cruiserbear55

You're showing your age!!

Boston had a dedicated CAS check-in line for years and years. After security, we were directed to a special CAS line and after being checked in, always received Group A boarding passes. Group A was third group on the ship after Haven and mobility impaired folks. My DW now uses a rollator when faced with walking long distances, such as a ship. So we now go through a special security line and check-in line for mobility impaired. So not sure if there is still a CAS check-in line in Boston, but can attest that there WAS one.

Then please tell us how room comps are decided, if not based on play. Obviously, the more you stuff the slots the higher tier level you attain.

We've had three and a half inches of rain since yesterday afternoon, and have been under tornado watches/warnings all morning which are still in effect here in south central NH. NASCAR race in Loudon cancelled till tomorrow.

Try it yourself at home. Get yourself a three gallon plastic bag ( bathroom waste container size.) Get a load of dirty clothes, ( don't use clothes that Mrs.RB may have just spent hours cleaning, or there'll be hell to pay!!.) Roll them as tightly as you can, and PLACE them methodically in the bag until full. Now dump out the bag and ruffle up all the clothes. Now try just stuffing them in the bag. You'll find you will fit a whole lot more by rolling than stuffing. And as MagnoliaBlossom stated above, pack a couple of those plastic bags to line the paper laundry bag NCL provides. The paper bags are cheap, flimsy, and tear easily. Happy Cruising!!

And roll your clothes.

Port: St.Georges, Bermuda. But don't think any but the smallest ships can get in there any longer. Ship: The Dawn. Just the right sized ship. Always enjoyed entertainment in the Atrium, especially when Patti and Jose were playing! Room: Forward Club Balcony ( or mini-suite). It was the best we could afford!

We were in cabin#11020 last October and April. Yes, the tubs have been removed and have been replaced with walk-in showers. So much nicer!

Me either.

Lava cake in the MDRs. ( Indigo on the Pearl-yum!!). Soft serve ice cream.

Haven or not, if you arrive early and boarding doesn’t start till hours later, you’re going to have a wait until boarding begins.

If you check in, let's say, at 9:30 and boarding doesn't commence until noon, you'll be the first group to board but will still have had a 2 1/2 hour wait. OTOH, if you arrive and check in at 1:00PM and boarding started at noon, you should go straight from check-in to boarding with no wait.

Your flippy-flops at dinner on Cunard must be quite the sight!!

Haven't been on the Gem since October of 19, just before the pandemic hit.Don't believe it has gone through a refurb since then. (If it has and I'm wrong, please, someone chime in.) Yes, all the club balconies,( or mini suites) had the bathtub/shower combos. The tub is exceptionally high, and very narrow at the end away from the shower head. Almost shaped like a sarcophagus. My wife has back issues, and had a very difficult time getting in and out of the tub. So I would think anyone with mobility issues may have a tough time. We have since sailed the Pearl twice. She was refurbed and all the mini-suite tubs removed and replaced with walk in showers. So much nicer! P.S. Welcome to CC, mom8times!

Bar opens at 9:00PM in the casino.The systems at the bar for processing drinks and the slot/poker machines and table games magically come alive at 9:00PM. Before then, nothing is operational.

For a fee, of course! When it was instituted back in 2013, the fee for a 2000-2500 passenger ship making more than 15 visits a year was $75,000.00. More passengers, higher fees. For the life of me, I can't find an updated fee schedule, but like everything, licenses have probably increased in cost.

If you're taking the 8 grand kids, they'll be at least 8!! After checking the 6 NE states, they are split evenly between two being on vacation each of the last three weeks of April. A quick check of a few other states- couldn't find any first week vacations, all I looked at are 2nd,3rd, and 4th weeks.(But didn't check them all). So as far as folks from the USA taking their kids on your cruise, looks like the first week would be your best bet. It is tough to tell by your post if you are looking to sail with lots of kids and families, or trying to avoid that situation. Anyway, to me your main concern should be when European countries are on school vacation in April. I would presume the majority of cruisers will be from across the pond! Happy cruising!!

IMHO, cabin coffee is the best coffee on any NCL ship I have been on.

Keep in mind, this is a family show!!! (jk)

Inquiring minds want to know. What's the first?

As stated above, they're just a venue for NCLs sales pitches. Did a couple years ago as cruise newbies. No need to ever do one again!

As Charles4515 stated above, Frog and Onion has an automatic service charge of 17%. It is added to your bill.Take time to read it! If you're paying by card, they'll hand you a card reader with the amount owed. Under that is the tip area, either a numerical amount you key in or a percentage.Well, if you're like most folks, you'll tip about 20%. If you didn't take the time to read your bill, you're unaware they have already charged you 17%. So you click on the 20% tip button and go on your way, satisfied with the Bermuda fish chowder, red onion rings, and the wonderful home made mac and cheese your party just consumed. About a month later you're going over your credit card bills. You can't figure why your Frog and Onion bill is so high. After a little investigation you realize-"Oh crap! I paid a 37% tip!". Be careful!!

Living in NH we probably eat lobstah a dozen times a year. We travel to the coast to purchase them, and they're literally right off the boat! Our first cruise was on the Celebrity Summit in 2005 to Alaska. They made a big deal all week about all-you-can-eat lobster tails on the last night. Well, we're really looking forward to this, as you can imagine. Well, the tails turned out to be Caribbean rock lobster (or spiny lobster). They were inedible!! So we never entertain the thought of having lobster on-board. Not worth the trip, as they say. A quick aside. There was one time we enjoyed real New England lobster on an NCL ship. We were on the Dawn somewhere around 2013 or 14. There was a huge glut of lobster on the market that year, and they were selling for obscenely low prices. NCL went out and bought what must have been a truckload of them. There was lobster, as much as you could eat, available in any venue for the first two days!! With no upcharge! One of the cruises we'll always remember!

Theoretically speaking: If you took a cruise from NY or Boston to Bermuda, port fees and taxes will be approx. $550.00; admin fee of $20.00 p/d x 2=$280.00; daily service charge of $20.00 p/d x 2=$280.00; 20% gratuity on beverage package $152.60 x 2= $305.20; approx. $20,00 gratuity on your one specialty restaurant. The "free" cruise now costs about $1425.00. That's before you tip your steward or anyone else, before you buy insurance, and before you've spent a dime in the casino!! Cheaper than paying full freight? Definitely. But free? Definitely not!! Happy cruising!!