ended up in the right place. i guess we will se when I get there. Everything happens for a reason.

To be honest I was more annoyed talking to NCL. then i was the TA. i did get one funny lady when she realised the last NCL person made a mistake by charging me and she said :I'm all over this mistake"

Unfortunatly she came back on with and told me her supervisor was handling it with my TA.

But thanks Toyz for all your advice and helpful positivness!

Tee

[Rickdabear]

I just got off of the Spirit. We had a great time. As for the age question: I'm mid-50s and we had "kids" on the ship that were in their 20s that had a ball. There is plenty to do on and off the boat for people of that age group. Granted, the nightlife has passed me by, but I'm sure they will find things to enjoy on the ship.

Da Bear

[loverboy]

I just got off of the Spirit. We had a great time. As for the age question: I'm mid-50s and we had "kids" on the ship that were in their 20s that had a ball. There is plenty to do on and off the boat for people of that age group. Granted, the nightlife has passed me by, but I'm sure they will find things to enjoy on the ship.

Da Bear

 

 

No way Bear !! You aint that old !!!

The Spirit rocks and moves us all da time !!

Have a wonderful time on your cruise and make sure the girls check the dailies for post 10 pm activities "upstairs " ;)

[KerCar]

After everything i read I do believe I just may have ended up in the right place. i guess we will se when I get there. Everything happens for a reason.

To be honest I was more annoyed talking to NCL. then i was the TA. i did get one funny lady when she realised the last NCL person made a mistake by charging me and she said :I'm all over this mistake"

Unfortunatly she came back on with and told me her supervisor was handling it with my TA.

But thanks Toyz for all your advice and helpful positivness!

Tee

 

Tee~

 

Midship deck 5 is a good location. I think you'll be very happy there:) Have a GREAT cruise:D

[flashdog_1]

I'm glad it was said: there's something for every one. A kid who is known as a party animal at home might not be the same among strangers, and doesn't know this about him/herself until it happens! Likewise, even the party prone might discover he/she likes the library to get away from it all and the "having to perform" business. I just love cruising. And I think people learn stuff about themselves while cruising. That's why they say travel is broadening.

 

Hope you and your daughters have a great time, whatever you are doing and in whatever cabin you are sleeping.

[Rickdabear]

No way Bear !! You aint that old !!!

 

The Spirit rocks and moves us all da time !!

 

Have a wonderful time on your cruise and make sure the girls check the dailies for post 10 pm activities "upstairs " ;)

 

I'm so old I forgot I was on the Jewel this time. I'm 56 and just got my first tatoo before we sailed. It is a nice blue cancer ribbon on the back of my neck to celebrate making it five years with this form of cancer and 21 total with all four.

Da Bear

[Jeanne S]

Hi all, I am new to this site and pretty new to cruising. I have only been on one cruise and it was the NCL Dawn and LOVED it.

It was a total accident that I ended up on that trip. My friend who's name happens to be Dawn was in her mid 20's planned on going with her best friend also in her mid 20's but a few weeks before the trip her friend, a NYC police officer was wounded in the line of duty. Her neck was shattered and she would have to wear a metal contraption for months to come. Since it was a few weeks before the cruise they both would have lost money so NCL allowed her to take someone else. So Dawn asked me to PLEASE come with her as she didn't want to take her first cruise by herself. I was never interested in cruising but decided since I would be turning the big 40 five days into the cruise,,,why not! I never imagined that a 25 year old would have a good time with a 40 year old on a cruise. Well I was wrong. Age was never a factor on the NCL Dawn and we both had a ball.

 

Now....

My 22 year old daughter graduated from collage this weekend!!!! The first of 23 grandchildren!!!! It's a huge deal in my family. So I saved every penny to take her and her best friend (who also lives with me & my husband & is very much like a daughter to me) on a WELL deserved trip.

Here is the problem...

I wanted to book NCl because of my experience on the Dawn. The 8 day's we could all sail was June 14th and the Spirit seemed to have a good deal. So without doing much research I booked it. I started having a huge problem with my cabin information. I paid an extra $50 for an each for an unobstructed full window view. I was looking at our cabin on a travelosity site and noticed they said my cabin # was a porthole. I called NCL and they confirmed it, they also told me I had to move up a floor to get a window they suggested Icall the agent I booked with and he will deal with them to fix it. I did..He was very nice and he explained how the problem happened and that NCL moved me to a cabin with a full window but NCL wanted $140 more... I know I should have put up a fight but was told the Spirit was sold out so i just said OK. He later told me he got them down to $20 instead of the $140. Still this annoyed me but said nothing.

Now I was nervous...being a virtually new cruiser I started reading more about the Spirit and looked at my new cabin it was then I noticed they only moved me to the cabin right next door to my original. I remembered what the women from NCL told me about moving up so I .clicked the information on the new cabin and it too was a porthole. This started a big issue because charging me ANOTHER $20 on top of the original $150 only to move me into the same problem really upset me. The issue is still not over. They moved again this time this time i did change FLs, but the floor is down a flight instead of up...and thats not what the women from NCL said so I won't really know till I get on the ship. Like I said I started doing some reading on the spirit after all th mess and I am a little worried after reading some things on other review sites. Some were very negative about the Spirit but what concerned me the most was the information on the nightlife for young adults. Like I said I have been on one other cruise and can not share enough about how wonderful it was. So my girls are expecting the same nightlife.

I have saved every penny for the last 2 years for this gift for my girls and I'm starting to fear I didn't do enough homework researching what ship would be best for their age group. I am much more worried about their good time then ANYTHING else.

I am praying they find other people in their age group to dance the night away. That is what they are looking for, it's what my friend found on the Dawn, and what they heard me say over and over after my trip.

So my questions are.....Is the Spirit good for their age group?

Does the Spirit have a good nightlife for young adults

 

the window issue is out of my hands for now but finding information for my daughters is most important and I'm losing sleep over it.

I just want them to feel the same way I did after my first experience with NCL. They worked so hard and deserve a wonderful first cruise.

I really believed that cruising was the way to vacation for now on after I got off that boat and pray the same when they get off the Spirit.

Any information you give me will be SOOOO appreciated.

I did write about my concern for the girls good time on another site (never mentioned the cabin mishap) and only one person responded. I hope someone takes pity on me and answers even if the information is not what I want to hear.

I just want to be prepared.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Tee

 

 

Hi!

 

 

Have sailed on the QE2 with a small porthole in "Caronia Class" and two bigger portholes in the much desired "Grill Class." We were fine (Pn NCL usually get a balcony and sometimes a suite with butler service. We were on the NCL Crown in the Apartments (603 sq ft with a balcony of 160 sq ft - the size of our previos cabin on the Crown_. Only the Apartments had balcony's which is why we choose them when re-booking.

 

I bring up the Crown as it is an older ship like the NCL PSpirit purchased by parent owner Star Cruises. All I can tell you is that the Crown was a classy ship. They just don't build and decorate ships today likes those from the 1980's. The teenagers and young adults in their twenties seemed to be having a great time and this was a very small ship (33,000 tons). I would not worry about it - they will make their own fun.

 

I have been on the Dawn twice and prefer the older, refurbished ships from NCl as well as the QE2 from Cunard. My friend has sailed on the Dawn, RCCL Radiance and Voyager Class and she is taking her college age daughter and friend on the Spirit this July (having taken them the Dawn previously).

 

I am sure you will all have a great sailing and can't wait to hear about your experiences on the spirit.

 

Jeannie

[Jeanne S]

I would write to the Predsident of NCL. Go to the top. I have done this on several occasions and have always been 100% satitfied with the results. Just sent all the documention you have - emails, letters etc. Your TA could call NCL and get a different person each time with a different answer. Just go to the top. The President does care and will delegate this to get resolved.

 

Jeannie

 

 

Toyz,

Thank you for the links I signed up for the roll call and will check out your pics. thank you so much.

I am traveling with 3 to a cabin. The issue with the TA was that he was told by NCL the day I booked that it was a full window and thats why I paid the extra $50 each. But like i said in the first post I called NCL and they said it was then said it was not. The TA talked to NCL and they switched cabins and said it is a full window and charged me another $20 and it turned out not to be. A supervisor from NCL apologized and switched cabins again only to find out that the cabin #'s and categories do not match. They are trying to fix it but as of right now I have not heard from anyone over the weekend. i have been more then nice...paying the different extra prices even though I already paid but i am nervous because the cabin and category listed right now on my paper work does not exist.

So i'm going with the people on here who have the experience and will continue to think positive.

What would you guys have done the same?

Tee

[roc1847]

I can not say enough that everyone on this site is amazing and full of information.

Congrats Da Bear on you cancer blue. I have 3 cancer survivors in my immediate family, brother ,sister,mother. I know that sounds like a lot but I have 9 brothers and sisters and we all smoked.

May you have many more clean years.

The sweet women who was so old she forgot she was on the jewel.....OMG I was laughing so hard.

The people who took the time to show the boat pictures...bless you. I am truly OK with where I end up because I just might meet people like you.

I told my girls all about you guys and now they are so happy.

thank you Thank you thank you!

PS I will contact the President as suggested only because I am finding too many sites with the wrong deck plans. You book on travelosity and you think your getting a whole different room. That's not NCL' fault but they should be made aware of it. It might help end the confusion.

Tee

[Preds]

With-in 5 minutes of my post you guys have made me feel sooooo much better and I and my girls (althought they have no idea how much i was panicing) can't thank you enough for responding.

Let the positive post continue.

You both are right as far as attitude goes positive ones have the best time. We do have fun together so it will be the same on the boat too.

 

hugs and kisses to all who made me feel better.

 

PS

itinerary is

PR-San Jaun

BVI-Tortola

DR-Samana

What deck/cabin number are they telling you is a porthole?

 

We had a deck 5 cabin on the Spirit in 2006 wihth a full window. In fact most of the ocean view cabins are fuill windows with a few exceptions on deck 4, and I believe very forward on deck 5.

 

We've been on the Spirit twice and have had a great time both times. We like the Spirit more than the Star, which is a sister ship to the Dawn.

[Toyz711]

i would just go by NCL's website and then email the other one and tell them how wrong they are. whoever did the website for the online TA goofed.

[roc1847]

Ok my peeps,

I just got an email with this information...

Ok here it is

My TA's confirmation say's:

(I had to remove our birth dates & last names for security reasons nothing else was changed)

Cabins and Passengers

 

Cabin #CategoryNamesDOBCitizenshipBooking #

5056Cat DMrs. Theresa United States154040655056Cat DMs. Amanda United States154040655056Cat DMs. Monique United States15404065

Description of assigned cabin(s):

 

5056 - Oceanview

 

So I go to the site to check it all out and to do advanced registration since I have not done it due to the constant changes...

Below is right from NCL. This is NCL's booking information for me.

Notice the Category difference...

 

Guest

Name, MONIQUE , THERESA , AMANDA Category and StateroomCategoryStateroom 5056

Two lower beds, picture window or porthole.

 

Now the above is directly from NCL and according to their deck plans their are NO cat C's on the 5th fl.

Every other site I have looked at from travelosity to cruise sites have the cabin I am in as a cat E.

 

Maybe in the end the category does not make a difference but according to an NCL costumer service rep the reason I paid extra was because of the category change...lol

 

If NCL's is correct then I paid twice for the same category.

 

Just wanted to give you the update. I'm leaving it alone & will see what happens when I get on the ship where I will have the TIME OF MY LIFE!!

Tee