texastennis

Thanks to all of you who responded to my question about my banner disappearing and how to adjust my bid without seeing it.  All of you were correct: I found my email and was able to adjust my bid there, and the banner miraculously showed up today.  So, the anticipation continues!

There was a time when I would by-pass this thread because I just didn't understand what all the fuss was about.  But now I'm in the game and have submitted bids for a B2B I have booked in January.  I have no idea what I'm really doing, but it has become somewhat fun watching inventory on my two cruises, the price fluctuations, and updating my Excel spreadsheet to track the information.

It has also been fun to read what everyone has been posting about their bids and speculations.  Now I have a few questions of my own, (and forgive me for my ignorance).

My cruise at the first leg of the B2B is currently at day 47, and for the first time since the banner to upgrade appeared on the MY NCL page at day 80, the banner no longer appears.  If I want to modify my bid, does this mean I no longer can?  If I can, then where and how?  Also, if the banner disappears, what does this mean?  There's re-calibration going on and the banner will come back?  Bidding has closed?  Nothing?

Interested in your thoughts. 

If you are OK with a cabin located forward, you'll be under the spa in which there is no overhead noise. 

I'll second the person who said that having several restaurant options on embarkation day definitely sets NCL apart. Also, NCL's Jewel class ships have very nice spas, and wonderful garden cafes located aft on deck 12. This is one of my favorite locations for having a nice light meal while watching the wake. Additionally, passengers who do not have aft balconies can enjoy beautiful, unobstructed panoramic views of sunrises and sunsets from here.

2 hours ago, debbyfelse1963 said:

beware if you do a balcony guarantee you will probably end up with an enclosed balcony on deck 8. That was what they tried to do to me on our upcoming Jade cruise and mine wasn't even a guarantee it was supposed to be a mid ship  balcony. Look online at the pictures of the enclosed they really are just like a window cabin with the glass removed.

Yes, the enclosed balconies are not like the more open ones, which also means they are more private and less susceptible to the elements. They also are much bigger than an Oceanview window. It is for these reasons I seek out these particular balconies when cruising.  To the OP: you may be pleasantly surprised if you are assigned an enclosed/hull balcony. You'll have the wind in your hair and no one peeking at you in the glass because they can't as in the more open, commonly sought -after balconies. Good luck!

It is worth every penny to get away from the crowds and noise. The thasso pool, steam room and the heated loungers are heavenly.  As long as others treat the spa as a quiet getaway and not another hot tub party, you will love it!

This is one of my biggest examples about how slovenly we've become as a society. My dad was adamant about never wearing his hat when he entered an establishment. He was an example of how a well-dressed and well-respected man should look and behave.  When I see baseball caps on guys' heads in a restaurant, I see him as sloven and lazy. It is definitely not attractive.  Hiding a bald head is one thing, I guess, but baldness is fashionable and attractive now (IMO) and so I don't buy it as an excuse.

I've said this here before and I'll state it again: I am a huge fan of The Sopranos. And although Tony Soprano lacked any semblance of civility or a moral compass, I actually applauded the scene in which he sees this guy in the restaurant wearing a baseball cap. Tony walks over to the guy and tells him to remove his hat. The guy looks at Tony stupidly because he doesn't see the problem (which is part of the problem). After withering looks from Tony, he finally removes the hat. Nevertheless,  you can tell the guy still doesn't get why it was an issue to Tony  because as far as the guy was concerned, there wasn't an issue. He was doing what he wanted to do (having been trained to believe in the "free to be me" mantra) and that no one has the right to call him on his unacceptable behavior. I could go on and on, but I'm just going to focus more on the joy of cruising, baseball caps on tacky men be damned!

I have been in an enclosed balcony on the Jewel on deck 8 and in a mini suite on deck 11 on the Jade. If you are in a cabin on deck 8 forward you will be above the Stardust Theater and hear the thumping of the music from performances until about midnight. Also, dependencies if you are port or starboard you will be over the smoking area. Not fun to hear noise or smell smoke on your cruise.

My suggestion is that if you are far enough forward on deck 11 you will be under the spa portion of deck 12 and will hear absolutely nothing from above. I loved my mini suite -- I think it was 11002. Bon voyage!

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Royal's Guest Copy of your booking confirmation will show that info. Contact whoever booked your cruise for this document.

That is very helpful. Thank you!

My husband will be on the Liberty of the Seas on May 20th. We're in the process of planning excursions and will base our decisions upon whether the ship tenders or docks in port.

Does anyone know how or where we can find out this information?

Thanks.

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I have just returned from a wonderful time on VOS (4/11) and found that a great value in purchasing a bottle of wine that I thoroughly enjoyed. It would have been 16.00 a glass otherwise. The bottle was available to me at dinner and I received a 20 percent discount because I had a dining package.

Since I drank a glass of wine at dinner only, it made sense to NOT buy the package. I think the package is for serious drinkers who drink more than three drinks a day or who want top shelf liquor.

Also, I noticed that the prices for wine by the glass was in the 15 - 17 dollar range.

Yes, Park Cafe is usually open for embarkation.

Many thanks. I will go there.

Last RCI cruise, we were on the Adventure, where they only lunch options besides Windjammer were the Promenade Cafe and paying for Johnny Rockets. We opted for Promenade Cafe... and while less of a s***-show than the Windjammer, it was still really crowded and frankly a disappointing start to the cruise (dinner that night in the MDR more than made up for it, though).

 

Going on Oasis next, and planning on Park Cafe as our first choice, with Solarium Bistro as a backup if Park is overcrowded (or maybe even Doghouse if it's open/we just want a quick sausage).

 

In the end, though, I wish they'd do like most other lines and just have one level of the MDR open. In my experience on NCL, even though they open the MDR, it never gets overwhelmed, and most people flock to either the buffet or the other free venues, so I don't think RCI would have a problem of long waits or overtaxed staff at the MDR on embarkation day, even on the Oasis/Quantum class ships, if that is their fear.

I agree. Going to the MDR on embarkation day is a nice, relaxing way to begin a cruise. I'll be on RCL for the first time on Wednesday, and it will be interesting to see how lunch goes. Based upon what I've been reading, the cafe in the Solarium is the way to go -- pretty much for the entire cruise if you are someone like me who has an aversion to crowds at buffets.

I don't believe Vision's Giovanni's is open for lunch on boarding day.

That is unfortunate. On NCL I always go to the MDR upon boarding. Will the cafe in the Solarium be open on Vision at embarkation?

Thanks so much for responding, Clarea. You are always a wealth of knowledge.

I'm with you.

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This was a helpful review. I'm on the Vision in April with a Wednesday departure. Any thoughts about you think embarrassing will be? Hopefully as easy as yours.

 

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This was a helpful review. I'm on the Vision in April with a Wednesday departure. Any thoughts about you think embarrassing will be? Hopefully as easy as yours.

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So much talk about loyalty perks - we're newbs about to embark for our first ever on Royal, and we're Pre-Gold. Gotta have status, even if it's a really terrible status!

 

On the other hand, getting excited about this cruise. . . that we really should not be taking, because we just got off a cruise in January and we are working stiffs who just don't do that all the time. Furthermore, DH and I are both busy at work in a way that is hard to overstate (we are both middle management at two different companies) and the timing for us to be abandoning our respective workplaces has turned out to be poor. We both are very dedicated to the concept of servant leadership and therefore feel bad about leaving our teams to manage a large workload without our help.

 

Back on the first hand though. . . it's the 12 year old's spring break, and we're getting out of here for a week so we intend to make the most of it. It's been a long, cold winter and we have been working quite hard, so we intend to strut around that ship with our pre-gold status like we own the place. We might grab a deck chair in the morning and actually sit in it reading or better yet, napping. We might just go up to the Windjammer or down to the Park Café whenever we feel like it and get nothing but dessert all day long. After all, we are Pre-Gold. Who wouldn't be impressed by that? I just hope we can find a seat in the PG lounge and get decent bar service for that PG free tap water perk!

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No Thermal Spa on the Vision of the Sea.

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Hello,

I'm a few weeks out from my first RCL cruise, and would like to know if there is a Thermal Spa on VOS? If so, does it have heated lounge chairs, hot tub, etc?

I'd also like to know (for those who drink wine by the glass), what you have seen as the top price for a glass - particularly the reds. I am considering buying the drink package, but will do this if I can figure out the high end cost of a glass of wine. On a cruise I usually drink about 3 glasses a day and will have a mimosa some mornings.

Thanks so much!

Thank you, Host Cleara and Joy Mouse. I'm really looking forward to seeing what RCL has to offer!

I have been a consistent NCL cruiser for several years now, and this April I will sail with RCL on VOS for the first time. I cruise specifically to recharge my batteries and relax, so finding quiet areas to read and write are important.

Any tips for where I can find quiet spots on VOS besides my cabin?

Is there a thermal spa area and is there a charge?

Thanks!

I put in my bid in January and learned today - two days before my cruise - that my bid was not accepted. So, in my case it was about 6 weeks.

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I think it depends on the definition of “near.” We’re in Dallas, but we can be in Galveston in five hours or so (depending on traffic) and while I-45 can get boring, it’s not too bad. It would take about the same time (with much more hassle) to fly to PortMiami or New Orleans.

 

I think when people think “close”, it may mean “I don’t want to fly” or “l want to travel on embarkation day.”

 

I think the time savings comes from not flying (and especially not connecting). When I was working in Houston, with having to drive to DFW (in traffic), arriving an hour before flight time, security hassles (and this was pre-9/11), flying to Houston (which as the comics say, has two airports, one in Dallas, one in Galveston), and driving to my apartment, it was almost faster to just drive.

 

I would like to be closer to a major port, but Norwegian left Houston, so geographically closest to us now is NOLA, or Galveston for Carnival, RCCL and sometimes Disney.

 

My fear (as others mentioned) is moving close to a port that then is then abandoned. We sailed on the Jade twice before she left Houston, and she’s my favorite ship, so we probably would have done the same itinerary a few more times if she had stayed, even though it was not the most exciting (Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Cozumel).

 

We have other lines still in Galveston, so we may have to branch out (did one Carnival cruise from there, spouse hated it.)

 

I do agree that PortMiami has the most choices for now, but as ships keep getting larger, there are less ports where they can call - who wants to tender 5000+ people? I love Cozumel, but really don’t need to go there every year.

 

It may be time to graduate to $maller $hip$ for different ports.

 

 

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Totally in agreement with you on many points. I live in Houston and loved it when both the Jade and Jewel sailed from here. When Norwegian left I was extremely sad. Now for the first time I will sail out of New Orleans on the Pearl and we'll see how that goes. Then I am sailing on the Vision of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston. It's about an hour or so drive from my house so I'm excited to see how I'll feel about RCCL. Looking forward to good experiences so I won't miss NCL in Houston as much as I do now.

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Thanks! For the most part, no. There were a handful of expected crowds. Few examples:

 

 

• Windjammer (especially when we boarded on day 1 - literally, it was standing room only to eat your food)
  
• Sporadic times in the Royal Promenade, especially when there's a jewelry sale and tables are set up in the aisles
  
• As mentioned before, pool areas on sea days
  

But for the most part, it never felt "overcrowded" on the ship at all.

Fantastic! This information is very helpful and thanks.