jrbeccles

As always so many thanks for your great suggestions!!

I will be taking the HAL Transatlantic trip in April 2024, and it ends up in Rotterdam. We will catch the train from there to Amsterdam and spend 3 nights in town before flying back. Does anybody have suggestions for a centrally located hotel that offers a breakfast option? I have stayed there before on a Gate1 tour, but that hotel is a haul from the city center. Appreciate the feedback!

Thanks for all of the replies - very helpful indeed. I'll book dinner for 9pm then and we will catch the 7.30 shows. This will be my 10th NCL cruise so kind of familiar with how they do things, but never one with this long duration, and never sailed on the Bliss. Panama Canal was on the bucket list. Agreed Cavern Club is too small but I'm a huge Beatles fan, so I'll get there and hour ahead and get a good seat! Thank you guys.

Taking the NCL Bliss from LA to Miami thru Panama Canal this coming January. I'd like to book some specialty restaurants soon. However, I'm not sure what the show times are on that ship, and how long they last. Pretty sure we would like to catch the early show and have a late dinner. Any thoughts? Also, what are the current Bliss shows? Thanks!

I think they are all using the "airline" model where they nickel and dime you for everything. Soon it will be pay toilets on the plane.

I will do thanks. We almost booked your trip, but decided to finish in Miami (we live in Central Florida) . We booked port cabins hoping we will see land on the way west.

Thank you all for great info!!

Two questions (well maybe one comment and one question) for you. We are Platinum on NCL, but it's been 18 months since our last Norwegian cruise as we have been having fun on HAL and Princess. I just booked, via NCL, the Bliss Panama Canal cruise this coming January 2024. Comment - (and I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed ad nauseum on the site). The NCL website has changed since I last used it, as it does not show port charges and taxes now when looking at a specific cruise. You must wait till the final checkout to see those additional costs. I wonder what their logic is behind this? I found it very annoying. It's like going to the store and buying a jar of coffee and the sticker says, “Well the jar is $8 for the base cost, but you won't know the shipping charges and our markup until you get to the cash register.” Question - What are the good Los Angeles port hotels, where we could have very easy access to the Bliss on the morning of sailing? Suggestions are greatly appreciated as I've never gone out of LA on a cruise. Thanks!

We head out tomorrow on our 28th cruise, this one on the Sky Princess which we have been looking forward too for ages. Our package includes one free specialty meal. In early November I booked Sabatinis, as did the couple who are traveling with us and have exactly the same package. We used the Princess Cruise Personalize to do so. About a week later I saw that $50 had been charged to my credit card for the meal from Princess. My friend did not get any charge. So, I called support at Princess, and after about 30 minutes of holds and transfers I was told that yes it was a mistake, but all I could do to get my $50 back was to go to Guest Services once onboard the ship. Click – end of conversation. After about a week I though why should I waste an hour of my vacation time at GS on the ship arguing about this. So, I called Princess Support again. This time after easily 90 minutes of holds and transfers, I got someone in some department that said yes, he could see the mistake and he could help me! He would issue a $50 credit to my account, which would hit in about ten days. Ten days go by, I see that not only did Princess not give me a $50 credit, but they charged me another $50. So now I'm out $100! Yesterday I called again to try to get some help. This time I literally was on the phone for 3 hours and 46 minutes and spoke to three different people working my way up the chain who told me three different things. In a nutshell it was “drop dead” and to get my now $100 back I have to try and fix it on the ship. To add insult the last lead agent asked me why I had waited till two days before sailing to question this. I said please look at my notes – this is the third time in a month I've asked for help and got nothing but a worn-down cell phone battery, the Princess hold theme ingrained in my memory forever, and a really sour taste with a group of support folks who want to do nothing but pass the buck down to the poor folks at Guest Services on the ship. Princess will question us to death at the end of the cruise, and also by email survey, as to how we were treated ON THE SHIP, but what about the terrible and fairly rude service on shore? Of course, in hindsight I should not have wasted about 5 hours of my life and on hold getting various lousy replies, but I thought how hard can this be? Well, I’ll go to GS on the ship and see what happens. More to follow!

Thank you for the guidance! I don’t see any shows yet on the app (Journey) but just the usual bingo, afternoon tea etc. will the shows come later?

Sailing on Sky Princess this coming December. I'd like to book two specialty restaurants, and also book a nightly reservation time in the Main Dining room. My question is, what days and at what times are the major production shows on the Sky? Don't want to book say a Tuesday 7pm dinner at Sabatini's, only to find the big show is that night at that time. I assume there are two show times every night, but I really don’t know. I've not been able, looking at Princess website, to even find out what the names of the shows are. Thanks for the help!

Let us just hope that on the Treasure they fix the long list of minor faults on the Wish.

This was our eighth Disney cruise (and 27th cruise in total), and first on the Wish. Travelling as two adults and no kids We were so excited when the Wish reservations opened up, we booked right away for a trip in September - little lower price and a few less kids. I must admit some months after the initial booking when the final payment was due, I did have second thoughts on how expensive it was going to be. More than my upcoming 7-day Princess Sky coming up in December. However, in for a penny, in for a pound Port Arrival Time and Embarkation I was on the computer at exactly 12am thirty days before cruise date, and it took about 20 minutes to complete all of the forms. Have your pictures and scans on the passports etc. When I finally got down to Port Arrival time the earliest I could get was 11.30, which was fine, but were given boarding group 7 for some unknow reason We live only two hours away, so on embarkation day we got there at 11.20, dropped off our two bags, and went around the corner to park. We try and park on level 3 as you can take a walkway across the street to the terminal. At check-in we were told that Safe Passage had not uploaded our covid tests, so we had to walk over to the testing tent where they typed in our testing results. Then back to the terminal, briefly through security and into the terminal itself, which was already packed. A few minutes after noon they started boarding, and about 12.30 they called our group 7 and on the ship we went! First impressions and lunch Ok so I watched 9000 You Tube videos about the Wish before I went, and I honestly thought the Grand Hall was going to be a massive thing, but it was much smaller than I thought. Maybe because it was packed with people. But still very nice. Here is where I made mistake number one – I saw people going into 1923 restaurant for lunch but instead, we made our way up to Marceline Market (MM) as I wanted my lamb chops and stone crabs. When we got to MM it was jammed. Despite what I saw on the videos, it's really no bigger than Cabanas. While they may have put in more tables, it was a very tight fit and somewhat cramped (a theme that would repeat itself many times again). In hindsight we should have gone to 1923 and had a leisurely less packed like sardines lunch. But the food was great in MM. Cabin We booked a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom on deck 6 aft. The cabin was very nice, with a five-foot diameter porthole, split bathroom, super comfortable bed, couch, and big chair in the corner. More than enough space for my wife and I. DCL does it right for its large cabins. TV location for us was great, plenty of USB plugs, and an air conditioner that actually stayed cool during the night! A little walk to the elevators, but no big deal. I will say the corridors are defiantly smaller on the Wish, so if you have a scooter or wheelchair get a cabin as close to the elevator as possible. When we got to the cabin my suitcase was there, but not my wife's – and so the drama begins. We headed to the muster station, which was in the hallway to Worlds of Marvel restaurant. We though wow if something goes wrong the about 700 people will show up in a twenty-foot-long narrow hallway, but luckily that never happened. I thought we should make reservations for the Hyperspace lounge, but when we got there, we were told reservations were no longer needed which was great Since we were there, we went in and sat at the bar. I must admit the portals into space windows behind the bar is very cool, and every few minutes you go into hyperspace and a new background shows up. The only problem is you can only order drinks that are on the I-pad they give you. So, you are limited to $20 and up cocktails or $14 up wines. It was nice to do it but once was enough. We headed back to the cabin to get cleaned up, and still no sign of the wife's suitcase. I did ask the rom steward Joel (who was fantastic!!) and he said he’d keep an eye out for it. We headed up to the Keg & Compass for trivia. As I mentioned small venues, the K&C was a very nice bar. However, for some reason it was the location of almost all of the trivias, and those events are always super popular. Hence the bar was overwhelmed at every trivia event, with folks siting on the floor and spilling out in the hallway. Made no sense to me. Back to the cabin, and still no suitcase. Now I'm starting to panic a little, so we headed down to Guest Services to see if they could help (I had tried calling and was on hold for 10 minutes and gave up). Let me tell you I've never seen so many people lined up at guest services - the line went halfway around the Grand Hall. We stood in line and were making almost no progress when I saw a crew officer moving a suitcase, so I asked him if he could help. He immediately got on the phone, and then told me that there would be people looking for it, and he also called our poor room steward. We went back to the cabin, and still no suitcase. “Oh well” said the wife, “if it's gone, I'll just buy all new clothes here on the ship. Now all I saw were big $$$ signs. By then it was time for the first show, and we headed down to the theatre. Theater and shows - All I can say is DO NOT miss them. By far the best shows I've seen as far as technical and special effects (and I went to Beauty and the Beast twice on the Dream). The singing and acting were fantastic in all three shows. Just wonderful. The only downside I would mention is the seats are small. No problem for me and he wife, but didn’t the designers spend a day walking around the Disney parks to see the average size of a passenger? I saw so many “large” folks really struggling to fit into the chairs. When 40% of Americans are obese, to make the seats so small is just poor design. Back to cabin, and yes, the wife's suitcase had arrived! It turned out to be our fault, as she had packed (unbeknownst to me) an electric heating pad which was confiscated and a receipt left in the case. The wife was now very happy (as was I and my credit card). Now off to dinner, with our first restaurant being Worlds of Marvel (WM) The Marvel restaurant was certainly different. The good news was that the food was quite good, as it was in all of the other locations. What was also consistent in all the of restaurants was it is very very cramped. The tables are all too close to each other. Luckily for us we were seated at a table for six, with another two couples, and one pair never showed up, so we had a little breathing room. As far as the Marvel show, it was a story show for a few minutes, then 15 minutes of clips from Marvel movies, then another 5-minute show, another 15 minutes of movie clips, and then a final story of 5 minutes, and then more Marvel clips. I'm not a big Marvel fan, and I don’t think the wife has ever seen a Marvel movie. No big deal the first time as it was different, but I'd be hard pressed to think I'd enjoy it again. Day 2 – Nassau We have been to Nassau many times, and were not going to get off the ship. We went to MM for a nice breakfast, and then watched a Disney movie on the TV. Wondered around the ship a bit, and had a really nice lunch in 1923. I highly recommend that place for breakfast and lunch. Again we did trivia, and then we went and had a few beers. I have the beer card (still good from the original purchase in 2002!), so getting the big mug was nice. The show that night was Little Mermaid, which was lovely. Dinner was at Arendelle, and the stage performance was great – fun music (from Frozen of course) and lots of funny bits. We went to the Bayou for a few drinks and the band was good. I think my only thoughts about that location was it was open on both sides and people were just using it as a pass-way. I would have blocked off one side to make the ambiance better. We tried to get into Nightingales after but it was packed, and in fact we didn’t get in during the whole trip as it’s a tiny bar. Day 3 – Castaway Cay Had a very leisurely breakfast in 1923. Service was top notch and food great. We put the swimwear on and headed out to the island, getting our picture taken with Chip and Dale on the way! Took the tram to Serenity Bay (adult beach) and got a good spot at the bar to people watch and drink. Swam for an hour, then a beer, and another swim, then another beer. Took the tram back to the Hideaway Bar for strawberry daiquiris, and the obligatory “couple” picture with the ship in the background. Beers at the bar were $7, but then they added 18% gratuity and 10% VAT so there were $10 each for a can of Bud. The daiquiris were $25 for two. Back to the ship about 1pm for a ride on the AquaMouse since we had our suits on. The ride was fun, but very quick. Lunch of tasty curries and other Asian goodies at almost empty MM. The wife took a nap and I want to another packed trivia at Keg&C. We went to the theatre to see the new live action Pinocchio movie with Tom Hanks. It was way better than we thought it was going to be. Up to deck 12 to watch the 7pm Mickey Pirate show, but just before it started it started to rain, and the show moved to the Grand Hall. By the time we got down there it was packed. They put on I'm sure a very abbreviated show, but it was good for the kiddies. Dinner that night was again at Arendelles, but they don’t put on a show on the second night. And it was the pirate menu. I'm not sure I'm into the Pirate Day any more. At first it was fun, but after 8 times it wearing a little thin. However, they did have lamb shanks which we love so it wasn't all bad! Here I will let you know that the menu on the DCL app is somewhat different than the menu you get in the restaurant!! Go figure. Luckily the rain had stopped in time for the Pirate Rocking Parlay party on deck 11. The show was great and fireworks really nice. Get there 30 minutes early to get a good spot – it was very crowded. The Lookout bar on deck 11 has draft Bud Light so I went there a few times before and after the show. Draft Bud was hard to find on the ship, and I'm not really big into all the craft beers they have at all the other bars. Day 4 – at sea We started to finally explore the ship, starting on deck 11. We were waylaid as “Zootopia” had just started on Funnel Vision, so we got deck chairs and watched the whole thing. We then headed to the Cove Bar and Quite Cove pool. So let me confirm what almost all of the YouTubers said – it's WAY too small. The infinity pool has two problems – its tiny, and you have to go down and up a ladder to get in. The pool was jammed, with lots of folks drinking and no one getting out – not good. The two little “cool off” seats on either side are useless in my opinion. I just don't know what they were thinking. As far as the bar, it's about 10 foot wide with no bar stools. So, you just can't hang out there and drink. We went to Currents Bar which was much better place to hand out at and relax. Has a drink there, then to the Chip and Dale pool which is no longer a secret and was very crowded. We had a peek inside the Hero Zone, and although we didn’t go there for any activities, it looked like a fun place for kids and adults. Headed on down to the shops to explore them. Mickeys Mainsail has the normal DCL merch, and a small spot for emergency items you may have forgotten to pack. On deck 3 we went through the jewelry and dress stores. There was one salesman who was really nice (and most likely bored) and though he knew we weren't going to buy anything he cajoled the wife to trying on $11,000 rings and other bits and pieces. We really enjoy just watching the kids interact with the characters. And there were characters pictures and interaction almost none stop during the cruise, which was lovely. The Meet the Princesses is a heartbreaker as the little ones just melt when they are with them. On the last day I saw Cinderella, as she was leaving, change directions and go over to a bench where there was a special needs gentleman. He could not talk, but she sat with him for at least 5 minutes talking to him and holding his hand. It brought tears to my eyes. The show that night was Aladdin, and it was spectacular. We then popped up to the Rose bar on deck 12 for an Old Fashioned and a glass of wine before dinner. The Rose is very nice. Dinner was at 1923, which has a great atmosphere and good food, but again way too cramped together. There was a lady on the next table literally 18 inches from my wife hacking and coughing. I was almost conned by the wine waiter there. I asked for a specific Mondavi merlot, and he said that the cab was much better and he highly recommended it, so I said sure, and off he went. Then the wife pointed out to me the cab was almost twice the price of the merlot, so I sent the waiter off to tell them “Back to the merlot”! Final thoughts The Wish we thought overall was a very good ship. We really had a good time. We met lots of people though who were seasoned DCL folks that didn't like it for various reason – too many dead ends (we heard that a lot and its true), venues too small (I agree), restaurants too cramped together, the Promenade deck on 5 was not good as you could not walk through the front or back! Hopefully DCL is listening, and will correct these rather important design flaws on the new Disney Treasure Also 4 days, and especially 3 days, is not enough to do half the things on the Wish. We just ran out of time! The crew were marvelous and just so nice – top notch. The bartender at Serenity Bay was tending bar at the Rose when we went in for our pre dinner drink, and when we sat at the bar she said “Hello Mr John”. My wife said how did she know my name? Well, I tip $2 cash a drink, but was the $4 I gave her at Castaway enough for her to remember me? Of course not - I just think DCL hires the best. Go on the Wish - you'll have a great time. And if you have the money, do a back-to-back.