nyc2theworld

What day of the cruise was it? If you were in some places territorial waters then local liquor laws now apply.

I did a solo cabin on the Getaway back in August with the drink package.

1 - I'm not sure if it included drinks during the sail away party...my memory is very fuzzy after the muster drill, but I had the UBP so that would explain the fuzzy memory ;):)

2 - There's a sun deck (no pool or cool down area) and then SpiceH2O which is aft that is adults only. Vibe is really if you want a quiet area of the ship with a bar nearby...or a waiter...they'll bring a drink to you while you sit in the hot tub! :);) There are padded chairs on the waterfront to SIT on, not to lay down on like you are in the sun. If you enjoy Sun, not being around kids and drinking, the Vibe Pass is definitely worth it.

3-Nope! In fact based on what I read here I knew to go to the port early enough so that I could get a Vibe Pass. In fact, I met a couple in the terminal who were doing the exact same thing and got one of the cabanas there! I was the first in line and they were the 2nd. So no, it will not affect you meeting people. In fact, you'll probably meet more people there than at the LGBT meetings as the Sunset Bar. You really will need to use your gaydar to find people who are at the LGBT meetup instead of just drinking (just remember to check both the inside part and outside part of Sunset bar since it's on the Waterfront).

OP, if it helps, NCL does not force you to handle your carry-on luggage around the ship until your cabin is ready. There is a designated area to check your carry-on items so you can enjoy your lunch and afternoon exploration hassle free. :)

While this is true on most ships, it is NOT true on the Getaway.

Anybody flying to Europe a couple of days earlier?

Originally I was going to go to London for a couple of days but decided against that. Now heading to Amsterdam first then will spend my day taking the train from Amsterdam to London to Southampton.

I would tell her to go to one of the doors that leads to the studios. When I was in the getaway in August our cruise director propped open the door during that timeframe so other solo travelers could come to the lounge for the meet and greet. There have been other posts that have said they might be able to go to Guest Services and get another ship key to open the studio lounge though I cannot personally confirm nor deny that.

While I hope the family is ok this is pretty exciting!! Such drama. I would love to watch this happen.

How does time work on a Trans Atlantic cruise (specifically Westbound) since that's what I'm booked on when you are constantly changing timezones?

I was just informed last week that Tortola is being skipped from my 1/2/15 cruise. I just got off the phone with a supervisor who didn't explain why and said we were unable to cancel without penalty and there was nothing further they could do. I felt the $100 cabin credit was not enough. I would have chosen a shorter cruise as I wasn't looking for 6 full days at sea. I can get 3 stops on a 7 day cruise. I also feel a $100 cabin credit across the board is not fair. Passengers paying for an inside cabin get the same credit as others paying a lot more for a suite? Makes no sense. Sorry to vent...very disappointed.

How does not stopping in Tortola affect the person in a suite differently vs a person in an inside stateroom? I can't imagine there is a significant difference (priority tendering? if Tortola is a tender location only)? If there is a significant difference that would be cause for different compensation amounts.

The only thing I would expect on top of the 100 OBC would be a refund of the applicable port charges for Tortola.

Wrong information??? How can not wishing to pay 15% tip be classed as wrong. ?

I never have and never will pay 15% tip to anybody.

It looks like you are from the UK. Looking at the first link I could find about tipping in the UK Tipping in the UK it seems like in most instances you do not tip for services provided. That's fine...in the UK.

NEWSFLASH - When leaving the UK, its a good idea to research and follow suggested tipping practices for the places you are visiting. If this is too difficult for you to follow you are basically insulting the a part of the local culture, and insulting a local culture is wrong.

The reason why NCL says its suggested is for marketing reasons. If they say you are required to pay it, then it becomes a part of the cost. However, if they say it is suggested (they really should use the word customary) they can market the price of a drink as X + an suggested gratuity automatically billed to your account.

Lastly, if you have ever visited the US and dined at any restaurant with a part of 6 or more, too late, you've already paid gratuity; and its more than just 15%.

There are two components to iConcierge. The first portion is free which allows you to book shows, shore excursions, dinner reservations and I believe see the daily events on the ship.

The 2nd portion is 7.99 and allows you to receive and make calls shipwide in addition to sending and receiving messages from other PAID iConcierge users.

The system works OK at best. I did have some problems with the app recognizing that I was on the ship's Wifi and using it for voice was just abysmal. If you are traveling in a group the messaging might be useful otherwise the free portions of the app are good enough.

This was on the Getaway back in August.

1. While boarding the ship, confirm the UBP and UDP stickers are on my key.

2. (If on a ship with this) Go directly to Guest services and purchase Vibe Pass.

3. Go to nearest bar and start drinking and meeting up with people.

4. Go on a bar tour of the ship.

5. Muster drill

Yes. Everyone in a room must buy the same beverage package. The only exception there is deals with someone sharing a room with a under 21 year old guest. If the over 21 guest buys a drink package with alcohol (either Ultimate Beverage or Wine and Beer) then the under 21 year old must purchase the soda package.

I didn't think that promo was even for sale any longer?

Its gone. You had to book it by 9/30.

I believe it depends on the deck your stateroom is located on. Even from terminal C, odd from Terminal B. Of course this could change so please check your edocs which will tell you what terminal you should present yourself for embarkation.

If you want vibe passes when you board ask your butler they should be able to get it for you before everybody else. For non haven customers as many other posts suggest get to the port as early as possible to board in group 1 and go IMMEDIATELY to guest services to purchase one. They are 79.

Your sea pass card will have a sticker on it when you get it that shows you have the package. Just order your drink and hand the server your card. They will bring you a receipt you need to sign that will show a cost of $0. You can add an extra tip at that time if you want.

This is slightly incorrect. As of my cruise on the Sky in September and the Getaway in August the receipt will show the cost of the beverage plus the autogratutity of 15%. However, the back end systems of the ship that process all beverage purchases will see that you have the UBP and will not charge your onboard account the purchase + standard gratuity.

A question regarding this free package. I called NCL today to make my final payment on our Getaway cruise and asked the girl if I could now book the 3 restaurants involved in this promotion. She told me that I have to wait until I am onboard to make reservations. If I booked them now, I would be charged for them. Is that correct?

Also she told me to remember to bring white clothes for the White Party. I have not read anything on these boards about a white party - does she have that right???

Yes. Its technically now the Glow party where they turn Spice H20 into a dance club and fill it with black lights so your cloths glow. White tends to glow the most under black light and most people wear white to it so while it is a white party, in the dailies its known as the Glow Party.

I fit both a very large roller suitcase and a carry on suitcase underneath the bed. There's plenty of space underneath the bed for your suitcase and there's even a basket there you can use for dirty clothes. I must have brought 16 different shirts. The first night of the cruise they did a 50% off ironing (not sure if they still do but they did for mine) so I sent everything out that I wouldn't need the first day to get ironed. All came back on hangars that I just hung in the wall unit and it worked great.

We just returned from the BA and had the UBP. I checked nightly our TV account and it never showed any drink purchases or credits. Though it did show any extra gratuity I may have put on in a venue when I signed my ticket.

I can confirm this is the way it works now. On the Getaway and Sky it worked exactly like above. If you have the UBP you "purchase" your drink like anybody else. The gratuity is already included in the package so you just write 0.00 for any additional tip on the receipt, sign and you're set. Of course, if you want, you can leave an additional tip but that is then billed to your onboard account.

Of course if you buy a drink for someone else you are charged the full price.

Also one last thing, if you want the drink of the day in a souvenir cup, they only charge you for the cup not for the drink. At least that's what one of the bartenders on the Getaway did for me, though YMMV.

My plans in 2015 are the Transatlantic on the Escape in a Studio. After being on the Sky I like my big brand new ships.

Are you saying that the watercslides you need to be over 100lbs? They dont have height restrictions too? We were on a disney cruise in january and they had a similar slide an it was 48 inches. Im assuming the same and hoping my youngest grows a inch in 3 weeks :)

 

Go Pats!

Yes and they will weigh you if they feel you are under 100lbs. I was on the Getaway and remember talking with a dad and was informed that his daughter was 98lbs and wasn't able to go on the slide.

Cubechick: I sincerely hope this is correct, because that would mean most of the exotica on the menus would be included. But, the terms and conditions of the UBP still dictate that "designated super premium brands" are an exclusion. And they don't say they are included at any price point.

 

My plan at this point is to order the UBP online prior to cruise since it is cheaper and then test out exotica by ordering a Rum Cake Martini (with Pyrat XO Reserve rum) and check to make sure when I sign the check it shows "Beverage Package." If it does not, guess I'll be spending time at Guest Services.

It won't show up as a charge to the beverage plan. The receipt will show up as a charge like any other room charge. However, it will not appear on your room folio. The processing is taken care of in the ship's restaurant system. I prepurchased the UBP on the Getaway and also purchased it on the ship on the Sky and that's how it works.

Most of the time (excess of 99%) the bartender will write "UB" or "BP" on top of the receipt you sign to signify that this is an Ultimate Beverage plan purchase.

Also, the bartenders are well aware of the prices of drinks so don't be afraid to ask if "X" drink is part of the ultimate beverage plan.

To give you an idea if the super premium brands are a part of the package I ordered on both ships MANY Grey Goose drinks and MANY Ultimat vodka drinks and both were confirmed on two ships to be part of the beverage plan.

TL;DR as long as the drink is under 10.00 drink away.

FYI The warmup act is the same. I went with a group two nights in a row and the host didn't change one joke. Almost walked out.

I would do it at night as well. Its such a difference from doing it during the day. You have no sense of how far up or down you are because you can't see the ocean. It was awesome!

The bar closes at 7 and the door is electronically locked around 11 I believe.