Help - 1st timer

[Decoydonna]

Hi,

 

We are leaving January 16th from New Orleans. This is our first cruise and any advice information would be greatly appreciated.

 

1. Can we bring a bottle or two of wine on the boat? I checked the wine list and the wine I prefer is not on the ship's list?

2. Is there a duty-free liquor store on the boat? If we purchase there can we drink in in our room?

3. Can you buy liquor at the Ports and drink it in your room?

4. Can we order room service for for breakfast/lunch/dinner?

5. Ports of call - use NCL or private tours?

 

Thank you

[travelgirl101]

1. You can bring wine on board if it's not on NCL's list, but they will charge you a corkage fee.

 

2. Any liquor you buy on the ship or in the ports will be held until the end of the cruise and then given back to you the night before you disembark. (though sometimes, you can get a bottle or two by from the ports...you never know)

 

3. Room service is 24 hours, but the menu is limited.

 

4. Usually, but not always, you can save money and find a better excursion locally than you can via the ship. Sometimes, due to time restrictions, etc., ship excursions are a safer bet. Check out the Ports of Call Forum here for some excellent tips and recommendations.

 

Hope that helps....

[ColoradoJuli]

travelgirl is right - You can take wine with you and they will charge a $15 corkage fee if you consume the wine in the dining room. If you consume the wine in your cabin then there is no fee. Just remember to take a cork screw with you. You might think about this because it is nice to drink a glass of wine in the evening as you are getting ready for dinner.

 

Yes, there is a duty-free liquor store on board, but anything you buy will be held until the last night of the cruise when it will be dropped off at your room. The liquor that you purchase on shore is also duty free and is to be checked in when you enter the ship to also be given back to you the last night of the cruise. I have, however, been able to walk right past the 'check in' and take a bottle to my room. This wouldn't work with a huge package, but does work if you have other momentos that you are carrying back to your room. (Just my $.02)

 

On taking the cruise or separate excursion it really depends. The first time we cruised we took the ship tours. It gave us a good idea of what to expect. It also helped us to "get our feet wet" because we had never been to the Carribean. Now we never take a ship excursion and only do stuff on our own. So it is really a personal thing. You just need to remember that if you do not take a ship excursion that if you are late, the ship will not wait for you. The proprietors of the private excursions are aware of your time and will help you, but you would be wise to keep an eye on the time. We have never been left on shore and we have cruised for 5 years.

 

Whatever you do, you will have a wonderful time. We will be getting off our ship the same time that you are boarding yours! Have a wonderful trip and take lots of photos. You will want to remember this trip.

[Lobbylin]

My favourite cruising pastimes are:

 

Sailing out of port into the sunset, either up on deck, or on your balcony if you have one, with a glass of wine in your hand...

 

Watching for dolpins that occasionally sail alongside the ship....

 

Waking up in a new port each morning...

 

Hitting the ice-cream stand on board ship when we return from excursions....

 

Have a wonderful time on your first cruise!

 

Other tips:-

if you don't like tap water, bring along a few bottles (especially small 500ml bottles to take on excursions) as the ship charges you a fortune for these

 

if you like nibbles in your cabin - again bring some of your own for the same reason.

 

Almost forgot to add - we bring a small pair of binoculars with us so we are not squinting into the distance!

[bruins12]

When sailing the Dream ....Roatan and Belize are the two ports that I would definitely reccommend taking a NCL sponsored tours....these ports don't have the infrustructure, and are more secluded country's, so I would not reccommend doing your own thing...

 

But on the other hand...Cozumel and Cancun, I would feel comfortable venturing out on my own....Make sure to plan properly and be back to the ship in time though...when doing your own thing it is risky....In any event, when doing your own thing, make sure to bring a camera, so at least if you miss the ship, you can take a picture as it leaves the port...

[F5Loar]

When booking your own excursions be fearful of only one thing: Flat Tires.

If you get a flat tire 20 miles from the ship and they have no spare (usually in those far away countries compressed air is hard to find let alone a spare tire with air in it) then you will be late more often than not. However if you book through the ship and they have a flat tire the ship will wait for you. Yes it cost more, sometimes double but to me it's that added price you pay for piece of mind. I look at it like you are buying additional insurance over getting back to the ship safely. If the ship leaves you it will be the most expensive vacation you ever took in your life as your belongings float out at sea. It really all depends on the excursion you take. Some you can walk to from the ship and they don't travel in vehicles. Most require local taxis and that's where the flat tires some in to play. Most of the taxis look like they are running on borrowed time anyway.

[michelle45]

We've cruised for a number of years now and tend to do our own thing. Not always though as this year we went on a ship excursion to 'swim with Dolphins' in Tortola. We paid $165 each for my son and I plus another $40 for my husband to watch us. We really enjoyed the trip but were frustrated to find that the cost, had we booked it direct would have been $15 for my husband (for the bus ride as no admittance fee) and $99 for my son and I. The venue was about 8mins from the ship.

Now I know that all cruise lines need to make a profit, and I don't knock them for that. All I would say is do your homework via tha the internet and you will likely save the 50% that the cruiselines add on. Ask questions such as distance from ship etc and you will be fine 99.9% of the time... and what is life without a little risk!!:)

[golz74]

DecoyDonna How do you check the wine list on the ship. I am going on the Dawn in Feb 2005 and would like to know if they carry my wine

[shoreguy]

DecoyDonna How do you check the wine list on the ship. I am going on the Dawn in Feb 2005 and would like to know if they carry my wine

 

 

http://www.ncl.com/more/wine_list.htm

 

Hope that helps :)

[chatisfaction]

If you are at all nervous like I am you are kind of at the mercy of the cruise line. I wouldn't mind risking my excursion deposit if we don't make the port or something but I'm terrified of not being on the ship when it leaves so I usually book excursions through the ship and just mumble a bit about the extra cost I pay.

[Decoydonna]

Thank you all so much for the information. I am so glad I found this site.

 

Is there self laundry on the Dream? I want to keep my packing to a minimum.

[TheDivineMsM]

No self laundry.