schmoopie17

@mking8288 I should probably know this, but does the Escape have Starlink? My experiences are solely on ships sans-Starlink and the internet experiences haven't been pretty. Can't even ever access the "free" CC page. I spend more time at the Internet "Manager" desk than I actually do online. Just wondering if I need to adjust my internet expectations upward or downward in a couple weeks.

But @ChiefMateJRKis on record as saying he may...or may not...have peed on the stage of Choir of Man. So here's a solution...be his cabinmate, open the balcony barrier and if a fire breaks out, there's your sprinkler. 😜 Problem solved...except Mrs. ChiefMate might object.

So, the correct answer is..."It depends". Sure would be nice if NCL had a consistent process across the fleet, instead of "it depends which ship you're on." Apparently this confusion is done to align with the NCL motto of, "For your convenience".

If so, urine trouble...

He's making sure you're not taking all the frog legs...

Just did a mock for the May Viva cruise. Airfare for 1st passenger: $1563 Airfare for 2nd passenger: $0 Not only is the 1st passenger less than half of the June cruise, there is no charge for the 2nd passenger (as it should be). Must be a glitch for June charging two airfares.

I just tried a mock, as well. Something is goofy with their airfare. When I choose the airport, it says 1st guest pays $3400...2nd guest is FREE. However, in the section where they itemize the costs of the entire trip, it says: 1st guest $3400...2nd guest $2500...total $5900. ????

It was definitely a car rental. Then Jerry says, "And HOLDING the reservation is the important part." It's funny how many of life's everyday situations can be traced back to a "Seinfeld" reference, especially considering it was a show about nothing. Now, back to the reservation conversation...

I was wondering the same thing. But it might be because of the Ambassador status? Or else, they heard that Yvonne is now a Princess Princess and Dad is the real King of Beers. Royalty has its privileges.

I'm betting they have turkey...

I should point out that the June Viva stops in cool places that the May one doesn't...Mykonos, Corfu and Split. Not sure if that makes up for having to go in June, but it's worth mentioning.

When on vacation, the Schmoopies prefer to have to do as little "legwork" as possible (especially with Mrs. Schmoopie still struggling with the after effects of her broken leg a year ago.) That's why we like cruising. Everything is pretty much planned. Easy and convenience are the key words here...taking trains, ferries, etc., just seems like extra work and stress.

So...the airfare is more than the cruise? Something tells me the usually "reliable" NCL site is having a "rare" glitch. Probably adding decimals where they're not needed (or wanted). Having said that, assuming the airfare snafu gets fixed, I'm on team @cruiseny4lifeon this option. Seems to have everything...new ship, time of year, ports, etc.

So...here's where this stands: OPTION 1: April on the Viva: New ship, Good time of year. 9 Days (kind of short after flying all that way.) No Dubrovnik. OPTION 2: Back to Back on the Gem: Lots of duplication of ports. Kind of defeats the purpose of a Back to Back. But options for people to do 7 or 14 days. OPTION 3: May on the Viva from Venice to Istanbul: New ship. Not summer. 10 days. No duplicate ports. Cool departure and arrival cities. I'd have to say I'm leaning toward the last option. As always, YMMV...

Good point. Plus it makes a lot of stops in places the Schmoopies have been (not that anyone cares) and we would probably treat as "sea days". Now where did I put that drawing board...?

I know this one is only nine days, but seems to fit most or the other requirements: VILLEFRANCHE, FRANCE 9-DAY CRUISE ON NORWEGIAN VIVA Mediterranean: Italy, France & Greece from Barcelona, Spain Sailing April,2026 10 PORTS OF CALL Barcelona,Spain Nice/Monaco (Villefranche),France Florence/Pisa (Livorno),Italy Rome (Civitavecchia),Italy Salerno,Italy Messina (Sicily),Italy Corfu,Greece Kotor,Montenegro Split,Croatia Venice (Ravenna),Italy

Understood. I hope you're able to get the info you need to make a decision that works for you.

Dad should be excited to be there. You could tell him it's a great place to "Catch a Can"...or two, or three...of Alaskan beer. But draft beer is better, so maybe tell him he can catch a draft. Cheers to Dad.

Not trying to be snippy, but ask a question like this on CC and you will get 100 different answers. Not sure how that helps you decide. You know your family better than we do...what they like, don't like, etc. Having said that, do you have a preference in sailaway port? Can you get better air fares to one port over another? If it were me who had to decide, I'd pick the Bliss...then the Encore...then the Getaway...in order of preference of the ships. We've been to all of those ports, so the itinerary (to me) is the least important thing. But I'm not you (obviously). Hope you find the answer you're looking for. I'm sure you'll have a swell time whatever you decide.

We typically show up at 5:30 and walk right in. Never had a wait of more than one or two minutes. Of course, now that I said that, everyone will show up at 5:30...

The back-to-backs on the Pearl and the Gem would be a good option for people who want a longer cruise (14 days), as well as for people who only want 7 days. (They could pick the front end or the back end). We loved the Jade and assume the Pearl and Gem would be comparable.

OOPS...was accidentally looking at 2025. Old people disease strikes again...back to the drawing board.

Just saw a bunch of Croatia cruises in April and September. (Not too cold or too hot) Similar itineraries to the ones @cruiseny4lifeposted earlier.

Following both you and @YVRteacheron your trek to Alaska. If you forget to mention anything, Alaska. (Okay, lame joke. But those are the only ones I know). Dueling trip reports. Kind of like Deliverance...without the goofy characters.

I've been known to (reluctantly) make exceptions to my long flight avoidance. I'm already gearing up for our 10 hour flight to Rome (and back) in a couple weeks. (Oh wait...that's a total of 20 hours. Maybe I should cancel). Good thing free drinks are included in our fare...